Road rage on the bike path turns cyclist against roller skier

Cycling advocates need to redirect their campaign from share the road to share the path, after a cyclist allegedly attacked a man on roller skis behind the Kohl Center in Madison.

Police reported that the roller skier, a 56-year-old man, commented "cutting it close" after the cyclist made a quick turn in front of him the afternoon of Dec. 15. He then encountered the cyclist, waiting for him a bit further down the path.

The cyclist, described as a white male in his early 20s, lammed his bike into the roller skier's chest and knocked him to the pavement. He then bounced his bicycle off the older man's back.

"He apparently took a few moments to digest what the roller skier said, and it must have been gnawing at him," Madison Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said in a release reported by Madison.com.

The news account likely will fuel anti-biker sentiment, and with good reason.

This behavior is unacceptable, whether its a cyclist, a motorist, runner or roller skier. All users of bike paths need to share the space with courtesy. A wave and a greeting should come before making a pass.