I had a rough start to my ride home last night. I usually make a call going over Knight street bridge to take the road or sidewalk. I rarely take the sidewalk, I find it too narrow, bumpy and sometimes crowded. Well last night I took it and get about 1/3rd of the way across and a guy was holding up a fellow in front of me. By holding us up, he was going a steady 8-10 km/h, even on the downhill. The fellow was slow and really wobbly, so at 1/3rd my pace I just had to wait it out. Then I had a fellow come up behind me ring his bell and it sounded like he was approaching, and fast. So I waved him back and glanced. At the slow speed my glance made me veer, the narrowness made my front pannier scrape the wall and sent me wholly off balance. And down I went. No damage, a little scrape on my brakes, some bruises from my frame. More embarrassed than anything. Got up look behind me there about 6 other cyclists behind me, that makes 8 behind the one slow guy, on a sidewalk barely wide enough for a bike and pedestrian.
When the slow guy finally pulled over, he nearly fell off and down a hill. I was proud of him riding at his low level of ability, but it seemed out of necessity. Though if this is his choice over walking I am glad he wasn't walking.
Finally I got away and off on the normal commute. I did run into the other guy in front of me (not the slow one) on the way home again, after picking my son up. I managed to put about 15 minutes between us from passing him on the bridge, I was impressed by that.