You don't have to assault them to upset them. Saying anything about licensing annoys them, as does saying they're however-many-years too old to be on the pavement. If they shout abuse I tell them to grow up.

Essentially what's happening is a cultural shift whereby a lot of cyclists have become infantilised, which is why the status-quo-plus-10% "solutions" put forward above are a waste of time. Voluntary training indeed!

If they won't grow up of their own accord they need to be made to grow up, which means being treated like other road users (licence, compulsory training etc).

I agree that is bad luck on proper cyclists (whose existence I have always acknowledged), but some "proper cyclists" actually aren't that different. For example, being amused by police officers riding bikes on the pavement gives the game away (as does rarely seeing cyclists on the pavement). A real cyclist would realise what a bad example that sets. But the moment you start talking about "setting a bad example" you're talking about adult thinking, and so many cyclists (not all) think, and therefore ride, like children.

Hence the problem.