Wobblers
Euthermic
That's a tad hypocritical coming from someone who resorts to ad hominem attacks on people who you don't agree with whilst claiming that it is "wit".
dumbass LCC bike lane on Stratford High Street
- Thread starter dellzeqq
- Start date
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That's a tad hypocritical coming from someone who resorts to ad hominem attacks on people who you don't agree with whilst claiming that it is "wit".
Wobblers
Euthermic
Have you ever cycled in London?
From experience, London is by far the best, most pleasant city in which to ride a bike. Try it - who knows, you may like it...
PS: One of the things that make it so wonderful is that there is almost none of the cycling ghettos that benight so may other towns and cities.
Learnincurve
Senior Member
To be fair knocks is completely correct about more people cycling if the cycling infrastructure is there.
I am the only regular girl commuter I see on the roads in this town, strava does show that there are a few club members but we are a clear minority and it's not like there is a stream of male cyclists either, it's just that the rare other cyclist I see is always a man. On the trails its slightly different, there is a group of women who go cycling together and you will occasionally see the odd lady out with her husband but it's still 90% men.
I have no doubt that this is down to our town not just being cyclist unfriendly but downright dangerous. It's huge roundabout after roundabout with major roads and duel carriageways feeding into them and drivers who would rather see you dead than add another 2 seconds to their journey no matter if you have right of way, they are bigger than you and can hurt you so they believe it's their god given right to go though. They are actually quite well behaved when it comes to the few cycle lanes we do have. It's amazing that they will happily obey the white lines and give you room but when they are not there they will deliberately drive 2 inches from your elbow to make a point.
So yes, please give me your nice segregated bike lanes. No we don't have to ride in them if they are full of kiddies or people pottering along at 10mph but the option would be nice. I think a fair few people here would benefit from doing a trip from Arkwright town near chesterfield to Baslow and see how the other half lives. If anyone is pedantic enough tot take this trip take the upper B road (ashgate) the lower A road will literally kill you, it's the only road in the area the huge HGVs are allowed on and they thunder around the blind bends at 60 mph and there ain't no verges to dive into.
I am the only regular girl commuter I see on the roads in this town, strava does show that there are a few club members but we are a clear minority and it's not like there is a stream of male cyclists either, it's just that the rare other cyclist I see is always a man. On the trails its slightly different, there is a group of women who go cycling together and you will occasionally see the odd lady out with her husband but it's still 90% men.
I have no doubt that this is down to our town not just being cyclist unfriendly but downright dangerous. It's huge roundabout after roundabout with major roads and duel carriageways feeding into them and drivers who would rather see you dead than add another 2 seconds to their journey no matter if you have right of way, they are bigger than you and can hurt you so they believe it's their god given right to go though. They are actually quite well behaved when it comes to the few cycle lanes we do have. It's amazing that they will happily obey the white lines and give you room but when they are not there they will deliberately drive 2 inches from your elbow to make a point.
So yes, please give me your nice segregated bike lanes. No we don't have to ride in them if they are full of kiddies or people pottering along at 10mph but the option would be nice. I think a fair few people here would benefit from doing a trip from Arkwright town near chesterfield to Baslow and see how the other half lives. If anyone is pedantic enough tot take this trip take the upper B road (ashgate) the lower A road will literally kill you, it's the only road in the area the huge HGVs are allowed on and they thunder around the blind bends at 60 mph and there ain't no verges to dive into.
knocksofbeggarmen
Active Member
Gordon Bennett. Of course I've cycled in London, and through it, and into and out of it, and around it. And I entirely understand what you mean by 'the best, most pleasant city in which to ride a bike' IF you mean, '...in comparison with most other UK cities'.
On the other hand, if you seriously maintain that 'London is by far the best, most pleasant city in which to ride a bike... compared to any city whatsoever', then my response is that I don't know how to argue with a madman. I've cycled in London. I've also cycled in Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam. The idea that London was the fun-packed adventure and the other places were horrid to ride in- simply barmy.
knocksofbeggarmen
Active Member
I'm finding it hard to distinguish your substantial point from the rhetorical temperature.
One or two textual clues ("crap" "lumbering") gives me to understand that not only will you not ride on these lanes, but don't want anyone else to ride on them either.
Well, I suspect that lots will. Maybe you do too.
One substantial claim was that the Dutch have long average commute times- which sounds an important point for British Traffic Jams and against all things Dutch in transport infrastructure, until you spot that they also have the longest commuting DISTANCES in Europe, made possible by excellent cycling and public transport infrastructure, seamlessly integrated. Indeed, this makes it silly to observe that proper infra couldn't work here because London in much bigger than Amsterdam- because the distances people are actually travelling are higher in the Dutch case.
And on the primary point of your last, no: DZ says IN TERMS exactly what I said he said, IE: that he wants cycling in London to remain as is.
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knocksofbeggarmen
Active Member
Come again? Can you quote me actually doing what you've just accused me of? You know, mounting ad-hominem attacks whilst claiming it is "wit"?
Learnincurve
Senior Member
I've been to York, Cambridge and Oxford.
A cycling infrastructure isn't just about cycle lanes it's a state of mind for both drivers and cyclist, potential and actual. Some roads in these three cities don't need cycle lanes because it's accepted that the road is also the cycle lane. These are cities with a long standing tradition of cycling, places that don't need help in the form of cycle lanes. As I said just because a cycle lane is there does not mean you have to use it but it does mean more people will feel safer about going out on the road, it does not matter if the lanes are actually safer or not, what matters is getting people out there because the more people that cycle the more aware drivers are and power in numbers and all that jazz.
If you don't want to use cycle lanes then fair enough, no on is forcing you to, give everybody else the choice as well.
knocksofbeggarmen
Active Member
"I used to do the I-ching/
But I had to feed the meter/
Now I can't see into the future/
But at least I can use the heater"
Pete Owens
Well-Known Member
OK then - you you want to take it seriously.
There are 163 examples of the sort of things you think might address some gender balance issue:
http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/facility-of-the-month
Ignore my coments - I have obviously got the wrong end of the stick - but the photos are all genuine examples of what you would subject us to. Now explain to us - month-by-month - why we should welcome this sort of thing. And also how in detail each specific example addresses the gender balance you are so concened about.
Oh, and don't try to pretend that that is not what you are advocating at all - this is the reality of cycle facilities implemented by the cream of our highway engineering profession over the decades. All of them segregationists such as yourself - and all of them spouting the same arguments as you. You ask for it - they build it - and we have to live with the consequences.
knocksofbeggarmen
Active Member
Er, since any attempt to speak on my behalf has been a-priori decreed to be "pretence" "spouting" "*********ist", I'm not sure how I can take this contribution seriously as an invitation to a conversation.
If you can think of a topic about which you will allow me to have thoughts of my own, we could discuss that.
Ten-pin Bowling?
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
So, now, s London.
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
Rhyming slang?
