Pr*cks on bikes

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Having stood at some junctions and done a count, I have come to the conclusion that as many motorists who have the opportunity jump red lights as do cyclists. Thing is, once one car stops, the others (generally*) can't then jump it. One cyclist stopping does not affect the ability of others behind going through, since s/he will not block the road completely.

ftr, I've done counts at Cedars Road, Clapham, Amen Corner, Tooting, and Carshalton High St. Merely because I was stood outside waiting for someone.

Cedars Road is an interesting case. Going up past Sainsburys, the ASL is filled with cars on every single cycle of the lights.
 

400bhp

Guru
Having stood at some junctions and done a count, I have come to the conclusion that as many motorists who have the opportunity jump red lights as do cyclists. Thing is, once one car stops, the others (generally*) can't then jump it. One cyclist stopping does not affect the ability of others behind going through, since s/he will not block the road completely.

ftr, I've done counts at Cedars Road, Clapham, Amen Corner, Tooting, and Carshalton High St. Merely because I was stood outside waiting for someone.

Cedars Road is an interesting case. Going up past Sainsburys, the ASL is filled with cars on every single cycle of the lights.

That's a good point. The thing with cyclists RLJ is that it is generally done blatantly so everyone around has seen them RLJ-hence the perception by motorists and peds that cyclists routinely RLJ.
 
Your post reminds me that I didn't include my footnote, so I shall now

* I have seen, on at least two occasions, someone pulling out of a line of traffic at a red light, into the oncoming lane (and once the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge and across a pelican with a green man) and through a red light. So it won't completely block the utter utter utter lamebrained wazzocks, but it does inhibit lawbreaking when someone has stopped a car at red.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Most of the time when i commute the bridleway is pretty empty, i use my bell to alert any peds of my presence and if i need to slow down for dog walkers with their trip wires, i do so.
What sort of speeds are you doing? I've done it a few times in the mid-20s & there's enough ped traffic that it's not pleasant. A lot of the problem is the peds don't expect to find a cyclists doing 23-28mph. Plus at the higher end of that speed range there's something odd about the surface, it seems ridiculously easy to lock a wheel. Then add in the road crossings & it starts feeling a very awkward path to ride down.
 
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MisterStan

Label Required
What sort of speeds are you doing? I've done it a few times in the mid-20s & there's enough ped traffic that it's not pleasant. A lot of the problem is the peds don't expect to find a cyclists doing 23-28mph. Plus at the higher end of that speed range there's something odd about the surface, it seems ridiculously easy to lock a wheel. Then add in the road crossings & it starts feeling a very awkward path to ride down.

Mid 20s on a hybrid with skinny 700C wheels, there aren't really any blind corners so it's not like peds should be surprised and like i said if you use a bell to warn them you're there and slow down a tad then it should be OK. I find that the path itself is very smooth and don't have any issues with it, the crossings are a tad annoying but TBH they aren't that close together that it bothers me - its not like i'm time trialling - just biking to work and back!
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
MAybe it's the time I'm going through, people aren't expecting to see anyone so don't think about their actions but while peds aren't supprise, they're acting like I'm going 5mph not 25mph. They also wander across the path from one side to the other despite a warning shout of 'excuse me, cyclist coming through'. Cue me slowing down to about 10 then getting back up to speed again, throw in the road crossings & it's annoying & uncomfortable. The one time I did it at >30mph cruise every time I met a ped I had to break down to a virtual hault before they realised how fast I was approaching them.
Compare this to the road where once I'm up to speed no one really bothers me & I can be doing 10 miles without interruption at threshold pace or above.
 

Miquel In De Rain

No Longer Posting
One today Waterloo Bridge while he wobbled about and stopped pedaling in front of me,reached into his front pannier to get his mobile phone out and chat on it.Some people are brain dead.

Drivers chatting on mobiles killed 11 people last year, speeding drivers killed a thousand. Cyclists killed nobody. Law breaking is rife on the roads, the real danger most certainly does not come from cyclists.

That's not really an excuse for cyclists to not follow the rules though.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
What sort of speeds are you doing? I've done it a few times in the mid-20s & there's enough ped traffic that it's not pleasant. A lot of the problem is the peds don't expect to find a cyclists doing 23-28mph. Plus at the higher end of that speed range there's something odd about the surface, it seems ridiculously easy to lock a wheel. Then add in the road crossings & it starts feeling a very awkward path to ride down.

I've not had any problems, except as I previously mentioned avoiding the horse shoot. It's cycling bliss! The service road must be 10-12 feet wide of lovely smooth asphalt all the way between St Ives and Milton in Cambridge. I hardly see any cyclists on it. I thought it would be really busy. Saw a couple of roadies yesterday afternoon time trialling - perfect surface for it, really smooth.

If you are having so many problems maybe you should modify how you cycle on the GBW or get an Airzound?
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Mid 20s on a hybrid with skinny 700C wheels, there aren't really any blind corners so it's not like peds should be surprised and like i said if you use a bell to warn them you're there and slow down a tad then it should be OK. I find that the path itself is very smooth and don't have any issues with it, the crossings are a tad annoying but TBH they aren't that close together that it bothers me - its not like i'm time trialling - just biking to work and back!

The barriers are an accident waiting to happen. Painted grey with no reflective material or signs on them so in poor visibility or after dark there is a strong likelihood of crashing into them which would make for an interesting claim against Cambs County Council.
 

green1

Über Member
I've never heard of that happening, any actual examples?

Drivers on mobiles are not as rare as you think, half of all drivers admit using a mobile whilst driving yet only 200,000 a year are caught and fined. The detection rate is roughly 5%. Madness.
Just because you admit to using a mobile doesn't mean your breaking the law. If my phone goes off in the car I press a button on the steering wheel and take the call on the car's inbuilt hands free system. That's using a mobile whilst driving and not breaking the law.
 

Miquel In De Rain

No Longer Posting
Just because you admit to using a mobile doesn't mean your breaking the law. If my phone goes off in the car I press a button on the steering wheel and take the call on the car's inbuilt hands free system. That's using a mobile whilst driving and not breaking the law.


My phone is set to go into flight mode when the screen is off so it doesn't distract me while im driving or cycling.No bother really missing a call,I just ring them back.
 

Adasta

Well-Known Member
Location
London
[QUOTE 1794129, member: 1314"]More bikes are great. But wish they would stop undertaking me, passing too close...[/quote]

"Inside!"
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
Just because you admit to using a mobile doesn't mean your breaking the law. If my phone goes off in the car I press a button on the steering wheel and take the call on the car's inbuilt hands free system. That's using a mobile whilst driving and not breaking the law.

You might still be breaking the law - if you drive in a bad enough manner whilst doing this. It's still just as distracting as using the phone hand-held, as the problem comes from your mental investment in a remote conversation, not from the loss of use of one arm.
 
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Becs

Becs

Veteran
You might still be breaking the law - if you drive in a bad enough manner whilst doing this. It's still just as distracting as using the phone hand-held, as the problem comes from your mental investment in a remote conversation, not from the loss of use of one arm.
can't see the difference between a hands free conversation by phone and chatting to someone in the car. Tbh you could argue that if you can't drive and talk at the same time you shouldn't be driving!
 
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