Boardman on BBC Breakfast...

[summerdays]

I won't post the link here. But if you can face it head over to the Mail online website. In a shocking development the readership agreed with Boardman!

I've just been and added my clicks! It's worth being ad fodder just to add to the balance (the lessor of two evils).

 

[subaqua]

What are his views on waving at other cyclists?

well if he is on a roadbike ( aren't all bikes road bikes ? ) he won't wave and will look down at others with arrogant disdain. oh no thats the sunday nobbers , not CB

 

[psmiffy]

Having read all the various web thingies - I suspect the BBC (and CB) knew exactly what they were doing when putting CB and the young lady alongside each other

 

[summerdays]

I'm still waiting for friends and family to pick up on the other element of the piece the statistic they used about 16 x more dangerous in an hour than on a bike, so in some ways at least Boardman-gate seems to have distracted the attention from that which will be far more off putting to some. I wonder how dangerous the bathroom is per hour? Or the garden?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

well if he is on a roadbike ( aren't all bikes road bikes ? ) he won't wave and will look down at others with arrogant disdain. oh no thats the sunday nobbers , not CB

He actually looks strangely uncyclist-like on that road bike with elbows akimbo on flat bars. I reckon he'd be happier on drops but he's being 'everyman' for the video.

 

[psmiffy]

Reading the full text of CB rebuttal on the British Cycling Website - particularly the last but one sentence

We're at a crucial moment for cycling and the run up to the 2015 general election presents us with an unmissable opportunity to try to get some substantial commitments on cycling

I await tomorrows spilling of outrage

I have always been a fan of Mr Boardman - even more so now he has put his head above the parapet (again)

 

[Pete Owens]

The most notorious ones so far have probably been the Bedford Turbogate and Cambridge Perne Road "If this is Dutch then I'm a Dutchman" roundabouts,

Only notorious from the POV of segregationist zealots who get angry when cyclists campaign for measures at the top of hierarchy of provision to improve the safety of the roads rather than marginalise us to off road farcilities. (remember, both these supposedly notorious schemes had the active support of the local campaign groups).

In this respect they are really no different from the helmet taliban giving Boardman a kicking at the moment. Both put the case that cycling is so dangerous that we need the protection of their particular measure - whether that is kerbs or hats. Both really hate cycle campaigners for understanding the issues and proposing measures that are actually helpful. Both are actively discouraging cycling by using fear mongering to propose their own particular solutiuons. Both claim to be protecting the children in order to dismiss any rational argument presented by adults as irresponsible. Both ignore the views of cyclists and pandering to the prejudices of the "normal" non-cycling population.

If anything the hatists are less harmful to cycling than the pathists. If you are going to promote irrational fear (as Boardman admits) as a basis of policy, then at least a helmet is within the power of any parent to equip their child with tomorrow. If you are going to ban your children from cycling until the government builds a segregated cycle network then you are in for a long wait.

 

[srw]

I choose to be part of the solution by not owning a car and I don't preach that inexperienced untrained cyclists should ride on the roads hereabouts.

Very unfair of me - sorry.

But surely the solution to inexperienced untrained cyclists is training, then experience - in the same way that we give untrained inexperience drivers training, then experience? That can start at age 8, 18 or even 48. My observation is that if you're reasonably intelligent about it it takes very little time to give someone some training, and then experience ramps up very quickly indeed, especially if that person already has the benefit of training and experience as a driver.

 

[summerdays]

Very unfair of me - sorry.

But surely the solution to inexperienced untrained cyclists is training, then experience - in the same way that we give untrained inexperience drivers training, then experience? That can start at age 8, 18 or even 48. My observation is that if you're reasonably intelligent about it it takes very little time to give someone some training, and then experience ramps up very quickly indeed, especially if that person already has the benefit of training and experience as a driver.

Problem is that like learning to drive, it takes differing amounts of time to pass your driving test, and even then you do wonder how some did pass. Training would help but as part of the solution. Speaking as a parent who is dreading one of my children learning to drive based on a guess of what their general skills are like (could be proved wrong of course).

 

[srw]

I have always been a fan of Mr Boardman - even more so now he has put his head above the parapet (again)

If only we could somehow combine the passion and communication skills of Boardman with the intellectual rigour of Geffen we'd be on to a winner.

 

[Spinney]

I've just been and added my clicks! It's worth being ad fodder just to add to the balance (the lessor of two evils).

me too

(I wonder how many of the 'good' comments are actual daily mail readers, and how many are from annoyed cyclists who've just popped in to click ?)

 

[subaqua]

dunno but I tweeted headway and asked how a helmet stops torso crushing injuries when a lorry wheel goes over me.

 

[david k]

i thought the report this morning was good, i like lorry drivers cycling, seemed fair and balanced to me

 

[Kbrook]

Just watched BBC this morning, who is that £)&@ head called Sherry. If he is our best representative God help us. " no ifs, no buts no coconuts " was one of his quotes, very impressive.

He also hit a van that he thought was was too close to his bike, didn't actually look that close, driver gets out and floors the clown.

Who is this idiot?

 

[Mugshot]

Just watched BBC this morning, who is that £)&@ head called Sherry. If he is our best representative God help us. " no ifs, no buts no coconuts " was one of his quotes, very impressive.

He also hit a van that he thought was was too close to his bike, didn't actually look that close, driver gets out and floors the clown.

Who is this idiot?

I just watched the clip on Facebook, that idiot used to be on here, maybe he still is, he also posted that particular video here and claimed that the van had hit him not that he had hit the van, it was very quickly pointed out by the CC massive that he was lying through his teeth and he skulked off. The man's an idiot but unfortunately it looks like he's getting his 15 minutes.