Clueless.

[mjr]

For a second, quoting on memory from Cyclecraft, text for our national cycling standard courses, if you are wobbly you're meant to practice somewhere quiet like a carpark until you're not wobbly anymore.
For a third again according to Cyclecraft "anybody with an average fitness and road training can keep up with motorized traffic" (says also something about having a bike with gears) - this, imo, I read as that if you have not an average fitness or if you're unsure of the rules of the road, you cannot keep up with traffic, hence you should not, as a cyclist, be on a busy road.

That interpretation would be disability discrimination and illegal for the government to publish so I do not think it can be a correct reading.

In general, Cyclecraft does contain some vehicularist bull shoot among the useful tips. Treat it as a cookbook with some useful recipes rather than a gospel.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Not quite sure why you'd need to ride on the carriageway, as there's a separate path that runs along it, on the north/east bound side?
Pretty sure I used that to get most/all of the way to Derby from Lichfield once!

Hi folks.

Unfortunately the large group, I came across were heading south on the carriageway all perfectly legally, but probably unadvisable.

 

[Markymark]

Hi folks.

Unfortunately the large group, I came across were heading south on the carriageway all perfectly legally, but probably unadvisable.

Is your advice superior to their judgement? Just wondering what your credentials are to be advising others as to road position?

 

[Hedgemonkey]

As an HGV driver for 30 years, both continental and UK, a Motorcyclist for 40 years, Advanced driving institute trained car driver and cyclist since school including European touring and a short time riding with a French cycling club, I think I might have a little experience of the roads. So pray tell, from which ivory tower do offer advise on how to stay safe on busy trunk roads to the inexperienced cyclist. We can all have righteous blinkered views on riding dangerous roads. But sometimes surely even we can see common sense over our rights to ride those type of very fast and busy roads and probably until everybody stops buying so much stuff in the supermarkets and they shift distribution back onto the railways it's only going to get worse on those trunk roads, but you can rest assure that when I do come across cyclists on those roads my first thoughts are for their safety even if it's legal but bloody silly place to be on a bicycle.

 

[screenman]

Is it possible we perceive certain roads to be unsafe where real numbers might tell us differently. Single carriageway blind bend roads in this country can be interesting.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Indeed.On club rides we've had a few close passes on country roads. Would it not be better to use our energy and voices to campaign for lower speeds on roads a little more pleasant to ride on than a busy trunk road and more education of motorists on how easy it is to kill us while they stay safe in their safety featured 2 ton cars.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Is it possible we perceive certain roads to be unsafe where real numbers might tell us differently. Single carriageway blind bend roads in this country can be interesting.

As I stated earlier those busy roads normally have far fewer cyclists on due to the perception of danger, so I'm sure the figures would be lower than say a B road around an urban environment and as we know, governments and officials can make figures say what they want.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

In the end I just don't want to read or here about another dead cyclist, just doing what we all love doing, because it's such a waste of someone's life, and as we see in the press and the courts we are not really that important in the whole scheme of things. What ever our views we just want to get home.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Is your advice superior to their judgement? Just wondering what your credentials are to be advising others as to road position?

I whole heartedly admire your obvious enthusiasm on this subject and that you use this for good advantage in some campaign group for cyclist rights.
I'm sure the CTC would welcome your combative approach.

 

[jefmcg]

I'm sure the CTC would welcome your combative approach.

And maybe offering your wisdom to CyclingUK (CTC is gone) would be more useful than being smugly judgemental about other cyclists on here.

suicidal

Just realise that describing someone's actions a "suicidal" means it is their own fault if they die. Please choose your language more carefully.

 

[Drago]

Cyclecraft is a good read, but its not perfect and does have some potentially dangerous bad practice within. Use it to get your mental juices flowing rather than as a guide to being invincibly safe.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

Not seeing what is unfortunate about it.

It was "unfortunate" they did not know, as I, that was a safer route on the northbound side instead of risking their safety on the southbound carriageway.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

And maybe offering your wisdom to CyclingUK (CTC is gone) would be more useful than being smugly judgemental about other cyclists on here.






Just realise that describing someone's actions a "suicidal" means it is their own fault if they die. Please choose your language more carefully.

 

[Hedgemonkey]

I apologise for the use of the word "suicidal", as I would think that intention was never in their thought process before they ventured onto that road.

 

[classic33]

It was "unfortunate" they did not know, as I, that was a safer route on the northbound side instead of risking their safety on the southbound carriageway.

Against the flow of traffic?