Clueless.

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Pat "5mph"

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
I am with @Hedgemonkey on this.
For a start, one does not stop at the exit of roundabouts, one is supposed to find a safe place to stop, cyclists and cars alike.
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.
In an ideal cycling world motorized traffic should be vigilant for vulnerable road users, of course, but this is not happening yet.
In an ideal cycling world Pat 5mph should be able to ride along Mr. Strava KOM on the local busy dual carriageway.
In practice he glides along keeping up with the flow, while I get beeped out of the way.
Mind, both of us could get run over at any time!
This train of thought by some forum members that think all cyclists should use any road just to prove the point that we are allowed would exclude kids, the less able bodied and the faint hearted from cycling.

Anyway, the cyclists in the OP might have been lost or there might not have been an alternative road to get to where they were going.
 
winjim

winjim

Straddle the line, discord and rhyme
Pat "5mph" said:
This train of thought by some forum members that think all cyclists should use any road just to prove the point that we are allowed would exclude kids, the less able bodied and the faint hearted from cycling.
Click to expand...
I don't think that all cyclists should use any road, but I hope that if some cyclists use most roads, even if it is just the fast able bodied confident cyclists, then it goes some way towards normalising cycling as a mode of transport and demonstrating to drivers that they could encounter a cyclist on any road. This hopefully would have the knock on effect of making drivers more aware of cyclists generally, which would benefit the young, less able and less confident, wherever they choose to ride.
 
Pat "5mph"

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
winjim said:
I don't think that all cyclists should use any road, but I hope that if some cyclists use most roads, even if it is just the fast able bodied confident cyclists, then it goes some way towards normalising cycling as a mode of transport and demonstrating to drivers that they could encounter a cyclist on any road. This hopefully would have the knock on effect of making drivers more aware of cyclists generally, which would benefit the young, less able and less confident, wherever they choose to ride.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree to this :okay:
 
Shut Up Legs

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
winjim said:
I don't think that all cyclists should use any road, but I hope that if some cyclists use most roads, even if it is just the fast able bodied confident cyclists, then it goes some way towards normalising cycling as a mode of transport and demonstrating to drivers that they could encounter a cyclist on any road. This hopefully would have the knock on effect of making drivers more aware of cyclists generally, which would benefit the young, less able and less confident, wherever they choose to ride.
Click to expand...
Even in Australia, I can safely claim that some cyclists use almost all roads, but unfortunately that 'some' is such a small percentage, that no normalisation effect is occurring. This, combined with persistent anti-cyclist media articles, lack of government support, and stupid laws that mandate we wear helmets to cycle, will probably make normalisation of cycling something that will never occur in my lifetime. :sad:
 
C

Crackle

..
I understand the op and everyone else. Wouldn't it be nice if as cyclists we didn't have to worry about other peoples behaviour.

Last night was a good example: Teaching son2 to drive, I've been getting him to call the hazards as he sees them. I pointed to a cyclist coming the other way on a bend and said, that's a hazard you missed. He said why, it's just a cyclist on the other side, we're well clear. i said, not him, you're looking for the impatient driver who's going to go past him anyway and use your side of the road to do it. Just last night, as we were cycling someone did exactly that to us, missing us and an oncoming car narrowly. I heard him shout from behind me, I see what you mean now.
 
Pat "5mph"

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Our group of 14 had to change canal paths today, down it goes into a traffic calmed narrow road, speed bumps and cyclists warning signs, then immediately up next left.
A kind driver stopped, let all the group pass the brief bit on that road, while I was monitoring for incoming cars.
But another driver behind did not wait, he passed the first car wanting to barge right into us.
That wee stretch is very well known for having cyclists on it, if one is in a hurry one could use the main road, permanently traffic logged though.
 
D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
Pat "5mph" said:
Oh my, is that a cycling route sign that could put you on the motorway??
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the companion sign the other side of the slip road is now missing, the missing sign used to point you towards the alternative route.
The A46 between Coventry and the M40 is now a motorway in all but name. Many years ago, before the M40 was built, and when I didn't know my way around as well as I do now I rode the A46 on two or three occasions, it wasn't pleasant. Now I know my way around better I know the alternative well and I wouldn't ride the section between Coventry and the M40, though I would ride the road the other side of the motorway if I needed to, but there are nicer routes I can use instead.
 
D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
Milkfloat said:
I have seen the odd cyclist and indeed tractors on this stretch of the A46, you would not catch me on a bike on it.
Click to expand...

I've been on that stretch of the A46 in the car and found that travelling at the 70 limit I'm the slowest vehicle on it. That bridge where the Google link is taken from has a speed camera van parked on it quite regularly, often when you approach it all you see is brake lights.
 
irw

irw

Quadricyclist
Location
Liverpool, UK
[QUOTE 4780431, member: 259"]You would be insane to try to cycle on any of the A 38 in the Midlands.[/QUOTE]

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!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom