Considering jacking in cycling

[mybike]

I was amazed to hear my son's FIL say that he failed his driving instructor's test for using his indicator too often . Who does it hurt ? It's not going to wear the battery out. I look at it as the motorcyclist's life saver, look over your shoulder before making the manoeuvre. It at least let's a person know of your intension if you haven't noticed them !

It's unbelievable that the suggestion not to signal when you don't need to is made. It is always possible that there is someone you've not seen might need to see that signal.

Ok,this is something i don't think i've mentioned on CC before and not many other places, as i felt a bit of a failure at the time and still think i failed regarding this. In 1993 i paid to train as a BSM driving instructor. It wasn't for me. I found the driving bit ok,but the theory difficult. On one of my lessons,the instructor asked why i indicated for every maneuvere i made. He said it wasn't necessary if there weren't any pedestrians about,or other vehicles. I said that maybe we as drivers couldn't see pedestrians but they might be out of view and wanting to know what our intentions were. I added that it didn't cost anything to flick a switch and it was good practise to indicate at every opportunity. He disagreed,saying it confused the situation. After that i gave up my attempts to become a BSM instructor. I just thought,and still do,that it was/is so wrong to not indicate when maneuvering a vehicle.

My reasoning exactly. You were right, they are wrong.

As others have said, give it a break, don't sell anything, and see how you feel when the weather improves.

 

[gavgav]

This time of year is always the hard one for cycling. I’m lacking in motivation at the moment, mainly due to the appalling weather which is preventing me from getting out at any regularity.

Hoping for better soon.

Personally I will never give it up completely, as the good parts always outweigh the bad parts of cycling.

 

[Oxo]

It's unbelievable that the suggestion not to signal when you don't need to is made. It is always possible that there is someone you've not seen might need to see that signal.



My reasoning exactly. You were right, they are wrong.

As a qualified driving instructor (retired) he was wrong and the instructor was right.
For example, when pulling away from the side of the road if there are not any pedestrians or any traffic. Likewise, when coming to a stop and there isn't any following traffic.
How many drivers/cyclists on here indicate every time they set off from the side of a clear road.

 

[Stephenite]

Hit 50 Wednesday next week , been looking back at my life and i have come to the conclusion it has been a bit pants overall but it could be winter blues and a bit of mid life crisis along with narked off with health over the last year .

I hit the half century three weeks ago. I can assure you life is much the same on this side of 50. 50 makes you relatively young in CC land.

I was looking forward to moving up an age bracket in the triathlons I do. Thinking I might move up the rankings a bit. But it dawned on me - those that used to beat me in the 45-49 group have also gotten older and are going to beat me in the 50-54 group. B@stards. Life isn't fair.

By the way, anyone want to offload a racer size 56/57?

 

[Vantage]

There is more to life than just riding a bike,

NO THERE ISN'T!

 

[screenman]

NO THERE ISN'T!

Pretty narrow way of life then.

 

[Accy cyclist]

if there are not any pedestrians or any traffic.

My argument(although i didn't actually argue with him,just had my say)was that maybe there are pedestrians around that we haven't seen. It could be night time and the pedestrians could be dressed in black and hard to see.

How many drivers/cyclists on here indicate every time they set off from the side of a clear road.

I do. Again,we might be pulling out into the path of an unlit cyclist for example. Some unlit bozo,gawping at his phone while riding his BSO appears from nowhere. Even if the driver does indicate it might not make any difference as the "cyclist" doesn't give a toss about his surroundings,but at least the driver can say "oh well at least i tried".

 

[Drago]

It's unbelievable that the suggestion not to signal when you don't need to is made. It is always possible that there is someone you've not seen might need to see that signal.

There's a drill for that eventuality as well, which you would know if you were an advanced driver yourself.

 

[Inertia]

[QUOTE 5178805, member: 45"]Some things are right, others are opinion. The opinion can be wrong. In this example the instructor's opinion is wrong. "Thinking" that no one else is around to see an indicator brings the possibility that the driver hasn't seen everything/everyone, and so the driver increases the risk that they bring on the road.[/QUOTE]
That's the way I've always seem it. It gives the driver a Decision to make,indicate or not, a decision they can get wrong.

 

[Sea of vapours]

[QUOTE 5178805, member: 45"]Some things are right, others are opinion.[/QUOTE]

In the example of not indicating for every manoeuvre, the opinion of many driving organisations is more to do with not doing things automatically rather than not doing them at all. i.e. the emphasis is on the need to go through a process of considering whether a signal would assist anyone. Part of that process is checking whether there is anyone around who would benefit from a signal. i.e. having a thorough look. The inverse, where you just indicate 'just in case' removes the absolute need to look properly. It's abrogation of responsibility to think "here's my moving off signal so I can now move off without being certain that there isn't an unlit cyclist approaching (or whatever)". Part of all that is a choice along the lines of "I can't be certain that there isn't a pedestrian hidden behind that sign, so I'll indicate in case there is and in case they run out".

 

[MarkF]

I always pack it in around November Accy, I loathe winter and boy has this one dragged on. But it's gone, I can feel it today, a change in temperature, atmosphere, my mood and motivation. Got my shorts on and about to v.quickly recommission a hybrid and get in my first UK ride of 2018, I'll probably do about 30 miles and I am all giddy with excitement.

It'll be mostly on the canal and there is nothing to stop you doing the same.

 

[Sea of vapours]

[QUOTE 5178846, member: 45"]No, it doesn't. You can maximise your checks and indicate.
[/QUOTE]

Yes, you most certainly can, exactly as I said in the last sentence in fact.

The issue is that most people - not you clearly - don't 'maximise their checks and indicate'. Building in a thing you actually have to do before signalling - that being to check who's there to indicate to - reduces the chances of the short-cut thinking where you just indicate without thinking. Again, you may not do that, but an awful lot of people do.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Then there's the other reason why i've been thinking about jacking in cycling. It takes us back to that old subject of me at loggerheads with this housing association i rent my flat off. As many of you'll know i was in their sheltered accomodation building before i moved into here. I was quite happy in the HA's bedsit type flat,with my then 2 bikes. The warden said it was dangerous to have 2 bikes in such a small flat(health and safety reasons i suppose),so she offered me a small lock up room that hadn't been in use for years and years. The room was good. I ended up with another bike as Mrs Accy insisted that i take my last bike i had at what's now her place,as otherwise she'd "put it out for the binmen". I ended up with 3 bikes in a small room in the sheltered accommodation building. One of the HA's employees said that the room was ok for me to keep,just as long as they didn't want it back for something. Well now they do! the other week i received an official letter from the HA(god do they like sending out official letters. I must get at least 2 off them every week!)saying that they wanted the room back and wait for this. If my 3 bikes weren't moved in 7 days then they'd dispose of them themselves! The red mist came down,as they say. Dispose in this HA's world means let their workmen nick them and sell them on fleabay or similar. Remember the story the other week of the couple who had 10 grands worth of vintage bikes in a lock up, disposed off by council workmen? I appealed against their decision,but i didn't win. I now have 28 days to find a home for my 3 bikes. I just don't have the room in here for them. My brother says i can put 1 or two in his garage,but he lives 38 miles away. The HA suggested i buy a shed and put it outside my flat,and store my bikes in there. I don't fancy that! Not only will it be an attraction for thieves,but it'll also get damp in winter which as we know isn't good for bikes. So that's it. Another nail in the coffin of my cycling days is added.

 

[User10119]

I now have 28 days to find a home for my 3 bikes.

Donate them to charity if you're jacking it in. Make the world a better place.

 

[Accy cyclist]

[QUOTE 5178876, member: 45"]Let's be honest, you don't have a right to red mist.[/QUOTE]

Oh yes i do! How much are your bikes worth? Mine are worth about £2,300. Not a fantastic amount but a lot to me. I don't want some anti cyclist f..kwit threatening to bin them,like they're a bit of scrap metal!