Cycling motorists

[marinyork]

I find it hard to believe that 2 in 5 motorists cycle regularly, based on the people that I know. But then again what do they mean by regularly? I work regularly 5 days a week and we regularly celebrate Christmas once a year. Presumably they mean often, but how often?

Yes, well put. It is interesting as I think cycling suggests a higher percentage of car ownership. I'm not sure about the other way round and think it might be that car ownership does not suggest a higher percentage of bike ownership.

Anyway I think the definition is probably very lax.

 

[John Ponting]

How to handle 175bhp on wet white lines and drain covers? It really is a lot different to pedalling. How to brake without locking up? No comparison with a cycle and no chance to hop up on to footpath and try to look innocent.



ok last bit tongue in cheek.

What relevance is that to cycling or driving??

start at the top of the thread, read all the posts, read what I was replying to - then come back with an irrelevant question.

 

[Origamist]

I find it hard to believe that 2 in 5 motorists cycle regularly, based on the people that I know. But then again what do they mean by regularly? I work regularly 5 days a week and we regularly celebrate Christmas once a year. Presumably they mean often, but how often?

It's 2 in 5 "cycling" motorists not 2 in 5 motorists. Pages 3 and 4 of the IAM report explain this in a bit more depth.

This is what constitutes "regularly" according to the IAM:

Motorists who know how to ride a bike and who currently ride it regularly, ie daily, every few days, or every week:​

Solely for leisure and fun
Solely on trips instead of driving, walking or using public transport​

Both

 

[Dan B]

How to handle 175bhp on wet white lines and drain covers? It really is a lot different to pedalling. How to brake without locking up?

What relevance is that to cycling or driving??

start at the top of the thread, read all the posts, read what I was replying to - then come back with an irrelevant question.

I thought the context was improving driving standards, so from that perspective a quite reasonable question. You don't need 175bhp to know that wet white lines are slippery on two wheels, it's easy enough to slide the back end out even on the lowly pedal cycle

 

[Dan B]

How do you know that they are 'ex moped riders', and don't class these as motorcyclists - we don't. They don't have the training or experience to justify that title.

Have you ever been to London? Big city, bright lights, hackney carriage training system allegedly the envy of the civilised world, etc etc

 

[HJ]

It's 2 in 5 "cycling" motorists not 2 in 5 motorists. Pages 3 and 4 of the IAM report explain this in a bit more depth.

This is what constitutes "regularly" according to the IAM:

Motorists who know how to ride a bike and who currently ride it regularly, ie daily, every few days, or every week:​

Solely for leisure and fun
Solely on trips instead of driving, walking or using public transport​

Both

How do you get hold of the report? There doesn't appear to be a link?

 

[Origamist]

How do you get hold of the report? There doesn't appear to be a link?

Here you go:

http://www.iam.org.uk/Resources/Ins.../Documents/IAM MT/IAMcyclingreportWEB (2).pdf

 

[HJ]

Thanks.

 

[very-near]

Have you ever been to London? Big city, bright lights, hackney carriage training system allegedly the envy of the civilised world, etc etc

Well a bit cryptic, but we got there. I don't class taxi drivers as particularly highly skilled drivers - not the ones around here anyway, and 'the knowledge' has been superceded by satnav a few years ago.

 

[very-near]

I thought the context was improving driving standards, so from that perspective a quite reasonable question. You don't need 175bhp to know that wet white lines are slippery on two wheels, it's easy enough to slide the back end out even on the lowly pedal cycle

You don't need white lines or manhole covers to have a slide on a powerful machine, just a lot of torque - which you don't get on a cycle.

Motorcycles teach you to respect the loading on each end of the machine and balance them when leaning over. Most cyclists don't really have this issue with a cycle under the vast majority of riding conditions.

 

[Velorum]

I have passed car and motorcycle tests and owned a number of both.

Its made me a better cyclist.



(I know what theyre thinking)

 

[very-near]

I have passed car and motorcycle tests and owned a number of both.

Its made me a better cyclist.



(I know what theyre thinking)

Cycling made you a better motorist because it makes you appreciate the lot of those more vulnerable who (legally) share the same road space.

My cycling proficiency helped me when I was learning to ride a m/cycle and drive a car. Most of the rules of the former apply to all road users irrespectrive of what they use.

 

[Velorum]

Cycling made you a better motorist because it makes you appreciate the lot of those more vulnerable who (legally) share the same road space.

True.

 

[XmisterIS]

Following a near-miss on my motorbike yesterday, it's not always the aggressive idiots that cut us up! More often than not, I think it's the idiots who are unaware that their driving is appallingly bad (because they passed their test in 1902 in a steam tractor). They are not out to aggressively attack us, they are just totally clueless.

Yesterday afternoon, I was going round a roundabout with lanes clearly marked, and some old git cut clean across the entire roundabout, straight across three lanes, caused one car to swerve, and nearly went straight into me on my motorbike! He then pootled on round the roundabout, no indicators, completely unaware of the carnage he had almost caused.

I find it's those types of drivers who scare the crap out of me when I'm on my pushbike - they go past with millimetres to spare and have no clue that they've almost killed me. Their awareness of their position and speed on the road, road markings and other road users is virtually nil.

 

[Virtual DBP]

I too am someone who has driven cars and in my case superbikes for many years and am off the opinion that everything I drive on the road makes me a better driver of everything else and while I could pin-point several things from each vehicle, I wouldn’t claim that one is better than another to teach you things.

For me, to be safe on the roads takes experience and understanding. My feeling is that everything you drive on the road will make you better all round as it adds to your experience and understanding of that other subset of road users and there will be things you will do better in all vehicles going forward.