Cyclist on a14

[Morrisette]

Anyone who cycles on the A14 must have a death wish. Given the high number of HGV's that road gets heading to and from my neck of the woods I really cannot see why some nutters do it.

+1 for this. I won't cycle on it. But if you want to get to Bar Hill, Lolworth, a few other places up towards the Fenstanton area - there's no other road. So it's a choice between cycling the A14 (complete with suicide lanes across the slip roads) or buy a car. A lot of villages are cut off to cyclists and pedestrians by that road - by my observation, more so in Cambridgeshire than Suffolk.

 

[BentMikey]

Silverbow, I think you must have been driving too fast for the conditions in your example. I often see contemptible driving from motons on country lanes around here, far too fast and without any regard for their ability to stop in the distance they can see to be clear. You might have slowed down more than most, but my guess is that it still wasn't enough. Carrying on blindly in the face of headlights wouldn't be my approach.

 

[silverbow]

Silverbow, I think you must have been driving too fast for the conditions in your example. I often see contemptible driving from motons on country lanes around here, far too fast and without any regard for their ability to stop in the distance they can see to be clear. You might have slowed down more than most, but my guess is that it still wasn't enough. Carrying on blindly in the face of headlights wouldn't be my approach.

I'm unsure why you think it is appropriate to call my driving contemptible? Also can you tell me what a ‘motons’ is/are?

All I can reply with is that it is possible for non-reflective objects to blend in to scenery in fact be camouflaged. Had the runner in question been running a little further into the road, rather than hugging the hedge rows, they wouldn't have been that scenery even though they where wearing dark colours, I thought this was obvious...

I am an advocate that all road users have a full responsiblity to ensure the safety of others, and this includes ones own responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure they can be seen. Sometimes cars / vans / lorries etc. are not to blame, sometimes, just sometimes it may be others.

 

[hackbike 666]

I think when you are a runner it is at least sensible to wearing a red light would obviously make it easier to see them.When I stayed in Wales about five years ago I tended to carry a vistalite for when I was walking down country lanes at night.

Silverbow,BentMikey is perfect at everything which makes him qualified to make judgments even when he wasn't there,which is why he still brings up my ped collision after three years and tells me I have "numerous" incidents.(Even though I don't)

I did actually ask him to bring up the "threads" of my "numerous" incidents but have had nothing from him so far.I suppose my ped collision was all my fault as they were peds and can do no wrong.

A moton is a short term for motorist.

 

[4F]

Silverbow, I think you must have been driving too fast for the conditions in your example. I often see contemptible driving from motons on country lanes around here, far too fast and without any regard for their ability to stop in the distance they can see to be clear. You might have slowed down more than most, but my guess is that it still wasn't enough. Carrying on blindly in the face of headlights wouldn't be my approach.

Oh come of it Mikey, has Col asked you to stand in for him today ?

 

[hackbike 666]

 

[BentMikey]

I'm unsure why you think it is appropriate to call my driving contemptible? Also can you tell me what a ‘motons’ is/are?

I think you need to read my post again, unless you live in Biggin Hill and think I actually referred to your driving?

Slow it down sunbeam.

 

[BentMikey]

Hey Hackers, why so sensitive, flower?

 

[Cab]

+1 for this. I won't cycle on it. But if you want to get to Bar Hill, Lolworth, a few other places up towards the Fenstanton area - there's no other road. So it's a choice between cycling the A14 (complete with suicide lanes across the slip roads) or buy a car. A lot of villages are cut off to cyclists and pedestrians by that road - by my observation, more so in Cambridgeshire than Suffolk.

Hmm... Theres a longer route into Bar Hill, into the back of it along a cycle route, that I've used to get there from Cambridge. WAAAAY better than the A14. I have no idea about Lolworth. There are other routes into Fenstanton, but nothing even close to being as direct.

The sad truth is that cycle access to these places was not a consideration when the A14 became the monstrosity it is now, and that precious little consideration has been given to improving access in the coming 'upgrade'.

 

[Arch]

Silverbow, I think you must have been driving too fast for the conditions in your example. I often see contemptible driving from motons on country lanes around here, far too fast and without any regard for their ability to stop in the distance they can see to be clear. You might have slowed down more than most, but my guess is that it still wasn't enough. Carrying on blindly in the face of headlights wouldn't be my approach.

Silverbow says he was doing 40 on a 60 limited road, which seems sensible to me and implies a greater amount of common sense than most. The amount of time between being blinded by the headlights and seeing the runner seems pretty short the way he tells it, so even if he'd slowed more (without jamming the brakes on), it might not have taken much more speed off.

 

[hackbike 666]

Perhaps BentMikey is a defensive minded motorist like im a defensive minded cyclist.

 

[Morrisette]

Hmm... Theres a longer route into Bar Hill, into the back of it along a cycle route, that I've used to get there from Cambridge. WAAAAY better than the A14. I have no idea about Lolworth. There are other routes into Fenstanton, but nothing even close to being as direct.

The sad truth is that cycle access to these places was not a consideration when the A14 became the monstrosity it is now, and that precious little consideration has been given to improving access in the coming 'upgrade'.

Too true. The road is due to be widened to 3 lanes, but NO pedestrian or cycle crossings of the slips roads at Histon are being considered - they won't even rephase the traffic lights to leave a gap between each phase. The reason/excuse originally given for this was that the guided bus track would have a cycle track that we were meant to use instead, but since this has now been shelved indefinitely because of the credit crunch* we are left with nothing. Several schoolchildren have to cross this roundabout daily, - the council seem to think it's acceptable for kids of 11 upwards to cross a 3 lane national speed limit roundabout where the average standard of driving is 'PG Tips chimp' or worse...


*I have strong suspicions that it would have never been done even if everyone on the council had won the lottery and was rolling around in bundles of 50 pound notes, but there you go.

 

[Cab]

Too true. The road is due to be widened to 3 lanes, but NO pedestrian or cycle crossings of the slips roads at Histon are being considered - they won't even rephase the traffic lights to leave a gap between each phase. The reason/excuse originally given for this was that the guided bus track would have a cycle track that we were meant to use instead, but since this has now been shelved indefinitely because of the credit crunch* we are left with nothing. Several schoolchildren have to cross this roundabout daily, - the council seem to think it's acceptable for kids of 11 upwards to cross a 3 lane national speed limit roundabout where the average standard of driving is 'PG Tips chimp' or worse...


*I have strong suspicions that it would have never been done even if everyone on the council had won the lottery and was rolling around in bundles of 50 pound notes, but there you go.

The simple truth you can draw from this is that cyclists and pedestrians are right at the bottom of the chain.

Actually, I don't think that... I think that the various vested interests in the county council and highways agency who approve such schemes don't give a **** about cyclists, but that other parts of the county and city council regularly end up tearing their hair out over this.

 

[col]

Oh come of it Mikey, has Col asked you to stand in for him today ?

No i havnt

I think you need to read my post again, unless you live in Biggin Hill and think I actually referred to your driving?

Slow it down sunbeam.

Hey Hackers, why so sensitive, flower?[/QUOTE]


Just curious but why do you call people these names,seems a bit strange Kidda?

 

[Graham1]

Well folks you will be pleased to know he now has only one light at the front and two at the back, not very bright ones but at least he can now be picked out at distance.
good night all.