At ordinary walking pace? Nonsense. At toddler walking pace, maybe, but even then I would be very very surprised if the width of that wobble is anywhere even close to the width I would take up if I were walking alongside the bike and holding it by its handlebars or saddle. Also, there is no reason (except, apparently, in MTB) that I can't put a foot down to keep balance if needed
Cyclists on Zebra Crossings..
- Thread starter Arjimlad
- Start date
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GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
unless your balance is godawful cycling at walking pace in a straight line is a piece of cake.
Mugshot
Cracking a solo.
My most spectacular accident was as a result of riding across a zebra crossing. Just HERE if you're interested. The pelican used to be a zebra.
I started to ride across from the left of the picture and when I was about a bikes length out was greeted by a rather large roar in my right ear. Turned out to be a 1500cc Goldwing heading in the same direction as the silver car.
The rider swerved but as far as can be worked out hit my front wheel with his bike and my shoulder with his chest. I landed somewhere near to the bus stop further up the side of the road with the shops on. The Goldwing kept going, now on the wrong side of the road. Fortunately the driver of the Capri that was coming the other way had seen what was happening and had started to slow and pull over to his right, but the Goldwing hit it anyway on the Capris nearside. The Goldwing then went through the bus stop on the side of the road opposite the shops, the rider went over the top of the Capri.
Fortunately this happened on a Bank Holiday Monday and there was very little traffic and no one at the bus stop. However the bus stop which the Goldwing hit was entirely demolished, the Capri was a write off as the Goldwing had ripped its axle off, the Goldwing, which the guy had owned from new for a total of 5 days, was mashed and written off and the rider had broken ribs. I needed a new front wheel and forks and had a broken collar bone.
The police took a rather dim view of it all and I was interviewed, read my rights and given a very stern rollocking. The rider didn't press charges and sorted things out through his insurance so it went no further. My parents were also less than impressed.
I'm not sure that the law has changed in the 30 years since my incident, but I personally wouldn't recommend doing it but if you're going to have a good look both ways first, and if you have an accident don't expect too much sympathy from the police, or your mum and dad.
Edited because I can't do a Google Streetview link properly.
I started to ride across from the left of the picture and when I was about a bikes length out was greeted by a rather large roar in my right ear. Turned out to be a 1500cc Goldwing heading in the same direction as the silver car.
The rider swerved but as far as can be worked out hit my front wheel with his bike and my shoulder with his chest. I landed somewhere near to the bus stop further up the side of the road with the shops on. The Goldwing kept going, now on the wrong side of the road. Fortunately the driver of the Capri that was coming the other way had seen what was happening and had started to slow and pull over to his right, but the Goldwing hit it anyway on the Capris nearside. The Goldwing then went through the bus stop on the side of the road opposite the shops, the rider went over the top of the Capri.
Fortunately this happened on a Bank Holiday Monday and there was very little traffic and no one at the bus stop. However the bus stop which the Goldwing hit was entirely demolished, the Capri was a write off as the Goldwing had ripped its axle off, the Goldwing, which the guy had owned from new for a total of 5 days, was mashed and written off and the rider had broken ribs. I needed a new front wheel and forks and had a broken collar bone.
The police took a rather dim view of it all and I was interviewed, read my rights and given a very stern rollocking. The rider didn't press charges and sorted things out through his insurance so it went no further. My parents were also less than impressed.
I'm not sure that the law has changed in the 30 years since my incident, but I personally wouldn't recommend doing it but if you're going to have a good look both ways first, and if you have an accident don't expect too much sympathy from the police, or your mum and dad.
Edited because I can't do a Google Streetview link properly.
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There's a pelican crossing where my local cross-park cycle route is disected by a busy road. The council wants it changed to a Toucan crossing, just as the crossing at the other end of the route is. But this particular crossing is owned by TFL, which declines to change it. I have yet to see a cyclist dismount at these lights, nobody appears to take issue with this, it seems everyone accepts that this is a de facto Toucan crossing as it does directly join up two stretches of cycle path. But I guess this is an exception, in most cases I don't see why a cyclist would want to ride across a pedestrian crossing.
