Cyclists wot Drive

[moralcrusader]

I'm taking the these three days off and have been doing a bit of work on my car - this morning involving a trip down to Woking to get a seat retrimmed.

I was coming back along the A316 - crossing the roundabout HERE, all of the lights on green - noticed a cyclist coming from the left. I was rather expecting her to stop (as you should) but inevitably she pulled straight out onto the roundabout without looking. If I'd have not seen her quite a way in advance and made the assumption that she was going to pull out, I could easily have run into her.

Anyway, point is that I think the way I drive has been affected by the fact that I cycle in a busy urban environment (doesn't just have to be London!) - wondered if anyone has had a similar experience?

 

[Norm]

Morning "rush" hour today, I was on the motorbike heading down the A330 from Maidenhead to Bracknell and a cyclist had pulled to the left just before a nasty right turn (B3024 towards Twyford which is on a double bend with a 50 limit). For anyone who wants to see, it's here, as you can see, there's very little visibility of anything coming round the corner towards you, the cyclist had stopped by the driveway on the left.

Anyway, I "owned" the lane, slowing down to create a gap in the traffic and holding out my hand to let him cross to the middle, then practically stopped to ensure that he had made the turn and the bus behind me didn't try to squeeze through.

TBH, the bus would probably have stopped anyway, but I got a very loud "cheers mate" from the cyclist.

I hate that junction, even going straight through it in a car feels dodgy, turning right there in busy traffic on a bike is an act of pure bravery.

 

[BlackPanther]

Anyway, point is that I think the way I drive has been affected by the fact that I cycle in a busy urban environment

Absolutely. We cyclists are far more aware of potential dangers than people who just drive cars. The more vehicle types you use on the roads, the better your observational skills become. Without wanting to toot my own horn, I also have my motorcyle and hgv license.....I'm awesome!

 

[tongskie01]

I'm taking the these three days off and have been doing a bit of work on my car - this morning involving a trip down to Woking to get a seat retrimmed.

I was coming back along the A316 - crossing the roundabout HERE, all of the lights on green - noticed a cyclist coming from the left. I was rather expecting her to stop (as you should) but inevitably she pulled straight out onto the roundabout without looking. If I'd have not seen her quite a way in advance and made the assumption that she was going to pull out, I could easily have run into her.

Anyway, point is that I think the way I drive has been affected by the fact that I cycle in a busy urban environment (doesn't just have to be London!) - wondered if anyone has had a similar experience?

+1 hazard perception and good anticipation. skills u get by cycling on the road.

 

[Coco]

I try to freewheel down hills

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I find I am far more laid-back now when driving since I started regularly cycle commuting and read Cyclecraft and other stuff. I also now know the highway code backwards, which I admit I didn't before. Having cycled in France 20 years ago and seen how they do (did) it, I have always given a lot of space to cyclists, but am probably even more cautious now.

 

[fossyant]

I try to freewheel down hills

That's just soooo wrong

 

[John the Monkey]

In Manchester at least, if you want to survive a cycle commute you do everyone else's thinking for them - it means a lot of anticipation, and reading the road ahead.

I think that makes a very positive contribution to any driving you do as well - I don't like driving particularly, but do feel my cycling has improved its standard.

 

[PaulB]

Absolutely. We cyclists are far more aware of potential dangers than people who just drive cars. The more vehicle types you use on the roads, the better your observational skills become.

Agree 100%. I'm a bit Bi, me. I Bicycle and I drive. Sometimes, cyclists annoy me and that can be when I'm driving or a fellow cyclist. Equally, drivers of vehicles can annoy me and that can be if I'm driving or cycling. Neither group is totally black or white where the use of the road is concerned. There's bad in each group but the good in each group predominates.

 

[subaqua]

In Manchester at least, if you want to survive a cycle commute you do everyone else's thinking for them - it means a lot of anticipation, and reading the road ahead.

I think that makes a very positive contribution to any driving you do as well - I don't like driving particularly, but do feel my cycling has improved its standard.

thats true wherever you are. and includes other "cyclists"

 

[monnet]

I try to freewheel down hills

Didn't the Hutch address this kind of thing in an article in the comic once?

The highlight for me was trying to get a pace line going on the motorway! Why won't the other cars work bit and bit?

 

[cloggsy]

I'm a bit Bi, me.

Wrong forum Paul

 

[John the Monkey]

thats true wherever you are. and includes other "cyclists"

I've only commuted in Manchester, so can only comment knowledgably on that. I'm happy to throw out poorly founded generalisations on other places as the mood takes me, however.

 

[subaqua]

I've only commuted in Manchester, so can only comment knowledgably on that. I'm happy to throw out poorly founded generalisations on other places as the mood takes me, however.

I love it when people make poorly founded generalisations on where you live from a location text on a interwebby forum and assume ( quite wrongly), that you have lived there all your life and have only ever commuted in London.
I was born and brought up not too far from Crewe. I used to commute to Chester , Wrexham ,Flint and Sandycroft by bike when I was younger. I remember the A51 before the Barbridge "improvements"

The standard of driving hasn't changed much in the last 22 Years, the only difference I notice in London is the volume of traffic, but thats generally at a lower speed than the traffic used to be on the A5104, the A550 A494 etc.

 

[John the Monkey]

I love it when people make poorly founded generalisations on where you live from a location text on a interwebby forum and assume ( quite wrongly), that you have lived there all your life and have only ever commuted in London.
I was born and brought up not too far from Crewe. I used to commute to Chester , Wrexham ,Flint and Sandycroft by bike when I was younger. I remember the A51 before the Barbridge "improvements"

I suppose I do commute in Crewe, although I don't really count that as it's just the daily two and a bit miles to the station for me. I've a lot of leisure miles under my belt locally, but they tend to be Sunday morning rides - obviously that's rather different to doing the same miles during the week.

The standard of driving hasn't changed much in the last 22 Years, the only difference I notice in London is the volume of traffic, but thats generally at a lower speed than the traffic used to be on the A5104, the A550 A494 etc.

In Manchester, I think the big change is in the amount of intentional distractions favoured by drivers - phones and the like, the use of which has certainly increased during the time I've commuted. I seem to notice more delivery/service company drivers doing things that look like filling out forms/checklists and so on (mercifully that's still fairly rare).

On the positive side, some driving has improved - the drivers on the 130 bus service that runs along my commuting route are superb now, putting a lot of other "professional" drivers to shame.