Hello

[Platinum]

Hi, I've been lurking reading for ages, and I finally decided to join up. Obviously, I've got lots of work to do and I need even more procrastination material.

I live near Cupar, Fife, I'm 30 years old, female. I've got a 20 year old mountain bike from a cash-and-carry that I got when I was 10 years old and it still fits. It's been well looked after but it's not exactly top quality. I work from home so the most I ride is the 10 mile round trip into town, usually on a saturday to get the paper, or an occasional spin on a nice day around quiet country roads. Not exactly as brilliant as most people on this forum but that's ok for me. I'm not riding for fitness or competition, I'm just too stingy to pay for a bus. For a long time I walked the 10 mile round trip, but I hate getting blisters, so I decided to go back to my old bike.

My primary interest in is the growing campaign for segregated infrastructure. I've been to the Netherlands several times and I've been happy to be able to cycle on lovely pleasant lanes, taking my time, positively pleasurable, no stress, even when I'm getting lost in the middle of strange cities. Even my fat unfit mother has expressed that she would like to cycle if she could do it on good cycle paths.

I love cycling, but the truth is I am terrified of cycling on British roads. I hate the feeling every single time a car comes up behind and you don't know how this one is going to behave, is this the car that's going to kill you today? Or is it someone paying attention? I hate the worrying. It's 5 miles into town and the only paved roads are busy A-roads. One is the A91 where a few miles further west a cyclist was killed, hit from behind, a few months ago, which to me does not inspire confidence. Statistics about how safe cycling is as a whole doesn't alleviate this feeling when you know it could happen to anyone at any place at any time. So I decided to use the pavement on the 60mph roads, and the first time I did it, I literally felt as though a weight was off my shoulders. But I came searching online for other ways to stay learn to alive.

 

[welsh dragon]

Hi welcome to the the forum. Hope you enjoy your time here. I don't like the main roads either. I am sure someone will soon come along, someone who can offer you good sound advice. Good luck.

 

[Biker Joe]

Hi and a warm to you,

 

[Bryony]

Hello

 

[Emsy4]

Hello

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Welcome from Glasgow, Platinum!
I can relate to how you feel: not long ago I was so terrified of traffic I'd take tortuous journeys rather than face it.
Training and experience helped lots, but I still avoid some roads, sometimes cross junctions on foot.
Cars can stress you when on a bike, but there are usually ways to minimize this.
Riding to town at 11am is a different experience than attempting the same trip at 8.30am for example.
Until you feel relaxed on the roads, using the pavement is no crime - imho, no doubt somebody will disagree shortly

 

[biggs682]

evening

 

[Ern1e]

Hi and welcome Platinum I agre with @pat5mph use the pavement if you feel better with this (not something I usualy go along with but needs must at times ) and I also agree the dutch infastructure is far far ahead of any thing we have if only,also as pat says training will help you out quite alot.Down here at the moment the County Council are offering basic training (8 hours worth I belive) free so yes being a council tax payer I have had some of that thanks lol and yes I did learn a few very useful tips etc so being one of those who belives that if you learn only 1 thing then it was worth going ! Perhaps pat may know of anything going on around you like this ?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Hi Platinum and .

One of the great things about cycling is that it can be what you want it to be. There's a real mix of riders on here and we aren't all out to win a championship or tour the world.

The National Cycle Network is worth looking up (link). It's not perfect but there may be routes close by that are of use.

 

[Platinum]

I just looked up the National Cycle Routes map and I was surprised to see that Route 1 runs for a little while on a quiet country road that I sometimes take a leisure ride on. The only trouble is that it's not quick or direct and it's on top of a hill then would send me back onto a different A road. Using the A914 it's 4.5miles fairly flat along the bottom of a valley and a direct straight line; or alternatively 7 miles on unpaved farm track very steep up a hill, then National Cycle Route 1 which is on a nice quiet road, mainly flat, then a long 2.5 mile downhill through a village and onto the A916 which is even busier, the main route from Leven, Methil, Buckhaven to Dundee, and there's no pavement to wimp out on. I think going on the pavement of the A914 is my only option. There are a few farm roads but they are really muddy, especially in the winter, and of course are not so direct. There are a lot of little quiet roads on the hills that I do use for going on nice leisurely rides on a nice sunny day, but I don't think it's suitable for actually going anywhere.

I do see lots of MAMILs on these busy main roads but I don't think I've ever seen a "normal" person like me. I did try to cycle on the main road for a while but I had several occasions of people overtaking into oncoming traffic ending up car-car-bike abreast with inches to spare and me looking for a comfy spot on the verge to jump on. Lorries and buses particularly terrify me even though most are well behaved, I keep thinking what if... And now that it's getting dark I really don't want to be on the road. I was driving on it on Tuesday night in the rain and mist, thinking about how hard it would be to see a cyclist there, and lo and behold I saw a light coming from a side road, I couldn't figure out what it was and it turned out to be a cyclist with about 4 or 5 lights on, but I still couldn't see him until I was a few metres away and I was at that moment specifically looking out for cyclists. If it's that bad for someone that's aware, how is an incompetent moron of a driver going to avoid hitting anyone?

At this point you begin to think it might be better just to give in and buy an exercise bike to use indoors, but I work from home, if I didn't make a special effort to go out on my bike doing something I enjoy, I'd probably never see daylight at all, which is infinitely worse for your health.

 

[Ganymede]

Obviously, I've got lots of work to do and I need even more procrastination material.

Oh me too, Platinum, me too.

 

[i hate hills]

Hi Platinum from up the road in Brechin. I too have an old mountain bike. I take your point that the roads are a scarey place. But getting out there is better than being stuck in the house. I sometimes use the bike to commute to work, a 25 mile round trip, and have found that the vast majority of drivers are ok.

 

[Dismount]

I am not familiar with your area can't you ride somewhere else that avoids the main roads! I generally find B roads to be traffic free when a A road is close by. I downloaded 'Map My Ride' for stats, but what I found useful is that you can view other uses routes, I've included a link below that might be useful to you. Another option would be to join a local ride to gain experience on busy roads or to get tips of how to avoid them, could try looking at Sky Ride or Social Cycling Groups.

http://www.mapmyride.com/gb/cupar-sct/

 

[MickyMickster]

Hello and welcome.I am the same as you.I just tootle around on my bike.I do worry when a car approaches and think have they seen me.And yes I do sometimes ride on the pavement.

 

[Ganymede]

Hi again

I think being outdoors is spectacularly good for your health. Last year I commuted about 3 or 4 times a week in most weathers through the winter, and I never had a cold - the first year that's ever happened to me (I'm 50!). I think outdoor exercise is always better because it is more of a stimulus to your whole system - your skin, your eyes, your lungs, your brain.

I live in the country sticking to B-roads on the whole, and have rarely had a problem. I ride a hybrid with quite thick tyres - so not much speed (plenty for what I do) but if I need to leap onto the verge I can.

And remember: there's no such thing as bad weather - only inappropriate clothing!