Is this some new motorist sport

[515mm]

Ummmm...... Yeah.


I'd be inclined to try it in calm conditions on a quiet road first. I'm trying to teach myself to take my gilet off no-handed and fold it up to neatly stow it in my jersy pocket. I'm doing that it calm conditions too!

 

[BlackPanther]

I ride a mountain bike so I'm not usually too fast and I struggle with looking over my shoulder. I always end up swerving.

It seems that a lot of riders don't believe in mirrors, but in my opinion they're vital (off side mirror especially), when commuting through heavy traffic. I always know exactly what's coming up behind me, and would've moved out to prevent him from overtaking me. I wouldn't dream of driving without mirrors, so why do so many cyclists feel safe without them?


To anyone who is nervous about taking primary, just try it for a week. It's very rare that drivers take offence, and it cuts the number of cut ins by 90%.

 

[abo]

Or you could try a bike eye?

bike eye
​

Ooh I like that

 

[bad boy]

my experience has been that where there is a cycle lane any deviation from the lane antagonises drivers.

I get it quite often when I do adopt primary position through certain junctions etc people toot their horn and point to the cycle lane.

Ive grown to ignore it now but it does wind me up most are so oblivious to our safety it begs believe.

I actually really hate cycle lanes some are just dangerous people think thats your bit of road and this is mine their wheels can literally be on the line and they dont see anything wrong with that as they are in their part of the road so they see it.

 

[downfader]

IIRC cycle training advises a secondary riding position to be that of 60cm, or 2 feet from the kerb. I can list many local cyclelanes that would mean you'd be riding outside the dashed lines if you took the appropriate position. IMVHO cyclelanes should NOT be placed on roads that have traffic islands due to problems like Mummra encountered.

 

[BentMikey]

60cm is the very minimum, and it could be a fair bit more depending on the specific situation. It's also not defined according to the kerb, but instead relative to the traffic flow through the lane, as traffic doesn't necessarily follow the kerb or the painted lines.

 

[downfader]

60cm is the very minimum, and it could be a fair bit more depending on the specific situation. It's also not defined according to the kerb, but instead relative to the traffic flow through the lane, as traffic doesn't necessarily follow the kerb or the painted lines.

True. I was obviously simplifying for the purposes of this thread.

 

[mummra]

IMVHO cyclelanes should NOT be placed on roads that have traffic islands due to problems like Mummra encountered.

I think I'm with Downfader. Cycle lanes shouldn't be on roads where there are traffic islands. I've got another part on my commute home with 3 traffic islands in quick succession. The cycle lane stops just before the first one and starts again after the third. The only problem is it's on an uphill so for me to take primary I'd be slowing the traffic down to under 10mph. I do take a strong secondary at this point to discourage overtakes at the pinch points though I did see some chap fly up keeping with the flow of traffic once (Git!)

 

[BentMikey]

Yeah, I'd totally agree with that too, pinch points and cycle lanes don't mix well, even when the cycle lane is between the kerb and a pinch point island. I have a similar hill where there are pinch points, but I still take primary through them. It's Bromley Hill, which quite a few other commuters on here do, and it's one of the more stressful parts of my commute.

 

[downfader]

Near where I live there is Bursledon Road. A few minutes walk from my home. Theres a cyclelane travelling from the bottom of the hill by the allotments up to the junction with North East Road. Annoyingly GSVeiw doesnt show the lane, just the road previous.

The cyclelane actually stops for a short duration at a trafffic island midway up the hill. When I walked past it yesterday it is quite clear that motorists treat this break in the lane as a "giveway to motorists." I noted a couple of cyclists that were cut up there, coming back from their sunday ride. So not only are cyclists forced to stop to avoid collision, but they then have to regain momentum after stopping on a hill.

The annoying thing is the traffic island isnt needed. A few meters up the road theres a puffin crossing. There is also one further down the road iirc. People rarely cross at that section of the road ime.