More cyclists

[hackbike 6]

I hope you're not doing that whilst driving the train!!!




LOL, just kidding.

You are joking.

I'd lose my frigging job so bloody fast it would make my head swim.

The Rules on the railway is "mobile phones must be switched off whilst in the driving cab".

I was wondreing what HB was up to that he's using his mobile to post.
Not riding a bike I hope.

I've never used my mobile whilst riding my bike im not fking stupid...well at least I hope im not.

 

[BentMikey]

Don't take it seriously dude, it was an obv. tease, at least to me. I'd never dream you'd do anything like that in reality.

 

[hackbike 6]

Nope didn't take it seriously but if I was involved in an incident they would have my phone off of me and track it's records as far as I know.

 

[robz400]

in terms of riding close to the kerb....

I am a very new rider and understand the importance of assertive riding in traffic and where you don't want a car squeezing past but,

If your on a busy A road is it not better to ride closer to the kerb, as in on the white/yellow lines in order to give the cars more room?

If some knobber is driving along and doesn't see you, if your closer to the kerb are they not less likely to hit you??

 

[nickb]

The thing that worries me about RLJing is motorists see it and realise they can get away with almost anything on the roads.On my 5am turns now I am witnessing more and more blatent RLJing by motorists.

I really don't believe the increase in the number of motorists driving through red lights is 'cos they see cyclists getting away with it.

I put it down to the sheer proliferation of unnecessary traffic lights popping up all over the country.

 

[CotterPin]

Actually the problem is that a lot of thee people are new because of increased petrol costs, bans and a number of reasons.

Many are simply riding in exactly the same way as they drive in their cars. If they are allowed to park on the pavement - then why can't they cycle on it?

I am not sure they are actually cycling as they would drive - I think they are cycling as they would walk. The classic pedestrian on a bicycle!

They have no training on a bicycle and relate to the most similar activity which is walking - except a bit faster and with wheels. They have also had drummed into them over many years the "road safety" message that the roads are dangerous. This message has been reinforced by local authorities who have created segregated space for cyclists and sometimes lumped them with pedestrians.

This doesn't explain all activities, obviously - eg cycling the wrong way up a busy lane of traffic although I guess some people MIGHT do that as a pedestrian. But I think this does explain a lot of the pavement cycling we see. I think it might also explain a lot of RLJing - after all do you all wait for the green man? And I guess if you see other cyclists jumping lights you think it is the way to behave.

I would suggest the solution is to make sure that cycle training is a part of the school curriculum and a pre-requisite for being able to learn to drive a car.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I am not sure they are actually cycling as they would drive - I think they are cycling as they would walk. The classic pedestrian on a bicycle!

They have no training on a bicycle and relate to the most similar activity which is walking - except a bit faster and with wheels. They have also had drummed into them over many years the "road safety" message that the roads are dangerous. This message has been reinforced by local authorities who have created segregated space for cyclists and sometimes lumped them with pedestrians.

This doesn't explain all activities, obviously - eg cycling the wrong way up a busy lane of traffic although I guess some people MIGHT do that as a pedestrian. But I think this does explain a lot of the pavement cycling we see. I think it might also explain a lot of RLJing - after all do you all wait for the green man? And I guess if you see other cyclists jumping lights you think it is the way to behave.

I would suggest the solution is to make sure that cycle training is a part of the school curriculum and a pre-requisite for being able to learn to drive a car.

I think that's pretty much it. As a newbie commuter (started just over a year ago), now in his first full year of bike commuting, I've seen the number of other bikes on my rides to / from work increase quite a bit during the course of the year; it was especially noticeable when fuel prices first went mental and when the weather started to improve; OK, so the second factor didn't last long.

A lot of the people I've seen doing that are doing some VERY silly things: I'm a newbie but even I know the importance of, for instance, having air in your tyres, lubing the chain, knowing what's going on around you, little stuff like that.

Some of them seem to resent the fact that they've been "reduced" to having to ride a bike by rising fuel prices .. as though it's in some way beneath them.

Interesting point about making cycle training a pre-requisite for learning to drive a car. Mrs-LC has always advocated a compulsory cycling session, motorcycling session and a walk down the side of a busy and fast major road as part of the driving test. And vice versa, just to make everyone walk a mile in the other's shoes, as it were. It might just make people a bit more understanding. Or perhaps not.

 

[robz400]

This is useful and very good too - from Twickenham Cyclist:

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16462

I've experimented as in the video on a dual carriageway myself and it is certainly true

Thanks, good link.

That might explain why I had a few very close passes on Sunday. I'll try this

 

[goo_mason]

I have a female work colleague who got a bike last year to cycle the 2 or 3 miles from her house to work. Her opinion was that she was entitled to ride on the pavements and jump red lights because "what's the point of having a bike if you can't take advantage of it by doing things like that ?". I tried explaining the error of her ways to her to no avail.

She even happily admitted to running into the back of pedestrians who wouldn't get out of her way on shared-use paths.

Luckily she stopped cycling last December, using the excuse that it was making her thighs too muscley and unnatractive.

However, last week she was telling me that she believes that all cyclists should pay road tax and pass a test before they're allowed on the road, and that cycling on the road is the height of danger and stupidity and motorists should be allowed to run over cyclists if they get in their way....

It scares me how utterly normal, rational people can have such twisted views and openly advocate murder for the most pathetically stupid reasons. And yet she'd be the first to be express horror at what the Nazis did and at racism today. Crazy !

 

[dondare]

Doesn't sound like your work colleage was ever utterly normal and rational.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

I have a female work colleague who got a bike last year to cycle the 2 or 3 miles from her house to work. Her opinion was that she was entitled to ride on the pavements and jump red lights because "what's the point of having a bike if you can't take advantage of it by doing things like that ?". I tried explaining the error of her ways to her to no avail.

She even happily admitted to running into the back of pedestrians who wouldn't get out of her way on shared-use paths.

Luckily she stopped cycling last December, using the excuse that it was making her thighs too muscley and unnatractive.

However, last week she was telling me that she believes that all cyclists should pay road tax and pass a test before they're allowed on the road, and that cycling on the road is the height of danger and stupidity and motorists should be allowed to run over cyclists if they get in their way....

It scares me how utterly normal, rational people can have such twisted views and openly advocate murder for the most pathetically stupid reasons. And yet she'd be the first to be express horror at what the Nazis did and at racism today. Crazy !

Must have been all the really-fast sprinting she had to do getting away from angry peds.