Myths and Rebuttals

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Ped standing on edge of pavement with phone in handand looking/typing into same.

Me: As I cycle past make a so called comedic snatch at phone saying "that's mine".

I wonder if the ped woke up after that.
 

smokie36

New Member
Location
Frome, Somerset
marinyork said:
Can we add RLJing as a myth. That it's an extremely rare event outside of London, that most cyclists don't condone it, that it's not comparing like for like and motor vehicle RLJing is far more common and dangerous. Oh and it's exaggerated by people with an excitable disposition for political points perhaps wanting to raise their blood pressure?

erm...not that rare in Bristol. I have to drive into Bristol for work (25 miles is just too far to cycle at the moment). Since I've got back on my bike I've been paying a lot more attention to the behaviour of cyclist and I'd estimate at least a third of bikes I see will go through red lights during rush hour.
 

Array

New Member
Location
Bristol
smokie36 said:
erm...not that rare in Bristol... at least a third of bikes I see will go through red lights during rush hour.

To be fair the timing of the red lights is usually not set for cyclists. It's actually timed to try and keep cars flowing when they're moving at about 30mph. It's what is called a "green wave" (sorry if this sounds condescending if people already know this). The idea is if you go through a green light in a car and then travel 30mph the next lights you reach should also be green to keep traffic flowing. Problem is the traffic in Bristol never really reaches 30mph, so it doesn't benefit cars. It definatley isn't timed for cyclists either and there are so many lights I can understand why some people find it frustrating waiting at all of them.

I don't condone red light jumping either. I never do it. I am also a pedestrian a lot of the time with a push chair, so I know what it's like to try to cross pedestrian crossings on the green man ( and starting to teach my son to wait for them) and then a cyclist (usually travelling fast) nipping through because they think they can judge it just right to just miss you. Equally I also know how frustrating it can be to have cars, or worse still, lorries and buses advance across and block the pedestrian crossing and then it goes to green for pedestrians to cross.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
smokie36 said:
erm...not that rare in Bristol. I have to drive into Bristol for work (25 miles is just too far to cycle at the moment). Since I've got back on my bike I've been paying a lot more attention to the behaviour of cyclist and I'd estimate at least a third of bikes I see will go through red lights during rush hour.

Yawn. If you want to become a false advocate, if you want to get your blood pressure up, if you want to take on the cyclist's burden, then be my guest just don't expect everybody else to agree with you and expect opposition. The excitable people like who you exaggerate things and keep the debate about cycling centred on RLJing do nothing whatsoever for cycling. It's why in my eyes it should be a myth and get a standardised response to move the debate off and forward rather than joining in ;). Do people not think a vast amount of time is wasted out there in the media on childish arguments about RLJing. Cycling is so much more than that.
 

stoatsngroats

Legendary Member
Location
South East
marinyork said:
Cycling is so much more than that.

Hear hear....sweat, heart beating fast, sweat, panting.....;)
 

Twanger

Über Member
Straw poll on Brixton Road on my ride home tonight at about 6.45. The lights by the nick.

Cyclists stopping at the red light= 1 (me)
Cyclists not stopping at the red light = 17 (everyone else)

I must be a real plonker.
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
Twanger said:
Straw poll on Brixton Road on my ride home tonight at about 6.45. The lights by the nick.

Cyclists stopping at the red light= 1 (me)
Cyclists not stopping at the red light = 17 (everyone else)

I must be a real plonker.

Nah, you've just set a good example! :ohmy:
 

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
...actually, heard one the otherday from two other cyclists at work.

Guy got a smidsy, cyclist protested and the driver leant out the window saying "..you're wearing the wrong shade of yellow!":laugh:
 
Top Bottom