Pro red light jumpers

[Cyclist33]

I respectfully point you towards the Chinese zodiac .. full of everyday animals and a dragon. Now why would that be? Possibly because the Dragon used to be an everyday animal? Can't fault a civilisation that is thousands of years old and invented things like gunpowder and martial arts.
The question we should be asking is 'what was that damn dragon doing in England?'

As a Water Dragon with a Wood Rat son, I'd have to contend that the dragon was likely to be some less mythical creature, possible the Komodo but certainly not possessed of wing and flammable nostrils!

In fact the most likely candidate would be the broad class of "lizard", although its fair to say that st George & the lizard doesn't have quite as heroic a ring to it...

 

[trampyjoe]

As a Water Dragon with a Wood Rat son, I'd have to contend that the dragon was likely to be some less mythical creature, possible the Komodo but certainly not possessed of wing and flammable nostrils!

In fact the most likely candidate would be the broad class of "lizard", although its fair to say that st George & the lizard doesn't have quite as heroic a ring to it...

George and the Bearded Dragon?
George and the Gecko?
Yup, you're right, it just doesn't have the same ring to it.

 

[dan_bo]

 

[Cyclist33]

George and the Bearded Dragon?
George and the Gecko?
Yup, you're right, it just doesn't have the same ring to it.

St George & The Newt.

 

[fudgepanda]

Just seen two GBCycling bell ends jump the red light across from Ordsall Lane across Regents Road. They must be mad.

I'm not sure which makes them bigger bellends, riding through a red light at that junction or keeping a Pinarello in Ordsall! I was at the National Cycling Centre on Wednesday (I know it was a different day) and saw a pair of guys who certainly looked the part ride up and walk into the building. Maybe that's where your two were going. Actually riding through a red light (in my opinion) is not a good thing but after leaving the Velodrome I saw a chap on a commuter type bike come through a junction on A57 Hyde Road, quite legally. The danger he faced was the size of the junction he was coming through as he would have passed the stop line on green but by the time he passed me turning through the left filter I was starting to move forward.

I take it the red light debate has been done to death, pun intended. Actually I haven't really advanced the debate have I?

Right then, think I'll just shut up and bog off.

 

[Hacienda71]

Maybe they were just bricking it as they thought some of the Salford scallies were going to tax their Pinarellos.

 

[fudgepanda]

Maybe they were just bricking it as they thought some of the Salford scallies were going to tax their Pinarellos.

How dare you sir, how dare you suggest that the good burghers of Salford would ever, even in their wildest dreams think of robbing someone riding several thousand pounds of exotic bicycle. I was merely suggesting that riding a Pinarello in Salford would not be a particularly good idea as some of the roads are not billiard table smooth. I was certainly not suggesting that people in Ordsall are anything less than of the highest moral standing not to mention the fact that.....ah what the hell. I can't keep this up any longer. I need to go to bed.

 

[ufkacbln]

St George & The Newt.

Newts is protected!

 

[Cyclist33]

Newts is protected!

That's coz of all them saints going round slaying them!

 

[fudgepanda]

Just to take this to another level, This afternoon I was on my way to work when as I approached the point where I join the M60, on the A57 there was quite a lot of traffic, probably because of the City match that was starting shortly. As I crawled along (in my car) two cyclists on road bikes came up the inside. They looked pretty serious, they were wearing Castelli gear when all said and done. No problems there, but at that junction there is a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians to go over the motorway rather than go round the roundabout which, to my mind, is a pretty dodgy place to be on a bike. I know local kids on scooters who would rather go over than round, still, the pair insisted on riding on the road and basically just got in the way of the traffic. The congestion wasn't their fault but I can only see that as not only being dangerous for them, it's liable to wind up drivers who might be more aggressive towards them as a result. Am I right with my thoughts or am I over reacting?

I have to emphasise though that they were not committing any offences but I can see the "I pay my road tax" brigade getting on their hind legs muttering about the cost of putting up a bridge just for cyclists to ignore it.

 

[Norm]

I'd ignore it too... In fact, I'd ignore anything away from the road when I'm on the road bike.

Kids on scooters may not have the balls to ride in traffic but I've yet to find a rosd i wouldn't ride. And I'm not sure about an attitude that says the cyclists 'got in the way of traffic' which you admit was there already and was not of their making.

 

[ufkacbln]

Just to take this to another level, This afternoon I was on my way to work when as I approached the point where I join the M60, on the A57 there was quite a lot of traffic, probably because of the City match that was starting shortly. As I crawled along (in my car) two cyclists on road bikes came up the inside. They looked pretty serious, they were wearing Castelli gear when all said and done. No problems there, but at that junction there is a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians to go over the motorway rather than go round the roundabout which, to my mind, is a pretty dodgy place to be on a bike. I know local kids on scooters who would rather go over than round, still, the pair insisted on riding on the road and basically just got in the way of the traffic. The congestion wasn't their fault but I can only see that as not only being dangerous for them, it's liable to wind up drivers who might be more aggressive towards them as a result. Am I right with my thoughts or am I over reacting?

I have to emphasise though that they were not committing any offences but I can see the "I pay my road tax" brigade getting on their hind legs muttering about the cost of putting up a bridge just for cyclists to ignore it.

How can they "get in the way of the traffic"?

 

[ufkacbln]

I have just looked at this bridge...



Poor surface, an unrideable slalom to prevent access and a bleedin' great NO CYCLING sign!


I don't think I would be using this.... in fact cyclists should NOT be using this!


.. and to finish in style it then abandons you with six lanes of fast moving traffic to cross to return to the road you should be on!

 

[fudgepanda]

I use it and I've absolutely no idea why there is a No Cyclilng sign there, although in fairness the blue cycle route sign is about 80 yards before that and directs you round the plot of land you can see in the background. In order to negotiate the roundabout without using the bridge you would have to pass on the inside of the white truck in the image. At a rough guess, around 75% of the traffic in the left hand lane is taking the 1st exit onto the M60 and it's fairly common for traffic in the right hand lane to (wrongly) take that route as well which would mean the cyclists could be completely blind to that driver and vice-versa. Having seen a number of near misses at this junction, frankly it scares the living c**p out of me. Maybe I need to be braver. The surface over the bridge is quite good and although you do come down onto a 3 lane per side dual carriageway it is into a wide parking area which can be followed for some distance before merging with the traffic.

As for antagonising drivers, those lights typically let around 4-5 vehicles at a time through on green and as a result tempers become frayed as the queues build, consequently almost as many will jump the lights as go through on green which (to my way of thinking) just raises the risk factor for cyclists there even further.

As for the "I pay my road tax brigade", although I know there is no longer any such thing, but as a neighbour said the other day: "Cost a ble**ing fortune to build that bridge and the t**ts don't use it." People with this kind of attitude often take out their frustration by trying to intimidate cyclists.

 

[400bhp]

Just to take this to another level, This afternoon I was on my way to work when as I approached the point where I join the M60, on the A57 there was quite a lot of traffic, probably because of the City match that was starting shortly. As I crawled along (in my car) two cyclists on road bikes came up the inside. They looked pretty serious, they were wearing Castelli gear when all said and done. No problems there, but at that junction there is a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians to go over the motorway rather than go round the roundabout which, to my mind, is a pretty dodgy place to be on a bike. I know local kids on scooters who would rather go over than round, still, the pair insisted on riding on the road and basically just got in the way of the traffic. The congestion wasn't their fault but I can only see that as not only being dangerous for them, it's liable to wind up drivers who might be more aggressive towards them as a result. Am I right with my thoughts or am I over reacting?

I have to emphasise though that they were not committing any offences but I can see the "I pay my road tax" brigade getting on their hind legs muttering about the cost of putting up a bridge just for cyclists to ignore it.

Since when has there been a bridge for cyclists there?

Ridiculous argument "got in the way of traffic".

Jesus