Silly BMX Riders

[summerdays]

Even crossing the road like that on foot is stupid. Do you have children or children in your family you care about? If so would you condone those actions and treat them as fun?

There is a dropped kerb on both sides of the road so presumably it is meant as a crossing point for pedestrians. Yes I probably would cross there with my children - I'm lazy and wouldn't climb a bridge to cross what looks like a two lane road.

The second cyclist (The one on the BMX) doesn't actually have any brakes and is using his left foot as a brake by pushing it against the rear tyre by the seat stays.
That is a silly thing to do, even riding a BMX on a race track or at dirt jumps without a brake is silly! But on the road / pavement?

Don't ask me why but it seems to be the cool thing to do .... talking to a Mum at school this week who allowed her son to buy a BMX when she would have preferred a different style bike, but refused to let him remove the brakes!!

Kids on BMX's doing what kids on BMX's do...

I often pass a skate park and see all the kids there and riding to it so come across this sort of riding frequently. Though I would say that I'm starting to see the rise of the fixed bikes amongst teenagers now!

 

[kishin]

Yes, that is the spot. There is a safe bridge that takes you over the road

I assume that you mean the pedestrian bridge leading to the Ynys over the A4059? If so, that's not really anywhere near where these kids were coming from. Besides, as it's a pedestrian bridge and not a shared use bridge, it's probably illegal for them to ride over (not that they seem too bothered about legality).

You saying that the kids should use this bridge which, let's face it, isn't the easiest bridge in the world to negotiate, is no different in mind to drivers berating cyclists for being on the roads when there are cycle paths available, no matter how inconvenient or impractical those cycle paths are.

The barriers are there as their is a train station above the bridge and thd pavements get pretty crowded at times.

The barriers are there because there's a pelican crossing to the right of the roundabout and they want people to use that instead of crossing the bypass at the roundabout itself. Indeed, the direction that the kids are coming from in your video, it could well be that the kids crossed the A4059 bypass using the pelican crossing and are getting across the road there because they don't want to negotiate the roundabout which you've just turned left on - if this is the case, I can understand why they've done it and although it's not the best way to cross a road, they've avoided two roundabouts which can be tricky.


Another issue with that area is that the first turning from the roundabout shown in your video leads to the local bmx/skate park and there is no convenient and safe way for kids to get there from the town centre. They can cross the pedestrian bridge you spoke about but that's a pita. If I were 12 again, I'd take the pelican crossing and cross near where these kids crossed to get there.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I assume that you mean the pedestrian bridge leading to the Ynys over the A4059? If so, that's not really anywhere near where these kids were coming from. Besides, as it's a pedestrian bridge and not a shared use bridge, it's probably illegal for them to ride over (not that they seem too bothered about legality).

You saying that the kids should use this bridge which, let's face it, isn't the easiest bridge in the world to negotiate, is no different in mind to drivers berating cyclists for being on the roads when there are cycle paths available, no matter how inconvenient or impractical those cycle paths are.



The barriers are there because there's a pelican crossing to the right of the roundabout and they want people to use that instead of crossing the bypass at the roundabout itself. Indeed, the direction that the kids are coming from in your video, it could well be that the kids crossed the A4059 bypass using the pelican crossing and are getting across the road there because they don't want to negotiate the roundabout which you've just turned left on - if this is the case, I can understand why they've done it and although it's not the best way to cross a road, they've avoided two roundabouts which can be tricky.


Another issue with that area is that the first turning from the roundabout shown in your video leads to the local bmx/skate park and there is no convenient and safe way for kids to get there from the town centre. They can cross the pedestrian bridge you spoke about but that's a pita. If I were 12 again, I'd take the pelican crossing and cross near where these kids crossed to get there.

So you don't remember the problems with peds spilling onto the road before the barriers were errected?
The point of the video was to highlight bad roadcraft not to take apart the road layout of Aberdare. As I say I teach roadcraft and winced when I saw the manoever.

 

[kishin]

So you don't remember the problems with peds spilling onto the road before the barriers were errected?

No.

The point of the video was to highlight bad roadcraft not to take apart the road layout of Aberdare.

I'm glad there was a point to the video, because I couldn't see it. In fact, judging by the replies on this thread, I'm not the only person who can't see what the point of it is.

As for the road layout of Aberdare, firstly, you brought it up by claiming that there was a safe bridge the kids could use when there isn't really and secondly, you can't separate the behaviour of these lids from the environment in which it happened, knowing the layout of that piece of road as well as I do, it makes perfect sense to cross there. Granted, the kids could have crossed the road at a bit of straighter angle but so what?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

No.



I'm glad there was a point to the video, because I couldn't see it. In fact, judging by the replies on this thread, I'm not the only person who can't see what the point of it is.

As for the road layout of Aberdare, firstly, you brought it up by claiming that there was a safe bridge the kids could use when there isn't really and secondly, you can't separate the behaviour of these lids from the environment in which it happened, knowing the layout of that piece of road as well as I do, it makes perfect sense to cross there. Granted, the kids could have crossed the road at a bit of straighter angle but so what?

The angle of crossing was the point. As for so what? "It's a dangerour move that could be easily corrected with a little training". Maybe it's better to let them learn the hard way. I have had near misses there a few times.

 

[gaz]

Welcome to the world of posting videos on cyclechat.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Welcome to the world of posting videos on cyclechat.

I do worry about the mindset of some on here but it gives me a good laugh.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

The second cyclist (The one on the BMX) doesn't actually have any brakes and is using his left foot as a brake by pushing it against the rear tyre by the seat stays.
That is a silly thing to do, even riding a BMX on a race track or at dirt jumps without a brake is silly! But on the road / pavement?

I live on quite a steep hill. I can get up to about 25mph in the two or three hundred yards from my house to the junction without really pedalling, to give you some idea. I regularly see the local kids riding brakeless BMXs down the hill from the top, braking in just the way you describe. I wish I had the nerve to do it (ie, was 15 again) becasue it looks like great fun. I've never seen any of them appear out of control, either. Long may kids ride BMXs in the way depicted in the OP, it looks absolutely fine to me.

 

[locker]

I do worry about the mindset of some on here but it gives me a good laugh.

We all worry about your mindset but it gives us all a good laugh as well -

 

[Angelfishsolo]

We all worry about your mindset but it gives us all a good laugh as well -

Based upon what I know of you they were lucky as you would have run them down and screemed abuse at them.

 

[locker]

Based upon what I know of you they were lucky as you would have run them down and screemed abuse at them.

I wouldn`t have done that, they weren`t on the cycle path, I would have reported them to the police & then told a few fibs on cycle chat by saying they had been arrested.

oh! hang on! whats that knock at the door? No the police still haven`t come to take me away its only the cat wanting to come in

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I wouldn`t have done that, they weren`t on the cycle path, I would have reported them to the police & then told a few fibs on cycle chat by saying they had been arrested.

oh! hang on! whats that knock at the door? No the police still haven`t come to take me away its only the cat wanting to come in

Oh stop it I am laughing so much I can't breathe. Mind you I can still here the shouts of "Wannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkker"

 

[locker]

Oh stop it I am laughing so much I can't breathe. Mind you I can still here the shouts of "Wannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnkkkkkkker"

I`m glad I`ve made a good start to your day

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I`m glad I`ve made a good start to your day

Good Bye

 

[Angelfishsolo]

[QUOTE 1476624"]
Maybe you should make use of the ignore function.
[/quote]
Forgot about that. Thanks