Solihull commuters

[upsidedown]

I normally ride to Dorridge station, but after an encounter with an Audi driver on his mobile i've started going to Widney Manor in case he wants some afters. Tonight going up Monkspath Hall Road toward the roundabout at Widney Lane i took the road instead of the, admittedly very nice cycle path. It's one of the nicer paths i've seen, no glass or debris, but used by kids and pedestrians and cuts across a fair few side roads, so pretty slow.
Got quite a few angry horn-blowing motorists tonight obviously livid that i wasn't in the cycle lane, so what's the accepted practice there ? I normally don't get much hassle around Solihul but this seems to be a bit of a hot spot.

cheers

paul

 

[StuartG]

Stay cool, stay relaxed, stay 5 ft from the kerb and keep smiling. You know you have a right to be there, it may be the best place to be and they are mistaken. Its just that they don't know it. Its not the best place to enlighten them nor further annoy them with retaliatory gestures and remarks.

Ride on, ride on ...

 

[StuartG]

Oh I forgot - THIS is the home of the 4x4 ...

 

[jimboalee]

The Monkspath Hall Estate is populated by immigrant Cockneys.

They sold their houses in the home counties and bought a house for half the price next door to Solihull's refuse disposal site ( although the sales bumf didn't say that ). They used the spare loot to buy Audis to zoom up and down the M40 to London to work EVERY DAY.
After a 95 mile commute, they are within 1/4 mile of home and there is a bloody cyclist.

Notice the Gatsos in the 30 limit.

Monkspath Hall Road is a 'new' road. The 'old' road is Hay Lane. Site of the infamous "Hay Lane tip". The stink from it was pretty damned bad in the summer, so when the Shelley Farm pub was built, it was nicknamed the "Smelly Fart".


PS
You met a "Wowdey"..... 'A self-gratification artist in an Audi'.

 

[jimboalee]

The Lode Lane entrance to the Land Rover factory is on my route to the gym. In schooldays, it was on my route to Tom Crowther Cycles. Leaving school at 3:50, going home, changing and then riding to Crowthers, calling in at my friend's en-route, we would arrive at the Lode Lane gate just as the crowds were leaving work. There were dozens of cyclists of all ages on all types of bike, but no Raleigh Choppers.

There was never any agro toward the cyclists, it was channelled toward the peds who would run across the road to get on the 176.

My Mom's eldest brother cycled four miles from home to the Rover in those days. 'One eyed Joe', as he lost an eye doing his bit on D-Day, and was forbidden from driving.

My father worked there as well in Manufacturing Quality. He walked to work.

My Mom never got her driving license and was a cycle commuter until retirement ( a school kitchen cook ). I cannot remember her saying anything about aggressive motorists. She continued cycling until age 74.



There is a dual use ped/cycle path along Lode Lane. I don't use it. I have ridden Lode Lane thousands of times and never had abuse except off 'out-of-towners'. Visiting Sales reps from somewhere near London.

 

[Sittingduck]

I have been visiting family in Solihull this week but am catching a train back down to the smoke this afternoon. Didn't do much cycling up here, just down to tesco on the cov road but we went out for the day yesterday, and through Knowle and Balsall common (was in a car not on the bike). Saw a fair few cyclists out and about but the attitude of drivers here does seem more aggressive and used to speeding around more. I suppose there is less traffic here so the folks behind the wheels are less patient and not used to being held up. I think the Cockney immigrants are probably more tolerant of cyclists probably because they're far more used to sharing the road with them, than the natives are.

 

[upsidedown]

Cheers for the replies, never knew that about the Monkspath Hall Estate, it does look a bit of a new money Little Essex now you mention it jimbo.

To be fair it is a nice cycle path, just a bit slow as there's a few roads that cross it. I just wondered if the locals used it, and a few dopey dog walkers meandering across it.
Love the word Wowdey!!

cheers

paul

 

[mark i]

I used to live on Thornton Road (up near where the UCI used to be), and no I am not a Cockney!. I never used the cycle path, mainly because I would be cycling on a Sunday at 20+ mph and the pedetrians (lots of them) walk anywhere on the path.

I figure that it is incredibly unlikely that any sane soul will deliberately hit you on a bike, the bipping of the horn is trying to initimidate you to get off the road. It does unnecasarily spoil your ride, but also does mean that they know exactly where you are!