What do people mean by "in primary"?

[Maz]

even the 20mph school zones have people doing far more than that around here.

Where are you based?

 

[danny121]

Where are you based?

Sorry for not replying sooner, haven't had time to browse the forum.

I wouldn't expect you to have heard of "Leigh Park", it's an estate near Portsmouth, I live on the main road through it which a) has a secondary school on it, has speed bumps and traffic islands for it's entire length, and c) has about 1 car in 40 obeying the 20mph limit. By the by, it's also one of the worst surfaced roads I use, sadly I can't avoid it

My regular commute also takes me past 2 junior schools and a college, again with the vast majority racing along the roads, plus my leisure rides take me on a lot of different roads with a lot of different limits. You also get the usual "country lane" effect where people blast down them at 70mph and general complete ignorance of rules of the road and - my biggest pet peeve - refusing to indicate properly (annoying and dangerous when done by any sort of traffic be it a car, a motorbike, or a cyclist).

Occasionally the police will set up shop on one road or other for a week but it's token enforcement - at first they're very busy, no sooner finishing dealing with 1 speeder than they're pulling in another, but by the end of the 2nd day word has gotten around and everyone's either obeying the limit (rare) or simply taking a different route (most common). Either way, they're gone at the end of the week and it's back to business as usual.

Simply put, without traffic lights, average speed cameras, heavy traffic that slows itself down via congestion, or constant police presence, the general public will not obey the speed limits, regardless of what you set them at - the preponderance of 4x4s and wide wheelbase MPVs makes a mockery of the tiny speedbumps councils install these days making them relatively pointless (whatever happened to the old "sleeping policemen"?). I'm sure you've been on motorways/national speed limit roads at least as often as I have and noticed that the people actually going at 70mph are a tiny minority, "accepted" speed is 80-90.

But the thrust of my poiint isn't about the speeds people travel at for myself - I'm quite happy to use the A27 and similar (and "de-restricted" roads, which are really bloody scary at times as some consider the "de-restricted" to mean no speed limit at all), but personally I'll always (as originally stated) share the lane rather than trying to act as a moving speedbump, unless it's in my own safety interests to take the lane (rights turns etc). Taking the lane, imho, should not be regarded as the "default" position unless you're actually moving at the speed of the traffic - which is very very rare around here .

 

[bonj2]

er.. no, lots of people are doing 70 on the motorway. I rarely do more than 75 and i overtake lots of people.

 

[gbb]

Personally, i use primary VERY sparingly. If used innapropriately it causes antagonism between cyclists and drivers.

Unfortunately there are NO rules Robster. There are...but you will always get some plank who will push through whatever the risk to you.
Use it wisely, sparingly, appropriately...and still expect some plank to do something stupid.

 

[Pip]

Simply put, without traffic lights, average speed cameras, heavy traffic that slows itself down via congestion, or constant police presence, the general public will not obey the speed limits, regardless of what you set them at - the preponderance of 4x4s and wide wheelbase MPVs makes a mockery of the tiny speedbumps councils install these days making them relatively pointless (whatever happened to the old "sleeping policemen"?). I'm sure you've been on motorways/national speed limit roads at least as often as I have and noticed that the people actually going at 70mph are a tiny minority, "accepted" speed is 80-90.

Old fashioned 'sleeping policemen,' i.e full width speed bumps are generally not installed any more, as they make life exceedingly difficult for 999 drivers, particularly ambulances, on emergency calls. The small width of the new ones allows fire appliances and ambulances to straddle them and be unaffected (incidently they abviously also allow bikes to be unaffected :-) ).

On primary/secondary - I'd have to say I use primary as sparingly as I humanly can, I agree it antagonsises other road users if used constantly. If I have to I use it, otherwise I'm usually to be found in secondary.

 

[justAl]

I often use primary at lights and roundabouts. If there is room for a vehicle to pass then it will use that room. So, I protect myself by giving myself room. Perhaps it's being a bit bullyish but I feel I am more visible and reduces the risk of being sideswiped. Also, it feels right to me as that is what I have done in 15 years of riding motorcycles. BE SEEN BE SAFE

 

[snorri]

Robster, you have stirred up a certain amount of controversy regarding usage of Primary position-nothing new on Cyclechat
Here is the link for the book Cyclecraft, http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/ , which desribes Primary and Secondary in detail, with pictures, few would disagree that it is a good read for UK cyclists.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

It cycling in the middle of the road.

 

[andyfromotley]

When screamed at you by Magnatom as in 'see yee i was in f28king primary, have yea nae read cyclecraft' it means youre gonna be starring on you tube that evening.

andy