Road Cycling Essentials

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Phil99 said:
I appreciate that not all of the highway code is law - I was under the impression that things marked 'You should (not)' were advisory, i.e. just good practice, whilst things marked 'You MUST (not)' were actually enforceable by law?

i.e.



edit: just re-read the posts above and see that you say this anyway. I agree that there seems to be some confusion with cycle lanes and that double yellows may help a little
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police don't care so why should drivers?

When I started cycling I had a police car sat at some traffic lights whilst opposite them a guy was parked in a solid white cycle lane stood next to his car talking to 3 guys and the cops didn't give a damn

but the cops as soon as they spot a cyclist doing something are all over it like this policeman who looks an utter idiot on this cyclists video
http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/art...castle-cyclist-lays-down-the-law-to-policeman

Michael Smiles from Cruddas Park was cycling along Grainger Street when a police car stopped in a cycle box during a red light - something which is illegal.

Michael then entered the box and cycled once the lights changed, but was pulled over a minute later and and shouted at by the officer driving for 'undertaking.'
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******* idiot

need to get me a camera :D seems the only reason that stupid copper turned around and headed back to his car ahhahahaha
 
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Indeed - it's all well and good painting lines all over the road, but if no-one knows what the law is (including the police) and no-one enforces it, where is the advantage for anyone?

I've lost count of the number of motorists who just park in the advanced stop areas at traffic lights - sometimes cars get caught out a bit by the lights so end up half in half out - which is forgivable - but others just completely ignore the road markings and stop where they feel like it.
 
Phil99 said:
Indeed - it's all well and good painting lines all over the road, but if no-one knows what the law is (including the police) and no-one enforces it, where is the advantage for anyone?

I've lost count of the number of motorists who just park in the advanced stop areas at traffic lights - sometimes cars get caught out a bit by the lights so end up half in half out - which is forgivable - but others just completely ignore the road markings and stop where they feel like it.
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I've seen people slowly crawl into them at 1mph after being completely stationary for whatever bizarre reason
God damn that weather :O
 
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I think it is just a lack of awareness over where you can and can't drive. Used to just be a red light with a white line and you stop at that, drivers do the same thing there just happens to be another line in front that confuses them.

To be honest with you until I started cycling I used to stop before it if there where cyclists in it but if no one was there I would just stop inside it where you would typically stop at a red light without an ASL. I didn't know it was designed for cyclists to filter into, just a place for them to stop at the lights if they stopped at them first.

Having learnt to drive in the country (only 3 years ago) where towns didn't have any ASLs they were never covered in any lessons, or at least not that I remember. And half of them in newcastle are mostly faded anyway.
 
Considering no one knows wtf to do with a box junction and we've had them forever, I think we're hoping for too much to expect drivers to know what to do with an advanced stop line.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Considering no one knows wtf to do with a box junction and we've had them forever, I think we're hoping for too much to expect drivers to know what to do with an advanced stop line.
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well you would at least expect people who drive for a living to especially if they are meant to enforce the law
 
Typical London...

Parked my Pearson outside a pub on a well-lit fairly busy street. Come out of pub and someone has nicked my Garmin mount and a crappy light I cable tied to the stem.

Not huge losses as of course it could've been worse (carbon seat post or whole bike nicked) but still what is wrong with people!?
 
Shamrock said:
Typical London...

Parked my Pearson outside a pub on a well-lit fairly busy street. Come out of pub and someone has nicked my Garmin mount and a crappy light I cable tied to the stem.

Not huge losses as of course it could've been worse (carbon seat post or whole bike nicked) but still what is wrong with people!?
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Scum :)
 
Shamrock said:
Typical London...

Parked my Pearson outside a pub on a well-lit fairly busy street. Come out of pub and someone has nicked my Garmin mount and a crappy light I cable tied to the stem.

Not huge losses as of course it could've been worse (carbon seat post or whole bike nicked) but still what is wrong with people!?
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opportunist thieves can't resist something easily obtainable.

bet loads of them walk around with allen keys etc just on the off chance they see a bike with something worth stealing.

always makes me wonder wtf garmin expect you to do with the gsc10 sensor seeing as it's attached by cable ties...
 
arknor said:
opportunist thieves can't resist something easily obtainable.

bet loads of them walk around with allen keys etc just on the off chance they see a bike with something worth stealing.

always makes me wonder wtf garmin expect you to do with the gsc10 sensor seeing as it's attached by cable ties...
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so ok you steal a garmin mount and a cheap light?! what is that worth 2 quid? :rolleyes:
 
Well it was cold this morning. Getting difficult to know what to wear!

Though my new socks are bloody awesome.

arknor said:
it looks bigger than it is :P

Topeak Aero Wedge (Buckle) Medium

a lot of you guys prob have the same bag on your road bikes?
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Don't worry about all the nay sayers, I have that saddle bag too. I dont want all my commuting tools in my jersey.
 
ShiWarrior said:
just seen a comment about us cyclists over in motors, I had to respond


Quote:
Originally Posted by Skidder View Post
Is that a thing now? It's not annoying enough to have pelotons of middle age men is skin tight pants clogging up the roads, now motorbikes get to make convoys?


erm excuse me

im a cyclist , some of us obey the law, don't think we all are idiots, coz we are not
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Don't bother arguing with the narrow minded folk over in motors. It's a condensed, concentrated version of the disgusting attitude most people in GD have, and a microcosm of society at large. A lot of them can't understand the simple fact that the roads have to be shared. Anyone mentioned road tax yet?

Phil99 said:
I think I might just bin my copy of the Highway code after cycling through Cambridge. It's quite clear that no-one else has read/taken any notice of it so I don't see why I need to bother either :rolleyes:

Had a car pull across the front of me and stop dead in a cycle lane to drop something off (solid white line along edge of road, they pull right into it and parked inside the white line). Fortunately I was going quite slowly (GPS says 13-16mph) as I never trust cycling alongside stationary traffic even in a cycle lane so was able to stop in time.

Some of the cyclists are just as bad, I can see why some people have a dislike of cyclists watching some of them. Red light means go, right?
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Welcome to my world :D. Dodging awful driving (and awful cycling) on a daily basis. Had a butchers van rev past and then pull sharply in front of me this morning into a cycle lane, smash his brakes on and then put hazards on. Luckily I anticipated it and braked in time but it's a regular enough occurence, but then cycling lanes are just extensions for cars to park/overtake in aren't they?

Congrats on the ride.
 
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platypus said:
Though my new socks are bloody awesome.
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On the topic of awesome socks, I got the 3pack-for-a-tenner merino thicky socks from planet-x, and I'm very impressed! They're toasty warm outside, cool enough inside, and somehow manage to stay impossibly dry. I'll be buying another pack for sure.

Can someone recommend me some winter gloves <=£40 that'll keep me warm without hindering braking/gear changes? I'm still using my fingerless gloves as my winter gloves are just too chunky.
 
well the spoke broke again! awesome.. 10miles home on 19spokes up front.. gunna be fun! I'm getting a new bike at the end of the year but need a new front wheel now.. what to do?!
 
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