Time to take bicycles off the roads

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Deadly Ferret

Deadly Ferret

Deadly Ferret

Man of Honour
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Would you be happy rocking the sort of 50yr old rig that put man on the moon? No. They're antiquatech (TM - Me, today)

Well then, why are berks still driving motorless bikes from the turn of the century before last?

VHS had a good run, what twenty years? The old Athlon kept puffing for about a decade. These were GOOD products. They didn't result in you being rained on, eating flies, or being mowed down by a cement mixer.

Why do we still allow the ancient gear that is the bicycle on the public roads? Aren't you ashamed to be driving something older than your grandparents' teeth?
 
Cos you know cars haven't been modified since the model t rolled off the conveyor belt. Where's the hoverboards and the transporters dagnabbit.


Continental drift. Now that makes the bike look positively new fangled
 
Woden said:
Now I know you are trolling. Car drivers can't see cyclists.
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I see them all the bloody time sir. I live in London. Strangely though, they aren't actually the biggest problem on the roads of this bizarre city. That accolade has to go to the council sponsored suspension damage programme (speed bumps).

Uncle Petey said:
Yay, another I hate cyclists thread! It's been a few months.
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I don't hate them. They do annoy me, because they're slow and routinely break the law and highway code, but mostly I pity them. Some of them actually spend an amount of money on their kit that would be enough to put a roof over their heads to keep dry whilst on the road.
 
A lot of people from London have moved up here over the last few years, as a result the number of cyclists on our roads has also increased.

Please, London, keep your cyclists contained, we don't want them.
 
As someone who started on a motorbike, drives and owns a car, cycles, rides horses and has even worked with a lorry driver for a summer I have this to say:

You passed driving test and studied your highway code with all road users in mind. If you are not skilled enough or happy to share the road with other road users. Please seek further training or leave the roads to the less ignorant. Thanks.
 
Deadly Ferret said:
As a car driver I do, but I see these two wheeled gladiators of old are mostly colour blind. Can't recognise red.
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Whereas, as I sat waiting at the lights this evening the two cars that went though the right filter on a late amber and the two that floored it after them on straight red were making a simple error that could happen to anyone.

Makes me laugh.

I cycle in London because it's quicker than driving. Much quicker. And this is the problem; traffic speeds in London have dropped consistently over the last 20 years (TFL published their latest figures last month - Camden is down to something like 12.2mph) due to the increasing number of cars, and yet you want more people to buy cars and drive them in London.

Weird.

Surprisingly, most of us enjoy cycling and aren't really bothered by the weather. I count myself as waterproof so rain doesn't really bother me. Cold can sometimes, but exercise is good at generating heat. Wind, now that's a different story; headwind home in an evening is horrible, but it's all good exercise and it makes you stronger.

Edit: Correction, the average car speed in London is 12.4mph and in Camden it's 9.2mph. Seriously, I ride past queues of traffic in and around London every evening seeing people wasting their lives just sitting looking at the brake lights of the person in front and breathing their exhaust fumes and yet this is something to aspire to?
 
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Deadly Ferret said:
I don't hate them. They do annoy me, because they're slow and routinely break the law and highway code, but mostly I pity them. Some of them actually spend an amount of money on their kit that would be enough to put a roof over their heads to keep dry whilst on the road.
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Oh, well that's ok then.
 
Pixel said:
A lot of people from London have moved up here over the last few years, as a result the number of cyclists on our roads has also increased.

Please, London, keep your cyclists contained, we don't want them.
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I can only apologise sir. You'd think they wouldn't escape the capital, as they're not allowed on to the motorways, but the crafty beggars are like Mexicans chasing the Blackpool Illuminations.

Still, you can't hold back regression.

Dup said:
As someone who started on a motorbike, drives and owns a car, cycles, rides horses and has even worked with a lorry driver for a summer I have this to say:

You passed driving test and studied your highway code with all road users in mind. If you are not skilled enough or happy to share the road with other road users. Please seek further training or leave the roads to the less ignorant. Thanks.
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No amount of training would make me happy to share the road with cyclists, and that's part of the reason we're having this little chat. Training doesn't teach tolerance, and tolerance of cyclists is something I'll never learn. I put up with them because I have to, but that's as far as it will ever go.

On a more serious note, and bearing in mind that car drivers often make errors, it sometimes scares me how vulnerable these people are, especially given the risks that they take in London.
 
I understand OP, it must be frustrating having the sight of those finely toned Lycra clad buttocks getting you all hot and bothered on the way to work, close enough almost to touch but separated by the cruel and unfeeling glass of the drivers side window.
 
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I am totally fed up with getting calls from them at work.

"I wasn't in the cycle path/lane as I don't have to use them legally, but a taxi number blah, blah, blah tooted me/us as they felt we were holding them up. Can you please supply us with their name and registration so I can report it under operation crackdown".

FFS, why do we spend millions making this stuff when they don't use it?

Where is the police operation/number I can report cyclists for riding on paths, jumping red lights and endangering and abusing pedestrians?

I will say a majority of cyclists are responsible and are aware of the surroundings and their vulnerabilities. It just seems to be the two wheel pedal power fanatics that are a law in to themselves.
 
News flash, some cyclists break the law, as do some car drivers.

I wouldn't cycle round london, too many mental car drivers.
 
Third Opinion said:
"I wasn't in the cycle path/lane as I don't have to use them legally, but a taxi number blah, blah, blah tooted me/us as they felt we were holding them up. Can you please supply us with their name and registration so I can report it under operation crackdown".

FFS, why do we spend millions making this stuff when they don't use it?
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Perhaps we spend millions putting cycle lanes everywhere as a kneejerk reaction without proper consultation and without working out whether its actually what cyclists want or would use?
 
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