Why do we hate cycling in this country?

Because Great Britain is a lazy nation... Nearly every journey could be walked. How many journeys are less than 5 miles? I'll bet it's nearly all of them! It would make it easier for people who actually need vehicles for work.....

Plus we have an attitude problem. Cyclists do bring some of it on themselves by not wearing proper kit/lights etc but like on a club run of about 50 of us - I suggested splitting into groups of 10 every 100-200 metres apart to allow drivers to get past. It worked. Its safer for cyclists and drivers. Tbh a lot of car drivers forget they are in control of a loaded gun.
 
PermaBanned said:
Understandable, as infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired, but the health benefits of cycling still outweigh the risks by about 20 to 1.
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I disagree, for me anyway. I live down in the SW and the swarms of tourists who cant seem to drive coupled with the local maniacs who dont give a damn combined with the awful and tiny roads means a certain painful death..or at least a little maiming.

I get my exercise elsewhere.
 
Rotty said:
I cant be bothered as there can be no reasonable argument against either
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Would you not say a reasonable argument against insurance would be it would discourage younger children to get out on their bike and exercise? At what age would you introduce this insurance when a kid first rides a tricycle ?

I personally do have 3rd party insurance for when I'm cycling as I cycle for pleasure and hit fast speeds and ultimately could damage someone/thing quite badly. An old dear riding at 7-10 mph really isn't going to cause a great deal of damage.

For me this entire thread just proves that the one thing that is lacking in the UK is common sense.
 
jonneymendoza said:
im about to move closer to central london and ideally i can cycle and get to work quicker then the bus but cycling down busy central london in the morning and coming to the office sweating with no shower?
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20%+ of Dutch people manage to do this just fine.

When you improve the infrastructure for cyclists, you remove the need to ride fast. I only feel the need to ride fast at the moment as I usually have either a car up my backside or I'm racing to get past a junction before someone left hooks me. Remove all that and I'd be happy to pootle along at a pace that's about as much work as walking would be. Google what cycling in Holland looks like. It's normal people in their normal clothes. Some will be using their phones. No one will be wearing a helmet. They can do this because the danger has been removed.
 
If you work in central London then your employer should get with the times and provide shower facilities. Granted if you're visiting different clients each day this isn't particularly easy, but if you have a few regular clients I'm sure it's not an issue.

Are showers at work still a rare thing? I can't remember the last time I was in an office that didn't have them.
 
FishFluff said:
20%+ of Dutch people manage to do this just fine.

When you improve the infrastructure for cyclists, you remove the need to ride fast. I only feel the need to ride fast at the moment as I usually have either a car up my backside or I'm racing to get past a junction before someone left hooks me. Remove all that and I'd be happy to pootle along at a pace that's about as much work as walking would be. Google what cycling in Holland looks like. It's normal people in their normal clothes. Some will be using their phones. No one will be wearing a helmet. They can do this because the danger has been removed.
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I have a fair few Dutch friends and use to spend a bit of time over there, the difference is they have the right infrastructure to support it and on top of that it is cultural that there are large amounts of cyclists making it even easier again.

I don't necessarily hate cyclists but the system puts vehicle drivers and cyclists into almost competition which is bound to cause frustration all round.

Unfortunately cycling will never, ever be as common in the uk as not only would it take a huge infrastructure review for which there is no real will (see point below) or finances for as there is no benefit financially to changing. On top of that it would take a huge cultural shift and without the infrastructure it will never happen as the two are pitted in conflict.

Shame as I would love to cycle mode but I would never give the roads a go and take on the motorists (myself included)
 
Yep. I am half Dutch and all my family is Dutch. I lived there for eight years and cycled everywhere, the country is designed for it. England is not. Comparing the two is like saying that Scandinavia is better at clearing snow than us so why are we so poor at it. Two very different situations.
 
Jimbeam3678 said:
Would you not say a reasonable argument against insurance would be it would discourage younger children to get out on their bike and exercise? At what age would you introduce this insurance when a kid first rides a tricycle ?

I personally do have 3rd party insurance for when I'm cycling as I cycle for pleasure and hit fast speeds and ultimately could damage someone/thing quite badly. An old dear riding at 7-10 mph really isn't going to cause a great deal of damage.

For me this entire thread just proves that the one thing that is lacking in the UK is common sense.
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I mean on public roads, tbh children should be cycling in parks etc

Good on you though for being responsible and taking insurance
 
Diddums said:
Yep. I am half Dutch and all my family is Dutch. I lived there for eight years and cycled everywhere, the country is designed for it. England is not. Comparing the two is like saying that Scandinavia is better at clearing snow than us so why are we so poor at it. Two very different situations.
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Completely agree - however attitudes have a lot to do with that. The British are far less likely to exercise in the first place. France and Australia are AMAZING for cycling! France I used the roads in northern France and the Alps - not one issue, considerate drivers etc as it's their national sport? Australia = the infrastructure and cycle lanes are amazing! Better than most roads in the UK. Admittedly we have bad weather which deteriorates it but we don't put the money into maintenance...
 
Jimbeam3678 said:
Would you not say a reasonable argument against insurance would be it would discourage younger children to get out on their bike and exercise? At what age would you introduce this insurance when a kid first rides a tricycle ?

I personally do have 3rd party insurance for when I'm cycling as I cycle for pleasure and hit fast speeds and ultimately could damage someone/thing quite badly. An old dear riding at 7-10 mph really isn't going to cause a great deal of damage.

For me this entire thread just proves that the one thing that is lacking in the UK is common sense.
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Agree with all your points really. I also agree, that I'm guilty of not having it, insurance is something that should be looked into however would be incredibly hard to police and simply would not be worth it. After being taken outlast year though I am hoping I can still ride a push bike and if I do I will be getting insurance.
 
Diddums said:
Yep. I am half Dutch and all my family is Dutch. I lived there for eight years and cycled everywhere, the country is designed for it. England is not. Comparing the two is like saying that Scandinavia is better at clearing snow than us so why are we so poor at it. Two very different situations.
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Quick question, What's the other half if all your family is Dutch? :confused::p
 
Cyclists in the UK are like most car drivers in the UK. Inconsiderate tw*ts. It's not a 'cyclist' problem, it's a general behavioural problem of people on the road (and not just there).

On my way to work is a pretty step hill, with JUST about the space for 2 cars to pass. Every morning as I go down (thanks FSCK I don't do it the other way) on the way up you will have a random cyclist, all kitted up in lycra gear trying to get to the top of that hill at 0.5mph. If lucky. If not lucky, he's actually walking all the way up with his bike.
Thing is, theres so many cars going down that you can't *possibly* overtake him uphill with the incoming traffic.

So Mr (or Mrs) Green Trousers have a queue of 50+ cars behind him, silently (or not so silently) insulting his whole lineage.

However I'm SURE he feels all righteous about it, he just hasn't put together the money to buy a Prius yet. He's like the anti audi-driver kind, but just as bad.
 
Diddums said:
Yep. I am half Dutch and all my family is Dutch. I lived there for eight years and cycled everywhere, the country is designed for it. England is not. Comparing the two is like saying that Scandinavia is better at clearing snow than us so why are we so poor at it. Two very different situations.
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The Netherlands was by no means "designed" for cycling. They're actually very similar situations, separated by about 50 years.
 
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