He happens to be one of the worst posters in GD at the moment and that takes some doing!
Cyclists are allowed to use the roads. Get over it Diddums.
Poll: Poll pls: In the presence of a dedicated cycle lane, should cyclists be allowed to use the roads?
- Thread starter Diddums
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He happens to be one of the worst posters in GD at the moment and that takes some doing!
Cyclists are allowed to use the roads. Get over it Diddums.
This is why we're discussing it. None of us want a loved one injured or killed on the roads, so anything we can do to reduce the numbers is a good thing. I've lived in Holland where the infrastructure is excellent. I would often cycle 30ish miles on a Sunday and only ever have to touch a "car road" for the purposes of crossing it. That's the way I'd like to see it here but obviously we don't have the space or the ability to shut the roads to achieve it without causing massive chaos. I fully acknowledge that many of the cycle facilities in this country are run down crap which would bring a Jeep to its knees but I don't see why people are risking their lives and the lives of others to save 15 seconds at best when there is a perfectly useable and safe alternative next to it.
Soldato
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I dont mean to sound patronising, but unless you're a regular cyclist, you never would understand why we dont use them.
Stop every 30m, avoid glass and debris, avoid road junctions etc.....
or just ride on the road where it's quicker and safer. No brainer.
Thank you for your valued, well thought out contribution to this thread
My apologies. I got you mixed up with another poster beginning with D!
Although my second line still stands
Then you've lived the dream. If the commitment to cycling was anything like it is in Holland and, say Denmark, you'd not only get significantly higher numbres of cyclists sticking solely to cycling infrastructure, but you'd have also have a lot more people making their daily journies on bikes instead of driving. You'd have fewer cars on the road, and a healthier population.
This is it basically. Government commitment to cycling is absolutely lip service, and its quite evident that whilst the car is still king, they don't really give a damn. Look at the Transport Secretary commiting a road offence - dooring a cyclist. What did he do? Immediately blame the cyclist. It's a poor example overall, but it shows the attitude towards cycling in this country.
Bear in mind that I don't just see this as being a government vs cycling conspiracy - I see it as the government not really giving a damn about anything but the car. Take Cambridge as an example, the park and rides all started charging for car parking, and instead of paying per car you pay per person for a bus ticket. So for four people it costs £12.50 to get into the city, or you can park inside the city centre for much less than that. Guess what option they take? And a weekly bus ticket to get into Cambrdige is £25, is it any wonder people want to sit in a comfortable car instead? This is what happens when you privatise public transport and don't actually enforce a decent or affordable service. They continue to subsidise the oil companies whilst removing any commitment to electric cars. They allow atrocious franchise owners like Southern Rail to keep their franchise...I could go on. The government do not give a **** about being green, or a commitment to anything other than the motor car. Until that changes, we'll continue to have an 'us and them' attitude on the roads.
Part of the trouble is that we can't make it punitively expensive to drive to work, because of the state of things like cycling infrastructure and public transport; its a sort of chicken and the egg scenario isn't it? Do we make it too expensive to drive to work to force people onto other methods of getting to work? Or do we improve other methods of getting to work so people will use them? There's evidence to show that the latter works, its simply a case that we don't invest enough in doing so. And the former has the considerable downside that forcing people onto public transport, for example, does very little but line the pockets of the privatised shareholders. Plus it penalises those who simply can't use public transport, or any other method, to get to work other than driving. But statistics from the deparment of transport show that whilst 70% of people travel to work by car, the average journey length is under 4 miles. Why are we not focusing on getting these people to do something other than drive?
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Man of Honour
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You are the one playing the poor motorist victim card because you had to wait 10 seconds to get past a cyclist.
Soldato
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It wouldn't be so bad if the existing rules were enforced. Driving to a junction the other day on a green light this cyclist shot across the road on his red light in front of me. I was only doing 20mph or so but if I'd have been going any faster, gave me quite a fright.
Cyclists don't seem to think red lights apply to them, at least around here.
My apologies. I got you mixed up with another poster beginning with D!
Although my second line still stands
Fair enough, I can be a bit of a **** at times
Not really, I'm asking whether it should be compulsory for cyclists to use a dedicated cycle path where one is available and in good condition.
I'm trying to understand why cyclists do what they do (which has been adequately explained now) but all you seem to want to do is drive even more of a wedge between cyclists and motorists. Perhaps instead of flapping and flaming when asked a question about your precious cycling habits you could actually take a second or two to explain why you do what you do, then others could understand it a bit better?
Don't let logic get in the way of creating a safer and more pleasant journey for all of us though, you flame on and scream when you inevitably get injured because of it
You're quite right. 3 points and a £100 fine for driving whilst on a mobile is nowhere near enough punishment.
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Soldato
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Why do so many cyclists always pull the 'motorists are probably on their phone' card. Its getting boring now.
I'd rather a cyclist used the cycle path, on my journey to work there's a nice wide road with a cycle lane next to it, but often there will be a construction vehicle parked in it or there will be rocks and other junk, broken glass etc scattered all over.
Its no wonder many cyclists choose not to use them. Perhaps if they were checked and swept more often, we'd all benefit.
When I used to cycle, I hated riding in the road as cars pass so close, I never got used to it and found it very uncomfortable so would always opt for a path if available, I cant believe any other cyclist would pick the road over a cycle lane if they had confidence it would be clear!
I'd rather a cyclist used the cycle path, on my journey to work there's a nice wide road with a cycle lane next to it, but often there will be a construction vehicle parked in it or there will be rocks and other junk, broken glass etc scattered all over.
Its no wonder many cyclists choose not to use them. Perhaps if they were checked and swept more often, we'd all benefit.
When I used to cycle, I hated riding in the road as cars pass so close, I never got used to it and found it very uncomfortable so would always opt for a path if available, I cant believe any other cyclist would pick the road over a cycle lane if they had confidence it would be clear!
Soldato
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It's getting boring seeing motorists on their phones. It's getting really boring reading about yet another road user killed because a driver was on their mobile phone. Your blasé attitude towards it aside, it's become endemic, and needs drastic action.
Man of Honour
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Five years ago I was you, Kindai, Minstadave and every other cyclist hating forum member rolled into one. It came to a point where my driving commute was going to become 20 mins longer because I'd have to park at the old place and then walk 20 minutes to the new place and I wasn't willing to do that so I got my first bike. Amazingly I could do the commute in exactly the same time or even quicker and when we eventually moved I can now do it in just under 20 mins where a motoring work colleague who lives near me does it in 40 mins.
I began with all the best intentions, I got all the proper gear (NO LYCRA), lights, bright coat, helmet etc. Still to this day I've never gone through a red light. I still pull over and let motorists go past in certain places, at junctions I'll let the car go first even though it might be my priority. I avoid roundabouts like the plague and the one in your OP would have me scared pooless.
Within the first weeks of commuting I couldn't believe the attitude of drivers on the road and had many close calls especially with drivers left hooking. A particulary bad one had me on the floor bleeding and it was only when the policeman pointed at CCTV cameras did the motorist give in. Over the first 6 months I kept changing parts of my route eg I'll get on the pavement here, I'll get on there. I'll get off my bike here and cross over the road with pedestrians. Now that led to a funny one, I was crossing over with pedestrians when a driver stopped, got out and had a right go at me. It wasn't as though we'd met because I'd come from one direction and he'd come from the exact opposite direction - anyway, this type of motorist mentality was normal to be honest.
After 6 months I was ready to give up cycling because I'd had enough of motorist mentality but I decided to try another tactic - if I'm not hurt don't shout back, just do a roll eyes. I managed this for 3 months and was about to give up again.
At the suggestion of a friend he worked out a 'safer' route which was one mile longer and hardly touched on motorists and that's the route I've used for over 4 years but even those little bits of road have caused many incidents eg on Monday morning I looked in my mirror, indicated to turn right, got in the middle of the road to turn right but had to wait for cars coming towards me. Just has I was about to turn a car came flying past me on my right
- https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9...z7gw9t42XFgSC-IlqFPA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en (so I was on that right arrow, I had to wait for a couple of cars to come down from the right and just as I was about to turn a car overtook me and went to the right side of the bollards).I continued thinking I've got that recorded (oh yeah, after 5 years I have given in and realise I need protection if something happens) and I got to the hospital where I was going down the cycle lane, I just got to the road on the left and a car pulled straight out - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...j3c1JPKv0s0mHlPC7VXg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en I braked hard, turned and banged straight into him but I was uninjured. He got out screaming & shouting, witnesses were having a go at him and then he pointed at his dashcam saying I was at fault. I then pointed at my camera saying mine will show you pulling straight out on me and he just got back in his car and drove off. This is the crap I put up with daily.
And the last 1.3 miles of my commute can be done on what looks like a superb cycle lane - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9...BkvyqGI34h-JhXOkHclw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en Just follow that either side until you get to the hospital entrance, it looks great however two of my bikes would be damaged and my MTB doesn't like it either. The path has been broken or lifted up at every place there is a tree making it unusable unless you're willing to cycle at 5 mph. Besides that it is also the place that you smash bottles on, it must be mandatory.
And here's the last bit that I have to put up with and I spend the next 10 minutes with my face firmly looking at the ground - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9723064,-2.1748187,1845a,20y,0.63h,44.55t/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
In the morning I come from the right just in front of that A50 wording down a path, I then cross in front of the Holiday Express keeping on path/pavements, then down in front of the Bet365 Stadium, down over the railway lines, over the canal, past the incinerator and IO can then get on pavements/roads. MY PROBLEM? - the path is made of glass, again it must be mandatory to smash your bottles on a path.
I hope yopu enjoyed my story Diddums since you asked for it.
Man of Honour
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Fair enough. I'll ignore the slight smell of condescension as you clearly put a lot of effort in to that post, well done
And right here on the cycle lane, exactly where that bike is, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...A1l8xeCjFS-v10h61Jyg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en A nurse came flying out of that side road and knocked me into the middle of the road last year.
She cried a lot and amazingly because she admitted responsibility I didn't take it further other than getting my bike fixed. Just to hear a motorist admit fault threw me and luckily A&E is only 100 yards from there.