A question for the Cyclists.

eddiemcgarrigle · 15 Sep 2011 at 23:48

No helmet here given that over half of my commute is on 60mph roads. Much more to worry about if anybody hits me on those roads. I've even had a doctor tell me that a helmet is basically a basket for keeping bits in when it goes pear shaped.

PermaBanned · 16 Sep 2011 at 00:13

Yes. But not all the time. Probably about half, unfortunately. Although that's somewhat to do with the route i would have to take on my commute by road involving a dual carriageway.

When i do i always give pedestrians priority, though.

bigjimmyauk · 16 Sep 2011 at 00:16

If anything i just wish motorists would give cyclists a bit more space when overtaking.

i see it all the time on the school run impatient drivers trying to squeeze by at the wrong time only to be faced with a bus coming the other way. Sadly most drivers always swerve, luckily most cyclists get away with it. being a cyclist and a driver i'm pretty patient.

On another perspective a lot of cyclists don't seem to indicate when overtaking parked cars or making right turns which can also make things pretty difficult for drivers

Robertnpmk · 16 Sep 2011 at 13:58

I would have to say no.

Even when there are cycle lanes that are on the pavement I run on a roadbike and it slows me way down, if at a roundabout were sometimes they have those cycle lanes that go onto the pavement then over the pedestrian crossing, So you have to wait for a gap in the traffic. I stick to the road and keep my speed up. Most cars have to slow down much more than I have to when going round a roundabout.

My 2c-

R

IF The above even makes sense! lol

Amp34 · 16 Sep 2011 at 14:14

Ahleckz said:
Had a idiotic cyclist sitting in my blindspot today (I drive a van). At least he had stopped at the red light, but if I was turning left he woulda been squished. Morons.

I'm just trying to work out how that works? Was he travelling at the same speed as you but between you and the pavement? Did he catch up to you or did you overtake him initially?

Finally you are always supposed to check your blind spot before initiating a turn... (which I assume you did having seen him)

Amp34 · 16 Sep 2011 at 14:17

qqg3 said:
Depends entirely on the road, if I know of an accident blackspot I'm going to be avoiding it.

Helmets? (As mentioned above), you are a complete idiot if you don't wear one, thats right, an idiot!
There are very few safety precautions to be taken for bikes but a helmet is a very simple solution. There is simply no excuse for not wearing a helment, you are an idiot if you want to bump your head and end up dumb or dead when something that costs barely nothing could save you everything.

TBH I'd wear one offroad but onroad you are probably more likely to be a bit of mush with a protected head... Ie on road in reality they are going to do little to protect you. If you cycle slowly on cycle tracks then fine I agree, they protect you from a fall, same with offroad, normally you crash by hitting a tree or falling off onto the ground. On a road you normally fall off after being hit by a big metal box doing 30+MPH... (Not that I'm saying don't wear one, just that they aren't as useful as people make out on the road).

Amp34 · 16 Sep 2011 at 14:25

bigjimmyauk said:
If anything i just wish motorists would give cyclists a bit more space when overtaking.

i see it all the time on the school run impatient drivers trying to squeeze by at the wrong time only to be faced with a bus coming the other way. Sadly most drivers always swerve, luckily most cyclists get away with it. being a cyclist and a driver i'm pretty patient.

On another perspective a lot of cyclists don't seem to indicate when overtaking parked cars or making right turns which can also make things pretty difficult for drivers

That's why I would change the learner driver rules if I was in a position of power. Force learners to cycle/use a low powered moped for a certain number of days/miles (keeping a logbook for example, like many other courses or even a odometer attached to their bike) before they can take their test. I reckon conscientiousness and cautiousness from car drivers would increase massively (both between car drivers and other road users), thus reducing road fatalities. I think years of cycling on the road have made me a more observant and considerate driver (although i am a carp driver anyway, which is why I prefer to stay out of cars...)

And don't get me started on motorists that don't indicate. ALWAYS indicate in towns, even if there is no other cars on the road... That person walking along the path beside you needs to know if they can cross the side road without you veering into it due to not signalling, the cyclist cycling near you need to know if you are going to cut him up... The other motorist you haven't seen because you are an inobservant **** needs to know if you are going to swing in front of him... (not saying all motorists are like this, just a significant minority seem to ignore indicating if they think there is no cars near them, ignoring the rest of the road and path users around them.)

Ahleckz · 16 Sep 2011 at 14:52

Amp34 said:
I'm just trying to work out how that works? Was he travelling at the same speed as you but between you and the pavement? Did he catch up to you or did you overtake him initially?

Finally you are always supposed to check your blind spot before initiating a turn... (which I assume you did having seen him)

I was at the lights waiting for the lights to go green (was a 4 way junction, I was going straight on, albeit there is a slight curve to the left). I was first at the junction. I was waiting for the lights to go green, when I did I set off (making sure no one was coming) halfway into the junction, this cyclist who I hadn't seen before appeared just in front of me to the left. He had obviously come up alongside me whilst I was stationary and stopped in my blindspot for some unknown reason.

I presume he felt it was safe because I wasn't indicating left, thankfully I always do (and indicate when coming off roundabouts - van man in proper indicator protocol shock!) so I hope he wouldn't have done what he did if my indicator was on.

platypus · 16 Sep 2011 at 14:57

Ahleckz said:
Had a idiotic cyclist sitting in my blindspot today (I drive a van). At least he had stopped at the red light, but if I was turning left he woulda been squished. Morons.

So a cyclist obeys the red light and he's a moron? Did you stop to think he might not have know where your blind spots are? Silly perhaps but a moron? Lets make another assumption: you're a van driver so you don't indicate, you have bad road manners, and you rage at every silly little thing.

Ahleckz · 16 Sep 2011 at 15:16

platypus said:
So a cyclist obeys the red light and he's a moron? Did you stop to think he might not have know where your blind spots are? Silly perhaps but a moron? Lets make another assumption: you're a van driver so you don't indicate, you have bad road manners, and you rage at every silly little thing.

Obeying the light is a good thing, what is moronic is to sit in a blind spot of a large vehicle.

It's quite daft to sit up against any vehicle, let alone one without any windows in the main part of it at a junction. I'm not persecuting cyclists, calm down, I'm just stating that the ones that do that are morons. Sheesh. As said above, I have good road manners.

Silly little thing? I'm sure if I turned, and ran over that idiot you wouldn't be seeing it as a silly little thing. Cyclists have every right to be on the road, but it's amazing how many of them put themselves in serious danger.

Uhtred · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:18

indeed - gaz545 on youtube talks a lot about positioning. I don't cycle but i find it interesting, he should have been further back or in front of the van otherwise there's a risk of a left hook, as i understand it

platypus · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:29

Difficult for someone to know where blindspots are though isn't it, especially if you've never driven a van?

woodpigeon4 · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:40

dmpoole said:
I was going to ask what that would be but I presume it would be this -

Location: Stoke
Try driving in london and then you might understand. :rolleyes:

Robbo · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:48

Dano said:
No, but I know exactly where you are coming from, far too many retarded drivers out there who give absolutely no room to cyclists.

There are too many retarded cyclists who hold up drivers all the time.

platypus · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:57

Robbo said:
There are too many retarded cyclists who hold up drivers all the time.

And there are too many retarded drivers that...hold up drivers and endanger others lives, etc etc.

Looks like its time for this thread to be closed.

Ahleckz · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:58

platypus said:
Difficult for someone to know where blindspots are though isn't it, especially if you've never driven a van?

It's surely quite obvious. You don't stop to the left of a large van.

Cosimo · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:59

Robbo said:
There are too many retarded cyclists who hold up drivers all the time.

There are too many retarded drivers and cyclists.

I forgot to add motorcyclists and pedestrians.....

platypus · 16 Sep 2011 at 16:59

One would hope its obvious, but it clearly isn't

.

Jonny ///M · 16 Sep 2011 at 21:04

At traffic lights I'll either be right infront of the cars/vans if there is a space for it and if not I'll sit to the left of the first car/van leaning on the railing if possible. I'll let the first car move off and pull away whilt looking back/filtering with the second car.

RDM · 16 Sep 2011 at 21:12

platypus said:
Difficult for someone to know where blindspots are though isn't it, especially if you've never driven a van?

If you cant see the driver in their mirror then they probably can't see you? That is pretty basic stuff surely? I know as a motorcyclist I am near paranoid about blindspots.