What do you guys think of number plates for cyclists
- Thread starter chaparral
- Start date
Man of Honour
EXACTLY (it's a dig at those who use the myth of Road Tax)
Man of Honour
As mentioned earlier and I wish I didn't have to do it but after many close incidents with idiots there are a couple of pavements I mount for around 50 yards each, if I didn't I'd probably be maimed by now. Of course I always slow right down.
Funnily enough around 3 years ago I was going up one of the pavements when a cop car stopped on the other side and asked why I was on the pavement.
I said "Tell you what, let's swap and see how long it is before you have to get out of the way of these idiots coming up here"
"Fair enough, be careful".
Imagine more cars parked on the right and many cars flying up the bank behind me, I'm actually doing what a lot of motorists are wanting me to do on here - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9...lYeU5wiYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en&authuser=0
I don't understand the picture relevevance ? wrong picture - suburban estate road
but am intrigued to see a picture of somewhere you cycle on pavement ... why wouldn't you dismount ?
Man of Honour
Why should I dismount when it is my right to cycle up that road, I pay for it?
The only problem is I get cars tailgating just off my back wheel so it's easier just to jump up the pavement and ride a bit quicker than walking and get out of of the way of idiots.
I'm at a height where I can see if any homeowners are coming out of the drive and in six years it's never caused a problem.
I really wish I didn't have to do it but cars own the road.
Soldato
So how do we feel about cyclists who stay on the road when there's a shared cycle path/footpath? Doesn't bother me personally but it winds one of my colleagues up chronically.
Meadrow
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fiwqn
Meadrow
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fiwqn
This may end up happening sometime in the future when driverless cars/buses etc take over
I use all the cycle paths available to me (75% of the journey), but it does turn a 12 -15 minutes ride in to a 22-30 minute ride.
But I don't get run over, so I take the time hit. 
Having to stop or slow down at every junction is a problem when there are a lot of them so I can see why some people would rather stay on the road.
My road parts are pretty much side streets and one fast down hill section where I can hit the speed limit if there aren't cars slowing me down.
I do have a small section of pavement riding, but I give pedestrians right of way every time. Since I've done more pedestrianing than most people in the UK, I know not to be a dick.
Simply put cars delay me way more than I delay cars.
Of course, this will really take highway travel back to the speeds of the pre-industrial age.
By definition, no AI car will be programmed to take "Unnecessary risks" which , of course, will mean than no AI car/vehicle will ever attempt to overtake a cyclist.
(In all seriousness, How does Tesla auto-drive (or whatever) cope with passing slow vehicles. Can/does it even have the ability to do so?)
Soldato
I use all the cycle paths available to me (75% of the journey), but it does turn a 12 -15 minutes ride in to a 22-30 minute ride.
Having to stop or slow down at every junction is a problem when there are a lot of them so I can see why some people would rather stay on the road.
I used to work in a massive warehouse/office space district. There's one main trunk road through the centre and DfT & councils built cycle paths in for it's entire length & shared paths on the branch roads, segregated by a 12ft verge with bushes as a sort of pollution barrier. These paths also got their own lighting, separate from the carriageway. However cyclists still choose to use the main road & kick off at the council because "there are too many large vehicles/HGVs using it and putting them in danger". They also claim they don't use the paths because they "have to slow down and give way if there's other traffic each time there's a side road". Each side road is fed from a roundabout so they have to do that anyway.
I know all cyclists are bad but the good ones seem to be the exception rather than the rule and it's ALWAYS the bad ones that put themselves at risk when there's a safe alternative & then scream they're being put in danger by others.
The whole 1.5m distance thing is another prime example. Whilst I always give cyclists room, where's the consideration for their own safety when they're squeezing through gaps an inch wider than they are in slow moving traffic, passing on the left of large vehicles in tight confines etc.
I may take some flak for this but IMO if a cycle path/lane exists then it should be mandatory for cyclists to use them.
Soldato
High way code for cyclist is only one page in size.
It states "Do whatever you want on the road or pavements"
It states "Do whatever you want on the road or pavements"
Man of Honour
I can't be bothered replying because you have zero idea .............
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Soldato
There's a whole world of difference between a cyclist (weighing typically ~50-125Kg for them and their bike) tentatively passing slow moving/ stopped vehicles within a few inches (typically at ~5-20mph), compared to a motor vehicle (typically weighing ~1500Kg+) typically travelling at ~20-80mph overtaking a cyclist within 1.5 metres.
If the cyclist makes contact with the slow vehicles, the result will rarely be worse than scratches to the car/bike/cyclist.
If the speeding car catches the cyclist while overtaking, the result will rarely be less life-threatening than broken bones for the cyclist and a damaged bike.
Soldato
If you cycle faster than 18mph, you are advised not to use shared paths for the safety of pedestrians
- Joined
- 30 Jul 2006
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Does your "colleague" have one foot in the grave, does he say "I do not believe it!" a lot?
Associate
How can you not see from that picture how sexygreyfox is trying to help keep the flow of traffic on the road moving at the allowed limit by using the pavement? Yes the law does state he should dismount however he's doing his best to try and please everyone here, a bit like a lot of cyclist commuters are. We just don't seem to be able to please everyone. To save from having to legally dismount sexygreyfox just has to stay on the road but when there are parked cars all down one side the cars behind him will just have to cruise along at his cycle speed. He's just trying to not be selfish but with an attitude like yours jpaul you'd be driving him to be selfish and stay on the road and slow motorised traffic. What would you prefer?
Common sense can no longer prevail in this country......
Soldato
The difference is who has control of the situation. In the main a close pass doesn’t bother me that much dependant on the speed differential. If a close pass is slow relative to me then it isn’t too much of a problem. The main problem that arises with close passes is that it takes any control of avoiding potholes out of your hands completely as you have very little room to manoeuvre. My wife has has a kinked wheel and a bent lower arm on her VW Polo from hitting a pothole, imagine what it would be like for a bicycle on the same pothole with flimsy wheels, let alone the possibility of being thrown off the bike.
If a large vehicle close passes you at speed, not only do you not hear it coming more often than not, dependant on the size of the vehicle, as I’m sure you are aware there can be a strong wind/vacuum generated by the vehicle which buffets you as it passes and makes you jump out of your skin. Contrast that with filtering along slow moving/stopped traffic, you can see the situations aren’t really comparable.