Why do we hate cycling in this country?

grudas said:
I can't genuinely believe you've managed to make this my fault haha, this is 200% the drivers fault, I was doing 25mph and he overtook me while speeding, ridiculously close and nearly wiped me out.
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When I wrote the original post that he quoted I didn't say it was yours or my fault but I know for fact it is a problem that many motorists don't know how fast some cyclists can go which causes them to do dangerous things.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
When I wrote the original post that he quoted I didn't say it was yours or my fault but I know for fact it is a problem that many motorists don't know how fast some cyclists can go which causes them to do dangerous things.
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well then, you shouldn't be on the road if you can't perform a safe overtake..
 
Talking of cycle lanes, our Stoke Council spent a fortune on these ones that are on my commute - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...aqhi7MvOrC_ZNyKjgvYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
The roundabout in front is the one I was on the other day where the motorist coming from the left braked hard and blamed me.
If you turn right 90 degrees you can see the West Midland Ambulance Service where 6 Paramedics and two Coppers witnessed me being knocked off my bike on the road further round.
It was 100% the motorists fault and I ended up with a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and wrote off bike.
I'm such a nice guy that because the motorist apologised (which is rare) and paid for a new bike I didn't want it to go further even though Coppers witnessed it and wanted to charge the driver.

ANYWAY, those cycle lanes are either side and are there for the whole of the road which is brilliant HOWEVER you need an MTB with double suspension to use them.
Everywhere there is a tree is a root that has picked up the lane making it a cycle breaker except for the hardiest of bikes.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Talking of cycle lanes, our Stoke Council spent a fortune on these ones that are on my commute - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...aqhi7MvOrC_ZNyKjgvYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
The roundabout in front is the one I was on the other day where the motorist coming from the left braked hard and blamed me.
If you turn right 90 degrees you can see the West Midland Ambulance Service where 6 Paramedics and two Coppers witnessed me being knocked off my bike on the road further round.
It was 100% the motorists fault and I ended up with a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and wrote off bike.
I'm such a nice guy that because the motorist apologised (which is rare) and paid for a new bike I didn't want it to go further even though Coppers witnessed it and wanted to charge the driver.

ANYWAY, those cycle lanes are either side and are there for the whole of the road which is brilliant HOWEVER you need an MTB with double suspension to use them.
Everywhere there is a tree is a root that has picked up the lane making it a cycle breaker except for the hardiest of bikes.
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What bike did you get?
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Talking of cycle lanes, our Stoke Council spent a fortune on these ones that are on my commute - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0...aqhi7MvOrC_ZNyKjgvYA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
The roundabout in front is the one I was on the other day where the motorist coming from the left braked hard and blamed me.
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Wow - I just love the way the cycle lane launches you straight into a roundabout! Classic bit of bad cycle lane design right there. And look at all the leaves in the cycle lane - I wouldn't use that lane during the Autumn for sure. And people seriously wonder why cyclists choose not to use cycle lanes?

It should be done like:-

http://thisoldcity.com/sites/default/files/images/netherlands_bike_lane_rbt.jpg

Where the cycle lanes have priority over the road - i.e. zebra crossings for bikes effectively. But Dutch drivers are trained to give way to cyclists - it'd take a while to get that mindset ingrained over here - as the driver in your comment demonstrates!
 
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Dis86 said:
Check your trust :)

Look up the towns Longhorseley, Longframlington, Stannington Station, Widdrington Station, Rothbury, Hartford Bridge. These are all towns near me - all one road in, one road out.
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Sorry, I thought you meant single lane as in only room for one car, not two single lanes.

So are these examples of the roads you meant? this or this. If a motorist can't overtake a cyclist on those roads, maybe they shouldn't be a motorist?
 
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[TW]Fox;29303290 said:
His choice of words were poor thats all, he means single carriageway roads of which both of those are good examples.
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Yeah - I've since clarified my post above.
 
The B6341 is a particularly good example as it's barely wide enough to get 2 cars past and is often used by coaches (visiting Cragside) and tractors.
 
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Nearly left hooked by three separate drivers out riding today. The second one particularly was out of nowhere, I would have been on the deck before I even knew what hit me. Impatience seems to be the root cause of most near miss incidents. Drivers would sooner get to the lights or a junction 3 seconds quicker at the expense of injuring another person (or worse) which is tragic.

IMO if you're driving in the country on a sunny weekend afternoon then you should expect to get briefly stuck behind horses, bikes or otherwise and take it upon yourself to pass them safely and considerately. Most drivers seem to manage this but a few entitled idiots spoil it for the rest.
 
I went for a spin round the lakes today and got held up for around half a mile behind a few cars and a police van who in turn were being held up behind 2 cyclists.

I was absolutely fuming... wait on, no I wasn't , it didn't bother me at all because I'm grown up, patient and I understand that the road isn't there for my sole usage
 
Until we get a government brave enough to do what Holland started 40 years ago these conversations will just go on and on. Having said that my personal experience doesn't reflect the anger in this thread.

Personally I drive, motorcycle and cycle and don't really have any issues. I commute Harrogate to Leeds (15 miles) and use all three methods depending on the weather and if I've got meetings. It takes me exactly one hour in the car or when cycling, and 35 minutes on the motorbike (all door to door). In the 3 years I've been doing it I've probably experienced 'road rage' 2 or 3 times from cars. Generally I find most drivers are courteous and give me enough room (I'm not the sort of cyclist that goes into a rage if someone comes a few feet from me!). Similarly when I'm driving I don't find myself held up by cyclists.

Motorbikes are the best form of commuting though. Fast, economical, free parking and can filter so avoids congestion.
 
amigafan2003 said:
And look at all the leaves in the cycle lane - I would use that lane during the Autumn for sure. And people seriously wonder why cyclists choose not to use cycle lanes?
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It might have been earlier this year but I kid you not, you could not see the surface on the whole of both cycle lanes for about 6" of leaves which means you can't see the glass.
Also during my commute the cycle lanes are usually full of pedestrians because the pavement is even worse to walk on.
 
One More Solo said:
IMO if you're driving in the country on a sunny weekend afternoon then you should expect to get briefly stuck behind horses, bikes or otherwise and take it upon yourself to pass them safely and considerately. Most drivers seem to manage this but a few entitled idiots spoil it for the rest.
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Unlike Cyclists I have never been held up behind somebody on Horse back for more than a few seconds,

Indeed I only rarely see more than two or three drivers queueing to get past a horse, despite the fact that, on the face of it, horses should be rather more difficult to pass.

And I have never, ever been stuck in a queue of 20 or more vehicles grinding along at 6MPH behind somebody on horseback trotting resolutely up a hill right in the middle of the road.

Despite the fact that both Cyclists and Horse riders have a "Right" to use the roads (Drivers only have a license to do so) and therefore have a "Right" to delay and inconvenience other people, it is only Cyclists who seem to be intent on exploiting and abusing that right to the fullest extent allowable in Law.

Horse riders are far more considerate and will go to a great deal of effort to cause no more delay than is absolutely unavoidable. As such the amount of delay they case is typically minimal.

Were Cyclists to behave more like Horse riders we really wouldn't have a problem!
 
Orionaut said:
and therefore have a "Right" to delay and inconvenience other people, it is only Cyclists who seem to be intent on exploiting and abusing that right to the fullest extent allowable in Law.

Horse riders are far more considerate and will go to a great deal of effort to cause no more delay than is absolutely unavoidable. As such the amount of delay they case is typically minimal.

Were Cyclists to behave more like Horse riders we really wouldn't have a problem!
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Well said.

A few days ago I was coming down a lane and got caught up with 3 other cars behind 2 horse riders, who at the first opportunity pulled into a side space and allowed us all past before carrying on their way.
 
Orionaut said:
Unlike Cyclists I have never been held up behind somebody on Horse back for more than a few seconds,

Indeed I only rarely see more than two or three drivers queueing to get past a horse, despite the fact that, on the face of it, horses should be rather more difficult to pass.

And I have never, ever been stuck in a queue of 20 or more vehicles grinding along at 6MPH behind somebody on horseback trotting resolutely up a hill right in the middle of the road.

Despite the fact that both Cyclists and Horse riders have a "Right" to use the roads (Drivers only have a license to do so) and therefore have a "Right" to delay and inconvenience other people, it is only Cyclists who seem to be intent on exploiting and abusing that right to the fullest extent allowable in Law.

Horse riders are far more considerate and will go to a great deal of effort to cause no more delay than is absolutely unavoidable. As such the amount of delay they case is typically minimal.

Were Cyclists to behave more like Horse riders we really wouldn't have a problem!
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Absolute nonsense. Again. The impatient attitude of the majority of the drivers posting in this thread is worrying.
 
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