davyboy

For the hard of reading I said this earlier:

I ride with a mate once a week. I'd say the time we spend riding side by side is minimal....we cover ground far better by riding in each others wheels.

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

Riding 2 abreast (on a suitable road) IS much safer in my experience, as said earlier, drivers tend to give more room. If I`m cycling 2 abreast on a country road / quiet lane, I`ll always go back to single file if traffic approaches from behind. Also cyclists who travel 3 or 4 abreast going up hills (Horseshoe Pass in Llangollen for example) ask for trouble by holding traffic up IMO!!!

As a cyclist it makes my blood boil when I`m waiting at a red light and some retard cycles straight through, giving law abiding cyclists a bad name and getting us all tarred with the same brush! . Insurance can be obtained by joining the CTC btw (about £30 a year).

As for motorbikes, don`t get me started on those ***** !

trails

iTrader: (41)

Hello, that would be me then...same as crossing the road on foot on a red imho; as long as it's clear you make the crossing. Nowt retarded about that, common sense really unless you want to spend your life waiting.

SiPie

So why don't you just do the same in your car then?

trails

iTrader: (41)

two reasons; it's illegal and it's dangerous.

why the roll eyes, are you saying you have never crossed the road on when a red light is displayed?

Leslie

Your inference is not lost on me of course, so clever of you to try to make capital out of it. The world changes in step with what they call progress and the amount of extra traffic as time goes by is readily apparent. Just means of course that we must all try to be as unselfish as possible in the way we use the roads. I know you will agree of course!

My father used to say that in earlier times you could fall off your motor 'bike, pick yourself and the 'bike up, check the 'bike for damage first, (important), yourself for any injuries, and wheel it to the side of the road before any other traffic appeared. The gravel rash soon got better! If there was anyone around they would be quick to help you if you needed it.

Cyclists were very law abiding too, they obeyed all the rules of the road, did not jump the lights, ride the wrong way along one way roads, and would never ride on the pavement. All road users used to make things as easy as possible for others on the roads.

It was known as "good manners"

Les

SiPie

Try my very best not to, pet hate of mine. Plus the Edinburgh police are actively targeting and charging cyclists that run red lights.

Not before time too....

And just before you accuse me of buying apples for the teacher or whatever, I've probably broken as many laws as most people and probably more.

Just don't happen to jump red lights. Easy really

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

and it's not when riding a bike?????

trails

iTrader: (41)

the question was about my behaviour whilst driving a car...when riding a bike your focus is on safety not legality...exactly the same as on foot.

scooby L

and Kieran's point was you implied it was ok to run a red light on a bike...which it is not... legal or not... safely or not... using that argument we can all "run red lights" if we think it's "safe to" (in fact why not just switch them off and save electricity then )

davyboy

Les, what ARE you talking about.....? I'll try and respond to your wittering the best I can, but maybe it's time for your afternoon nap?

I am selfish with my safety.

I do obey the rules of the road.

....and I do try and make it easy for other road users, such as moving back to single file on narrow roads/busy roads or if people are trying to pass with oncoming vehicles. But I will continue to ride 2 abreast when a car can safely overtake, even if that means lifting off the accelerator for a second or 2.....or maybe they have to just touch the brakes, but I'd hate absolutely to have anyones journey delayed because of my selfishness.

trails

iTrader: (41)

I disagree; the consequenses of running a red light in a car are far more likely to serious than on a push bike hence my analogy to walking across a road on a red signal.

Switching traffic lights off is a silly suggestion though...you have to have something to keep those bl00dy motorists in line

SJ_Skyline

I'm really having difficulty in understanding how running a red light can been viewed as "safe"

scooby L

me too

why is it safe for a push bike but not a motorbike/car/bus/lorry?

We all have the same ears and eyes to deem it's safeness

why?

So the image of you bouncing off the bonnet of some poor unsuspecting motorist is less serious because you'd cause less damage tothe car?... what if they swerve to avoid you and wipe out a group of kids at a bus stop.... still not as serious?

trails

iTrader: (41)

it's about the consequences of your action on others...back to the crossing the road analogy. Surely that's not that difficult to grasp?

scooby L

obviously it is

I'm not sure the "Crossing the road" analogy works to be honest.

Traffic lights are put on junctions where the highways dept has deemed it unsafe to just get away with a normal "give way"... It's a junction with forced priorities, and the people using that junction are not expecting someone to ignore that priority by treating it as a normal give way junction. Far more dangerous than just crossing the road

Leslie

What did you expect us to think when you post something like the above.

I do understand that it is a worry when you get passed too closely, it takes allsorts on the roads and that is a dangerous action of course. it has happened to me often enough.

You gave the impression that you would purposely ride two abreast just for the hell of it and to block car drivers because you were allowed to. I think it is wrong and foolish to deliberately obstruct a narrow country road.

I am sure we all would also criticise an idiot driver who squeezes you as he passes.

Being ageist does not help your argument by the way.

Les

trails

iTrader: (41)

missed your edit

back to crossing the road on foot during red light...you pays your money and makes your choice, if it's clear you cross if it's not you wait until it is; exactly the same on a push bike...unless you wish to be come a Darwin Award contender

trails

iTrader: (41)

All this editing is confusing my poor old feeble brain, be grateful if you could quit it

not disputing the reason for traffic light placement or the hazard ignoring their signal patterns creates but it still doesn't debunk the crossing the road on foot analogy; the busier the carriageway the more care you will take whilst traversing it and the greater the chance you will wait for the green light...same logic applies to pedestrians and cyclists

davyboy

Les, only 3 drivers were visibly annoyed on Sunday - quite why I have no idea, some just don't like driving on the other side of the road to overtake a cyclist.

Next Sunday will be interesting though. Signs will be out to warn road users of a cycle event....so if you are in and around the following area....then you might come across 500 lycra clad cyclist.

There is also a similar event taking place a bit further south.....that a certain Mark Webber is participating in.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...26468541259399

hodgy0_2

it is the cyclists who insist on towing caravans that really get my goat

Leslie

Thats very good. They always used to ensure that a large number of cyclists in such an event used to have some kind of clearance on the roads organised for them. As a driver you had plenty of warning of them ahead which is a good thing with the possible speed differential. The cyclists used to have a bit of the road reserved for their use which was much safer. Good to see that there will be warning signs out. Hope you don't clash with GP traffic.

Good luck on the ride. I think it is reasonable to expect drivers to show a bit of patience on an organised ride where there is obviously no deliberate attempt at obstruction.

Les

Leslie

I have seen them towing trailers!

Les

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I got overtaken by a Smart Car on an A road today, trouble is some **** in a Civic Type R was overtaking him at the same time, the oncoming traffic wasnt best impressed, quite the most cretinous maneuver I have seen in some time, I was the one without airbags.

This morning a Transit tipper decide to pull across a roundabout (apparently giving way to traffic from the right doesnt apply to cyclists), I had to lose 20 mph very quickly, tosser was drinking a brew at the time !

So, on balance, cyclist have to put up with a lot of **** !

ScoTTyB

When nothing is coming, hence making the whole reason the traffic light is there pointless at that moment

Then providing your visibility can account for anything coming in the time it takes to cross the road (a few seconds) I would deem that safe. Wouldn't you?

SiPie

So why not just do the same in a car then?

trails

iTrader: (41)

see my previous post

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

and still illegal

trails

iTrader: (41)

and you never break any of the UK's laws?

SiPie

Are all the so called cyclists that go through red lights on here SO thick that they can't see the bigger picture here?

Mr pedestrian or motorist sees **** cyclist going through red light (safely or not) and he tuts to himself in his metal box, this act alone of going through the red light then further tarnishes the name of the 'decent' cyclist and the decent cyclist will then get the wrath of mr metal box when he next feels stressed or feels he has been held up by one millisecond as he tries to drive home one night.

If you can't see that or it doesn't bother you, then why not just take the car as you are doing very little to help other cyclists that actually give a toss about how we are perceived on the roads.