JonMc

iTrader: (51)

But beware the blue rinsers who drive at you when you come around a roundabout as happened to me this morning

Still I'm always on the road when I cycle, albeit not lycra clad

r32

I cycle a lot, I stop at red lights, and dont generally ride on pavements. However there is one local A road which is very busy, narrow, used by huge trucks and has a 50 limit which people ignore. Its out in the country, has no houses on it. The pavement at the side is seldom used by by pedestrians. I use this road no end, it tends to be my way out. I used to ride on the road but since I was inches away from being crushed by an inconsiderate artic driver I ride on the path.

Actually when you consider that the law regarding riding on the pavement was made when there werent any cars etc it made sense. As a bike and the 'traffic' (horses and horse and carts) had similar speeds. However when you look at speed differentials today and the fact that a cyclist is oh so vulnerable bikes ought to be on the path. Bikes are closer to pedestrians in speed and vulnerablity that they are to buses trucks and cars.

So let bikes on pavements I say. Or do as they do on the continent provide cycle paths.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

I prefer this option as pedestrians will often not move out of the way for bikes, the only problem then is all of the Chelsea tractors round here see the cycle lanes as convenient parking

CAT2

iTrader: (3)

Cheers for the clarifiacation.

Peanuts

iTrader: (15)

This is no different a view than those who move near a racetrack and then want to close it down afterwards.
The law was in place before you became a cyclist so either adhere to it or change your preffered mode of transportation....

scooby L

Some old fart faced off my Mrs the other day...Old fart in her mobility chariot... Mrs in our 2.7 tonne Disco 3.

She was driving it up the road (on the wrong side), up a hill that had a blind crest, my wife came over the brow and met her, she slowed down, then stopped (traffic coming the other way) but said old fart carried on coming... till eventually she squeezed through the gap between the wing mirror and the kerb... never slowed... head down... My wife was dumbfounded...

Leslie

I have to say that I don't agree with what you say. Bikes have a lesser speed differential with cars in a town than with pedestrians. I really think it is more of a worry for pedestrians with cyclists on the footpath, especially those who are disabled or not too agile anyway. However responsible most cyclists may be, you will always get the ones who wiil ride too fast and bully pedestrians out of the way regardless. Pedestrians xcan find that quite alarming if not dangerous at times.

I agree that the best thing is for all to be separated where possible with footpaths, cycle ways, and the road for cars. I can also well imagine a selfish driver similarly attacking cyclists.

If an elderly pedestrian is hit by a cyclist it can be very painful and can easily break bones in an older person who might not even recover from such a disaster.

Les

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I think in the circumstances, riding on a little used pavement alongside a Dual Carriageway/A road is a sensible option, if visibility is good and the cyclist yields to the pedestrians I think it is acceptable, i would rather than than hear of someone dying because they were hit by truck.

It just applying common sense, its not as black and white as some see it, I know what the law says but to be honest, self preservation and common sense come into it, I cant see any copper stopping a cyclist on an out of town A road because they are on a footpath, if they are weaving in and out of pedestrians at high speed and are the only thing on there that is better than mixing it with A road traffic, a cyclist is proportiantely smaller and slower than a car in town, take that onto an A road and the speed of the cars increase but the cyclists speed stays the same, their speed and size versus pedestrians stays the same whatever.


I can understand the viewpoint that you have to accept that if you cycle but I think with a bit of brain power employed everyone can get on with where they are going, I use a path alongside an A road and have never really seen anyone walking on it, it goes through the airport tunnels at Manchester, however the fact that it has lines painted on it and bike symbols means its ok for me to use, I think the example given was a similar situation, just without the lines, I used it anybody had got round to painting the lines as the tunnels are lethal on a bike. Ok these arent motorways but the speeds are the same, the airport tunnels regularly see people doing 100 mph, I generally avoid "Death on Stick" routes, like for example the Chester road and divert across country and use side roads, but sometimes you have to go on these types of roads, this is when a jib onto the footpath might be prudent, nobody on it apart from the odd Alfa Driver waiting for the AA.

I am only applying the above logic to situations where for a short time it is safer for all concerned for a cyclist to use a footpath, not in urban areas where there are loads of people about and for most proper cyclists, they are on the road 99.9 percent of the time, I cant vouch for unlit teenagers on BMX's with no brakes or drunken pillocks at 11:30.

To be honest the pavement isnt an option most of the time anyway, it would be a nigthmare in town, all those driveways, pedestrians, side roads to cross, kerbs, dog ****, glass, more trouble than its worth

Leslie

I certainly would feel very vulnerable cycling on a dual carriageway with the speeds one sees with some cars let alone not exceeding the 70 mph limit. As J4CKO says, if there is no pedestrian traffic on those paths then I think the best solution to keep pedestrians off them and make them cyclepaths since there is presumably nothing worthwhile for them to walk to anyway. just like on a motorway.

There should certainly be a safe method to separate cyclists from cars on that type of road anyway.

I also think that cyclists and pedestrians should be kept separated.

Les

davyboy

I cycle on a dual carriage way as part of our local clubs 10 & 25 mile TT.

Cars do pass fast, but they also have the space to give me a lot of room as there is another lane to use. It's also very straight so they have a lot of warning I am there.

Lorries are best as they drag me along nicely at another 1mph

I'd not go out for a training ride on a DC - but it's not as unsafe as you might think. Being buzzed by an idiot motorist on a country lane happenes everytime I go out.

Marquis of Carrabas

Gagged for telling the truth!

davyboy

I still got to read it before it vanished

Marquis of Carrabas

This is censure I'll have you know. I was only saying what the vast majority of the Great British public thinks. You get away with recommending slipstreaming of lorries yet I am gagged for speaking the brutal truth. I might as well go back in to exile if my very valid concerns aren't taken seriously!

davyboy

When lorries go past me at speed they tend to drag you along for a while making it slightly easier to peddle for a while. I never mentioned slipstreaming, this was an assumtion you made. I'm not quite sure how fast you think someone can go on a Time trial, but even down hill I would not exceed 46 mph.

There were also a number of other inaccuracies that I can recall.

You assumed that cyclist are not insured....many are.

You don't pay car tax either.

Lorries can not brake faster than a 9kg bike with a 90kg rider.

Marquis of Carrabas

Davyboy is old age getting to you or something? The 'dragging along' is infact slipstreaming no matter how long the duration. Many cyclists insure you say, any stats to back this up? What percentage of total bikes on PUBLIC roads? Are YOU insured? What do you mean I don't pay car tax either?
Finally if you're ninety kilogrammes to put it bluntly you should pedal faster.

unclebuck

lol @ Alan

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

See me, I am 100 (possibly more) kilos of pure untaxed, uninsured, podgy, self propelled, unrepentant, self righteous, aging (40 in November) lycra clad bullet, Lorries slipstream me, I leave a wake vortex that light aircraft have to avoid.

The little aerodynamic advantage conferred by a passing HGV, though welcome (and quite warm in winter) is not really optional, you cannot pick and choose whether to enter the low pressure air left in the wake of something with Stobart on the front, its just physics.

Anyway, you missed the obvious one, Davyboy isnt Peddaling his bike, he said it makes it easier to "peddle for a while", so he stops at the side of the road and sets up a trestle table and sells nefrarious items to passers by like Replica Watches, lucky Heather and Dodgy Sky Cards in the manner of Private Walker from Dads army or Flash Harry from the St Trinians Films whilst hidden by the passing Lorry.

richieh

As much as it pains me I have to 'sort of' agree with divvyboy-the slipstream on an artic will extend about 6 or 7 foot either side of it and about 20 or 30 feet behind it therefore if it passes you on a pushbike( or hideously underpowered/overweight car or van it does give you a few mile an hour boost as you are momentarily in an area of low air pressure)
cheers richie

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Marquis of Carrabas

Davyboy peddles a lot stuff, virtually all of it bullsh!t.