Vocal Voices

It seems to be very popular these days! Tour De France, politicians gushing about how wonderful cycling is, doctors extolling it's health benefits etc.

But - it's dangerous. Offroad on cycling trails, it's great fun. But on the road, it isn't.

So the more and more that people are encouraged to get on their bikes, the more people are going to be killed and injured.

So the more motorists are going to get the blame for this. Which in general I think is very unfair.

Totally agree with you Cromwell.

On Saturday I was driving in Devon on a very narrow and bendy road. I came across a crawling tailback and assumed it was a caravan or lorry. I couldn't believe what I saw when I got further up the queue…………about thirty lycra clad cyclists pedalling full pelt along the road. This road is incredibly narrow in places and cars have to pull over, there are not even passing places so lots of reversing goes on, if something is coming the other way. The problem was that they were all bunched up so cars had to sit behind them until there was a straight long enough to get past all of them in one go. Had the cyclists had any sense they would have pedalled along in groups so that cars could pass a few of them at a time and pull in when something was coming the other way but I suppose that was a no no as they appeared to be racing each other. They caused total havoc and could so easily have been badly injured as some drivers were losing patience and passing when they shouldn't have.

Coming back from Devon I came round one of these narrow bends to be confronted with two cyclists riding abreast of each other!!! Because the road was so narrow I was driving pretty slowly but some people drive fast on that road and they could easily have flown round that bend and hit them.

I am seriously thinking of getting a dashcam because of the incredibly stupid cyclists I come across.

The problem we have here is cyclists riding on the footpath.

When dog-walking this can be very dangerous when a cyclist comes up behind you, and I've had
one or two near-misses. It wouldn't be so bad if they had, and used, a cycle bell, but these seem
to have gone out of fashion. Apparently new cycles have to have a bell on them, but they can be
taken off, because some smart-arsed lawyer said the an 'audible warning of approach' could be a
human voice. But they don't shout either. It's surprising, too, how many cyclists think that Rules
of the Road and traffic lights, etc., don't apply to them. Another example of the inefficiency of
our police force. Have you ever heard of a cyclist being taken to Court for such offences?

Rant over!

Aggers wrote:Have you ever heard of a cyclist being taken to Court for such offences?

I guess you missed this one then. I saw this on TV a while ago. It’s mainly cycle police who are handing out the tickets.

It is still illegal for people to cycle on the pavements. If it is happening a lot and a nuisance, then you should complain to the council.

I don’t know what people believe nowadays, but children should be put through cycling proficiency and they should be taught how to ride on the road. Honestly it’s much safer. I see these roundabouts where cyclists are supposed to get on the pavement and cross like a pedestrian. For a cyclist it’s insane, they are much safer moving than constantly stopping.

As a long time cyclist who also owns a motorcycle license (riding in Brussels is “interesting”), plus car and, at one time, HGV, I’m well aware of the dangers of riding with traffic. I’ve noticed the increase in trucks, especially Artics, which have signs on them saying “If you can’t see me in my mirrors then I can’t see you”. Many cyclists are killed every year because they come alongside a truck which is indicating to turn and have no idea of how the back of the truck is going to move. Until the wheels bite that is….

As for the cycling groups? I must admit I admire them the effort but they should also be aware of the traffic around them and not obstruct the road any more than need be. Although with the idiots on the road we have today, I well understand why they force the cars into the outside lane.

Car drivers are also the worst. When in town, faced by a group of cyclists doing 30mph (which many of these racing cyclists can easily reach), they hoot and get annoyed. Even when to overtake them is speeding. Or when on the open road they go flying past hardly moving out at all. Never giving one second’s though to slipstream or what it will do to the cyclist. One of my sons was, quite literally, picked up off the road with his bike and thrown into the verge because of a truck passing too close to him when there was a headwind.

Personally I’d like to see a million more cyclists in London. But more than that I’d like to see trained, aware and sensible cyclists…

Fully agree with the last bit Suff. Both drivers and bikers should be fully aware and tolerant of each other. I think cyclists should be allowed to ride on uncrowded footpaths particularly children where road conditions are bad. Better to have a few people step aside than risk a young life struggling in the gutter with drain gratings and other hazards. No Tour stuff though

Just to be clear, I'm not anti-cyclist. An idiot is an idiot whether he's on a pushbike or driving a car; their are selfish, entitled cyclists and drivers both.

But if people are to be encouraged to get on their bikes then as a country we need to spend some serious money separating motorised traffic from cyclists. In Holland they've been doing it for more than forty years. Some of their cities have cyclist only bridges, for example.

We, on the other hand, paint a white line in the road a yard out from the kerb and say "There you are, job done!".

I think as a country we have a problem in that a bigger population = more cars = more air pollution and roads wearing out quicker. But just encouraging people to buy a bike to help with these problems and leaving it at that, and just blaming motorists as a default position, is quite wrong.

Molly, buying a camera for the car is certainly an idea. Abroad if there is an accident between a car and a cyclist, the car driver is automatically held to be at fault unless he or she can prove otherwise; cycle groups are pressing for this law to be introduced in this country too.

molly wrote:
I am seriously thinking of getting a dashcam because of the incredibly stupid cyclists I come across.

Will you use it to record incredibly stupid drivers too?

I am seriously thinking of getting a dashcam because of the incredibly stupid cyclists I come across.[/quote]
Molly,
I bought one last year. It has been worth the expense.
Can let you have the details if you want.

JoM wrote:

molly wrote:
I am seriously thinking of getting a dashcam because of the incredibly stupid cyclists I come across.

Will you use it to record incredibly stupid drivers too?

Of course!!

I agree with everything Suff said, but I must say that I have never heard of any cyclist
being prosecuted in the area why I live. It seems that different areas have different
policies in this matter. I remember that at one time it was common knowledge that
motoring speed limits were more strictly monitored in North Wales, and, consequently
motorists were more careful there.

I certainly agree that more cycling lanes would be a sensible thing.