Daft cyclists - Cyclist

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 13:20
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - oldroverboy.

Was driving from the A3 along Bushey rd (A298) and up to Morden, where there is a cycle path alongside the road for a good stretch, and a "gentleman" on a bike with very small wheels was wobbling along in lane 1 of the road when he would have been a lot safer in the sperated cycle lane.

No comment!

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 13:34
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - SlidingPillar

No idea if any of this applies, but locally, some cycle paths are fed by a ramped entry from a road - potentially lethal on a trike as it tilts you. Can be uncomfortable on two wheels too.

The other point is many cycle paths are more than not swept, they get the rubbish from the road flung into it too. So if you use them, the puncture fairy is likely to come visiting.

Some cycle paths are sensible provisions, others are just a way for the local authority to say they've provided Xkm of cycle paths in their area - but few cyclists would ever use them.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 15:01
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Brit_in_Germany

Looking at Google, though, there is no road sign marking the start of the cycle lane and only small innocuous bollards along it length which could be taken as an indication that the lane is a cycle lane. Perhaps the gentleman wanted to make a right turn shortly after you passed him?

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 15:39
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - RT

Surely cyclists should be banned from the main highway WHERE there's a specific cycle lane provision available?

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 16:41
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Collos25

If you read the previous posts you will have undertood that this paticular cycle lane is not marked and in another post you will read what most cyclist know already that most cycle lanes are more dangerous than the roads they run beside.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 17:07
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - RT

this paticular cycle lane is not marked .

I didn't see that, nor can I now - but if it's not marked as a cycle lane, it isn't a cycle lane!

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 18:17
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - oldroverboy.

this paticular cycle lane is not marked .

I didn't see that, nor can I now - but if it's not marked as a cycle lane, it isn't a cycle lane!

Driving along, slowly, because we had to... there are clear signs that it is a cycle path. I have to drive this stretch of road, although i would far rather not, and my eyes do not deceive me.

It is the bit going ne on the left hand side of the road after the Grand drive turning past a few used car dealerships. but maybe the "gentleman" had a few at lunchtime, we certainly all gave him a wide berth.

If someone chooses not to use a perfectly clear cycle path,that is their "privilege" and it was clear with no evidence of rubbish, that is fine by me, but to wobble up the road like that is asking for trouble.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 18:14
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Bromptonaut

Surely cyclists should be banned from the main highway WHERE there's a specific cycle lane provision available?

Why?

While there are a few examples of good provision an awful lot of them are utter pants to ride on and in many cases more dangerous than the road.

Semse of DejaVu about this thread although actually I thought it was going to be about the Clarkson twitt storm/spat with Jeremy Vine.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/13/jeremy-clarkson-cyclists-taking-the-lane

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 19:45
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - RT

Surely cyclists should be banned from the main highway WHERE there's a specific cycle lane provision available?

Why?

While there are a few examples of good provision an awful lot of them are utter pants to ride on and in many cases more dangerous than the road.

Semse of DejaVu about this thread although actually I thought it was going to be about the Clarkson twitt storm/spat with Jeremy Vine.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/13/jeremy-clarkson-cyclists-taking-the-lane

There's no justification fo any road users having a choice of a dedicated provision or a shared provision - that' just sheer waste of money.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 20:02
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Chrome

Surely cyclists should be banned from the main highway WHERE there's a specific cycle lane provision available?

Why?

While there are a few examples of good provision an awful lot of them are utter pants to ride on and in many cases more dangerous than the road.

Semse of DejaVu about this thread although actually I thought it was going to be about the Clarkson twitt storm/spat with Jeremy Vine.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/13/jeremy-clarkson-cyclists-taking-the-lane

Agreed. Regular cyclists often find cyclepaths frustrating to ride on because they are designed for low cycle speeds (try riding at 20mph on a cyclepath!) and appear to have been designed by people who clearly have no idea about cycling. These paths delight in increasing 'crossing movements' where the path meets other roads/driveways and the cyclist has to give way at these points. Crossing at these points can be dangerous as motorists are not especially looking out / or indeed slowing for cyclists at places which are not really road junctions.

John Franklin states all this in his 2007 book 'Cyclecraft'. Interestingly he reckons that using cyclepaths is more tiring than riding on the road. From experience I reckon he is correct. He states: "...each time having to slow down or stop at a road crossing is the equivalent , in energy terms, to riding 100 metres further". Good training then but when you are on the way to work trying to be efficient, not so great.

Give me roads (gritted and swept clean by 4-wheeled vehicles) over cyclepaths anyday.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 22:02
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Sofa Spud

If I'm on a bike I always use a cycle path or lane if it's provided, but that cyclist had every right to ride on the highway unless cycling was specifically prohibited.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 13/01/2014 at 22:06

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 22:28
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - galileo

Our anti car local authority has provided numerous lengths of 'cycle lane', all nicely marked out (and in conjunction with central hatchings and islands, reducing former 4 lane A roads to one lane each way, resulting in all-day congestion).

The problem is that some of these cycle lanes are only 50 yards long, the longest continuous one is only 3/4 mile. These lanes have clearly been marked out so they can claim to have met some EU inspired 'green' target.

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Mon 13 Jan 2014 23:24
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - bathtub tom

>>The problem is that some of these cycle lanes are only 50 yards long

Howza bout this one then? goo.gl/maps/OsIDk

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Tue 14 Jan 2014 09:57
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Bromptonaut

>>The problem is that some of these cycle lanes are only 50 yards long

Howza bout this one then? goo.gl/maps/OsIDk

That is dire. Imagine being compelled to use that as RT suggests.

OTOH it's possible to do short lanes well. This one at the western end of High Holborn for example.

goo.gl/maps/txAac

Runs about 100yards and ends with a (not strictly neccessary) set of bikes only traffic lights.

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Tue 14 Jan 2014 16:02
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - bananastand

Next to the A570, also known as the Rainford bypass, there is a newly surfaced and painted, wide, smooth, thoroughly EU-approved cycle path. And still the lycra clad heroes insist on using the dual carriageway, because they're too "bad" I suppose.

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Tue 14 Jan 2014 16:11
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - skidpan

Watched Police Stop Idiot last evening for a few minutes. They followed a cyclist late at night with no lights on, he rode strait through a red light (although the lights had changed by the time he crosses the junction), he initially failed to stop when requested, then refused to accept a fixed penalty ticket and finally refused to give his name. When threatened with arrest he gave in but still wanted his day in court. All this time the police had ignored the fact he was probably over the drink/drive limit.

In court he got a £700 fine plus £240 costs.

Guess he got what he deserved but on the summing up at the end some femail with no licence, no insurance etc who lied about her identity was fined £40 with 6 points.

Did the crimes fit the punishemnt, don't think so.

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Tue 14 Jan 2014 18:14
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Bromptonaut

Watched Police Stop Idiot last evening for a few minutes. They followed a cyclist late at night with no lights on, he rode strait through a red light (although the lights had changed by the time he crosses the junction), he initially failed to stop when requested, then refused to accept a fixed penalty ticket and finally refused to give his name. When threatened with arrest he gave in but still wanted his day in court. All this time the police had ignored the fact he was probably over the drink/drive limit.

In court he got a £700 fine plus £240 costs.

Guess he got what he deserved but on the summing up at the end some femail with no licence, no insurance etc who lied about her identity was fined £40 with 6 points.

Did the crimes fit the punishemnt, don't think so.

I guess that's what happens when you fail the atitude test. Completely disproportionate compared to the insurance offence though.

The breath or blood alcohol limit for driving has no application to bikes. There is a 'drunk in charge' type offence but the test is a subjective one of degree to which rider is impaired. Walk in a straight line, Leith Police Dismisseth Us sort of thing. To my shame I've done it occasionally including piloting a Boris Bike from Carey St to Euston while utterly pickled. Got there OK but as one colleague said drily the following day 'we were surprised you got down the stairs'. My friend Jackie insisted I text her to confirm I was safely on train home.

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Tue 14 Jan 2014 21:47
Daft cyclists - Cyclist - Andrew-T

Next to the A570, also known as the Rainford bypass, there is a newly surfaced and painted, wide, smooth, thoroughly EU-approved cycle path. And still the lycra clad heroes insist on using the dual carriageway, because they're too "bad" I suppose.

I guess it's the same mindset that makes joggers run in the gutter when there is a perfectly decent pavement alongside? Maybe they get an extra frisson of excitement?

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