Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tunnie]

Taking up the whole lane is one thing, fully agree there. Two tucked up close on the inside is another, I know another tactic of 2 side by side is to force cars to slow and go around. As single file its easy to slice by very close, I know some who do it clearly to make cars slow, which not legal I know.

[Sir Tigger KC]

So if it's going to be the law that in an accident between a car and a bicycle it's always the car's fault, will this reasoning carry on up the chain? 

So if a car hits a van, it's the vans fault, if a van hits a rigid truck then it's the rigid's fault and if the rigid hit's an arctic then it's the arctic's fault? 

Yet more poorly thought out nonsense from...... Ooops nearly got political there!!!    Sorry chaps!!! 

[the alarming man]

Road never stated, just stated riding two up. 

well the road would have been busy...if anyone could get around them...

[Kevin Wood]

...On the green aspect, I have often wondered if cycles using the road where a perfectly good cycle way has been provided (usually half a wide pavement here) then there must be more energy wasted by the cars braking and accelerating around the cyclist doing 20 on a 50 section of road than is saved by the cycling?...

The problem is, I've never seen a cycle way that's fit for purpose. Even an asthmatic salad dodger like myself is going to average 15-20 MPH on a road bike and only drop significantly below that on climbs. Try negotiating the average cycle lane at that sort of speed! Not to mention the fact that the average cycle lane requires you to stop and give way at every side road, footpath, etc. Just a pointless box-ticking "we're cycle friendly" exercise by local councils IMHO. The road is the right place for cycles.

[tunnie]

...On the green aspect, I have often wondered if cycles using the road where a perfectly good cycle way has been provided (usually half a wide pavement here) then there must be more energy wasted by the cars braking and accelerating around the cyclist doing 20 on a 50 section of road than is saved by the cycling?...

The problem is, I've never seen a cycle way that's fit for purpose. Even an asthmatic salad dodger like myself is going to average 15-20 MPH on a road bike and only drop significantly below that on climbs. Try negotiating the average cycle lane at that sort of speed! Not to mention the fact that the average cycle lane requires you to stop and give way at every side road, footpath, etc. Just a pointless box-ticking "we're cycle friendly" exercise by local councils IMHO. The road is the right place for cycles.

Exactly, the section from BSkyB's office down to Chiswick is a prime example, it often wonders in then out again, very rough. Some cases it actually goes through bus stops, so you have to slow, look over your shoulder to see if a bus will want to dive into it.

Then there is the roundabout just before the Audi Garage, it has no lights to cross for pedestrians, or cycles. You have to run across in a gap in the traffic. They go to all the bother of painting a cycle path, give way signs and everything, reaching that in rush hour is like a wall!

Street View: http://goo.gl/maps/IxHS7

On hybrid tyres, top gear, I can easily cruise 25mph+

If I had a full on road bike, I could easily do 35mph!

[tunnie]

This is a good example: http://goo.gl/maps/YiDb8

Follow the road up to the roundabout... watch the Cycle lane & the amount of give way/junctions to cross.

You will notice that shortly before Chiswick Roundabout, which is just like a country round one 

The cycle lane just ends!

[Kevin Wood]

This is a good example: http://goo.gl/maps/YiDb8

Follow the road up to the roundabout... watch the Cycle lane & the amount of give way/junctions to cross.

You will notice that shortly before Chiswick Roundabout, which is just like a country round one 

The cycle lane just ends!

Yep, exactly the sort of thing I had in mind. They've got to be joking if they thing cyclists will jump through those hoops, especially when the road looks busy enough that you could probably keep up with the traffic on a bike most of the time.

[Sir Tigger KC]

At the end of the day the road network has been built/designed for cars and the cycle lanes added on where possible.  Which granted is a compromise. 

What would you suggest? A wholesale redesign costing billions to accommodate group of road users who don't pay the road fund licence on their vehicle? 

[tunnie]

Better education of drivers to be more patient, give more room on the road 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Better consideration for your fellow travellers by all road users would be a good start!! 

Better education for cyclists as well.  ie When will cyclists learn that it's not a good idea to cut up the inside of an HGV? 

[tunnie]

Think I need one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXXckWLc0E&feature=player_embedded

[the alarming man]

Think I need one of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJXXckWLc0E&feature=player_embedded

that would be a distance to fall...what happens if he needs to stop..he cant put his foot down

[D]

Saw that video a few days back. Amazing stuff. Although the same cannot be said about his trousers.

[Kevin Wood]

Saw that video a few days back. Amazing stuff. Although the same cannot be said about his trousers.

Certainly by the time he'd reached his destination, at any rate.

Fair play to him.. I'd need seriously enlarged gonads to tackle the traffic in LA on my sensible bike, let alone that thing.

[DaveA]

    Just got back from a week in Cornwall, drove into Looe on Sunday 21st Spoilt my day completely     I got tangled up with a cycle event, I saw at least 100.   First I saw of them, they were pouring out of a minor road onto the A387, the road I was on, they could see me coming but continued to pour out almost defying me to hit them, if I dare, I had almost stopped, eventually they gave way.    Followed them into Looe, they were racing, crazy, one point they were four abreast, at one point the outside rider was the wrong side of the double white line on a blind right hand bend, I was hoping he would reappear stuck to the front of a bus, Tom and Jerry fashion.  Headed for the car park, over the bridge, on the the West Looe side, signalled to turn right into car park, was over taken on the right, road narrow, he could not wait, spose it would have been my fault if I had turned into him
         
      Walked into East Looe had to cross a controlled pedestrian crossing. Waited for the green man and crossed, as is my right, we were suddenly surround by cyclists, not one stopped at the red light, only just missing us.   My wife is 74 and only 8st if any one of them had hit her, well I don't want to think
      Made a bit of a fool of myself shouted at them as they went past, spectators thought it was funny, wife pulled me away.  Not one of the Cyclist looked back. Any event like this should be banned on public roads,  Kilotogo or something like.
      This was not the idiotic few who were not bothered, they were all at it, all caught up in the event!!!! road safety! PHEW *:"~ that