Say it quietly - - cyclist season is coming :-(

[ganzoom]

With the sun out, my 'nice' pedal bike is making its annual appearance. Have put some 40mm tires on it this summer as we are off to Snowdonia soon which should have some nice gravel rides.

Have ordered some new wheels though for road use. Gone for some 40mm deep carbon ones similar to the Rovals (but cheaper), and may go wireless on the rear deraliure to remove one cable. I really like the look of the S-Works version but cannot afford ceramic pulley wheels, so going for the look on the cheap :).

I've done 16k miles in the car the last 12 months and the nice bike only about 500 miles. But interms of which one I really 'enjoy' taking out on the roads, the pedal bike wins hands down. Mordern pedal bikes are things of engineering beauty in my mind, and far more engaging to use on the roads than any car.

 

[First_Lexus]

On 7/18/2024 at 4:48 PM, Malc1 said:

Should cyclists have some form of DVLA Licence proving sufficiency and competency on the public highway ?? 
Say at age 16+. ? 
Malc 

I would have thought any cyclist who also drives should be covered by their normal driving licence and experience combined with a sense of self-preservation…

When I was young - 1970s - those children at school who wanted to used to complete a ‘Cycling Proficiency Test’ from memory, dealing with the basics. I assume that’s long since been consigned to the dustbin of history?

Let’s all be honest - the big issue over the past 20-30 years is an increase in traffic combined with a large increase in the numbers of people wanting to cycle. Everybody is in more of a rush, lots of people are far less forgiving / looking to be militant…car vs cyclist friction seems to me to be reflective of the decline of society more generally! There’s a thesis for somebody…😂

[Malc1]

The driver cum cyclist will understand the mores of the road etiquette I’m sure and the DVLA driving licence could of course cover both modes 

However it is quite evident that some non-driving adult cyclists have zero notion of road etiquette ……. it is that segment of our society that I would wish “ controlled” or at least sufficiently formally “ trained/educated” and a DVLA licence earnt …….. please 

Malc 

[dutchie01]

Ever heard of a "fatbike"? They are the latest hit in Holland especially with children. Electric bikes that suppose to do 20kmh max but are very easy tunable. Kids of 11/12 yrs old are literally racing through the city no idea about rules just no idea what they are doing at all. Lots of accidents and most likely new legislation will bring a minimum age of 16 plus helmet. That brings me to a top 5 of Most Irritating Cyclists.

1. A group of middle aged man in lycras thinking they own the road. Overtaking will start a fight.

2. Speed pedelecs. Allowed on the road things can go up to 60 kmh. Overtaking suicidal

3. Trendy cargo bikes built to transport your kids. Statussymbol nr1 costing 7000 euro. Innercity yuppy moms favorite. Overtaking impossible

4. Elderly citizens on an electric bike as it is so easy. They just fall off, always and think they drive their car. If you overtake they will hit your car.

5. Fatbikes. Like mosquitos all over the place. Brainless and highly dangerous. Overtaking not possible they will change direction every 3 seconds.

 

Just found out they still make them!!

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/bike-knowledge/meet-the-2023-raleigh-chopper-classic-but-with-a-few-tweaks/

 

 

 

[Malc1]

Global IT Outage has just stopped me ordering a dozen …… ok, I’ll pass on this now 🤔……. 
Im likely to suffer at the hands of a cyclist one day ……. as a pedestrian along our High Street ……. the cars are ok, sensible drivers BUT the cyclists and e-bike louts just go contra flow lots and don’t care a monkeys 

My walking stick might get shoved twixt the spokes …… that’ll be amusing 🤣

Malc 

[Rabbers]

4 hours ago, dutchie01 said:

Ever heard of a "fatbike"? …

I first heard of a “fatbike” two or three years ago in Denmark, where the people are not far behind the Dutch in their fondness for bikes and the social and behavioral practices pertaining thereto.  I was in a car with a Danish friend when we were overtaken by a huge Valkyrie-like woman occupying far more than her fair share of a bike lane on what appeared to be a motorbike but was not.  “Look”, exclaimed my companion, “there’s a Fatbike!”

Our conversation ended there, and I was left with the impression, which I did not understand to be wrong until much later, that such bikes were specifically designed for fat persons or, at any rate, to carry the weight of exceptionally heavy ones.  Nowadays I see quite a few of them being ridden especially by members of organized cycling clubs, apparently as improved replacements for traditional mountain bikes.  All I can say is that they give the impression of having been chosen to provide a performance that is in one way or another superior to that of normal bikes.  As such I instinctively give them a wide berth.  

[Gary H]

On 7/20/2024 at 9:45 AM, Malc1 said:

However it is quite evident that some non-driving adult cyclists have zero notion of road etiquette ……. it is that segment of our society that I would wish “ controlled” or at least sufficiently formally “ trained/educated” and a DVLA licence earnt …….. please 

Malc 

Given people are now generally passing their tests later (which is a subject in itself worthy of bringing up some day), I'm inclined to agree.

I think I come across a couple only yesterday on a 'B' road as it entered into a village. On the approach, there's three or four build-outs, which one side of the road has to give way first, followed by the other and so forth. Traffic calming without the speed bumps, basically. 

Anyway, the motorists respected this as I'd expected. However, when I had right of way and the other side of the road had to stop - two cyclists riding abreast just kept on coming through around the build-out - over the painted give-way markings on their side of the road. Fortunately I could foresee what was happening knowing how entitled cyclists act these days and basically stopped dead despite having right of way - whilst they swerved out around the build out on their side of the road and would have been over my bonnet had I not stopped. 

[Malc1]

Some cyclists just don’t give a care for other road users sadly and think they’re invincible and the motorist will always give way in all respects to ensure there’s no accident or cyclist deaths 

Run over and kill a cyclist might get a driver into some sort of trouble 🥵.  
Take aim, fire 🤩🤣👏👏

Malc 

[ColinBarber]

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[LenT]

On 7/18/2024 at 12:43 PM, First_Lexus said:

I’ve noticed a worrying trend in Reading of (mainly) youngsters on electric scooters acting as if they’re immortal. They weave in and out of traffic on major and minor roads, onto pavements…hardly ever wearing helmets either. They’re lethal and virtually impossible to predict, and it’s fair to say most of those I’ve seen don’t respect the ‘rules of the road’ (or show any sense of self-preservation!)

That Reading may now feature among worthy winners of Darwin Awards may be some small - albeit sad - consolation.

[Malc1]

Should Society be calling for some sort of compulsory DVLA type Test for cyclists age 12/14/16 whatever ?  AND Insurance too

DISCUSS ?

Malc

[Steve]

26 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Should Society be calling for some sort of compulsory DVLA type Test for cyclists age 12/14/16 whatever ?  AND Insurance too

DISCUSS ?

Malc

Definitely insurance

[GMB]

16 hours ago, Steve said:

Definitely insurance

That would be a sensible way forward for everyone.😙

[Malc1]

Should bicycles also be subject to Road Condition controls too, like motorbikes, cars have to be constant roadworthy not just at MOT time ! 
 

Malc 

[Kevin Williams]

I am finding that car, van, lorry and bus drivers are very good when they go past me... Several people have asked me about my Recumbent Trike... No-one has asked... Does it have an MOT...!

[First_Lexus]

18 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Should Society be calling for some sort of compulsory DVLA type Test for cyclists age 12/14/16 whatever ?  AND Insurance too

DISCUSS ?

Malc

I seem to remember that David Cameron, as leader of the opposition back in 2008/9, mooted a scheme of insurance and registration for cyclists but it was quietly dropped and never made it into the 2010 election manifesto.

What we need to remember is that such schemes for any type of ‘registration’ are costly and administration intensive - it’s why the Dog Licence was dropped. We also need to consider that there are a very large number of people who cycle - likely into the millions - and there is an increasingly powerful cycling lobby. Any Government or potential Government suggesting such a plan would risk a big backlash and loss of votes, and that alone means it probably isn’t feasible or desirable actually at a time when we should be encouraging lower carbon solutions for local travel.

Insurance is a bit different, and I think that could be implemented relatively cheaply and simply, as the obligation would be on the cyclist rather than the State. Personally I would have thought cyclists would welcome that as protection for them, and I’d like to know whether there are already schemes in place (a quick Bing search indicates there are but I can’t establish whether it is cover for damage or loss of the actual bicycle rather than cover for accidents while riding the bicycle).

I do think, as has been said before, we’re dealing with the minority here - both drivers and cyclists. My general feeling is that, apart from the odd frustrating encounter, things aren’t too bad. The problem is partly that the media and social media users on both sides of the argument (and many other arguments these days) are inflamed in pursuit of views, witness Jeremy Vine’s cycling rants and ‘Cycling Mikey.’

 

[Malc1]

Roadworthiness of a roadgoing bicycle should be a requirement too ?  lights at night also  .........  competency to be able to ride it too ?

I'm seeing so many cyclists in my neck of the woods just riding willy nilly the wrong way down our local High Street ......  with total impunity !

Malc

[First_Lexus]

1 minute ago, Malc1 said:

Roadworthiness of a roadgoing bicycle should be a requirement too ?  lights at night also  .........  competency to be able to ride it too ?

I'm seeing so many cyclists in my neck of the woods just riding willy nilly the wrong way down our local High Street ......  with total impunity !

Malc

I’m pretty sure that lights on bicycles at night are already a legal requirement. They’re also legally obliged to obey the rules of the road - red traffic lights, no entry signs, one way streets etc.

I think the problem is a lack of enforcement (and importantly a lack of the will to enforce) of existing laws rather than a lack of laws themselves. 

Cost impacts aside, I’d like to think that any Government who GENUINELY pledged to reintroduce police walking regular ‘beats’ in local areas, building relationships with communities and offering advice, direction and support for things like this would be electorally very popular. 

Appreciating that it was the early 1970s, but as a child I vividly remember the local policeman (and it was pretty much always a man back then!) walking up our road almost every morning at about the time people were leaving for work and school. Everybody knew him. He was visible, and friendly, and did once tell my brother off for riding his bicycle on the pavement! I also remember that when slightly older, he was instead given a ‘panda’ car for his ‘beat’ (a pale blue and white Allegro), I assume because of fewer police and bigger areas to cover. 

I am now of an age where I fully accept I look at elements of the past with rose tinted spectacles…but I’m also pretty sure that a lot of things were better. Not everything that’s for sure, but we should be willing to revert and appreciate that ‘modern’ and ‘efficient’ isn’t always ‘better.’

[Malc1]

Ah those wonderful bygone days of the " Heartbeat " era and the very Last of the Summer Wine eh !

Malc

[First_Lexus]

5 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Ah those wonderful bygone days of the " Heartbeat " era and the very Last of the Summer Wine eh !

Malc

I think there was - in Britain at least - a ‘sweet spot’ between 1966 and 1973 where there was enough optimism in the world, (threat of nuclear war aside 🫠) positive changes in attitudes for issues like equality, and technological advancements to make things ‘better’ without technology and changes in attitudes for the sake of change making things ‘worse.’

I said earlier that I felt the arguments between cyclist and motorist are indicative of the confrontational nature of society these days. I fear it’s actually worse than that. Earlier in the week I listened to an interview with a new Junior Minister about entering Government. Ignore whether you support the new Government or not, she was speaking about the vile abuse she receives via e-mail and on social media. What has become of a society that thinks that’s acceptable?

She also noted she’d had ‘training’ of how to walk towards and on camera, such is the fear of an ‘Miliband bacon sandwich’ photograph going viral. Again, what’s become of us? Where is the substance and the ability to disagree and debate with civility? Watch any YouTube channel about politics, and the exact same interview with the exact same politician will be edited to show either ‘what a car crash’ it was or alternatively ‘how they ridiculed the interviewer.’ This is what people now watch and believe - there is increasingly less desire to watch and understand all sides and come to a decision, with decisions seemingly made ‘for the viewer’ depending on their existing views. Thus the beast is fed, and we’re all poorer for it.

[Malc1]

Fortunately I’m personally more or less SANS all this Social Media rigmarole 

BUT my business and all the guys involved just have to be au fait …… we get most from Facebook Google whatever ……. I’m the Dinosaur in the fray …… thankfully ……. but like pre-cars and that lumbering but socially aware. CYCLIST. 🤩

Malc 

but I haven’t cycled for decades, could say I swapped it for my first Ls400 👍👌🤞👍

[DavidCM]

A lighthearted view on this..

[DavidCM]

10 hours ago, Kevin Williams said:

I am finding that car, van, lorry and bus drivers are very good when they go past me... Several people have asked me about my Recumbent Trike... No-one has asked... Does it have an MOT...!

Kevin ..this looks like an un finished gyrocopter....I thought it was you who had history with these types of thing.

[Malc1]

1 hour ago, DavidCM said:

A lighthearted view on this..

Barcelona with Brits driving hire cars then ? 
Malc 

[Kevin Williams]

18 hours ago, DavidCM said:

Kevin ..this looks like an un finished gyrocopter....I thought it was you who had history with these types of thing.

Yes, but I will enjoy riding my Recumbent Trike... I will never go up in a helicopter again, not even as a passenger... What happened to me shouldn't have happened to me...!

Rotor Torque Summer 2012_2 copy.pdf