Road positioning

downfader

Been having an argument with my family over cycle road positioning. To them, it seems, I should be about a foot out from the kerb at all times. :x

I tried explaining that the roads I use are a mess and sometimes strewn with glass, plus you cant ride a foot out from parked cars. I told them I'd been nearer a meter at most and they started having a go at me saying "people beep you because you're hogging the road and being inconsiderate"

I cant f***ing win. So much for my Brother joining the ranks and understanding what cyclists go through. Its not like I ride "primary", either, so I cant understand the crap I got. :?

dafruk

They are ejits. put them on a bike and see how long they stick to within a foot of the kerb

chuckcork

Not only can you not ride a foot out from cars, unless you want to get doored, the edge of the road is where the drainage gullies are located, and the double yellow lines on many roads use raised levels of paint which act as "railway tracks" that can easily get you into trouble. Also the edge tends to be where the road can get broken up badly around the same fullies but without being fixed, and if you hit a pothole while 6 inches away from the kerb you're likely to hit it and crash.

But perhaps they should be asked to come for a ride with you, and they demonstrate how good they are at staying within a foot of the kerb at all times. I bet they'd give up pretty quick.

Of course it would help if roads were wider, and the roads that are actually wider were not then used for parking as well, but in a car dominated society that is unlikely to ever happen.

I can't imagine what would cause cars to be removed from streets, even petrol or diesel at £20/litre wouldn't do it as people would still drive even if it was less, would still have to park somewhere anyway and at prices like that alternatives would become commercially viable.

Of course on the bright side at that sort of price fossil fuelled economy's like the UK and most of those of the western world collapse before that point anyhow, and we'd all be out of jobs with bigger things to worry about like where our next meal was going to come from....

downfader

I suppose they come from the past where the highway code was less bike orientated. :? I dunno. This is southampton, not london - the roads are not that unpredictable or busy when I personally ride, atleast not until next week (school run)

chuckcork

downfader wrote:

I suppose they come from the past where the highway code was less bike orientated. :? I dunno. This is southampton, not london - the roads are not that unpredictable or busy when I personally ride, atleast not until next week (school run)

You have my sympathy. I used to leave home later to go to work (and got told off for it by the boss for getting in later than anyone else) but it was worth it to miss the volume of traffic and the horrendous driving.

Now I don't have to worry about that all, with bigger traffic jams when the schools are back I am now relatively faster going to work than I was before...nohing like a 4 mile tailback, going past the traffic that passed you 12 miles back....

downfader

4 miles eh? :shock: Crikey!

aphex2k

Drivers will always hate cyclists. Cyclist will always hate drivers. Get over that one, and just ride. Ignore the beeps, the eejits and the bus drivers and be on your merry way.

AndyManc

downfader wrote:

Been having an argument with my family over cycle road positioning. To them, it seems, I should be about a foot out from the kerb at all times.

Get a new family .

downfader

AndyManc wrote:

downfader wrote:

Been having an argument with my family over cycle road positioning. To them, it seems, I should be about a foot out from the kerb at all times.

Get a new family .

BTW did you get that camera in the end?

SmellTheGlove

downfader wrote:

"people beep you because you're hogging the road and being inconsiderate"

So the deal as I understand it is YOU are being inconsiderate for riding in a safe position BUT a driver who dismisses a fellow road-user's safety and expects them to ride in the gutter is a normal adult human?

Well in that case, no you can't f***ing win, as you eloquently put it.

downfader

I think my trouble is I enjoy a good argument but have trouble letting go

AndyManc

downfader wrote:

AndyManc wrote:

downfader wrote:

Been having an argument with my family over cycle road positioning. To them, it seems, I should be about a foot out from the kerb at all times.

Get a new family .

BTW did you get that camera in the end?

Yep, it arrived last thursday , lots of cables , I'll have to get 8 AA batteries , and the fixing for the camera is sticky back velcro , so once you've fixed one half to your helmet it will have to stay in that position.

I'm not in the mood to get it rigged up just yet .. too many things to do, but I can definitely see me buying this ...
http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.557477/walk.yah.UKEL-UK16

to make things simpler.

chuckcork

downfader wrote:

4 miles eh? :shock: Crikey!

'Struth Mate. My estimate anyway, from the centre of Cork back to Dunkettle roundabout, a few times bad enough back over the tunnel roundabout towards little lisland.

I've had the "express bus" that leaves my town 10 minutes after I do, that passes me on the hiway where it can do the speed limit (100kph) and then I pass it in Cork, and give a cheery wave to the driver who knows I'm an occasional pasenger of his.

Like not since, um, once in June,and I think not with any degree of frequency since the weather got marinally good enough in March.

Funny thing is that the obvious cycle of "build more roads, get more traffic" has of course occured, with better and better roads people are complaining about how much longer it is taking them to drive to work. ...except for me, my ride in is now shorter than last year because I'm lighter, fitter and stronger and as a result I'm going faster...heh heh

downfader

chuckcork wrote:

Funny thing is that the obvious cycle of "build more roads, get more traffic" has of course occured, with better and better roads people are complaining about how much longer it is taking them to drive to work. ...except for me, my ride in is now shorter than last year because I'm lighter, fitter and stronger and as a result I'm going faster...heh heh

We have that here. People keep writing to the paper about having bypases etc built.... on one of the a roads in hampshire a guy and his step daughter got killed on a motorbike because people were driving too fast. So what does everyone write into the paper to say "this wouldnt have happened with a national speed limit bypass" Yeah right. :?

I have to be honest from speaking to locals I would reckon atleast 1/2 of those in their cars dont need to be because their journey distance is so small. People have to accept we're (the public) the problem that causes the traffic jams, lol!

Ahh I'm ranting again

Littigator

Downfader, you mentioned the 'primary' position, have you referred your family to the Highway Code, which details use of the primary and secondary position? Perhaps have them read this little gem :_

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ioning-197

Clever Pun

Also if you're a foot away from the pavement and signal your intention to turn left you might well end up lamping someone walking or waiting to cross.

biondino

This is interesting (my bold):

"Some of the rules in The Highway Code are law. Those who break them are committing criminal offences - the code tells you that such rules must be followed and there's also an abbreviated reference to the statute creating the offence. While disobeying other rules in the code isn't an offence, they may still be used as evidence to establish criminal liability of other offences."

downfader

Littigator wrote:

Downfader, you mentioned the 'primary' position, have you referred your family to the Highway Code, which details use of the primary and secondary position? Perhaps have them read this little gem :_

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ioning-197

Secondary and primary are not mentioned in the highway code for cyclists. I just had a look (I have the latest copy). Cheers for that link though, I'll pass it on.

mailmannz

Well I usually bike every day to work BUT because of a f8ck up last night I got the wrong inner tubes for my bike (and my last tube had the mother of ALL holes in it, which meant it was unpatchable).

So this morning I conned my wife in to driving me to work

All fine until we got under the westferry circus and right through the entire circus some clown on a road bike SAT in the middle of the damned inner lane forcing every other vehicle behind him to sit and wait until we got through the other side (and no, we couldnt over take because the outside lane had road works in it.

And dont give me the bull pucky about glass on the side of the road because there aint any.

Its things like this that dont endear cyclists to other road users. This guy didnt HAVE to be in the middle of the lane, he didnt HAVE to hold everyone else up and he could HAVE just moved a couple feet to his left to let everyone else through.

There is also something practical about this too. Everyone knows how dangerous road rage could be yet this guy really went about putting himself in the right place to be a victim of some ahole who had no patiance going road rage all over his behind.

Mailman

downfader

mailmannz wrote:

Well I usually bike every day to work BUT because of a f8ck up last night I got the wrong inner tubes for my bike (and my last tube had the mother of ALL holes in it, which meant it was unpatchable).

So this morning I conned my wife in to driving me to work

All fine until we got under the westferry circus and right through the entire circus some clown on a road bike SAT in the middle of the damned inner lane forcing every other vehicle behind him to sit and wait until we got through the other side (and no, we couldnt over take because the outside lane had road works in it.

And dont give me the bull pucky about glass on the side of the road because there aint any.

Its things like this that dont endear cyclists to other road users. This guy didnt HAVE to be in the middle of the lane, he didnt HAVE to hold everyone else up and he could HAVE just moved a couple feet to his left to let everyone else through.

There is also something practical about this too. Everyone knows how dangerous road rage could be yet this guy really went about putting himself in the right place to be a victim of some ahole who had no patiance going road rage all over his behind.

Mailman

We've been having a LOT of road works here in southampton and I kind of felt like I was in the way at certain points so got off and walked

Mind you on monday some div had moved all the road works signs about, obviously thinking it was funny. So I get off the bike thinking part of Winchester road is closed only to see cars carry on through in both directions. When I got to the other side there was no road closure sign. :? I presume a drunken weekend binge had been the reason for this. :P