Let's laugh at the ignorant f***kwit Daily Mail readers

downfader

tiki tourer wrote:

That doesn't look as steep as Constitution Hill in Bristol (or, indeed, any number of hills in Bristol). Does it get steeper at of shot?

if its the hill I'm thinking of it get about 35 degree gradient close to the top for a fair way. :? Have only been up it as a kid in the car though, so I might have the wrong hill in mind. Does google to gradients on the maps?

tiki tourer

35 degrees! Are you sure?

I thought Baldwin Street in Dunedin was about as steep as it gets. If it's 35 degrees, I think the width of the cycle lane is the least of the council's worries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_street

downfader

Hmm, has someone turned off the comments on the DM site? Getting too contentious tonight I wonder?

Lancslad

the road i mentioned in an earlier post




crazy stuff.

downfader

Lancslad wrote:

the road i mentioned in an earlier post




crazy stuff.

I think in Totton near here they painted loads of green and red boxes (no dashed white lines, just the colour) with a cycle sign to warn you to watch out for us. They put these on a couple of popular routes. They could have done that there.

El Diego

The bike lane in and out of Ambleside is hilarious, it takes up half the width of the road. Sometimes councils just need to spend their money.

rf6

Constitution Hill Road is very steep, not sure of the exact angle. Its also been the site of a couple of cyclist fatalities over the years.

The width may be over the top, but something needed to be done about the speed of cars going downhill (often 45 - 50 mph), and the lack of courtesy of those going uphill. Maybe encouraging cars over to the right will slow the downhill cars down a bit.

Kieran_Burns

aren't those cycle lanes just like the chevrons painted on fast bends? (and fast straights) Designed to fool the eye into thinking the road is narrower than it really is. So as to encourage slower and more careful driving

Bassjunkieuk

Kieran_Burns wrote:

aren't those cycle lanes just like the chevrons painted on fast bends? (and fast straights) Designed to fool the eye into thinking the road is narrower than it really is. So as to encourage slower and more careful driving

I think you've hit the nail on the head there KB, the cycle lane in the article and the one in the pic above are advisory cycles lanes meaning that other vehicles are allowed in them.
I'm not a huge fan of cycle lanes as I really don't think they offer many benefits (to myself as a fairly experienced cyclist) and only encourage dangerous riding in less-experienced riders by encouraging riders to filter up the left believing that a line bit of paint is offering them safe passage.

At the end of the day the only way to really get safer conditions for everyone on the road is for road users to respect each other and get out of this "us and them" mindset.

Lancslad

El Diego wrote:

The bike lane in and out of Ambleside is hilarious, it takes up half the width of the road. Sometimes councils just need to spend their money.

My pic above was taken on the way out of ambleside . I was in the passenger seat when i took it. Personally I think it causes problems, the other half and I always feel uncomfotable having to drive in it, perhaps thats the idea but then the people that have no respect for cyclists probably dont give a hoot about driving in cycle lanes anyway.

Bassjunkieuk

Lancslad wrote:

El Diego wrote:

The bike lane in and out of Ambleside is hilarious, it takes up half the width of the road. Sometimes councils just need to spend their money.

My pic above was taken on the way out of ambleside . I was in the passenger seat when i took it. Personally I think it causes problems, the other half and I always feel uncomfotable having to drive in it, perhaps thats the idea but then the people that have no respect for cyclists probably dont give a hoot about driving in cycle lanes anyway.

There is a rather amusing cycle lane on the way in to Ripley on Portsmouth Road that varies from about 3' to 1' wide as the road snakes along! Never ridden on it but do drive along past on on the way to the only site I work on but don't yet ride to :-)

Mike400

Scary stuff, the mentality of some people.

Just keep that in mind the next time you are approaching a traffic island, thinking theres no way a car will try and squeeze through with you.... :roll:

some evenings I can get a bit paranoid if I dwell too long on the IQ of some of the people piloting these big steel boxes around me....

Porgy

Mike400 wrote:

Just keep that in mind the next time you are approaching a traffic island, thinking theres no way a car will try and squeeze through with you.... :roll:

It's happened too many times for me to believe otherwise - last time while I was going down Shooters hill at 35 mph and accelarating a BMW tried to focre me into the gutter so he could pass me at a traffic island - and at the bottom of the hill - still at 30 a woman pulled in just ahead of me and stopped dead - excpected me to stop dead too. :shock: :?

CiB

Mike400 wrote:

Scary stuff, the mentality of some people.

Exactly what struck me reading the comments. A mix of visceral hatred of cyclists, total ignorance of the law and a complete lack of humanity in some cases.

glauciaregina9

AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHH

Man alive, not another 'us' versus 'them' fight between cyclists & motorists

I truly despair...

jinnan_tonnix

Remember kids, the Daily Mail is for entertainment use only, and should not be relied upon as a news source.

jimmypippa

tiki tourer wrote:

35 degrees! Are you sure?

I thought Baldwin Street in Dunedin was about as steep as it gets. If it's 35 degrees, I think the width of the cycle lane is the least of the council's worries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_street

Given your username, would you happen to be a Kiwi, by any chance?

tiki tourer

Given your username, would you happen to be a Kiwi, by any chance?

Guilty as charged.

In November 2009, three men were charged with disorderly behaviour and dangerous driving after taking rides in a chilly bin being towed behind a car down Baldwin St. One of them said it was because the bars had shut and they had nothing to do.

This is what happens when all the bars are closed. Nothing to do but tow your friend behind your car in a bin down the steepest street in the world![/quote]

itboffin

Standby the Evening Standard has been reading post from this forum, we're being watched.