To the cyclist of Superhighway 7 tonight
Comments
-
Hmm ...
We (or at least I) were talking about the centre of towns. 20mph seems a perfectly good limit to me. Maybe I'm biased having 3 small kids.
Obviously, out of town a number of cyclists (including myself) are going along at well above that speed on the flat, and significantly above on descents. True, once I get into London in the morning there are bikes going faster than that, but I do wonder about how sensible that is and whether they could stop, for example if a ped steps out unexpectedly. And mostly it's only when there's only 10 or so miles to the centre anyway so almost there anyway.
As for cars, they're generally only getting to the next jam marginally faster.
If cycling is to become mainstream we have to get beyond people racing through town, incidentally often equally impatient with slower cyclists as with cars. People in continental Europe use bikes as basic transport around town rather than for setting records. Older people going shopping, kids to school (on their own). If towns are to become more human they have to have the right to do those things without being intimidated by bods racing around, on bikes or in cars.
And can't say as I've noticed it reduces the number of fairly quick Belgian, Dutch, German, French, etc cyclists over the years.0 -
andrewc3142 wrote:If cycling is to become mainstream we have to get beyond people racing through town, incidentally often equally impatient with slower cyclists as with cars. People in continental Europe use bikes as basic transport around town rather than for setting records. Older people going shopping, kids to school (on their own). If towns are to become more human they have to have the right to do those things without being intimidated by bods racing around, on bikes or in cars.
And can't say as I've noticed it reduces the number of fairly quick Belgian, Dutch, German, French, etc cyclists over the years.
I agree. Go to amsterdam and see how many ride on expensive top of the range bikes and in lycra? I saw one bike that looked expensive the last weekend I was there and noone in lycra. In London it's about the opposite and there is a tremendous snobbery too which may well work to put some off cycling. If we are goign to have mass cycling in London then the snobs are going to have a give quite a bit of slack to the "newbies". Maybe Boris's bikes will help with this.0 -
Kurako wrote:feltkuota wrote:Northstar,
Seriously?
Are you saying:Don't bother checking over your shoulder for traffic coming behind you therefore placing entire faith in their ability to react to what you do. I've read plenty of dumb stuff on here but that's right up there with the worst of it.
I think what Northstar is saying is that a good driver/cyclist/sheep-herder will alter their speed to deal with the conditions which includes people ahead doing dumb stuff like swerving around without looking.
'He/she should have seen me' is not really a valid excuse although it does seem to get trotted out a lot when folk crash into stuff.
That is pretty much what I'm saying, any road user has the responsibility to alter their direction, speed etc straight away if the situation requires it, it's part of being a courteous road user.
If I was in her shoes I would have shoulder checked long before I'd even considered overtaking the cyclist, maybe that's because I drive as well so can see it from both sides.
But that still doesn't excuse the driver passing closely, he showed poor judgement like the cyclist but he had the power to do something about it especially as it's his responsibility to overtake the cyclist safely, not just floor it and hope for the best.
Cheers Kurako.Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Woooah - have you seen this? :O
Someone's bike from here - but I forgot which thread I saw it in...
EDIT: Hmm.. wonder why the picture did not work. Wrong link maybe?0 -
Valy, did you just shut up a thread which didn't seem to have any end, with a picture of a bike? On a cycling forum? Genius!
Anyhow, seeing as we're off-topic, the wiggly forks and seat stays,can anyone explain it in the kind of Engineering for Dummies terms that I might understand? All I can think of is that it offers a very slight increase in shock absorption (traded off against a very slight increase in length). Is there another reason?0 -
They look kind of... err... unusual. Kind of cool.
Maybe they have some aero advantages?0 -
Buppy wrote:
I agree. Go to amsterdam and see how many ride on expensive top of the range bikes and in lycra? I saw one bike that looked expensive the last weekend I was there and noone in lycra. In London it's about the opposite and there is a tremendous snobbery too which may well work to put some off cycling. If we are goign to have mass cycling in London then the snobs are going to have a give quite a bit of slack to the "newbies". Maybe Boris's bikes will help with this.
Sorry just because there are people commuting on expensive bikes, it don't make hem snobs! Odds are the peeps with the good bikes are the peeps that are also covering serious mileage each week. Try doing 100 miles a week on a sit up and beg bike or a bike without wearing lycra and then you know the meaning of the word chafe!
Get real... Please.....Anyone wearing Lycra isn't a snob just like anyone driving a car isn't a twaat, yes there are some, but not all of us are like that (drivers and Lycra wears or both)0 -
snooks wrote:Buppy wrote:
I agree. Go to amsterdam and see how many ride on expensive top of the range bikes and in lycra? I saw one bike that looked expensive the last weekend I was there and noone in lycra. In London it's about the opposite and there is a tremendous snobbery too which may well work to put some off cycling. If we are goign to have mass cycling in London then the snobs are going to have a give quite a bit of slack to the "newbies". Maybe Boris's bikes will help with this.
Sorry just because there are people commuting on expensive bikes, it don't make hem snobs! Odds are the peeps with the good bikes are the peeps that are also covering serious mileage each week. Try doing 100 miles a week on a sit up and beg bike or a bike without wearing lycra and then you know the meaning of the word chafe!
Get real... Please.....Anyone wearing Lycra isn't a snob just like anyone driving a car isn't a twaat, yes there are some, but not all of us are like that (drivers and Lycra wears or both)
Snooks, this is Porgy. It's always about class war with him. Always.0 -
Greg66 wrote:Snooks, this is Porgy. It's always about class war with him. Always.
I'm just back from the Morpeth, very snobby pub, cyclists in Lycra, so, so snobby0 -
Greg66 wrote:
Apparently me wearing full length Lycra under my baggies in winter means my FCN goes down in winter...Who'd have thunk that?
So I'm no longer a baggie lout, I'm now a Lycra lout, I can die happy
0 -
snooks wrote:Buppy wrote:
I agree. Go to amsterdam and see how many ride on expensive top of the range bikes and in lycra? I saw one bike that looked expensive the last weekend I was there and noone in lycra. In London it's about the opposite and there is a tremendous snobbery too which may well work to put some off cycling. If we are goign to have mass cycling in London then the snobs are going to have a give quite a bit of slack to the "newbies". Maybe Boris's bikes will help with this.
Sorry just because there are people commuting on expensive bikes, it don't make hem snobs! Odds are the peeps with the good bikes are the peeps that are also covering serious mileage each week. Try doing 100 miles a week on a sit up and beg bike or a bike without wearing lycra and then you know the meaning of the word chafe!
Get real... Please.....Anyone wearing Lycra isn't a snob just like anyone driving a car isn't a twaat, yes there are some, but not all of us are like that (drivers and Lycra wears or both)
I do 150 miles a week - is that serious enough for you?
No - I tell you - there are plenty of bike snobs out there. Try riding a hybrid and you'll soon find out.
I wear lycra btw - just noting that noone in Amsterdam seems to wear lycra.
Of course not everyone who rides an expensive bike and/ or lycra is a snob. I never said that. But quite a few of them are. I know becasue I've been a cyclist in London for many many years.0 -
Buppy wrote:Funny that when we were arguing about climate change it's you that kept bringing the politics into it. I tried to keep it to the science - but no - it's always about political posturing with you, posh boy.
But you only joined the forum and there hasn't been a recent Climate Change thread
Unless?
(Hate it when G66 is right)“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
0
-
Greg66 wrote:
Oh dear. Porgy fail again. I don't think this multiple personality thing is for you chap.
Still, looking through your posts there is this thread:
http://www.bikeradar.com/commuting/foru ... highlight=
I really do dislike the association between commies and cyclists. Still, it's a bank holiday on 2nd May so I won't have to take PT to get to work just to show I'm not a commie supporter.0 -
just checking in to see if "brekkie" has addressed my points yet.......
ho hum0 -
Buppy's out of here.
Carry on.0 -
PORGY!!!
You really have to be seriously affected by what others think to be put off cycling because other people riding more expensive bikes to your own.
I ride what ride. There is always going to be a more expensive version, that's how the World works. Same with cars, houses, holidays, clothes, wives - list goes on really
I ride the bike I ride because I can afford it. If you can afford more, bully for you. If you can't, bully for you. But don't hate on me because you either have more or less than me. Hate the game
Anyway
On a seperate issue, why do people keep coming back to the website after they've been banned (continually)?
Don't you think its time to move on?Food Chain number = 4
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game0 -
I lived and cycled in Amsterdam and no-one wears lycra because most journeys are pretty short, there is no need. that is why they don't have race bikes too. There isn't a lot of "off street" bike parking and all bikes are very susceptible to being nicked, so no-one has nice ones. Also, as a lot of people do short trips, the city town bikes are great as you can give people backy's on them very easily.
comparing it with London is apples and oranges. Where I lived in Amsterdam, people used to joke and say it was in Belgium, it was about 3/4miles from the centre of Amsterdam AND I could easily take my bike on the Tram....http://www.georgesfoundation.org
http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/0 -
Hello? Brekkie?
Are you there?
********clock chimes, wind whistles, saloon door creaks on its hinges, tumbleweed blows across forum floor*********0 -
mroli wrote:I lived and cycled in Amsterdam...There isn't a lot of "off street" bike parking and all bikes are very susceptible to being nicked, so no-one has nice ones.
My brother & his family lived in Den Hague for a few years. The first time they got their bikes stolen they went to report it to the Police & the Police said "So? Take someone else's"0 -
What? :O0
