Rider down - Richmond Park
Comments
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I'm going to ask the Royal Parks to consider some measures to protect cyclists from themselves and each other, seeing as a small minority have made it unsafe at times to ride there. Measures like limiting group size (either in certain months or certain times of day), considering one-way traffic (cyclists CW, cars ACW), and putting speed humps or something similar on Broomfield to force people to descend more carefully.
Hang on there, you mention a minority of cyclists being irresponsible. Yet you are happy to act in a minority of one in response to that which could result in draconian measures for the majority.
Something doesn't quite add up.0 -
this thread is so funny, it started with the considerations for a poor chap who had a horrible accident (hope he's fine) and turned into a collective whining
and what is it driven by? As usual when ppl cry about stuff: frustrations, envy and greed.
Who cares whether somebody rides fast(er) or cuts the lanes? You don't do it? Fine, so don't do it, but don't think you know what's best for other ppl and call for the authorities to enforce your view of the world, you are nobody to determine what's 'good' and what's 'bad'...'a clap down on bad cycling behaviour'...how ridiculous!
I've done hundreds of laps in the park over the past years and barley had issues with other riders or as a matter of fact caused issues for other riders and if you see a critical situation then either a) try to avert it or b) avoid it...but don't ride blindly into it and then wonder why you landed in the grass
Yes ok it might happen that somebody will take me out due to irresponsible riding, this is a case to be dealt with....but don't let your frustrations have a go at ppl who don't ride precisely by the book, and who does? It might not even be willingly, ppl make mistakes under or overestimate them or a situation and maybe then have to do a 'crazy' manoeuvre
Just relax and if you don't like then stay on the turbo!0 -
Go ahead and write your own letter then.London-Red wrote:I'm going to ask the Royal Parks to consider some measures to protect cyclists from themselves and each other, seeing as a small minority have made it unsafe at times to ride there. Measures like limiting group size (either in certain months or certain times of day), considering one-way traffic (cyclists CW, cars ACW), and putting speed humps or something similar on Broomfield to force people to descend more carefully.
Hang on there, you mention a minority of cyclists being irresponsible. Yet you are happy to act in a minority of one in response to that which could result in draconian measures for the majority.
Something doesn't quite add up.0 -
maryka wrote:
Go ahead and write your own letter then.London-Red wrote:I'm going to ask the Royal Parks to consider some measures to protect cyclists from themselves and each other, seeing as a small minority have made it unsafe at times to ride there. Measures like limiting group size (either in certain months or certain times of day), considering one-way traffic (cyclists CW, cars ACW), and putting speed humps or something similar on Broomfield to force people to descend more carefully.
Hang on there, you mention a minority of cyclists being irresponsible. Yet you are happy to act in a minority of one in response to that which could result in draconian measures for the majority.
Something doesn't quite add up.
"Dear Mr Park Warden,
I just wanted to write to say that I am happy with the way the park is being run, and while it does get a little busy at weekends, with the odd cyclist performing unsuitable manoeuvres, I don't see this as a reason to change any current rules and regulations.
Yours sincerely,
Not Outraged, from Surrey."
Doesn't have quite the same ring to it...
All I'm saying is that it's probably worth conducting at least some sort of research among the cycling community that regularly uses the park and that could suffer the consequences of your proposed actions before going ahead and reporting near-death experiences at the hands of cyclists.
For a experienced club cyclist to report that to the authorities is quite powerful.0 -
All right let me take another tack then. What would you suggest to improve the behaviour the growing number of cyclists who ride recklessly around the park?London-Red wrote:All I'm saying is that it's probably worth conducting at least some sort of research among the cycling community that regularly uses the park and that could suffer the consequences of your proposed actions before going ahead and reporting near-death experiences at the hands of cyclists.
For a experienced club cyclist to report that to the authorities is quite powerful.
As cycling itself becomes more popular, so do the numbers of these people. What do you do to get them not to put other cyclists in danger? They aren't club cyclists, they aren't even commuters for the most part (judging from what they wear). We have pulled some up in our club for riding stupidly on club runs and we would do the same if club members did the same in RP. But how do you get to the rest?
Traffic calming, speed cameras, etc. are all there to cater to the lowest common denominator driver, i.e., the idiot who would drive recklessly if not prevented/punished. Those measures cause the rest of us inconvenience but they are accepted as part of driving. Why shouldn't cycling be the same, once it becomes clear that as a group we can't or won't police ourselves?
Just look two posts above to see the kind of idiot riding a bike and thinking it's ok to do stupid sh!t.
WTF does that even mean? That it's ok to cross double white lines while descending fast(er) (the subject of my orignal post) and put me in danger because he thinks it is? :roll:Who cares whether somebody rides fast(er) or cuts the lanes?0 -
What would you suggest to improve the behaviour the growing number of cyclists who ride recklessly around the park?
Not sure what can be done to prevent dangerous cycling. Speedbumbs on Broomfield might cause more accidents than it prevents. I can't see them introducing a one-way system. The easy option is for them to sit halfway down Broomfield with a radar trap and fine every cyclist who goes above 20mph. Try and deter people from carrying speed down it.
I cannot see any reason for anyone going across the lines down Broomfield, overtaking cars at that point is irresponsible, and the road is pretty wide, and any idiot can deduce that its likely cyclists or cars will be heading up the other side.
Some of the Surrey Hills can be pretty dicey as they are steep and narrow, and had cyclists coming straight at me a few times.0 -
Sportives are the worst - I've had the misfortune to be riding against the masses on country lanes a couple of times, they think they own the road! Worst was up a short sharp incline on way to start of Kentish Killer, dozens of idiots came speeding past on the wrong side of the road. I was also astonished at some of the riding in the Marmotte, people didn't seen to realise that we weren't on closed roads!
I still think it would be a shame for these kind of measures to be taken in Richmond Park though. Speed bumps? Banning anti-clockwise cycling?! Are you insane??!!
Either of those measures would ruin one of the best cycling facilities in central London. I think what needs to be done is that the park police maybe need to penalise idiot cycling a bit more, maybe stick up a few more signs - try and educate people a bit. 0 -
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but between the severe crashes involving cyclists, whatever the cause (e.g., the one in this thread, the triathlete who crashed descending Broomfield, the Dynamo a few years back who went into a car on a group ride and is permanently paralysed) and the increasing numbers of riders and society's general hate for us means I'm thinking eventually some really drastic measures will be taken in the park for the lycra-clad masses -- can they ban us from the road completely? So I was just thinking that some pre-emptory measures, while annoying, would maybe save us in the long run. Or maybe I'm just naive. Royal Parks doesn't seem to be on our side, see the letter on this forum regarding the recent crash. I wonder if they were pressured to make changes if they would even more draconian than what I've suggested.Dear Richmond Park cyclists
Please find a link below to a press report regarding a serious accident in Richmond Park this weekend. I am sending this to you as a contact we have for a cycling club that uses Richmond Park - We would be pleased if you could forward this comment to other cycling groups.
The Royal Parks understand from the Metropolitan Police that the car may have braked suddenly and the cyclist was unable to stop in time. He hit the car with enough force / speed that he went through the back windscreen and sustained serious injuries.
This is the third incident in 2 years where cyclists have run into the back of braking or stationary vehicles
Please can we remind all cyclists that the park roads are very busy and when an accident occurs the cyclist usually comes off worse regardless of fault. Please treat this accident as a reminder to ride with self preservation in mind.
As you can see from the variety of comments on the surrey comets web site - conflict between road users is an issue that attracts the concerns from other park users.
http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/topst ... _injuries/
Ian Nightingale | Administrator
As cyclists, every time a lorry runs over a rider turning left, we hue and cry that "something needs to be done". It's only a matter of time before there are enough serious crashes in RP that Royal Parks says the same.0 -
All right let me take another tack then. What would you suggest to improve the behaviour the growing number of cyclists who ride recklessly around the park?
This is my issue, because I'm not convinced anything needs doing because neither am I convinced there is a serious issue. A bit of research on here and with the clubs might get a different response, however, which is what I'm suggesting.
And, as JZed says, problems of poor cycling aren't limited to RP. two cyclists nearly ended up in a crumpled mess on Box the last time I was there after some pretty suicidal corner cutting on the switchbacks.
There explosion in popularity of cycling will have negative effects as well as positive, but introducing rules, regulations and speed bumps in response, I don't think is the answer.0 -
I'm happy with the park, I find it's is fairly reasonable on weekdays outside of rush hour, the weekend is a different story... but hey it's the weekend and if time permits a cycle into the surrey hills is fair more exciting than the monotony of repetitive, crowded laps of the park. The high-and-mighty view that cycling utopia can exist within the park using speed-cameras, speed bumps is completely unrealistic and will only end up with more pointless red tape being put in place.....
If you feel strongly about this then maybe a slightly more pro-active view should be taken. Instead of penalising every cyclist maybe educating them is the the way forward. Maryka you comment that some of your new club cyclist riding dangerously... you don't become a perfect club cyclist from reading a book, it requires educating and real-world experience.. BASICALLY it just requires time and help from experienced club riders to point them in the right direction...some would say teamwork! Can this philosophy be adopted within the park..... can london cycling clubs work together to educate the masses Ex... free open days in the park to learn club cycling etiquette, hints/tips etc...'Ride hard for those who can't.....'0 -
airbusboy wrote:First of all i hope the cyclist is ok....and has a speedy recovery.NWLondoner wrote:Only the other week i was descending at 55kph and hugging the centre line and guess what, a thor hushovd wannabe comes screaming past on the wrong side of the road at god knows what speed.
Maybe you should move over onto the left side of the road and anticipate, maybe other cyclists are wanting to overtake instead of forcing them onto the wrong side of the road.....
Rgds
what a funny post, firstly NWLondoner is doing about 34mph in a 20mile zone (assuming he was talking about RP) , how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone? There shouldn't be anyone trying to over take him - a recent invention, called brakes, means people can slow down on the hills, unlike the early days of the bike. How did he force them to overtake - at gunpoint? some sort of blackmail?0 -
kieranb wrote:airbusboy wrote:First of all i hope the cyclist is ok....and has a speedy recovery.NWLondoner wrote:Only the other week i was descending at 55kph and hugging the centre line and guess what, a thor hushovd wannabe comes screaming past on the wrong side of the road at god knows what speed.
Maybe you should move over onto the left side of the road and anticipate, maybe other cyclists are wanting to overtake instead of forcing them onto the wrong side of the road.....
Rgds
what a funny post, firstly NWLondoner is doing about 34mph in a 20mile zone (assuming he was talking about RP) , how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone? There shouldn't be anyone trying to over take him - a recent invention, called brakes, means people can slow down on the hills, unlike the early days of the bike. How did he force them to overtake - at gunpoint? some sort of blackmail?
I think I'm with Airbusboy here, NW Londoner was, as you say, riding at 34mph so clearly he was pushing it and had no regard for the speed limit. It seems a bit much for him then to criticise somebody who was riding with the exact same approach but who just happened to be going a bit faster - if he hadn't been hogging the entire left hand lane, the other guy wouldn't have needed to overtake on the other side of the road. There's definitely a need for cyclists to be a bit more considerate - don't overtake dangerously, don't cross onto the other side of the road when there are vehicles / cyclists approaching, but also don't ride in a manner that is going to obstruct people who are likely to be moving faster than you.
As for "how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone", happens all the time to me in 30mph zones. I regularly exceed 30mph on my commute home and without fail somebody will feel the need to overtake me - some drivers just can't get their head round the concept of not needing to overtake a pushbike!0 -
Can't agree with you here, no one is forced to overtake dangerously, either those cars (and yes I have experienced that too) or that cyclist, both were wrong and the driver behaviour doesn't excuse the cyclist's behaviour. 34 in a 20mph is similar to 52.5 in a 30mph zone, percentage wise.0
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Although unrelated to the incident at the start of this thread, as i understand it the reason for a 20mph limit rather than a 30mph limit is because of deer. On that descent i have had deer sprint across the road in front of me, other times they stand on the verge eyeballing cyclists as they go by (always worried they will see me advancing towards them, think i am a threat and then charge at me with their horns :shock: ). Chances of hitting a deer are very small though but its not impossible.0
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cops doing just that in central park: slapping cyclists with fines for 'speeding' and running red lights (when there are no cars in the park) ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 65660.html
if we really want to go off topic on poor riding, then let's discuss the commute to work ... making me start to advocate a strict national qualification test to ride a bike.0 -
kieranb wrote:airbusboy wrote:First of all i hope the cyclist is ok....and has a speedy recovery.NWLondoner wrote:Only the other week i was descending at 55kph and hugging the centre line and guess what, a thor hushovd wannabe comes screaming past on the wrong side of the road at god knows what speed.
Maybe you should move over onto the left side of the road and anticipate, maybe other cyclists are wanting to overtake instead of forcing them onto the wrong side of the road.....
Rgds
what a funny post, firstly NWLondoner is doing about 34mph in a 20mile zone (assuming he was talking about RP) , how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone? There shouldn't be anyone trying to over take him - a recent invention, called brakes, means people can slow down on the hills, unlike the early days of the bike. How did he force them to overtake - at gunpoint? some sort of blackmail?
Given NWlondoner has no regard for speed (he is over the limit, deliberately) you can't criticise the other rider for going quicker.... both are in the wrong, and so speed is completely irrelevant in this debate. I was getting at the point NWlondoner was on the centre-line... what's wrong with the 6ft of tarmac to the left of him? BasicallyWith consideration both cyclist could exceed the speed limit together on the correct side of the ride......
[/b] 'Ride hard for those who can't.....'0 -
Just did some digging and found this report from March 2008, so more than 3 years ago now. I shudder to think how the statistics might look now for cyclists, as I'm assuming that car and ped traffic has probably remained relatively similar, while we know that the number of people cycling has increased. Sort of supports what I've been saying (and I take your points Airbusboy, free open days in the park and that kind of thing would be helpful).
Sorry for the crappy image but the text was hard to select. For reference, Barn Wood Pond is at the bottom of Sawyers and Dorich House at Broomfield. Interesting that the 85th percentile speed was actually faster at the bottom of Dark Hill (Kingston gate) though!
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Maryka,
First of all mind your language, as much as you demand for others to ‘behave’ on the road, you should behave in a public forum in a mature and respective manner.
What amazes me the most is that the person who is listed as the ‘fastest’ woman down that hill (at av. of 55km/h and am sure top >60, so WAY beyond the speed limit) and does 3LC in <55min, again speed above legal limit, demands for restrictions on cycling….it’s completely beyond me how somebody who massively violates the rules can make such an outcry….if anything the authorities should make sure YOU cycle by the rules before taking on anybody else….just because for once you were put in a critical situation, things don’t have to change to the disavantage of anybody else
WTF I mean? Mind your own business….as many pointed out, it’s not much of an issue…with a bit of tolerance for the arguably ‘intolerable’ and a bit of cautiousness, things do work….for the rare real threatening behaviour…whether from a car or cyclist….tell them in the face….trying to restrict the little freedom cyclist in London have just because all of a sudden YOU think ‘now we need to ride by the book’ eventhough you yourself clearly haven’t done so in the past is compleltely off…the world should not and will not turn around you…and if you can’t take it leave it!0 -
Whilst poor cycling does annoy me car drivers are far more to blame for accidents or near misses. Every lap when its busy I have to descend to Kingston gate on the brakes to avoid cars crossing the white lines because they are too impatient to wait behind climbing cyclists. I have also lost count of the number of times I have had to brake to avoid hitting an oncoming car overtaking a cyclists because they cannot cope with waiting until the road ahead is clear.
You only have to look at the number of muppets on MTBs that go off road in the park despite the signs and byelaws that state cycling is not permitted off road to realise that some people are just ignorant and don't really care about how cycling is viewed by joe public.0 -
bcss wrote:Maryka,
First of all mind your language, as much as you demand for others to ‘behave’ on the road, you should behave in a public forum in a mature and respective manner.
What amazes me the most is that the person who is listed as the ‘fastest’ woman down that hill (at av. of 55km/h and am sure top >60, so WAY beyond the speed limit) and does 3LC in <55min, again speed above legal limit, demands for restrictions on cycling….it’s completely beyond me how somebody who massively violates the rules can make such an outcry….if anything the authorities should make sure YOU cycle by the rules before taking on anybody else….just because for once you were put in a critical situation, things don’t have to change to the disavantage of anybody else
It is possible to cycle in the park when its closed to traffic and many of us have posted fastest times in TTs or other competitive events.
I don't think speeding is the issue here its the circumstances, what you are saying is she drives at 100mph on an empty motorway she has no right to complain about other drivers doing 50mph past a school which is just plain stupid!0 -
Never once did I say that everyone must be required to follow all rules at all times. I admitted in my original post that I (like many if not all cyclists in the park) break some of the rules. I also noted that I don't break rules to the point ot endangering fellow cyclists. Maybe you should go back and read that post I wrote before you go off on another one.bcss wrote:rant snipped
My point was that cyclists riding recklessly and endangering others is something that's starting to become more and more frequent. I don't give a damn whether you descend Broomfield in the wrong lane at 80mph, just don't do it when you're going to put someone else at risk. If you are, then you're one of those lowest common denominator people who needs things like speed bumps to slow you down -- which admittedly would ruin it for the rest of us but hey, I'm willing to give that up if it means I can cut the chances of some idiot descending the hill too fast out of control and wiping me out when I'm climbing it.0 -
SLX01 wrote:bcss wrote:Maryka,
It is possible to cycle in the park when its closed to traffic and many of us have posted fastest times in TTs or other competitive events.
I don't think speeding is the issue here its the circumstances, what you are saying is she drives at 100mph on an empty motorway she has no right to complain about other drivers doing 50mph past a school which is just plain stupid!
I can't quite believe that somebody rides that hill (or as a matter of fact the 3LC) always abinding the 20 and then all of a sudden pulls double the speed at a TT or improve massively on the 3LC (for which btw there is no 'closed street competitive version')
The training will inevitably be above the legal limit and if the park is closed for cars there are still other cyclists and the deers & co are usually much more active on the roads...also I haven't seen a sign saying "if the park is closed there is no speed limit anymore"...as a matter of fact I think (though might be wrong) it s just tolerated that cyclists are using the park when closed but strictly speaking they shouldn't
So it's not as '100mph on an empty high way and 50mph past a school' kind of simple as in your black and white world...as many things it's a judgment call....and it's just annoying that some ppl put themselves above others thinking that their views should prevail...."it's ok if I brake the law because this and that (the park is closed, I am a competitive cyclist etc)...but mind you if you cross the line" kind of mentality0 -
bcss wrote:SLX01 wrote:bcss wrote:Maryka,
It is possible to cycle in the park when its closed to traffic and many of us have posted fastest times in TTs or other competitive events.
I don't think speeding is the issue here its the circumstances, what you are saying is she drives at 100mph on an empty motorway she has no right to complain about other drivers doing 50mph past a school which is just plain stupid!
I can't quite believe that somebody rides that hill (or as a matter of fact the 3LC) always abinding the 20 and then all of a sudden pulls double the speed at a TT or improve massively on the 3LC (for which btw there is no 'closed street competitive version')
The training will inevitably be above the legal limit and if the park is closed for cars there are still other cyclists and the deers & co are usually much more active on the roads...also I haven't seen a sign saying "if the park is closed there is no speed limit anymore"...as a matter of fact I think (though might be wrong) it s just tolerated that cyclists are using the park when closed but strictly speaking they shouldn't
So it's not as '100mph on an empty high way and 50mph past a school' kind of simple as in your black and white world...as many things it's a judgment call....and it's just annoying that some ppl put themselves above others thinking that their views should prevail...."it's ok if I brake the law because this and that (the park is closed, I am a competitive cyclist etc)...but mind you if you cross the line" kind of mentality
I still don't beleive its speed that is to blame its skill or lack of I'd rather be on Marykas wheel doing 50kmh down the hill than some numptie in full Sky kit on a Sunday doing 25kmh trying to make up the time he lost on the incline. I overtake cars but I don't overtake when they are about to turn right into a car park (I've seen it!) it is down to how you ride not how fast you ride.0 -
maryka wrote:Never once did I say that everyone must be required to follow all rules at all times. I admitted in my original post that I (like many if not all cyclists in the park) break some of the rules. I also noted that I don't break rules to the point ot endangering fellow cyclists. Maybe you should go back and read that post I wrote before you go off on another one.
My point was that cyclists riding recklessly and endangering others is something that's starting to become more and more frequent. I don't give a damn whether you descend Broomfield in the wrong lane at 80mph, just don't do it when you're going to put someone else at risk. If you are, then you're one of those lowest common denominator people who needs things like speed bumps to slow you down -- which admittedly would ruin it for the rest of us but hey, I'm willing to give that up if it means I can cut the chances of some idiot descending the hill too fast out of control and wiping me out when I'm climbing it.
I am really curious by which objective metrix you determine the range between 'out of the law but not endangering others'....in particular given that an action that you think might not endanger somebody else, might be perceived differently....maybe that guy rushing down the hill thought, she will know what I do, so if i brush by with a 1mm distance she won't feel threatened
Also you imply that you are always able to fully control a situation and forsee any outcome of your actions...well...ppl do make mistakes and overestimate themselves....so maybe that guy didn't see you, thought it was a 'free highway on which he can ride 100mph'
Look, I am not defending anybody here, this guy might as a matter of fact been a complete lunatic, but a) things do happen by mistake and b) what is right and what is wrong is a judgement call, in particular if we are talking outside of the law anyways (and pls don't come with 'common sense', there is no such thing as 'everybody thinks the same')....so don't put your judgement above others and risk everybody to be at a disavantage by writing a letter to the authorities just because you think you are willling to give it up, as you seen from the comments not everybody is
who know what would come out of such a letter, your suggestions might lead in an extreme case to cyclist not beeing allowed on the parks' roads anymore and then in fact you might endanger others as they have to do their rides on far riskier roads outside of Richmond Park0 -
Yes, because I'm such a good rider that a pack of 10 cyclists with unknown abilities spread across both lanes (over double white lines) on a 12% descent with a corner as I'm struggling to climb it isn't dangerous at all under anyone's judgement. Come on, are you even reading what you're writing?bcss wrote:I am really curious by which objective metrix you determine the range between 'out of the law but not endangering others'....in particular given that an action that you think might not endanger somebody else, might be perceived differently....maybe that guy rushing down the hill thought, she will know what I do, so if i brush by with a 1mm distance she won't feel threatened
All I can say is that I look at a situation and act accordingly. I don't overtake cars or cyclists going down that hill, I will either ease up at the top if I see traffic ahead or brake going down so I don't do that. I also call to cyclists I overtake ("on your right"), make sure it's safe before I overtake cars, look to the right at roundabouts and give way if there's traffic there, and *gasp* indicate at roundabouts. I manage to do all these things on every ride in the park, including my fast training ones. It's not that difficult. So the "metric" I use is, "is what I'm doing putting another user of the park in danger?" Pretty simple question, and when in doubt, do the safe thing. Why other cyclists can't apply this logic to their own riding is beyond me -- I can only chalk it up to ignorance or selfishness.bcss wrote:Also you imply that you are always able to fully control a situation and forsee any outcome of your actions...well...ppl do make mistakes and overestimate themselves....so maybe that guy didn't see you, thought it was a 'free highway on which he can ride 100mph'
Mistakes are made all the time on the roads by drivers and that sometimes results in the death of a cyclist -- and we are all (rightfully so) upset by it. Any mistake made by a cyclist that injures another cyclist should incur the same wrath. If you're overestimating yourself and hurt someone, you deserve the book thrown at you, sorry.
I'm flattered that you seem to think I can singlehandedly make such changes but I think you're a bit deluded. All I'm going to do is ask the authorities in the park what, if any, measures they are considering putting into place to reduce the dangerous riding that seems to be on the rise. And make some suggestions of ways they might want to do that, for them to take or leave. I do think a survey of cycling groups would help and I would hope they'd do that. But at the end of the day, the park is for all of us to use and enjoy. I have a right like anyone else to express an opinion of how it's being managed. Sorry if this means you can no longer ride like Clarkson on a bike in there, but if you feel so strongly maybe you should write a letter of your own detailing why your rights to ride however you please should trump every other rider's safety.bcss wrote:Look, I am not defending anybody here, this guy might as a matter of fact been a complete lunatic, but a) things do happen by mistake and b) what is right and what is wrong is a judgement call, in particular if we are talking outside of the law anyways (and pls don't come with 'common sense', there is no such thing as 'everybody thinks the same')....so don't put your judgement above others and risk everybody to be at a disavantage by writing a letter to the authorities just because you think you are willling to give it up, as you seen from the comments not everybody is
who know what would come out of such a letter, your suggestions might lead in an extreme case to cyclist not beeing allowed on the parks' roads anymore and then in fact you might endanger others as they have to do their rides on far riskier roads outside of Richmond Park0 -
airbusboy wrote:kieranb wrote:airbusboy wrote:First of all i hope the cyclist is ok....and has a speedy recovery.NWLondoner wrote:Only the other week i was descending at 55kph and hugging the centre line and guess what, a thor hushovd wannabe comes screaming past on the wrong side of the road at god knows what speed.
Maybe you should move over onto the left side of the road and anticipate, maybe other cyclists are wanting to overtake instead of forcing them onto the wrong side of the road.....
Rgds
what a funny post, firstly NWLondoner is doing about 34mph in a 20mile zone (assuming he was talking about RP) , how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone? There shouldn't be anyone trying to over take him - a recent invention, called brakes, means people can slow down on the hills, unlike the early days of the bike. How did he force them to overtake - at gunpoint? some sort of blackmail?
Given NWlondoner has no regard for speed (he is over the limit, deliberately) you can't criticise the other rider for going quicker.... both are in the wrong, and so speed is completely irrelevant in this debate. I was getting at the point NWlondoner was on the centre-line... what's wrong with the 6ft of tarmac to the left of him? BasicallyWith consideration both cyclist could exceed the speed limit together on the correct side of the ride...... [/b]
Well, given all the debate about cycling in RP, I'm glad I don't do it anymore, I stopped when the 20mph limit came in, it's only a 30min cycle for me to the countryside (North Downs), a better option I think.0 -
airbusboy wrote:kieranb wrote:airbusboy wrote:First of all i hope the cyclist is ok....and has a speedy recovery.NWLondoner wrote:Only the other week i was descending at 55kph and hugging the centre line and guess what, a thor hushovd wannabe comes screaming past on the wrong side of the road at god knows what speed.
Maybe you should move over onto the left side of the road and anticipate, maybe other cyclists are wanting to overtake instead of forcing them onto the wrong side of the road.....
Rgds
what a funny post, firstly NWLondoner is doing about 34mph in a 20mile zone (assuming he was talking about RP) , how would you feel if a car did that on a 20mph zone? There shouldn't be anyone trying to over take him - a recent invention, called brakes, means people can slow down on the hills, unlike the early days of the bike. How did he force them to overtake - at gunpoint? some sort of blackmail?
Given NWlondoner has no regard for speed (he is over the limit, deliberately) you can't criticise the other rider for going quicker.... both are in the wrong, and so speed is completely irrelevant in this debate. I was getting at the point NWlondoner was on the centre-line... what's wrong with the 6ft of tarmac to the left of him? BasicallyWith consideration both cyclist could exceed the speed limit together on the correct side of the ride...... [/b]
If it was a nice straight downhill descent then fine i'd have NO issue with being overtaken at whatever sped the other cyclist was at. But when the hill bends sharply to the right then i want to be a close to the apex as possible. So yes i do get a bit peeved when someone overtakes on the apex in the wrong lane. Had they got it wrong its me or the poor sods coming up the hill they are going to slam into. In the past i have gone down in the centre of the lane like you suggest and that just leaves an open door for everyone to try and overtake, again just as you hit the bloody apex.
Whenever i see slower riders ahead of me i moderate my speed so i won't reach them while going down broomfield. That is all i am asking for other riders to do.
In regards to the speeding. yes i am guilty just like the majority of the other riders i see around RP.0 -
I went there for the first time on Saturday morning. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents. Too many pro's/wannabe pro's all charge around and don't give other road users space.
When's the best time to go anyway?0 -
Londoners, I suspectbcss wrote:this thread is so funny, it started with the considerations for a poor chap who had a horrible accident (hope he's fine) and turned into a collective whining
and what is it driven by? 0 -
izzy Eviel wrote:I went there for the first time on Saturday morning. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents. Too many pro's/wannabe pro's all charge around and don't give other road users space.
When's the best time to go anyway?
Week days between the morning and evening rush hours is delightful very few cars and only a handful of cyclists.0
