Are MTBs losing out to road bikes

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Comments

  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Where do you cycle then? Be specific as I know the area ;)
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Where do you cycle then? Be specific as I know the area ;)
    Get yourself on parts of the C2C and the derwent valley railway path and it's as good as a road (now most of it is tarmac'ed to a higher finish than most roads!) and zero cars! Virtually all of that is doable on a road bike :wink:
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Where do you cycle then? Be specific as I know the area ;)
    Get yourself on parts of the C2C and the derwent valley railway path and it's as good as a road (now most of it is tarmac'ed to a higher finish than most roads!) and zero cars! Virtually all of that is doable on a road bike :wink:

    Oh I do! Although I take issue with the Derwent Walk being as good as a road, it really isn't ;).

    Have you seen the new surface from Beamish down through Pelton? Now that certainly is better than a road, smooth as anything :D
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Where do you cycle then? Be specific as I know the area ;)
    Get yourself on parts of the C2C and the derwent valley railway path and it's as good as a road (now most of it is tarmac'ed to a higher finish than most roads!) and zero cars! Virtually all of that is doable on a road bike :wink:

    Oh I do! Although I take issue with the Derwent Walk being as good as a road, it really isn't ;).

    Have you seen the new surface from Beamish down through Pelton? Now that certainly is better than a road, smooth as anything :D
    Hehe, you jessie, it's perfectly fine ;)

    I've heard about it but not had a chance to get myself down it yet! I am doing the C2C in April though so i'll get to then!
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    So let me get this right, the conclusion of this thread seems to be that MTBers are wimps who wouldn't dare take the risks that roadies do then? :twisted:
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    bompington wrote:
    So let me get this right, the conclusion of this thread seems to be that MTBers are wimps who wouldn't dare take the risks that roadies do then? :twisted:
    Get out.

    But yes, it looks like it :?
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    bompington wrote:
    So let me get this right, the conclusion of this thread seems to be that MTBers are wimps who wouldn't dare take the risks that roadies do then? :twisted:

    Different risks. You're not getting me going down some of those downhill courses!
  • russyh
    russyh Posts: 1,375
    Russyh wrote:
    And why can you not just make one reply insted of five on the bounce....

    Because I can't be ars*d scrolling up and down, cutting and pasting and adding quote brackets and names, when i can simply just click on the "quote" button. If that really bothers you so much then you really need to get a life.

    Wow could come back...get a life? Ha ha, from the bloke that posts motorbike picks on a cycling forum, had/has a beard, is over 30 and uses 'lol' I'm guessing your single?


    :wink:
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    bompington wrote:
    So let me get this right, the conclusion of this thread seems to be that MTBers are wimps who wouldn't dare take the risks that roadies do then? :twisted:

    Different risks. You're not getting me going down some of those downhill courses!

    I would rather ride Fort William at the limits of my ability (and beyond) than ride any city centre.
  • russyh
    russyh Posts: 1,375
    With you there rockmonkey, I am lucky in that I live in a rural part of the uk, I wouldn't ride my bike in London or any big city centre. But where I live locally it's relatively safe albeit some roads are scarier than others.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Meh, I find plenty of country roads scarier than London roads (and I ride plenty on both). Plenty of country lanes are driven by people not expecting to find a cyclist. In London you're moving so much faster than everything else it's not really an issue. Pedestrians and other cyclists are the biggest liability.
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    The biggest hazard on rural lanes and cycle routes is dogs on those extending leads. Bloody lethal things.
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    The biggest hazard on rural lanes and cycle routes is dogs on those extending leads. Bloody lethal things.

    I suspect some owners do that deliberately...
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Russyh wrote:
    Russyh wrote:
    And why can you not just make one reply insted of five on the bounce....

    Because I can't be ars*d scrolling up and down, cutting and pasting and adding quote brackets and names, when i can simply just click on the "quote" button. If that really bothers you so much then you really need to get a life.

    Wow could come back...get a life? Ha ha, from the bloke that posts motorbike picks on a cycling forum, had/has a beard, is over 30 and uses 'lol' I'm guessing your single?


    :wink:

    And that's the best you can do? :roll: :lol:
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    Personally I feel these days with traffic getting heavier and so on that bicycles and cars are becoming less compatible in terms of using the same roads. There are more idiot drivers about than ever before(and cyclists).

    People who want to cycle on roads (god knows, I don't, but if that's their thing then it's entirely up to them) need to remember that, rightly or wrongly, when it comes to the traffic occupying those roads safely, they're the bottom of the food chain, and need to assume that everyone is out to kill them, for their own good. At the end of the day, if it all gets messy, they're the ones who are going to get squished, not the car driver who wasn't looking, or the one who flattened them after they ignored a red light, or the truck driver who squashed them because they stupidly rode up his left side blind spot when he was about to turn left. Even if they haven't done anything stupid like that (and we all know that many do) and it's entirely someone else's fault, (self)righteous indignation isn't going to make hospital food taste any better.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    first sensible post ive seen you make in a while :D
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    As someone who rides in London can I ask anyone contemplating it to ignore the above completely please? Too much Daily Mail, not enough real life...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    But there seems to be an attitude that you're either riding off road or you're riding in the middle of London, when of course there's a lot inbetween!
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    But there seems to be an attitude that you're either riding off road or you're riding in the middle of London, when of course there's a lot inbetween!
    Like most things regarding London, you're either "in London" or "not in London".

    At least that's the governments view.
    Personally I feel these days with traffic getting heavier and so on that bicycles and cars are becoming less compatible in terms of using the same roads. There are more idiot drivers about than ever before(and cyclists).

    People who want to cycle on roads (god knows, I don't, but if that's their thing then it's entirely up to them) need to remember that, rightly or wrongly, when it comes to the traffic occupying those roads safely, they're the bottom of the food chain, and need to assume that everyone is out to kill them, for their own good. At the end of the day, if it all gets messy, they're the ones who are going to get squished, not the car driver who wasn't looking, or the one who flattened them after they ignored a red light, or the truck driver who squashed them because they stupidly rode up his left side blind spot when he was about to turn left. Even if they haven't done anything stupid like that (and we all know that many do) and it's entirely someone else's fault, (self)righteous indignation isn't going to make hospital food taste any better.

    I say the same about a lot of motorcyclists. They complain and complain about how they're so likely to get killed or injured yet never do anything to make motorcycling safer. Endless times I hear them complain about people knocking them when filtering. In my opinion unless you're prepared to actively do something to improve the safety of it, you have no right to moan about how dangerous it is. Either put up, shut up, or make it safer.

    It reminds me of people who complain about the government yet didn't even vote in the last election.
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    I don't vote because I can't decide which lying bunch of greedy f*ckwits I would like to see running the country.
    I will still complain about the bunch of greedy, corrupt public school toff tw@ts we ended up with because no one voted for the government we ended up with.
    I'm pretty sure they don't know that there are parts of Britain outside the M25.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I don't vote because I can't decide which lying bunch of greedy f*ckwits I would like to see running the country.
    I will still complain about the bunch of greedy, corrupt public school toff tw@ts we ended up with because no one voted for the government we ended up with.
    I'm pretty sure they don't know that there are parts of Britain outside the M25.
    Imagine if Scotland did seperate, we'd be a one party state.
  • Angus Young
    Angus Young Posts: 3,063
    It reminds me of people who complain about the government yet didn't even vote in the last election.

    I didn't vote and that's exactly why I do get to moan. I didn't put them in, you did. You lot who vote don't get to moan because you continue to tell these people that their pisspoor efforts are good enough. You keep telling them, carry on folks, because that's all I deserve.
    All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
    Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=12994607
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    first sensible post ive seen you make in a while :D

    :wink:
  • Kowalski675
    Kowalski675 Posts: 4,412
    I say the same about a lot of motorcyclists. They complain and complain about how they're so likely to get killed or injured yet never do anything to make motorcycling safer. Endless times I hear them complain about people knocking them when filtering. In my opinion unless you're prepared to actively do something to improve the safety of it, you have no right to moan about how dangerous it is. Either put up, shut up, or make it safer.

    Completely agree with you. Apart from the difference that with a motorcycle you have a lot of performance to (potentially) get you out of (or indeed into...) a sticky situation in a hurry, it's exactly the same principle - you have to ride defensively and assume that every other road user is a retarded, blind gibbon who wants to kill you. Filtering is legal (and of course I do it, why sit in a queue when you don't have to?), but the way you see some folk do it makes me cringe (and if you do get mashed or smashed a court will usually reduce your payout, even though you weren't doing anything illegal, because you were putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation that potentially increased your risk of getting splatted, even if it was the driver's fault for completely failing to look before pulling out). There's a fine line between filtering and lane splitting too, the latter of which will get you a tug if PC plod sees it.

    I've never complained about motorcycling being dangerous. Of course it is, crashing a bike is pretty much always going to be more hazardous than crashing a car. You make the decision as an adult whether that risk is acceptable to you, and do what you can to mitigate it. Have I had a crash that was a car driver's fault? Yes - but knowing that didn't make the broken collarbone any less of a ballache. Have I had a crash because I was riding like a tw*t? Yes, but I've only got myself to blame for that (although those type do usually make for funnier anecdotes). Like any other dangerous activity, if you don't think the perceived level of risk is acceptable then don't do it. Personally, the risk (rather than the reality) of it all going tits up and finishing upside down in a ditch has always been part of the fun of it. Back when we were young and (more) stupid, a ride wasn't a ride unless you'd had at least one near death experience. :lol:
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    I say the same about a lot of motorcyclists. They complain and complain about how they're so likely to get killed or injured yet never do anything to make motorcycling safer. Endless times I hear them complain about people knocking them when filtering. In my opinion unless you're prepared to actively do something to improve the safety of it, you have no right to moan about how dangerous it is. Either put up, shut up, or make it safer.

    Completely agree with you. Apart from the difference that with a motorcycle you have a lot of performance to (potentially) get you out of (or indeed into...) a sticky situation in a hurry, it's exactly the same principle - you have to ride defensively and assume that every other road user is a retarded, blind gibbon who wants to kill you. Filtering is legal (and of course I do it, why sit in a queue when you don't have to?), but the way you see some folk do it makes me cringe (and if you do get mashed or smashed a court will usually reduce your payout, even though you weren't doing anything illegal, because you were putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation that potentially increased your risk of getting splatted, even if it was the driver's fault for completely failing to look before pulling out). There's a fine line between filtering and lane splitting too, the latter of which will get you a tug if PC plod sees it.

    I've never complained about motorcycling being dangerous. Of course it is, crashing a bike is pretty much always going to be more hazardous than crashing a car. You make the decision as an adult whether that risk is acceptable to you, and do what you can to mitigate it. Have I had a crash that was a car driver's fault? Yes - but knowing that didn't make the broken collarbone any less of a ballache. Have I had a crash because I was riding like a tw*t? Yes, but I've only got myself to blame for that (although those type do usually make for funnier anecdotes). Like any other dangerous activity, if you don't think the perceived level of risk is acceptable then don't do it. Personally, the risk (rather than the reality) of it all going tits up and finishing upside down in a ditch has always been part of the fun of it. Back when we were young and (more) stupid, a ride wasn't a ride unless you'd had at least one near death experience. :lol:
    What is the difference between filtering and lane splitting?

    Either way I think both should be at the risk of the motorcyclist not the car driver. It's a dangerous maneuver by it's very nature and not necessary. If the rest of us can wait in the queue, so can you. I'm not saying it should be illegal, just it's often done dangerously and too fast by the motorcyclist, or in too narrow lanes. Yes some car drivers don't check their blind spot but again car drivers are going to do that whatever you say so moaning about them being in the wrong won't stop you ending up in hospital.
  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Being a cyclist through and through, in traffic whilst driving I stick to the middle of the road more than the curb side. Allows push bikes through more easily and annoys motorbikes who seem to think that have a god given right to filter. How about wait your turn like the rest of us?
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    annoys motorbikes who seem to think that have a god given right to filter. How about wait your turn like the rest of us?
    I actually agree with you for once.
  • rockmonkeysc
    rockmonkeysc Posts: 14,774
    Why should people sit in a que just because you have to?
    Fortunately I know quite a few bikers who would rip off wing mirrors on cars who deliberately block bikes. By the time you realise what they have just done you will have no chance of reading their number plate.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Being a cyclist through and through, in traffic whilst driving I stick to the middle of the road more than the curb side. Allows push bikes through more easily and annoys motorbikes who seem to think that have a god given right to filter. How about wait your turn like the rest of us?

    But why should they? If there is space to get through? Saying queue up like everyone else is just out of spite that they might get ahead of you. It's that kind of attitude which causes motorists to go on rants at cyclists so I would have expected better on a cycling forum.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Fortunately I know quite a few psychotic neanderthal morons

    FTFY