New Cycling Trend

hangeron wrote:

Cycle training for kids isn't going to get anyone cycling...its just pointless handwringing, seentobedoinggoodism and an admission the urban environment is utterly clusterfecked.

Completely disagree. Kids at 15 or 16 are going to be college students at 17 or 18, and then many of them (the more the better) are going to be cycling on the roads. Teaching the basics of safe cycling in traffic can only be a good thing.

Obviously the safety or otherwise of kids of whatever age cycling on the roads depends a lot on the area. There are many rural or quiet suburban areas in the UK where older kids could still cycle to school however, and the more this was the norm the less 4x4s there would be on the school run and the more careful drivers would be.

I have had a white front light on the rear of my bike but that was only when my regular rear light had decided to pack in for my commute home. I took the line that a light is better on the rear than no light. Plus my commute was entirely illuminated by street lights so I was only after something to attract attention.

Understandable in those circumstances, utterly baffling otherwise.

gary.hounsome wrote:

I've seen people on pitch black roads with a flashing front light, 1 how do they see the road 2 it's distracting for drivers.

I only use my flashing lights on overcast days and as the sun comes down, as soon as it's getting dark I switch them to constant, nothing more annoying than sat behind a cyclist with a flashing rear led, just as annoying as a car with its rear fogs on when it's not foggy!!

I'm definetly one for flashing front lights, it's hard to explain but I hope I make it clear, the other night whilst driving, I nearly pulled out on a cyclist. The reason being I never saw them, at a junction I saw a car about 60 meters up the road so had plenty of time to pull out, as I did a cyclist appeared from nowhere, very close call. But it turned out that at the angle I was and where the car and bike were placed on the road, the cyclist was covering the cars headlight and his own front light was at the same height, so it looked that there was only a car. It was only as I moved forward a third light appeared, and I sh!t myself, and so proberbly did the person on the bike!!!

Yes flashing lights may be annoying, but I believe they make you stand out and be seen.