Cycle helmets

[GT49er]

Cyclist are under no obligation to do this, lets not forgot that. There is nothing in the highway code about this, I would suggest that often cyclists ride too close in to the kerb allowing drivers to get by when perhaps they shouldn't.

Spot on. There is no obligation for us to ride on the slippery yellow lines, or bounce over the man-hole covers. When I passed my HGV training, I was taught that where you were was YOUR bit of road - as a cyclist, I always keep a distance between me and the kerb so that motorists have toTRHINK about whether they've got room to pass me, rather than just squeezing by, assuming I'll move even closer to the kerb or even stop to let them get by. It works a treat........

 

[perseus]

Luck or Judgement ?

Spot on. There is no obligation for us to ride on the slippery yellow lines, or bounce over the man-hole covers. When I passed my HGV training, I was taught that where you were was YOUR bit of road - as a cyclist, I always keep a distance between me and the kerb so that motorists have toTRHINK about whether they've got room to pass me, rather than just squeezing by, assuming I'll move even closer to the kerb or even stop to let them get by. It works a treat........

Seriously, the motorists are not always looking where they are going. You got a be street wise.

e.g. if it is raining hard the motorist will not see you. Not only that the roads are so bad nowadays that cycling is perilous in heavy rain. The floods obscure the hazards. High viz jackets and cycle helmets are effective then. But the best bet is to get off the roads entirely. A survivor, by luck more than anything.

 

[GT49er]

Seriously, the motorists are not always looking where they are going. You got a be street wise.

I* am street wise. A yard out, I am in their line of sight; they have to think about how to pass me, and whether there's room without out colliding with that lorry coming the other way. Bouncing along the gutter they will disregard me. Speaking with fifty plus years of experience..............

 

[Woodchip]

I* am street wise. A yard out, I am in their line of sight; they have to think about how to pass me, and whether there's room without out colliding with that lorry coming the other way. Bouncing along the gutter they will disregard me. Speaking with fifty plus years of experience..............

They don't call it the primary position for nothing. You'll often find I go out into the road further as I approach traffic islands. You pass me when I feel it is safe not when you think you might not hit me.

 

[Garage_Doors]

It was originally for horses and carts - and people without horses. Geez, have we just found another product of our education system who thinks that history began with Hitler and football was invented by the Premier League!

I think the "highway" your referring to was dust track / cinder type which was path made by continual use when cycles we not too common rather than a construction of laid materials, typically the more solid robust tarmac construction we use today.
You mention horses and carts - and people without horses, and conveniently leave out cycles for which the thread is about.
Read the whole thread rather than skipping to the end and getting wrong.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Yes.

Great argument with nothing to back it up. Well done

 

[Was not Was]

Can you explain that bit? get it back?
The highway was originally for motor vehicles not pedestrians and cyclists.

I think you may have summed up the problem we have in the UK (unless you were joking).

Cycling advocates were at the forefront of campaigning for better roads until the 50s. It's only the planning madness of the 60s onwards that has put us in a position of motor vehicles blighting our communities and high streets, relegating the self-propelled (cyclists and pedestrians) to second-class status.

Other developed countries seem to be much better than us at realising the problem and doing something about it. Look at this article about what's happening in Paris, and contrast with London, where Parliament Square is a multi-lane roundabout and even Trafalgar Square is only pedestrianised on two sides:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/02/paris-seine-riverside-expressway-pedestrian?newsfeed=true

Maybe not the best example of my point, as these are iconic sites, not everyday high streets, but you see what I'm getting at, I hope.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Absolutely agree, no one should put into danger, and especially not riding in the gutter, But motorised vehicles should have priority on the roads for which they were intended.

Can't let that go unchallenged. If you happen to be on a journey of hundreds of miles on A class or below roads, then delays due to other road users, could just could add up to a significant amount of time. 99.9% of journeys do not fall into this category and it is an arrogant conceit to assume that just because you are driving YOUR car that YOU paid for, it somehow means your time is more important than anyone else's. I hate being held up when driving, the same as anyone else, but the time you lose to reckless cyclists and dozy pedestrians every day, will barely by you enough time to scratch your arse.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I know I shouldn't bounce this, but I couldn't let it lie.

From Today's Argus 4 traffic related pieces.

Hit and Run by stolen car see Brighton_girl87's thread.
Speeding in Sussex including a motorbike going at 137 MPH on a dual carriageway
Shopkeeper in Hastings caught using a disabled badge that was not his.
Letter writer claims cyclists should cough up £200 road tax

Why is it the fourth one that obsesses so many people ?

Also given that I probably spend more time driving a car than riding a bike, why is it that I can easily disassociate myself from everyone else's bad driving on the road, but feel I have to defend cycling due to the poor behaviour of a minority.

 

[GOM]

I* am street wise. A yard out, I am in their line of sight; they have to think about how to pass me, and whether there's room without out colliding with that lorry coming the other way. Bouncing along the gutter they will disregard me. Speaking with fifty plus years of experience..............

Wow the arrogance of the potential victims, and not just you GT !
What if they don't think how to pass you ? What if there is a lorry coming the other way ? do you think they will take the option of ploughing into that, or maybe swerve out of the way into you ? What if they are not interested in you, eg playing with phone / radio / whatever ?
Yep their fault, only one victim
50 plus years of experience and roadcraft,yeah, yeah, it's not down to you who gets hurt. play games and you will lose, it only needs to happen once. Just a fact.
Good luck, sincerely, I wish you, and all other cyclist many more years of hurt-free cycling, avoiding the motorist

 

[Woodchip]

Wow the arrogance of the potential victims, and not just you GT !
What if they don't think how to pass you ? What if there is a lorry coming the other way ? do you think they will take the option of ploughing into that, or maybe swerve out of the way into you ? What if they are not interested in you, eg playing with phone / radio / whatever ?
Yep their fault, only one victim
50 plus years of experience and roadcraft,yeah, yeah, it's not down to you who gets hurt. play games and you will lose, it only needs to happen once. Just a fact.
Good luck, sincerely, I wish you, and all other cyclist many more years of hurt-free cycling, avoiding the motorist

That is what the brake pedal is for. If the cyclist were a horse they'd not pick a fight with it.