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darrena8
Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 8
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 Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 8:58 pm |
I've been commuting to work now for about 6 weeks,
I have to say iam enjoying it and i travel about 50 miles a week.
My only concern is the idiots who give no consideration to us cyclists!
I've had about 5 close calls with motorists, wankers!
Its just pure ignorance and iam honestly not surprised more cyclists are not killed or seriously injured.
I went through the bike to work scheme,if the goverment want more people to ditch their cars and get out and use bikes why isn't there more cycleways to make it more safer?
Whats other peoples opinions on this please?
Rant over,haha
Daz
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pastryboy
Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Posts: 258
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 9:11 pm |
Have a look in the rant thread.
My two instances of horrendous driving this evening are referred to in the last page.
Basically impatient drivers assuming they'll pull off a dangerous manouvere before the (well-lit) cyclist is in harm's way - unfortuantely said cyclist was going the same speed as a car would and so they horribly mis-timed their dangerous manouvres which incidentally had they done in a driving test would be an instant fail and having to walk home.
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mikeyboy12345
Joined: 20 Jun 2009
Posts: 57
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 10:18 pm |
Get used to it! What you consider a close call now will feel normal in a couple of months 
On Monday night I was nearly squashed by a dark grey Fiesta doing about 30mph (closing speed about 55mph  ) on completely the wrong side of the road with no lights showing...at 8.30PM! The sooner you accept that some people will behave like this then the easier life gets.
Next ride try making an effort to count the numbers of people who go out of their way to make your life easier: the drivers who overtake leaving ample room, drivers who will happily sit behind you 20yds before they turn left, drivers who don't deliberately position their cars so as to make filtering more difficult, etc, etc. Hopefully you'll find that the total idiots are massively outnumbered by the normal people!
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chuckcork
Joined: 04 Jun 2008
Posts: 1286
Location: Somewhere in Surrey
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 10:40 pm |
| mikeyboy12345 wrote: | | Hopefully you'll find that the total idiots are massively outnumbered by the normal people! |
They are, but obviously 10000 nice drivers may be good to you but it only takes one f*ckwit to kill you.
And the law generally will let them get away with it...
'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze.... |
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the_village_idiot
Joined: 07 Oct 2009
Posts: 108
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 10:48 pm |
blah blah blah drivers are bad, cyclists are bad, pedestrians are bad blah blah blah
cant u just shout at your missus, punch one of your friends of drown yourself in drugs instead of boring us with this stuff? 
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Eau Rouge
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 592
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Posted Wed Nov 4, 2009 10:54 pm |
| darrena8 wrote: | | I went through the bike to work scheme,if the goverment want more people to ditch their cars and get out and use bikes why isn't there more cycleways to make it more safer? |
I still say the bike to work scheme's primary purpose is to cut the cost of employing people by reducing employer NI contributions.
I'm also not a huge fan of cycleways in this country. They just aren't done right and even with the dodgy drivers, it's still usually faster and safer on the road. Between badly laid surfaces, pedestrians, debris, giving up right of way at every side street and sudden endings in random places, I think I'd rather the councils did something else with their budgets.
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BentMikey
Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 4682
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 8:37 am |
| darrena8 wrote: | I've been commuting to work now for about 6 weeks,
I have to say iam enjoying it and i travel about 50 miles a week.
My only concern is the idiots who give no consideration to us cyclists!
I've had about 5 close calls with motorists, wankers!
Its just pure ignorance and iam honestly not surprised more cyclists are not killed or seriously injured.
I went through the bike to work scheme,if the goverment want more people to ditch their cars and get out and use bikes why isn't there more cycleways to make it more safer?
Whats other peoples opinions on this please?
Rant over,haha
Daz |
Well done on your commuting and riding!
I would suggest that cycle lanes aren't going to make your life safer - they have two effects, one is to reduce your perception of danger, and the other is to make riding actually more dangerous. Bad combination.
http://www.londonskaters.com/cycling/safety-cycle-lanes.htm
I would recommend getting yourself a copy of cyclecraft by John Franklin if you haven't already read it.
Two other things you probably already know about - avoid riding next to parked cars in the door zone, and be careful around hgvs.
My bikes
My skates |
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snailracer
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Posts: 133
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Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009 9:58 am |
You might also try looking for a different route, along quieter roads if poss.
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