ThuRANTSday

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I posted this on another forum recently. I have no problem with people on bikes...

It's cyclists I avoid...

From the age of five until I got my car licence at seventeen, I rode various bikes including an ultra lightweight Viking track iron with fixed wheel and single (front) brake. In all the crashes I had (gravel and wet manhole covers were my undoing in the main) I never hit my head on anything. I'm afraid I probably couldn't face the ignominy of wearing half a melon on my bonce in the event of a head first off.

[DamperMan]

I'm an avid bike rider.  But my work commute and pleasure rides are all rural.  I recently cycled into the big smoke to collect a car. I was amazed at how curtious all the motorised drivers where.   I'm assuming they are quite used to cyclists pushing through traffic.   I was in no hurry and was just cycling with the traffic.  No one encroached on my space on the road. Other than the smoke, stop start and lack of green it was not the bad experience I expected.   I'm not sure about number plates, licences or more for peddle bikes.   I do break a good few rules on a bike..  there's a red light over a bridge I jump because there's loads of space for me and a car coming the other way, also it means I don't have cars up my bottom and overtaking when they should not though the next village.     I quite like the odd pint with a mate then cycle home.     What I do hate is seeing the number of cyclists with head phones on.   As a cyclist it's down to yourself to stay safe.   Choose sensible roads, command you position on the road, be seen, and be vary aware of other road users.  

 

As for helmits these are a relitively new thing.. I never ware a helmit until I had to for an organised bike ride.    I always ware it now......   except when it's really really hot (the one day of summer) or when I simply forget...  There where kids in school who when they fell over hit their heads every time.   That was not me.    I can't see any harm in waring a helmit so I do.        

 

[Kit Car Electronics]

Has anyone mentioned training? When I was at school, we had Cycling Proficiency Test, now Bikeability- but it's voluntary. Why not make it a compulsory qualification for riding on the public highway? 

[Blatman]

Cycling Proficiency certificate. Yes I changed the name in Photoshop. Yes it was a long time ago. Yes it's genuine  

 

[Blatman]

13 hours ago, Man On The Clapham Omnibus said:

I posted this on another forum recently. I have no problem with people on bikes...

Is she not going the wrong way?

[DonPeffers]

9 minutes ago, Blatman said:

Is she not going the wrong way?

Possibly Dutch or Danish.

I have seen Manhattan cyclists ride facing the traffic.

[Blatman]

Looks like a leafy Victorian or Gerogian suburb in London to me. I'm thinking Notting Hill or Battersea, maybe Hampstead/Highgate or similar.  

Spent quite a lot of time in Holland this year and last in 4 or 5 different towns. They are fans of the "picture window". This doesn't look like Holland to me but I'll stand to be corrected.

Oh, and the bike is too nice to be Dutch  

 

[Kit Car Electronics]

31 minutes ago, Blatman said:

Cycling Proficiency certificate. Yes I changed the name in Photoshop. Yes it was a long time ago. Yes it's genuine  

 

I rest my case 

Wow, can't believe you kept it! 

Do you ever stand your bike up using the pedal on a kerb, though

[Captain Colonial]

1 hour ago, Blatman said:

Cycling Proficiency certificate. Yes I changed the name in Photoshop. Yes it was a long time ago. Yes it's genuine  

 

Isn't 30 a bit old to gain your certificate?  

 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I had two of those: pass, and advanced. They were rather earlier than 1976 though...

[Thrustyjust]

To be honest, blondie above is your worst nightmare on the road. Personally she would be much better off sat on my knee, but thats bye the bye. Thats the kind of person on a bike ( not a cyclist) with about much street sense as a halibut on a zebra crossing. Also, it wouldnt be long before the skirt got jammed in the wheel. On the other hand a 'proper roadie' would be chasing strava points , so in a London 'race from the lights' he would win as he wont be stopping. You need to find an average between the two............

[Blatman]

9 hours ago, Kit Car Electronics said:

Do you ever stand your bike up using the pedal on a kerb, though

All the time

Technically I didn't keep it. My mother did. I found it recently along with many of my old school reports, merit cards and all sorts of memorabilia from my formative years.

 

8 hours ago, Captain Colonial said:

Isn't 30 a bit old to gain your certificate?  

I got held back a year or two... 

Git  

[DonPeffers]

On 8/18/2017 at 21:38, Lyonspride said:

I'm inclined to agree with what the cyclist said, even with a front brake he wouldn't have stopped, most likely would have wiped out and hit more pedestrians.

What I do think is that he was probably going stupidly fast.

At the end of the day, they're making an example out of him.

I can (correction--used to be able to) only do a stoppie with the front brake. No cycling now because of arthritis.

Even if he could not have stopped, a front brake would have scrubbed of a lot more speed.

The difficulty the cyclist faces is not the 18mph he was travelling at, but the illegality of having no front brake and that he reportedly twice shouted at the pedestrian to get out of the way which suggests he wasn't intending to stop.

I don't know how noisy electric cars will be but jaywalking pedestrians may need to take more care when they proliferate.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Just out of curiosity, as not having kids, my only experience is my own, a loooong time ago! But do schools still have the sort of road/pedestrian safety lessons for infants etc we used to back in the seventies? Oh how I remember the Tufty Club!  And what was that little boy with the preachy cat that was forever on TV adverts telling him how to not cross the road, and showing him the right way.

[Thrustyjust]

Dave, blackboards and shorts have changed now , as does semolina and frogs eyes