One single thing that makes you think "knob" Vol 3

[macdeb]

Some people on here that copy and paste stuff in order to give the illusion that 'they' are the oracle on such things.

[anonymous-user]

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

[Rich_W]

The Spruce goose said:

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

I honestly don't get car drivers who drive fast on the road when there is a dedicated race track somewhere for them to drive fast on. In fact why have performance cars at all?


I don't want to take this down the route of so many "car vs cyclist" tt fests (on both sides!) we see on PH.

But essentially. Most bike lanes are ste. If they aren't going where I don't want to go. They are covered in crap, never cleaned like a road is. stty surfaces and often badly designed. Particularly the "shared" types that share cyclists going anything up to 30mph ish with pedestrians!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyd_KGUh10g
If you've got a 2m30 this is pretty much par for the course. I wouldn't use that either.

BUT
Conversely, when I used to cycle to work there was a cycle lane that I used every time. Ran parallel to a 3 lane carriageway (speed limit was 40 but traffic was in the 50-70 range really) Though there no reason why I couldn't use it. And I did see the odd person using it. I try to ride/make choices that keep me safe and gets me to where I want to go.

[yellowjack]

Liquid Knight said:

Robert W said:

Please explain what facial expression would work when driving THIS along the road for the driver to look credible - suggestions welcome. Central London yesterday. I assume Sultan is nothing to do with Brunei?

XR2 based kit car from around 1995 to 2000

Very rare but whatever you do don't put it on the Supercars and Rarities thread.

Edited by Liquid Knight on Friday 2nd December 14:30

By Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - Reliant Kitten (1977), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49...

Separated at birth???

[Jim AK]

Rich_W said:

But essentially. Most bike lanes are ste. If they aren't going where I don't want to go. They are covered in crap, never cleaned like a road is. stty surfaces and often badly designed. Particularly the "shared" types that share cyclists going anything up to 30mph ish with pedestrians!

So take it up with the relevant authority to keep it clear & maintained so you can use it.

Im sure you would contact them if your car got fked up by a pothole or something.

A few weeks ago I had the misfortune of driving from Pimlico to Trinity House on Lower Thames Street in London, single lane most of the way due to the Cycle Super Highway, Aka Bozo the ex Mayors vanity project, at around 5.45 pm. I counted 29 people using the vanity project & lost count of the number using the road.

This stupid project cost Londonners fking millions in money & will cost London motorists in time terms for ever, yet the Blond Arsewipe did not make it a legal requirement for cyclists to use it!!!

I take your point that the Cycleway does not always go where you are going but it would be impossible to make Cycleways go everywhere, its the same with Motorways, they go near to places then we use A or B roads.

IMO if a Cycle lane is there it should be a legal requirement for Cyclists to use it then use the road for the bit that does not have one.

[Rich_W]

Jim AK said:

So take it up with the relevant authority to keep it clear & maintained so you can use it.

Im sure you would contact them if your car got fked up by a pothole or something.

Sadly, Pointless. Especially when there';s a nice clean road I can use quite legally. And No I tend to drive according to the conditions and don't just smash into potholes I didn't see

Jim AK said:

A few weeks ago I had the misfortune of driving from Pimlico to Trinity House on Lower Thames Street in London, single lane most of the way due to the Cycle Super Highway, Aka Bozo the ex Mayors vanity project, at around 5.45 pm. I counted 29 people using the vanity project & lost count of the number using the road.

This stupid project cost Londonners fking millions in money & will cost London motorists in time terms for ever, yet the Blond Arsewipe did not make it a legal requirement for cyclists to use it!!!

You do realise that the Government WANT people to not use cars? Particularly in cities.
I don't buy the argument that it "cots motorists time" tbh. As I said above. I spend my life in my car queuing behind other cars. The cyclists and motorbikes just filter past me and away. Yes occasionally I may need to drive a bit slower as I cant safely pass a bike. But in the great scale of a commute that takes average 1h30ish (19miles) It's the sitting at lights or in a queue of 30 cars at lights that make it st. Put the blame where it should be. On us car drivers.

And Boris and even Sadiq can't change the law. That's for parliament.

Jim AK said:

I take your point that the Cycleway does not always go where you are going but it would be impossible to make Cycleways go everywhere, its the same with Motorways, they go near to places then we use A or B roads.

IMO if a Cycle lane is there it should be a legal requirement for Cyclists to use it then use the road for the bit that does not have one.

Well for my 19 mile drive. I think there's all of maybe 500metres of dedicated cycle lane. So it's such an insignificant amount of time it's not going to magically make car driving any easier. Or reduce congestion to a thing of the past. The same commute I do now,10 years ago was half an hour quicker! But then I guess if you allow the population to grow so fast it's not just the NHS or housing shortage that suffers



Going Off topic slighty. Clarkson years ago went to Tokyo. He said something like "In Tokyo, the car finished as a viable commuting tool" Simply because there are so many cars and not enough space.

I fear we in the UK in our major towns and cities aren't far behind!

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 3rd December 00:19

[Big Rod]

The Spruce goose said:

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

Not necessarily.

It depends on where you want to go and what kind'a bike you're on.

This time of year, the cycle paths are absolutely atrocious. Wet leaves and debris everywhere. Into January and February they're not treated and there's sheet ice...

...Doesn't really mix with riding on two wheels, especially with road tyres.

Cycle paths are great. I use them as often as I can but they're most suited to 'off road' bikes and/or families out for a leisurely ride out.

See this on the left of the road...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.0046908,-3.65155...

...That's allegedly a 'cycle path'!

Y'think you could ride that? I tried it once. I resorted to the road on Sunday and it was much less stressful.

I have to say, I've only been riding for a coupl'a years but I have a new found appreciation for other road users. Don't get me wrong, there are muppets on the road and there are muppets on the paths, (don't get me started on dogs off leads!), but we just need to get on together and try to lose whatever entitlement we think we have.

Edited by Big Rod on Saturday 3rd December 01:11

[jamoor]

Rich_W said:

Well for my 19 mile drive. I think there's all of maybe 500metres of dedicated cycle lane. So it's such an insignificant amount of time it's not going to magically make car driving any easier. Or reduce congestion to a thing of the past. The same commute I do now,10 years ago was half an hour quicker! But then I guess if you allow the population to grow so fast it's not just the NHS or housing shortage that suffers



Going Off topic slighty. Clarkson years ago went to Tokyo. He said something like "In Tokyo, the car finished as a viable commuting tool" Simply because there are so many cars and not enough space.

I fear we in the UK in our major towns and cities aren't far behind!

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 3rd December 00:19

Ever seen traffic in Tokyo?

[davamer23]

Seaweed

[Willy Nilly]

The Spruce goose said:

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

Southend sea front has a nice cycle path. The problem is you get mum and dad escorting their little ones along there, which is fine, it makes them safe. You also get pedestrians stepping into the cycle path without looking and very often walking along it. Finally, there are parking spaces for cars running along side it and day trippers will park on there and open doors without looking and use it to load their buckets and spades into the cars.

Most decent club cyclists can just about keep up with the traffic on that stretch.

[Rich_W]

jamoor said:

rich_w said:

Going Off topic slighty. Clarkson years ago went to Tokyo. He said something like "In Tokyo, the car finished as a viable commuting tool" Simply because there are so many cars and not enough space.

I fear we in the UK in our major towns and cities aren't far behind!

Ever seen traffic in Tokyo?

Not first hand, though I'd like to change that in due course. Potentially 2018.

Was just going off this from mid 90s?

https://youtu.be/4kD-U-5Dc4o?t=6m11s

I get there's an element of artistic licence in there. But when we are now in 2016 in the situation that the average speed in our large towns and cities is mid single digits are we far away from the car being a dinosaur? Traffic planners in the UK are clearly hopeless. Traffic lights everywhere. NO Entry, one way. No parking. Speed humps. Then massive overpopulation, ever degenerating driving standards.

None of it helps.

I don't go in for conspiracy theories. I go for usual civil service incompetence mixed with fkwittery

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 3rd December 10:36

[Dr Murdoch]

Jim AK said:

So take it up with the relevant authority to keep it clear & maintained so you can use it.

Im sure you would contact them if your car got fked up by a pothole or something.

A few weeks ago I had the misfortune of driving from Pimlico to Trinity House on Lower Thames Street in London, single lane most of the way due to the Cycle Super Highway, Aka Bozo the ex Mayors vanity project, at around 5.45 pm. I counted 29 people using the vanity project & lost count of the number using the road.

This stupid project cost Londonners fking millions in money & will cost London motorists in time terms for ever, yet the Blond Arsewipe did not make it a legal requirement for cyclists to use it!!!

I take your point that the Cycleway does not always go where you are going but it would be impossible to make Cycleways go everywhere, its the same with Motorways, they go near to places then we use A or B roads.

IMO if a Cycle lane is there it should be a legal requirement for Cyclists to use it then use the road for the bit that does not have one.

Thats a pretty ignorant post Jim.

I'm about to go out, but Rich pretty much covered.

Ive complained to Surrey about a shared cycle path next to the A320 near woking, at best its about 1.5m wide (to cater for bikes and peds?!) and this time of year you can't see the surface as its copvered in leaves (literally cannot see any tarmac whatsover) which are like ice. As I said, Ive complained, but they aren't interested / haven't the resources.

I commute 13 miles by bike or car. When commuting by car i'm held up by cars, when commuting by bike i'm aslo held up by cars.

Lastly, every cyclists you see probably equates to one less car that would of been sat in front of you in the traffic jam...

[Jim AK]

Rich_W said:

Well for my 19 mile drive. I think there's all of maybe 500metres of dedicated cycle lane. So it's such an insignificant amount of time it's not going to magically make car driving any easier. Or reduce congestion to a thing of the past. The same commute I do now,10 years ago was half an hour quicker! But then I guess if you allow the population to grow so fast it's not just the NHS or housing shortage that suffers



Going Off topic slighty. Clarkson years ago went to Tokyo. He said something like "In Tokyo, the car finished as a viable commuting tool" Simply because there are so many cars and not enough space.

I fear we in the UK in our major towns and cities aren't far behind!

Edited by Rich_W on Saturday 3rd December 00:19

Wow.

You must be Superhuman, 20/20 vision, ESP & everything if a public road could never throw you an issue that may damage you or your car.

Seems you also believe a quart will fit into a pint pot too! Car drivers are seen as the problem & to a degree they are, but the Bozo vanity project has made them more so.

I drive in Central London very frequently & ive noticed that since the completion of the Bozo vanity project we are totally unable to predict journeys, on one particular tour we were late for nearly all of our presentations & our American cousins all said London traffic was now worse than New York!

Also London Mayor has the authority to legislate on ALL major roads in London as effectively they are CEO of Transport for London (TFL) & they can legislate as they see fit. It's why the Bozo vanity project is on all the major roads it is.
Original plan was to use side roads in places like Lambeth, Southwark & Westminster but because TFL does not have the same rights over them they needed the agreement of those & other councils. Amazingly the local councillors refused to allow it....... Because they realised congestion would ensue!

A London based radio station LBC stopped a cab on Lower Thames Street in rush hour to load a disabled passenger & it took a total of 7 minutes to do this & traffic was at a standstill due to the Bozo Vanity Project on the left & an upbuilt reservation to the right, so please don't tell me it's not a problem.

It could possibly work after a style but as ever Common Sense is not applied.

[STILLJOE]

Rich_W said:

A dual carriageway gets ruined by cyclists riding on it? Are the riding 10 abreast?

Just how st are the drivers round there.

Or is it really that the traffic backs up cause there's st loads of it and that's what happens in every town all over the country. But you rather blame maybe 30-40 people on bikes? When I drive the19 mile some from work every day. I ain't sitting stationary in a queue of bikes

heavy traffic and people trying to be courteous and giving the bikes a wide berth, so going across to the other lane - has exactly the same effect as if it was a tractor - traffic backs up, not stationary, just reduced to a crawl. On days where I don't come across bikes on this road the traffic isn't backed up the same and once said cyclist has been passed the traffic moves a lot quicker. It's not 30-40 either - most actually use the cycle lane, it's only ever 2 or 3 max on the road.

[spookly]

Willy Nilly said:

The Spruce goose said:

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

Southend sea front has a nice cycle path. The problem is you get mum and dad escorting their little ones along there, which is fine, it makes them safe. You also get pedestrians stepping into the cycle path without looking and very often walking along it. Finally, there are parking spaces for cars running along side it and day trippers will park on there and open doors without looking and use it to load their buckets and spades into the cars.

Most decent club cyclists can just about keep up with the traffic on that stretch.

I quite understand about the cycle paths with dawdling cyclists, kids and pedestrians. In fact cyclists are to cars, as those lot are to faster cyclists on cycle paths.

So the choice is between being delayed slightly by slower cyclists and having to slow down for potential hazards (pedestrians/kids etc)..... or you could jump on the road with the cars and become the one delaying things :-)

HTH

[Monkeylegend]

Jim AK said:

I drive in Central London very frequently & ive noticed that since the completion of the Bozo vanity project we are totally unable to predict journeys, on one particular tour we were late for nearly all of our presentations & our American cousins all said London traffic was now worse than New York!

Also London Mayor has the authority to legislate on ALL major roads in London as effectively they are CEO of Transport for London (TFL) & they can legislate as they see fit. It's why the Bozo vanity project is on all the major roads it is.


traffic was at a standstill due to the Bozo Vanity Project on the left & an upbuilt reservation to the right, so please don't tell me it's not a problem.

That's what it's supposed to do though. They want to persuade car drivers to give London a miss.

[Rich_W]

STILLJOE said:

heavy traffic and people trying to be courteous and giving the bikes a wide berth, so going across to the other lane - has exactly the same effect as if it was a tractor - traffic backs up, not stationary, just reduced to a crawl. On days where I don't come across bikes on this road the traffic isn't backed up the same and once said cyclist has been passed the traffic moves a lot quicker. It's not 30-40 either - most actually use the cycle lane, it's only ever 2 or 3 max on the road.

I'm genuinely baffled as to why the 2-3 cyclists on a dual carriageway when allowing for sensible passing by cars causes such a huge problem. Is it perhaps because there's loads and loads of car drivers there? If there were 3 cyclists and 10 cars on a dual carriageway. Think very early morning. I daresay there would be no crawling. But I imagine its 2-3 cyclists and the 2000 cars (that will pass the bikes) that cause the problem. Too many cars, not enough space.

It's our job as drivers in whatever we find ourselves in. To negotiate past them safely. And Yes, occasionally we will have to slow down to do that. But the roads aren't solely mine or yours. They're for everyone to use and we have to play nice out there.

Jim AK said:

A London based radio station LBC stopped a cab on Lower Thames Street in rush hour to load a disabled passenger & it took a total of 7 minutes to do this & traffic was at a standstill due to the Bozo Vanity Project on the left & an upbuilt reservation to the right, so please don't tell me it's not a problem.

It could possibly work after a style but as ever Common Sense is not applied.

Lower Thames street is an interesting example. I think it's not well thought out. Should be an option for pick up drop off points for Uber drivers. Not anyone from the LTDA as they are just tax dodging, self important, crap driving wkers (Notice the resistance to CC machines and how they would have to start declaring what they REALLY earn!)

PS It was Kens idea for CSH. Boris was in office when it was implemented and Sadiq shows no signs of cancelling it either. So expect it to get bigger over time. As I say, they WANT less cars in the capital.

[Liquid Knight]

The Spruce goose said:

I honestly don't get cyclists who cycle on the road when there is an dedicated cycle land/road for them. it is nonsensical as well as safer.

This again.

Okay I won't delve too deep into it this time but in the last two years I have done close to 10,000 road miles on my bike and not had a single puncture. I cycled into my local town last week. Three miles of cycle lane, swerved to avoid, dog crap, nappies, broken glass, broken vehicle plastic, shopping trolley parts and a hypodermic syringe only to get both my tyres punctured on a thorn branch.

10,000 miles in two years on the road = 0 punctures

3 miles on a cycle lane in one day = 2 punctures

That's why I tend to stick to the road on my bike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84T2i5PCMxw

[Liquid Knight]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

Arguing - Debate - Debacle

[MKnight702]

People whining on the Nico thread about the fact that he has retired at the top of his game. Why should he stick around just so he can be beaten by whoever is their preferred driver next year? Presumably, then they would whine that he should have retired before he went off the boil?

And for the record, I would have preferred it if Lewis had won another championship but this year he was beaten by his team mate.