Pedal Cycles - No Lights at Night

[Skodaku]

What is it about most, (not all), folks on pedal cycles ? Ride 'em at night, no lights, dark clothing etc etc and then get upset when you just miss them. I thought there were HC rules about this sort of thing. Last night I actually saw a police car, in Chelmsford, just miss a bloke on his unlit bike and not even bother to have a word. Wish I'd thought to note the reg number, but didn't. Anyone got any "cures" for this sort of thing................other than actually killing the cyclists ?

[selmer]

I passed a guy on the main road near my house last week. Unlit country A road, NSL, no hard shoulder or cats eyes, quite a bit of adventurous overtaking too. This fella had a worky vest on and a LED front light. No rear Does he think he'll just 'bounce' into the soft undergrowth when he gets ran into from behind?

[jay 300zx]

This is one thing that gets my back up..!! I do alot off MTBing and at this time of year I do alot of night time riding in the dark so to get to the woods I have to go buy road.. Now all the riders in my group have at least one rear light on (I have 2) we all have bike kit on which have reflective strips on. Plus we all have very powerfull front lights (16w HID light about 65watts of lighting)... And I still worry about if I can be seen.

There is a couple cycles that ride from my work.. In Dark clothes with a rear light that has had it batterys in there for 2 years so its just about glowing red. The front lights the same too and to top it of there is a cycle path which run's along the side of the road to one side (which is seperate to the road)

Yep you guess it thay ride on the bloody road which is a 50mph and with no street lamps..!! Every time I drive pass I feel like stopping and asking what the hell is he thinking..!

The police just seem to drive pass with out a care in the world..

Jay (One cycles with lights)

[Andy Oh]

I commute daily in to the city of London on a Yamaha R1 and the amount of cyclists I see with very inadequate lighting and reflective clothing is just amazing.....also most of the cyclists in London I believe must be blind or partially sighted as they cannot see a red light and zoom through junctions apparently without a care in the world until they almost get hit by other unsuspecting road users.......

I give cyclists a wide berth but I wish they would use decent lights and reflective clothing or bands so they can be seen....also a quick glance through the Highway Code would be useful so they can understand what junctions and red lights mean!!

Cheers,

Andy

[Blue_R1_Cyclist]

Andy Oh said:

I give cyclists a wide berth but I wish they would use decent lights and reflective clothing or bands so they can be seen....also a quick glance through the Highway Code would be useful so they can understand what junctions and red lights mean!! Cheers, Andy

I ride a ZXR and race an R1 ( www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_04.jpg ). However as a racing cyclist, I feel obliged to stick up for cyclists.

You are right, there are many commuter cyclists who have not been adequately educated in cycle road craft. Riding without lights and visibility clothing is stupid. Ignoring lights is also stupid.

But remember, for every miscreant cyclist, there are 10 miscreant motor vehicle riders/drivers. The type who, speed, park on pavements, tailgate, cut up cyclists.

Car drivers love to point out the splinter in cyclists eyes, while ignoring the plank in their own. Remember it is motor vehicle users who kill and maim, not cyclists.

The roads are for all ..

ALWAYS give cyclists room,
slow down if necessary,
allow cyclists to take the primary position (that's right, in the middle of the lane in front of your car !!) if they want to manoeuvre. They are allowed to, even if there is a cycle lane!

[Selmer]

Blue_R1_Cyclist said:

Andy Oh said: I give cyclists a wide berth but I wish they would use decent lights and reflective clothing or bands so they can be seen....also a quick glance through the Highway Code would be useful so they can understand what junctions and red lights mean!! Cheers, Andy I ride a ZXR and race an R1 ( www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_04.jpg ). However as a racing cyclist, I feel obliged to stick up for cyclists. You are right, there are many commuter cyclists who have not been adequately educated in cycle road craft. Riding without lights and visibility clothing is stupid. Ignoring lights is also stupid. But remember, for every miscreant cyclist, there are 10 miscreant motor vehicle riders/drivers. The type who, speed, park on pavements, tailgate, cut up cyclists. Car drivers love to point out the splinter in cyclists eyes, while ignoring the plank in their own. Remember it is motor vehicle users who kill and maim, not cyclists. The roads are for all .. ALWAYS give cyclists room, slow down if necessary, allow cyclists to take the primary position (that's right, in the middle of the lane in front of your car !!) if they want to manoeuvre. They are allowed to, even if there is a cycle lane!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!






























sorry....just can't hande another 'tarring everyone with same brush' thread again

[pdV6]

Oh FFS! Can we just lock this thread now before this kicks off again?

[Flat in Fifth]

pdV6 said:

Oh FFS! Can we just lock this thread now before this kicks off again?

I know Ted could do with a thread lock version of the swear filter.

Cyclists no lights = lock
pikeys = lock
diesels are crap = lock
Sailboats or motorboats = lock
any more for any more

Oh sorry I forget any thread with "watch" in the text


>> Edited by Flat in Fifth on Friday 24th February 15:23

[richb]

Blue_R1_Cyclist said:

Andy Oh said: I give cyclists a wide berth but I wish they would use decent lights... as a racing cyclist, I feel obliged to stick up for cyclists. You are right, there are many commuter cyclists who have not been adequately educated in cycle road craft.

It's nothing to do with adequate education - it's belligerence on the part of 50% of cyclists who simply don't consider the laws of the road apply to them. I could agree with you about drivers vs' cyclists but frankly two wrongs don't make a right. I always give cyclists room and consideration. I also make life as scary as possible for the ignorant arseholes who think they are oblivious to the law. They do not deserve your consideration 'racing cyclist', they are as bad as the motorists you criticise. Rich...

[DieselJohn]

Try working at a university and playing dodge the Chinese student riding the wrong way up a one way street, in the dark, with no light.

[Code Monkey]

richb said:

It's nothing to do with adequate education - it's belligerence on the part of 50% of people who simply don't consider the laws of the road apply to them. I could agree with you about drivers vs' cyclists but frankly two wrongs don't make a right. I always give other road users room and consideration. I also make life as scary as possible for the ignorant arseholes who think they are oblivious to the law.

close but no cigar, no offence meant richb but its just all the same from everyone and this thread is older than pistonheads. Its a friday, the weekend is here and its going to be a good weekend.

can we just end the sad little diatribe of this thread now please.

[richb]

Code Monkey said:

close but no cigar, no offence meant richb

None taken - p.s. I've been on Pistonheads since it's inception so I do know what's been done before - you can keep your cigar

[Code Monkey]

richb said:

Code Monkey said: close but no cigar, no offence meant richb None taken - p.s. I've been on Pistonheads since it's inception so I do know what's been done before - you can keep your cigar

cool got a light?

[richb]

No I don't smoke...

[Blue_R1_Cyclist]

richb said:

[quote=Blue_R1_Cyclist] I always give cyclists room and consideration. I also make life as scary as possible for the ignorant arseholes who think they are oblivious to the law. They do not deserve your consideration 'racing cyclist', they are as bad as the motorists you criticise. Rich...

Look, you might not realise the difference. But a racing cyclist, i.e a racing club cyclist, cycles for sport first. We train on the roads. We have strong ethics and codes about how to behave. You will never see a club cyclist running red lights, mounting pavements etc. etc. You might have heard of Lance Armstrong, or our own gold medallists Chris Boardman, Bradley Wiggins etc. Where do you think they train? On the road.

I've been riding since I was 13, racing since I was 15. Virtually all miscreant cyclists are NOT racing cyclists - I can guarantee you that.

I do believe that a lot of commuter cyclists are simply unaware of how they should ride. You could be right, perhaps a % (I doubt 50% however) deliberately break the rules.

Any cyclist breaking the rules should be reprimanded. But how many cars speed, etc.? And don't give me the old 'skill' argument, I'm a good racing motorcyclist and can lap a track faster than most. I never feel the need to speed on the public highway.

However - many car drivers have never even picked up the highway code!! They don't realise that cyclists are allowed to sit in the center of a lane at a junction. Because they are impatient and have to slow down, they think they are in the right - they're not.

Finally there is no justification for scaring someone with your car, irrespective of who is in the right. You sir are a coward to do such a thing. Anyone can launch a ton of steel at a vulnerable cyclist.

When you 'jokingly' threaten someone in such a manner, are you SURE you're in the right? If you are, use anger management, calm down, count to 10 ... and relax. Tut at the naughty cyclist, and carry on your way. You'll feel a lot better at staying in control, and 'rising above it'.

[pdV6]

Blue_R1_Cyclist said:

blah blah blah

So, can we just accept that as you're not one of the ones being moaned about, there's no need to get defensive and leave it at that, then? Or are you also trying to 'defend' the hordes of ignorant, illegal prats that make life a misery for motorists and then come over all hard-done-by when their own actions lead (inevitably) to hospital?

The other option is that you're simply trolling.

Either way, this thread needs to die ASAP as its all been done before.

[Code Monkey]

Blue_R1_Cyclist said:

When you 'jokingly' threaten someone on the internet, are you SURE they are in the wrong? If you are, use anger management, calm down, count to 10 ... and relax. Tut at the other poster naughty cyclist, and carry on your way. You'll feel a lot better at staying in control, and 'rising above it'.

and no one will think ah troll and ignore anything you might be saying that may or may not be interesting. there are plenty on here who cycle and drive and no one likes a keyboard warrior with fast key fingers and nothing more than an attitude to back it all up.

[richb]

Blue_R1_Cyclist said:

Look, you might not realise the difference. But a racing cyclist... <etc.>

Funny how people jump to conclusions without knowing anything about the person on the other end of the interent isn't it?
My bike...

Rich...

p.s. I just noticed the rear light on mine

>> Edited by richb on Friday 24th February 16:11

[Parrot of Doom]

You won't find many idiot motorists on this website. So you're pretty much preaching to the converted. Just as when I post on C+ I don't mention the hordes of idiot cyclists with no brain, because none of them post there.

[Blue_R1_Cyclist]

richb said:

Blue_R1_Cyclist said: Look, you might not realise the difference. But a racing cyclist... <etc.> Funny how people jump to conclusions without knowing anything about the person on the other end of the interent isn't it? p.s. I just noticed the rear light on mine >> Edited by richb on Friday 24th February 16:11

Ah, a fellow cyclist, then! I jumped to a (logical) conclusion from what you wrote. But please think again about 'scaring' cyclists whilst in a car.

Nice bike! Here's one of my TT bikes!!

www.paulappleyard.co.uk/TT_bike_02.jpg

and my latest aquisition

www.paulappleyard.co.uk/Reef_01.jpg

PS, how do you get the pic to appear in the post?

As for the 'troll' allegations - not at all! I am a petrol head and a cyclist. They exist, you know! Managed a 53 sec lap of mallory on this day ...

www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_01.jpg
www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_02.jpg
www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_03.jpg
www.paulappleyard.co.uk/MalloryPark_04.jpg