Life as a cycle commuter
Discussion
Now stop that, stop it once I say, you know what you're doing and it's not big and it's not clever. Sadly the vast majority of people on the roads never indicate properly, hardly ever think ahead and generally don't have a clue what they're doing. I can't pass judgement on who these people are or what form of transport they're in because I'm not going to rely on my own biases or prejudices and I don't have hard figures to hand. However, most road users are in motor vehicles, so it stands to reason (i.e. basic arithmetic) that they're the main perpatrators and a cyclist amongst the mayhem is at great risk. I used to commute 20 miles a day by bike and most of the time you can spot who's about to kill you or break your legs because mistakes aren't isolated - one lack of indication or silly manouvre is usually followed by several more. Just keeping an eye on things in that manner kept me alive for years, but to be honest I don't ride in rush hour anymore, just at weekends for fun on the most empty roads I can find; driving standards are just too poor and traffic levels too high for me to risk busy roads on a bike. Lately the bigotted anti-cyclist sentiment seems to be growing stronger, so for me that's even more reason to stay away from cars and limit my cycling to the lanes off-peak. It's a shame, especially in a country growing fatter and less fit year on year, but there's nothing less healthy than being squashed by a truck! Until the government introduce re-testing of drivers every few years the madness will continue, so I'm sticking to my car, the train or walking in rush hour for now!
danjama said:
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way, they use the roads for free and are a general pest especially at busy times.
f
king insensitive comment dont you think? Prick.Anyway, when I used to cycle a lot I did have a couple of people try to kill me, one being a bus on a narrow lane who gradually overtook me and drove closer and closer to the bank on the nearside, nearly squashing me... I survived though.
WeirdNeville said:
5STM5 said:
What is it about cycling that makes you want to risk your life, as you are at the mercy of other vehicles?
- It's cheap (once you have the bike and basic gear)
- It incorporates fitness with essential transport, so you don't have to waste time in a gym or doing exercise for the sake of it
- It's fun
- You get to collect new trinkets and kit and bikes
- It's actually very safe About 4x safer than motorcycling and on a par with Pedestrian levels of risk per KM travelled.
- It's actually faster than driving, walking or public transport: And has been for me both over a 15 mile each way commute (1hr however I did it, Bed to desk) and in urban areas.
- I look sexy in Lycra.
- A life without any risk is a very dull life indeed.
- It gets you out and about in fresh air.
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way, they use the roads for free and are a general pest especially at busy times.
Someone said that to me last week and I reminded them that I pay more car tax than they do and they should be grateful that I'm keeping another car off the roads during rush hours instead of adding to the problem by driving to work despite living 2 miles closer to work than I do. They didn't have much to say back. Sam1990 said:
Someone said that to me last week and I reminded them that I pay more car tax than they do and they should be grateful that I'm keeping another car off the roads during rush hours instead of adding to the problem by driving to work despite living 2 miles closer to work than I do. They didn't have much to say back.
You pay the VED on the car - absolutely nothing for the additional bicycle.If someone buys a second car, they don't get to say "no need for me to tax it, I'm already paying VED on my first car".
I'd be in favour of some sort of small compulsory fee on bikes taken onto the road to cover basic insurance. They already do it in Switzerland - the 'Velo Vignette', you pay a small amount into a general fund and get a sticker to put onto your bike to prove you've paid it.
I almost got collected by some dozy tosser overtaking a parked bus on the opposite side of the road, gave him a patronising head shake and carried on. Commuting by bike is a superb way of keeping fit and getting a bit of air in your lungs. I have lost a stone and a half in the last 6 weeks and I wasn't that fat to start with. As already stated, you should all be happy that cyclists are keeping an extra car off the road during rush hour and maybe think about that during the 10 seconds you have to wait to overtake one properly.
5STM5 said:
I don't understand why someone would want to cycle in a built up area that has so many risks, maybe you can explain it better than the OP.
I don't understand why someone needs to have their motives questioned.Does it matter if they do hate it? If you're operating your vehicle within the law and not taking risks superfluous to your journey, you should reasonably be able to expect to go about your business safely, regardless of what vehicle you're operating. If this is not possible then any claim that our road network is 'safe' is laughably hollow. Don't say "it has to be that way": go to the Netherlands or even Germany and you'll realise it doesn't.
And if you really don't care about the moral implications of forcing people to drop a method of transport for no reason other than safety, "driving" in the vicinity of the average school at chucking-out time might convince you of the practical implications. Or, say, estimating the average waistline you see on the high street. Do you ask these people to justify their choice of transport, bearing in mind they probably hate their commute too?
Lucas Ayde said:
I'd be in favour of some sort of small compulsory fee on bikes taken onto the road to cover basic insurance. They already do it in Switzerland - the 'Velo Vignette', you pay a small amount into a general fund and get a sticker to put onto your bike to prove you've paid it.
Why? The risks posed by bicycles are so small that the admin cost would outweigh the cost of insurance many times over. Let's not forget that cyclists are liable for any damage they cause whether they have insurance or not.Mr Will said:
Why? The risks posed by bicycles are so small that the admin cost would outweigh the cost of insurance many times over. Let's not forget that cyclists are liable for any damage they cause whether they have insurance or not.
I've seen people hit by bicycles (not always the cyclists fault of course) which could incur legal and additional medical care fees and in Switzerland it also contributes towards the medical costs of riders involved in accidents. Remember - you can cause an accident on a bicycle that results in motor vehicles crashing too.Admin costs are rolled up into the cost of the Vignette. In the case of Switzerland there is little additional admin as you just buy the sticker - you don't have to register into a database or anything. Policing the sticker is just part of the day to day job of the police - generally only if a cyclist or parked bike draws their attention.
Apart from all that, it might serve to remind some cyclists that they actually have a responsibility to adhere to road rules and regulations like motorised traffic has to do. As it stands, the fact that bikes are exempt from tax and insurance seems to contribute for some riders towards a sense of being separate from the responsibilities of road users in general.
A lot of simple continental principles seem beyond us.
It would start to look shakey when Capita announced that they have won the contract to administer it, and the death knell would be when the government reveals that the separately developed sysem is currently two years late and three times the original quoted cost over-budget.
It would start to look shakey when Capita announced that they have won the contract to administer it, and the death knell would be when the government reveals that the separately developed sysem is currently two years late and three times the original quoted cost over-budget.
Lucas Ayde said:
Mr Will said:
Why? The risks posed by bicycles are so small that the admin cost would outweigh the cost of insurance many times over. Let's not forget that cyclists are liable for any damage they cause whether they have insurance or not.
I've seen people hit by bicycles (not always the cyclists fault of course) which could incur legal and additional medical care fees and in Switzerland it also contributes towards the medical costs of riders involved in accidents. Remember - you can cause an accident on a bicycle that results in motor vehicles crashing too.Admin costs are rolled up into the cost of the Vignette. In the case of Switzerland there is little additional admin as you just buy the sticker - you don't have to register into a database or anything. Policing the sticker is just part of the day to day job of the police - generally only if a cyclist or parked bike draws their attention.
Apart from all that, it might serve to remind some cyclists that they actually have a responsibility to adhere to road rules and regulations like motorised traffic has to do. As it stands, the fact that bikes are exempt from tax and insurance seems to contribute for some riders towards a sense of being separate from the responsibilities of road users in general.
The third party risk caused by a cyclist is pennies per year. £5 million cover is thrown in free of charge with my cycling club membership and most peoples household insurance as well. Lets not get distracted from the real issues here.
Lucas Ayde said:
Sam1990 said:
Someone said that to me last week and I reminded them that I pay more car tax than they do and they should be grateful that I'm keeping another car off the roads during rush hours instead of adding to the problem by driving to work despite living 2 miles closer to work than I do. They didn't have much to say back.
You pay the VED on the car - absolutely nothing for the additional bicycle.If someone buys a second car, they don't get to say "no need for me to tax it, I'm already paying VED on my first car".
I'd be in favour of some sort of small compulsory fee on bikes taken onto the road to cover basic insurance. They already do it in Switzerland - the 'Velo Vignette', you pay a small amount into a general fund and get a sticker to put onto your bike to prove you've paid it.
So, what is the point of this thread then?
Are we supposed to hunt down the lorry driver and the other motorists involved and have a word for you?
Not everyone is a perfect driver, people get distracted, people make mistakes, (and the biggest problem of all) people get target fixation (look it up if you don't know what that is).
It's up to you as a vulnerable road user to protect yourself against these issues as best you can.
If you think that's the job of other people [to keep you safe], then may I suggest you take the car instead?!
So again, what do you hope to achieve from this thread?
Are we supposed to hunt down the lorry driver and the other motorists involved and have a word for you?
Not everyone is a perfect driver, people get distracted, people make mistakes, (and the biggest problem of all) people get target fixation (look it up if you don't know what that is).
It's up to you as a vulnerable road user to protect yourself against these issues as best you can.
If you think that's the job of other people [to keep you safe], then may I suggest you take the car instead?!
So again, what do you hope to achieve from this thread?
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way,
Next time you're on a journey, count how many times you're held up by cyclists and how many times you're held up by other cars and tell me which is worse.UrbanSports said:
they use the roads for free
Really? I pay £3k a year council tax which helps pay for local roads, and my tax return is eye watering at the amount of income tax I pay that goes towards road spending.UrbanSports said:
and are a general pest especially at busy times.
Why do you think those times are busy? Lots of cars eh?Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
So, what is the point of this thread then?
Are we supposed to hunt down the lorry driver and the other motorists involved and have a word for you?
Not everyone is a perfect driver, people get distracted, people make mistakes, (and the biggest problem of all) people get target fixation (look it up if you don't know what that is).
It's up to you as a vulnerable road user to protect yourself against these issues as best you can.
If you think that's the job of other people [to keep you safe], then may I suggest you take the car instead?!
So again, what do you hope to achieve from this thread?
Couple of good points there, and a pertinent question.Are we supposed to hunt down the lorry driver and the other motorists involved and have a word for you?
Not everyone is a perfect driver, people get distracted, people make mistakes, (and the biggest problem of all) people get target fixation (look it up if you don't know what that is).
It's up to you as a vulnerable road user to protect yourself against these issues as best you can.
If you think that's the job of other people [to keep you safe], then may I suggest you take the car instead?!
So again, what do you hope to achieve from this thread?
oyster said:
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way,
Next time you're on a journey, count how many times you're held up by cyclists and how many times you're held up by other cars and tell me which is worse.UrbanSports said:
they use the roads for free
Really? I pay £3k a year council tax which helps pay for local roads, and my tax return is eye watering at the amount of income tax I pay that goes towards road spending.UrbanSports said:
and are a general pest especially at busy times.
Why do you think those times are busy? Lots of cars eh?
UrbanSports said:
oyster said:
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way,
Next time you're on a journey, count how many times you're held up by cyclists and how many times you're held up by other cars and tell me which is worse.UrbanSports said:
they use the roads for free
Really? I pay £3k a year council tax which helps pay for local roads, and my tax return is eye watering at the amount of income tax I pay that goes towards road spending.UrbanSports said:
and are a general pest especially at busy times.
Why do you think those times are busy? Lots of cars eh?Incoming parrot?
oyster said:
UrbanSports said:
oyster said:
UrbanSports said:
IMO cyclists just get in the way,
Next time you're on a journey, count how many times you're held up by cyclists and how many times you're held up by other cars and tell me which is worse.UrbanSports said:
they use the roads for free
Really? I pay £3k a year council tax which helps pay for local roads, and my tax return is eye watering at the amount of income tax I pay that goes towards road spending.UrbanSports said:
and are a general pest especially at busy times.
Why do you think those times are busy? Lots of cars eh?Incoming parrot?
Worked a treat
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