Cycling two abreast....agree or not?
Discussion
cerb4.5lee said:
smiley_boy2501 said:
All I want to do is improve my fitness, burn enough calories to eat my weight in biscuits and keep my mental health in good condition. Does that really necessitate risking my life by passing me by at about 50mph, so close I can touch the wing mirror of your shiny SUV?
Take up running instead of cycling. That way you have more chance of staying alive by not getting knocked off your bike, plus you are not a nuisance to other road users either. That is a win win in my eyes. If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
One of the main problems is a conflict of road use. Cyclists riding in groups or side by side are almost exclusively riding for leisure purposes. They are not going anywhere. Car drivers being held up by cyclists are mainly people trying to get from A to B for some reason (going to work, shopping, etc) and often, with the busy roads in the U.K. not enjoying the experience. Being stuck behind a pack of cyclists that cause delays is annoying in such circumstances.
Of course the other case is where you have a driving enthusiast trying to enjoy the road themselves, which is often difficult these days because of traffic. The last thing you want after finally getting past Doris in her asthmatic Micra and you think you have some clear road ahead is to run into a queue of cars trying to get past a peleton.
Solution: ride a motorbike for fun as much easier to pass both Doris and cyclists.
Of course the other case is where you have a driving enthusiast trying to enjoy the road themselves, which is often difficult these days because of traffic. The last thing you want after finally getting past Doris in her asthmatic Micra and you think you have some clear road ahead is to run into a queue of cars trying to get past a peleton.
Solution: ride a motorbike for fun as much easier to pass both Doris and cyclists.
Ares said:
Do you need to overtake 1.5m long bikes doing 15/20mph one by one? How do you cope with a 5m long car doing twice that?
If there are 6 (3x2) or even 8 (4x2) bikes, would you find it difficult to overtake some 6m (or 8m) long doing 20mph? How do you cope with a small truck to overtake?
And for reference.....do you think a flip-flop wearing mountain biker is better or worse than a 'hardcore angry lycra carbon helmet cam type'?
And more importantly, in the list of importance, where does the 'hardcore angry lycra carbon helmet cam type*' sit compared to the Lycra Nazis (sorry, Nazi's), Lycra Terrorists, Lycra Warriors and 'serious Lycra clad mob'
(* Point of order, the more serious road cyclist seldom has a helmet cam, or any cam. That is usually the preserve of the commuter, or the 'riding with the kids' (flip flips, or no flip flops) 'brigade'. Road cyclists are all about weight, and aero. Cameras work against that.)
But they might have to turn their steering wheel! Or even worse have to change down a gear!If there are 6 (3x2) or even 8 (4x2) bikes, would you find it difficult to overtake some 6m (or 8m) long doing 20mph? How do you cope with a small truck to overtake?
And for reference.....do you think a flip-flop wearing mountain biker is better or worse than a 'hardcore angry lycra carbon helmet cam type'?
And more importantly, in the list of importance, where does the 'hardcore angry lycra carbon helmet cam type*' sit compared to the Lycra Nazis (sorry, Nazi's), Lycra Terrorists, Lycra Warriors and 'serious Lycra clad mob'
(* Point of order, the more serious road cyclist seldom has a helmet cam, or any cam. That is usually the preserve of the commuter, or the 'riding with the kids' (flip flips, or no flip flops) 'brigade'. Road cyclists are all about weight, and aero. Cameras work against that.)
Squeezing past takes so much less effort and its perfectly safe, cyclists never wobble or have to swerve around potholes. If worse comes to worse you can always swerve into the other lane a bit and the drivers coming the other way can make some space.
Ares said:
cerb4.5lee said:
smiley_boy2501 said:
All I want to do is improve my fitness, burn enough calories to eat my weight in biscuits and keep my mental health in good condition. Does that really necessitate risking my life by passing me by at about 50mph, so close I can touch the wing mirror of your shiny SUV?
Take up running instead of cycling. That way you have more chance of staying alive by not getting knocked off your bike, plus you are not a nuisance to other road users either. That is a win win in my eyes. If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
roadsmash said:
.
Sadly, the world is filled with tossers. Road users and pedestrians alike.
Exactly, that also includes PHers, ask TimoMak for validation.Sadly, the world is filled with tossers. Road users and pedestrians alike.
The reality is that the vast majority of drivers and cyclists are considerate IME, probably because a lot of them are both.
There will always be a minority of vocal and polarised t
ts in each "camp" though (including here), and they tend to convey a distorted image of the reality.DoubleD said:
cerb4.5lee said:
A good point to be fair! I'm 47, and I do feel it occasionally in my knees if I'm honest.
Cycle off road, best of all as it keeps you away from traffic and its way more fun than road cycling. I've haven't cycled for years and I did really used to enjoy it. I did Mansfield to Skegness(about 80 miles) twice with a load of other riders and I have fond memories of that(single file may I add!
)Ares said:
Unless you value your knees...!
If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
Incorrect. Cycling is a non weight bearing exercise. Running, being a weight bearing exercise, is better for your knees. Production of synovial fluid increases, ligaments and tendons are strengthened etc. Cycling would be better as a starter exercise if you were overweight or had an existing knee condition though. If you had to choose any exercise to do as you hit old age (given good health) it would be running or walking as it works the muscles involved in general mobility and balance. No point riding a bike if you can't get out of a chair. If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
nickfrog said:
Exactly, that also includes PHers, ask TimoMak for validation.
The reality is that the vast majority of drivers and cyclists are considerate IME, probably because a lot of them are both.
There will always be a minority of vocal and polarised tts in each "camp" though (including here), and they tend to convey a distorted image of the reality.
Exactly. Most people just get on with whatever they are doing with very little drama, but you will always get the extremes at either end. The reality is that the vast majority of drivers and cyclists are considerate IME, probably because a lot of them are both.
There will always be a minority of vocal and polarised t
ts in each "camp" though (including here), and they tend to convey a distorted image of the reality.popeyewhite said:
Incorrect. Cycling is a non weight bearing exercise. Running, being a weight bearing exercise, is better for your knees. Production of synovial fluid increases, ligaments and tendons are strengthened etc. Cycling would be better as a starter exercise if you were overweight or had an existing knee condition though. If you had to choose any exercise to do as you hit old age (given good health) it would be running or walking as it works the muscles involved in general mobility and balance. No point riding a bike if you can't get out of a chair.
Every runner I know is injured far more often than the average cyclist. Swimming>cycling>running
Esceptico said:
One of the main problems is a conflict of road use. Cyclists riding in groups or side by side are almost exclusively riding for leisure purposes. They are not going anywhere. Car drivers being held up by cyclists are mainly people trying to get from A to B for some reason (going to work, shopping, etc) and often, with the busy roads in the U.K. not enjoying the experience. Being stuck behind a pack of cyclists that cause delays is annoying in such circumstances.
Of course the other case is where you have a driving enthusiast trying to enjoy the road themselves, which is often difficult these days because of traffic. The last thing you want after finally getting past Doris in her asthmatic Micra and you think you have some clear road ahead is to run into a queue of cars trying to get past a peleton.
Solution: ride a motorbike for fun as much easier to pass both Doris and cyclists.
You are right that cyclists riding in groups or side by side are probably riding for leisure purposes, but because of this are likely to be riding at the weekend and will not spend long periods on major roads. Of course the other case is where you have a driving enthusiast trying to enjoy the road themselves, which is often difficult these days because of traffic. The last thing you want after finally getting past Doris in her asthmatic Micra and you think you have some clear road ahead is to run into a queue of cars trying to get past a peleton.
Solution: ride a motorbike for fun as much easier to pass both Doris and cyclists.
The idea of cyclists (or horse riders, pedestrians or runners for that matter) causing major delays for anyone on an ‘essential’ journey seems a bit unlikely to me. Some of the worst traffic jams I have ever been in have certainly been connected to leisure - bank holiday journeys to Cornwall, football matches, concerts etc. but no bicycles to be seen.
Let’s face it, no one ever has their journey time significantly impacted by cyclists but a (very) few people don’t believe that they should ever have to adapt their driving style to accommodate other road users.
I agree that two wheelers (powered or otherwise) are the best and possibly only way now to achieve a degree of real freedom on today’s roads.
popeyewhite said:
Ares said:
Unless you value your knees...!
If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
Incorrect. Cycling is a non weight bearing exercise. Running, being a weight bearing exercise, is better for your knees. Production of synovial fluid increases, ligaments and tendons are strengthened etc. Cycling would be better as a starter exercise if you were overweight or had an existing knee condition though. If you had to choose any exercise to do as you hit old age (given good health) it would be running or walking as it works the muscles involved in general mobility and balance. No point riding a bike if you can't get out of a chair. If you are under 30, run. Over 40.....bike. Way better.
I don’t disagree at all about the building up of muscle around a joint offering protection and pain relief but blanket recommendation of running over non impact forms of exercise is madness.
DoubleD said:
cerb4.5lee said:
A good point to be fair! I'm 47, and I do feel it occasionally in my knees if I'm honest.
Cycle off road, best of all as it keeps you away from traffic and its way more fun than road cycling. DoubleD said:
cerb4.5lee said:
A good point to be fair! I'm 47, and I do feel it occasionally in my knees if I'm honest.
Cycle off road, best of all as it keeps you away from traffic and its way more fun than road cycling. Keep seeing an X reg gold 944 who appears to be on a qualifying lap every time I see them, anyone know someone with such a 944 in Cheshire, the dont hang about, 38 year old car being given death every day.
J4CKO said:
DoubleD said:
cerb4.5lee said:
A good point to be fair! I'm 47, and I do feel it occasionally in my knees if I'm honest.
Cycle off road, best of all as it keeps you away from traffic and its way more fun than road cycling. 
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff