Cyclists!!!

[Racers]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

 

[Jacob]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

 

[Jacob]

.........

Speaking as a life-long cyclist and car-driver since I was 17 - I don't ever recall seeing a cyclist pull in to let things pass.

Evidence or retraction please.

BugBear

Lets face it it isn't often an issue unless you are driving an HGV in a narrow lane. And when a cyclist does pull in it's not something you'd take note of, or stop and gather "evidence" for bugbear. :lol:

I do it often myself. Maybe you should too, and set an example. You have to around here. There are narrow lanes where you could hog the road for several miles if you don't let things pass.
If there is a lot of traffic it sometimes isn't viable to give way or you won't get a chance to pull out again. So you just have to carry on regardless and have a bit of a laugh about the Clarksons behind you; huffing and puffing so self-righteously. :lol:
Might hit the jackpot one day and have Clarkson himself and our own RogerS stuck behind me going purple with rage whilst I waste 30 seconds of their valuable time. :lol: :lol:

Your confident assertions of what should happen do not constitute the requested evidence even anecdotal) of what does happen.

So far the only citations for the claim of "most" is "J. Butler", who is atypical in most regards I'm aware of.

BugBear

I take this garbled post as an admission that as a cyclist you personally never pull over for traffic in narrow lanes, giving the rest of us a bad name. :roll:

 

[newt]

What gets me is where there is a perfectly good cycle lane but the buggers still insist on using the road.

I've recently treated myself to a new bike with a view to getting a bit of exercise and fresh air and am loving it, although having to build up the distance gradually as I'm so unfit !

Have to say that I thought the same as Roger before, but having used some of them round here I know tend not to use most of them and stay on the road instead !

The reason being that they are also used by pedestrians, dog walkers and the like and it is absolutely asking for trouble to try and anticipate safely where they might wander on the paths next, unless you are happy to proceed at a snails pace or keep slowing down and speeding up to take evasive action

I prefer to work up to a nice efficient and enjoyable pace and maintain that as far as possible.

The cycle lanes also get interrupted at every T junction round here, so while you can cycle continuously past those on the road, on the cycle lanes you have to stop at each and cross, again really slows things down.

All in all it's just easier, more enjoyable, safer, and more efficient to just stay on the road !!!

The exceptions to that are large busy roundabouts and complex junctions where the lanes and underpasses are a godsend and safer.

I don't wear lycra though and don't hog the middle of the road, and I still swear at the groups of cyclists who get in my way when I'm driving :lol:

Cheers, Paul

Paul, doctor Jim my son rides his bike to work each day. It's about 9 miles most on a cycle path. He was riding to work last week, group of school kids coming towards him, one of them rode straight into him, Jim went over the bars. Broke his wrist badly, 2 hours in surgery. The girl that hit him said sorry she was not looking, she had no injuries. Going to be off work for some time. Cycle to work on cycle paths to avoid cars, then get clobbered by another biker.

 

[Jacob]

Cycle paths are bloody dangerous. http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/w ... st2012.htm
They know how to do them in Holland but they haven't really begun here at all.

 

[kirkpoore1]

I used to ride my bike to work, back when I lived only 8 miles from work not the 35 miles I have to go now. Never had a problem--though I saw the only tornado I've ever seen in person while I was on my way home one afternoon. (I stopped to watch it, since it was going away from me.)

Now, a good friend of mine was stopped at a corner, when the truck next to him turned. It had a ladder sticking out the back, and clotheslined him. I think he got a concussion out of it. Of course, this guy has had almost everything happen to him, from being struck by lightning to being disemboweled by a tank, so he treated it as a fairly minor matter.

Kirk

 

[Racers]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

So cyclists don't hold up trafic but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say cyclists don't hold up trafic, but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say....

Does not compute, does not compute, does not compute....

Pete

 

[Jacob]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

So cyclists don't hold up trafic but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say cyclists don't hold up trafic, but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say....

Does not compute, does not compute, does not compute....

Pete

Don't worry about it Pete. You just need to get out more, preferably on a bike.

I've just been browsing the cycle lane site. They really are weird - this is my favourite so far, though it's in Holland which is a bit disappointing, they are supposed to be setting us an example -

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/w ... ry2009.htm

 

[RogerS]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

Garbled thinking again, Jacob... you were advocating only a few posts back that it was perfectly permissible for a cyciist to be in the middle of the lane...thus preventing anyone from overtaking.

Game...Set...Match

 

[RogerS]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

So cyclists don't hold up trafic but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say cyclists don't hold up trafic, but you do when you are a cyclist, but you say....

Does not compute, does not compute, does not compute....

Pete

You are forgetting one thing, Pete. This is Jacob talking..

 

[Jacob]

I've seen farmers in tractors pull over but never cyclists, unless you count the one in the orignal post.

Pete

You obviously haven't noticed but farm tractors and their loads are often very wide as well as slow, whereas cyclists are about the narrowest vehicles you will encounter. Hence farm tractors are difficult to overtake and often pull in. Bicycles are easy to overtake and rarely have to.
This is why so many of you have never noticed this - firstly because it is rarely necessary, secondly because when it does happen it is utterly unremarkable and unmemorable.

I'm of my bike at the mo due to leg injury but when I'm back I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

Garbled thinking again, Jacob... you were advocating only a few posts back that it was perfectly permissible for a cyciist to be in the middle of the lane...thus preventing anyone from overtaking.

Game...Set...Match

If you are in an outer lane, say when approaching lights where you mean to turn right, there is nowhere to pull over so you have to hog the centre or incompetent drivers will attempt to squeeze past with the risk of knocking you over.

 

[Racers]

Jacob

My bike has a engine and can overtake easily.

Pete

 

[paulm]

Paul, doctor Jim my son rides his bike to work each day. It's about 9 miles most on a cycle path. He was riding to work last week, group of school kids coming towards him, one of them rode straight into him, Jim went over the bars. Broke his wrist badly, 2 hours in surgery. The girl that hit him said sorry she was not looking, she had no injuries. Going to be off work for some time. Cycle to work on cycle paths to avoid cars, then get clobbered by another biker.

Ouch, hope he'll mend up okay Pete, with no lasting damage.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Jacob

My bike has a engine and can overtake easily.

Pete

My bike has a 1900cc engine, and can overtake extremely easily. It also has straight through long shotgun pipes, so no one can say they didn't know I was there.
Phil.

 

[woodbloke]

Whilst we're nattering about the whys n'wherefores of cyclists, can anyone explain why the front brake on the Blokebike now emits an ear piercing squeal every time I touch the brake lever. It was fully serviced (new brake blocks, chain, chain set, rear cassette, lubed etc etc) around Feb of this year, so I'm a bit confuzzled :? - Rob

 

[RogerBoyle]

Give the brake blocks a light rub of sandpaper to rough them up a bit Stops the squeal and helps to grip the wheel better

Roger

 

[RogerS]

Whilst we're nattering about the whys n'wherefores of cyclists, can anyone explain why the front brake on the Blokebike now emits an ear piercing squeal every time I touch the brake lever. It was fully serviced (new brake blocks, chain, chain set, rear cassette, lubed etc etc) around Feb of this year, so I'm a bit confuzzled :? - Rob

It is EU mandated, Rob. It gives pedestrians a split-second chance to jump out of the way when cyclists are using the pavement as the auxiliary cycle lane.

 

[RogerS]

If you are in an outer lane, say when approaching lights where you mean to turn right, there is nowhere to pull over so you have to hog the centre or incompetent drivers will attempt to squeeze past with the risk of knocking you over.

Not what you said, Jacob.

Timid beginners do this and and are advised to keep a distance and to hold their space,

Similarly in lanes - cyclists should hog the centre of a lane so that they aren't squeezed in from either side.

I'm really looking forwards to holding up the traffic again!

Way to go, Jacob....a sensitive road user to the end.

 

[Finial]

I don't remember ever being inconvenienced or held up for more than seconds by a cyclist when I'm driving.

When I'm cycling, cars get in my way at traffic lights. They queue too close to parked cars for cyclists to pass. And they drive and park in the cycle lane even when there is a perfectly good driving lane provided.

If I'm not well out in the lane, I get close passes and vehicles cutting me up at pinch points or when passing parked cars. Also overtaking then immediately turning left, on one occasion knocking me off my bike in the process. All this happens, not every day, but very often. There are too many blind motorists on the road and injuries to cyclists are increasing. Motorists injure and kill cyclists, how often the other way about?

I see cars jumping red lights every day. Also speeding and talking on the phone. And sometimes driving on the pavement. I see some cyclists doing these things too, but they very rarely do any harm.

So from a cyclists' perspective, Jacob talks perfect sense.

Terry

 

[Noel]

Whilst we're nattering about the whys n'wherefores of cyclists, can anyone explain why the front brake on the Blokebike now emits an ear piercing squeal every time I touch the brake lever. It was fully serviced (new brake blocks, chain, chain set, rear cassette, lubed etc etc) around Feb of this year, so I'm a bit confuzzled :? - Rob

Ensure the rear of the blocks touch the rim first. May need to bend the yoke a little to achieve this if there isn't an off-set washer behind the block carriers.