Cyclist's and CoronaVirus

[pjm-84]

Isnt this just same as saying that all Audi drivers are nobheads? What you wear/ride/drive doesn’t determine how you behave.

I agree but the behaviour goes hand in hand. So if your beautifully attired but ride considerately, help the weaker riders and don't try and control the group by being a bully than you don't fall into the category. The same for the "SC" rider.

I did say it was stereotypical.

 

[pjm-84]

Actually, I think SC riders are also called SWINLEY Man. But only when they ride at Swinley.

 

[SimonC]

On my ride today I thought I’d recreate the scenario that kicked off this thread and did about 1/2 mile on an A road. The speed limit was 30mph, there were solid white lines in the centre and I was doing between 20mph and 23mph. I have to confess that I was wearing lycra.

Two cars and a van overtook me, so that’s three offences within a few seconds. Neither of the cars was an Audi.

Since I’ve fallen into the trap of giving anecdotes I might as well complete the picture. The rest of the ride was mainly on narrow county lanes. In the interests of balance I was reasonably self critical but don’t think that I did anything that a reasonable road user would find annoying.

There were only two cases of motorists coming too fast/too close - so much better than usual and let's be generous and not count either of those as a careless driving offence. There was a 20 mph section through a village. I was doing 20mph but was overtaken by a motorist (so, a fourth offence).

There were three occasions of pedestrians wandering in the road. In each case a cheery good morning attracted their attention, they moved out of the way and we thanked each other. Nothing to get annoyed about there. There was one runner wearing headphones who didn’t hear my repeated greetings and then lurched into the road in front of me. I suppose in the spirit of this thread I could get wound up about it but really these things happen. They are easy to anticipate and avoid and it doesn't necessarily reflect too badly on that particular runner, let alone implying anything about runners in general.

So in reply to the post at the start of this thread, it’s not the vulnerable road users that we should be focusing on, rather we need to do something about bad driving.

 

[Amarillo]

On my ride today I thought I’d recreate the scenario that kicked off this thread and did about 1/2 mile on an A road. The speed limit was 30mph, there were solid white lines in the centre and I was doing between 20mph and 23mph. I have to confess that I was wearing lycra.

Two cars and a van overtook me, so that’s three offences within a few seconds. Neither of the cars was an Audi.

Since I’ve fallen into the trap of giving anecdotes I might as well complete the picture. The rest of the ride was mainly on narrow county lanes. In the interests of balance I was reasonably self critical but don’t think that I did anything that a reasonable road user would find annoying.

There were only two cases of motorists coming too fast/too close - so much better than usual and let's be generous and not count either of those as a careless driving offence. There was a 20 mph section through a village. I was doing 20mph but was overtaken by a motorist (so, a fourth offence).

There were three occasions of pedestrians wandering in the road. In each case a cheery good morning attracted their attention, they moved out of the way and we thanked each other. Nothing to get annoyed about there. There was one runner wearing headphones who didn’t hear my repeated greetings and then lurched into the road in front of me. I suppose in the spirit of this thread I could get wound up about it but really these things happen. They are easy to anticipate and avoid and it doesn't necessarily reflect too badly on that particular runner, let alone implying anything about runners in general.

So in reply to the post at the start of this thread, it’s not the vulnerable road users that we should be focusing on, rather we need to do something about bad driving.

My experiences of cycling on A roads are broadly similar, around here though most A roads have a 20mph limit. When on the triplet with the boys I find motorists even more courteous than when I’m on my solo. Perhaps the fact that we don’t usually wear helmets or Lycra helps them see us as humans and not an obstruction.

 

[clarinetbcn]

The speed limit was 30mph, there were solid white lines in the centre and I was doing between 20mph and 23mph. I have to confess that I was wearing lycra.

Two cars and a van overtook me, so that’s three offences within a few seconds. Neither of the cars was an Audi.

You're not allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line? No wonder drivers get so steamed up. That law got changed here a few years ago: as a specific exception, you are allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line if it is safe to do so while leaving 1 1/2m lateral distance. The results are in, fewer accidents, both cycle and auto, involving cars overtaking cyclists. Maybe something to lobby for when the time comes.

 

[ArunAlec]

You're not allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line? No wonder drivers get so steamed up. That law got changed here a few years ago: as a specific exception, you are allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line if it is safe to do so while leaving 1 1/2m lateral distance. The results are in, fewer accidents, both cycle and auto, involving cars overtaking cyclists. Maybe something to lobby for when the time comes.

You can cross a white line to overtake a cyclis if they are moving at no more than 10mph.

 

[SimonC]

You're not allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line? No wonder drivers get so steamed up. That law got changed here a few years ago: as a specific exception, you are allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line if it is safe to do so while leaving 1 1/2m lateral distance. The results are in, fewer accidents, both cycle and auto, involving cars overtaking cyclists. Maybe something to lobby for when the time comes.

Not if the cyclist is doing more than 10 mph - which for example includes most cyclists wearing lycra. You suggest changing the law, but if someone can't cope with the clear and unambiguous law as it is then they're unlikely to be able to cope with the extra complications that you suggest.

 

[GrannyJen]

You're not allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line? No wonder drivers get so steamed up. That law got changed here a few years ago: as a specific exception, you are allowed to pass a cyclist with a solid line if it is safe to do so while leaving 1 1/2m lateral distance. The results are in, fewer accidents, both cycle and auto, involving cars overtaking cyclists. Maybe something to lobby for when the time comes.

Yo can overtake a pedal cycle but only if it is doing 15kph or less.

 

[ArunAlec]

Yo can overtake a pedal cycle but only if it is doing 15kph or less.

But my speedo is in mph!

 

[Amarillo]

Yo can overtake a pedal cycle but only if it is doing 15kph or less.

I •think• you can also pass a cyclist if you don’t straddle the double white lines, but I may well be wrong. If correct, it would help explain why so many motorists pass cyclists with only millimetres to spare.

 

[GrannyJen]

But my speedo is in mph!

and your post beat me to it by 1 minute

 

[GrannyJen]

I •think• you can also pass a cyclist if you don’t straddle the double white lines, but I may well be wrong. If correct, it would help explain why so many motorists pass cyclists with only millimetres to spare.

I wouldn't know. The thought of squeezing past anything on a road that justifies ta broken white line doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[andyinluton]

When the rules were written, solid white lines were generally only used on roads 20ft (6.1m) wide, cars were narrower & didn't have big door mirrors sticking out so it was perfectly feasible to leave 5ft for a cyclist & overtake without crossing a solid white line.

 

[Jodalo]

When the rules were written, solid white lines were generally only used on roads 20ft (6.1m) wide, cars were narrower & didn't have big door mirrors sticking out so it was perfectly feasible to leave 5ft for a cyclist & overtake without crossing a solid white line.

Cyclists were probably narrower then too.

 

[larrylamb]

On my ride today I thought I’d recreate the scenario that kicked off this thread and did about 1/2 mile on an A road. The speed limit was 30mph, there were solid white lines in the centre and I was doing between 20mph and 23mph. I have to confess that I was wearing lycra.

Two cars and a van overtook me, so that’s three offences within a few seconds. Neither of the cars was an Audi.

Since I’ve fallen into the trap of giving anecdotes I might as well complete the picture. The rest of the ride was mainly on narrow county lanes. In the interests of balance I was reasonably self critical but don’t think that I did anything that a reasonable road user would find annoying.

There were only two cases of motorists coming too fast/too close - so much better than usual and let's be generous and not count either of those as a careless driving offence. There was a 20 mph section through a village. I was doing 20mph but was overtaken by a motorist (so, a fourth offence).

There were three occasions of pedestrians wandering in the road. In each case a cheery good morning attracted their attention, they moved out of the way and we thanked each other. Nothing to get annoyed about there. There was one runner wearing headphones who didn’t hear my repeated greetings and then lurched into the road in front of me. I suppose in the spirit of this thread I could get wound up about it but really these things happen. They are easy to anticipate and avoid and it doesn't necessarily reflect too badly on that particular runner, let alone implying anything about runners in general.

So in reply to the post at the start of this thread, it’s not the vulnerable road users that we should be focusing on, rather we need to do something about bad driving.

you made your point but it's still down to all individuals whether they are cyclists or other road users to be considerate to others. Only yesterday an acquaintance encountered much abuse whilst trying to safely pass 3 cyclists driving side by side. I thought 2 abreast was the done thing to encourage safe overtaking? Also not observing the 2m distancing unless they all shacked up together of course.

 

[Nolan]

I just had a strange one, I was out for my daily 1 hour exercise, coming back into Chichester past the festival theatre, doing nearly 30mph (it's downhill) when a car came really close behind me, beeped his horn and then came around me, wound the window down and shouted that I should be 'over there on the path'. Doofus failed to spot I was actually on a (badly marked) cycle path at the time.

And I got to the roundabout before him in the end

Doubly strange as the road was super quiet and it was a 30mph speed limit there so I can't have been holding him up.

I was also wearing lycra.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

 

[Amarillo]

I thought 2 abreast was the done thing to encourage safe overtaking?

Rule 66
You should never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.

While discourteous to ride more than two abreast, or anything other than single file on busy roads, it is advisory rather than mandatory.

 

[ArunAlec]

I just had a strange one, I was out for my daily 1 hour exercise, coming back into Chichester past the festival theatre, doing nearly 30mph (it's downhill) when a car came really close behind me, beeped his horn and then came around me, wound the window down and shouted that I should be 'over there on the path'. Doofus failed to spot I was actually on a (badly marked) cycle path at the time.

And I got to the roundabout before him in the end

Doubly strange as the road was super quiet and it was a 30mph speed limit there so I can't have been holding him up.

I was also wearing lycra.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

goo.gl

That cycle lane gets silly when you hit the fire station roundabout! Have to give way at all the exits. Much safer to maintain speed and go with the normal traffic.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Rule 66
You should never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.

While discourteous to ride more than two abreast, or anything other than single file on busy roads, it is advisory rather than mandatory.

Not really the whole story though. While much of the Highway Code (the bits that say "should" rather than "must") aren't mirrored directly in statutory offences, they do provide points of reference for prosecution cases under the more general charges of careless driving, or in this case careless cycling (an offence under s29 of the Road Traffic Act, even though rarely prosecuted):

Section 29 Careless, and inconsiderate, cycling.
If a person rides a cycle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence. (Road Traffic Act 1988)

Riding three or more abreast in contravention of the Highway Code could well, I would imagine, result in a charge being brought if it was held to be inconsiderate of other road users.

 

[Nolan]

That cycle lane gets silly when you hit the fire station roundabout! Have to give way at all the exits. Much safer to maintain speed and go with the normal traffic.

Exactly, it actually makes the road more dangerous as motorists think you should be in the cycle lane where, as an adult it's, like you say, best to use the roundabout like any other vehicle.

 

[ArunAlec]

Exactly, it actually makes the road more dangerous as motorists think you should be in the cycle lane where, as an adult it's, like you say, best to use the roundabout like any other vehicle.

I used to work in the fire station with a view out onto the roundabout, once saw a large tractor and trailer orbiting the roundabout the wrong way!

 

[Mickyb123]

And then you have the situation today. Out for essential shopping on 4 wheels, lots of cyclists out exercising as they are entitled.
However, in my time out, 3 cyclists ignored pedestrian crossing red light, one going around the stopped car. More than a dozen riding on roadside pavement and the last one using a zebra crossing while in the saddle.
i was out for about an hour! Sadly the % of cyclists that ignore road rules is a lot higher than other road users.
But back on thread, generally the family riders out on country lanes are much more thoughtful than the typical social sports Lycra clad riders I have encountered who so far generally show little respect for sensible distancing when passing others.

 

[westfalia]

I used to work in the fire station with a view out onto the roundabout, once saw a large tractor and trailer orbiting the roundabout the wrong way!

Thats no problem for the guys who pilot those fire appliances,
hurling 15ton around a roundabout whilst getting changed and
speaking on the walkie talkie.
Those lads have everything covered. Respect.

 

[Amarillo]

Riding three or more abreast in contravention of the Highway Code could well, I would imagine, result in a charge being brought if it was held to be inconsiderate of other road users.

As could some of this, though not specifically mentioned in the HC.

I suppose my point is that cycling three abreast is not prohibited, and only if selfishly done could land the cyclists before the beak.

 

[Bibs]

Touched a nerve have I?
If you can't be accurate about that simple statement of Fact then why should anything else you say be any more believable .

I will stick by my post about your blinkered view and scraping the barrel, not just on this subject but many others. No doubt being the keyboard warrior, you will want the final say on this, so feel free, Im off for a bike ride