Since Covid-19 most people have followed the social rules quite well, I notice that people cross the roads to avoid being too close to other pedestrians, so on roads without footpaths, pedestrians are walking in the road, quite correctly facing oncoming traffic. If a lorry comes down the lane, the pedestrian stops, stands close to the side and waits for lorry, car or tractor to go past.
So why don’t cyclists ride in the same direction as pedestrians, they can see the traffic coming towards them and vice versa, they are not going to hold vehicles up for 5 minutes by pedalling slowly or freewheeling along, they even peddle faster and overtake the pedestrian or stop and give way to the other traffic. This has to be safer, give the pedestrian 2 metres space like we do to cyclists. I’m being serious.
So you get fit cyclists who can get a shift on at an average 15-20mph, up to 30mph+ on descents travelling into oncoming traffic as they avoid potholes and parked cars.
rob22888:
So you get fit cyclists who can get a shift on at an average 15-20mph, up to 30mph+ on descents travelling into oncoming traffic as they avoid potholes and parked cars.
Hmm, next…
Its not those who are causing the problem, its the ones who are struggling to turn the pedals on an electric bike, the ones who last rode a bike during the cycling proficiency years, and I am talking about narrow country lanes not dual carriageways.
rob22888:
So you get fit cyclists who can get a shift on at an average 15-20mph, up to 30mph+ on descents travelling into oncoming traffic as they avoid potholes and parked cars.
Hmm, next…
Its not those who are causing the problem, its the ones who are struggling to turn the pedals on an electric bike, the ones who last rode a bike during the cycling proficiency years, and I am talking about narrow country lanes not dual carriageways.
So the fast bikes go one way and the slow ones go the other. All on your side of the road. While you are driving.
rob22888:
So you get fit cyclists who can get a shift on at an average 15-20mph, up to 30mph+ on descents travelling into oncoming traffic as they avoid potholes and parked cars.
Hmm, next…
Its not those who are causing the problem, its the ones who are struggling to turn the pedals on an electric bike, the ones who last rode a bike during the cycling proficiency years, and I am talking about narrow country lanes not dual carriageways.
So the fast bikes go one way and the slow ones go the other. All on your side of the road. While you are driving.
No the slow ones get off them, leave them at home and walk, it cant be only me who have discovered what a pest they are, like mosquitos and wasps, no use for this world.
Wheel Nut:
So why don’t cyclists ride in the same direction as pedestrians
I can see the…
Logic of this and it’s crossed my mind a few times. Many occaisions I’ve rounded a bend only to find a dawdling two wheeler merrily wobbling along, oblivious to my presence. Pedestrians are advised to walk facing the oncoming traffic.
I have no figures but, I reckon the majority of cyclists involved in accidents are hit from behind.
The principle of being able to see what’s coming or what’s about to flatten you is fundamental to self preservation.
Wheel Nut:
So why don’t cyclists ride in the same direction as pedestrians
I can see the…
Logic of this and it’s crossed my mind a few times. Many occaisions I’ve rounded a bend only to find a dawdling two wheeler merrily wobbling along, oblivious to my presence. Pedestrians are advised to walk facing the oncoming traffic.
I have no figures but, I reckon the majority of cyclists involved in accidents are hit from behind.
The principle of being able to see what’s coming or what’s about to flatten you is fundamental to self preservation.
If I’ve read it right you’re saying that if they are too slow to be riding a bike at a reasonable speed then they should get off it and walk on the correct side of the road for pedestrians ?.
If you really want to blow their minds try if they’ve got no lights at night they should ride on the pavement.Their usual answer to that is that they aren’t allowed to ride on the pavement.
There is generally a reason why people in good health and in the prime of their working life can’t afford to buy and run a car.
Well what annoys me with these cyclists is they hold up the traffic by riding two abbrest, When one dose mange to overtake them and travel a bit further up to a set of traffic lights and have to stop when Red, Now these tossers catch up come up the inside of the standing traffic & end up back in front again, Plus some of them ride along the pavements going far too fast,I think its high time that they should pay Road tax & insurance,In the village where I reside, Before this Virus stuff, There is a nice village cafe owner run serving very nice food gets a lot of cyclists in on a weekend, Theres lots of them who visit this place but they cause havoc blocking the shopping area, Plus not all of them use the cafe, They even lean their bikes against the shop windows, I could go on forever about these cyclists, Im sure they cant all be stupid, , Regards Larry.
exit:
They could also be allowed to use motorways, but the other side on the hard shoulder.
Leave it out he clearly didn’t say that.
Pedestrians ain’t allowed on motorways and even if they were riding a bicycle along it they would still be sharing the hard shoulder with traffic running at motorway speeds either stopping on it or rejoining from it with no clearance for them.
Motorways were designed not to have pedestrians or cyclists on them why would anyone want to change that.
Trust me when I say you don’t want bikes coming at you on the wrong side of the road; something that’s quite common round here. They come at you out of side turnings on the wrong side and expect you to avoid them. A few have had a close shave from me. It’s nothing but a dangerous pain in the arse. Another thing round here is that nearly all pedestrians walk with their back to the traffic if they’re on the road.
Have noticed here in Manchester there’s a lot.of main roads with sections coned off which on face of it look like roadworks …but there coned off for cyclists to use.
Which while traffic is light is a good idea taking roads down from 2 lanes each way to 1.
Gives cyclists some space.
Have no idea how long there staying for though
exit:
They could also be allowed to use motorways, but the other side on the hard shoulder.
Leave it out he clearly didn’t say that.
Pedestrians ain’t allowed on motorways and even if they were riding a bicycle along it they would still be sharing the hard shoulder with traffic running at motorway speeds either stopping on it or rejoining from it with no clearance for them.
Motorways were designed not to have pedestrians or cyclists on them why would anyone want to change that.
Leave cyclists who want to, free to use motorways. Provided it’s 3rd lane opposite to traffic flow.
Any teething problems would be ironed out as those choosing to ride like this, would be a diminishing pool.
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As it happens, I do ride a cycle, but maybe I am rather more cautious than some others about where I do so. In an ideal world we could all ride, walk and drive in harmony, but this world is far from that, and so we all need a little restraint and lots of patience with others.
I’m not anti-cycle nor anti-truck, but don’t like fools in charge of either.
What I don’t understand is why on A roads where there are shared cyclist/pedestrian paths running parallel to the road cyclists opt out to ride on the road rather than on the path even when there are no pedestrians but plenty of motor vehicle traffic on the road?
Bonus question the other week a cyclist and me (artic) were both approaching a roundabout, using the same road. He opted to get on the pavement (no one else there, very late at night) - a courteous move, I thought. At the roundabout I turned left, he wanted to go straight but instead of stopping to let me complete my turn he simply dropped on the road and continued to slowly cycle between the curb and my trailer, to my horror. I did anticipate he might do something like that so I had taken the turn wide (indicating well ahead of time) a few feet from the curb. Had I taken the turn as usual (inside wheels as close as possible to the curb) he might’ve stayed on the pavement but what if he hadn’t - it would’ve been 100% my fault in the eyes of the law
Keep cyclists as far away from roads as possible I say, until a kind of test/license is implemented for them so they can share some of the responsibility. I’ll say it again - at the moment it’s like truck drivers are seen as the ‘‘adults’’ on the road and must bear all the responsibility of whatever happens while cyclists are the ‘‘toddlers’’ who can’t do nothing wrong and it’s always the adults’ fault whatever they do
ETS:
Bonus question the other week a cyclist and me (artic) were both approaching a roundabout, using the same road. He opted to get on the pavement (no one else there, very late at night) - a courteous move, I thought. At the roundabout I turned left, he wanted to go straight but instead of stopping to let me complete my turn he simply dropped on the road and continued to slowly cycle between the curb and my trailer, to my horror. I did anticipate he might do something like that so I had taken the turn wide (indicating well ahead of time) a few feet from the curb. Had I taken the turn as usual (inside wheels as close as possible to the curb) he might’ve stayed on the pavement but what if he hadn’t - it would’ve been 100% my fault in the eyes of the law
I’v been seeing a lot of cyclists using both the pavement and the road and strangely leaping back onto the road just as they are being passed as though it’s a deliberate move.Usually so often now as to leave them the space anyway as if they were using the road.
I think that when new housing developments are being planned the roads ought to be cycle friendly also new roads should have cycle lanes possibly distanced from the main carriageway. The Dutch make a much better job of it. Bikes are here to stay.
