Typical Cyclist

[The PNP]

Doubling down again on your 'why bother' attitude re cycling safety & training and cyclists' responsibilities.

The irresponsibility of believing that a cyclist having had on-road training over 60 years ago back at primary school days is where that cyclist's responsibility and training ends is a dismal philosophy.

If your attitude is pervasive, it's little wonder so many cyclists end up in accidents.

Training is good, it produces competent road-users whatever the mode of transport they use. But as we see all around us on the roads every day, many users disregard what they were told. There's blame on all sides, from riders pulling wheelies to motorists running no-entrys. Train as much as you like, when users know they can get away with something - most invariably will.

Result of so much errant behaviour is to be found in the UK's accident statistics. It comes as no surprise then, that 90% of 'accidents' are down to human error. No matter how technically advanced a vehicles spec, if the person behind the wheel/handlebars is a wally, there will be the inevitable outcome.

[Desert Region]

Training is good, it produces competent road-users whatever the mode of transport they use. But as we see all around us on the roads every day, many users disregard what they were told. There's blame on all sides, from riders pulling wheelies to motorists running no-entrys. Train as much as you like, when users know they can get away with something - most invariably will.

Result of so much errant behaviour is to be found in the UK's accident statistics. It comes as no surprise then, that 90% of 'accidents' are down to human error. No matter how technically advanced a vehicles spec, if the person behind the wheel/handlebars is a wally, there will be the inevitable outcome.

Training is good.

There's blame on all sides.

Progress. Better late than never.

...if the person behind the wheel/handlebars is a wally, there will be the inevitable outcome.

Quite.

Road-users who are arrogant, feel special, think the HC doesn't really apply to them, etc, are a significant part of the then inevitable problem and outcomes.

[Desert Region]

With the large amount of self-inflicted injuries, far larger than with motorists cyclists need saving mainly from themselves.

Compulsory training and safety gear would be a lifesaver.


If only they had a champion that really cared about them/us.

Yes.

[Desert Region]

With the large amount of self-inflicted injuries, far larger than with motorists cyclists need saving mainly from themselves.

Compulsory training and safety gear would be a lifesaver.


If only they had a champion that really cared about them/us.

Apparently, for a cyclist it's enough that they once had a spot of training via primary school around the time this was Number 1 in the hit parade...

[Stuartli]

Doubling down on this notion that cyclists don't need any training or testing over and above what they had back at primary school! There's no guarantee that cyclists will even remember what training they had over 60 years ago! Never mind, though, there's always luck and magical charms and magical thinking.

Well you should know all about that...

[silver fox]

Any cyclist who has survived unscathed into their 70's, must not only be doing something right - they must lead a charmed life to have never been knocked off!

At end of day, it's infrastructure (or lack of it) that is at the heart of the issue. Put bikes on separate tarmac away from the motor traffic and motorists can drive how they like, without ever posing the slightest risk to the cyclist. Likewise, the cyclist can be highly ignorant of the HC, without ever getting under some vehicles wheels.

You keep banging on about separate tarmac for cyclists, I’m quite sure many motorists would love to see cyclists on separate tarmac, BUT in our older towns where are you going to put them? fancy knocking down half the town? your answer is always totally blinkered, just ban private cars and everything will be rosy!!!!!

[Desert Region]

Well you should know all about that...

Should I really?! How quaintly cryptic of you!

[said]

https://www.facebook.com/Idiotukdriv...3512953757350/

This is worth a watch.

You know when a cyclist is pretty dense because they forget they are the vulnerable ones on the road, and not the other way round.

[The PNP]

You keep banging on about separate tarmac for cyclists, I’m quite sure many motorists would love to see cyclists on separate tarmac, BUT in our older towns where are you going to put them? fancy knocking down half the town? your answer is always totally blinkered, just ban private cars and everything will be rosy!!!!!

A good and most pertinent question. Which thanks to the years I spent in NL on a bike, I can go some way to answering.....

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because broadly speaking there are two distinct types of 'town' road environment. There are the main high-traffic routes (main roads). And there are the residential areas sandwiched in between. In a perfect world, the cyclist should be able to negotiate either in perfect safety.

1. The main routes would be entirely re-engineered. This is done by 'borrowing' a couple of feet from the pavements and a couple of feet from the carriageway - on either side. The four feet or so of space gained, is used to construct a cycle-path along each side of the road. That cycle-path is edged on its pavement side by regular kerbing, and kept separate from the roadway by a narrow line of twin kerbs containing a tarmac infill.

2. Most of the towns remaining (i.e.residential) roads have no need of separate cycle-paths, instead they are simply traffic-calmed. This is achieved by introducing low speed limits, modal filters, speed-tables and where necessary, sinusoidal humps. Town-centre side-streets are often one-way, these would all benefit from cycle contra-flow lanes painted on-road. This greatly increases permeability and will further encourage bike use.

Note. Safe design of junctions and roundabouts however, is a separate (and vitally important) subject. Hard to condense what is required into a post like this tbh. But it essentially involves providing riders with a 'green bike button' at all lights junctions, to give riders their own 'phase'. Whilst roundabouts want a kerb-protected circular cycle-path around the perimeter, with safe crossing points provided across each entrance/exit. For best practice in roundabout design, engineers would be well advise to study successful Dutch examples first.

[Stuartli]

Should I really?! How quaintly cryptic of you!

It was intended for the cycling fanatic..

[Stuartli]

A good and most pertinent question. Which thanks to the years I spent in NL on a bike, I can go some way to answering.....

Cycling in Holland and that in Southport have no interchangeable relevance - different as chalk and cheese.

[The PNP]

Cycling in Holland and that in Southport have no interchangeable relevance - different as chalk and cheese.

What difference? Landscapes are identical, i.e. a flat terrain with sandy subsoil.

[Desert Region]

It was intended for the cycling fanatic..

Then reply to him!

[silver fox]

A good and most pertinent question. Which thanks to the years I spent in NL on a bike, I can go some way to answering.....

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because broadly speaking there are two distinct types of 'town' road environment. There are the main high-traffic routes (main roads). And there are the residential areas sandwiched in between. In a perfect world, the cyclist should be able to negotiate either in perfect safety.

1. The main routes would be entirely re-engineered. This is done by 'borrowing' a couple of feet from the pavements and a couple of feet from the carriageway - on either side. The four feet or so of space gained, is used to construct a cycle-path along each side of the road. That cycle-path is edged on its pavement side by regular kerbing, and kept separate from the roadway by a narrow line of twin kerbs containing a tarmac infill.

2. Most of the towns remaining (i.e.residential) roads have no need of separate cycle-paths, instead they are simply traffic-calmed. This is achieved by introducing low speed limits, modal filters, speed-tables and where necessary, sinusoidal humps. Town-centre side-streets are often one-way, these would all benefit from cycle contra-flow lanes painted on-road. This greatly increases permeability and will further encourage bike use.

Note. Safe design of junctions and roundabouts however, is a separate (and vitally important) subject. Hard to condense what is required into a post like this tbh. But it essentially involves providing riders with a 'green bike button' at all lights junctions, to give riders their own 'phase'. Whilst roundabouts want a kerb-protected circular cycle-path around the perimeter, with safe crossing points provided across each entrance/exit. For best practice in roundabout design, engineers would be well advise to study successful Dutch examples first.

So you do want major reconstruction for the occasional cyclist to ride around in isolated splendour, notice all your plans still consist of blocking and narrowing roads, also notice one road in Southport which has your ideal situation, never seen a cyclist on it yet.,

[Stuartli]

What difference? Landscapes are identical, i.e. a flat terrain with sandy subsoil.

Yet again you try and twist your reply to suit your argument. The type of streets are very different in each country, or at least were last time I was in Holland....