Beginners... are you actually put off cycling by....

[I am Spartacus]

the negative storythreads that appear most commonly in Commuting?
The near misses, the fallings off, the tantrums, the arguments, the hassles, the actual injuries et all ad nauseam and a lot of it filmed for utubing even..!


I was up early for a 35 miler around the lanes this morning, I was trying to get onto a club ride but they start at a ridiculous time for a Sunday am when I have a good 20 mile to get on board.. so I missed the rv and enjoyed instead dodging the showers and giving my new jacket a run out.
I didn't have 1 single incident to report however despite being out there with with impatient Sunday morningers scuttling for their papers in the 'ol Audi a4 et all.
You can ride for pleasure honest injun!

 

[Tollers]

Interesting question. I was considering suggesting to admin that maybe we should have an incidents/events sub forum just so the general commuting category would be more positive.

I'm not a beginner, but i say.....yes, it plays on my mind, but i still enjoy reading them.

Tollers

 

[numbnuts]

I don’t worry about nothing, after all it only happens to other people

 

[ianrauk]

The commuting is all about commuting whether good or bad. It's just that the bad things stick in the mind more then the good things. No need for an extra sub forum methinks.

 

[snorri]

I see my self as a utility cyclist, sometimes I cycle to a workplace, but as my work is part time and at random times of day I would not consider myself to be a commuter. The experiences expressed in Commuting bear little relationship to my utility cycling which seems to be a lot more relaxed than that of many posts on Commuting.
I had been thinking recently we could do with a section in CC for Utility cycling, not instead of Commuting, but in addition to.

 

[HJ]

The thing to remember with the commuting forum, is that most of those posting are riding on busy urban roads at rush hour, that is the nature of commuting...

 

[Downward]

Drama queens tbf !!

 

[Bandini]

I think there is bound to be more trouble on an urban commute: lots of tired, pissed off people thinking only of getting home: to pour a drink, sit in a chair ready for an evening of mind numbing shite on the TV, interspersed with intense feelings of hatred for their partners - the person that is most closely witnessing their stagnation and disintegration...er, yes you can do both, can't you?

I am glad I have a rural ride to work, but my main riding is weekend and holidays. I don't biking because it is easier and cheaper, or for fitness. Although the fitness is a bonus. I like to enjoy the beauty of the countryside in peace and quiet, whilst feeling a bit of exhilaration from the riding. I am agnostic - and those kinds of numinous experience are some of the nearest I get to spirituality. If I was riding through a smog filled, cacophony, overhung by a cloud composed of the impotent fury of a million bread heads (man!) I think I would find it all a bit stressful. Ban cars from town centres.

What was the question again...

 

[Banjo]

I notice that on an allday ride for pleasure i rarely get cut up by cars or annoyed by anyone .Popping into town on a 10 minute ride is far more likely to result in getting annoyed by some plonkers crazy driving.

Commuting through major cities must be a nightmare.No ones in the best frame of mind on their way to work first thing in the morning so conflicts are inevitable i think.

 

[gbb]

This question crops up once in a while, and once prompted me to post a similar...errr post, just to let others know, despite the common theme in commuting (near misses etc)...that actually, they're quite rare.

I commute all year round in a large town / small city. The metionable incidents i have a very few and far between.

It does no harm to let readers know thats its not all near misses and aggro.
I wouldnt commute any other way...

 

[HJ]

I find commuting by bike far more enjoyable that commuting by any other form of transport, you get so much freedom of movement through the rush hour traffic. I do tend to feel sorry for those sad people trapped in their tin boxes (until one of them tries to take their frustration out on me, but that is not very often)...

 

[GrahamNR17]

Very very interesting topic. I've thought long and hard before a reply, just to make sure I'm sure; yes, I am a bit put off by the high number of incidents that seem to get reported. It's probably a self-preservation thing, I've always had a heightened sense of danger, even as a kid. However, I'm heartened a little by the very few fatalities! It has made me change my riding style, route choice, and choice of lights and clothing (all hi-viz), and the times I commute (very flexible boss man, he lets me start/finish when I choose).

On the other question, I have a very different view of cyclists since joining. I realise we are just as varied as motorists. Just as there are many idiots behind the wheel, there are as many behind handlebars. As with motorists though, they are generally a minority. I have been pretty shocked by the 'holier than thou' attitude of a few cyclists on the forum too, but then again they exist in all walks of life.

So yes, the things I read here has changed my attitude/approach/etc towards cycling. I now treat other cyclists on the road the same way I treat cars - assume they're idiots - most of the time I'll be wrong, but the times I'm right may save my life

To end on a positive, I've been thrilled by just how welcoming the forum has been, so thank you all

 

[Globalti]

Some of the cyclists who inhabit this forum have an incredibly conceited attitude and are militantly anti-motorist. Unfortunately they are the ones who give the rest of us a bad name and who come on here moaning about yet another nasty incident they have suffered. They ought to go cycling in Africa or the Middle East if they want to see cyclists being mistreated deliberately.

 

[andyfromotley]

i have frequently commented in commuting that thier experiences bear little resemblence to mine. i near miss in 3/4 years of commuting, all this through a very busy city.

It may be a london thing or it may be that people tend (naturally) to post about incidents. 'ok commute-didnt die' isnt much of a thread is it?

 

[GrasB]

Interesting thing to note that most of the problems I have on a bike are very similar to the problems I have in a 'low status' car such as a Mazda 323. The exceptions are:
* Respecting of a cyclists road space (pinch point squeeze, close overtakes, etc).
* SMIDSY related incidents... motorists just don't look for (motor)bikes.