Beginners... are you actually put off cycling by....
- Thread starter I am Spartacus
- Start date
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swee'pea99
Squire
Bandini said:
All together now 'Always look on the bright side of life (de dum, de dum de dum de dum) Always look on the bright side of life (de dum, de dum de dum de dum)...
I had an incident myself yesterday on the bike when I got forced to take a header into the hedge to avoid colliding with a car which came round a corner on the wrong side of the road, the young female driver wasn't going fast but was texting, seen me and instead of doing something practical, she dropped her phone and took both hands of the wheel to put them over her mouth! I had no other option to visit the scenery. She didn't stop to enquire how I was either. But it set me thinking that this is only the second near miss I've had since starting cycling again two years ago. In comparison, in the same time frame, I've lost count of the near accidents I've had while driving and only one of them would have been my fault. I find this interesting as it is the opposite to what most people would assume to be the case.
I realise I cover more miles by car than bike but it just seems to me that people in posh cars think they have automatic right of way over my ancient Peugeot 205. When I drove my uncle's Mercedes for a week, I didn't seem to have this problem with people driving out in front of me at junctions. Is it really a class thing?
I realise I cover more miles by car than bike but it just seems to me that people in posh cars think they have automatic right of way over my ancient Peugeot 205. When I drove my uncle's Mercedes for a week, I didn't seem to have this problem with people driving out in front of me at junctions. Is it really a class thing?
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
In order:tyred said:
Same thing I've experienced as outlined above, people in exec cars take more note of the Alfa & Exige than they have any of my previous cars.
Yes! If you can't afford a 'big' car then you should get out of my way is getting more & more prevalent.
Downward
Guru
- Location
- West Midlands
GrasB said:
You get more folk letting you out in an Alfa than a BMW that's for sure
steve52
I'm back! Yippeee
- Location
- bottesford scunthorpe
how cyclist love to tell and gossip about horror stories, and milk them for all there worth, rather than talk about great rides,.just my experiance so far!
Downward
Guru
- Location
- West Midlands
steve52 said:
The Brits love a good moan.
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
I don't think I'm militant, or anti-motorist as such, although I do think that the level of consideration for vulnerable road users in the UK is pretty poor amongst drivers.
I can only speak of my commute, but it's fair to point out that I can expect at least one wince inducing close pass per journey. A text book rule 163 overtake (where the driver's vehicle is as far away as pictured in the Highway Code) might be a once or twice a week experience.
Close passes are a fact of life here, and it's frightening as a beginner, although one learns to tune it out. Keeping your wits about you, and expecting others to do something crazy helps a lot.
I do like my commute, but I can't make out that it's particularly pleasant when I compare it to an early morning Sunday ride. Beginners: if you start your commute, you will, hopefully, realise that the incidents on here are (fairly) few and far between. However, unless you're very lucky, you're going to find it more stressful than a leisure ride, and we'd be doing you a disservice to say otherwise.
I can only speak of my commute, but it's fair to point out that I can expect at least one wince inducing close pass per journey. A text book rule 163 overtake (where the driver's vehicle is as far away as pictured in the Highway Code) might be a once or twice a week experience.
Close passes are a fact of life here, and it's frightening as a beginner, although one learns to tune it out. Keeping your wits about you, and expecting others to do something crazy helps a lot.
I do like my commute, but I can't make out that it's particularly pleasant when I compare it to an early morning Sunday ride. Beginners: if you start your commute, you will, hopefully, realise that the incidents on here are (fairly) few and far between. However, unless you're very lucky, you're going to find it more stressful than a leisure ride, and we'd be doing you a disservice to say otherwise.
automatic_jon
Guest
I bought an old second hand bike a couple of years ago in order to teach my ex to ride, something people just don't do in her home country, as a Cambridge student she was feeling left out not being able to. I posted on here pretty soon afterwards looking for some technical help and have continued to read since. In the last year I moved further from my university and as such relied upon the bike to get there and back, as well as being my main mode of transport around the area. I don't consider myself a commuter per-se no lycra for me for example, I would look a tool sitting in lecture dressed like that. However I am beginning to take riding more and more seriously and am itching to get off the shared paths entirely and see if I can begin to keep up with the drop-bar'd lyca wearers out there
I do enjoy reading the crash stories it has to be said, it has helped me assert myself more on the road, although I hang to the left too much still. If the volume of crashes, 'incidents' and hassle spoken of here were the only side of riding I saw then yes, I can imagine it would put me off but taken as only a snapshot of experience and with a pinch of salt, after all, we do all enjoy a good moan, then it's a useful recourse and learning tool.
I do enjoy reading the crash stories it has to be said, it has helped me assert myself more on the road, although I hang to the left too much still. If the volume of crashes, 'incidents' and hassle spoken of here were the only side of riding I saw then yes, I can imagine it would put me off but taken as only a snapshot of experience and with a pinch of salt, after all, we do all enjoy a good moan, then it's a useful recourse and learning tool.
Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
- Location
- Back up north
I'm not really a beginner, but I'm not a commuter either.
However, as the previous poster said, I find the 'crash stories' a useful learning aid - the importance of being suitably assertive, for example.
Takes me back to when I learned to ride a motorbike. That was not long after they introduced the two-part test - 1st part around traffic cones (early 80s?). The lesson I picked up very quickly when riding around with an L-plate was that drivers will push past you if they can (a 100cc bike isn't much better than a bicycle when it comes to respect from other road users), but if you ride in the middle of your lane (I hadn't heard the term 'primary' then) they will have to overtake you properly and will usually give you enough room.
However, as the previous poster said, I find the 'crash stories' a useful learning aid - the importance of being suitably assertive, for example.
Takes me back to when I learned to ride a motorbike. That was not long after they introduced the two-part test - 1st part around traffic cones (early 80s?). The lesson I picked up very quickly when riding around with an L-plate was that drivers will push past you if they can (a 100cc bike isn't much better than a bicycle when it comes to respect from other road users), but if you ride in the middle of your lane (I hadn't heard the term 'primary' then) they will have to overtake you properly and will usually give you enough room.
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
automatic_jon said:
What has wearing Lycra got to do with communing??
Muddyfox
Guru
- Location
- Blackdown Hills Devon
I think there is a them and us culture in most things in this country and everyone thinks they have more right to be on the road than the next person
I do read the commuter section from time to time and you cant help but smile about all the whinging that goes on about petty incidents and that Magnatom filming his every step ? and then chasing after car drivers shouting "have you read cyclecraft ? well ... have you ?) someone is going to punch his lights out for him one day (or worse)
I have driven most vehicles from 44 tonne artics to minis and as has already been pointed out there is a them and us culture in motorised vehicles as well as bicycles ... i drove through London at the weekend in a Discovery and granted there was'nt many drivers brave enough to pull out of a junction in front of me but when i needed to pull out of a junction the smaller cars would nudge up to the car in fronts bumper to stop me from pulling out but the larger vehicles BMW's Mercs & 4x4's etc etc would allow me to pull out
it is very sad but i dont think we'l ever see a time where everyone is treated the same on the road and with motoring cost's soaring i think it'l get worse as every time there is a rise in motoring cost's the motorist will feel he has more rights on the road ... and untill the Government of the day start taking cycling seriously and spending money on "proper" cycling facilities like Holland have, then it will almost certainly get worse before it gets better
Simon (and no i have'nt read cyclecraft)
I do read the commuter section from time to time and you cant help but smile about all the whinging that goes on about petty incidents and that Magnatom filming his every step ? and then chasing after car drivers shouting "have you read cyclecraft ? well ... have you ?) someone is going to punch his lights out for him one day (or worse)
I have driven most vehicles from 44 tonne artics to minis and as has already been pointed out there is a them and us culture in motorised vehicles as well as bicycles ... i drove through London at the weekend in a Discovery and granted there was'nt many drivers brave enough to pull out of a junction in front of me but when i needed to pull out of a junction the smaller cars would nudge up to the car in fronts bumper to stop me from pulling out but the larger vehicles BMW's Mercs & 4x4's etc etc would allow me to pull out
it is very sad but i dont think we'l ever see a time where everyone is treated the same on the road and with motoring cost's soaring i think it'l get worse as every time there is a rise in motoring cost's the motorist will feel he has more rights on the road ... and untill the Government of the day start taking cycling seriously and spending money on "proper" cycling facilities like Holland have, then it will almost certainly get worse before it gets better
Simon (and no i have'nt read cyclecraft)
Jakes Dad said:I think there is a them and us culture in most things in this country and everyone thinks they have more right to be on the road than the next person
I do read the commuter section from time to time and you cant help but smile about all the whinging that goes on about petty incidents and that Magnatom filming his every step ? and then chasing after car drivers shouting "have you read cyclecraft ? well ... have you ?) someone is going to punch his lights out for him one day (or worse)
I have driven most vehicles from 44 tonne artics to minis and as has already been pointed out there is a them and us culture in motorised vehicles as well as bicycles ... i drove through London at the weekend in a Discovery and granted there was'nt many drivers brave enough to pull out of a junction in front of me but when i needed to pull out of a junction the smaller cars would nudge up to the car in fronts bumper to stop me from pulling out but the larger vehicles BMW's Mercs & 4x4's etc etc would allow me to pull out
it is very sad but i dont think we'l ever see a time where everyone is treated the same on the road and with motoring cost's soaring i think it'l get worse as every time there is a rise in motoring cost's the motorist will feel he has more rights on the road ... and untill the Government of the day start taking cycling seriously and spending money on "proper" cycling facilities like Holland have, then it will almost certainly get worse before it gets better
Simon (and no i have'nt read cyclecraft)
The correct phrase is "us and them". The group you belong to is ALWAYS first.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
+1... for commuting you wear the most convenient clothes you can. For me that's lycra, for someone else it's jeans & t-shirt.HJ said:What has wearing Lycra got to do with communing??
One thing that I don't think not cyclists, & it's something even occasional cyclists understand, is how vulnerable a cyclist is & feels. Tonight I crossed a main road & continued up it for a while, we got stuck in a que to turn right. I thanked him & the driver asked me why I waited until he had stopped to pull out, I said something like "If you decide to accelerate I've not got a cage to protect me" his response, after a pause was, "I never thought about it like that"... he hadn't realised that if he hits a cyclist he's not hitting a metal cage but a person! I hope after a 90 second pleasant exchange I've helped enlighten one driver.