General Chat

fair bit of input here then - for and against - but for me the most pressing thing is lights, lights, lights!! cyclists at night wearing dark clothing, as they usually do, with no lights back or front, can frighten the living daylights out of a motorist and cause serious accidents and of course the cyclist would 99 times out of a hundred would come off worst, but the motorist would also probably be traumatised too!!!

I am fed up to the back teeth of people complaining about cyclist.

OK I agree there are a minority who think that the highway code does not apply to cyclists...and jump red lights, ride across pedestrians on pelican crossings etc, but the majority use the road properly, inasmuch as car drivers allow them to.

They do not damage the environment, they are not chucking dangerous exhaust fumes at child level, and do not damage the roads through just using them.

That said, I do believe they should be licensed, in the same way drivers and motorcyclists are. That includes lessons and theory tests too.

I would like to see more cycle paths here in Norwich, then I would be able to cycle safely to work instead of having to rely on buses. I'm not happy about tackling the busy roundabouts an dual carriageways that are in and around the city at the moment.

Insurance = yes
Lights = yes
Cycling Proficiency course + Test = absobloodylutely!

Some of them are flipping dangerous.

Well I am back as stated been to the rugby
Leeds Rhinos 18 Castleford Tigers 12
Gave them a ten point start and still beat them.

Men against boys

Cas Men V Leeds Boys youngsters win (Again)

DERMOT,
You did not get me uptight
Thank you for your comments
Paul

Sorry Paul - didn't mean to get you all uptight.

I can only talk about the situation in Devon generally & in the lovely city of Exeter in particular.

1. Cycle paths have been placed near schools so that children can learn to ride safely & have safer routes to school.

2. Adults learning to cycle find standards of some motorists so bad that they are intimidated off the road. Remember, many of these 'late' learners are motorists too.

3. It is inadvisable & usually impossible to ride faster than say 12 to 15 miles per hour on a cycle path taking into account the dangers to pedestrians, dogs, mobility scooters who also use or stray onto the path.

4. As a motorist, I have never been held up more than a few moments by any cyclist.

5. At the moment, cyclists have the right to be on most roads (except motorways). Of course, the law may change in the future.

6. Insurance - if it were compulsory as with motorcars - then there would be no choice; pay up or get off the road.

Thanks for your opinions.

Will check again later as am away out to watch Leeds Rhinos Kick some Castleford Tiger Butt.

See y'all later
Pablo

Oh yes I a riding to stadium about 5 miles away. Will probably get a taxi back later as will have imbibed some of the amber neactar......so dont want to get collar felt by West Yorkshires Finest.

I repeat..
I think cyclists should be actively encouraged, its healthy, and does not damage enviroment..
However..as a motorcyclist, I believe any person who uses the high-way should be trained, whether thats cyclists. horse-riders, mobilty scooters, anyone..
the reason i ask about the mobilty scooters is, I have seen them drive on the road.... I believe they go to fast.....If they are meant to be for people who cannot walk. then they should only go as fast as one can walk.....and not 8 miles an hour, as some do!!! also, If some of these people who have them, have never drove a veihcle of any sort...then suddenly when they get to the age most people think of giving up, they start to drive one of those, with no road sense training.... its a bit daft to me....I have heard that several people have been killed in them..this year alone....
just my opinion.
cmd

well said Merlin

Just had a thought (now my brain hurts).

If you have house insurance does some of it not include "public liability insurance" would that not cover insurance for cyclists and others would be interesting to find out.

Paul

Dermot, I,m not against all Cyclists, just the Idiotic ones who think the do not have to obey the Laws of the Road.When you consider the Billions of pounds paid by Motorists for the use of the roads,( But not spent on them ) you can understand when they get a little peed off with people who pay nothing yet expect everything, then complain if they don,t get it,or others critisize them.**M**.

No Dermot I think I'm on the right board.

And its not just fuel price rises its everything to do with road pricing such as road tax, insurance,rising fuel prices, and the state of the roads in this country.


OH AND BY THE WAY >>>>>>>>>>ANSWER THE B****Y QUESTION
lol

Paul - you're on the wrong board I think. There is another posting elsewhere entitled: 'Answer a question with another question'.

Dermot as I said earlier it would be a logistical nightmare to do.
If it could be done then would you be prepared to pay for the insurance, I would.

but would you pay insurance?

Tell me Paul - where do I get such cover & indeed, what do you expect to be covered by such a policy?

Perhaps we should be awarded some sort of 'credit' for doing our little bit for the climate - unlike our four-wheeled brothers, who worry only about the fuel price rises.

Cycle lanes AREN'T everywhere - I have to cycle down a main road to get to work, I have to resort to the pavement if it's busy as lorries thunder along there and the road is all chewed up from heavy use, another hazard for cyclists.

Oh we have a cyclist on do you think you should pay Insurance or not?
If not why not?

Cycle lanes - many of these are paid for by Sustrans, a cycling organisation, not the tax-payer. Sustrans recently benefited from £500,000 to be used for cycle lane provision & other cycling benefits.

The only one holding up the queue is another car - not a cyclist. Give us a bit of space please.

As I said I think it would be a good idea but bi would be a logistical nightmare to start it and enforce the scheme.
Cyclists who also ride on footpaths should be made to dismount and push them.
One comment That I heard from a collegue of mine when talking about this subject was "I ride on the paths 'cos the roads are too dangerous to ride on" So does that make the pavements too dangerous to walk on?

Paul

I think they should have respect for car drivers. I followed 1 that was riding in the middle of the road mp3 player on so didnt even know i was behind him and when he turned off into another road he did not even give an arm signal grrrrrrr. To top it all off he had his helmet on the handle bars of his bike lol. Lynette xx