Evil Sid Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Time for a weekend whinge. This particular one is about cycle paths and certain cyclists. Firstly the cycle paths. whilst coming home from work last evening we got held up behind a line off about seven cars on cromwell avenue heading from asda toward the peace centre. the traffic coming the other way was a continuous line. The hold up was a chap on a pedal cycle almost in the middle of the road and pedalling along at a steady pace seemingly unaware of the traffic queue behind him. The thing that annoyed me and the driver was that about five foot to his left was a lane especially put there for people on pedal cycles to use so that they would not have to face being possibly mowed down by irate motorist who were being held up. So what is the point off providing a cycle path if cyclist do not use them. I will point out that this was not a person on an old bike with a duffel coat on but one of those super duper racing bikes the rider being clad in the latest of cycling lycra complete with helmet and designer glasses. The sort of person that complains about the lack of cycle paths and that twenty is a better speed for vehicles to travel at whilst zooming past them at twenty five. For the second part of my whinge it again is about the lycra lads. on our way to pick up the children on the school run we arrived at the beehive traffic lights and were sat in the queue when half a dozen lycra clad cyclist passed us on the inside and proceeded on through the RED light tootling of towards the motorway island. My first thought was that there was never a police man around when you need one and my second thought was that if somebody had been coming through the lights on green they would have probably managed to miss at least two of them (the one at the front and the one at the back the four in the middle were riding side by side and had they been hit all four would have gone down in a heap) and would probably have been prosecuted for dangerous driving and no doubt incurred heavy personal injury claims against them. One comment came from the driver about the first incident and that was if a cyclist is riding down a road when there is a cycle path like on cromwell avenue and not using the cycle path. If spotted by the police they should first be pulled up and cautioned or given an on the spot fine. Ok whinge over time to see if I can shift this head cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Not Rod King doing speed enforcement, was it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevofaz25 Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Can you confirm the cyclist was going left on to Sankey Way towards town?? - seems the cycle path would not be much use if they were going straight across Sankey Way or turning right into it. I have just undertaken the free cycle training the council has offered after 10 years off my bike- there was a lot of very useful guidance about positioning on the road and staying safe in traffic (staying safe does not mean riding in the gutter btw). It was also an eye-opener to find how much the Highway code has changed since I took my driving test 30+ years ago. As has been said before there is good and bad on the road in all shapes of vehicles. Not all car drivers are good nor are all cyclists bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I've said it before and I'll say it again. If cyclists want to use the roads paid for by motorists, then they should have to wear a high-vis top or tabard with the equivalent of a registration number printed on it. That way they could be identified when seen breaking the law, and treated in the same way as any other road user. I can't see how any of the lycra clads who claim to be law-abiding could possibly have any objection to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Nothing their inky, that I could disagree with inky, I think your idea is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Hey I can beat that one Sid Friday night I’m on my way back from Liverpool when an ambulance with sirens and lights all going passes me as we both approach a roundabout. At the last second, the ambulance does a full emergency stop as he spots a cyclist with no lights on the roundabout. Both manage to stop thank God and for a fraction of a second exchange looks. Amazingly rather than give way to the ambulance, the cyclist pushes off again and rides right across the front of the ambulance giving the driver a cheery "thanks mate" wave as he did. seen it all now! Bill PS Good logic there Inky, it'll never happen though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Just for interest Sid - did the car(s) immediatley behind the cyclist beep their horns, so the Richard Head cyclist would be made aware of the obstruction he was causing ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 No but if I had been able to open the bus door whilst it was passing him I would have cheerfully assisted him in going onto the cycle path by way of a size eight steel toecap. Can you confirm the cyclist was going left on to Sankey Way towards town?? - seems the cycle path would not be much use if they were going straight across Sankey Way or turning right into it. He was about fifty or sixty yard past the lights where asda is and heading down cromwell avenue toward sankey way. had to wait for him to clear two of the islands before we caught up with him and managed to get past. Did not stop to ask him if he was turning right or not. The cycle lane literally runs along the footpath about five foot from the road all the way to sankey way so no excuse even if he was turning right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Perhaps he was a member of the 20s plenty club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Sid, I have mentioned the Cromwell Lycra lovers on many occasions on here. There is indeed a cycle path which runs the entire length of Cromwell avenue and yet as you rightly point out, the lycra lovers will not use it. I also passed one today which was wobbling all over the place and causing a queue and without lights on too.... The idea from inky is a cracker and maybe we should push our safety concious council to add it to the 20's nonsense campaign to make sure the lycras are even safer!! Cllr Geoff.... fancy douing something about it?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Can you confirm the cyclist was going left on to Sankey Way towards town?? - seems the cycle path would not be much use if they were going straight across Sankey Way or turning right into it. I have just undertaken the free cycle training the council has offered after 10 years off my bike- there was a lot of very useful guidance about positioning on the road and staying safe in traffic (staying safe does not mean riding in the gutter btw). It was also an eye-opener to find how much the Highway code has changed since I took my driving test 30+ years ago. As has been said before there is good and bad on the road in all shapes of vehicles. Not all car drivers are good nor are all cyclists bad. So it was you I saw in St. Heath a few weeks ago. I thought that I was seeing things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 I've said it before and I'll say it again. If cyclists want to use the roads paid for by motorists, then they should have to wear a high-vis top or tabard with the equivalent of a registration number printed on it. That way they could be identified when seen breaking the law, and treated in the same way as any other road user. I can't see how any of the lycra clads who claim to be law-abiding could possibly have any objection to this. Other than these 'Plonkers' who look like David Bowie in Spandex won't want to destroy their 'imagined' image by wearing a high viz tabard, we had occasion to follow a male cyclist for about 10 minutes along a country 'B' road and the material of the Lycra suit he was wearing was so thin you could see the skin of his backside, now I'm no prude but I had my granddaughter and wife in the car and believe me, not a particularly amusing interlude, positively obscene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 Wonder what Rod thinks?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 15, 2011 Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 he will be in denial like he always is when anyone criticizes cyclists...... they can do no wrong or they are the minority in his eyes..... I really do think the health and saftey angle needs to be pushed more at these cyclists though...... If I had a LOCAL councillor instead of one who covers Great Sankey instead of Westbrook where I live, it might be something I would ask him to back me on..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted October 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Perhaps we could get a e petition up to get a law stating that where cycle ways are provided they Must be used or face a fixed penalty fine. Proceeds from the fine to go towards maintaining the cycleways. Now cyclist cannot complain about that can they. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Or - impose a road tax on bikes at the point of sale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted October 16, 2011 Report Share Posted October 16, 2011 Plus insist on Third Party insurance. But all laws concerning cyclists are useless unless the cyclist can be identified after he/she has shot off through traffic or along a pavement. Hence my registration number idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Mac Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 I used to sometimes wonder if all the lycra wearing cyclists were 100% legitimate. Two years ago last June I finally had my suspicions confirmed. We were travelling back from Skye and having taken a scenic route decided to pull in at Fort Augustus tourist information to try and book a B & B for later on. Fort Augustus is quite a busy little place and on this day there were numerous coaches parked up awaiting the return of various school parties visiting the town. As we exited the car park on foot I noticed a lycra clad cyclist right in front of the tourist information office. His bicycle was leaning against a sign and he was performing varying stretching excercises, (I presumed he had just finished a long ride and was winding down.) We went into the tourist office and after about an hour or so we managed to find and book a suitable B & B for later that day. We took a walk around Fort Augustus and then popped into a cafe and had a bite and a drink. At least two and a half hours had elapsed since we arrived and yet on returning to the car park the same Lycra warrior was still performing his stretching routine. I watched him for a few minutes from the opposite side of the road until he spotted me watching him. I took my 'phone out of my pocket and in an instant he was back on his bike heading for the hills as fast as he could go. We went back into the tourist office and mentioned it to the staff and they said they would try and keep an eye open in case he ever came back. Pointless trying to report the incident formally since there would not have been any means of tracking the guy down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Was it Rod?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Mac Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Sorry Obs, I'm not familair with Rod but I doubt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.