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Giving up

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  1. Calum
    Member

    I'm afraid I'm giving up cycling. I've had one too many close calls, and at the end of the day, regardless of whether I'm in the right or the wrong, it's always going to be me that comes off worst in a collision with a car.

    It upsets me to say this. It feels like what has become one of the things I enjoy most has been stolen from me. I can't carry on putting myself through it. I don't have the inclination or, frankly, the skill to deal with it all.

    There's a lot that has to change before I'm tempted to try again. I used to be optimistic about that change coming; believed that eventually we would get there. I'm not so sure now. It's back to purely walking and public transport for me - though being a poor old Scottish pedestrian or bus passenger certainly has its own indignities! I honestly wish all the best to those who carry on. Stay safe.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. minus six
    Member

    NEVER !

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. amir
    Member

    :(

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. Kenny
    Member

    :(

    I can empathise. Some days I wonder whether it's worth the grief, especially when you are having car after car pass you too close. I try to avoid such scenarios by staying on the longer route cycle paths when I'm either feeling unconfident, or when the weather is such that I don't think cars will be looking at me as a top priority, such as when the weather is bad, for example. I'm lucky in that a lot of my route doesn't involve many roads and I can do about 80% of my journey on cycle paths or back streets, but if you're having to battle cars on roads for much of your route, I'm not surprised some people come to the conclusion it's not worth it.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. chdot
    Admin

    Sad.

    The ultimate in personal choice (in the context of CCE).

    A friend of mine used to happily sail around the town until doored in George Street.

    Occasional cycling now consists of nervous side road rides to the nearest part of the NEPN.

    Don't deprive yourself of all cycling.

    I'm aware I have experience, 'road skills' and the brakes, gears and muscles to reduce my fears to a level that is acceptable to me.

    I generally feel safer as a cyclist than a pedestrian.

    It's hard to be optimistic about significant changes any time soon.

    I'm still working (with many others - inc people on CCE) to make some things change.

    That's not a criticism of you giving up riding. I think I might give up 'campaigning' before I gave up riding.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. crowriver
    Member

    I think I might give up 'campaigning' before I gave up riding.

    Yeah, I know exactly how you feel!

    CalumCookable, maybe you could cheer yourself up by going on holiday somewhere where cyclists are not third class citizens, eg. Netherlands, Denmark, or Germany. Sure, it's disheartening when you get back to Blighty.

    Sometimes though, when I'm cycling on an otherwise deserted unclassified rural road in Scotland, I do realise how great riding a bike really is.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. Kim
    Member

    @CalumCookabl I don't blame you, I sometimes feel like giving up cycling too, certainly I cycle a lot less than I used to because of the declining behaviour of a minority of drivers.

    The only thing you can do is to keep campaigning until the powers that be take the issue seriously and introduce Sustainable Safety here.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. neddie
    Member

    Ah, give it a couple of months, a few kilos of weight, that grumpy feeling from lack of O2 to the head... you'll be back... ;)

    (Well, somebody had to say it)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @CalumCookable I am very sorry to hear this and it must have been a hard decision to make.

    But one request. Please, don't keep this post restricted to only this forum. Copy, paste, edit a little and post or email it to your councillors and to Lesley Hinds (Transport Convenor).

    All we here can offer is advice and sympathy, but don't let this hard choice go unnoticed by those who can make a difference.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Roibeard
    Member

    I can understand you position, and have felt "the fear" to some extent too.

    Might I recommend recreational cycling? If you've a car, then the mountain biking scene may be sufficient, but if you're relying on public transport, a folding bike may allow use of bus (and train) to the few off road tracks available, without ever needing to ride on the road.

    Or, if you're within walking distance of the train, you could walk the bike to the train and onwards to the off-road track, but I suspect buses might be required.

    And if at some point you do want to get back on to the road, do post again, as I'm sure the forum would assist either with route suggestions or with offers to "chum" you along the road.

    Robert

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. gibbo
    Member

    @CalumCookabl I can understand. There are times I think I'm likely to die on the road one day.

    You deserve better. You deserve to follow your passion and be able to cycle in safety. But, given you don't have that option, I understand your choice.

    There's no shame in it. I remember Victoria Pendleton saying she was always fearful riding on the roads - and she's probably one of the best bike handlers in the world.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. allebong
    Member

    I'll add to what crowriver said and note that you don't have to go all that far afield to find places with much better attitudes towards cycling. A couple of months back I spent a week down Dumfries/Dalbeattie direction and compared to Edinburgh it's a different world. Even the main roads aren't all that busy and the side ones are deserted. The traffic I did encounter was almost without exception extremely courteous. Likely a combination of low population density, the abundance of mtb trails and the popularity of road cycling.

    Still you might find it best to take a break from cycling. Try to resist closing the door on it completely - spend a few weeks or months without it and see how your attitude develops.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. rosscbrown
    Member

    I'm from Dumfries and cycling there is almost a delight. I say almost as the place is not big enough for a nice ride around the city like you can do in Edinburgh. Still, slower pace of traffic and curious divers are lovely.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. sallyhinch
    Member

    Unfortunately we do get a few run ins in Dumfries as well - though mostly smidsys rather than deliberate aggression...

    out on the rural roads (where I live) it really is a delight though

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. wee folding bike
    Member

    I suspect the address you need is:

    McAveety, Frank - Frank.McAveety@glasgow.gov.uk

    But I have to admit that I don't understand.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. gembo
    Member

    Shame, it is a jungle out there for sure. From interrogation by wee folding bike you on another thread, I gave up years ago when the dread got to me. Took up running and swimming again. But now the bike is back (was quite a lay off and restarted on off road routes first to build up my confidence)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. cc
    Member

    Stay with us on CCE though?

    I gave up cycling too. (It was the botched actually-worse-than-before quality bike corridor which pushed me over into utter despair.)

    After several months of walking to work I was tempted back but still hated the QBC (I still do, it's so obviously horribly wrong and stupid and dangerous). So instead I thought I might try cycling a quiet, indirect, "inefficient" route to work, instead of the QBC. It worked: a year or two later I still use my nice quiet route, and it's lovely.

    Anyway - for now, put your feet up and have a good rest from cycling. In time you might think of a quieter, kinder place to try it again, but first you need to recover! All the best.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  18. MeepMeep
    Member

    This is very sad, but an understandable decision. I'm also fed up of a minority taking wholly unnecessary risks with my life through close passes, reckless manoeuvres etc.

    Echoing the comments of Kaputnik and cc: send this message to anyone with influence, and stick around on the forum.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  19. Calum
    Member

    Thanks folks! Will certainly stay on CCE - I do enjoy keeping up with the latest wacky half-baked cycling projects our dear leaders come up with!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  20. wee folding bike
    Member

    Ahhh. Never had dread. Well not road dread.

    Slugs are a different matter.

    Took boys to Millport yesterday. Two of them cycled round the other had a pokey hat in the Ritz.

    One of the cycling ones had his piece stolen from his hand by a seagull which also clattered him on the head. He now has seagull dread but cheered up when introduced to the crocodile rock and beasties in rock pools.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  21. bdellar
    Member

    I'm lucky in that I can get most of the way to my work on cycle paths (Porty to Leith, the dodgy bit across Leith, then up the WoL path), so if I ever decide to pack in road riding, I have a fallback...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  22. gembo
    Member

    Wee folds I thought I might translate your west coast details, in case they get lost in translation. As you are describing my childhood, I claim the right.

    Millport the only town on greater cumbrae a small island off Largs ( for largs, see nardinis, the pencil and jimmy Johnstone rowing boat incident 1968??).

    Millport has a cathedral, a bike hire shop including tandems and next door a joke shop owned by same folk.?? A cafe with a jukebox and 200 weans each night

    A pier

    A rock that vaguely resembles a crocodile so has had teeth painted

    Another rock that looks very vaguely like a person from the First Nations of the United States sub continent called The Indian Rock. You can cycle round the island in a few hours stopping if you go anti clockwise at fintry bay cafe for some ginger (lemonade). You can cycle to the highest point 623 ft. Tho brae is steep. You can go output in a fishing boat with a hand line and catch mackerel and cod if lucky or The Cold if unlucky. it will rain but you can put on a blue nylon thing called a Kagool which folds inside front pocket and makes you sweat. I have confused past and present but that is what Millport is like.

    A pokey hat is a small bag of chips

    Posted 11 years ago #

  23. crowriver
    Member

    Cagoule.

    Anyhoo, only time I 'gave up'* cycling was when I moved to London for a few years in the mid-1990s. I reckoned it would be far too dangerous, and frankly it was then. No congestion charge zone; no cycle lanes; no Barclays bikes; no Critical Mass; hardly any cyclists on the roads; Loads of motorcycle couriers, taxis, courier vans all racing off at traffic lights as soon as they turn amber. Terrifying.

    In contrast Edinburgh in the mid-1990s felt relatively safe (though I did have some close calls with taxis at junctions). On the roads too: didn't use an off-road cycle path (except MMW/Bruntsfield Links) until the zeroes...

    All depends what you are used to I suppose. I can't figure out if traffic has got worse in Edinburgh in 20 years, or if I'm just cycling on busier roads than I did back then, or if driver behaviour has got worse. Subjectively, it does appear that:

    - cars have got more powerful
    - cars are 'safer' for the occupants (air bags etc.)
    - in-car distractions are more numerous (entertainment systems, TVs, sat navs, mobiles, iPods, iPads!)
    - air con/climate control more widespread, leading to 'cocoon' effect (20 years ago folk opened the window, and could hear more that was going on around them)
    - more young drivers?

    Probably casualties in road collisions for cyclists were worse 20 years ago, but it feels more intimidating now. Maybe I'm just older, (wiser?) and more aware of the risks I'm taking/being subjected to?

    * - not quite true: didn't take my bike from home for my first few years as a student either. Probably should have though.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  24. ExcitableBoy
    Member

    @CalumCookable sorry to hear that the hassle of everyday cycling has got too much for you. It goes to show how far Edinburgh has to go to become the cycling city it claims to want to be. What hope of encouraging a 5-fold increase in cycling when those that are keen to do so, are too afraid for their safety?
    Anyway, just posting to say I have enjoyed your previous posts. It would be interesting to hear how you get on.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  25. Claire
    Member

    Very sorry to hear you've decided to retire your bike. I hope you change your mind! It's a real shame that you feel so vulnerable on the roads that it's not worth the risk. Cycling is such an amazing feeling that I'm extremely frustrated to read that the madness has finally won and the amazing buzz and benefits will be gone.

    Although, I completely understand where you're coming from - I cycled a gauntlet along George St, around Charlotte Sq, the end of Princes St and up Lothian Road to Tollcross yesterday for the first time and thought it perfectly possible I'd get squashed and die. TERRIFYING. A chap and I even had a traffic light chat about the insanity. Sigh :(

    Posted 11 years ago #

  26. chdot
    Admin

    http://velosociety.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/mass-cycling

    Posted 11 years ago #

  27. Dave
    Member

    @CalumCookable you may also wish to bear in mind the possibility of relocating work and home to take advantage of more cyclable routes.

    That's essentially what we did with our recent relocation, despite it being (much) more expensive than moving to a number of less bike friendly areas. (But then we were after a detached house with decent schools which is also a danger sign for £££).

    Now I can ride to work over 10 miles each way with just one traffic light to deal with, and about half a mile on quiet roads. WoL / canal / NEPN.

    Not only am I happier than I was with the constant fight that is the QBC and bridges, but I'm also noticing a distinct improvement related to not constantly breathing in bus fumes in the centre of town.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  28. gembo
    Member

    Pokey hat is an ice cream, I was suffering from temporary insanity caused by paint inhalation during decoration

    Posted 11 years ago #

  29. MeepMeep
    Member

    Whereas a poke (pyoke Teuchter sp?) is a portion of chips in NE Scotland!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  30. gembo
    Member

    On the slug front, way up thread wee folds admits to dread, of slugs - I have caught two slugs this year in my mouse traps, first one pretty gross, the other recently caught and flipped the little nipper trap the way the fieldmice do as they die happy with their little teeth in a sliver of cadbury's fudge. The mice have gone for the summer.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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