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Apologies to Mr Brooks saddle for losing my cool and committing bike rage)

(46 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by SRD
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike

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  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I always sit in front of the numberplate of the lead vehicle so that this situation is prevented

    That's a great piece of advice, Dave. I try and position myself to make myself as visible as possible to the vehicle behind me. For a car I find this is directly in front. For a lorry it is of course different, you have to get further ahead as the diagram illustrates. I also agree that the more "infront" of them that you are, the temptation for that car to try and race you from the lights is reduced. They are forced to sit behind you and in theory, can then pass you safely and at a safe distance further on. I will also generally pull myself in to the left a bit after starting from the middle of the road out of an ASL, but don't dive for the gutter. It's just not a safe place to be. You just have to get used to and be confident with the noise of a car sitting up your tail and move when it is safe, not when you feel forced to. Again if they are right behind they aren't tempted to try and squeeze past like if you are sitting on their front left.

    Anyway. Be safe. Be seen. Be assertive.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. PS
    Member

    All good advice. And I'd throw in that there's no harm in giving a patient driver a wave/thumbs-up of thanks as they move to pass.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. wee folding bike
    Member

    I thought right foot down was because the road was closer on that side.

    An American friend got it wrong the first time he came to the UK and put down his left foot only to find the road was further away than he expected.

    I'm ambidextrous at traffic lights but can only mount from the left.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. Nelly
    Member

    @Kaputnik - Be safe. Be seen. Be assertive.

    100% correct - there are loads of do's and dont's about cycling, but this just about covers the lot - (are you Dave Prowse in disguise) !!

    I had a chat with my wife about cycle safety the other night (after the poor chap at broughton, and one of my mates getting dunted by a taxi at the west end) and while she agrees that many car drivers need to do some cycling, she also thinks that I am a better cyclist as I also drive - not a bad shout.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. donnymurdo
    Member

    In a previous post I mentioned that you can see the training materials used in schools for yourself. I have had no luck in locating these resources on Cycling Scotland's new website so I've included this link to Road Safety Scotland.

    http://www.road-safety.org.uk/cycling/scottish-cycle-training-scheme/

    This scheme aims to give children a basic knowledge of the main manoeuvres. It has also been put together to maximise the safety of the child. To pass this scheme they need to demonstrate that they can perform a safe start and a safe controlled stop. Both require that the left foot is the one placed on the ground. As the cyclist gains experience they may wish to do things differently to adjust for the road conditions and to counter a steep camber on the road.
    If you do take a peek at one of these cycle training guides may I bring your attention to the second look over the shoulder, the "lifesaver look". This is one of the most dramatic changes you can make to your daily commute in terms of increasing your personal safety.

    Happy commuting.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. Smudge
    Member

    Re the "lifesaver", I got the chance to do some glider flying and the instructor always got a chuckle at me as the lifesaver is so ingrained from motorcycles that I couldn't help but do them before turns when flying the glider! :-o
    Do them in cars/trucks etc as well, but I figure it's probably a good habit :-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Dave
    Member

    Sometimes when walking along the pavement, I either shoulder check (or get an uncontrollable urge to check) just when I want to walk around someone/thing...

    It's a bit lessened since I got the recumbent, although perhaps that just means I'm going to end up with a "walking mirror"...

    re: the feet thing. Although in fact there's little to object to - you "may wish to do things differently to adjust for the road conditions" (i.e. presence of traffic), I bet that either a significant number of instructors will always teach the "gutter position" regardless, or they fail to pass across the significance of how bad that position is when you're in traffic (let's be honest, you don't see kids learning how to cycle amongst traffic anyway!)

    There are just so many examples of "bad gutterism" that it's hard to know where to begin. And it's all just confidence / perception, too. Take Leith St with that turn-off to Calton rd: almost every day I see people who want to ride up to Princes St take the most fear-inducing road position, practically inviting the traffic stream that's turning left to cut across them. I've never had anyone cut across me there, perhaps in part because I ride to the right hand side of the bus/ahead lane, so it's always visually easier for motorists to come left immediately and drive in the correct lane ahead of time.

    Sure, it's no guarantee. People change lanes without looking all the time and many who look will go anyway because they think it's "only a bike" holding them up. But you can do a lot for your chances by keeping out of the gutter.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Smudge
    Member

    Isn't it great that cycle use has increased to the point that we can/feel the need complain about other cyclists shoaling/road position/choice of foot etc ;-))
    S. (Glass half full!)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. SRD
    Moderator

    Crossing Nicholson I slid into primary position in the ASL, noticing cyclist in gutter, with car signalling to turn behind him. I also went into primary at next intersection, when cyclist caught me up and slid in on my right. Politely suggested that at last intersection he should have been centre, not left. Advised him never to sit in the gutter, especially with a turn lane and car indicating left behind him. And also mentioned lorries etc and that most cycling fatalities seemed to involve getting stuck on the left. We had a nice chat and he thanked me for advice. Said he wasn't used to riding in city. But, given accent, I suspect he is not used to UK traffic either.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. wingpig
    Member

    The presence of new-to-cities/new/recently-resumed cyclists is precisely why we should gripe and be irked about people not exhibiting wise cycling-behaviour... people are good at copying other people, so the more people there are doing naughty/silly/daft/suicidal things, the greater the risk of such behaviours being propagated.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. donnymurdo
    Member

    Dave,

    In response to your comment that you don't see children being taught cycle training.

    10,000 children receive ON ROAD cycle training in Scotland each year.
    Here's my speculation as to why you don't see it happen.

    Children are taught in groups of 8 but over, on average, a six week period so this amounts to just a mere 7,500 cycle training sessions for children ON ROADS.

    These sessions need to be held near their school.
    So reason 1 if you don't cycle near a school you won't see any o the 10,000 children being cycle trained ON ROAD.
    Because cycle training is primarily promoted through schools they are done in school time or just after school. So you won't see any of the 10,000 children doing their ON ROAD cycle training unless you are travelling between 9.30am and 4.00pm.

    There are 60,000 primary school children eligible for this training per annum but to get to this figure it is thought that volunteer cycle trainers are the way forward. Contact your local Active Schools Co-ordinator for details.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. ruggtomcat
    Member

    well, Im glad 1 in 6 gets to go ON ROAD, in my day it was lines in the playground, and that was in a village of <5000 people!

    I would not like to be the guy who volunteers to be responsible for 8 children ON ROAD at a time. I would think it would need a degree of professional training and insurance, difficult to find for an unpaid position. Mind you TBS have laid off some cycle-trainers so there are a few going spare.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. Dave
    Member

    That's interesting Donny - thanks! (Every day's a schoolday on CCE).

    I'm not sure I could handle training kids. Imagine if every child got trained, having to explain to Fatboy MacImpreza from the local estate why it's important for his kid to get in the way of boy racers like him (or for that matter any parent who doesn't cycle).

    I've often thought I might quite like to be a cycle instructor of the more 'personal trainer' sort of bent, where you work with adults who're choosing to ride into work etc. and can pass on all these sorts of tips. Have your pannier on the right side. When you're late for work and there's a solid traffic jam both ways, how should you ride through it with least risk, etc. etc.

    Not sure there's a market for that here though. Perhaps in London?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Thats essentially the job TBS have let go.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Not sure there's a market for that here though. Perhaps in London? ... Thats essentially the job TBS have let go.

    But it's also the sort of training that people like donnymurdo can do, depending on the service that's requested.

    I think the market for the one-to-one stuff could be powered significantly by organisations who want to make cycle training widely available to their staff. You could have someone like PWC or RBS with thousands of staff, and perhaps 5%-10% interested in learn to ride their bike more effectively, or even to learn to ride a bike at all, especially if it was subsidised to some extent.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. wee folding bike
    Member

    Have your pannier on the right side.

    Not if there is a lot of heavy stuff in it and the prop stand is on the left.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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