h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Everyone, cyclist, motorist, pedestrian and horse-rider, have both a right and a responsibility to use roads safely. I cycle 8 miles each way to work each day to Southampton. Fortunately I've been quite lucky and only been hit by a car once (it decided to overtake me and turn left at the same time), and my closest near miss this year was with a deer.

What I am intrigued about is what the new 'money for cycling' will achieve, and will it actually make any real difference. What I'd like to see is a change in the law either restricting the size of lorries or ensuring that all lorries larger than a Transit van are equipped with cycle detectors. Perhaps it is because Southampton's a major port, but there are a vast number of lorries on the roads, and because Southampton is their destination, they're often quite tired from driving from Scotland or wherever. In a contest with 10-ton truck with sleepy driver v fit and healthy cyclist, there is only ever going to be one winner/survivor.

<BB<

I used to cycle in Southampton - it put me off cycling for years - a deathtrap - I hope it's improved in the intervening 15 years or so. (I may have said this to you already I suspect)

I've yet to see an argument against cyclists that goes beyond essentially 'they're a bit annoying' - which is where the line seems to have got to in Germany. There are lots of demands from motorists/pedestrians for cyclists to 'behave more sociably' essentially but it doesn't seem to me that that is allowed to cut both ways. When motorists in particular can make some sort of concession then I don't see why cyclists should somehow 'make the first move'. We aren't the ones killing people and pedestrians/motorists can be annoying too

Last evening yet another cyclist was killed in Houston, TX.

Coincidently the last place I got knocked off a bike was on London Rd in Southampton, 15 years ago. I slid 15 yards on a lunch box that was in my rucksack after a car crossing the road failed to see me and removed my bike, hitting just behind my left leg. I don't think Southampton has got any better, but I haven't cycled there recently.

My approach to the cycling issues is simply to treat everyone on the road like a human and expect them to be stupid some of the time. Cyclists feel aggrieved because in the event of an accident with a car they are likely to come off worse physically. I always found that if I got frustrated with more than one motorist every two miles on average, then it meant I was pushing a bit hard and I should relax a bit. A lot of incidents are caused by cyclists moving faster than motorists expect; I've met exactly the same sort of issues driving an old Mini 1275GT; incidents caused by wrong expectations. As a cyclist I was equally frustrated by cars that refused to overtake despite having plenty of road space to do it safely, and being waved on.

I think that much could be done for road infrastructure to make cycling more attractive. Road edges are in the worst state I've ever seen them and while I wouldn't advocate cycling in the gutter, it is always nice to have an escape route if you do get cut-up. I admit though that it is too late to retrofit lanes in most places. The worst cycling lanes I have ever met were in Basildon, purely because they were not designed in and were interrupted at every minor driveway; some of the best were in Stevenage. In my local village the council put in lumpy road surfaces at junctions and drop-kerbs with bollards that extend into the road outside an old-folks' home. When they were installed I thought they were stupid and I've since seen cyclists hurt by both features when the roads had been perfectly safe before.

When I see lycra I treat them like BMW drivers (I speak as one myself) and when I see trailers I treat them like the rest of the dumb animals I encounter on the New Forest roads.

We cycled to Düsseldorf yesterday, 35 miles from where I live. This time we decided just to head off in the general direction and see what it was like.

The beginning bit is country roads but mostly they have a cycle path along them, or the tractor routes through fields (open for cyclists, joggers, walkers but not cars). On one of the field routes there was a small truck coming towards us so we decided to stand at the side and wait, but he was already pulling over to stop and waving us on

Going through the next two small towns we were mostly on roads but the car drivers were nothing less than fabulous - reading this thread had me prepared for them all to be gits, but they stayed behind us when it wasn't clear if they could pass, a lorry stopped going down a fairly steep hill so that we didn't have to stop behind parked cars then try to start again even though he clearly had the right of way. They stopped nicely behind us at traffic lights and were patient when we turned corners etc. Brilliant.

I'm convinced it's all down to a culture of cycling from an early age (we saw a granddad out with a tiny kid - he must have been around 3 - on a proper bike, no stabilisers. Brilliant)

I wrote my article, have a look
A87807784

(yes I am mad)

I'll be doing the Glasgow to Edinburgh cycling event in a few weeks, it'll be such a relief to be cycling on closed roads and with marshalls at busy intersections. However, the few bits that are shared with traffic can be a bit hairy with drivers totally losing the rag at having to give way to thousands of cyclists.

I read that there was trouble at the charity Caledonian etape earlier this year. Locals object to the detours and disruption caused by 3-4000 cyclists riding on closed roads so broken glass and spikes are scattered on the route.

Hmm, that should have been

Yeah that happened in the New Forest earlier in the year SWL.

Maybe they consider the inconvenience that cars cause occasionally

Hmm... it's an angry stop light.

Sorry, carry on.

DRAT... it was upside down.






That's better.

That's a great entry Orcus, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I think I'll go and find out if there's any events nearby because it's really inspired me

Wow - I was hoping it might publicise audax a bit more but didn't expect it to work that quick!

Really beware, it is highly addictive. It's taken over my life! Hope you enjoy - there are plenty of Scottish Audaxes.

There's a nice looking event near me next month It looks like it'll suit me because I'm a bit of a loner on the bike but tend to get a bit bored on the usual 40-50 mile loops I do. This year my motivation has definitely slipped but if I can find a succession of do-able events through the winter it might help my waistline.

blimey, that looks complicated - but really interesting. Although 50km is about my limit...

Is that entry in Peer Review?

Here's the peer review discussion: http://www.h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/brunel/F48874?thread=8304028

DANG IT!... try the following instead.

F48874?thread=8304028

>There's a nice looking event near me next month It looks like it'll suit me because I'm a bit of a loner on the bike but tend to get a bit bored on the usual 40-50 mile loops I do. This year my motivation has definitely slipped but if I can find a succession of do-able events through the winter it might help my waistline. <

Two of the great things I've found about it is that you can ride with groups or alone as you wish and that the routes have been devised by real enthusiasts so you *will* go to nice places and yes it avoids you getting bored by your own routes. It occurred to me the other day that I haven't visited many of my local, self taught routes recently as I don't need to any more.
The awards system can be a real motivator too. I entered my first one in January as I discovered audax through failing to get into the Wiggle Dragon Ride- instead of a £65 entry fee - Dr Foster's Winter Warmer in Cardiff was £4. 200 km seemed unreal at the time but once I'd done that it was 'hmm, can I do a 300?...'
I've not lost any weight since I started audaxing mind - might be just me - but they make you darned hungry afterwards.

Well I wouldn't mind not losing any weight, just move it around a bit maybe

Well it depends on how much you cycle to be fair. I discovered I liked cycling a long way well before I joined AUK. In the six months before I joined I lost 4 stone