Why do so few people cycle?

boliston

I've been cycling to work for about 10 years now, about 2.5 miles each way, and the only time I take the car is if I have to bring something heavy back from work, usually things I have ordered online.

I've only had a couple of accidents in that time, one caused by a car pulling out of a side road resulting in badly sprained shoulder but about £2k compensation so not so bad. My other accident was caused by hitting a ridge in the road and falling off resulting in cracked elbow, but no compensation this time. I fell off a couple of times earlier in the month due to snow & ice on the road but that was pretty much expected!

surfsister

joolsybools wrote: »

I was just wondering why there seems to be so few people on here that cycle/ask questions about cycling, especially as cycling is so MSE. :money:

Do any of you cycle?

If you don't, have you ever considered it?

If not why not?

What would help you to do it?

probably cyclists don't have time to post on here as it's much more time consuming to get to work on a bike, then there's the shower when you get there due to getting overheated!!

seriously I don't mean just within town which is far too dangerous at peak times. when living in I town i used to commute to work by bike daily, but having been knocked off twice had to travel at non-peak times. plus the traffic fumes were awful. I'm a safe biker
not my fault eirther time once at a roundabout I got half way across and a car came across very fast and hit me. Another time in the cycle lane a large vehicle came into cycle lane and pushed me into the kerb as he overtook.

Also came out of work once ready to rush home for an engagement and bike had ben stolen despite a large chain.

I think seriously cyling is for pleasure not work now that the roads are so congested.

I know many councils run bike schems where employees can buy bikes form their salaries at reduced cost and some even get mileage, which may help some.

boliston

surfsister wrote: »

probably cyclists don't have time to post on here as it's much more time consuming to get to work on a bike, then there's the shower when you get there due to getting overheated!!.

If I drive into work at peak times I normally need to allow a good half hour to avoid being late for work as the journey normally takes between 20 & 30 minutes. Just sitting in the traffic jam to get to the end of my own road normally takes a good 10 minutes!

On the bike I can pretty much guarantee that the whole journey will take between 7 and 10 minutes so I can leave home at 8.50am whereas taking the car I'd need to leaving more like 8.25am, so certainly no time saving for me in the car.

tomstickland

When I was a teenager and a student I cycled everywhere. Very good cheap transport mode and quick too. Could beat cars on most urban journeys.

Nowadays I go mountain biking more weekends than not. I don't do so much on road stuff. Mainly because if I fall off on a trail then that's my fault, but if some moron mows me down because they were "daydreaming" then I won't be so pleased.

Billy-no-Money

If car drivers actually did a bit of thinking BEFORE overtaking a bike they might realise that they're not going to get past the bike before:

• The traffic island
• The back of the traffic jam
• The T-junction that's coming up
• The blind bend
• The parked cars
• ad nauseam

There seems to be a driving mentality in many people where they automatically overtake all cyclists, regardless of their relative speed - in the T-junction example, I've had drivers try to overtake me when I'm doing 15-16mph, and end up on the wrong side of the road at the T junction because they misjudged how long it would take.

It's not malicious, people aren't trying to kill you most of the time - they simply don't have a clue how to handle cyclists. It then gets left to us to 'manage' the drivers, hence advice in Cyclecraft to adopt positions in the road which stop drivers doing stupid things. Unfortunately that then means the drivers who don't understand why we're in the middle of the lane (the very ones who NEED controlling) see us as obstructive.



Of course, you can always use the excellent (!) cycle tracks. Great, until:

• You're ordered to dismount at every junction
• Pedestrians wander wherever they want (and they're allowed to by the way!)
• Broken glass is scattered over the track
• When it's icy, the tracks are unusable as there is NO gritting or snow clearing
• Many are completely unlit at night (and used by ninja dog walkers)

Yet - I love cycling, I love motorcycling and I love driving. Sometimes I wonder why!

boyse7en

I have got to admit there have been a couple of times where I have technically been in the wrong with cyclists, usually cos I havent seen them (not been wearing hi-vis gear

This attitude always bugs me - why does a cyclist have to wear hi-viz gear to be seen? I know it makes them more visible in poor lighting conditions, but you should still be looking around, able to see other road users whatever they are wearing. You don't expect pedestrians to wear dayglo gear all the time.

Maybe they should insist that all cars are painted dayglo yellow, just so that the less observant drivers have a bit more of a chance to avoid them.

littlefeet_2

I cycle to work once or twice a week when the mornings and nights are lighter. This is because my 60% traffic free route is almost completely unlit, and runs along the side of the river, and I live in fear of it all going wrong and me ending up in the Mersey.

I don't subscribe to the cyclists v car drivers v pedestrians view of the world, my view is a minuscule minority of people are perfect and never do anything through momentary inattention that could cause harm to others, that most people may do something daft occasionally, and there is another minority of people who are just idiots who should be locked up. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/4885413.Burnley_road_rage_teen_targeted_cycling_police_chief/

There are some things that drive me mad for the short sections of road that I ride on:
1. The overtakey-brakey. A driver starts to overtake me, I'm just about behind their passenger window, and then suddenly they discover that they really need to turn left RIGHT NOW
2. The you shouldn't be here. Narrow road with a path on one side, wall on the other.. If I cycled on the path, I would rightly get told off by the pedestrians. When I cycle on the road (leading to a golf club) I regularly have one shout abuse and tell me to get off the road. And the occasional one who tries to drive through me and run me into the wall. I'm a chunky lass wearing high viz - surely he could see me?

Why do I ride to work when I can? Cheap exercise, a lovely sunny morning is a joy to behold, I get to pat and make a fuss of lots of dogs, horses and cats on my way in. While it's slower than my drive, I do feel happier when I get to work.

geri1965_2

I cycle to work from Spring to Autumn, as soon as the clocks go back I stop as my eyesight is very poor and I find it difficult in the dark. In winter I walk (or get the bus if I am feeling lazy or ill) as it's only 2 miles.

I love cycling, although it can be scary at times as most of my journey is on the road. Some drivers are just thoughtless but I have had cars drive at me on purpose, and once a car followed me for ages with the driver and passenger shouting abuse at me - very frightening.

Some drivers are very considerate though, I have to say.

Also other cyclists get on my nerves at times, especially some men who can't stand to see a woman ahead of them, so if I am stopped at traffic lights, say, they will push past me and position themselves ahead of me. So rude!

DKLS

I used to cycle a lot, but haven't cycled for over 3 years now, way too many hills round here and the inclement weather just doesnt do it for me anymore, the choice of a commute with heated seats on full blast and a cycling is a no brainer.

Shame really as I have a stumpjumper collecting dust in the garage.

Kool_Kool

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

If car drivers actually did a bit of thinking BEFORE overtaking a bike they might realise that they're not going to get past the bike before:

• The traffic island
• The back of the traffic jam
• The T-junction that's coming up
• The blind bend
• The parked cars
• ad nauseam

There seems to be a driving mentality in many people where they automatically overtake all cyclists, regardless of their relative speed - in the T-junction example, I've had drivers try to overtake me when I'm doing 15-16mph, and end up on the wrong side of the road at the T junction because they misjudged how long it would take.

It's not malicious, people aren't trying to kill you most of the time - they simply don't have a clue how to handle cyclists. It then gets left to us to 'manage' the drivers, hence advice in Cyclecraft to adopt positions in the road which stop drivers doing stupid things. Unfortunately that then means the drivers who don't understand why we're in the middle of the lane (the very ones who NEED controlling) see us as obstructive.



Of course, you can always use the excellent (!) cycle tracks. Great, until:

• You're ordered to dismount at every junction
• Pedestrians wander wherever they want (and they're allowed to by the way!)
• Broken glass is scattered over the track
• When it's icy, the tracks are unusable as there is NO gritting or snow clearing
• Many are completely unlit at night (and used by ninja dog walkers)

Yet - I love cycling, I love motorcycling and I love driving. Sometimes I wonder why!

I agree you would think driving schools now teach drivers how to deal with cyclist but I doubt their doing it, I still see drivers cutting ciclists when turning right and cyclists braking sharp so they dont get smashed. Common sense, their isnt any.