Why do so few people cycle?

mikey72

boyse7en wrote: »

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.

I quite agree, I would have much more chance of seeing a pedestrian in a hi-vis jacket, and much more chance of seeing a car with lights and reflective stripes. Look at road workers, police cars, ambulances etc compared to black cars at night.
If I'm working in the road I wear my hi-vis jacket or vest, and assume everyone's out to get me.

Mids_Costcutter

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!

Thanks Billy, all valid points. Is it time that an element of (practical) cycling was included in the driving test?

petrolhead69

I cycle offroad for fun and sometimes to pop to the shops for milk but obviously not for the big shop, plus I think I`d struggle to cycle from livingston to dundee or glasgow carrying ladders and tools so work is out the window. what !!!!es me off is the number of scrotes who try to steal your bike when its chained up outside places, over my life it`s happened 9 times at different places, I`ve only had 1 car broken into and one motorbike stolen so I always worry because when they cant snap the chain they vandalise the bike.

SailorSam

Has anyone any experience of electric bikes. Ok i know it may be the cowards way to exercise, but Pastures at least you're not going to be as hot and sweaty when you get to your destination.

Cool_Username

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

• Many are completely unlit at night (and used by ninja dog walkers)

I'd love a Ninja Dog! :rotfl:

boliston

thriftymanc wrote: »

.....and as I live in a city centre apartment block there's nowhere to put a bike at home either unless I want it sat in my bedroom or something. .....

Hey I've got TWO bikes that live in my bedroom! I just get used to having them there as there is NO WAY I'm going to chain it up in the communal bike parking area.

kriss_boy

goldspanners wrote: »

hazarding a guess here. lanark ish?

If I worked within a couple of miles of where I worked then I would cycle, no doubt about it.

But otherwise its slower, makes you sweaty before work and far more dangerous.

DaveMacD

I got a lovely badgering letter from my work promoting the Cycle to Work scheme. When I called up to make sure I wasn't taking part, I got 10 minutes of health and environment lecturing from someone in an office, chastising me for a lack of care about the most important subject of the age, and how the company was bending over backwards to help its employees... Until I pointed out that I have a 40+ mile round trip to work, and that it would be easier to just set up home at work, especially when I have to start at 4am.

Hintza

Just out of interest where do you live OP? And where do you work?

boliston

kriss_boy wrote: »

If I worked within a couple of miles of where I worked then I would cycle, no doubt about it.

But otherwise its slower, makes you sweaty before work and far more dangerous.

Before you dismiss it as "far more dangerous" consider this.

About 200 cyclists die on the UK's roads each year, but over 200,000 UK people die under the age of 65 each year from cardio vascular disease.

Regular cycling is going to substantially reduce your risk of being one of those 200,000 unlucky people and you have to remember that those 200 who die on the roads include "suicidal" cycling types so an ordinary "sensible" cyclist probably has a much lower risk of being part of those unlucky 200.