A cyclist's rant to incompetent road users...

sequence

esmerobbo wrote: »

Then my Mothers broken ankle requiring two operations to repair caused by a bike on the pavement not meaning full damage.

There aren't enough accidents to justify mandatory insurance. There's very few of these kind of incidents which is why cycle insurance is not (yet) mandatory.

sequence

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Fitted by which manufacturer? The frame? The wheels? The handlebar stem? The seat stem? The bars? The fork?

Or maybe they should be fitted by the shop selling the bike, but oops, I already have about £250 of lighting, maybe I don't want to spend extra on !!!! lights that I'll throw in the bin.

This is why bike shops sell (more expensive) bikes without pedals, to get around the regs.

A bike without pedals is not a bike, so doesn't need lights ....

PHYTHIAN

esmerobbo wrote: »

Lights are already a legal requirement. It is just a law that isn't often enforced... despite the serious safety implications.

Wish someone had told the cyclist I nearly ran over this morning at 0500.

Pitch black, 60mph road, no street lights, no HV and he swerves out into the road to avoid a parked car.

rev_henry

Strider beat me to it on the Cambridge one way street thing. There's a vid on youtube of a cyclist having an argument about this with a cab driver. There's also a rather funny video out of someones bedroom window of 8.45am in Cambridge, there is litterally a traffic jam of bikes, and you can barely see any cars!

There are several European countries in which bikes must be sold with lights by law.

Coming home last night another cyclist caught up with me at the lights (which all the other cyclists in the queue but us went through on red of course) and told me I needed to look behind more as I almost got taken out by a bus 2 or 3 times as I pulled out (he was riding behind me for a mile or so). He also told me I shouldn't undertake because I almost got taken out in this way as well. Politely thanked him for his advice but I don't think he was right tbh. I always look behind before pulling out and if the bus was behind me then I had right of way. Maybe he was referring to the bus which forced its way past at a traffic island pinch point despite me putting my hand out to tell him to hold back and trying to pull into primary position. Don't get what he was saying about undertaking. That's one of the main reasons for cycling so I can undertake traffic jams! But having said that he obviously saw things I didn't so I don't know...

rev_henry

sequence wrote: »

This is why bike shops sell (more expensive) bikes without pedals, to get around the regs.

A bike without pedals is not a bike, so doesn't need lights ....

Erm, bikes don't need to be sold with lights in the UK.

esmerobbo

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Fitted by which manufacturer? The frame? The wheels? The handlebar stem? The seat stem? The bars? The fork?

Or maybe they should be fitted by the shop selling the bike, but oops, I already have about £250 of lighting, maybe I don't want to spend extra on !!!! lights that I'll throw in the bin.

Then as you built the bike then you should fit them. the same as if I built a car I would have to have it, SVA,d

esmerobbo

sequence wrote: »

There aren't enough accidents to justify mandatory insurance. There's very few of these kind of incidents which is why cycle insurance is not (yet) mandatory.

If your 65 year old woman in poor health one enough.

Strider590

rev_henry wrote: »

Strider beat me to it on the Cambridge one way street thing. There's a vid on youtube of a cyclist having an argument about this with a cab driver. There's also a rather funny video out of someones bedroom window of 8.45am in Cambridge, there is litterally a traffic jam of bikes, and you can barely see any cars!

I find it concerning that professional drivers (taxi, bus, truck etc) don't know the law in their local town. I can see lot's of cyclists taking abuse wrongfully because of this combination of ignorance and lack of education

sequence

rev_henry wrote: »

Erm, bikes don't need to be sold with lights in the UK.

Haha your right There's a reason why they sell them without pedal I'm sure.

Sorry for the mis-information !

GillsMan7

esmerobbo wrote: »

If your 65 year old woman in poor health one enough.

Yes but the point is, you're talking about an EXTREMELY isolated incident, especially when compared to the amount of injuries and damaged caused by cars on an annual basis.