Public Transport and Cycling Board?

Norman_Castle

Why has cycling been combined in a board with public transport?. Cyclists are either road users or cycling enthusiasts. Public transport users are passengers on buses and trains. There are few, if any, common issues.

mikey72

Car users are in a world of their own?

Crabman

Apologies if you've already seen the following thread but that is what led to the separation of the boards:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4239185

geri1965_2

Crabman wrote: »

Apologies if you've already seen the following thread but that is what led to the separation of the boards:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4239185

Do you normally split forums on a whim at the suggestion of one person?

Livingthedream

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Why has cycling been combined in a board with public transport?. Cyclists are either road users or cycling enthusiasts. Public transport users are passengers on buses and trains. There are few, if any, common issues.

Why not, I always see loads of bike on trains.

Crabman wrote: »

Apologies if you've already seen the following thread but that is what led to the separation of the boards:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4239185

Perhaps one should have posted on the old Sub-forum first, asking the opinion of it's users instead of making a decision based on a thread with 7 posts.

thelawnet

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Why has cycling been combined in a board with public transport?. Cyclists are either road users or cycling enthusiasts. Public transport users are passengers on buses and trains. There are few, if any, common issues.

You're evidently not a cyclist.

It's very common for cyclists to use public transport, mostly trains. As a regular cyclist I very frequently combine the two. And there are issues relating to the train relevant to me as a cyclist - do I need to book a space, can I take my bike on at 6pm on a week day, is there level access to the road (no stairs), etc.

It's hardly a modern phenomenon either, this is from six decades ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

The reverse may not be true of course, while cyclists are likely to be interested in public transport, public transport users are not necessarily interested in cycling.

It would probably make sense to have three separate forums, but there probably isn't the volume of posts currently, but maybe that will change now that public transport/cycling posts are not drowned out by the much greater number of motoring queries.

Clearly money-saving questions relevant to cyclists are not relevant to motorists, and vice versa.

Crabman

geri1965 wrote: »

Do you normally split forums on a whim at the suggestion of one person?

Livingthedream wrote: »

Perhaps one should have posted on the old Sub-forum first, asking the opinion of it's users instead of making a decision based on a thread with 7 posts.

I didn't make the decision & I'm therefore not in a position to debate this issue.

I would recommend that you post on the thread in the Site Feedback board (link in post #3).

Livingthedream

Crabman wrote: »

I didn't make the decision & I'm therefore not in a position to debate this issue.

I would recommend that you post on the thread in the Site Feedback board (link in post #3).

Don't get me wrong I think that the split was the correct decision, however, not enough input from users was sort before a change was made, TBH cycling and public transport in the same forum doesn't seem right.

Right I off to the thread linked for my 10p worth.

Norman_Castle

You're evidently not a cyclist.

It's very common for cyclists to use public transport, mostly trains. As a regular cyclist I very frequently combine the two. And there are issues relating to the train relevant to me as a cyclist - do I need to book a space, can I take my bike on at 6pm on a week day, is there level access to the road (no stairs), etc.

I am a cyclist. I don't commute by bike or public transport. The proportion of cyclists or public transport users who combine the two is very small. You may combine the two, the majority don't. Issues when cycling are separate from transporting a bike on public transport.

Billy-no-Money

It would have made more sense to me to have a 'commuting' and 'leisure travel' split - after all, moneysaving can be about making choices between modes of transport to achieve the same end result. Too often people drive without making a rational choice about the best way to get there.

Regardless of the mode of transport, commuting and leisure tend to give different answers; advance purchase rail tickets are mainly a leisure option, season tickets are intended for commuters (yes you can do some commutes on advance tickets of course, but not the typical daily journeys).

I'll be glad to not have to read some of the anti-cycling bile that some of the 'motoring' users post, but overall I think separating by mode of transport is the wrong approach.

Norman_Castle

I'll be glad to not have to read some of the anti-cycling bile that some of the 'motoring' users post, but overall I think separating by mode of transport is the wrong approach.

Having road users on the same board educates all about a shared road space. Cyclists have proven themselves very capable of defending themselves against any ignorant and unpleasant motorists and motorists have an opportunity to voice their views.
A high proportion of cyclists on the forum are also motorists.