What to do with all your time?

barnstar2077

Storcko14 said:

As per the Highway Code 2022 amends, most of the time the best position to take is the primary position which is essentially the middle of your lane.  If you stick too close to the kerb / edge it encourages close passes (driver thinks you're one dimensional and can squeeze past without allowing sufficient space - min 1.5m).  It can feel counter-intuitive but you don't want to spend too long thinking about the consequences of striking a kerb or other street furniture as a car passes half a metre away at 40mph.

Madness.  Been commuting to work for the last thirty years, I would be dead if I had been doing this.  Especially on a dual carriageway. 

barnstar2077

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

Not sure that would be much comfort.  The same way I don't walk in front of cars at a zebra crossing until I see them slowing down.  The right of way doesn't matter when it comes to the consequences. 

george_jetson

barnstar2077 said:

Storcko14 said:

As per the Highway Code 2022 amends, most of the time the best position to take is the primary position which is essentially the middle of your lane.  If you stick too close to the kerb / edge it encourages close passes (driver thinks you're one dimensional and can squeeze past without allowing sufficient space - min 1.5m).  It can feel counter-intuitive but you don't want to spend too long thinking about the consequences of striking a kerb or other street furniture as a car passes half a metre away at 40mph.

Madness.  Been commuting to work for the last thirty years, I would be dead if I had been doing this.  Especially on a dual carriageway. 

It’s been standard advice for cyclists for some time - the best explanation of it I’ve seen is here…

https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/road-positioning

pterri

westv said:

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

That's true but it's always best to take the route that will be least likely to involve an accident.

Yes, and often that means occupying the space in the road that you have the right to be on rather than hugging the gutter. I’ve been driving for nearly 40 years and cycling for the last three. Obviously there is nuance and don’t assume that a driver will follow best practice but taking the passive position always is not the safest way to ride.

cfw1994

ali_bear said:

Hm yeh. I wouldn't brag about deliberately obstructing the road in overtaking situations. Just saying. 

You missed the point - I’m only doing that where there is DANGER in overtaking me - approaching a blind summit or bend.
Otherwise I am a paragon of virtue in letting cars past - if I can see the road ahead is clear (eg, on the brow of the hill with the car holding back), I will proactively wave them past - usually get a wave to say thanks 👍

The radar lets me know the car is approaching before I can even hear them….if I wobble a bit whilst not looking round (it shows how far back they are), I can encourage them to slow a bit 😉
It is a brilliant help towards cycle safety.  I should add it would be less useful in city riding - too much traffic, it would an endless series of squarks!

westv said:

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

That's true but it's always best to take the route that will be least likely to involve an accident.

That’s why I plan routes with cycle.travel - it finds the quietest roads 👍
I certainly wouldn’t commute on a dual carriageway 🫣

ali_bear

... and now you've ruined you own thread, OP. 

westv

ali_bear said:

... and now you've ruined you own thread, OP. 

Hardly ruined. 

Scallypud

I retired about a year ago. At the start it was just like you were on holiday. Now that the holiday feeling has worn off i find it challenging. I do like walking , play golf and go to the pub now and again but i still need to find more to do. It's not easy when your on your own.

kempiejon

Scallypud said:

I retired about a year ago. At the start it was just like you were on holiday. Now that the holiday feeling has worn off i find it challenging. I do like walking , play golf and go to the pub now and again but i still need to find more to do. It's not easy when your on your own.

Did you want to retire? Had you been planning it for a couple, years getting the money and outside interests in order?
I have a list of things to crack on with outside of work time. We can all fit hobbies, chores and socialising at weekends, holidays but how much more would we do without that 50 hour burden of the gainful employment.

I had a colleague who flat refused to retire, he said he loved the job, he socialised and interacted with people everyday - it was customer facing and if he gave that up he would be lonely and not know how to fill his days. Eventually the boss told him had to pick a retirement date soon. He wasn't pulling his weight in the team, lovely fella, but he was more interested in the interacting with customers and staff than actually getting the work done. He was in his 70s when he packed it in, I had a chat with him in his last weeks when he was dreading the end. He revealed a bit more, it was the idea of spending all day with his partner was his big worry. When I saw him a few months later he'd already found another job.

Storcko14

pterri said:

Personally I think the 1.5tonne vehicle has the greater responsibility 

It definitely does.  As per HC 2022 amends - see the 'H' rules.  Although in my experience (10k KM a year) there's lots of ignorance of this. Or some road users just don't give one.  Either way it goes without saying that cyclists need to respond appropriately to the conditions and adjust if required.