Bicycles and Cyclists...

[davidjpowell]

That's a quick way to get more unemployed off the streets but £10 would never, never cover the admin costs, plus how would we give a bicycle it';s designated number? Would it be like a car registration? Where would it fit, how, size etc? What happens if the bike is wrote off? There are just far to many insurmountable problems.

Sending a NIP through the post!!! I buy my 8 year old son a bike.... Are we suggesting he gets the NIP? What about if a school friend borrows it and goes through a red light. Is my 8yr old boy going to be prosecuted if he fails to disclose details? Or will I get prosecuted as the child's parent? I hate to say it but it is a non starter,

Having been the kill-joy I am anti those biker's that go through red traffic lights, but that is still no excuse though for ramming these law breakers.

I watched a very short news item that featured Alan Shearer and a TV presenter who rode their bikes some considerable distance. What annoyed me was the fact that Gary Linnaker made light of the fact they never once stopped at a red traffic light! This remark MIGHT have been tongue in cheek, but it should never have been said. Bicycle riders by law must comply with the laws of the land.

When I went to school............... We were encouraged to take a cycle proficiency test. Is this scheme still running? Do children still ride bikes to school?

Sorry to be a killjoy regarding bicycle registration
Regards

My step son did his cycle proficiency test last year at Juinior School. I suspect that it might depend on the school - that was a small villlage one, but hopefully I will be wrong and it will be part of the National Curriculum.

Regards

David

 

[IanA2]

I had a seriously scary drive yesterday. Cambridge in the morning rush hour. Both mirrors walloped by cyclists. Most of my energy spent trying to avoid knocking the swarms of cyclists down.

They seemed to think a) they were immune from a large 4x4 and b) the rules of the road did not apply to them. Thank goodness this is not a very frequent drive for me. They scared me.

Declaration of interest. I cycle frequently.

 

[st4]

I see the validity in your argument, but re the eight year old example the parents would pay, and then any discipline would be dealt with by the family.

Plates would have to be motorbike sized, or marginally smaller. They would be included in the purchase price of the bike as would the registration, (all this admin costs would be reflected in a higher purchase price for bikes). A small form would be filled out and sent to the DVLA.

I believe the cycle proficiancy test still runs, and this should be made compulsary for ALL children, just like attending school is (supposedly). It could be done in PE lessons @ no real extra cost to the state. Each school would purchase a few bicycles to be used in the lessons for kids that don't have bikes. IMO this would be a more useful use of school times than yet another foot ball practice session.

 

[glojo]

I believe the cycle proficiancy test still runs, and this should be made compulsary for ALL children, just like attending school is (supposedly). It could be done in PE lessons @ no real extra cost to the state. Each school would purchase a few bicycles to be used in the lessons for kids that don't have bikes. IMO this would be a more useful use of school times than yet another foot ball practice session.

Excellent suggestion, even if children don't ride bicycles.

Devon is not like Lincolnshire or Cambridgeshire and riding bikes up the many 1:5 type hills down here is not going to be easy for any child, but there is nothing wrong in teaching them in the safe confines of a school yard how to ride a bike, but boy can I hear the health and safety brigade screaming, plus of course our over-worked teachers. Am I a kill-joy or what?

regards
John

 

[st4]

It might be deemed a kill joy, but riding a bike is a skill for life, and one that would very useful to teach kids.

Steep hills will just keep them fit and provide a hobby for them (better than Nintedo etc) , I used to love riding my bike through steep roads when I was young.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

When your a foot from being killed and then called a w**ker there is.

You clearly feel strongly about this and won't take any notice of me, as I'm just some bloke on the internet.

I still don't see how damaging someone else's property can be OK. So a taxi came within a foot of you and your bike and he called you a rude name - sticks and stones mate!

I know that I've often felt like doing what you did in many situations but have restrained myself - it soon passes.

As a motorist, and obviously a keen one or you wouldn't use this site, you know how you would feel if someone damaged your car.

 

[Benzowner]

When I went to school............... We were encouraged to take a cycle proficiency test. Is this scheme still running? Do children still ride bikes to school?

Sorry to be a killjoy regarding bicycle registration
Regards

Cycling proficiency? Motorists are made to take driving lessons and pass a test, how bad are some drivers at driving

Do children still ride their bikes to school, not since they knocked the bike shed down to discourage smoking

 

[st4]

Cycling proficiency? Motorists are made to take driving lessons and pass a test, how bad are some drivers at driving

Do children still ride their bikes to school, not since they knocked the bike shed down to discourage smoking

Sad but true.

 

[AFCNEAL]

Right! Let's start on the horse riders next!!

Only kidding - I think the point is that there are all sorts on our roads, irrespective of their chosen mode of transport. I prefer motorbikes, but couldn't defend the actions of some and probably even my own at times.

What is lacking on our roads is two main things:

Courtesy for others (lacking in society generally)

And

Patience

The former manifests itself in lane changing, lack of signalling, inconsiderate parking (for all modes of transport). The latter shows in terms of the mad-rush to get everywhere and the frustration when held up by horse, cyclists riding side-by-side (my pet hate!), biker who can filter to the front....the list goes on.

I'm guilty on both counts from time to time. I defy anyone to say they're not (by differing degrees)!!

Oh - don't forget pedestrians. Bloody nuisance the lot of them - they keep using pedestrian crossings on my roads! Hang on though, what I am when I'm at the shops?........

 

[ROBB]

Me too, primarily due to their fetish for tight rubber clothing.
they are not to be trusted at all.

Russ

rubber does not breathe so needs to be kept for home use only

 

[ROBB]

I have cycled extensively on road and off road, time trialled and raced at national level on occasion. Much of which was long before i ever had a car or licence.

During these times i have been knocked off a couple of times by erratic drivers and have witnessed some truly dangerous behaviour by the same.

Everyone should have experience of cycling on the roads to have a good appreciation of what there is to face by cyclists/drivers alike (goes for motorbikes too.....).

There is always one - as they say, which will spoil either set of people for a small number of others. When i am driving - cyclists get more consideration due to their susceptibility and when i am on my bike: i expect the same

rob

 

[Fady]

Sunday I went to Play Live (a video game expo sort of thing), while play live was quite fun, I got there VERY angry.

While driving down the A40, I noticed a cyclist in the rain (with a red bag on either side of the bike, alot like the royal mail ones)... While I thought it was quite stupid to ride in the rain, and I found it odd there was a "royal mail" bike on the A40 on Sunday - I ignored him and kept going.

Not long after, I'm stuck behind a foreign car from Bulgaria (I think... BG is said in the Euro-stars) in a very slow moving queue of traffic. A while later, guess who shows up? The friendly cyclist...

Only this time, as he weaves through the almost still traffic, he sticks out his hand and slaps the bulgarian's right-hand-side mirror. I was shocked, I truly was. He didn't bump into it, he actually slapped it!

The car, not being in the most pristine condition, promptly released the mirror, which flew a few meters ahead. The car's driver then proceeded to get out of the car and pick up the mirror before driving on, probably thinking the cyclist bumped into him.

I sat there stunned, part of me wanting to get out of the car and run after the cyclist, the other half of me wanting to call the police...

Why don't cyclists have plates? Why can they hide under a helmet, wreck other people's property and get away with it?

It's just not fair! I always move out of the way for bikers and cyclists, from now on, cyclists aren't getting any favours from me! That one cyclist ruined it for all the others!

Michele

I would hazard a guess the chap had to be somewhere at a certain time, that as opposed to being just out for the fun of it, hence his cycling in the rain . And whereas I would not condone his act of wanton vandalism - you would really have to know the full story. For example, it is not inconceivable that said driver had failed to see him and/or cut him up at an earlier point in the journey and that was is merely venting his anger and frustration at that particular driver.

As a passionate leisure cyclist myself (that as opposed to a commuter), when you arer on a bike, you can still get road rage the same as you do in car. But for the most part you have to accept that you are a second class citizen on the road and just bite your lip. Maybe this guy had just had enough and had the opportunity to get his own back . Who knows? And cyclists have individual personalities (just the same as car drivers). So just because one cyclist knocks off a wing mirror (or another runs a red light), it doesn't mean they all do it.

 

[Fady]

shouldn't road tax more properly be termed 'vehicle excise duty' and isn't the amount you pay based on CO2 emissions? So if you drove a car which gave off negligable emissions (is there such a car!), then you wouldn't have to pay anything - just as you don't when you are on a bike.

 

[Spinal]

Some interesting and some fair points... though I have since calmed down p) I still am disgusted by the cyclists actions - I simply cannot condone the criminal act of damaging someone's car.

Another point that got me thinking is the whole weaving through traffic part - why are so many people ready to lynch a biker when he weaves through traffic, yet when a cyclist does so it seems perfectly normal?

Similarly, regarding the licence plates. While I'm one strongly against most forms of ID schemes, I can't help but think that when a bicycle goes on a road as large as the A40, it should have some form of identification on it. Logistically speaking, they managed on motorbikes; how hard can it be on bicycles?

As for compulsory training schemes for children; fantastic idea - it will help make children safer riders. Problem is, how many of us remember our driving classes? Be honest here. Now, immagine moving those classes earlier to the age you would have done your bike classes. How much would you remember?

I think that cyclists are considered "second class road users" might be more than possible, after all - all other road users are have to undergo training and verification before being allowed to put lives at risk.

Didn't Ken have a plan to fit plates to bicycles a while back? What happened to that? Would be one of the first things he does that I support!

Michele

EDIT: Found something:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article694118.ece

 

[AFCNEAL]

'why are so many people ready to lynch a biker when he weaves through traffic, yet when a cyclist does so it seems perfectly normal?'

Proabably because the car will usually catch up with the pedal bike about 50m up the road, whereas the motorbike will be long gone?.........

 

[Fady]

Some interesting and some fair points... though I have since calmed down p) I still am disgusted by the cyclists actions - I simply cannot condone the criminal act of damaging someone's car.

Another point that got me thinking is the whole weaving through traffic part - why are so many people ready to lynch a biker when he weaves through traffic, yet when a cyclist does so it seems perfectly normal?

Similarly, regarding the licence plates. While I'm one strongly against most forms of ID schemes, I can't help but think that when a bicycle goes on a road as large as the A40, it should have some form of identification on it. Logistically speaking, they managed on motorbikes; how hard can it be on bicycles?

As for compulsory training schemes for children; fantastic idea - it will help make children safer riders. Problem is, how many of us remember our driving classes? Be honest here. Now, immagine moving those classes earlier to the age you would have done your bike classes. How much would you remember?

I think that cyclists are considered "second class road users" might be more than possible, after all - all other road users are have to undergo training and verification before being allowed to put lives at risk.

Didn't Ken have a plan to fit plates to bicycles a while back? What happened to that? Would be one of the first things he does that I support!

Michele

EDIT: Found something:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article694118.ece

The cyclist number plate thing never got off the ground (that article is a couple of years old) and was dismissed as 'unworkable'.

 

[st4]

shouldn't road tax more properly be termed 'vehicle excise duty' and isn't the amount you pay based on CO2 emissions? So if you drove a car which gave off negligable emissions (is there such a car!), then you wouldn't have to pay anything - just as you don't when you are on a bike.

Emmissions is a flawed way of calculation VED IMO. Far better would be to tax according to the mass of the car, as its the mass which actually influences the wear and tear on the road surface, a bicylce + cylist must weigh >50kg i.e 3% of the mass of a car.

You could add that cylists cause cars to drive more inefficiently on rural roads as they may have to slow down, then speed up again to pass the bike. None of this is reflected in the VED system.

 

[Fady]

Emmissions is a flawed way of calculation VED IMO. Far better would be to tax according to the mass of the car, as its the mass which actually influences the wear and tear on the road surface, a bicylce + cylist must weigh >50kg i.e 3% of the mass of a car.

You could add that cylists cause cars to drive more inefficiently on rural roads as they may have to slow down, then speed up again to pass the bike. None of this is reflected in the VED system.

But VED is not directly used to mend roads. Money for this come from other taxes (which are paid just as equally by cyclists).

EDIT: I might add that cyclists have just as might right to use the road as car drivers do. So' cyclists 'causing' cars to swerve doesn't really come into it

 

[tambyrne]

Devils Advocate

As a qualified Cycle Trainer and patrol on my bike most days I find the most inconsiderate road users to be Taxi drivers, bus drivers, lorry drivers, male drivers and female drivers. Even wearing a high viz jacket I still get at least one SMIDSY (Sorry Mate Didn't See You) a day. I say to all drivers think, to save 3 seconds by cutting up a cyclist you may kill him/her.
Last week a female in a people carrier with three kids in it over took my Police colleague and I then stopped on front of us and gave a torrent of abuse (The language was spicy to say the least) because we'd held her up at a traffic island for 10 seconds. When she realised who we were and was warned that she could be charged with a Breach of the Peace. It's amazing how her demeanor changed and was all apologetic.

 

[recycled]

turn the road design into belgian/dutch/ systems.
Youn can cycle from den haag to rotterdam if you like.
every major road has a cycle path, and at intersections the cycle lanes have traffic lights too.
Where they cross the smaller you are the more priority you get.
pedestrians - cycles- road cars
the road design here is not safe for cycling at all.
For people who want to get cars off the road, the country is not cycle friendly. drive to holland and see what i mean .almost every house has 1 car and four bikes and every shopping mall/office has thousands of biycle parking spaces.

you do feel safe cycling as you will never be beside a truck or a car will never come up beside you as you have your own lane.