Cycling UK Forum

Makes sense, the link I got to when checking my future GE constituency the link compared what the last GE vote gave and what that would have given if it had gone ahead under the current changed constituencies. Since then Morris and the party he is in has shed voters according to polls. Back then his constituency was competing with Labour anyway. The ge before 2019 I think it was closer with labour.

The constituency I moved to used to switch between tory and libdem (or their predecessor liberals) until Farron got in and it went strongly libdem I think. All councillors are libdem whereas they used to be tory here. Now it's split up and we're in a more urban or suburban area so different voting patterns by the majority, former westmorland constituency voters are probably very small compared to those morecambe and lunesdale voters.

From a purely personal viewpoint it feels like we have gone from a constituency that was similar to our area to a constitiency with a very different demographic area with probably different priorities. Voice was bigger in the old than in the new as we were more similar. Might be wrong but that's the feel of these changes.

I feel there's no point in voting. That's sad and that's a first since I voted first at 18 or 19 years old. More years than I care to admit to. 9 PMs in my voting history but I recall more PMs in my lifetime. First time not got anyone I feel I can vote for or any party. The system is broken and will never be fixed with our existing politics.

Well I was quite cocky thinking I was in a strong libdem constituency so I had an option that didn't let in the two main party leaders. Then I heard that the constituency boundaries have changed. We're in rural Cumbria but we're moving to a Constituency that includes morecambe. Our old constituency has taken parts of another Cumbrian one and dropped other Cumbrian areas.

The net outcome is a reasonably safe tory area and our old sage libdem area now becomes one very safe tory area and one possibly safe tory area but with a risk of labour. Libdem party may lose a big party mp and get beaten into 3rd place.

Do you think that the tories worked this or do you think they're simply not that clever? Or perhaps the boundary commission is just truly independent and this change makes sense logically?

Anyway, I'm effing depressed! I've got no viable way of voting against the top two parties. Back like the old days in the ribble valley when I first voted. A tory yes man or a Labour equivalent. I'd rather a Corbyn character than those two options!

We need a change in the status quo. Not left or right but a truly decent centrist party option. It's corrupt it feels to me. Labour or tory? What's the difference really? They're both just party machines spinning their own kind of lies for party power. I think the way QT goes says it all. Party line mouthpieces spouting their party's touch points while avoiding answering the questions. I often think that there should be a law against politicians lying, misleading or obfuscating anywhere. With no deadline for prosecutions. Possibly end of party system as it is. PR certainly.

Don't forget that two out of the last 5 PMs used to cycle to work as simple MPs or ministers, only having to give commuting up when seniority put them at more physical risk from many sources. Apart from corbyn how many labour leaders were cycle commuters?

I point that out because it's not the party but the individual that's the issue, collectively the anti cycling may be more vocal and lead the narrative but they're still a fringel

BTW has this forum collective ever put together a list of cycling MPs? It might be interesting to see how many of our politicians ride. Could be useful to know if your MP is a cyclist because it might make them more supportive of cycling issues in your constituency and wider area.

toontra wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 4:23pm

al_yrpal wrote: ↑2 Apr 2024, 3:45pm With the forthcoming election in mind what beneficial and fairer policies do folk expect from the incoming labour government?

Al

Sadly - not much. Their inheritance from the last 14 years will be dire, and Starmer/Reeves seem extremely reluctant to do anything radical. Having said that, they couldn't possibly do worse than the Tories.

I wonder what Laura Trott's message to her labour successor will be? I suggest "Dear Chief Secretary, I'm afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck!" might be recycled. What do you think?

Southwark Council have reported the removal of a recognised Banksy graffiti art piece to the police. They want the artwork back not the road sign it was on but the artwork.

So what is it that makes graffiti acceptable? If you do it with the permission of the building owner and it doesn't breach regulations it's legal but Banksy I believe doesn't ask for permission. However he has never been arrested despite publicly acknowledging his work and having been identified this past year. I'm not saying he should be but you'd be a bit annoyed if you're prosecuted for graffiti art but others don't.

BTW I'm distinguishing graffiti art from tagging form of graffiti.

If the artwork thieves removed the art without taking the sign would that be illegal?

mjr wrote: ↑2 Dec 2023, 10:22pm

Tangled Metal wrote: ↑2 Dec 2023, 9:51pmFree hi-viz, what's not to like?

It puts microfibers into the water every wash

It enables bad drivers to keep not looking properly.

I'll not wash it and whilst work free issues for cycle commuting I'll use it as emergency hi-viz in the van. Considering it's advised to carry hi-viz in cars I'm not going to complain of my employer gives me a free vest, they won't know or care whether I'm cycling in or got another use for it afterall.

So with that in mind, what's not to like?

Our company has been running winter safety roadshows around the site and other group sites. If you're a cyclist they'll give you some free hi-viz. Personally I'd have gone if I was on site that day. Free hi-viz, what's not to like? I'll put it in the back of the car in case we break down and have to wait by the side of the road or change a tyre b by the roadside or something like that.

So have we found out what vdL actually said and the chimney it was said in yet? Context is very important and might be language altered.

I once saw a current affairs programme that looked at the euro and rules for new countries joining the eurozone on joining the EU IIRC. Anyway the 5 conditions to joining the eurozone, apparently the economist on the programme explained that even Germany only met 3 out of the 5 rules.

I also saw figures on state subsidies. It was from when at were still in the EU. I think it was after talk of uk support of British steel or car industry breaking EU subsidy rules, not completely certain they would but I believe an EU commissioner gave a warning so the current affairs programme collated state subsidies, rule breaching subsidies, from EU own figures. Iirc Italy was one of the highest, France too was high but even Germany was high. The UK had the lowest level of state subsidies in the whole EU.

My point is really that no state is strictly obedient to the rules, but across the EU rules are obeyed a lot less than the common perception. This means that if the EU want to be pragmatic they will, even if that means they break their own rules. Or at least turn a blind eye. I do wonder if that is a form of corruption though.

Our very large site has bike sheds just outside the security gates to the sites. Car parking is also outside the security site gates. This means everyone walks through the site except for vehicles that have site access.

The controls in place are walkways that you have to use, although some do cut corners or go off track by mistake. There's zebra crossings where needed. Hi-viz is commonly worn but for other areas / reasons than site access by foot. A lot only put hi-viz on when at their workplace using changing rooms to put on their hi-viz overalls. So the idea is physical separation using marked pedestrian routes not hi-viz. The idea being making you visible isn't a reliable action as drivers can still miss seeing you. Better to have the road they're driving on being separate from where people walk.

I think any risk assessment and guidance from the HSE should have a hierarchy of controls.hi-viz, AIUI, is low down that list. However it is a viable option if other controls are not possible. Small gaps between building that FLTs and other vehicles might not have enough space for marked out separation. In that case you move to another control option which ultimately might be hi-viz. The only way to find out is to look at the risk assessment.

Get yourself cheap waterproof overshoes. Neoprene for cooler climes but you can get thin ones for warmer but wet. They will keep your feet drier than waterproof shoes.

You don't need cycling waterproofs to get drop tails and freedom of movement needed for cycling. I have dedicated cycling waterproofs but my mountaineering jacket by berghaus was my favoured cycling jacket. I could move my arms any which way they cam move without that jacket hem riding up.. i've a polaris waterproof and it's flappier than my mountaineering one. It's often down to how well they.

You can get cheap cags but they can be boil in the bags even with cycling fit. Best to wear them only when really wet with a windproof layer when not.

Try to stay dry going into work but it's less important going home. Mind you, if it's absolutely raining hard then you tend to find a little bit more speed. Real dreich tends to bring the racer out in you. My old 7 mile commute got it's fastest time when it way heavy rain and strong, sideways wind. As in 90 degrees to my motion so no aid or hindrance. I have never got close to that time.

In the neighbouring village there was a big RSPCA rescue. Over 100 dogs and cats looked after, or not in the end, by one woman with what was described as mental health condition. Seems she just wanted to rescue any animals she encountered that needed help. She had some form of compulsion that overrode her understanding that she was actually harming them. Something like ghost ppl who harm a vulnerable person so they can help them if that makes sense.

She had been banned and got a lifetime ban after this I think.

AIUI you can get bans for cruelty, neglect or because you were negligent in how you handied your dangerous dog. I think that is the potential reasons for a ban but no expert som it could be slightly wrong.

In the 90s I travelled to Swindon from Preston via a change at new street, with a very, very last minute change of platform to the other side of the station. Both trains had guards vans. More recently about 8 years ago my partner used to get a train that originated in Leeds that had a carriage with half of it being a guards van or RM / luggage van. Not had that rolling stock for years though.

On one of my earliest days at my new job I made a lame joke about hoping I still had my lock key. She said it doesn't matter, they'll have several ways to open it for you. A heavy engineering site, I sure they'd have no issues removing any lock. In fact they'd probably make it a learning experience for the apprentices. It made me smile anyway, not least because losing my bike lock key when it's locked up is one of my very minor stresses.

We gave up our mpv but kept the vivaro partially converted for us. 6.5k miles per year with the 13,5k miles per year we reduced trajan by trains, bikes and just not choosing to drive to so many places. The fact we've got such a big vehicle is offset by the fact we don't want to use it as much as a smaller car.

Being a SWB, low roof van it fits in a standard height carpark within the same space as the t4 vw vans but being more boxy it has enough room for 3 ppl to sit up front. We chose it over similar priced but older vw vans was because it drives as well as the vw but has more internal space. Vw vans taper in a surprising amount making the internal space for my 6'5" frame very cramped. I can only fit in the drivers seat since we share driving the VW was ruled out.

The other interesting thing about our van. There are a few SUVs that are longer, wider and higher up. The 7 seater range rover, possibly the sport version and the larger BMW /AUDI ones I think too. One time I looked across at the car next to me at lights, it was pretty much at the same height I thought. When it drive off I found out it had the mini badge on it. Might have been the countryman version. Also, I once had to look up to a mini when in my old seat altea xl mpv which was higher than a lot of standard cars when it was new.

My pov is that there should be a certain size and / or weight of car / suv or other type of private vehicle above which you have to have a commercial goods vehicle driving licence and have to adhere to similar requirements for trucks. Such as a lower maximum national speed limit, with a tamperproof speed limiter set at it. Basically make it so they're no longer in demand. 60mph on dual carriageways for example, even not allowed in the outside overtaking lane on motorways.

Mind you I'm a hypocrite considering my swb van is bigger than a car should be. Although my family can't really camp in a car which was why we got it and converted it.