Cycling UK Forum

As others have said there have been changes to the ferry schedule, with Orkney and Shetland being bypassed in 2007. Check the Smyril Line current website for ferry services beteen Norway and the UK
http://www.smyril-line.com/SAILING_SCHEDULE.aspx

pete75 wrote:That's an awfully big chunk of the UK population you're accusing of not thinking before they buy. Must be about 99% of us shopping there at some time or other. Must check that the milk I got yesterday is suitable for putting in tea - didn't think when I bought it.

Woops, my comments were in relation to bicycle sales, although I failed to make that clear. Personally I avoid Tesco and will continue to do so until they get serviceable cycle stands outside their stores. Althought of course that might be a local problem.

Lawrie9 wrote: The like of Tesco and Argos only stock one or two racers but dozens of mountain bikes which tells us all we need to know.

It tells us that Tesco and Argos cater for people who do not think before they buy, that follow fashions rather than buy product most suited to their needs.

vernon wrote:The future has already been determined. What will discussion achieve?

Although the projects have been decided, I doubt if the contracts have been awarded. It is important to have these routes engineered to a high standard. There could be a desire in some quarters to spread the money a bit thin and end up with a larger but inferior product which may impress some, but would turn out a disappointment for the user.
If users can get involved before the first turf is cut, we should end up with a superior product.

Sares wrote: I've never heard of someone being cautioned, or fined, or anything, for overtaking too closely.

Unfortunately "too close" cannot be measured after the event. Tyre tread depth, blood/alcohol, speed, exhaust emissions, faulty lighting can all be checked afterwards and a complaint can lead to conviction. It would be difficult indeed to get a 'too close' conviction, I have some sympathy for the police on this one, but what can we do about it?

riviera wrote:I'm not sure whether to go with my 12 year old son to Northern France

Avoid it, better to take the ferry to Zeebrugge, Ostend or Hook of Holland, much more pleasant area to tour in with more things to see and do and keep the young lad interested. Better cake shops too.

If you are injured, I would have expected you to lodge an insurance claim, let the insurance people fight the battle for you. If you are a CTC member, then you have insurance cover and can get legal advice (I believe!). I was advised many years ago never to attempt to interpret The Law, this has always seemed like good advice, leave it to the legal eagles, the people whose business it is.
A letter to the LA quoting legal jargon from a lay person is unlikely to be taken at all seriously.

Yes you are being paranoid.
Some parents believe the roads are too dangerous for their children to cycle on, but will permit them to use off road paths. The youngsters will gain confidence off road, and on roads with light motor traffic, so we have young cyclists. As they grow older they will want to go further afield and will discover the problems facing cyclists on our existing transport network and so a fresh generation of cycle campaigners comes to the fore!

Ru88ell wrote:You've just hit on one of the biggest problems we have in our area. The local Sustrans rep is so beholden to the LA that he'll back them in anything.

Sustrans reps are just volunteers, self appointed. It might be worth having a word with the Sustrans area manager.

This site will be essential reading
http://www.calmac.co.uk/

Don't raise your hopes too high re the Northern Lights, they are a rare phenomenon.

Auchmill wrote:Where else in Europe, including the UK, do you suggest we (my wife and I on the tandem) might find quiet, interesting roads, friendly to cyclists?

You do not say how much time you have available, or what you find "interesting".
You might consider the North Sea Cycle Route. Using the various ferry routes ( Google available routes from UK to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and The Netherlands) you could select any section if you do not have enough time to do the whole thing. The NSCR is good to get a taste of 6 or 7 countries, you can go back to check out interesting things more fully another time.

I have not seen this model, but check that it is possible to fit a rear luggage rack for panniers, and mudguards. You would probably manage without lights if you are doing the trip in summer.

JohnChell wrote: If Direct line are no good, who is?

I think it is a little early to consider condemning Directline on the strength of this thread.

700c wrote:Having a fire would be quite fun when on a camping lejog trip for example.

It might seem fun from the comfort of an armchair on a cold damp Sunday in November, but I really cannot see the fun of having to find a camp site where open fires would be permitted or safe, close by a supply of dry firewood. All this when you are tired and hungry after a full day of cycling.
If the weather is warm and dry you will not need to sit near a heat source. If the weather is wet and windy there are the problems of finding dry firewood and smoke blowing all over yourself.
Maybe I am just missing the point somewhere.

ianr1950 wrote:If the degree of injury is related to density of traffic why reduce the speed, just reduce the number of vehicles travelling on the roads.

Many rural crashes only involve one vehicle, so in order to gain any improvement in crash statistics by reducing the number of vehicles, there would require to be a selection process in order to decide which vehicles to remove.