Cycling UK Forum

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.

What is the benefit in reducing the number of vehicles when many rural crashes only involve one vehicle?

Faeton wrote: Wild camping is not recommended.
Tip: cycling in Amsterdam requires special skills and a lion's courage!

I believe wild camping is illegal in the Netherlands. Cycling in Amsterdam is fun , or as a country boy was I just oblivious to the hazards

ianr1950 wrote:I have seen more and attended more accidents by innatention at low speeds in urban areas than high speeds in rural areas.

The number of crashes is related to the density of traffic, and not the average speed. However if we look at degree of injury, then we see more serious injuries and deaths on rural roads. A clear argument for reducing speed limits on rural roads.

Ben Lovejoy wrote: What about people who live in rural areas who are lucky to see two buses a day, neither of them going to the place they need to get to?

A lot of people now choose to live in the country in order to escape from, among other things, busy bus routes. How do we differentiate between these people and the families of people living and employed in the rural areas?

treejamie wrote: oh and i saw nothing at the top.

You always know it's not too bad a day when you don't have to lash your bike to the cairn.

mhara wrote:very constructive meeting with our Local Authority Cycle Team

Team I am envious.
I just wish my local authority had one Cycling Officer.

BenSearle wrote:I am writing a feature for the CTC mag (Dec/Jan issue) on Europe with your (full size) bike without flying or driving.

There does seem to be an assumption on this thread that we all head south for tours
With the Smyril Line services now terminating at a mainland port instead of Lerwick, Scandinavian tours can be less time consuming, although sadly the pleasures of Shetland are now bypassed.
I don't know if the 2008 schedules are available yet from Smyril, but I have always found them to be cycle friendly in the past.

Regarding clothing and its effect on potential cyclists.
When it comes to encouraging people to take up cycling as a mode of transport, I think one problem lies in the fact that there are two quite different classes of on road cyclist, there is the sport or leisure cyclist and the utility cyclist. Joe Public is quite incapable of distinguishing between the two, but mention cycling, and in his mind he sees the more conspicuous sporting cyclist in helmet goggles and gaudy lycra and thinks " I don't want anything to do with that".
We have to convince Joe Public that 'normal' clothing is perfectly adequate for most utility cycle trips which are of relatively short distance.
Cycle sport is one of the very few sports where participants in full sporting apparel mingle with the general public, and I think utility cycling suffers for that.

sham22 wrote: timing to later in the day from UK as i am sure more people in the uk would use the route (well northerns) .

I cannot understand why we should ask for alterations to a service from Harwich to suit "northerns" when we have more conveniently placed ferry terminals at Hull, Newcastle and Rosyth.

helenst wrote: - I'm on a bit of a budget!
Helen

Are you sure you really want to go to Norway this year
From Oslo to Bergen the Rallervegen makes a memorable route, but by October it is too late in the year. Also, I think you will find you need to use ferries, buses and trains on your proposed route which will sap your budget.
Southern Norway is a wonderful place to tour, but we would not want to see you break the bank!

James Wyburd wrote: I didn't joined the CTC to support a campaigning bureaucracy.

It takes all kinds, but I would leave the CTC if they stopped campaigning.

Mick F wrote: The A9 can be by-passed by using the Old A9 and it's attendant cycle track.

Some confusion here I think, the old A9 route is considerably longer, and has no "attendant cycle track" for the 10 miles north of Inverness quoted by the OP.

Ron Blanco wrote: the startled pedestrian.

Tomorrow the "startled pedestrian" will be driving along, see a cyclist ahead, and slip his clutch, rev up his engine while blasting his car horn, chuckling as he overtakes the startled cyclist.
The joys of the open road!

RossRobObey wrote:I will do a short first day, but how will I know how many miles I should do before the next stop?

By the time your start date comes nearer, you will have a fair idea of what is likely to be a reasonable mileage for one day and can plan accordingly. As the journey goes on, your fitness will improve giving you the opportunity to increase your daily mileage. I think it unlikely there will be a YH conveniently placed to suit you every evening, you may have to consider B&B.
Pre booking can adds to the stress if you have a breakdown or if your daily mileage exceeds your estimates, and you are tied to prebooked accommodation.
Tourist info offices can book accommodation ahead for later in the same day for a small fee, but I would suggest not booking anymore than 24 hours ahead. By midday you will have a good idea of how far you will get that day, that is early enough to be thinking of where to stay overnight.

ace2829 wrote:I'll have a good look at it all tomorrow.

All tomorrow????? That lot should keep you going for a couple of months.