Search found 59 matches

by boliston
19 Nov 2013, 4:07pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Can you ride on the footpath next to an A road?
Replies: 25
Views: 2815

Re: Can you ride on the footpath next to an A road?

my daily commute involves about a mile along a busy ring road that has a wide pavement and only a few peds on it, less than 5 over a mile on average. it's not marked as a cycleway but has more cyclists than peds and i've used it most days for the last 6 years and not been "booked" yet. you would need to be pretty brave to bike on that road!
by boliston
19 Nov 2013, 10:27am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Do You Like Your Dahon Folding Bike?
Replies: 25
Views: 13160

Re: Do You Like Your Dahon Folding Bike?

the thing i like about small wheel bikes is the amazing manoeuvrability round obstacles such as those fences councils put to to stop people cycling straight onto main roads at crossings - i would not want to go back to 700c wheels again after 16"
by boliston
19 Nov 2013, 9:38am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Should I get a new computer?
Replies: 26
Views: 4291

Re: Should I get a new computer?

id say ubuntu has now got to the stage of being more user friendly than windows - it seems to recognise most hardware whereas i find w7 still needs faffing about with driver cds for some hardware and involves several restarts during the install process vs one restart with ubuntu
by boliston
18 Nov 2013, 4:59pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Another fatality in London
Replies: 51
Views: 4413

Re: Another fatality in London

i wonder why more cyclists than pedestrians are being killed by lorries at junctions in london as pedestrians are only separated from traffic *between* junctions?
by boliston
18 Nov 2013, 4:41pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Another fatality in London
Replies: 51
Views: 4413

Re: Another fatality in London

You would be surprised by the number of cyclists that claim segregation is *more* dangerous.
by boliston
14 Nov 2013, 5:31pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Being Hit
Replies: 29
Views: 4428

Re: Being Hit

definitely worth pushing for compensation for injury as well as just out of pocket costs such as the cost of a new bike etc
this is why its best to use a solicitor unless its a pure "damage only" accident as injury compensation is not easy to quantify like out of pocket costs are
by boliston
14 Nov 2013, 10:33am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: A bad day in London
Replies: 87
Views: 10150

Re: A bad day in London

Pete Owens wrote:
boliston wrote:i think that "on road" cycle lanes are a cause of many of these conflicts and give a false sense of security to inexperienced cyclists.

i'd prefer to see EITHER fully segregated cycle lanes OR cyclists using the normal traffic lanes


Both suffer from exactly the same problem:
They arrange for a stream of traffic heading straight ahead at a junction to approach to the left of a stream of left turning traffic. The greater the degree of separation the worse the problem becomes as different users are less aware of each other. With on-carriageway cycle lanes the added risk is not huge, but for separate cycle paths you increase the likelyhood of crashes by a factor of 3 if you are riding in the same direction as motor traffic and a factor of 10 if you are riding in the opposite direction.


i think the main difference is that with a segregated cycleway you cross any junctions using the same rules that you would if you crossed as a pedestrian so you should not be at any more risk than pedestrian using the same crossing, in fact safer because a cyclist can cross in less time than even the nimblest pedestrian.

there is no way i would stay in an on road cycle path to cross a junction as i'd be directly in the danger zone so the only safe option would be to take primary position till past the junction
by boliston
13 Nov 2013, 1:27pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: A bad day in London
Replies: 87
Views: 10150

Re: A bad day in London

i think that "on road" cycle lanes are a cause of many of these conflicts and give a false sense of security to inexperienced cyclists.

i'd prefer to see EITHER fully segregated cycle lanes OR cyclists using the normal traffic lanes
by boliston
6 Nov 2013, 9:31am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycling Fine in Royal Park
Replies: 19
Views: 3275

Re: Cycling Fine in Royal Park

im sure that would only be a civil matter of trespass not a police matter
by boliston
24 Oct 2013, 10:07pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Cycle Superhighway 2 (campaign discussion)
Replies: 79
Views: 40286

Re: Cycle Superhighway 2 (campaign discussion)

Simply painting an area on a road blue (or red) and passing it off as a "cycling facility" is just a scam to fob off cyclists and a way for council bosses to "tick boxes".
Unless the road has almost zero traffic (so that cyclists and motor traffic can share the whole road space safely) then the only safe answer is some sort of physical separation between motor lanes and cycle lanes.
Obviously this does not apply to "vehicular cyclists" who cycle fast, keeping up with all the other traffic in primary position, and likely have little interest in cycle lanes, but the bulk of cyclists are probably not in this category.
by boliston
14 Oct 2013, 7:50pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Oh Dear...
Replies: 37
Views: 4271

Re: Oh Dear...

I think the main thing that would put me off a mway hard shoulder is the amount of c**p that collects there!

This is one of things I generally dislike about "on road" cycle lanes as opposed to roadside tracks with some degree of physical separation such as a raised curb.
by boliston
30 Sep 2013, 7:53pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Drink/driving: just a blip or a worrying trend?
Replies: 36
Views: 10028

Re: Drink/driving: just a blip or a worrying trend?

Mick F wrote:.....

Someone well over the limit is one thing, but a good driver a bit over the limit may still be far better than an elderly but totally sober chap.


I don't think age alone makes someone a more dangerous driver, unless of course they have a specific medical condition, such as severely reduced eyesight for example.

It is certainly likely that some drivers are safer even with some alcohol (still within the legally permitted amount of alcohol) than many drivers, who are incapable of driving safely even when totally sober.

I'd imagine that some drivers would compensate for low levels of alcohol (eg a single small glass of wine with a meal) by driving more slowly than they normally would, but other drivers will simply continue to drive in their "normal" reckless manner regardless of whether they have any alcohol or not.
by boliston
27 Sep 2013, 5:00pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Tarmac surfaces on former railway lines
Replies: 20
Views: 3855

Re: Tarmac surfaces on former railway lines

ive seen some cycle paths covered by street view - just been looking at the otterton to budleigh salterton path (national cycle route #2) on street view
by boliston
21 Aug 2013, 11:58pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Dangerous "tactile" surfaces on bike paths
Replies: 62
Views: 10696

Dangerous "tactile" surfaces on bike paths

I've recently started using a Brompton as my main bike (previously used an Orbea road bike but it got stolen) so have been making use of some local cycle paths rather than just using the road.

One thing that I find annoying about bike paths are those annoying "tactile" surfaces that keep cropping up near junctions.

What sort of fool decided that the "cycle" side would have "tramline" type grooves parallel to the direction of travel. I've not yet fallen off, but I don't like the way they can make the front wheel slide to one side if you hit it at a slight angle!

I now cross over to the "pedestrian" side if at all possible when I see these surfaces, but it's not always possible when there are peds on that side.

When they get wet I'd imagine they are even more of a hazard.