Cycling UK Forum

I keep reading of 'roadies' signalling their virtue by disparaging the use of cars (meaning those who drive them I guess) which leaves me mystified. Are they restricting their riding to the limited radius of where they live, or do they have some sort of magic carpet contrivance to reach the more interesting areas?

I lve in the Vale of York, midway between Moors and Dales, and 99% of my riding (road bike, and MTB) involves driving quite some way with bike on roof rack, to reach the prime hilly circuits. I'm just setting out today (wall to wall sunshine forecast and light winds) for Reeth, to 'do' the Tan Hill Kirby Stephen and back via Naseby and Muker circuit. It ticks all the right boxes! But how could I do so without the use of the car?

One of the great pleasures of a hilly day out for me, is getting back to the car, loading up the bike and changing into proper clothes, before settling back with the egg sandwiches ( no blasted cake!) and giant flask of tea, while contentedly polishing off a decent crossword puzzle (the days paper) before contently setting off for the leisurely drive back home. (Just press a little pedal, and waft effortlessly up those hills.)

No, I refuse to hug trees and talk saving the planet gibberish where personal satisfaction and purpose in life is concerned! (I do apologise!)

What you do is ride out and back again.
If you want to go a really long way then ride to the train station, then take a train out and ride home again.

Peter W wrote: do they have some sort of magic carpet contrivance to reach the more interesting areas?

Yes, it's called a train
I live in Derby and this year have ridden in - all the adjoining counties, Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, Wales, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria... I can't be bothered to think of them all.
I'd rather not be disparaging, about car use or anything else. Well, maybe about those with so little imagination they can't contemplate anything other than using a car.

You're some sort of roofrack cyclist and fair enough. At one point I bought the dreaded Berlingo as a mobile cycling shed to extend my own range a bit.

I don't understand why you feel the need to sneer at people who do it all by bike.

There is plenty of variety riding from home in the Vale of York

99%?
-99!

PH wrote:Yes, it's called a train
---- I'd rather not be disparaging, about car use or anything else. Well, maybe about those with so little imagination they can't contemplate anything other than using a car.

I' rather not be disparaging about those with so little imagination that they can't contemplate anything other than a standard bicycle. You should remember that many train companies ban carriage of tandems and tricycles for example.

I use a car, just seldom, to reach parts that are outside my usual day range.

tatanab wrote:

PH wrote:Yes, it's called a train
---- I'd rather not be disparaging, about car use or anything else. Well, maybe about those with so little imagination they can't contemplate anything other than using a car.

I' rather not be disparaging about those with so little imagination that they can't contemplate anything other than a standard bicycle. You should remember that many train companies ban carriage of tandems and tricycles for example.

I use a car, just seldom, to reach parts that are outside my usual day range.

Point taken - though there is a "maybe" in there and it doesn't apply to the OP.

Using a car for occasional trips to new places which are difficult to access by public transport or too far away to reasonably ride to in the same day is one of the better uses of a car and I wouldn’t be disparaging about that.

Using a car for *every* trip, including those around the same town of less than a few miles, less so and the more disparaging we are about that the better for everyone, including you. And in case you need a personal stake in it, it’s not just for saving the planet but saving our lungs and health.

And it doesn’t just have to be about cycling. Walking, public transport, car shares etc. are all good viable alternatives, and where those alternatives aren’t practical we shouldn’t default to defending car use, we should default to campaigning to fix the situation. Car use has become the default for many, that’s not a good thing. I’d never suggest personal cars should be banned or anything like that, the option should always be there but ideally if should be used when it’s an appropriate mode of travel and not the default simply because no appropriate option is available.

thirdcrank wrote:..
..
I don't understand why you feel the need to sneer at people who do it all by bike.

+1

I use a car on a daily basis. I am now retired so use is purely personal and much of it for recreation.

I also ride a bike because I enjoy it.

I don't feel any need to trumpet my green credentials, just because I like to ride a bike.

And indeed many people don't or can't drive for myriad reasons, yet somehow they manage to lead very normal lives without a car

Slightly tongue in cheek comment but it's actually a point worth considering, I've had some bizarre conversations with people before about driving habits, where they simply can't fathom how people manage without cars when the answer is often that they manage a lot better!

I very rarely use my car, purely because it's the wrong tool for the job for most of my journeys, I do use it to take my bike to far flung places from time to time, but most local trips are undertaken on bike or foot. Many of my colleagues at work still think I don't own a car, and the rest have invariably been surprised when they find out I do.

Fewer young people are learning to drive these days, partly for cost reasons as it's more expensive then ever as a new driver, but also because the allure and 'freedom' is not as it once was, more traffic and congestion, higher costs and inconvenience of car ownership is starting to change habits, especially in urban areas.

PH wrote:Yes, it's called a train

Trains are far too expensive,slow and you're not always guaranteed a place for your bike.
Example.Myself and three friends want to go to Coed-Y-Brenin(Wales) for a days MTBing.
4 people+bikes in the car from Sheffield to C-Y-B takes roughly 2.5-3hours each way and about £45 in fuel..or £12 each.

If any of the Train advocates can get us there and back for £12 each I'll be surprised as a quick search shows roughly £68 each,over 4 hours each way then we'd have to ride from Machynlleth to C-Y-B...so the Train is neither practical nor economical.That's also assuming they let 4 bikes on the train.
Sorry train people but the car wins every time
(before anyone asks,Yes we have done this many many times)

Peter W wrote:I live in the Vale of York, midway between Moors and Dales.... just setting out today (wall to wall sunshine forecast and light winds) for Reeth, to 'do' the Tan Hill Kirby Stephen and back via Naseby and Muker circuit. It ticks all the right boxes! But how could I do so without the use of the car?

Have to say I've just returned from a spell living in the Vale of York, midway between Moors and Dales. Can't say I ever had an issue "doing" Tan Hill, Kirby Stephen, Muker et al without a car (Nb. I'd ride there, have a pleasant day out and then head home)

Sorry train people but the car wins every time

No, it wins for that journey in that situation. Which is fine and dandy*, sounds like a great use for a car for that trip to me. What about the other thousands (millions?) of journeys that people take by car each day that would be better undertaken another way but aren’t because people have fallen into ‘default car use’?

*well dandy if you have a car, as above plenty don’t.

I've nothing against the OP choosing to use a car. This is a cycling Forum, not an anti-car Forum (I think) so I hope he /she enjoys the excellent ride up to the Tan Hill Inn and back. But I am pretty sure there are half decent routes between Reeth and the Vale of York, possibly via Leyburn. Adds at least one hill and a lot more miles though. I can see how the shorter route starting and finishing at Reeth appeals. I've parked up and got bikes off the roof of the car there myself on one occasion.