The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

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Wanlock Dod
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Wanlock Dod »

recumbentpanda wrote:...Somehow, by creating off road infrastructure we have ended up turning cycling from a fuel free way of getting around to just another reason for burning gas...

We have a transport environment that has been optimised for higher speeds to the extent that most people don't cycle. The people that are driving there probably don't feel comfortable trying to access these safe cycling areas by bicycle by whatever routes are reasonable. If your only option included 3 miles of 70 mph dual carriageway you might be tempted to consider options other than cycling to cover that section.

With the conditions for cycling in the UK at present it almost has to be accepted, but it does also make cycling sport rather than transport. I'm happy to see people cycling at all, and safe networks of routes are a very long way off. You are right though, cycling has largely evolved from something that saved you money and kept you fit to something that you spend your money on, if you have any left after maintaining your car. To be honest I don't know that many people who would identify themselves as "cyclists" who would actually consider it as a viable transport option these days, perhaps due to the need to get changed and charge the garmin or whatever.
pwa
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by pwa »

People ride their bikes for different reasons. Some commute on them, some do long distance events for a challenge, some do both. If you live in Truro and are working on a Friday, the Saturday morning event you have that starts in Chepstow may well be best reached by car, especially as that journey would be mostly on trunk roads and motorway. It might not be logistically possible to do it any other way. You could car share and make it more efficient.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Anti-moton thread

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Barks wrote:Is this really just an anti-car thread?
..

Onr does hope so, or rather an anti-moton/anti-driver thread
Not got much against vehicles that are not moving, at least if they are parked legally :?
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Cugel
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Re: Anti-moton thread

Post by Cugel »

Cyril Haearn wrote:
Barks wrote:Is this really just an anti-car thread?
..

Onr does hope so, or rather an anti-moton/anti-driver thread
Not got much against vehicles that are not moving, at least if they are parked legally :?


Wot!? You don't mind the tin litter clogging up every highway and byway!!? The metal carbuncles ruin nearly every excursion into The Great Outdoors and grow like mould on an orange at all the beauty spots. Front gardens that once pleased the eye and nostril are now nothing more than car-strewn wastelands of concrete, tarmac or that excessively ugly block paving that car fetishists seem to love.

When I'm dictator, there will be a sudden surfeit of metal, rubber and all the other stuff that is no longer made into cars and also recovered from all those confiscated from the Toads who thrust them about in such a damaging way. I will be a benevolent dictator as the Toads will all receive a lovely bicycle in recompense .... albeit there is a danger that having to push the pedals will bring on a brain blott or a chest clutcher, Toads having grown into great waddling heaps of degraded flesh containing driving-induced flabbety organs not to mention atrophied spindle-leg.

Mind, I will never be dictator as i) I can't be bothered and ii) no one would let me.

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Ron
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Ron »

recumbentpanda wrote: Somehow, by creating off road infrastructure we have ended up turning cycling from a fuel free way of getting around to just another reason for burning gas.

Just the reverse on a local route in my locality where the numbers of people walking and cycling was falling year on year disincentivised by the increasing speed and volume of motorised traffic. Provision of off-road infrastructure on the route has seen walking and cycling traffic levels rise above anything seen in the last 40 years.
thirdcrank
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by thirdcrank »

I think there's a bit of mistaking cause and effect here. There's little off-road infrastructure in this country. Most of what there is has been either lowest common denominator token provision when road "improvements" make cycling almost impossible or cyclists reduce capacity OR what might be better described as leisure facilities rather than transport infrastructure.

It's true that the former simply deters cyclists - and more importantly potential cyclists - and the latter is just another leisure destination to be reached by any convenient means rather like a swimming pool or gym.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Ron wrote:
recumbentpanda wrote: Somehow, by creating off road infrastructure we have ended up turning cycling from a fuel free way of getting around to just another reason for burning gas.

Just the reverse on a local route in my locality where the numbers of people walking and cycling was falling year on year disincentivised by the increasing speed and volume of motorised traffic. Provision of off-road infrastructure on the route has seen walking and cycling traffic levels rise above anything seen in the last 40 years.

Did that make driving faster more attractive too?
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Flinders
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Flinders »

recumbentpanda wrote:I am lucky to live close to some very good ( and practically useful ) off road cycle paths. It is very noticeable over the last ten years that there has been a significant increase in people driving to the paths in order to cycle, to the extent that on weekends and in school holidays, parking is becoming an issue.

Does any one agree with me that it is a thoroughly bad thing that cycling becomes a thing like skiing or kayaking, that you have to go somewhere to do, rather than something you do to go somewhere?

Now before this thread, if it becomes a thread, is inundated with anecdotes about how people absolutely MUST drive to ride, for a dozen different reasons, all of them incontrovertible, I would like to say that if we are at all successful in changing the culture of drivers on our roads, the dwindling of this particular piece of ‘sensible insanity’ will be a good index.

I see your point, but I get very bored with the parts of my route that are close to my house, and one major road is not usable safely so routes in that direction are a problem, so very occasionally I do put the bike in the car to get to places that are too far for me to cycle to, just for a change. It's not a question of 'must', but then, there is no 'must' for most of my rides anyway. I like walking, but do drive to other parts of the country to do it, because the landscape round here is boring and, by and large, flat, and I like the mountains. Same thing, surely?
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Cunobelin
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Cunobelin »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Yes it is a tragedy but not quite as bad as the twitchers who drive hundreds of miles to see (they think) a special bird



I once cycled 10 miles to see Michaela Strachan.....is that acceptable ?
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Mick F
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Mick F »

Is she a special bird?
:lol: :lol:
Mick F. Cornwall
geocycle
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by geocycle »

I’ve just driven to Langdale for a walk, I don’t see much difference to the op driving to the dales for a cycle. I’m lucky because 99% of my cycling can be done from my door or with train assist. I can also [quote][/quote]do some nice walks but don’t have the Lake District in walking distance, it’s an hour drive, and the trains are poor at the moment. By cycle commuting and cycle shopping I make a contribution to keeping car use down but everyone’s circumstances are different.
DaveGos
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by DaveGos »

I would say I drive to about one in five of the rides I do , I generally avoid doing it as it wastes cycling time and I often end up forgetting something, once on the bike I know I have everything I need. I drive to the start of the races as they are over 10 miles away and its not easy on my bike to replace inner tubes, m ost rides in my area start the other side of town so I nearly always do between 10 and 15 mile each end and most of it is up hill . I do get bored of the very limited number of routes and the drag to get to the other side of town . We do the very occasional car assisted ride which gets you to new laes.

Official cycle routes do not help , the ones on the new estates around me are rubbish, with dismout signs every few yards

Sustrans do not help in this area the local route from Ironbridge to Bewdley is not designed as a means of long distance transport but for driving to , to do a section
Cyril Haearn
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Cyril Haearn »

geocycle wrote:I’ve just driven to Langdale for a walk, I don’t see much difference to the op driving to the dales for a cycle. I’m lucky because 99% of my cycling can be done from my door or with train assist. I can also do some nice walks but don’t have the Lake District in walking distance, it’s an hour drive, and the trains are poor at the moment. By cycle commuting and cycle shopping I make a contribution to keeping car use down but everyone’s circumstances are different.

If you live an hour from the Lake District you surely have nice walks from home, maybe by cycle-walking (not a tragedy)
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Cyril Haearn »

MikeF wrote:It seems to me some of the poorer drivers overtaking cyclists on the road are those carrying bikes around on their car to somewhere where it's "safe" to cycle!

Badly-stowed cycles obstructing the view or dangerously projecting on the back of the vehicle, another tragedy
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Lance Dopestrong
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Re: The Tragic Proliferation of ‘Drive-Cycling’

Post by Lance Dopestrong »

I drive cycle when delivering my courses, simoly because its a bit far to drive to Staffordshire or Kent, be fit enough to deliver a courae, and ride home again the new day, so there's some genuine utility there. Other than that, driving somewhere in a car in order to go for a ride is rather odd.
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