95 ALIVE, Single file cycling ??

[landsurfer]

MMMM ..... surely these are the people (95 Alive) that want cyclists only to ride in single file ?

http://road.cc/sites/default/files/styl ... k=YhgAd00U

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/cri ... -1-8545725

2nd Paragraph .. "Working alongside road safety partners 95 Alive and with the support of Cycling UK,"

And the implication is that 95 Alive have the support of Cycling UK ????

Really !!!!!

[thirdcrank]

An important issue here and I'm unclear how it came to be separated from the Close Pass Mat thread.

The implication is that the police out with the mat will also be carpeting cyclists who ride two abreast. I hope Cycling UK are alert to what they are being associated with here. I see that the top media man presented the mat so I'm sure he'll be aware of the importance of what message goes out.

[landsurfer]

I removed it from the close pass post. It seems too important an issue ... to me ...

[eileithyia]

I believe they have been put at spots, where it might be unsafe to ride 2 abreast, and probably the sort of places where club cyclists 'single out' anyway.
But they are dangerous as they give the message that we should be single file, that it is unlawful to ride anything other than single file and reinforces ammunition that motorist sling at us.

[Graham]

I've never heard of "95 Alive".

I did a quick interweb search. Top of the list was this link :
http://www.roadwise.co.uk/

Then I scrolled down . . . . . and thought - mixed messages do not help us.

[Guy951]

It looks like another bunch of well-meaning idiots to keep an eye on.

Advice for kids from that link:

Wear the right stuff
Cycle helmets come in all kinds of cool colours – make sure the one you choose has a British Kitemark or EC safety standard number EN1078.
Wear sensible stuff so you don’t get hurt if you end up on the floor – jeans or cargo pants look great and are great protection for your legs. Wear long sleeved tops to protect your arms.
Stick your high-visibility top on over your clothes and fix some reflective stickers to your bike – see how bright you can be.
Wear fluorescent bands around your arms and legs during the day and reflective ones at night.
And don’t forget cycle gloves – you need to look the part and they will protect your hands if you fall.

While the advice might be OK (apart from the inference that one will be wearing a helmet and being a bit OTT on the hi-vis stuff) doesn't this just reinforce the view that cycling is inherently dangerous and special clothing must be worn to do it?

[Ruadh495]

From the same website:

"When you are out, keep the following tips in mind.
•Wear something bright and always be concious you might not be seen. Consider adding a rear light and just leave it flashing, dull and rainy days make it difficult for other road users to see you.
•Keep your fuel and water levels topped up to keep you alert, as energy levels drop, fatigue sets in and you will find it harder to concentrate, especially towards the end of a ride
•Stay foccussed on decents
•Split large groups up into small groups. This allows faster road users the space to overtake and reduces the risk of collisions.
•Although riding 2 abreast can be more social, Highway Code rule 66 states that you should ride single file on narrow & bendy roads, and also on busy roads. So when it gets twisty, single out to make it easier for traffic to pass slowly & safely.
•Be aware of other road users, especially in rural areas. The main routes are also used for a lot of agricultural business, so it may be necessary to stop in a safe place and allow traffic to pass, especially tractors & trailers and large milk tankers and aggregate lorries."

Does that mean no lycra?

[Bez]

spots where it might be unsafe to ride 2 abreast

Other than singletrack roads, I think I would argue that there is no such thing.

[nez]

From the same website:

"When you are out, keep the following tips in mind.
•Wear something bright and always be concious you might not be seen. Consider adding a rear light and just leave it flashing, dull and rainy days make it difficult for other road users to see you.
•Keep your fuel and water levels topped up to keep you alert, as energy levels drop, fatigue sets in and you will find it harder to concentrate, especially towards the end of a ride
•Stay foccussed on decents
•Split large groups up into small groups. This allows faster road users the space to overtake and reduces the risk of collisions.
•Although riding 2 abreast can be more social, Highway Code rule 66 states that you should ride single file on narrow & bendy roads, and also on busy roads. So when it gets twisty, single out to make it easier for traffic to pass slowly & safely.
•Be aware of other road users, especially in rural areas. The main routes are also used for a lot of agricultural business, so it may be necessary to stop in a safe place and allow traffic to pass, especially tractors & trailers and large milk tankers and aggregate lorries."

Does that mean no lycra?

No it means 'no speller' [emoji15]

[pwa]

It looks like another bunch of well-meaning idiots to keep an eye on.

Advice for kids from that link:

Wear the right stuff
Cycle helmets come in all kinds of cool colours – make sure the one you choose has a British Kitemark or EC safety standard number EN1078.
Wear sensible stuff so you don’t get hurt if you end up on the floor – jeans or cargo pants look great and are great protection for your legs. Wear long sleeved tops to protect your arms.
Stick your high-visibility top on over your clothes and fix some reflective stickers to your bike – see how bright you can be.
Wear fluorescent bands around your arms and legs during the day and reflective ones at night.
And don’t forget cycle gloves – you need to look the part and they will protect your hands if you fall.

While the advice might be OK (apart from the inference that one will be wearing a helmet and being a bit OTT on the hi-vis stuff) doesn't this just reinforce the view that cycling is inherently dangerous and special clothing must be worn to do it?

I think that's a needless worry. Go in any garden centre and you will see gloves to protect your hands when gardening. In B&Q you will see safety glasses and face masks to keep you a bit safer when putting shelves up. When I use a chainsaw I wear a helmet with visor, gloves, kevlar padded trousers and special boots. PPE is worn for all sorts of ordinary, everyday things. Not especially dangerous things, just things where a bit of care is wise. Most people accept that. Okay, a few very nervous types may think "Oh, I need a helmet for that! How scary!" But that sort of person is going to be put off by the traffic anyway.

[eileithyia]

spots where it might be unsafe to ride 2 abreast

Other than singletrack roads, I think I would argue that there is no such thing.

Personally I agree, just stating the what generally happens on club runs. Way back in early 80's we were on tour in Scotland, bit of a main road, 7 of us, cry went up 'oil back' we dutifully singled out, by the time we had done so and the vehicle began it's over take.... we were approaching a sharp bend, car and caravan combo continued with overtake....
I decided then that singling out basically gave signal to those behind that we giving you room to come past whether there is room or not and news today shows what can happen.

Very often I will be in a group and the cry of car back goes up..... with people starting or indicating we should single out.... when we are far too close to an obstruction, bend, junction to effectively allow space for an overtaking vehicle to get past us.


http://leaderlive.co.uk/news/175958/haw ... iving.aspx

[531colin]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
If you "single out" they will come past, whether there is room or not. This happens each and every club run, and i often refuse to single out.
I was in front passenger seat, directing a driver round some of our local lanes. driver got upset that 2 cyclists wouldn't "let her past". I said that if cyclists got into single file, there were some drivers who would pass on a blind summit. Well, she said, how am i to know that its a blind summit? Apparently the fact that she can't see the road ahead is insufficient ......there should be a road sign.

[pwa]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
If you "single out" they will come past, whether there is room or not. This happens each and every club run, and i often refuse to single out.
I was in front passenger seat, directing a driver round some of our local lanes. driver got upset that 2 cyclists wouldn't "let her past". I said that if cyclists got into single file, there were some drivers who would pass on a blind summit. Well, she said, how am i to know that its a blind summit? Apparently the fact that she can't see the road ahead is insufficient ......there should be a road sign.

It's just a matter of using a bit of judgement. If conditions are such that singling out will invite an overtake in a bad place, don't do it. If singling out will allow an overtake in a good place, do it.

[[XAP]Bob]

Well, she said, how am i to know that its a blind summit? Apparently the fact that she can't see the road ahead is insufficient ......there should be a road sign.

That might explain quite a lot...

[Lance Dopestrong]

Who are these chumps? Where is the evidence to support their claim?

Edit - just Googled them. They seem to think Bikeability is good so they really are whackos!