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First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 12:17am
by cowasaki
Well hello everyone, it's my first post.....

I have got back into riding after 3 decades of not riding a pedal powered cycle only motorcycles. My wife and I are really enjoying it using the bike I bought about 6-8 years ago (Trek 7300) on the ride to work scheme and her new bike I bought a couple of weeks ago, a Liv Rove 3. I hadn't used my Trek due to an accident at work then moving work places so until a few weeks ago it hadn't been used at all and is literally as new. I've been enjoying so much I've just bought another bike, a Giant Talon 1 29er for fun and will be using the Trek to go to work on.

Expect plenty of questions........

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 8:57am
by pwa
Using a motorcycle puts you at an advantage. You will have a degree of confidence on the road that you would not have if you had only driven a car on the road.

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 10:53am
by cowasaki
Thanks. I'm a police pursuit driver, advanced van/lorry/carrier/4x4 and done advanced motorcycle training. When I was in my teens I rode to and from school and did 4 paper rounds on a bike!........

It's still bonkers the difference with the roads some 30 years later. With my experience of dealing with RTCs involving bikes,motor cycles, horses, cars, lorries and pedestrians. EVERYONE blames each other and always sight things that other people do! Car/van/lorry drivers complain at bikes riding in the middle of the road, no lights, two abreast other than where the highway code says, jumping red lights and overtaking on the inside. Motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists blame car/van/lorry for not looking and not giving them enough space. Lorry drivers blame everyone for not appreciating the space they need and cyclists for overtaking on the inside. EVERYONE has video/anecdotal evidence of someone else doing something wrong.

The last two fatal bike accidents I have been to involve cyclists on 40/50mph unlit roads, wearing dark non reflective clothing, on dark bikes with no lights. The last five fatal motorcycle accidents all involve people showing off and were actually the motorcyclists fault and I have numerous examples (usually of late teen/early twenties male) car drivers who have died doing the same thing.

Everyone just needs to look out for everyone else! It's simple.

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 3:53pm
by foxyrider
Whilst I generally agree with almost everything you say i'm sure I won't be the only one to pick up on 'two abreast other than where the Highway Code says'.

There is no law that prohibits cyclists riding two abreast and you as a traffic cop should know that. It may be that you have just used a poor choice of words but it's always of concern when those who supposedly are there to uphold the law don't actually know what those laws are.

Hope you enjoy your new cycling career and that you aren't on the receiving end of too much bad driving.

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 5:10pm
by pwa
You sound like you have what you need to survive, and to enjoy it, so all the best.

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 27 Aug 2018, 8:33pm
by eileithyia
Hello and welcome

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 28 Aug 2018, 8:15pm
by cowasaki
foxyrider wrote:Whilst I generally agree with almost everything you say i'm sure I won't be the only one to pick up on 'two abreast other than where the Highway Code says'.

There is no law that prohibits cyclists riding two abreast and you as a traffic cop should know that. It may be that you have just used a poor choice of words but it's always of concern when those who supposedly are there to uphold the law don't actually know what those laws are.

Hope you enjoy your new cycling career and that you aren't on the receiving end of too much bad driving.



I was saying that these are things that people complain about and that people should learn to live together on the road!

I am well aware of both the highway code and the law. The fact is that the highway code and the law don't actually always marry up. Also riding two abreast or in a block can be beneficial to everyone in the right situation.

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 28 Aug 2018, 8:46pm
by peetee
Hello and welcome. I understand your comments about blame. Remove stereotypes from attitudes and all people could talk (or moan) about is the weather!

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 28 Aug 2018, 10:13pm
by foxyrider
peetee wrote:Hello and welcome. I understand your comments about blame. Remove stereotypes from attitudes and all people could talk (or moan) about is the weather!


Did you see that Cumulo Nimbus over Stockport earlier? My, that was some formation, pity about the type 3 precipitation that followed but hey, it could've been type 4!

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 1:16pm
by Halla
Hello & welcome.

We talk about the problems on the road and the attitude of all users, blaming each other. Perhaps these examples may make people think.

About 10 years ago I was talking to a long time mate (56 years old), he an ex police officer, Red Cross first-aider, Boys Brigade and Religious, but not a cyclist. His Statement which stays with me to this day. "BARRY & I drive around Worthing looking for cyclists to KILL" - UNBELIEVABLE.

Two weeks ago my partner was having tea with her 60+ year old mates, the conversation got round to HATING cyclists, they admitted they carry out petty aggression against them as well as recruiting others to do the same. These ladies are checkout employees of Waitrose, respectable you would have thought - no just scum!!

Apart from the regular aggression that I receive on the road, about 12 years ago a car passed slowly by and the passenger poured coke over my head. Also missiles are often thrown from vehicles.

Much of the conversation with other riders is about the aggression they receive whilst out riding.

I used to enjoy riding 4000+ miles per year, now I wonder if it is worth getting the bike out at all.


WHY?

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 2:36pm
by Cyril Haearn
foxyrider wrote:
peetee wrote:Hello and welcome. I understand your comments about blame. Remove stereotypes from attitudes and all people could talk (or moan) about is the weather!


Did you see that Cumulo Nimbus over Stockport earlier? My, that was some formation, pity about the type 3 precipitation that followed but hey, it could've been type 4!

Plus One, I like talking about the weather too

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 3:29pm
by mjr
Halla wrote:Apart from the regular aggression that I receive on the road, about 12 years ago a car passed slowly by and the passenger poured coke over my head. Also missiles are often thrown from vehicles.

Much of the conversation with other riders is about the aggression they receive whilst out riding.

I used to enjoy riding 4000+ miles per year, now I wonder if it is worth getting the bike out at all.

WHY?

I feel it's because of a constant drip-drip-drip from the likes of Daily Hail and the Bike-Bashing Corporation, making it so that now even the police seem to have no shame in indulging in a bit of victim-blaming like highlighting they had dared to ride "on 40/50mph unlit roads, wearing dark non reflective clothing, on dark bikes" (all legal and widespread) alongside "with no lights" (illegal but still no justification for killing them) and saying nothing about the motorists who probably killed them by driving faster than so they could stop within what they could see to be clear. :-(

Just wait until you see how today's possible e-bike hit-and-run gets reported by those. :-(

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 3:43pm
by Cyril Haearn
Halla wrote:Hello & welcome.

We talk about the problems on the road and the attitude of all users, blaming each other. Perhaps these examples may make people think.

About 10 years ago I was talking to a long time mate (56 years old), he an ex police officer, Red Cross first-aider, Boys Brigade and Religious, but not a cyclist. His Statement which stays with me to this day. "BARRY & I drive around Worthing looking for cyclists to KILL" - UNBELIEVABLE.

Two weeks ago my partner was having tea with her 60+ year old mates, the conversation got round to HATING cyclists, they admitted they carry out petty aggression against them as well as recruiting others to do the same. These ladies are checkout employees of Waitrose, respectable you would have thought - no just scum!!

Apart from the regular aggression that I receive on the road, about 12 years ago a car passed slowly by and the passenger poured coke over my head. Also missiles are often thrown from vehicles.

Much of the conversation with other riders is about the aggression they receive whilst out riding.

I used to enjoy riding 4000+ miles per year, now I wonder if it is worth getting the bike out at all.


WHY?

Surely such statements are hate crime and must be severely punished, do people say such things on farcebook too?

Or are they simply humorous jokes that we should accept? :? I fear plenty of people laugh at such things, seems very sick
Where is the limit to "humour"?

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 4:21pm
by Pastychomper
Oddly I find things far better than they used to be, 20+ years ago I used to get the odd unintelligible shout and one conker thrown from a van at speed. These days I find drivers I encounter are pretty well-behaved, far better than I expect after reading this forum.

The difference in my case is likely down to location - I used to ride around a city, frequently on a dual carriageway, and I found out at the time that even some good drivers thought bikes weren't allowed on a dual carriageway. Now I live in a county without any such roads, which is on all the LEJoG & JoGLE routes so any local drivers are used to bikes. Plus, I suppose, a lot of the cycle tourers they encounter have at least 900 miles' experience so are less likely to give the rest of us a bad name.

Of course it's not all rosy, a few years ago a friend was driving a cart in said county when a moton passed them, stopped and deliberately spun gravel onto the (young) horse before driving away. Fortunately, my friend was an ex-cop who never suffered from shyness, and she recognised the driver at an event some months later. Suffice to say it didn't happen again. 8)

Re: First post and hello

Posted: 29 Aug 2018, 4:38pm
by Phil Fouracre
mjr wrote:
Halla wrote:Apart from the regular aggression that I receive on the road, about 12 years ago a car passed slowly by and the passenger poured coke over my head. Also missiles are often thrown from vehicles.

Much of the conversation with other riders is about the aggression they receive whilst out riding.

I used to enjoy riding 4000+ miles per year, now I wonder if it is worth getting the bike out at all.

WHY?

I feel it's because of a constant drip-drip-drip from the likes of Daily Hail and the Bike-Bashing Corporation, making it so that now even the police seem to have no shame in indulging in a bit of victim-blaming like highlighting they had dared to ride "on 40/50mph unlit roads, wearing dark non reflective clothing, on dark bikes" (all legal and widespread) alongside "with no lights" (illegal but still no justification for killing them) and saying nothing about the motorists who probably killed them by driving faster than so they could stop within what they could see to be clear. :-(

Just wait until you see how today's possible e-bike hit-and-run gets reported by those. :-(


Apparently 'he wasn't wearing a helmet'!!!!