i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by Mike Sales »

pete75 wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 5:42pm

The road through Heckington is quiet and pleasant to cycle on because the place bypassed.
I think that my post was clearly about the A17 through Heckington including East Heckington, after all, this is where the central islands which make the road unpleasant to ride are situated. If you have ridden the A17 here you must understand this. Continuing towards Swineshead the road is narrow enough to for lorries overtaking to intimidate.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by pete75 »

Mike Sales wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:20pm
pete75 wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 5:42pm

The road through Heckington is quiet and pleasant to cycle on because the place bypassed.
I think that my post was clearly about the A17 through Heckington including East Heckington, after all, this is where the central islands which make the road unpleasant to ride are situated. If you have ridden the A17 here you must understand this. Continuing towards Swineshead the road is narrow enough to for lorries overtaking to intimidate.
The point is the A17 doesn't go through Heckington and hasn't done for over thirty years. Can't think of any reason why a cyclist would choose to ride the A17 bypass rather than go through the village.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by Mike Sales »

pete75 wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:34pm
Mike Sales wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:20pm
pete75 wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 5:42pm

The road through Heckington is quiet and pleasant to cycle on because the place bypassed.
I think that my post was clearly about the A17 through Heckington including East Heckington, after all, this is where the central islands which make the road unpleasant to ride are situated. If you have ridden the A17 here you must understand this. Continuing towards Swineshead the road is narrow enough to for lorries overtaking to intimidate.
The point is the A17 doesn't go through Heckington and hasn't done for over thirty years. Can't think of any reason why a cyclist would choose to ride the A17 bypass rather than go through the village.
Indeed. My most ridden route comes up the B1394 from Sempringham and I turn along the old road east to join the A17, if I do not take a minor road which goes along Carr Dyke to join the A17 a little further along. I apologise for my slapdash account, but I might have hoped that the reference to problems with traffic islands would give even the most exacting reader a clue that I had left out the word East.
Heckington is a pleasant little town, with useful shops.
Sempringhan is a sort of pilgrimage for me. Gwenllian, the daughter of Llewellyn the Last was exiled to the abbey here on the edge of the fens, from her Gwynedd home, as am I.
I usually eat my sandwiches by the "boiling well" of Billingborough.
This road along the fen edge even has a few gentle gradients, which faintly reminds me of Wales.

The section of the A17 that I am obliged to use is the nasty part of this pleasant ride.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by pete75 »

Mike Sales wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:56pm
pete75 wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:34pm
Mike Sales wrote: 23 Nov 2021, 6:20pm

I think that my post was clearly about the A17 through Heckington including East Heckington, after all, this is where the central islands which make the road unpleasant to ride are situated. If you have ridden the A17 here you must understand this. Continuing towards Swineshead the road is narrow enough to for lorries overtaking to intimidate.
The point is the A17 doesn't go through Heckington and hasn't done for over thirty years. Can't think of any reason why a cyclist would choose to ride the A17 bypass rather than go through the village.
Indeed. My most ridden route comes up the B1394 from Sempringham and I turn along the old road east to join the A17, if I do not take a minor road which goes along Carr Dyke to join the A17 a little further along. I apologise for my slapdash account, but I might have hoped that the reference to problems with traffic islands would give even the most exacting reader a clue that I had left out the word East.
Heckington is a pleasant little town, with useful shops.
Sempringhan is a sort of pilgrimage for me. Gwenllian, the daughter of Llewellyn the Last was exiled to the abbey here on the edge of the fens, from her Gwynedd home, as am I.
I usually eat my sandwiches by the "boiling well" of Billingborough.
This road along the fen edge even has a few gentle gradients, which faintly reminds me of Wales.

The section of the A17 that I am obliged to use is the nasty part of this pleasant ride.

She was lucky to be sent there rather than Nottingham Castle. The 28 Welsh noble children held hostage there were all hung from the battlements. I got the impression from stuff you've written here you're from Spalding not Wales.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by Mike Sales »

pete75 wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:24am I got the impression from stuff you've written here you're from Spalding not Wales.
Would a short autobiography interest you?
I spent the my primary school years in Tasmania, my secondary in Spalding, but forty years of my adult life in Gwynedd. Long enough to feel at home there, and to acquire a feeling of hiraeth in this very different country.
I moved to Gwynedd for the climbing and when this became impossible I took to cycling and sailing. These gave me an intimate knowledge of, and love for, North Wales and the sea around it. The Wash and Norfolk are pleasant enough in their way, but I miss my life in Cymru. Though I have only a tiny smattering of Welsh, I miss the sound and sight of the language too.
I feel still a little alien in this land of supporters of brexit and Boston Bypass Independents, though they are friendly people.

A road sign I remember,
Pan welwch olau coch sefwch yma.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
ChrisP100
Posts: 298
Joined: 24 Sep 2020, 9:00am

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by ChrisP100 »

Mike Sales wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:57am
pete75 wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:24am I got the impression from stuff you've written here you're from Spalding not Wales.
Would a short autobiography interest you?
I spent the my primary school years in Tasmania, my secondary in Spalding, but forty years of my adult life in Gwynedd. Long enough to feel at home there, and to acquire a feeling of hiraeth in this very different country.
I moved to Gwynedd for the climbing and when this became impossible I took to cycling and sailing. These gave me an intimate knowledge of, and love for, North Wales and the sea around it. The Wash and Norfolk are pleasant enough in their way, but I miss my life in Cymru. Though I have only a tiny smattering of Welsh, I miss the sound and sight of the language too.
I feel still a little alien in this land of supporters of brexit and Boston Bypass Independents, though they are friendly people.

A road sign I remember,
Pan welwch olau coch sefwch yma.
Bendigedig...

I spent about 7 years living in N.Wales. 2 of my kids went to primary school there. I lived on Ynys Mon and spent a fair bit of time walking an climbing in Snowdonia (Ogwen/Llanberis/Tremadog/Moelwyn's). Really lovely part of the world; it had everything. I wish I'd cycled more when I was there.
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by pete75 »

Mike Sales wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:57am [
I feel still a little alien in this land of supporters of brexit and Boston Bypass Independents, though they are friendly people.

Boston Bypass Independents - that's a blast from the past. Controlled the council some years ago but I thought they'd all gone now. They weren't wrong though. Boston should have been given a bypass instead of running that hideous John Adams way through the historic core of the town.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Mike Sales
Posts: 7860
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by Mike Sales »

pete75 wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 12:31pm
Mike Sales wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:57am [
I feel still a little alien in this land of supporters of brexit and Boston Bypass Independents, though they are friendly people.

Boston Bypass Independents - that's a blast from the past. Controlled the council some years ago but I thought they'd all gone now. They weren't wrong though. Boston should have been given a bypass instead of running that hideous John Adams way through the historic core of the town.
The BBI wanted the bypass as well as the JAW. They were not proposing to remove it, and the damage could not have been undone anyway.
Very little of Boston's traffic is through traffic. A Council survey found 10% might be removed by a bypass. The solution to too many cars is not to build more roads.
The belief that it is the solution is still held by many.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by pete75 »

Mike Sales wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 12:42pm
pete75 wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 12:31pm
Mike Sales wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:57am [
I feel still a little alien in this land of supporters of brexit and Boston Bypass Independents, though they are friendly people.

Boston Bypass Independents - that's a blast from the past. Controlled the council some years ago but I thought they'd all gone now. They weren't wrong though. Boston should have been given a bypass instead of running that hideous John Adams way through the historic core of the town.
The BBI wanted the bypass as well as the JAW. They were not proposing to remove it, and the damage could not have been undone anyway.
Very little of Boston's traffic is through traffic. A Council survey found 10% might be removed by a bypass. The solution to too many cars is not to build more roads.
The belief that it is the solution is still held by many.
John Adams Way was a mistake. Usual argument against a bypass from local businesses - it'll take trade away from the town. Boston should have been given a proper bypass. Shame the Bypass party started campaigning 40 years too late.
You may think building more roads is unnecessary , I beg to differ in the case of Boston - try and imagine what it was like with Bank Holiday weekend traffic to Skeg all going along narrow Bargate.
If there are too many cars for the roads then we either need more roads, less road travel and/or fewer cars. I doubt the latter two will happen so......
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
ChrisP100
Posts: 298
Joined: 24 Sep 2020, 9:00am

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by ChrisP100 »

pete75 wrote: 22 Nov 2021, 8:06am Instead of using the High St. couldn't you use the parallel cycle path that runs alongside the Witham?
Well, I tried it tonight, and it was the first and probably the last time I'm using it, especially in the dark.

The first section is very narrow and pitch black. There were numerous ninja cyclists taking up most of the path who I only saw because of their pedal reflectors. Also pedestrians stepping out of nowhere. The second section beyond the Dixon street crossing was just as bad, and there were at least 3 separate occasions when I ended up riding through a cloud of weed smoke. Of the 10 or 12 cyclist coming the other way only 2 of them had lights on.
ChrisP100
Posts: 298
Joined: 24 Sep 2020, 9:00am

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by ChrisP100 »

Ridiculously close and utterly stupid overtake on the way home this evening. If anyone knows Lincoln it was on St Marks Street heading towards the traffic lights at the junction with Brayford Way (right turn).

I had turned left at the end of the high street and was heading down to the lights. The lights were on red. I checked behind, there was a car just rounding the corner (about 50m back) and I was holding prime position and signalling early of my intention to turn right at the junction. The road splits into a filter lane/straight on lane about 70m from the junction and I was moving across in to the right hand filter lane (still signalling at this point) as the car behind me sped up and overtook me like they were tackling the Bus Stop Chicane at Spa Racetrack and then pulled back across to the left and then stopped at the lights.

It was so close it made me swerve. Fortunately for the driver the lights changed just as I was approaching otherwise I could have 'had a word'.
pete75
Posts: 16356
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 2:37pm

Re: i'm no longer comfortable on the roads

Post by pete75 »

ChrisP100 wrote: 24 Nov 2021, 10:11pm
pete75 wrote: 22 Nov 2021, 8:06am Instead of using the High St. couldn't you use the parallel cycle path that runs alongside the Witham?
Well, I tried it tonight, and it was the first and probably the last time I'm using it, especially in the dark.

The first section is very narrow and pitch black. There were numerous ninja cyclists taking up most of the path who I only saw because of their pedal reflectors. Also pedestrians stepping out of nowhere. The second section beyond the Dixon street crossing was just as bad, and there were at least 3 separate occasions when I ended up riding through a cloud of weed smoke. Of the 10 or 12 cyclist coming the other way only 2 of them had lights on.
You could slow right down in the clouds of weed smoke so you get the full benefit.
'Give me my bike, a bit of sunshine - and a stop-off for a lunchtime pint - and I'm a happy man.' - Reg Baker
Post Reply