CYCLING EVENTS

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NickW
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CYCLING EVENTS

Post by NickW »

There is growing resentment in (at least this part of) rural Britain about the effects of big cycling events. Many of these are organised on a commercial basis and the organisers often do not take into account reasonable requests from locals, such as abiding by codes of conduct, identification numbers back and front, routing uphill through built-up areas. Some individuals taking part can be rude and arrogant, ignoring red lights and crossings and reacting with invective to any protests.
What has this to do with Cycling UK and the normal leisure cyclist? Well representations are being made to MPs, which will go on to ministers for action (if the present political paralysis ever ends). Common demands will be for compulsory registration and insurance of all cyclists and licensing of all events on public roads, with limitations on numbers and routes. Given the disruption, nuisance and sometimes danger caused to locals and tourists by these events and the knock-on effect on all cyclists, these demands will be hard to resist.
(Nick Ward, South Dorset)
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mjr
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by mjr »

Those demands should be very easy to resist. It sounds like most of the problems arise from insufficient traffic policing and flaws in the traffic regulation act process. None of those would be fixed by stupid laws making Mrs Muggins don number plates and buy insurance to ride to the corner shop because scofflaws would continue to scoff and there would be even less traffic police to enforce anything like red lights or stopping reckless riding because they'd be fully occupied with harmless cyclists who had simply not got numbers on.

If there are real problems, gather evidence and submit it to the police, then the PCC if needed, then public if you must. Don't campaign for measures that will make matters far worse.
Last edited by mjr on 24 Sep 2019, 2:58pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mattheus
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by mattheus »

NickW wrote: Many of these are organised on a commercial basis and the organisers often do not take into account reasonable requests from locals, such as abiding by codes of conduct, identification numbers back and front, routing uphill through built-up areas. Some individuals taking part can be rude and arrogant, ignoring red lights and crossings and reacting with invective to any protests.
What has this to do with Cycling UK and the normal leisure cyclist?


It seems to me that the commercial organisations need to get their act together then - or they may lose this opportunity for profit+publicity.

The "normal leisure cyclist" can live a happy life without riding these events.
rmurphy195
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by rmurphy195 »

mattheus wrote:
NickW wrote: Many of these are organised on a commercial basis and the organisers often do not take into account reasonable requests from locals, such as abiding by codes of conduct, identification numbers back and front, routing uphill through built-up areas. Some individuals taking part can be rude and arrogant, ignoring red lights and crossings and reacting with invective to any protests.
What has this to do with Cycling UK and the normal leisure cyclist?


It seems to me that the commercial organisations need to get their act together then - or they may lose this opportunity for profit+publicity.

The "normal leisure cyclist" can live a happy life without riding these events.


But will suffer the consequences of the resulting badwill!
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landsurfer
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by landsurfer »

Hi Nick .... welcome to the forum ...

Your first post, and on such an important issue ...

I'm sure your not Data Mining ... but some may not so confidant ... :)
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gaz
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by gaz »

NickW wrote:Common demands will be for compulsory registration and insurance of all cyclists ... these demands will be hard to resist.

Compulsory licensing, insurance and identification numbers front and rear haven't stopped drivers from ignoring laws, codes of conduct, red lights or taking inappropriate routes at unsafe speeds.

NickW wrote:... representations are being made to MPs, which will go on to ministers for action ...

Just with until those MPs hear about the disruption, nuisance, noise, pollution, serious injury and death caused to people by drivers of cars. They'll demand compulsory licensing, insurance and identification numbers front and rear, that'll fix it ... oh, it doesn't.
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mjr
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by mjr »

gaz wrote:Just with until those MPs hear about the disruption, nuisance, noise, pollution, serious injury and death caused to people by drivers of cars. They'll demand compulsory licensing, insurance and identification numbers front and rear, that'll fix it ... oh, it doesn't.

If I remember correctly, insurance isn't compulsory for motorists: there's the option to leave a large wodge of money with the Solicitor General instead.
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by Cyril Haearn »

'routing uphill through built-up areas'
Is that a problem?
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Icsunonove
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by Icsunonove »

If riding a bike was made easier, encouraged and made more 'normal' would there be less demand for such mass events in the first place?
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by mjr »

Cyril Haearn wrote:'routing uphill through built-up areas'
Is that a problem?

I suspect it's a reaction to cyclists travelling fast downhill through some village. Of course, routing uphill will simply replace that with complaints about cyclists slowing "traffic" as they struggle up climbs.
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NickW
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by NickW »

Agree with most of those points. These concerns were raised at a local transport action group by councillors and others. Certainly the event organisers should follow common-sense guidelines, but when they don't, cyclists in general suffer the consequences, even if they never go near such events. Any assistance influencing the organisers - information on permissions, sanctions etc would be welcome.
NickW
Cyril Haearn
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by Cyril Haearn »

TDC, the tragedy of drive-cycling, lots of people drive to these events and pay money to be told what to do :(
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Tangled Metal
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by Tangled Metal »

Interesting to see drive cycling being very common in Belgium when we were touring there this summer. Such a nice country to cycle in and riders feel the need to drive somewhere first.

Compare and contrast with the UK. Often people live where it's not even that safe to cycle. You can see why you'd drive to cycle in the uk. Even though some don't approve. At least there's some arguments towards it, until we get our much deserved cycling culture sorted if course. If we were like Belgium and Netherlands drive cycling would not be so justifiable imho.
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by Cyril Haearn »

TM: move to the Mainland while you still can (or Milton Keynes :wink:)
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mattheus
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Re: CYCLING EVENTS

Post by mattheus »

Talking of Belgium ...

I got chatting to a local rider on my way back to Dunkirk (through Flanders) a couple of years ago. I asked him what the attitude was to the disruption from cycling events:

He answered that when a town has events on, pretty much EVERYONE rides their bike that weekend. There is no-one left driving their car to complain! It just wasn't a problem : )
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