Cycling UK Forum

I was driving homeward along the M20 today when an incident came to mind which happened some years ago. I was driving in the inside lane of the M25 on a dark winter's night travelling anti-clockwise from Surrey towards Kent. A cyclist came towards me (clockwise) on the hard shoulder heading back towards Surrey! I don't think he or she had any lights on either!! Has anyone else seen a cyclist in an inappropriate place?

The Pavement

I confess

M40, A38M, M25. The last two inadvertant, the first because I was in a hurry, and the traffic was stalled. A very long time ago, though.

One numpty bunny hopper carrying his mountain bike all the way up Sharp Edge of Blencathra (no bridleways or the like).

One fully laden cycle tourist getting off the ferry which landed on the beach at Lutro on the south coast of Crete. No roads in & no roads out. No roads in village - was stuck for things to do once off the sand. Sat there then got on next ferry.

We called in at Naples. They all said I'd not be able to cycle in Naples .....

I left the ship-yard and was confronted by a wall of traffic, crawling along slowly, most sounding their horns. Some were on the pavement, some on the central reservation, and some more going against any sort of traffic direction! The traffic lights were completely ignored, as were pedestrian crossings, and pedestrians for that matter.

I got off my bike, picked my way gingerly between the traffic to the next ship-yard gate, and made my way rather sheepishly back to the ship.

Next day, I tried again. It was Sunday and the roads were deserted! So off I went exploring and found my way up Vesuvius. Nice ride.

There was a case widely reported in the papers in the early '60s when two French onion sellers were stopped by the police cycling on one of the then rare motorways in England, festooned with onions.

It was said that their only English was 'We are not the Great Train Robbers.'

A friend of mine who had never been to the UK before arrived by plane at East Midlands airport, and was trying to cycle to Loughborough. All road signs directed him to the M1. He didn't know it was illegal, but was escorted to the next junction by the police when they noticed him.

Didn't the Kenyian Commenwealth cycling squad wander on to a motorway for training during the Games in Manchester a few years ago?

Commuting by car, several times Ive seen cyclists on Sheffields Parkway.

Brave and foolish...

Seen a bike rider on the M69 some years ago, and yes, a Kenyan was seen riding out of Manchester to Horwich on the M61 to check out the road circuits. As he said; look at a map and the straightest/obvious route is M61!

Think his slogan/middle name for the rest of the week was; Yes I am that rider.

The Inaccessible Pinnacle in Skye. I didn't see it myself but a work colleague showed me a photo of himself abseiling off it with his bike over his shoulder.
An online photo of the same day is here.

http://www.john.macpherson.btinternet.c ... opleg.html

Back in the 70s, 2 friends of mine (in their early teens) ended up going from a dual-carriageway A-road onto a motorway. They thought the traffic was going quite fast, and that the road seemed a little "unusual" in layout but did not cotton on.

They ended up getting stopped by a policeman. He asked them if they had a map, and on showing it to him, he said,

"Do you see that blue line here? Well, you're on it, and it's not a ****** river!"

He gave them a lift to the next A road that was any use and sent them on their way.

thirdcrank wrote:in the early '60s when two French onion sellers were stopped by the police cycling on one of the then rare motorways in England, festooned with onions.

Ah, those were the days, when onion men really rode their bikes. Now every other posh deli has an old utility bike outside, festooned with onions, but never going anywhere, usually with flat tyres.

Bit left of centre reply but if I reverse the Thread Title to

"Where is the obvious place that a cyclist should be but is never there?"

I have always wondered why Barney Flintstone and Fred never ride a cycle but are happy to propel their car via foot/leg power.

Surely they would have been faster on a two-wheeler due to less friction and weight etc.

Crock of Gold wrote:I have always wondered why Barney Flintstone and Fred never ride a cycle but are happy to propel their car via foot/leg power.

Surely they would have been faster on a two-wheeler due to less friction and weight etc.

You do realise its actually a cartoon?....