Wanting to ride a bike

[Bargepole23 337]

You sound like you know what you're doing, until that last sentence about not wearing a helmet.

 

I know, we've gone safety mad in this country, you even see 3 year olds out on their scooters wearing helmets now - we've gone mollycoddled health and safety namby-pamby daft with it.

 

But - I think you're crazy not to wear a helmet when cycling in the city. Especially these-days with more and more traffic on the road. My other half worked in the head injuries unit at the Royal Hallamshire for a few years and it was a frequent event that cyclists would get admitted with serious head injuries. Frequent.

 

In some cases they recovered and were fine, but in many cases they were never quite the same again. When you've seen young (or old) lives ruined that could have been spared for the sake of a cycling helmet it changes your outlook on things.

 

I occasionally don't bother with an helmet - if I'm pootling around on the Monsal or Tissington trails - but city riding - definitely wouldn't risk it - I do mountain biking as well and I always wear one for that. But if I had to choose I'd rather go without a helmet doing a fast decent down off a mountain than not wear one in traffic. Your choice - this is meant only as advice.

 

No problem, and advice is always much appreciated. I wear one for racing cos I have to, and I am swinging towards wearing one for commuting, but for training in Peak, cant see it happening.

 

Anyway, no point here getting into the whole helmet debate

[spooferman 10]

hi now the weather is picking up.and the price of fuel,tax,insurance is a joke .iv seen a nice mountain bike in halfords to ride.to-from work and out at the weekends.if i buy the bike,from halfords or any cycle shop..whats it like on the open roads with a cycle,iv have been told horror stories about cars.vans.that dont like people on cycles,why i dont know...so what should i do,as bus fares,taxi,and my car is costing me a arm and a leg to run..and a bike looks like a good thing

 

jeff halls, has a nice selection of reall bikes!

[SUPERDREAM 10]

jeff halls, has a nice selection of reall bikes!

 

and if you dont fancy a modern machine, go for a classic honda. the superdream was a proper magnet back in the eighties, cheap classic insurance too.

[spooferman 10]

and if you dont fancy a modern machine, go for a classic honda. the superdream was a proper magnet back in the eighties, cheap classic insurance too.

 

gods i loved the wetdream 250. so hard to get now

[SUPERDREAM 10]

gods i loved the wetdream 250. so hard to get now

 

thats mine, V plate and always turns heads. Its only good for toddling about on, but its not looked down on by my modern counterparts. Not up there with the ninjas but a real blast. My mates got the 400 on a T reg, which is stunning.

[sleepercreep 10]

i say good luck to you mate..police on wordsworth was dishing out fines to cyclists the other day for not having a bell on bikes..£25 fine...they must be low on funs........

[sleepercreep 10]

and 3 penalty points on a car licence if you have one............

[monkey69 10]

haha they have to catch you first!!, is it an offence not to stop for police on a mountain bike??

[Number Six 10]

Interesting. as there is no legal requirement to have a bell fitted once you've left the bike shop.

 

Bikes have to be sold with one, but you can take it off.

[monkey69 10]

Oopps yes you can...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23366426-1632500---as-labour-targets-cycle-safety-the-huge-fines-serial-offenders-could-face-for-not-having-a-bell.do

[Number Six 10]

Oopps yes you can...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23366426-1632500---as-labour-targets-cycle-safety-the-huge-fines-serial-offenders-could-face-for-not-having-a-bell.do

 

You will notice that article uses words like 'under consideration' and 'proposed' quite a lot.

 

 

http://www.bikehub.co.uk/featured-articles/cycling-and-the-law/

 

At the point of sale (ie shops) bikes now have to come fitted with bells but there’s no legal requirement for them to be fitted to bicycles no longer on shop display.

 

The Highway Code does not stipulate that bells must be used. It states: “Be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example by ringing your bell.”

 

Another ‘audible warning device’ is the human voice: a polite ‘excuse me’ can often come across as a lot less aggressive than the apparently insistent tinkling of a bell. However, ‘angry of Tunbridge Wells’ type letters to newspapers continue to insist that cyclists – from church-hopping old maids to downhill mountain-bikers – ought to use bells, despite the fact their use often scares the bejesus out of pedestrians.

[Number Six 10]

and 3 penalty points on a car licence if you have one............

 

That is not legally possible either ....

 

http://www.astounding.org.uk/ian/cyclelaw/licence_points.html