Husband just been knocked off his bike

[wibbles]

Hurray, somebody gets it.

 

I think you're probably correct in your assumption that most cyclists posting on here are experienced and knowledgeable and that may explain their indignation towards my suggestion.

 

I like to think of myself as a careful and considerate car driver, but accidents do happen, especially when other road users are inexperienced and not qualified. I don't particularly want to have the injury/death of a cyclist on my conscience whether it's my fault or not and in my opinion that's less likely if they all have some degree of training.

 

From my experience there has been a substantial increase in the number of cyclists in recent years and many of those lack the skills to negotiate busy roads properly.

 

A few lessons with a test at the end may help to make the roads safer for all of us.....Is that such a bad thing?

 

I'm going to leave you all in peace now....Safe cycling/motoring.

 

Regards

 

Doom

 

Accidents involving motor vehicles occur on a regular basis, the drivers having passed a test and had 'training'. Your logic that having training will reduce or eliminate the risk is flawed on so many levels

 

You mention this and I quote

I also think it would help them in positioning themselves properly at junctions, teach them when to manoeuvre across traffic, how to negotiate busy roundabouts, the proper procedure for manoeuvring through slow moving/stationary traffic and maintenance of their bikes (proper lights).

 

I do that already and have never had a cycling lesson which harks back to my original point I made a while back..you can teach, examine, provide a card/license and all the other suggestions you made but if the individual is wired to be a risk taker then they will be until they address their own personality flaws.

I don't drive aggressively, I adhere to the highway code the majority of times, I'm courteous to other road users and generally get from A-B without any issues or problems...both in the car and on the bike.

[dvp82]

So cycling down penistone road this lunchtime having just passed swfc. A guy on a mountain bike jumps the lights at the junction of parkside road and penistone road. When I caught up with him he was dressed in proper cycling gear and was riding a fairly decent bike. He clearly looked like he knew how to handle a bike and was 100% confident with riding on a very busy road. This wasn't some chav scroat on a bmx. He then jumped a further 2 sets of lights at red. He even jumped the lights at red at the junction of penistone road and hillfoot road / neepsend lane.

 

No amount of training tests ect is ever going to prevent some idiot from doing this.

 

As others have said people take their driving test but that clearly doesn't stop many many people still doing stuff they fully well know they shouldn't be doing.

 

It would have been interesting to have found out why he thought red lights didn't apply to him.

[Daven]

So cycling down penistone road this lunchtime having just passed swfc. A guy on a mountain bike jumps the lights at the junction of parkside road and penistone road. When I caught up with him he was dressed in proper cycling gear and was riding a fairly decent bike. He clearly looked like he knew how to handle a bike and was 100% confident with riding on a very busy road. This wasn't some chav scroat on a bmx. He then jumped a further 2 sets of lights at red. He even jumped the lights at red at the junction of penistone road and hillfoot road / neepsend lane.

 

No amount of training tests ect is ever going to prevent some idiot from doing this.

 

As others have said people take their driving test but that clearly doesn't stop many many people still doing stuff they fully well know they shouldn't be doing.

 

It would have been interesting to have found out why he thought red lights didn't apply to him.

 

And his wife will be bleating on here when he gets knocked off his bike as it's never the bikers fault is it ?

[JFKvsNixon]

And his wife will be bleating on here when he gets knocked off his bike as it's never the bikers fault is it ?

 

Beyond your imagination I don't think anyone has ever claimed that accidents are never the fault of the cyclist. Or are you having a snide dig at the OP?

[autumn]

Beyond your imagination I don't think anyone has ever claimed that accidents are never the fault of the cyclist. Or are you having a snide dig at the OP?

 

I certainly wasn't bleating I was thanking the kind people who helped my husband . The thread as usual was highjacked .

[WalkleyIan]

I certainly wasn't bleating I was thanking the kind people who helped my husband . The thread as usual was highjacked .

 

I think its very sad that you cant post a thread about cycling, thanking passers by for their assistance, without it being hijacked by the small group on here with their anti cycling agenda.

 

Its clear that they don't even bother to read the OP, they see the word "bike" or "cycle" and just leap straight in with their prejudices.

 

I hope your husband is doing well after his incident and the experience hasn't put him off as its been beautiful weather for cycle rides.

[Daven]

Beyond your imagination I don't think anyone has ever claimed that accidents are never the fault of the cyclist. Or are you having a snide dig at the OP?

 

You have totally misquoted me but don't let that distract you from having a go at someone will you ?

NOT having a 'snide dig' at the OP - I was commenting on dvp82's post about a totally different incident.

[autumn]

I think its very sad that you cant post a thread about cycling, thanking passers by for their assistance, without it being hijacked by the small group on here with their anti cycling agenda.

 

Its clear that they don't even bother to read the OP, they see the word "bike" or "cycle" and just leap straight in with their prejudices.

 

I hope your husband is doing well after his incident and the experience hasn't put him off as its been beautiful weather for cycle rides.

 

It hasn't put him off Ian but as the week has gone on he is having more pain in different places .We did expect this though .He has been out walking instead He won't allow anything to get in the way of his daily exercise fix .lol

[onewheeldave]

So cycling down penistone road this lunchtime having just passed swfc. A guy on a mountain bike jumps the lights at the junction of parkside road and penistone road. When I caught up with him he was dressed in proper cycling gear and was riding a fairly decent bike. He clearly looked like he knew how to handle a bike and was 100% confident with riding on a very busy road. This wasn't some chav scroat on a bmx. He then jumped a further 2 sets of lights at red. He even jumped the lights at red at the junction of penistone road and hillfoot road / neepsend lane.

 

No amount of training tests ect is ever going to prevent some idiot from doing this.

 

As others have said people take their driving test but that clearly doesn't stop many many people still doing stuff they fully well know they shouldn't be doing.

 

It would have been interesting to have found out why he thought red lights didn't apply to him.

 

Given that as (in your words) he looked totally competent, it's probably the case that he judged going through the reds to be safer?

 

A lot of experienced cyclists will happily break the law if they judge that obeying it places them at greater risk than not doing so.

 

You see, if a cyclist and car collide, the cyclist will likely either die or sustain seriious injury- regardless of whether the cyclist or car driver is responsible.

 

Most cyclists who've been on the roads several years basically ride in fear- they know full well that however carefully and observantly ride, there's a real chance that they can be mown down by a less carfull/less observant motorist.

 

If you can get in that mindset, I'm sure you'll better appreciate that a cyclist may go through reds if, in their judgement, it is safer for them to do so.

 

Taking off at the front of a queue of cars when green goes, can be hazardous, as the cars tend to be very keen to get off and get up to speed- a cyclist prefers to be way off in front if possible, as they know the approaching cars will see them much better (as the road between is empty) and, have ceased to be accelerating.

[JFKvsNixon]

You have totally misquoted me but don't let that distract you from having a go at someone will you ?

NOT having a 'snide dig' at the OP - I was commenting on dvp82's post about a totally different incident.

 

I had a go at you because I thought that your comment was really out of order. You went onto a thread where a someone was talking about a crash in which their husband was hurt and made a crass comment using incendiary language which said:

 

his wife will be bleating on here when he gets knocked off his bike as it's never the bikers fault is it ?

 

You may well have been talking about a separate incident, but there is an insinuation that does seem to be directed at cyclists as a whole. Also, as I mentioned nobody has ever claimed that accidents are never the cyclists fault, so there is no need for that cheap shot as well.

 

---------- Post added 13-03-2014 at 10:32 ----------

 

Given that as (in your words) he looked totally competent, it's probably the case that he judged going through the reds to be safer?

 

A lot of experienced cyclists will happily break the law if they judge that obeying it places them at greater risk than not doing so.

 

You see, if a cyclist and car collide, the cyclist will likely either die or sustain seriious injury- regardless of whether the cyclist or car driver is responsible.

 

Most cyclists who've been on the roads several years basically ride in fear- they know full well that however carefully and observantly ride, there's a real chance that they can be mown down by a less carfull/less observant motorist.

 

If you can get in that mindset, I'm sure you'll better appreciate that a cyclist may go through reds if, in their judgement, it is safer for them to do so.

 

Taking off at the front of a queue of cars when green goes, can be hazardous, as the cars tend to be very keen to get off and get up to speed- a cyclist prefers to be way off in front if possible, as they know the approaching cars will see them much better (as the road between is empty) and, have ceased to be accelerating.

 

I've heard cyclists compare themselves going through red lights to pedestrians crossing a road against a red light as a justification, and they'll do it if it is safe to do so.

 

I've never really bought into that notion though, and I do understand the safety issues. There are indeed some junctions where in is unsafe for traffic to overtake after the lights, so in these instances I pull more in the centre of the road whist waiting for the lights to change to hold traffic up behind me until I reach a point where it is safe for traffic to over take, and then I'll take a more passive position on the road. I think that Manor Top coming from Mansfield road is an example of this.

 

For me patience it so important in situations like this, and you have to accept that in rush hour you may have to take things a bit easier.

Edited March 13, 2014 by JFKvsNixon