Quote:
Originally Posted by ydt
Yiannis its no more dangerous than crossing the road or actually driving a car. Check out the stats.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ydt
Yiannis its no more dangerous than crossing the road or actually driving a car. Check out the stats.
I do. I'm just at the stage where I'm deciding whether to take it up seriously - join a club etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
I'd've appreciated a reasoned reply, like the one you gave to Yiannis. We made exactly the same point.
It does come down to road sense and experience. I spent 8 years commuting daily in London, riding out of London to train and then dealing with the Chelsea Tractors on the country lanes. Some of the descents in the Surrey Hills are pretty sketchy. Short, steep and covered with leaf litter but you learn how to ride them. One of the best things I ever did was to join a club. You go out in a large group which is always safer and you get to learn from experienced roadmen. As long as you ride within the limits of your own bike handling ability and back off especially if you don't know an area or a corner you should be fine. Obviously you can't account for the rogue maniacs but, if you lived your life trying to, you'd never do anything.
fair enough - at the moment in the dark and the cold and the odd ice patch it all feels a bit like hard work, and that makes random acts of bad driving even more tiresome.Quote:
Originally Posted by nikalas
I'm enjoying spin classes and flogging myself on the gym exercise bike more than riding at the moment - which has got to be wrong hasn't it.
Am thinking of joining London Dynamo for the exactly reasons you mention.
Whatever you do, do not join the Dynamo... they are a bunch of t*ssers... There you are, I have said it, on a public forum! Lots of other good clubs in London...
I used to live in London and commuted. Did everything in London by bike, on average 20 miles a day, 6 days a week. I only had two accidents, both in one week, both where drivers didn't see me and scooped me up onto the bonnet coming out of a side street... This was the week where I had decided to start wearing a high viz vest!!! That got binned after the second hit as it seemd to have made me into a prime target... Other than that 15 years of safe cycling there. It is all about your skill and attitude towards other road users, as Daz says...
You got there before me Hann..... I knew and rode with a few Dynamos who were good blokes but, on a whole, the club's very elitist and not beginner friendly at all. VCL are great and you'll be supporting keeping Herne Hill going and Dulwich Paragon are a very friendly bunch.
heheh! thanks I'll take your words for it ...
Sorry I didnt mean it to come across like thatQuote:
Originally Posted by ZootHornRollo
I hope you do go on to take it seriously
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanneke
Hann its not that they are tossers. Lots of clubmen have this mentality in cycling. I found it as a teenager trying my luck. One Team Director in the eighties told me to forget it cos I was a fat b./////rd. I was 13 at the time and riding a junior criterium in a local race. That guy was a top team director. Elitism was and still is a big part of being a top rider. Sorry but it is.
I met lots of top riders when I was riding in the 90s and most of them were only too happy to offer us juveniles and juniors advice, they didn't seem elitist to me, maybe I was elitist too and was too young to realise!?Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
One thing I have noticed on the club runs I've been out on recently is the machismo on show by all the riders who think they're Cancellara on the flat or Contador on the climbs. My dad's club is full of people who'll try and ride you off their wheel on a club run but never enter races, club runs aren't fun to put it mildly.
Zoot If you're based in London check out the Welwyn Track League in the Summer. It's a great nights racing and Welwyn's a much better track than Herne Hill. The Welwyn Wheelers aren't a bad club either if you're out that way, I'm from there and rode with them before I joined Team Brite.
Yes they are! And I agree with Fell Donkey too... what is it with some clubs? Clubruns are what they are, clubruns, not races... you don't ride people off your wheel on a clubrun, nor do you leave anyone behind or, what the dynamo does, intimidate other users of Richmond Park out of the park on a Saturday morning by riding dangerously and intimidatingly!!!
I have also raced with some of them, and in the bunch, they aren't much better... I stick with my experience of them: tossers!
Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanneke
Oh eck you have had a bad experience.
Calm down a bit though hann. Do you want a dairy milk .
Ohhh chocolate :) Success :)
Never understand why road cyclist think it is a safe option to ride two abreast on busy roads and not go into single file when a car wants to overtake! Justasking for problems, riding in peolotons is even more bonkers
Believe it or not it's actually safer if the road's wide enough. It forces car drivers to slow down and overtake cyclist properly rather than speed past with millimetres to spare. A single line of 20/30 cyclists creates a longer obstacle so it's six of one half dozen of the other, but two abreast is definitely safer for the cyclist even if it is less convenient for impatient drivers.Quote:
Originally Posted by maddaddy
A good metre out from the side of the road is the way to go and I'm pretty sure that's what recommended by the CTC et al.
As for bunch riding that should only happens during races on the open road, which is very tightly controlled, with lead and rear cars with riders being penalised for going over the white line.
With regards to bunch riding I'm not sure what you expect road racers in the UK to do stop racing? By that logic there shouldn't be any road runners racing on roads either, something which causes far more disruption.
How would you want us to rideQuote:
Originally Posted by maddaddy
6" from the gutter
Hear hear Donkey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fell Donkey
May I remind you that cyclists have as much right to be on the roads as cars and they are entitled to be there safely, without being forced off the roads by cars??? I have never been able to understand why the majority of drivers in this country seem to think otherwise... In Holland it doesn't seem to be a problem at all for cars and cyclists to share the roads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maddaddy
I understand that cyclist have a right to be on the road and that they shouldn’t have to cycle in the gutter BUT if you are talking about safety with car drivers all it does riding two abreast or in a peloton is make car drivers even more impatient and aggressive – ERGO more likely to get knocked off cut up etc etc.
Don’t get me started on horses on roads ..…………
In my experience they usually beep for a while and then pass whilst shouting a torrent of abuse at us. Often if the roads narrow someone will shout "car up" and we all go single file and let them pass. Thankfully they're aren't many who willingly try to cut us up or knock us off.Quote:
Originally Posted by maddaddy
No matter how impatient they get they're rarely psychopaths willing to kill or injure 30 people in one go.
But your looking at it purely from a make life easier for the driver. Thats the problem. Its drivers that need to be patient and not get aggresive. I still say what amazes me is that drivers will follow cyclists, tractors, milk floats etc and get wound up to the point of road rage. Yet they come across a horse and its nice and gentle, take a wide birth, no revs , be quiet, watch the nice horse.Quote:
Originally Posted by maddaddy
Its that mentality of , oh im gonna be hold up for more than 30 seconds yet with a horse you can usually get be straight away.
Its not the cyclists job to fit in and make the drivers life easier its the drivers who must WAIT until its safe to go by.
Until the average motorist understands that cyclists will always be seen as second rate road users
You get exactly the same mentality when say a driver comes by me and cuts me up then I pass them on the inside at 35mph. They look at you and think Im not having that. A bike PASSING me no way. They go by again and pull in again. You pass them again and they look at you like your a threat, dirt almost.
In France, Holland etc your viewed as someone special because you can actually pedal a bike like that.
Its the British driver, no one beats me when Im in my car attitude.
Exactly Daz... and worst is that with their impatience and building road rage they actually endanger other roadusers as well as themselves, for what? The saving of a minute on a journey? Not worth the stress and hassle in my opinion. Then again, I was brought up riding a bike in a country where we all ride a bike, so I suppose that makes drivers more understanding as almost all also ride...
As well as the fact that I live in a rural area with narrow lanes mostly occupied by agricultural vehicles with people in them doing their job, going slowly. You just take it into consideration when planning your journey, sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery (and smell) sitting behind a tractor at 15 mph LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
Had the whole day booked off ready for a nice long ride & then our washing machine died. By the time new one was chosen, purchased, brought home, plumbed in & the old one was disposed of I was time poor.
Made do with a 2 hour run.
This means I've just posted on the wrong thread.
Sorry.
I remember riding in Flanders and a tractor pulled over to let me pass... as I rode by I said thank-you, probably with a look of disbelief on my face, and he said "Here, you are King.".....
Back to a group riding two abreast... it's far safer for the riders that way as it forces cars to pass wide... the group should be viewed as a "single vehicle". Well drilled groups will string out to let cars by but drivers just have to have a bit of patience... is anything really that urgent?
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikalas
That's just quality isn't it.
The tractor driver in Flanders . I must admit I followed a tractor driver dropping down from crich last year in the summer and he pulled over and gave me a thumbs up as I passed by.
You got me thinking about the pave now.
Ran with the dog tonight and forty minutes on the rollers. A double spin last night with some fantastic Lycra on show although I felt a bit odd being the only guy there again with shaven legs.
Just pumped my tyres up as I'm planning a good ride tomorrow.
Sadly this is far from the case Darren, whilst you and the majority of riders pass horses with a wide berth etc there are certainly those that in the same way skim by cyclists do exactly the same to people on horse back. The consequences are pretty dire here too.Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
We can apply it to 101 situtions whilst on the road, how many times do you hear people moan about being behind a learner driver for example, regardless of the fact they are the ones doing the speed limit, it is simply a case of wanting to get somewhere quicker than allowing yourself time for, we've all been guilty of that I suppose but on the whole the majority of us do give a sh*t about other peoples (and our owns) saftey but there will always be those that don't
I've never understood women on horses. They wave but they don't talk.
And I never understand how you tell what model of horse they have or the size
Is it likes bikes. Are you on a size 53 palamino mrs
sommert like thatQuote:
Originally Posted by daz h
Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
Well... 5.2 hands to be precise...
80 miles yesterday and I only nearly fell off twice. Just twitching into the few little bits of snow left on the a6 . A couple of hairy moments but still a good ride and it wasn't to cold.
I only noticed one other roadie out there was hoping for the same again today but it's to frosty for sure this morning.
On the final climb of the day which is bath street through ilkeston one of my work mates shouted me and said get your arse moving. I shouted back vie just done 80 miles. He just laughed as he came out of mcdonalds. I could have just eaten a big Mac though.
I love it when people give you that , your nuts look.
Well while I'm out there doing it they are probably wandering around b&q all weekend. Your only here once I say and if you do it right once is enough.
Now I'd better clean that bike
Oh and a little tip
Remember the skewer in your frame for when your cleaning your chain so it saves the chain catching on the frame as you turn the pedals.
Well fear not as pedros have come out with a chain catcher to do the job.
Now why didn't I think of that.
Good riding Mr Dazzler. Just back from falling down some ski slopes without damage (to myself). Work intervened today so had to be content with lycra watch and a single spin session, need to get out for a ride this week to work off the apres-ski:o
Ta toffer.
Good luck on getting out
Had weekly shop to do tonight but I managed 80 mins on the rollers . The last 20 of which my neighbour stood there watching me. Not good when your hanging on and sweat is everywhere. He was actually asking me questions about what setting I have the central heating on etc etc. I nearly died.
He eventually buggered off when I climbed off the bike.
Then went shopping and got the dreaded, unexpected item in the bagging area woman telling me.
So tonight I've had unexpected neighbour in the shed and unexpected item in the bagging area. Arghhhhhhhhhhh
Daz, do you earth yourself on the rollers or take the static shocks?Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fell Donkey
Fell donkey I get a shock every time I go on them to be honest. I forget and about 15 mins in if go to just have a second I usually touch my roll cab tool box and it zaps me.
I vow to bloody do something each time but always forget then all of a sudden winter is over.
It happened tonight. Did 70 minutes but had to have dance music on all the way. Was a slog.
So no mate I don't earth.
But you do get static indeed
1:45 on turbo ave HR of 135.
Watched "In Bruges", great film with some cracking lines.
Daz, wtf is this all about?
Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
It's the bloody awful self service checkouts. I walked down to Morrisons tonight and had to get the stupid thing cleared twice because it can't cope with me using a rucksack.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fellrunner
I haven't been on rollers in years, takes a lot concentration to stay on there for 70 minutes, I'm surprised you don't corrode your bike with all that sweat!Quote:
Originally Posted by daz h
I wonder how much static electricity you generate on them? There must be a way to test it, who knows with this crap weather and the amount of riding you do, you could start feeding it back into the grid!!!
I used to run a cable with two crocodile clips from my bike to my dad'd vice on his work bench, did the job pretty well.