94 Million set aside for cycling

Rather alot of anti cycling attitudes being shown here...

and only a few pro-cycling views.

as an obviously brave london cycle commuter I see a fair amount of bad driving and bad cycling (red light jumpers piss me right off...)

As for Tim's statement that it's wrong to spend the money because only 2% cycle, why is it that so few do so? poor road conditions? dangerous? can't be arsed? is it wrong to improve conditions so that more may be tempted? Sure you will always get those that will never even consider cycling, but others ?

From a personal point of view - I work for a small company with a total of 8 people including the directors... 3 of us use cycles to get to work, 1 walks,1 gets the bus/tube and 2 drive - so cycling wins here

The roads for cyclists would be one hell of a lot safer if there was a lot more consideration shown from both sides to the others needs. Drivers forget that we need room - more than a few inches :o - as the slipstream of a vehicle is a lot wide than the vehicle itself... In turn Cyclists need to better understand drivers blind spots and turning circles...

just my 2p's worth ;)
 
The NHS is a joke behind the scenes, millions are wasted. A mate of mine was the foreman maintenance electrician for many years at Kettering General Hospital, which has recently been slated in the media. The stories he told me about the inefficient working practices and p**s poor senior management. One year a particular department had a surplus in their budget which they would lose at the year end and couldn't carry over so they spent it on thousands of pounds of new tables and chairs that they didn't need and these were then allowed to take up valuable storage space. :cry:

I feel sorry for all the medical and nursing staff at the sharp end who at times don't get the financial support that they require to do their job properly and this is the area that gets the criticism from Joe Public.
 
TitanTim said:
I may not be right in targeting monies on the NHS but come on, will spending 94 million on cycle routes actually provide any real benefits? except for those who are already into cycling and moan about the roads
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Yet you want them to spend it on roads, which you already use and moan about?
 
gannet said:
Rather alot of anti cycling attitudes being shown here...

and only a few pro-cycling views.

as an obviously brave london cycle commuter I see a fair amount of bad driving and bad cycling (red light jumpers piss me right off...)
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Brave man in my view speaking as someone who will only put lycra on :wink: to ride on rural traffic free roads whilst enjoying my retirement.
Makes my blood boil whenever I see red light jumpers on my regular visits to Cambridge. The reality, however, is that these people rarely cause an accident despite the idiots putting their lives at risk because they're the only ones who will be killed or seriously injured whilst a motorists might only suffer a minor bit of damage to his vehicle in the event of a collision.

As for cycling in London, IIRC, 6 of the 8 deaths for cyclists in the City this year are as a result of left turning HGV's trapping unfortunate cyclists under the wheels of their vehicle. :cry:
 
Its my wife that's getting the bike. That decision isn't linked to this new money though, and this new money wont benefit our area.

She's a community nurse, so visits patients in their homes. She's specced up paniers etc to carry some equipment, but her job isn't really suited to cycling, due to the equipment she sometimes takes. She's planning on doing it on certain days when she can arrange her workload to accommodate it. Other days will still be the car. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

I am an IT field engineer, and I need my car for work (the distances covered and equipment carried rule a bike out for me....even if I was fit!).

However, when I started my first job it was based on 1 site all day, and I did go through a stage of riding to work.

I raise this to clarify that I'm not anti-bike.

I suspect to make the UK like Europe and be more cycling focused will cost billions, and is a long term plan. I hope therefore that this is just the beginning, and they plan to continue the investment...now that they've started.
 
kevinmarkwhite said:
Its my wife that's getting the bike. That decision isn't linked to this new money though, and this new money wont benefit our area.

She's a community nurse, so visits patients in their homes. She's specced up paniers etc to carry some equipment, but her job isn't really suited to cycling, due to the equipment she sometimes takes. She's planning on doing it on certain days when she can arrange her workload to accommodate it. Other days will still be the car. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
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I realised that this when I made my earlier post and this is exactly the type of person I believe that is being targeted with this new financial initiative. Make sure she has a good fitting, comfortable helmet and properly adjust the retaining straps and get her to wear at all time a high-viz rain jacket. Good range of these at a reasonable price are on the Wiggle web-site. Many people have red flashing rear light even in the day time as well particularly in murky conditions.
Tell her not to ride down the left hand side of slow moving or stationary traffic either. That is a recipe for disaster and finally don't jump red lights. :wink:
 
Lillywhite said:
kevinmarkwhite said:
Its my wife that's getting the bike. That decision isn't linked to this new money though, and this new money wont benefit our area.

She's a community nurse, so visits patients in their homes. She's specced up paniers etc to carry some equipment, but her job isn't really suited to cycling, due to the equipment she sometimes takes. She's planning on doing it on certain days when she can arrange her workload to accommodate it. Other days will still be the car. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
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I realised that this when I made my earlier post and this is exactly the type of person I believe that is being targeted with this new financial initiative. Make sure she has a good fitting, comfortable helmet and properly adjust the retaining straps and get her to wear at all time a high-viz rain jacket. Good range of these at a reasonable price are on the Wiggle web-site. Many people have red flashing rear light even in the day time as well particularly in murky conditions.
Tell her not to ride down the left hand side of slow moving or stationary traffic either. That is a recipe for disaster and finally don't jump red lights. :wink:
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Lillywhite - as ever the most balanced in the cycle \ car arena as all the comments above show...


Sent from some bloody gadget using Tapatalk
 
IK. said:
Lillywhite said:
The NHS is a joke behind the scenes, millions are wasted.
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Aint that the truth!
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Yes. Just today I have arranged for the destruction of £200k of patient returned stock caused by overprescribing by GPs and hoarding by patients.
I might clarify that represents 3 months returns at one pharmacy amongst approx 10,000 in the UK!!!

Sent from some bloody gadget using Tapatalk
 
IK. said:
TitanTim said:
I may not be right in targeting monies on the NHS but come on, will spending 94 million on cycle routes actually provide any real benefits? except for those who are already into cycling and moan about the roads
Click to expand...

Yet you want them to spend it on roads, which you already use and moan about?
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Yep spend it on the roads, win win for both cyclists and motorists :wink:

Tim.
 
I actually would be inclined to agree if the roads were safer (or perceived safer, at least) - that's why people don't cycle.
 
Perhaps some of my anti-cyclist forum colleagues would care to take a peek at this web-site for a more balanced view. :wink:

http://www.bloodycyclist.com/
 
IK. said:
I actually would be inclined to agree if the roads were safer (or perceived safer, at least) - that's why people don't cycle.
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It is. My wife (did I mention shes getting a bike) is very nervous on the road, and in the past she's stayed on trails etc.

To be fair, if you just want to go for a ride, there are plenty of options around here where you wouldn't need to go on the road, but to travel to work or in her case, patients houses, she will need the road.

Obviously, confidence will come, but its getting over the initial fear I suppose.

Lillywhite - thanks for the advice. When she specced the bike up, the salesman rubbed his hands at the extras! She's getting a lock, front/rear lights (to be seen with), hi-vis rain jacket (although we initially thought that would be just for wet days, so will suggest all time use to her), she has a helmet but the salesman fell over when we said it was 10 yrs old! (mine is 15!). He reckons they should be changed every 2 years? Anyway, she added that on and commented this new one was the most comfortable fitting one she's ever tried. Just waited for her employer to give the OK to the cyclescheme and it'll be a go-er.

Is riding down the left of slow/stationary traffic generally a no-no then? She wont be in the middle of the road, so I guess will have to sit in traffic?
 
kevinmarkwhite said:
Lillywhite - thanks for the advice. When she specced the bike up, the salesman rubbed his hands at the extras! She's getting a lock, front/rear lights (to be seen with), hi-vis rain jacket (although we initially thought that would be just for wet days, so will suggest all time use to her), she has a helmet but the salesman fell over when we said it was 10 yrs old! (mine is 15!). He reckons they should be changed every 2 years? Anyway, she added that on and commented this new one was the most comfortable fitting one she's ever tried. Just waited for her employer to give the OK to the cyclescheme and it'll be a go-er.

Is riding down the left of slow/stationary traffic generally a no-no then? She wont be in the middle of the road, so I guess will have to sit in traffic?
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I suppose it depends on the weight of the hi-vis jacket I got a DHB one from Wiggle that perhaps might be a little too warm when it's over 20C, however for warm days a simple hi-vis vest would suffice. The salesman is technically right but I would say 3-4 years if used on a daily basis. I'm very careful with mine, but it is a top of the range Giro Ionos model which cost me £150!

If a cyclist rides down the left hand side of stationary or slow moving traffic then they are totally reliant on motorists who are turning left to see them in the near side mirror and not squeeze them against the kerb. I mentioned earlier that 6 of the 8 cyclists killed on the roads in London were as a result of HGV's not seeing them because of blind spots in their mirrors.
I think you should never undertake whether in a car or on a cycle and therefore it is wise to remain centrally behind the vehicle in front if you are able to keep up with the speed of the vehicles. It is better to be 'safe rather than sorry'.
On the few occasions that I ride in traffic I behave in the same manner as if I was driving my car, including signalling when moving to overtake parked cars and negotiating roundabouts, eye balling motorists if necessary to make sure they are aware that I'm there.
She might also benefit from joining the CTC who provide third party insurance and free legal advice etc.if she's involved in an accident all as part of the membership fee.

http://www.ctc.org.uk/membership/membership-for-individuals-families

I'm sure your wife will be fine with a bit of experience and her confidence with grow.
 
For my money 94 million is good value if in some small way it helps to separate one from the other. I ride and drive, I see idiot cyclists and I see idiot drivers but I am acutely aware as a cyclist it will always be me that comes of worse in a head to head. A lesson I learnt many years ago when I was a motorcyclist.
The fact is our roads were never designed with cyclists in mind and to address the problem will take a lot more money than what is proposed. When done right it can work incredibly well but having said all that I'm afraid too many cyclists seem to have a death wish and singularly fail to realise their vulnerability.
Have to say in the UK it is always the motorists that is deemed to need education and perhaps cyclists and even more so pedestrians ought to be the next in line for some social conditioning. As for me, I'm out on the bike this evening far, far away from those naughty car drivers!
 
regards overtaking - what lillywhite says is what I do too... even when there is a cycle lane up the left of stationary/slow moving traffic, I always feel safer and have more options going down the outside - just have to watch out for people turning right and letting cars turning right out of side roads...
 
Lillywhite said:
dr_john said:
It really p!sses me off to see the Lycra clad hordes flagrantly disregarding the rules of the road that everyone else abides by.
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FFS nothing like tar brushing every cyclists is there? I suppose that in your eyes every Muslim is a bomber, every White Van driver never obeys the rules of the road and every dog owner let's their dog c**p on the ground without picking it up?
I love your comment about 'the rules of the road that everyone else abides by'. I'm sure that even with your blinkered view of the world you'll realise that many motorists, even some on this forum, often break the rules of the road with more serious consequences that a 'Lycra clad cyclist' could cause by a minor traffic infringement.
Rant over.
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Oh dear, looks like I touched a nerve. I do apologise for any (non intentional) offense.

However I do stand my ground, only last weekend I was waiting, in the zed, at a red traffic light when two cyclist went past me (one on the inside, one outside) and continued straight on through the red light. This is behaviour was not an isolated incident, I see it all the time. I really can't ever recall seeing a car driver doing that, but it's a regular occurrence with cyclists.

Training in road sense and consideration for other road users would be a sensible use of any funding available, plus some sort of commitment of responsibility such as road licences. At the moment anybody can get on a bike and wreak all sorts of havoc on the roads, endangering themselves and other road users.
 
I did hiss some cycling friends off recently by implying if they want to use the roads then pay a tax to use them like other road users, stands to sense to me IMHO. Would bring in a bit more cash for road maintenance etc :)

Tim.
 
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