A Crash Course in Cycling (or, why everyone should be a cyclist)

[Wolfshade]

West Yorkshire is to give free bikes to job starters who are coming off the dole and have no other way to get to work. This comes from a £2.8 million grant from the government. However, most of the money will be spent on a public tranposrt card.

I am in favour of these schemes, quite often one of the factors stopping people from working is that it is very difficult for them to actually get to work on time. Especiially outside of urban sprawls where the public transport is often not frequent enough meaning that you have to travel by car, essentially trapping the non-motorist in their homes and on dole.

Where this has been trialled there has been fairly positive responses with the receipriants using the bikes to get to work and not just quitting the job and selling it on fleebay for a quick turn around. Though they are small scale trials so efficacy statistics are essentially meaningless.

These schemes are quite neat as they have cheap bikes and re-cycled cycles. Often constructed by volunteers who themselves can end up with an apprentiship in bike building, not the most universal skill but Halfords for instance are looking to hire an additional 500 bike mechanics

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-27407345[/url]

[Wolfshade]

The recent widespread introduction of 20mph speed limits in built up areas has been welcomed by road danger reduction campaigners, but it might turn out to be inconvenient for cyclists. That’s the prospect in the London borough of Southwark, where the council plans to include cyclists and horse-drawn buggies in the scope of the 20mph limit to be introduced at the end of July.

Linney (of the Met's Traffic Enforcement Unit) wrote: "Introducing speed limits where traffic speeds are too high places an unrealistic expectation to enforce on the Metropolitan Police. Whilst any reduction in speed is of benefit, the number of offenders will increase significantly in the roads which presently have average speeds of over 24 mph, placing an expectation on the Police for enforcement which we do not have the extra resources to fulfil. The Metropolitan Police objects to a 20 mph speed limit on any road in the London Borough of Southwark where the mean speed is above 24 mph. We also object to the implementation of the 20 mph limit where it is not obvious to the motorist through the look and feel of the road that the speed limit is 20 mph."

However, given that there is no legal requirement for bicycles to have speedometers it makes it a bit difficult for them to be aware of their speed, and thus makes enforcement more challenging.

The big thing is that it makes a strange equivalency between vehicles and bikes. If they were to hit anything at 20mph the affects are staggeringly different.

A typical ford fiesta is about 1000kgs so travelling at 20mph has about 40kJ of energy, a bike (and rider) at 20mph has an energy of about 4kJ a whole magnitude different, in order to have the same energy the bike would need to be travelling at a mere 200mph.

[Psychosplodge]

Yeah but on the otherhand, 20mph zones are generally ridiculous.
The places where they are appropriate you generally couldn't go faster if you wanted anyway.

[Wolfshade]

Exactly, but that is the point of speed limits, or it was, that they are inline with the average speed on the road.

[Wolfshade]

Southwark "zany" council accused of over reaching their legislative power. So #392 talks of Soutwark wanting to apply the 20mph speed limit on horses and cyclists because reasons. however, Roger Geffen (of the CTC) says:

Highway authorities can only use traffic regulation orders to apply speed limits to motor vehicles on public roads. There are enough other offences that can be used for cyclists who are riding at speeds which are inappropriate for the conditions, whether on or off-road. Southwark Council officers need to improve their understanding of what they themselves are and are not permitted to do under the law, before they try inventing rules for cyclists.

For road law nerds, the legislation that applies to the creation of 20mph speed limits is section 84 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which says:
Speed limits on roads other than restricted roads.
(1)An order made under this subsection as respects any road may prohibit—
(a)the driving of motor vehicles on that road at a speed exceeding that specified in the order,
(b)the driving of motor vehicles on that road at a speed exceeding that specified in the order during periods specified in the order, or
(c)the driving of motor vehicles on that road at a speed exceeding the speed for the time being indicated by traffic signs in accordance with the order.

[Wolfshade]

[url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2703045/Terrifying-moment-cyclist-hurtles-air-collision-car-caught-head-cam.html[/url]

A cyclist in a cycle lane, (not sure that is important) gets swipped by a car turning right across his path.

As a side note, I have no idea how he manged the landing on wet ground wearing cleats.

From the rider CyclingJack:
"At the time the driver was apologetic and was informed by the police that I was recording my ride and seemed to admit fault.

But when it came to my insurance claim against her she disputed it.

Safe to say the video has saved me a lot of hassle and 3 weeks later the cheque has already arrived from the insurance company.

My four week old Giant bike was written off but thanks to the guys at Cycle Store they put me one of the two they had left aside and I’m looking forward to getting back out there."

And that there ladies and gentlemen is privilidge in action.

I might stress, that cycling is no more dangerous than doing your gardening, it's just sunny rides don't make the news...

[Psychosplodge]

Don't read the comments.

[Wolfshade]

I haven't let me guess:

Victim blaming
frothing over the mouth about road tax (abolished 1937)
Somehow the cyclist was at fault despite having right of way

[Psychosplodge]

Are you sure you haven't read them?

Its clearly the motorist at fault here, there's literally no grey area. And yet there are still people condemning the cyclist.
I mean I'm not exactly pro cycling but come on lets call a spade a spade.

[Wolfshade]

Oh my life!

If only he had insurance and a yellow jacket and a peice of paper telling him he was safe he could have avoided it.

I particularly liked the one which accused the cyclist of going for it as an opportunity to make a point.

- - - Updated - - -

The comments are sad and predictable. Missing the point and blaming the victim.

That bloody road tax is a curse, worse still is that most people driving today never paid it, nor their parents or their grandparents! But the name stuck, unlike poll tax. It is why every time I hear road tax used in advertising I write to the ASA to complain, but they think it is fine and doesn't encourage road users to think of it as ownership of the road, they really need to adjust their attitude.