Cyclists - your experiences on the road

[Bletchleyite]

I don't find any of what you've said is based on reality, I've a wide range of cycling friends from all the different groups you've mentioned and they all get on really well with each other and done a number of cycles where everyone across your different 'conflicted' groups have come together in support of cycling. Everyone just wants better cycling facilities all round, it's really one of the great parts of cycling that it isn't the way you describe.

Where are you based, if you don't mind me asking? Group 2 are predominant in central London.

 

[mike57]

One of the main issues with cycling is that there are very much several camps:

I live in rural East Yorkshire on the edge of the Wolds, home village population around 700, with surrounding villages smaller, from 50 - 300

Your group 2 doesn't exist here, and group 3 are in the minority, the majority of cyclists are lesuire cyclists who sit somewhere between groups 1 and 4. I cycle every weekday, I take an hours lunch break as my WFH job is sedentary. I see quite a few other cyclists (OK maybe up to 10 ish) while out, quite a few of them are the same as me taking a daily ride as I see them each day. In the summer we then get out of area people riding longer distances following one of the NCN routes in all probability.

I ride a comfortable hybrid style bike with plenty of gears to help with the hills (Geographical and Dutch). I am not looking to shave a few seconds off my time, and a few extra kg on my bike weight doesn't bother me I would rather have a dependable bike, its about exercise, fresh air, and focusing on something that isnt 18 inches in front of me. Although I ride a similar route each day there is always something fresh to see, a buzzard hunting, a herd of deer, unusual cloud formations, even the RHHT rumbling down the branch line at the right time of year. Of the riders who I am on more than nodding terms with we mostly ride a similar type of bike, and lycra isnt in evidence. In common with about half the regulars I will ride in all weathers unless its actually dangerous (ice/snow). I suspect most of us are in the 50+ age range, thats the age where cycling beats walking if your knees are dodgy.

In terms of what we want, I personally will ride busy roads if I have to but would much prefer to be on back roads with minimal traffic, and my routes take that into account. If there was a disused railway route nearby I would probably use it. My daily rides stick to the back roads.

 

[Haywain]

(5. Mountain bikers, but these mostly drive to the trails so aren't relevant at all).

No, that's not the case at all. Some do, but many of us just ride the local tracks and bridleways along with connecting roads

 

[Trainbike46]

Mostly of little use for urban cycling and utterly useless during the hours of darkness due to lack of lighting.

In Edinburgh disused railways are in fact many of the urban bike paths. And because the council installed streetlighting on them, they were used by a wider range of people at night, though they clearly weren't as busy at night as during the day.

 

[adamedwards]

At least in Herts we've plenty of disused railways and the canals. What segregated cycle routes we do have are very badly thought out.

The problem with old railways and canals is they are normally unlit and isolated so will not be seen as safe places to cycle after dark, which is not helpful in the winter months in encouraging cycle commuting from school (eg returning from after school clubs) and work. I once came off my bike on the Alban Way in the autumn because despite my head light I could not see where the path ended and the verge began because of leaves. I've also had the fun experience of having sticks thrown at me and having to get past drug takers and drunks, all antisocial people hiding on the isolated cycle path.

Canals are worse because you have low bridges, ropes, badly maintained tow paths and the risk of falling in.

So cycle routes should be next to main roads because generally people on cycles want to safely go the same places as people in cars and buses.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Dec 2022 ==

I should say the above is based on my experience in and around Hatfield in Hertfordshire. The three old railways near us all have significant unlit sections.

 

[ABB125]

Canals are worse because you have low bridges, ropes, badly maintained tow paths and the risk of falling in.

I once had great fun cycling along a towpath in the dark. With a heavy bag of shopping on each handlebar. The best (worst!) bit was going under the railway bridge, which is on a heavy skew, so it's a long bridge. The path is about 1m wide, with a vertical brick wall one side and the canal the other. If you have your light set to flash mode (as I did), the effect is essentially that a solid wall appears out of nowhere to one side, then disappears again. Instinctively, you want to swerve away from it. Even though you know doing so will end with large quantities of water... And when you have shopping on the handlebars, any minute steering changes you make due to this indecision get amplified by swinging shopping (and then repeated as the momentum of the shopping pulls the handlebars the other way, etc etc). It was genuinely terrifying! Needless to say, I didn't try that again...

(Shortly afterwards, my bike was stolen, and I haven't had one since!)

 

[Doctor Fegg]

The problem with old railways and canals is they are normally unlit and isolated so will not be seen as safe places to cycle after dark

Coincidentally I’ve just added a night routing mode to my website (and now iOS app!), cycle.travel. It avoids towpaths and other unlit paths.

 

[Trainbike46]

The problem with old railways and canals is they are normally unlit

But that is not an necesarily true for bike paths that don't follow roads, they can be fitted with streetlights, and in the case of Edinburgh they have been. You could try asking the council to fit the ones in your area with streetlights as well?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Dec 2022 ==

Coincidentally I’ve just added a night routing mode to my website (and now iOS app!), cycle.travel. It avoids towpaths and other unlit paths.

How do you know whether a path is unlit?

 

[Doctor Fegg]

How do you know whether a path is unlit?

OpenStreetMap (which is the mapping source for cycle.travel and pretty much all other bike routing other than Google/Apple) often contains this data, particularly in cities.

 

[Trainbike46]

ah, that's really helpful!

 

[Magdalia]

The problem with old railways and canals is they are normally unlit and isolated so will not be seen as safe places to cycle after dark

But that is not an necesarily true for bike paths that don't follow roads, they can be fitted with streetlights

In Cambridge some unlit cycle paths have ground level "tea lights", which perform the same function as cat's eyes on unlit roads. The DNA path, which runs next to the railway line near Shepreth Branch Junction, has them.

 

[Bikeman78]

Does not work. The bad ones drive far too close to my back wheel (and honk!) and then pass with as little as possible of their cab in the next lane. If I then move left to create safe gap again, they move left to punish.

One of the angry bus drivers I mentioned upthread did that. The result was that I gradually slowed down and stopped, and we wasted about a minute having a row. We'd probably still be there if a Police car hadn't happened to be passing and asked me to shift. I'm quite happy to dig my heels in occasionally.

As regards taxi drivers, a lot of them are dull. They often pull up behind me in the bus lane at a red light. Lane two might have one or two cars waiting. By the time the lights change, there are now 10 cars in lane two and the taxi is stuck behind me. Oh well.

 

[SWR_DRIVER]

Coincidentally I’ve just added a night routing mode to my website (and now iOS app!), cycle.travel. It avoids towpaths and other unlit paths.

Sorry to be off topic, but your website is incredible! I've used it for commuting, general riding and touring and it's always given me fantastic routes to follow. Thank you!

 

[miklcct]

We need a massive change in our urban road use culture, and that includes towards a more Dutch approach to utility cycling - that is, riding a sit up and beg type bike at 10-15mph in normal clothes on a safe, segregated facility, not riding an aggressive road bike or fixie at 25-30mph on the road. It's nice to see more bikes in London, yes, but the cycling culture there is the wrong one. Every country that does utility cycling well for everyone fits the former model, not the latter one which is for testosterone filled, Lycra wearing young and middle aged males only. (Look at the demographic of London cyclists and you'll see my point, even though I am a middle aged male! )

The main reason that I ride bike to commute is because I can ride it faster than taking a bus. Therefore I ride an aggressive road bike for speed. A few days ago I rode 7.1 km from my home to Paddington in the morning peak in 21 minutes, having a clear run through most of the traffic lights, where the bus 332 was scheduled to take 40 minutes (although I turned into Warrington Crescent to access A4206 rather than following the exact same route as the bus).

However I am extremely weak in going uphill and I frequently get passed by others.

My commute is mostly on the A5 to get between my home and the railway station where I park my bike and use the train to go through the hill (the ridge of Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill which can only be avoided by going all the way into zone 1), and in practice there is usually so much traffic that I can't even pedal at full speed when going downhill, especially in the northbound direction going down the hill to Cricklewood. The southbound direction is much better since the bus lane starts right at the top of Shoot-Up Hill and if I can get a clear run, I can go faster than the cars on the right all the way to or even beyond Brondesbury station into Kilburn.

There is the problem that there is generally no safe way for cyclists to pass buses at stops. Can't pass on the left as the bus has pulled right up to the kerb to let people on and off, can't pass on the right while staying in the lane as even where there is enough width there would be no escape if the bus pulled out, and can't pass in the next lane as car drivers generally won't let cyclists out.

I seldom have problem passing buses at stops because I don't tailgate buses. When I see the bus in front of me stopping at a bus stop there is still enough distance ahead of me to pull out to the next lane, where cars are running, at traffic speed.

 

[py_megapixel]

I seldom have problem passing buses at stops because I don't tailgate buses. When I see the bus in front of me stopping at a bus stop there is still enough distance ahead of me to pull out to the next lane, where cars are running, at traffic speed.

Do you think that's a manoeuvre that the average person would be comfortable doing, though?

Besides, unless one of the cars holds back to leave a gap for you (quite rare in my experience), you can't just pull out into the next lane. You have to slow or even stop and wait for a space you can fit into. This is a problem regardless of how close you are to the back of the bus.

"Don't tailgate buses" is excellent advice, but it can't solve problems with the infrastructure.

 

[telstarbox]

Didn't manage much over Christmas but got out for an hour today (without rain!). I had to stop halfway up two hills which isn't ideal...

 

[Techniquest]

Didn't manage much over Christmas but got out for an hour today (without rain!). I had to stop halfway up two hills which isn't ideal...

I didn't even clear 200km in December 2022, nor did I manage a Gran Fondo ride. That is exceptionally unusual, the only other time that happened was in July 2022, thanks to Covid. The weather in December 2022 was outrageous for much of the time, so I didn't ride much. I rather hope to change that now we've hit 2023!

 

[adamedwards]

December was really bad given the ice on local roads for a week, which I was not prepared to risk. Hoping to get more done as the days get longer and combining cycling and train rides, when they are running.

 

[Bald Rick]

I didn't even clear 200km in December 2022, nor did I manage a Gran Fondo ride. That is exceptionally unusual, the only other time that happened was in July 2022, thanks to Covid. The weather in December 2022 was outrageous for much of the time, so I didn't ride much. I rather hope to change that now we've hit 2023!

Yes I fell short of my usual 400k minimum for the month. Lovely ride today though, although the roads are full of water.

 

[PeterY]

December was really bad given the ice on local roads for a week, which I was not prepared to risk. Hoping to get more done as the days get longer and combining cycling and train rides, when they are running.

I'm looking forward to the longer days. I don't mind riding in the cold but hate riding when it's wet. Last years total was 4,279 miles.

 

[Techniquest]

Yes I fell short of my usual 400k minimum for the month. Lovely ride today though, although the roads are full of water.

Nice to know I'm not the only one! I would have taken full advantage of the dry and sunshine yesterday if it hadn't been for pesky work getting in the way!

 

[dcbwhaley]

Cycling as a competitive sport is great, but you're not allowed to drive a car competitively on an open public road, and I struggle to justify in my mind the idea that cycling should be permitted in such circumstances either. That said, a race is probably less of an issue than some nutter going for a Strava segment through a busy area, because discussions happen with the Police first, then there's cautionary signage and marshalling too - it's a much more controlled environment.

(That said I'd also outright ban any form of competitive cycling on particularly dangerous single track roads because that really does result in dangerous activity. One notable experience I had driving the Hardknott/Wrynose involved a triathlon over there, and the competitors were acting VERY dangerously, weaving in and out of cars which were waiting to allow other cars to pass as is necessary on that sort of road and flying round blind bends and over blind hills. It is better that these roads are closed if used more than incidentally.)

Time Trialists used to be notorious for moving out in order to force cars to pass them very closely and give them the benefit of the slipstream

 

[JohnMcL7]

What's everyone's cycling goals for 2023?

I've had increasing targets for a single ride for the last decade or so but after completing my 2022 target it's not really viable to be going any further so I need something new to focus on, I'm feeling a bit aimless at the moment.

 

[telstarbox]

I enjoy ticking off the tiles on Veloviewer which is a plug in to Strava if you use that.

 

[Techniquest]

What's everyone's cycling goals for 2023?

I've had increasing targets for a single ride for the last decade or so but after completing my 2022 target it's not really viable to be going any further so I need something new to focus on, I'm feeling a bit aimless at the moment.

To be honest, I've been so focused on general life stuff and travel goals recently that I haven't really made any cycling goals for 2023. I need to get my cardio-vascular strength back up, that's slipped a lot in the last couple of months.

I think for now I'll settle for more adventures in areas I've not been to yet, although I would love to try another 100 miles ride. I did that in 2022, and the ride around Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire was a killer. I want to do it again in 2023, but on far easier terrain. Somewhere like the Fens or some routes around Essex, I've identified some possibilities for the summer there.

Definitely something to think about, for sure!

I enjoy ticking off the tiles on Veloviewer which is a plug in to Strava if you use that.

I haven't tried that yet, something I need to research, as it sounds like fun!

 

[Train Maniac]

What's everyone's cycling goals for 2023?

I've had increasing targets for a single ride for the last decade or so but after completing my 2022 target it's not really viable to be going any further so I need something new to focus on, I'm feeling a bit aimless at the moment.

Im not a pro cyclist by any means, clocking up about 20 miles average on a weekly basis (when its not wet and unpleasant at least) around my hometown. The furthest i've cycled was Guildford-Shoreham-Brighton-Three Bridges- Tunbridge Wells back in summer 2020 (about 85 miles). Would love to do something similar this year

 

[telstarbox]

Essex is great for cycling as is Anglia generally. I think Veloviewer is a tenner a year, good value.

 

[TheBigD]

What's everyone's cycling goals for 2023?

I've had increasing targets for a single ride for the last decade or so but after completing my 2022 target it's not really viable to be going any further so I need something new to focus on, I'm feeling a bit aimless at the moment.

Plans for 2023 are bike packing (but staying in B&Bs) The Way Of The Roses in May, and then cycling in Japan in October.

In terms of distance, I've set a target of 4000 miles for this year. Did 5300 miles last year so shouldn't be too taxing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2023 ==

I didn't even clear 200km in December 2022, nor did I manage a Gran Fondo ride. That is exceptionally unusual, the only other time that happened was in July 2022, thanks to Covid. The weather in December 2022 was outrageous for much of the time, so I didn't ride much. I rather hope to change that now we've hit 2023!

Since I got back from LEJOG at the beginning October, I did less than 100 miles on the bike the rest of the year. Done 66 miles so far this month, 11 miles ahead of schedule for my target of 4000 miles this year.

 

[Techniquest]

Plans for 2023 are bike packing (but staying in B&Bs) The Way Of The Roses in May, and then cycling in Japan in October.

In terms of distance, I've set a target of 4000 miles for this year. Did 5300 miles last year so shouldn't be too taxing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2023 ==



Since I got back from LEJOG at the beginning October, I did less than 100 miles on the bike the rest of the year. Done 66 miles so far this month, 11 miles ahead of schedule for my target of 4000 miles this year.

Two very big goals there! I don't have a running total for 2022, I still haven't finished logging October 2022 yet! At the end of September, I see I had 3,021 cycling miles for the year so I probably did quite well. Considering I lost a few hundred miles over the summer, due to illness, I'm not complaining too much.

I have very little on the books so far this year, I have had a few Beryl rides in Hereford but that's it. If the wind hadn't been so evil yesterday, I'd have been out for a good ride! Instead I cleared one of my many crazy walking ideas, so that was a plus I suppose

In terms of cycling goals, I have my heart set on more London-based action. Clearing CS6 would be nice, same for CS7 and CS8 but actually starting on CS1 would be nice too. I have my eyes set on another 100 miles ride, and I'd like to get some cycling through Sussex done. If I got my maps out, I'd have no end of ideas!

I'd also like to do some more cycling in Scotland, places like Skye would be amazing to do. Kintyre looks like it would be interesting too, and I'd also like to clear the big gap between Inverkeithing and Larbert on my map. There are of course plenty of ideas up in Scotland, too many to list!

Of course, in the meantime I need to actually progress my way back to better levels of fitness. I'm so far away from what I was like in June 2022 it's unreal. Slowly but surely though, I will get there. Most of it is neurological, and trust me I'm working on that!

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Apparently belt drive instead of chain drive is becoming more popular, the belt does not have to be oiled, so it can be kept cleaner, should last a long time. But a belt can not be used with a standard frame because it can not be split. There are a few (20) points to note when using a belt drive. I shall read them when I have a couple of hours.