Cyclists - your experiences on the road

[adamedwards]

Ok, so just off a road, but an excuse to share the fab restoration of Nast Hyde Halt on the Alban Way cycle route, before Lockdown, my commuter route to Thameslink at St Albans.

 

[Jozhua]

I started cycling in lockdown and have been involved in two fairly serious collisions.

One was a car driving into the side of me on a roundabout, the other involved my bike getting somewhat munched by a double decker.

Both had the potential to kill me if circumstances had been different. Only had to go to A&E after the first one though.

Bus broke my back wheel, Halfords said it was a write off, but I didn't wanna give up on it! So, I got a new wheel of gumtree. The rear derailleur is screwed, so it's essentially a fixie, with three centre gears to choose from! The bike is pretty banged up, but it works and I feel like each disaster just brings us closer lmao.

Needless to say, I ride on the pavement now where bike lanes or side streets are not available. Always try and give priority to pedestrians and will just walk it if busy.

None of you will be suprised to hear I live in Manchester, where infrastructure is a complete and utter joke. From public transport to bike lanes, to the condition of the roads.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

You have my sympathy
I thought Mr Boardman had been appointed to turn Manchester into Cycle City

 

[Bletchleyite]

I started cycling in lockdown and have been involved in two fairly serious collisions.

One was a car driving into the side of me on a roundabout, the other involved my bike getting somewhat munched by a double decker.

I wonder if you might do well to take some Cyclecraft based training? Manchester isn't great for cycling, I'll give you, but two serious accidents in a few months is unusual. You could have incredibly bad luck, or perhaps more likely you could, if you're new to cycling and don't drive a car (do you?), perhaps benefit from some training in how to ride defensively for your protection rather than needing to ride on the pavement.

TfGM appear to offer it free: https://tfgm.com/cycling/confidence - but maybe there are others too.

 

[Craig2601]

Yeah, i used to walk to work and as soon as i started work got really sweaty. Was thinking of doing that Deliveroo thong for some cash? Anyone done it?

Yeah, do Deliveroo part-time, usually earn about £12/13 an hour so not bad for me as a student. Flexible working hours too so there is no need to work if you don't want to.

 

[ashkeba]

There are roads where you could overtake one cyclist at 1.5m and stay on your side of the road, but with two you can't.

When a cyclist should be riding at least 0.75m out from the kerb, their handlebars are typically 0.6m wide so 0.3m each side, you should overtake with 1.5m clearance and a typical car is 2m wide, how wide does the road have to be for you to overtake a lone cyclist without going into the next lane? How many roads in the UK are that wide?

 

[36270k]

Cycle regularly in town, have little problem.
When stopped at red traffic lights, often get overtaken by other cyclists running the lights.

 

[TheBigD]

I cycle quite a bit (935 mile in May being my best month) and rarely have any problems. Plenty of quite roads to cycle around here (south Lincolnshire/northwest Cambridgeshire/north east Northamptonshire). The cycle routes around here tend to be decent but could do with vegetation being cutback in places. I've yet to be knocked off my bike or have any really close shaves.

I've cycled a fair bit overseas as well. Central America, Patagonia, Morocco, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and india in the last few years.

Cycling on India's roads from Amritsar and Shimla and over the Jalori pass was certainly an "experience" and not for the faint hearted! Cycling over the Jalori pass (3134 meters above sea level) was the toughest ride I've ever done. Absolutely spectacular views and an amazing experience!

 

[Jozhua]

When a cyclist should be riding at least 0.75m out from the kerb, their handlebars are typically 0.6m wide so 0.3m each side, you should overtake with 1.5m clearance and a typical car is 2m wide, how wide does the road have to be for you to overtake a lone cyclist without going into the next lane? How many roads in the UK are that wide?

I think the idea is you're supposed to go into the other lane when the opportunity becomes available. Else, you should remain behind the cyclist until there is opportunity to pass safely. The cyclist may need to suddenly swerve to avoid a pothole, etc and as a vulnerable road user could very easily be killed by a car trying to overtake too closely.

 

[cactustwirly]

I think the idea is you're supposed to go into the other lane when the opportunity becomes available. Else, you should remain behind the cyclist until there is opportunity to pass safely. The cyclist may need to suddenly swerve to avoid a pothole, etc and as a vulnerable road user could very easily be killed by a car trying to overtake too closely.

Unless the road is wide enough for you to overtake without crossing into the other lane, such as an A road

 

[yorkie]

I have learnt to expect the unexpected; always be alert. An elderly woman decided to cross the road on my way to work last week, but I was able to see what she was doing and stopped in time. If I had not been alert, we would have collided.

On Sunday a group of kids were playing, including chasing each other with water (it was a hot day here in York), on a patch of grass next to the road; I was therefore unsurprised to see them go into the road. As I was prepared for it, I was able to avoid them and it didn't matter.

I'm glad we've seen a huge reduction in people stepping into the road to avoid going near other pedestrians (during late March / early April some people took the view that the risk of Sars-Cov-2 transmission passing a pedestrian is a greater risk than being involved in a road traffic collision for some bizarre reason) and I've stopped having near misses for that reason in the last few months at least!

I know many people who have been injured in road traffic accidents (often as cyclists or pedestrians); just yesterday I was speaking with a boy who had a broken wrist due to being in a collision with a van while riding his bike (I didn't ask about the exact circumstances).

 

[Bletchleyite]

When a cyclist should be riding at least 0.75m out from the kerb, their handlebars are typically 0.6m wide so 0.3m each side, you should overtake with 1.5m clearance and a typical car is 2m wide, how wide does the road have to be for you to overtake a lone cyclist without going into the next lane? How many roads in the UK are that wide?

Surprisingly many. Very wide single carriageways are quite common on bypasses of medium-sized towns where they were too cheap to dual it. There are examples around the south of MK (and on the MK grid system, but rather than just a dotted line down the middle it's usually hatched), and on the A5 around Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

 

[ashkeba]

Unless the road is wide enough for you to overtake without crossing into the other lane, such as an A road

There are almost no such A roads now. The few with dangerously wide 5+m lanes have almost all been given wide shoulders and centre hatch markings on repainting. Please change lanes to overtake. Even when it's not absolutely necessary, it's still nicer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are almost no such A roads now.

There are absolutely loads of them. I posted some examples.

The few with dangerously wide 5+m lanes have almost all been given wide shoulders and centre hatch markings on repainting

No, they haven't. Many have, but not all. In any case, the hatching other than on motorways is near enough always bounded by a broken line so you can use it to overtake without entering the other running lane.

Please change lanes to overtake. Even when it's not absolutely necessary, it's still nicer.

There are cases where it is sensible, there are cases where it is not.

 

[cactustwirly]

There are almost no such A roads now. The few with dangerously wide 5+m lanes have almost all been given wide shoulders and centre hatch markings on repainting. Please change lanes to overtake. Even when it's not absolutely necessary, it's still nicer.

There are quite a few, and I'll use my judgement to change lanes.
It's often more dangerous to change lanes unnecessarily on a busy A road anyway.

 

[ashkeba]

There are absolutely loads of them. I posted some examples.

Only one example specific enough. Here is a Google Earth of what looks widest on the A5 between Shrewesbury and Oswestry. Comparing with 2m wide car, the lanes do not look much over 4m and probably not even the 4.55m required if everyone has perfett positioning and leaving no margin for error.

There are very few roads with wide enough lanes. Far fewer than how many bad drivers think as they forze their way past.

 

[cactustwirly]

Only one example specific enough. Here is a Google Earth of what looks widest on the A5 between Shrewesbury and Oswestry. Comparing with 2m wide car, the lanes do not look much over 4m and probably not even the 4.55m required if everyone has perfett positioning and leaving no margin for error.

There are very few roads with wide enough lanes. Far fewer than how many bad drivers think as they forze their way past.

That looks like plenty of room.
Idk what you're talking about

 

[Bletchleyite]

That looks like plenty of room.
Idk what you're talking about

Generally speaking the way people use that bit of the A5 (and similar roads - the Wendover bypass is another one I can think of) is that an overtaking car, whether of a bicycle or another car[1], will run slightly over the line and oncoming drivers will accommodate it. Given the pence that they will have saved in not just dualling it when they built it, it is a bit of a nuisance and does cause accidents when oncoming vehicles don't move in.

[1] Because when overtaking a bicycle you treat it pretty much as if it was a car, imagining it as if the bicycle was sat on the handbrake. That is easier than trying to figure out what 1.5m is.

 

[cactustwirly]

Generally speaking the way people use that bit of the A5 (and similar roads - the Wendover bypass is another one I can think of) is that an overtaking car, whether of a bicycle or another car[1], will run slightly over the line and oncoming drivers will accommodate it. Given the pence that they will have saved in not just dualling it when they built it, it is a bit of a nuisance and does cause accidents when oncoming vehicles don't move in.

[1] Because when overtaking a bicycle you treat it pretty much as if it was a car, imagining it as if the bicycle was sat on the handbrake. That is easier than trying to figure out what 1.5m is.

It looks like the lanes are the width of 2 cars approximately. Obviously having to slightly cross the lines, but it's completely different to completely going over to the opposing lane, and obviously a lot safer.

There are very few roads with wide enough lanes. Far fewer than how many bad drivers think as they forze their way past.

What do you mean by "forze"? It's good practice to accelerate quickly when overtaking cyclists, to minimise the time spent on the oncoming lane.

 

[ashkeba]

What do you mean by "forze"? It's good practice to accelerate quickly when overtaking cyclists, to minimise the time spent on the oncoming lane.

It was force, misspelt. I mean when a driver overtakes without proper clearance, typically when attempting to overtake without changing lanes.

 

[PeterC]

I have learnt to expect the unexpected; always be alert. An elderly woman decided to cross the road on my way to work last week, but I was able to see what she was doing and stopped in time. If I had not been alert, we would have collided.

Far too many pedestrians seem to think that a bike has better brakes than a car although I have seen plenty of cyclists who ride as if they have ABS as well.

 

[yorkie]

Far too many pedestrians seem to think that a bike has better brakes than a car ...

My hydraulic disc breaks do come in handy at times

I think they cost more than some people spend on a budget bike, but well worth the cost, in my opinion.

 

[ashkeba]

Far too many pedestrians seem to think that a bike has better brakes than a car although I have seen plenty of cyclists who ride as if they have ABS as well.

I saw "ABS feature" bike brake pads in a shop yesterday! Brand was XLC. No idea how/if they work.

 

[cactustwirly]

My hydraulic disc breaks do come in handy at times

I think they cost more than some people spend on a budget bike, but well worth the cost, in my opinion.

Are the hydraulic bike brakes assisted like car brakes?
Having said that, my mountain bike has cable disk brakes, and I haven't had many issues stopping, even on some demanding trails.

 

[AM9]

Are the hydraulic bike brakes assisted like car brakes?
Having said that, my mountain bike has cable disk brakes, and I haven't had many issues stopping, even on some demanding trails.

Hydraulic disc brakes on bikes aren't 'power assisted', but they are self adjusting, - and because of that they can be set closer to the disk, so the brake lever can be set for a higher mechanical advantage.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I ride fixed wheel mostly, never need to use the rim brake

My freewheel cycle has a back-pedal brake, never use the handbrake on that either

 

[ashkeba]

Hydraulic disc brakes on bikes aren't 'power assisted', but they are self adjusting, - and because of that they can be set closer to the disk, so the brake lever can be set for a higher mechanical advantage.

How do you do that? I thought mechanical advantage was calculated from the bar length and pivot position, so can you move the bar across the pivot somehow? That sounds more fragile.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How do you do that? I thought mechanical advantage was calculated from the bar length and pivot position, so can you move the bar across the pivot somehow? That sounds more fragile.

The same as the way the used to do it for cars before power assist was a thing. Basically you have a narrow, long piston at the brake handle (master cylinder) and a wide, short piston at the brake pad end (slave cylinder). The master cylinder therefore moves a long distance with a low force to move the slave cylinder a short distance with a high force. It basically works the same as gearing.

 

[ashkeba]

The same as the way the used to do it for cars before power assist was a thing. Basically you have a narrow, long piston at the brake handle (master cylinder) and a wide, short piston at the brake pad end (slave cylinder). The master cylinder therefore moves a long distance with a low force to move the slave cylinder a short distance with a high force. It basically works the same as gearing.

So you change the pistons to set it to something different? And does this not have another name in English to differentiate it from the mechanics of the lever?

 

[AM9]

So you change the pistons to set it to something different?

No, caliper assembly, hose and lever comes as a system which is matched to the range of mechanical advantage that normal riders expect to use.

And does this not have another name in English to differentiate it from the mechanics of the lever?

No it doesn't need any different name, the mechanical system is a human hand squeezing the brake lever with a certain force over a certain distance, which results in the brake cylinder piston pushing the pad forward a different distance with a different pressure. So if the human hand has to move the lever 50mm to make the pad move 2mm, the force as the pad meets the resistance of the disc is 25 times that required to pull the lever, (minus the force required to overcome any resistance in the mechanical lever, friction in both cylinders and expansion of the hydraulic pipes under pressure).