Cyclist on M8 this morning

Eoin

Mr.Boots wrote: »

Get a life dude

It's been dealt with, on topic please.

peasant

The fact that cyclists perceive dual carriageways or motorways as safer to cycle than other roads has nothing to do with motorways / dual carriageways being safe for cyclists but that other minor roads allow no provisions for cycling whatsoever.

This isn't a safe country for cycling anywhere ..but on the motorway it's simply illegal (and unsafe).

peasant

peasant wrote: »

The fact that cyclists perceive dual carriageways or motorways as safer to cycle than other roads has nothing to do with motorways / dual carriageways being safe for cyclists but that other minor roads allow no provisions for cycling whatsoever.

This isn't a safe country for cycling anywhere ..but on the motorway it's simply illegal (and unsafe).

Ireland's grand for cycling, you just have to be assertive at times and just assume everyone else is an idiot.

I've never enjoyed cycling on Dual Carriageways, but I do appreciate that it's easier to get a higher speed (and indeed, the roads tend to be better on N roads).

Possibly silly question, but since I don't know the area in question, I assume that the proper signage is in place for entry to the M8 since it became motorway?

DirkVoodoo

Cycling on a motorway? Lunacy and illegal. Like others have said, cycling with cars travelling at speeds 5 to 6 times faster than you is mad. A truck travelling within the speed limit could suck the guy under his wheels.

I find cycling on the dual carriageway fine in a group, it can be a bit hairy around any merging traffic lanes, e.g. the N11.

If you see him again then you should report him, it's for his own safety.

54kroc

Dónal wrote: »

Possibly silly question, but since I don't know the area in question, I assume that the proper signage is in place for entry to the M8 since it became motorway?

There is proper signage although that stretch of road hasn't been a motorway for that long.

luckyfrank

Cyclists and by that i mean those do it for sport and wear those silly tight pants are biggest tossers ive met and ive met a few and they are more ignorant than the worst gaurd, bouncer or traveller you have ever met

Ban or warning ?

seclachi

If i was a cyclist I would take the motorway over the lanes, your pretty much a dead man on country lanes if somebody comes around a blind corner.

I`m the motorway is fairly risky too, an arctic thundering past at 120km might knock you over or suck you into the road maybe ?

luckyfrank

seclachi wrote: »

If i was a cyclist I would take the motorway over the lanes, your pretty much a dead man on country lanes if somebody comes around a blind corner.

I`m the motorway is fairly risky too, an arctic thundering past at 120km might knock you over or suck you into the road maybe ?

Still you can cycle those backroads legally if it's any consolation

seclachi

luckyfrank wrote: »

Still you can cycle those backroads legally if it's any consolation

Id rather be admonished by a gardai than dead in the ditch . Then again, I think I found the best solution to this problem, dont cycle in Ireland.

galwaytt

Dónal wrote: »

Ireland's grand for cycling, you just have to be assertive at times and just assume everyone else is an idiot.

...mmm, maybe that's the way you see it: I see cyclists on the R and N roads most days, and they seemed to modify your credo as riding like a moron, ignore Road Traffic Law (signs/lights/lanes/whatever), and I always assume that it's THEY who are the idiot. I have yet to be persuaded otherwise.......

luckyfrank

seclachi wrote: »

Id rather be admonished by a gardai than dead in the ditch . Then again, I think I found the best solution to this problem, dont cycle in Ireland.

I owned a mountain bike in the day and always cycled on the footpath never a problem, cyclists who do it for sport are the boy racers of the cycling world imo,

langdang

peasant wrote: »

The fact that cyclists perceive dual carriageways or motorways as safer to cycle than other roads has nothing to do with motorways / dual carriageways being safe for cyclists but that other minor roads allow no provisions for cycling whatsoever.

This isn't a safe country for cycling anywhere ..but on the motorway it's simply illegal (and unsafe).

Spot on, most accurate statement in the whole thread. It's just not practical or responsible to let traffic at 120kph share the same space as cyclists at 30kph.
I have several bikes and a fair supply of lycra myself, but I only cycle offroad.
I've only myself to blame offroad, I just would not put my life in the hands of terrible drivers I see on the roads everyday.

Most of our roads are dangerous for cyclists, but absolutely no way should cyclists be allowed on motorways.
Assume for the sake of it that one of the amazing car-driving-vegetables, (who seem to make up about 20% of drivers out there) won't come sailing along the hardshoulder and not notice you til he feels a thud up through the wheels.
(They run into much bigger and more visible things in the hard shoulder all the time - maybe we should lay some sort of traps for the halfwits that would be plainly obvious to competent drivers....)

Even assuming that, when you cross ramps on or off the motorway you are crossing very slowly in front of people moving very quickly trying to make lane changes, check mirrors etc. It's all very well to assume people will see you and can calculate relative speeds of several vehicles at once, but lets face it - they can't. The vegetables can mess it up when the relative speeds are pretty close, they will surely mess it up when comparing bike speed to car speed.

seclachi

luckyfrank wrote: »

I owned a mountain bike in the day and always cycled on the footpath never a problem, cyclists who do it for sport are the boy racers of the cycling world imo,

Your not supposed to cycle on the footpath either though right ?...

luckyfrank

seclachi wrote: »

Your not supposed to cycle on the footpath either though right ?...

Id rather take my chance's on a footpath than a motorway

macplaxton

seclachi wrote: »

an arctic thundering past at 120km

An artic has a speed limiter, so shouldn't be doing more than 89km/h on the clock. (unless on over-run down a steep hill or the fuse is "blown")

slimjimmc

ytareh wrote: »

Chill out lads ,while Im not saying I APPROVE of this ,far worse things happen on our roads...It clearly states at motorway entry points "No vehicles under 30mph "(or did, pre metric)...A good 'racer' should be able to do that with a decent tailwind...No motorway could be as 'cyclist lethal' as the N4 westbound just before Liffey Valley...or 25-50% of the national road network come to think of it ...

while conveniently ignoring the rest of the sign : "NO pedal - cycles"

Traumadoc

Cycling on a motorway is illegal, cycling on country roads is so much more dangerous.

ytareh

slimjimc the life that was led without 'conveniently ignoring ' something would be pretty sould destroying...

craichoe

Your not even supposed to be in the hard shoulder, the advice is to get out of your car and behind the barrier, tyre blowout or simply an idiot could drive into the hard shoulder and ram into you with the excuse that they didnt expect anything to be there.

I've never been stopped by a cop on the hard shoulder, they always escort you to a close by rest stop.

aujopimur

This behavior is totally irresponsable, having said that there are no signs on this part of the N8 prohibiting cyclists, tractors, walkers, or learners, I wonder why.

Berty

In any other developed country in the world we would deal with this using Motorway police but here...........

If you cannot give penalty points for it then it rarely gets dealt with.

On the M7 Limerick Bypass I have seen countless guys(you know who) on horse and carts, guys walking dogs in the hard shoulder, cyclists and even one guy running from one side to the central median through the bushes and then across the other carraigeway with his dog following him who was not even on a leash.

I am a cyclist and use the M7 motorway from the Dublin road roundabout in Limerick to birdhill to train EXCEPT its not open yet so at weekends the only thing I have to worry about is security who just waves at me.

When that road is open the old N7 which will become an R road will be a beltin' road for cycling on because it will have a hard shoulder but the traffic will be lighter.

Each to their own for safety but calling the Gardai will normally get nothing done because invariably they will be busy and miles away.

JamesM

luckyfrank wrote: »

Id rather take my chance's on a footpath than a motorway

I know an old lady with a shattered pelvis that someone like you mowed down

luckyfrank

JamesM wrote: »

I know an old lady with a shattered pelvis that someone like you mowed down

You'd have to be an idiot to crash into an old lady

slimjimmc

ytareh wrote: »

slimjimc the life that was led without 'conveniently ignoring ' something would be pretty sould destroying...

Yeah, I agree some things are worth ignoring just for a bit of harmless excitement, but ignoring serious things such cycling on a motorway where 2 or 3 lanes of traffic are tearing by cms from you at +120kmh is like flying a kite in a thunderstorm, sometimes you'll get away with it, one time you won't.

Heck, it's not even safe to be on the HS in a car where you're surrounded by a steel safety cage.

Leaving legality aside, will someone please explain to me how driving in the hard shoulder of a motorway is more dangerous than cycling on any other road in the country most of which have no hard shoulder, poor visibility and cars traveling just as fast a lot of the time, because imo its much safer on the motorway.

Hooch

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Just wondering did anyone else see the cyclist on the M8 this morning between Glanmire and Watergrasshill.

2nd time I've seen this person on the same stretch of road at the same time on a Saturday morning (around 9AM) within the last 3 weeks.

If this cyclist is a regular to cycling on this stretch of motorway, I might give a ring to Glanmire Garda station the next time I see him.

Nice little letter to Fermoy Traffic Corps might be better........report report report.

Deadly dangerous.

jd

Cyclists and motorways don't mix. At a junction, you will have main line traffic on your right at up to 120km/hr, with traffic on your left trying to get up to speed with mainline traffic. A bicycle travelling at 40 km/hr or so should not be in the middle of it.
Even if it hasn't been designated a motorway, it is pretty irresponsible to cycle down a HQDC for the reason above.

short circuit

Any chance this could be a genuine mistake ...

I was cycling from Clonee to Trim today and took a short stretch on what I thought was the N3 to get to the Trim road. But as soon as I got on, I realised that all the green N-road signs had been replaced with blue motorway signs possibly to do with the construction of the M3. The road was still single lane both ways, but now there is a barricade separating the traffic going in different direction. And there was no way for me to turn back till the next exit.

And all this changed since last weekend.

I have sometimes been dumped on motorways by cycle lanes going no where. A couple of mins of distraction on the cycle lane and suddenly you are on the slipway into the Motorway with no way back.

Having said that today morning was my 1st time on a so called Motorway

Marlow

short circuit wrote: »

I have sometimes been dumped on motorways by cycle lanes going no where. A couple of mins of distraction on the cycle lane and suddenly you are on the slipway into the Motorway with no way back.

There is ALWAYS a way back. It's called getting of your bike, turn around and push it back to where you went wrong, staying WELL clear of the road. Mistakes hurt, but you made a mistake so you'll have to take the consequence of it.

/M

corktina

luckyfrank wrote: »

You'd have to be an idiot to crash into an old lady

.:eek:..arghh....must resist posting the obvious .....