To the two lads cycling out the Dublin Rd, in the am, 7.30ish

naughtysmurf

Just in case you are on here, would you ever go & buy yourselves some reflective gear & lights for both the front & rear of your bikes,

I pass you five days a week somewhere between Frank Hogans & the Groody roundabout, heading towards UL, one of you was actually wearing camoflage pants this morning ffs, your going to get yourselves killed because drivers can't see you until they are right up on top of you

One of you got a good blast of a car horn within the last week from another motorist, if you recognise yourselves, buy what you need to be seen in the dark please.

dashoonage

Surely they are using the safer smarter super savings travel cycle infrastructure from parkway to groody ?

naughtysmurf

I'm beginning to think that they are are some kind of covert op

dashoonage

If i had too suffer roadworks for a year for the safer smarter super savings travel cycle infrastructure and there is someone not using the safer smarter super savings travel cycle infrastructure ill be very annoyed.

TheRiverman

naughtysmurf wrote: »

I'm beginning to think that they are are some kind of covert op

No,no just a pair of idiots with no respect for themselves or other road users.

Paddico

dashoonage wrote: »

Surely they are using the safer smarter super savings travel cycle infrastructure from parkway to groody ?

Still should have proper lights etc. No excuses

Chiparus

Report them to the guards, I report drivers who drive too close all the time.

Far more effective than beeping or posting on boards

Cookiemunster

Chiparus wrote: »

Report them to the guards, I report drivers who drive too close all the time.

Far more effective than beeping or posting on boards

Do the Guards actually do anything?

Tefral

I spot these fellas too.. disaster waiting to happen. No one obeys the speed limit along that road!

thesimpsons

I came across two guys cycling wrong way down O'Connell Street the other night. both as black as anything, not a light, reflector or even a light coloured clothes between them. I got a fair fright - I don't think it bothered the two guys in the slightest.

Chiparus

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Do the Guards actually do anything?

yes

kilburn

Chiparus wrote:

yes

So you gave a statement and they prosecuted?

I am still waiting to hear from them 3 weeks after witnessing a bad accident

Dtp1979

Chiparus wrote: »

yes

lol no they don’t. They do fcuk all.

Poxyshamrock

Why not tell them?

Chiparus

Ring up traffic watch, you would be surprised.

EPAndlee

Chiparus wrote: »

Report them to the guards, I report drivers who drive too close all the time.

Far more effective than beeping or posting on boards

Snitches get stitches

Sleeper12

naughtysmurf wrote:

Just in case you are on here, would you ever go & buy yourselves some reflective gear & lights for both the front & rear of your bikes,

This happening all too often. No one likes things imposed on them but I can see compulsory hi viz vests if some cyclists don't cop on to themselves.

Passed a cyclist in Dublin city on a rainy day last week. His back light was brilliant. Nearly blinded me. If the weather wasn't so bad I'd have complemented him on it.

Cyclists I give you lots of space on the road and if you let me know what you want to do next I'll stop and give way but please give me a chance to see you in the dark.

Chiparus

EPAndlee wrote: »

Snitches get stitches

Unlit cyclists get stitches.

tayto lover

EPAndlee wrote: »

Snitches get stitches

Unlit cyclists can get killed FFS.

fryup

EPAndlee wrote: »

Snitches get stitches

unlit cyclists get wreaths

Tefral

Passed them again this morning. One lad actually does wear a sleeveless Hi-Viz but its covered over by a giant black backpack so the reflective strip cannot be seen. The other lad, well he wears a helmet alright but wears very dark clothing.

I felt like stopping him this morning at the Parkway and giving him one of my work Hi-Viz then I saw the other lad with his covered and thought F*uck it.

RustyNut

Tefral wrote: »

No one obeys the speed limit along that road!

And the problem is a couple of cyclists?

ratracer

Tefral wrote: »

I spot these fellas too.. disaster waiting to happen. No one obeys the speed limit along that road!

This!! But it's all the cyclists fault??

Tefral

RustyNut wrote: »

And the problem is a couple of cyclists?

If they get hit by a car travelling the speed limit along there they will also die.

Yes its up to the cyclist to mitigate their risk on the road, they are vulnerable.

amcalester

No excuse for cyclists not having lights.

No excuse for cyclists motorists exceeding the speed limit.

Both should cop on.

Both are independent of each other.

s15r330

amcalester wrote: »

No excuse for cyclists exceeding the speed limit.

I'd hope they'd have an excuse if a speed gun gets em, damn cyclists always breaking speed limits

Phoenix Wright

I don't see any good reason why hi-viz vests are not made compulsory to be honest. I hate wearing one, but I would feel like less of an outcast cycling into college if everyone else was wearing them as well.

carbonceiling

You can order Hi-Vis vests, rucksack covers, armbands, sam browne belts etc for free on the RSA website. There really is no excuse for cycling around in the dark without these.

http://rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety/Orders-online/Orders-online/

Comhrá

Phoenix Wright wrote: »

I don't see any good reason why hi-viz vests are not made compulsory to be honest. I hate wearing one,

Beats wearing a shroud any day, though.

Jimbob1977

A few years ago, I regularly came across a cyclist on winter's mornings at 7.30am on the M20. Still pitch dark.

It was the stretch of motorway between Raheen (Exit 3) and Dooradoyle (Exit 2).

While the cyclist had a high-viz jacket,

1) It is highly dangerous and illegal to cycle on a dark motorway. Lunacy in fact.

2) The traffic was moving at 120 kmph. The cars would encounter him in the dark in a split second. Even if he's in the hard shoulder, it's startling.

3) At the exits, he would be a 'sitting duck' if travelling straight ahead.

Anyway, I contacted the RSA to mention the dangers. Imagine the guilt of a motorist if they killed a cyclist on the motorway!! Even if it wasn't the driver's fault.

The following week, there was no sign of him. I assume the Garda Traffic Corps educated him about the rules of the road.

You might say 'snitches get stitches', but it's better than a wreath or a headstone on the M20.

Phoenix Wright

Comhra wrote:

Beats wearing a shroud any day, though.

Couldn't agree more, they're not exactly fashionable but that's why I wear one.

zulutango

The Netherlands, which is the safest country in the world for cycling, doesn't require cyclists to have mandatory hi-vis.

Also, if you have bike lights, there's no reason you should also need hi-vis to be seen. If a motorist can't see a cyclist that has lights, then it's the motorist that's the problem.

amcalester

s15r330 wrote: »

I'd hope they'd have an excuse if a speed gun gets em, damn cyclists always breaking speed limits

They would, speed limits don't apply to cyclists.

eet fuk

Cars should have high-vis jackets

I love Sean nos

thesimpsons wrote: »

both as black as anything

Are black people not allowed to use roads around Limerick?

dubrov

Hi-Viz jackets are way overrated. I am not even sure if they add to cyclist safety at all.

The problem is that many cyclists think they are ok if they wear one without lights. I see it all the time.
Making them mandatory would just re-enforce this mentality.

The focus needs to be on lights.
Talking about Hi-Viz just clouds the issue.

shootermacg

I think all cars should be day-glow orange and trucks should be day-glow orange. This would help the cyclist easily see parked cars in cycle lanes and then avoid them, although god forbid they avoid them AND get in the way of another very important driver who is is a big rush to get to an invisible point, twenty yards up the road.

Cookiemunster

shootermacg wrote: »

I think all cars should be day-glow orange and trucks should be day-glow orange. This would help the cyclist easily see parked cars in cycle lanes and then avoid them, although god forbid they avoid them AND get in the way of another very important driver who is is a big rush to get to an invisible point, twenty yards up the road.

It goes both ways. Cyclists shouldn't be out in the dark without lights or high vis, shouldn't be breaking red lights, shouldn't be cycling the wrong way down 1 way streets, etc.

eet fuk

Cookiemunster wrote: »

It goes both ways. Cyclists shouldn't be out in the dark without lights or high vis, shouldn't be breaking red lights, shouldn't be cycling the wrong way down 1 way streets, etc.

I don’t think anyone has said that any of those things are ok

carbonceiling

zulutango wrote: »

Also, if you have bike lights, there's no reason you should also need hi-vis to be seen. If a motorist can't see a cyclist that has lights, then it's the motorist that's the problem.

That may be true, but the reality is that those problem motorists are out there and there's no shortage of them.

If a cyclist is unfortunate enough to be hit by a driver with poor night vision and finds themselves hurtling towards the ground / ditch / oncoming bus, they will find little consolation in the notion that the other guy is to blame. Plenty of thoughts will flash through their mind, but not that one.

I'm not saying it's right, or it's the way it should be, but it is the reality that we live in. Until we have a world of perfect bike lanes and problem free motorists, then, as a cyclist who has suffered tremendously from a serious racing crash, I know how your life can turn in just a few seconds, so why not give yourself every chance you can to avoid that miserable experience.

debating the relative merits of hi-vis versus lights is non productive. Both will increase your chances of being seen by motorists, they are widely available, cheap and sometimes even free, so wear both and maximise your safety.

shootermacg

Top be honest, I mostly agree. During the day, clothing shouldn't be an issue, lights either. But in dim dark conditions, if a flashing light isn't going to grab a motorist's attention, good luck with a yellow coat.

The main issue for me as a cyclist is, motorists driving while looking at their mobile phones.

It should be made as easy as possible for me to submit video of a car, licence plate and that person on the phone and for this to result in a ban.

I pass about 20 or more people a day weaving all over the road not even looking up.

zulutango

https://cyclingfallacies.com/en/19/people-should-wear-hi-viz-when-cycling

"It's received wisdom that high-visibility garments make people cycling easily visible, and therefore safe.

But the evidence just doesn't show this at all. Studies suggest that high-visibility clothing has little or no effect on cycling safety, or on the behaviour of people driving. Furthermore, there may be some instances where such clothing actually worsens visibility – there have been instances where high-visibility clothing has been cited as an exacerbating factor in road deaths."

Tefral

zulutango wrote: »

https://cyclingfallacies.com/en/19/people-should-wear-hi-viz-when-cycling

"It's received wisdom that high-visibility garments make people cycling easily visible, and therefore safe.

But the evidence just doesn't show this at all. Studies suggest that high-visibility clothing has little or no effect on cycling safety, or on the behaviour of people driving. Furthermore, there may be some instances where such clothing actually worsens visibility – there have been instances where high-visibility clothing has been cited as an exacerbating factor in road deaths."

I'm sorry I don't buy it. If you're lit up like an Xmas tree you're going to be seen.
If you have no lights on your bike then the next best thing is bright coloured clothing, I don't care what links you post here.

Cycling around in the dark with dark clothing on a carriage way where there are other vehicles and where there are bike lanes you could use and don't is reckless. It doesn't matter if the person driving the car is a dope and crashes into them.

The bottom line is the cyclist is a vulnerable road user, they should be doing everything in their power to mitigate their risk of dying, there's no ifs or buts about it and I say that as someone who cycles and drives around twisty tight country roads.

zulutango

Tefral wrote: »

If you have no lights on your bike then the next best thing is bright coloured clothing, I don't care what links you post here.

That's very irresponsible advice. If you have no lights on your bike then you just shouldn't be cycling on the road at night. It's highly dangerous and it's illegal too. Saying to somebody they should wear hi-vis as 'the next best thing' is the kind of advice that gets people killed. There is no middle ground. You have lights or you simply shouldn't be cycling at night.

I love Sean nos

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Cyclists...shouldn't be breaking red lights, shouldn't be cycling the wrong way down 1 way streets, etc.

The OP didn't mention any of those things, so they are of no relevance here.

Cookiemunster

I love Sean nos wrote: »

The OP didn't mention any of those things, so they are of no relevance here.

Try reading the post I was replying to........

LB6

Can I add one more thing to the mix - cycle lanes (aside from the idiots that park in them outside the hospital), you're supposed to go with the flow of the traffic on whichever side of the road they're on - they're NOT a 2-way system - Don't be freaking cycling into the oncoming traffic..... it's so bloody frightening to try an avoid an idiot coming the wrong way down the cycle lane who's trying to avoid the person cycling the correct way......

Instead of bikes on those lanes - they should put directional arrows

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davo2001

I'm a cyclist and a car user, but to be honest, the attitude of cyclists in general is astonishing, a lot seem to think it is there God given right to act whatever way they like on the open road.

I see it everyday around Limerick, jumping lights / stop signed, riding on paths, using pedestrian crossings nearly running over people on the path. Look at the Condell Road as an example, there is a prefectly good bike lane but you never see people using it and they always cycle on the footpath.

"It's the motorists fault if they cannot see me", while this is generally true, the motorist will walk away but you will be pounded into the road and left seriously injured or killed outright.

It should be in the cyclists own interest to light themseleves up like a ****ing Christmas tree if it prevents them being in an accident. Weither people like it or not, Irish road were not designed for both car and bike traffic but as it's generally the cyclists whom ends up worse off they should do everything to reduce the risk.

Chiparus

davo2001 wrote: »

I'm a cyclist and a car user, but to be honest, the attitude of cyclists in general is astonishing, a lot seem to think it is there God given right to act whatever way they like on the open road.

I see it everyday around Limerick, jumping lights / stop signed, riding on paths, using pedestrian crossings nearly running over people on the path. Look at the Condell Road as an example, there is a prefectly good bike lane but you never see people using it and they always cycle on the footpath.

"It's the motorists fault if they cannot see me", while this is generally true, the motorist will walk away but you will be pounded into the road and left seriously injured or killed outright.

It should be in the cyclists own interest to light themseleves up like a ****ing Christmas tree if it prevents them being in an accident. Weither people like it or not, Irish road were not designed for both car and bike traffic but as it's generally the cyclists whom ends up worse off they should do everything to reduce the risk.

Im a motorists and a cyclists , mostly a motorist I drive 40,000 km per year, I see motorists drive through red lights every day, mostly as the lights turn orange , they acclerate, not stop.
I also see motorists drive on footpaths everyday, mostly outside schools where they park to pick up children.
I see motorists kill pedestrians nearly every week.

Insect Overlord

davo2001 wrote: »

Look at the Condell Road as an example, there is a prefectly good bike lane but you never see people using it and they always cycle on the footpath.

Have you seen the state of the bike lanes on the Condell Road over the last two weeks? They're both under several inches of mulch and debris since the two storms hit. You'd need a dirt-bike to make any use of them at the moment.

shootermacg

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Have you seen the state of the bike lanes on the Condell Road over the last two weeks? They're both under several inches of mulch and debris since the two storms hit. You'd need a dirt-bike to make any use of them at the moment.

Exactly and not only that but in general most cycle lanes contain debris and holes that would not only cause a puncture, but could buckle the wheel or worse throw the cyclist. I will never blindly cycle through big puddles, much to the annoyance of some cretins.