Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Pity bus users are not as motivated as cyclists

Options
124»

Comments

  • Options
    #92
    Infini
    Registered Users Posts: 4,573 ✭✭✭Infini


    07Lapierre wrote: »
    Cutting across is illegal...you can only turn "when safe to do so". If there is a cyclist in your way, you need to wait until it's safe to turn.

    Yeah Ive seen this with a few drivers myself, dangerous idiots as well risking a crash. Cyclists I find worse though as some will come up weave in between cars not realising that some will approach from a bling angle to a driver and not be seen, others just go everywhere instead of keeping close to the kerb where its safest.


  • Options
    #93
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,529 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    do you mean keeping close to the kerb is safest when approaching a car from behind? i.e. so you're line of sight to wing mirrors?


  • Options
    #94
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    Ok so here's a question for all the cyclists out there who think the infrastructure is not good enough. You probably have a valid point but why do you keep cycling if you feel the infratructure is inadequate and only cycle when the infrastructure is adequate. Why do you continue to risk your life on a daily basis?

    I do recognise that the infrastructure isin't great its better than some cities where the cycling infrastructure is non existant.


  • Options
    #95
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,529 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    why do you keep cycling if you feel the infratructure is inadequate and only cycle when the infrastructure is adequate. Why do you continue to risk your life on a daily basis?
    but i'm not risking my life on a daily basis. cycling *adds* to your lifespan.
    it's not mad max out there, you know.


  • Options
    #96
    Danjamin1
    Registered Users Posts: 919 ✭✭✭Danjamin1


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    but i'm not risking my life on a daily basis. cycling *adds* to your lifespan.
    it's not mad max out there, you know.

    Agreed, for the most part cycling is perfectly safe & enjoyable. The only thing that makes it dangerous is morons who think you don’t have a right to be on the road & people not paying enough attention.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #97
    P_1
    Registered Users Posts: 14,681 ✭✭✭✭P_1


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Ok so here's a question for all the cyclists out there who think the infrastructure is not good enough. You probably have a valid point but why do you keep cycling if you feel the infratructure is inadequate and only cycle when the infrastructure is adequate. Why do you continue to risk your life on a daily basis?

    I do recognise that the infrastructure isin't great its better than some cities where the cycling infrastructure is non existant.

    Well on can't speak for others but I don't exactly feel as if I'm risking my life on a daily basis.

    As to why I cycle. It's free, the time your journey takes rarely varies, you're not stuck in traffic, you're not stuck freezing your backside waiting on a bus or train that was due to arrive 15 minutes ago and so on.


  • Options
    #98
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    but i'm not risking my life on a daily basis. cycling *adds* to your lifespan.
    it's not mad max out there, you know.

    So why do you complain


  • Options
    #99
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,529 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    you're the one doing the complaining.


  • Options
    #100
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,758 ✭✭✭cython


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Ok so here's a question for all the cyclists out there who think the infrastructure is not good enough. You probably have a valid point but why do you keep cycling if you feel the infratructure is inadequate and only cycle when the infrastructure is adequate. Why do you continue to risk your life on a daily basis?

    If you were to follow that line of thinking, then cycling would be dead tomorrow, if due to nothing other than "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Thankfully logical people can recognise that while there is scope for improvement, the lack of perfection is not a reason to avoid cycling entirely. I mean if you were to apply the same "logic" to driving, why would anyone have ever considered driving between towns and cities in Ireland before motorway or dual-carriageway connections were built, given that they are the gold-standard of roadway in Ireland at this point? Or at the very least they should surely have ceased these journeys once the motorway was announced, given that the infrastructure was essentially proven to be able to be improved upon? This is a farcical scenario, but it is directly analogous to the question you pose to cyclists.
    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Ok I do recognise that the infrastructure isin't great its better than some cities where the cycling infrastructure is non existant.
    And in parts the so-called infrastructure is worse than if there was nothing, due to luring inexperienced cyclists into more dangerous road positioning.


  • Options
    #101
    07Lapierre
    Registered Users Posts: 8,219 ✭✭✭07Lapierre


    Infini wrote: »
    Yeah Ive seen this with a few drivers myself, dangerous idiots as well risking a crash. Cyclists I find worse though as some will come up weave in between cars not realising that some will approach from a bling angle to a driver and not be seen, others just go everywhere instead of keeping close to the kerb where its safest.

    It's kinda hard to turn right if a cyclist keeps close to the kerb. Staying close to the kerb is not the safest place for a cyclist. If you cycle too close to the kerb, motorists don't see any reason to slow down when overtaking. If they can physically pass the cyclist (and I mean pass with only mm's to spare) they do so, which can be very intimidating for inexperienced cyclists. It also doesn't leave any room for error. If for any reason the motorist (or the cyclist) have to take evasive action, it's the cyclist that will be injured.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #102
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    Stephen15 wrote: »
    Ok so here's a question for all the cyclists out there who think the infrastructure is not good enough. You probably have a valid point but why do you keep cycling if you feel the infratructure is inadequate and only cycle when the infrastructure is adequate. Why do you continue to risk your life on a daily basis?

    I do recognise that the infrastructure isin't great its better than some cities where the cycling infrastructure is non existant.

    Going by your logic people shouldn't travel between Cork and Limerick until the M20 is built due to how dangerous the N20 is.


  • Options
    #103
    crosstownk
    Registered Users Posts: 12,863 ✭✭✭✭crosstownk


    ixoy wrote: »
    I regularly walk into work - it takes over an hour. If I cycled it, I could likely do it in 10-15 minutes. That'd be hours saved a week. The reason I don't is I'd be far too afraid of getting smeared under a truck or clipped by a car because even looking at some of the cyclists going by, and how close they are to traffic, can be freaky. Too much risk. Be great if there was something more viable for the likes of myself.

    This is a post worthy of mention as it highlights something important.

    Some cyclists prefer to be part of the traffic, on the road mingling with busses, taxis, trucks, private motor vehicles, etc. I'd be in this category.

    However, others feel that cycling as part of the traffic is dangerous. They'd prefer not to be part of road traffic and would rather have segregated lanes/tracks and aren't concerned with mingling with pedestrians and the poor condition of some cycle tracks.

    So now we have two types of cyclists with different requirements - to me both requirements are valid based on the cyclist's needs.

    I don't have an ideal answer but I thought it was worth mentioning.
    Untitled Image




  • Options
    #104
    monument
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,073 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    crosstownk wrote: »
    This is a post worthy of mention as it highlights something important.

    Some cyclists prefer to be part of the traffic, on the road mingling with busses, taxis, trucks, private motor vehicles, etc. I'd be in this category.

    However, others feel that cycling as part of the traffic is dangerous. They'd prefer not to be part of road traffic and would rather have segregated lanes/tracks and aren't concerned with mingling with pedestrians and the poor condition of some cycle tracks.

    So now we have two types of cyclists with different requirements - to me both requirements are valid based on the cyclist's needs.

    I don't have an ideal answer but I thought it was worth mentioning.

    Err... most people I know are not in both of the groups that you describe

    They are concerned with mingling with both traffic and pedestrians and also concerned with the poor condition of most cycle tracks.

    The ideal answer is high-quality, Dutch-like cycling infrastructure which 90%+ of people will chose to use and the rest are fast enough not to cause delay to buses.


  • Options
    #105
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,529 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    my concern would be that any such infrastructure built here would 'ghettoise' cyclists. as in, turn them effectively into pedestrians.


  • Options
    #106
    trellheim
    Registered Users Posts: 5,865 ✭✭✭trellheim


    my concern would be that any such infrastructure built here would 'ghettoise' cyclists. as in, turn them effectively into pedestrians.

    Doesnt happen . Been in and out of London most of the year and let me tell you they are very different groups. Its amazing the difference has made when a good amount of investment in infra has been made, as someone who's been on the bike in London since 1990 , I have never seen anything like it. That plus a really serious investment in the boris/Santander bikes and a really harsh congestion charge has made it a hell of a lot easier.

    Stand outside the cycle superhighway at Whitechapel or wherever -very different groups !


Advertisement