Last week we looked at the road positioning that cyclists often use, and why they will sometimes place themselves in the “Primary” position despite that fact that it may slow down following traffic. We saw that cyclists will do this for the benefit of their own safety, and to prevent other road users from overtaking when the cyclist can see that there isn’t space up ahead, or to avoid other hazards. We also learned that cyclists are particularly vulnerable road users, and that minor incidents in a car can become major accidents when a cyclist is involved.
So if cyclists are in such danger on the road, why use it? Local governments spend tax payers money increasing cycling provisions, so why don’t cyclists just get off the road and use those instead? Surely it is in everybody’s interest if they didn’t use the road at all.
Firstly, lets clear up an incorrect belief that I’ve heard a couple of times. Cyclists are not allowed to cycle on the pavement. It is illegal to do so, and cyclists caught may have to pay a fixed penalty fine (Section 51 and Schedule 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988). It also completely disregards the needs of any pedestrians, who in comparison to cyclists are the more vulnerable party. Cyclists who do this are being selfish, but sometimes justify their actions in that they feel pressurised into using pavements to avoid the dangerous behaviour of a minority of people on the road.
Cycle lanes are often touted as a catch-all solution to this problem. Theoretically, a segregated cycle lane will allow a cyclist to be safe from other traffic, and also without the cyclist affecting other road users or pedestrians.
Sadly, many cycle lanes are so badly designed they are utterly unusable. Imagine a road where the signposts are grounded in the middle of the lane, and whats more, a tree is planted there too! Ridiculous? For cyclists this is more common than you might think. Many cycle lanes are “advisory” meaning that other road users can use them to drive in, sometimes to park in or walk on, but give the impression that cyclists must remain in them at all times.
This isn’t the case. In fact, The Highway Code was recently amended to make this clear (rule 63).
Yet some cycle lanes are installed without any consideration for the impact that their placement may have. Last week’s article demonstrated that a cyclist may need to move to the centre of a lane when passing a traffic island to prevent dangerous overtaking. However, near my home the council have painted cycle lanes to encourage the cyclist to keep to the left.
Furthermore, there simply isn’t space on the road for the cyclist and the car to pass side by side at the island, as this photograph demonstrates. The lane shown here is “advisory” which means that other vehicles may use that part of the road should they wish, however this sort of marking encourages cyclists to keep to the left, and drivers to think that there is space to pass by safely when there is not.
Cycle lanes are also poorly maintained. It is not uncommon for them to have broken glass, and other debris scattered across them. They are often used for parking other vehicles (increasing the chance that a cyclist may be “doored“), or simply be a handy place to put road signage. Where cycle lanes are not a part of the road they are often treated as footpaths by pedestrians, a problem which is exacerbated by the proliferation of shared use paths and increases the problem of cyclists having to look out for potential dangers.
Similarly, cycle lanes are quite often not the most direct route. They often cover many more junctions than a road, with frequent “Cyclist Dismount” signs.
Not that I want to portray myself as Twickenham Cyclist’s shameless publicist, but he has produced a very good video demonstrating how much longer a journey can take when using a cycle path. Cycle paths can be equated to drivers having to travel long journeys through housing estates and carparks. The route would laborious, and the progress slow. Roads, on the other hand, provide more-or-less direct routes to the required destination, with rules that are followed by most users.
Don’t get me wrong, a well designed cycle lane can be of great benefit to many cyclists. Sometimes they will be a handy route for avoiding heavy traffic, provide a shortcut (or even a longcut), give new or inexperienced cyclists somewhere to gain confidence without intimidation, or for leisure cyclists to have a gentle pedal.
But a cyclist may choose to use the road, not only because it is their legal right to do so, but for the same reason any motorist will choose to use a particular route - it is the easiest, quickest, or otherwise most beneficial way for them to get to where they are going.
It occurs to me that this post and my last portray cycling almost as an inherently dangerous activity, when this quite frankly isn’t the case. As long as a cyclist takes the appropriate measures to protect themself, and other road users do likewise (not really an undue expectation) then cycling is a perfectly safe activity.
Camcart is made from steel tubing, bends seem accurate and welds of a reasonable quality. Following the online step-by-step instructions on above site it went together easily, bolt holes lining up well but a proper 10mm spanner served better for assembly than the supplied stamped out steel plate multi-size thing.
Instructions are included in the box but are in German. (Product is shipped from Germany).
Very sturdy once assembled. I can’t see that the 100kg as a handcart / 40kg for cycle towing would present any problem.
Small problems I encountered. The towing ball attaches to the bike seat stem clamp, the one on my Giant Escape is quite tapered where the clamping bolt fits and a trip to my LBS soon found one that suited better (see http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryDangerousday/BikeCartPhotos ).
A bit of ‘persuasion’ with vice/hammer to close the 2 mount sides up a bit and then bolted it all together ready for its first trial. Incidentally packaging stated 12 bolts included - I only got 11 but due the clamp issue that didn’t prove a problem.
Cart does not sit horizontally on its own supporting leg (would be in the way when towing if it did) when used as a handcart.
First trip was to local tip (about a 2 mile round trip) with the sturdy plastic bin of 90 litres full of very damp (heavy) garden waste. I used luggage straps around the frame to hold on the large cardboard box the cart came in to take that away too. Towball arrangement rattles a bit over bumps, but it just served to remind me the trailer was there. It really does roll very easily with little discernible effect on bike handling.
I found to my cost you cannot drop 2 wheel trailers off curbs at anything but 90 degrees (D’oh!) when it fell over- luckily at the end of a dead end street.
I’m very pleased with it and can see it being used regularly. The optional plastic cover is a good fit (shopping? detach trailer from bike and take it straight into kitchen? Hmmm)
Supplier very friendly and apologetic over a long delivery time due to holiday periods in Germany but kept me informed, a sort of LBS type service. Also a thanks to my LBS - Cliff Pratt Cycles for help with the clamp and generally being a nice buch of folk even on a very busy saturday morning.
Partly inspired by Twickenham Cyclist’s post in the forums, I thought that it would be a nice idea to answer a few of the questions that motorists may have about cyclists, and why we behave the way that we do. Why do cyclists not pay road tax? Why do cyclists wear lycra? And to start… Why do cyclists ride in the middle of the road?
Sometimes people have to get somewhere in a rush. Let’s face it, we’ve all done it; We’ve left slightly late for work, or we have an important meeting to get to, or we promised we would be somewhere and we’ve run out of time. Just to make things worse, people aren’t going as fast as we’d like on the roads. What’s the holdup?
It turns out some cyclist is riding up ahead. Cars can’t overtake, and the blood pressure is rising. Why won’t the cyclist just get out of the way? Just move left, there’s plenty of space at the side, and the cars could squeeze past.
The first thing which needs to be understood is that a cyclist is more vulnerable than many other road users. Cyclists are not protected in the same way that a car driver is. There is no tin box surrounding them, and when squeezing past may clip a wingmirror on a passing car, the same maneouvre may clip handlebars or an elbow.
More to the point, what may be considered to be a small accident in a car, could be a serious or fatal one for a cyclist. A car passing too close isn’t just a near miss. A car creates a lot of force through the slipstream it creates, not to mention the surprise factor of suddenly seeing a relatively big vehicle overtaking at speed just inches away. Sometimes these factors, and others like them, can be countered somewhat through the experience of a cyclist. But there are still others which may cause a cyclist to move, apparently unexpectedly.
A cyclist may spot a hazard in the road, such as a protuding drain cover - not an issue for a driver, but potentially one for a cyclist. Such situations can potentially cause a cyclist to move out of the way of the hazard. If a car is overtaking too close, that slight swerve, which may only be an inch or two, could be enough to take them into the vehicle, and possibly under the wheels.
Indeed, the Highway Code recommends that drivers should “give vulnerable road users at least as much space as you would a car.”
If space is so important, surely it makes sense that a cyclist should be as far over to the left as possible, giving cars as much space as possible to overtake. However, there are several reasons why this position is not the best one for cyclists to take. Take a short break to have a look at the edge of a variety of roads in your area.
Done that? No? Seriously go and do it. I’ll wait.
You’ll see on many if not most roads that there are a number of potential hazards along the edges of roads, as outlined above. Drain covers, bumps, potholes, loose gravel, broken glass and other rubbish. The edge of the road is not a safe place to be for a cyclist. You will also have probably seen a white line at the side of the road. Beyond that, although probably made of tarmac, this is the gutter, and not intended for vehicles to use, including cyclists.
Therefore, we can see that it is in the cyclist’s interest to position himself away from the gutter. It’s dangerous, and not really part of the road. The cyclist needs to ride to the right hand side of that line.
But that’s not all. as there are other hazards to the middle of the road as well. Traffic islands can be invaluable for pedestrians crossing busy roads, but thay can also be a potential accident for cyclists if a car driver decides to fit his car between both the island, and the cyclist. As we saw previously, a car passing too close, although a “miss” can affect the cyclist in other ways, either pushing the cyclist off-course or potentially causing them to wobble or generally unnecessarily alarm them. A cyclist may position himself to prevent a car from overtaking where there simply isn’t room to do so safely.
Furthermore, the “Primary Road Position” makes the cyclist as visible as possible. If it is easier to imagine the idea of road positioning another way, think of it as ”front and centre.” By positioning themselves directly in front of vehicles cyclists ensure that they will be seen, and a driver will not need to make any last-moment maneouvres to avoid them. Indeed, there is a school of thought which indicates that cycling in the primary position encourages other road users to overtake safely, and courteously. Twickenham Cyclist’s video below goes a certain way to demonstrate this.
When the road conditions allow for a cyclist to be overtaken safely, most will move over and let drivers pass. Many will indicate that they have seen up ahead and that it’s OK to overtake, and possibly give you a cheery wave for holding back, or at the very least an appreciative nod.
And so we get the the crux of the matter, the one sentence answer… Why do cyclists ride in the middle of the road? It’s safer.
Let me apologise for any car drivers out there held up for a few seconds caught behind a cyclist. We understand its frustrating. Trust me, we really do. But patience is a virtue, and it may just one day reward you by preventing your car from being damaged when that annoying cyclist and his bike gets caught up underneath it, and more of your time being wasted explaining to Mr. Plod why there is a dead body there too.
Well, I usually go west on my rides out so have been getting a better tan on my left side, to redress the balance I headed east into the depths of Kent, next it will be south, if I go north I hit the river after a mile so that’s out.
I decided to ride to Faversham on Thursday, home of Shepherd Neame breweries, funny how cyclists will identify routes with particular beers. A very hot day, I decided to ride the main A2 all the way there and I could see the heat haze coming of the road surface, with the school holidays now in play the traffic was reasonably busy but I was afforded plenty of space by drivers, as is usual when riding a recumbent trike.
My plan was to do a 40 mile round trip, returning by a more rural route. The main road is more or less straight, passing through a few villages and one major town (Sittingbourne), there are a few hills but only one major hill, even this is preceded by a fantastic downhill though so at least half of it can be coasted, I arrived in Faversham sooner than I imagined and after just 17 miles, even though I was not making a particularly fast pace, so I rode to the other side of town then round the town ring road before alighting at a pub for a pint of Guinness and a bag of crisps, it was just to hot to eat lunch.
After the break I headed back following much of National Cycle Route one, missing the off road sections, I had forgotten about the one killer hill going this way just outside of Faversham but it gets the heart pumping so no harm. The road wends its way through various villages and homesteads and I had forgotten what a beautiful part of the world I live in, riding through here reminded me why Kent is known as the garden of England, with its rolling fields of crops, country houses and quiet hamlets it was an entirely pleasant ride, I have been asked a few times by Americans to organise a trike tour in Kent and will probably do just that from next year just so I can get paid to do what I enjoy so much. There is so much great countryside here that you can easily be complacent about it when you live here.
My tan is a bit more even now, although I look a bit cut and shut with brown arms and legs but a white torso.
Total miles 42.6, average speed 12.5 mph, highest speed 38.1 mph.
Inspired to further my report by the primordial tourer, I decided on Tuesday to take the day off and head off to Lakeside shopping park to spend my £6 Decathlon voucher, it seemed like a good excuse for a ride out and to actually use the ferry this time.
Knowing where it was made getting there a lot easier, I tried some alternative cycle lanes which were also slow, so it will be road only next time, but I did surprise myself by climbing some hills easily that I thought would be difficult, I must be getting fitter.
I covered the first 15 miles in little over an hour and arrived at the ferry dock, the ferry was on the other side, so I chatted with other people waiting while the ferry made its way across, I filmed the crossing and will provide a You Tube link at some point so its true majesty can be experienced.
Until then you will have to feast your eyes on this library shot, a truly magnificent ship of the line I am sure you will agree.
I was welcomed aboard and parked the trike on the stern deck, applied the parking brake and went to pay my £4.10 day return fair, the trike going free.
I went to look for the bar but alas in the single cabin it was conspicuous by its absence. Instead you get lockers and a few seats to sit on.
On being quizzed about where I was going I was given a route by a knowledgeable local who seemed to think I would not be riding on the roads but hey ho, I did not have the heart to correct them. We arrived after a few minutes crossing and disembarked.
The dock on the Tilbury side is significantly more grand that the Gravesend side but equally it is a long way from the town centre, I followed the signs for Grays and made good time, in total it was about 7 miles to Lakeside from the ferry dock, the road surfaces were fine and the local wildlife (chavs), were less boisterous than the Kent contingent. Drivers were much the same and afforded me plenty of room as usual with the odd (ignored) beep of a horn.
I conducted my shopping then retired to TGI Fridays for lunch and beer, the staff seemed to like the trike but had some problems getting their head around me considering a 22 mile one way cycle ride to be fun. They did give me a free beer however and I fueled up on carbs and protein, also known as cheeseburger and chips.
I returned by a slightly shorter and faster route which I will remember for next time, when I reached the ferry dock, it was on the other side (again), so I waited for it to cross, I had had about 4 hours in the magical land of Essex and was ready to return to the green hills of Kent and hopefully miss some of the traffic.
The retun home was peppered with commuting cyclists, I passed two commuters going up a hill (who said recumbents cannot climb?), I was passed by one fellow, I then decided not to be passed by the cycle I could vaguely see in my mirror, after a while I realised it was a motor scooter, it caught me at the top of a hill but I left it for dead going down and did not see it again.
In total I covered 43 miles, average speed a measly 12 mph, highest speed 35.9 mph, managed to get a bit of sunburn to.
