Cycling?

[Frosty]

I've been asking on veganfitness and the Vegetarian Cycling & Athletics Club site for any other vegans who might want to enter UK MTB races and not got much interest.
Anyone here want to have a great day out with hundreds of other mountain bikers ?
Don't give me any of that "I'm not fast enough to race" nonsense. Blasting across a mountain as fast as you can in a bunch of 500 bikes is an awesome experience whether you're at the back or the front.

There's a couple of races coming up in July in Wales that I will probably do. It would be great to meet up with a few more vegans there.

I would def be up for some vegan cycling I'm a little out of shape at the mo though, and don't think I'll be ready for July. Be up for something in the future though. I'm on veganfitness forum too, so might see you on there some time.

[Cattmogg]

get on yer bike.

[Big Good Wolf]

Frosty, this is the first event in Wales in July I want to enter, http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/builth_wells.php There's a choice of 25, 50, 75 or 100km.

I did the April event at the same location. I think I was 112th out of about 240 on the Saturday night race. There were two distances for the Sunday race and all the times got lumped together so it's impossible to know how well I did for my distance.

I'll be seeing Jo, the grrrl who won the women's solo class at Bristol last Saturday, this weekend. We're meeting up with some other bikers from MTB Britain forum for a ride at Afan Forest in South Wales. We will discuss what races we are going to do then. I want to go for the hardcore 100km.

If they stick with the same format, then all the riders will set off together and follow the same route to start with. The course splits later on and you can leave it right up until the last second to decide if you want to head back on the short route or do an extra loop for the longer route.

25km is easy enough. Go for it. Jo's fella, Adam, should be there as well, so that's three other vegans in the race.

[snivelingchild]

I've been biking to and from school everyday now (5 days a week) and will start biking to my Sunday shift too. That's about 7 miles roundtrip each day. I've started using mapmyride too. It's a great tool.

It's not nearly as hard as I remember, but that's probably because I was a dance major before, and doing 3 hours of dance each day at school, and then rehearsals right before bed.

[Jiffy]

I managed a very hilly 50K this morning, but I think I'm going to be a tad stiff tomorrow.

The amazing thing was that apart from the oblgatory close overtakes, he motons behaved thenselves.

I guess that's the advantage of hitting the road at six o'clock of a saturday morning, there are far fewer of them out there.

[LGBunny]

I would def be up for some vegan cycling I'm a little out of shape at the mo though, and don't think I'll be ready for July. Be up for something in the future though. I'm on veganfitness forum too, so might see you on there some time.

Hey Frosty

You don't know me - but I know a fair bit about you

If you fancy a gentle jaunt round some of the trails at the Chase at any point then just let me know

As Graham says - it will be good to have a vegan race team together........but it would also be good just to get a group of vegans together for a leisurely cycle and to have a laugh (probably at me when I do my obligatory falling off trick )

[Frosty]

Hey Frosty

You don't know me - but I know a fair bit about you

If you fancy a gentle jaunt round some of the trails at the Chase at any point then just let me know

As Graham says - it will be good to have a vegan race team together........but it would also be good just to get a group of vegans together for a leisurely cycle and to have a laugh (probably at me when I do my obligatory falling off trick )

should I be worried?

That sounds like a fantastic idea thank you! I'm free most weekends at the moment, so please PM me, and we can try and organise something gentle. Very gentle, haha.

[Stu]

Hey Frosty

You don't know me - but I know a fair bit about you

That would scare the shit out of me.

[Tin-Tin]

Hey, Big Good Wolf.
It looks like you have a way way waaaay beautiful ride to work everyday
I bet you can't fail to have a bad morning when it starts off like that =]
and no nicer way to finish the day off either
so thats pretty cool
wish south essex had some places a bit nicer
theres only two place you can really go around here
theres either a little off road that goes along the thames for about 10-15 minutes, or theres a giant hill with some woods, but you can't really cycle around it too much

i think im going to have to move residence =]

[Frosty]

Yeah, just been in the kitchen making my dinner thinking about it Going cycling with a stranger amongst the miles upon miles of wilderness of Cannock Chase. Meh, could be worse, I could bump into Stan Collymore dogging up there again!

[tweqy]

cycling since i was 3yrs old , its awesome.

only problem is the car fumes. Although where i am the pavement is wide so i cylcle there as often as pos to avoid the fumes. they strip my lungs of life and give me breathing probs. i used to slip stream vans and busses for speed but the fumes sting me blaahhgg!

cyclists should be paid to ride on the road with free insurance and vegan chocolate dispensing machines at all the bike parking areas. :P

[Jiffy]

cycling since i was 3yrs old , its awesome.

only problem is the car fumes. Although where i am the pavement is wide so i cylcle there as often as pos to avoid the fumes. they strip my lungs of life and give me breathing probs. i used to slip stream vans and busses for speed but the fumes sting me blaahhgg!

cyclists should be paid to ride on the road with free insurance and vegan chocolate dispensing machines at all the bike parking areas. :P

I'm afraid I beg to differ when it comes to cycling on the footway.

Apart from being illegal and dangerous it contributes to the seething hatred of cyclists which is so prevalent at the moment.

[horselesspaul]

I'm afraid I beg to differ when it comes to cycling on the footway.

Apart from being illegal and dangerous it contributes to the seething hatred of cyclists which is so prevalent at the moment.

Yes. Failing to obey the Road Traffic Act is generally a poor decision.
Traffic lights are also tricoloured for a reason.

[flying plum]

horselesspaul - although i'm inclined to agree on most points, pedestrian crossings where the pedestrian has pressed the button then crossed before the man changed to green annoy me more than words can say as a cyclist. all that lost momentum for nothing. it's not like i can just put my foot on the accelerator, and thus i will confess to not stopping at such crossings if there are no pedestrians to be seen.

however, i do stop most other times, but i do still think a separate code needs to developed for cyclists. we are not cars, but nor are we pedestrians - more like somewhere in between. following all the RTA rules is not always safe for a cyclist, and sometimes just impractical/not necessary.

amanda

[horselesspaul]

I believe the laws must be changed rather than ignored. I cycle as much as I walk or drive. I think that continuing through pedestrian crossings gives car drivers all the ammunition they need to do the same. The consequences are frightening.
I think that if you cycle on the road then the road has its rules.

Cycling on the pavement (sidewalk) really p*sses me off as a pedestrian because the whole point about being a pedestrian is that there is no need to look out assiduously for speeding vehicles.

I have been run into by cyclists going through red lights on 2 occasions. I saw both of them coming enough to drop my shoulder and avoid injury, they were both hurt, fwiw. If I were a little old lady this may not have been the case.

If we ALL (pedestrians, cyclists, motorists) followed the Road Traffic Acts then there would be far fewer problems than we have now.

[tweqy]

there is no way on earth i'm cycling behind all those exhaust pipes when there is a clean lane on the pathment wide enough for pedestrians too I've been on the road and pathment for over 25 years ive got my methods i dont race past people walking .hardly any walks around here anyway! Thats the point they are all in cars!! and the police just turn a blind eye to cyclists, because they know why.

and there is no law gonna tell me to go and damage my lungs when there is clean alternative route anyway. not until we have all been microchiped and geo possitioning can fine/tax me. or one day maybe the electric car will be with us. i'll risk it on the road then.
right now where i cycle there must be 75-90 percent cleaner air. and its safer too.

[Jiffy]

horselesspaul - although i'm inclined to agree on most points, pedestrian crossings where the pedestrian has pressed the button then crossed before the man changed to green annoy me more than words can say as a cyclist. all that lost momentum for nothing. it's not like i can just put my foot on the accelerator, and thus i will confess to not stopping at such crossings if there are no pedestrians to be seen.

however, i do stop most other times, but i do still think a separate code needs to developed for cyclists. we are not cars, but nor are we pedestrians - more like somewhere in between. following all the RTA rules is not always safe for a cyclist, and sometimes just impractical/not necessary.

amanda

The problem with the a la carte approach to traffic laws is that all cyclists get tarred with the same brush.

Every time I get abuse from some moton I inwardly say 'thanks a bunch' to all the pavement cyclists and RLJ merchants who generate so much animosity amongst other road users.

I can draw no distinction between a cyclist who rides on the footway and/or ignores red lights and a car driver who ignores speed limits or habitually uses a mobile phone whilst driving.

The fact that the cyclists actions are somewhat less likely to cause serious injury or loss of life does not make it right.

[Stu]

horselesspaul - although i'm inclined to agree on most points, pedestrian crossings where the pedestrian has pressed the button then crossed before the man changed to green annoy me more than words can say as a cyclist. all that lost momentum for nothing. it's not like i can just put my foot on the accelerator, and thus i will confess to not stopping at such crossings if there are no pedestrians to be seen.

That's exactly what I think every day. When I've been building up momentum on a sharp incline, the last thing I want to do is stop at a zebra crossing WHEN THERE ARE NO PEDESTRIANS CROSSING and have to start getting some speed up, all over again. Like you say, it isn't an issue for drivers who just have to move their foot slightly.

I believe the laws must be changed rather than ignored. I cycle as much as I walk or drive. I think that continuing through pedestrian crossings gives car drivers all the ammunition they need to do the same. The consequences are frightening.
I think that if you cycle on the road then the road has its rules.

Yeah, but that's their fault; it's not the fault of the cyclists.

I find myself thinking that the rules of the road are basically there for people with no common sense. Of course I stop a red lights etc when there is a reason to. But not in the case where there is no way that it can possibly do any harm.
I've heard talk of (largely) doing away with traffic lights and other road signs, and running (many; not all) the roads on a common sense principle. Apparently it's been trialled in places, and it seems that it may work. Although I doubt it would work very well in many parts of London. It's interesting stuff though.

[Jiffy]

there is no way on earth i'm cycling behind all those exhaust pipes when there is a clean lane on the pathment wide enough for pedestrians too I've been on the road and pathment for over 25 years ive got my methods i dont race past people walking .hardly any walks around here anyway! Thats the point they are all in cars!! and the police just turn a blind eye to cyclists, because they know why.

and there is no law gonna tell me to go and damage my lungs when there is clean alternative route anyway. not until we have all been microchiped and geo possitioning can fine/tax me. or one day maybe the electric car will be with us. i'll risk it on the road then.
right now where i cycle there must be 75-90 percent cleaner air. and its safer too.

Apologies if I have misunderstood, but it seems you will only obey those laws which do not cause you any inconvienience or conflict with your superior judgement. So be it.

I didn't realise that pavements were protected by an invisible force field which makes exhaust emissions immune to the laws of physics.

Where exactly is this cycling utopia of which you speak, where the few pedestrians you do encounter are blessed with Spidey senses and small children, old ladies and dogs on extending leads don't do anything remotely unpredictable?

[Stu]

That sarcastic tone seems somewhat unnecessary to me...

[Herbsman]

I can draw no distinction between a cyclist who rides on the footway and/or ignores red lights and a car driver who ignores speed limits or habitually uses a mobile phone whilst driving.

The fact that the cyclists actions are somewhat less likely to cause serious injury or loss of life does not make it right.

First of all, how can you not see any distinction between those examples? You admit that one is far more dangerous than the other, yet you think they are both as bad as eachother?

If someone rides in a way that is considerate towards other people and never puts anyone else in danger, but occasionally breaks rules of a system that was designed with very little consideration for cyclists, then how can that be wrong?

If we were all mindless robots who had to follow rules regardless of whether they are sensible or not, then that would be fine. But we're not. We're humans, and the rules are far from perfect. What I'm saying is, as long as you put other people's safety before your convenience, then it doesn't matter if a rule gets broken.

[Jiffy]

Perhaps Stu, though not as unneccesary as illegal pavement cycling and far less dangerous surely?

[Jiffy]

First of all, how can you not see any distinction between those examples? You admit that one is far more dangerous than the other, yet you think they are both as bad as eachother?

If someone rides in a way that is considerate towards other people and never puts anyone else in danger, but occasionally breaks rules of a system that was designed with very little consideration for cyclists, then how can that be wrong?

If we were all mindless robots who had to follow rules regardless of whether they are sensible or not, then that would be fine. But we're not. We're humans, and the rules are far from perfect. What I'm saying is, as long as you put other people's safety before your convenience, then it doesn't matter if a rule gets broken.

I don't think they are as bad as each other by any means, but sadly the great British public fails to appreciate the subtlety, which is exactly my point.

Read any comments following an RTA involving a cyclist and before long someone will pipe up with the vitriolic comments along the lines of
" I've no sympathy for cyclists 'cos they all ignore red lights and cycle on the pavement". This even happens when there has been fatality.

Whilst I usually deplore sweeping generalisations about any groups of people, I have to admit that in London at least they have a point. Time and time again I find I am the only cyclist bothering to stop at a red light and it's not on. I have frequently had to snatch my grandson to safety to dodge a pavement POB whizzing down the footway. It sickens me that whenever I get on my bike I am associated with that type of behaviour.

I'm not suggesting that if all cyclists behaved themselves the irrational hatred towards them would disappear overnight, but the behaviour of a minority is not helping.

[tweqy]

where i cycle there are long dual caridge ways( a roads), very wide with side walks/pathments to the side away from the traffic, hundreds of cars either going very fast 45-60mph or stuck in a jam during so called rush hours. No one walks along these pathments they get in cars and busses to go to work.

so these pathments are my cycle lanes. even if you took a picture of me and tried to report me you would be wasting police time and they would do nothing. As for the pedestrians, they have right of way. id get off my bike if i have too to show respect.

your probably thinking of city center pathments ? or town pathments ..im thinking of A roads



anyway happy cycling.

[tweqy]

sorry for annoying anyone... i just really dislike car fumes they sting my lungs and make me wheeze. i ride on protests to help create cycle lanes. i really don't know what else can be done? The electric car will be here in a couple o decades so that should be great for the future cyclists. if only 'top gear' would allow an electric car on the test track ( let the stig do a lap) like the wrightspeed X1. the UK public would go nuts for them ( 0-60 in 3 secs- wow)
but of course top gear has firm links to the motor trade they wont show off these amazing vehicles for fear of speeding up the transition to greener vehicles.

[snivelingchild]

Wow, I can't even imagine a place where bicyclists actually have an image or stereotype. It's such a rarity here. If I am in an abandoned neighborhood with no traffic, I slow down at red lights instead of stop. Sometimes, when I am merging onto a major roadway, I also don't stop if there is little traffic and a big opening, that way I can reach top speed faster as a consideration for the motorists.

I always stop for red lights though, no matter how ridiculous. If I need to save time, I simply hop off my bike, and cross on foot outside of the lane the way a pedestrian would. There are no crosswalks on this side of town, so it's not like I'm jaywalking, it's the only way to cross.

[Jiffy]

where i cycle there are long dual caridge ways( a roads), very wide with side walks/pathments to the side away from the traffic, hundreds of cars either going very fast 45-60mph or stuck in a jam during so called rush hours. No one walks along these pathments they get in cars and busses to go to work.

so these pathments are my cycle lanes. even if you took a picture of me and tried to report me you would be wasting police time and they would do nothing. As for the pedestrians, they have right of way. id get off my bike if i have too to show respect.

your probably thinking of city center pathments ? or town pathments ..im thinking of A roads


anyway happy cycling.

I apologise if my earlier postings were a tad harsh. I sympathise with your views on A roads and dual carriageways are even worse. It never ceases to astonish me when they scream past with millimetres to spare when the right hand carriageway is empty.

Obviously I don't know which routes you take but is it not possible to plan an alternative route away from the main roads, even if it is a bit longer? I'd rather spend a bit longer on the bike getting where I want to go rather than face the horror and stress of dual carriageways.

In you go on the via michelin site, for example http://www.viamichelin.com/ you can specify a bicycle journey. Might be worth a go at least.

Cycle paths are OK when they are properly designed but so few are fit for purpose. Have a look at some of the classics on this site http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.c...y-of-the-month if you click on each month it gives you daft facility of the month.

For this reason by and large I don't use them. The other reason I dislike the segregationist argument is that it reinforces the hierachy of provision, where motorised transport is given priority.

Good luck.

[Stu]

'Pathments'?

[Big Good Wolf]

I don't think you can make a blanket "Cycling on the pavement is dangerous" statement that covers all situations.
I cycle on at least 100m of pavement every day on my way to and from work. Depending on my route it can be as much as 2km on my way home in the dark.
Maybe once a week or so I will see a police car passing as I'm on the pavement and presumably they will have seen me, especially at night with my super bright LED lights on helmet and handlebars.
None of them have bothered to stop me yet. I guess they see cycling on the pavement when there is not a pedestrian in sight as a low priority crime.
On the other hand, I have seen police on foot flag down and speak to cyclists riding at walking pace through the town centre when it's busy.

[horselesspaul]

sorry for annoying anyone... i just really dislike car fumes they sting my lungs and make me wheeze.

Try using one of these:

http://www.gotpollution.com/technomask.html

Works for me.

[veganlinda]

Good new for cycling in the UK http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNew...uktopnewsearly.

Bristol and the 11 towns have succeeded in winning a share of the record £100m investment package to pioneer innovative ways to increase cycling in their areas. Proposals include improving cycling infrastructure such as dedicated cycle lanes, increasing bike parking provision and cycle training and promoting the benefits of cycling.
The further 11 Cycling Demonstration Towns will build on the work of the existing six Cycling Demonstration Towns appointed in 2005, which have seen significant increases in cycling levels. They are Blackpool, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton/Linslade, Shrewsbury, Southend on Sea, Southport with Ainsdale, Stoke, Woking and York.
The Government has already announced it is investing an unprecedented £140 million in cycling to increase the provision of Bikeability training to help half a million children cycle safely by 2012; build 250 new Safe Links to School as well as create the UK's first-ever Cycling City and appoint further Cycling Demonstration Towns, as announced today.

Mind, I am miffed that Leicester didn't get any monies ... looks like Frosty's home town will be getting more cycle freindly though!

[veganlinda]

BTW I cycle every day to work and usually cycle on the roads but also cycle the wrong way up a one way street and on and off pavements as needs be and have only ever been stopped twice by police (then for cycling on an avenue which was clearly marked 'no cycling'). There are increasingly more cycle paths and other cyclists in Leicester so feels safer these days - mind I cycle pretty happily out in the sticks too. I don't generally feel less safe than I would using any other form of transport (feets included).

[horselesspaul]

Woking

Perhaps they'll just raze it to the ground and start again. We can but hope.
Good news though.

Brighton Council thinks it's done enough for now apparently.

[Jiffy]

Perhaps they'll just raze it to the ground and start again. We can but hope.
Good news though.

Brighton Council thinks it's done enough for now apparently.

I noticed how well received the improvements in Hove were. Usual ignorant comments from motons, bless.



http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.va...councillor.php

[Herbsman]

.

[horselesspaul]

Random photo Herbsman?

[Geoff_N]

I don't use a helmet, for several reasons.

1) They are uncool, and being cool is very important.
.

Luckily, kids do perceive helmets as being cool these days - probably because you'd be suicidal to ride off road and do tricks without one. Two of my pupils are now dead, who would have been alive if they'd worn their helmets. Both low impact collisions - one with a stationary car but her head hit the road. Admittedly, wearing a helmet makes little difference to the outcome of a collision with traffic at 30 mph and more, but even if it is mostly psychological comfort, I'm going to continue wearing mine!

Geoff

[Herbsman]

I agree that kids should wear helmets, and in fact that its a good idea for adults to wear one... the problem though is that they tend to make people feel safer, so a lot of people (including myself) will ride less carefully as a result.

Same applies to drivers - most drivers would drive more carefully if there were no seatbelts, abs braking, roll cage, crumple zone etc.

[Jiffy]

I wear a helmet purely because when a car knocked me back in 1990 I had concussion and didn't really know what was going on until I arrived at the hospital. Had I been wearing a helmet I would probably got away with just having badly bruised thighs.

There have been some studies to suggest that motorists are less careful with helmeted cyclists though, but I'm struggling to see how they could get any worse.

[Herbsman]

I think that study is crap to be honest

I would wear a helmet if I could fit one on my head

[Gorilla]

I can't ride a bike!

neither can i i want to, but i've had no luck with trying to learn.

[Stu]

Two of my pupils are now dead, who would have been alive if they'd worn their helmets.

Sorry to hear about your pupils; it's very sad of course. I don't want to argue, but it is not fair to say that they would have been alive if they had worn helmets. I doubt they would.

I wear a helmet purely because when a car knocked me back in 1990 I had concussion and didn't really know what was going on until I arrived at the hospital. Had I been wearing a helmet I would probably got away with just having badly bruised thighs.

How do you know this!? It sounds to me that you were lucky to not have been wearing a helmet. A helmet may well have killed you in this situation.

[Herbsman]

Sorry to hear about your pupils; it's very sad of course. I don't want to argue, but it is not fair to say that they would have been alive if they had worn helmets. I doubt they would.

How do you know this Stu? It's not fair for you to say that either, since you weren't actually there, and you aren't the coroner who examined the child's injuries.

Geoff said "Both low impact collisions - one with a stationary car but her head hit the road."

So what makes you think a helmet wouldn't have made a difference in that situation?

[Stu]

Because helmets don't protect the skull. They have been shown to make injuries more severe in many situations. And they increase the rotational effect, which can make injuries more likely. Etc etc.

[Herbsman]

Because helmets don't protect the skull. They have been shown to make injuries more severe in many situations. And they increase the rotational effect, which can make injuries more likely. Etc etc.

All helmets do this, or just some?

TBH I think you should keep your uninformed opinion to yourself, because you have no idea what you're talking about - you weren't there, you don't know what kind of helmet those children could have been wearing, and you simply do not know whether any helmet would have saved their lives or not.

[Stu]

Er, I never said that I know anything. I gave my thoughts based on likelihood.
And my opinion is not uninformed; it is based on scientific evidence.

Twice in the last few posts, you have put words in my mouth.
And now you're coming across as aggressive, using bold lettering and using phrases such as "...keep your uninformed opinion to yourself" and "...you have no idea what you're talking about."

So I'm not going to respond to you in this thread because I simply do not like the way you communicate.

[veganlinda]

Can we not argue about wearing cycle helmets please. I gather from talking to a friend who is a bike shop owner that there is evidence both ways ..they can save you but depending on how you land they can cause the damage. You would have thought as someone selling them he would try to get you to by them but not the case. Can we agree to disagree on this and talk about other stuff.

[Herbsman]

Er, I never said that I know anything. I gave my thoughts based on likelihood.
And my opinion is not uninformed; it is based on scientific evidence.

Twice in the last few posts, you have put words in my mouth.
And now you're coming across as aggressive, using bold lettering and using phrases such as "...keep your uninformed opinion to yourself" and "...you have no idea what you're talking about."

So I'm not going to respond to you in this thread because I simply do not like the way you communicate.

Ok I'll metaphorically lick your arse next time I engage in conversation with you, yeah? Would that be easier for you to handle?

[Jiffy]

Sorry to hear about your pupils; it's very sad of course. I don't want to argue, but it is not fair to say that they would have been alive if they had worn helmets. I doubt they would.



How do you know this!? It sounds to me that you were lucky to not have been wearing a helmet. A helmet may well have killed you in this situation.

I don't know, how can you unless you have access to a time machine and a crack CSI team.

However, from the jaded perspective of the 'participant' I think that on balance and given the absence of any head injury apart from a small graze to the scalp, I would not have been concussed had I been wearing a helmet. It will have to remain as one of life's unanswered questions.

The other reason I wear a helmet is that it gives the motons one less thing to whinge about. Unfortunately there is a perception amongst motorists and any police who can be arsed to investigate collisions that the absence of a helmet absolves errant motorists from any blame whatsoever, even if they were speeding or using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Read any press report following an accident and it is invariably prefixed with 'the cyclist who was/was not wearing a helmet'.

Perhaps I am wrong to capitulate to such ignorance but it is my choice. I utterly respect the choice of those to choose not to wear a helmet.

Dare I say it, one day wearing a helmet might come in handy when one of my frequent interactions with motorists goes beyond the verbal.

[Aradia]

Who's looking forward to le Tour de France ?? I am, can't wait, dead excited, can't wait, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Went to see the time trials in Cognac last year and it was great. Fab atmosphere. Will see the second time trials again this year. Will take the dogs there and camp for a few nights.

Hope Cadel Evans does really well ..... would love him to win.

Also hope David Millar does well .. he's an inspiration that bloke. The way he owned up to and dealt with his drug taking (only twice, and at team pressure). Total respect for the man, he never tries to sweep his experience under the carpet and is always happy to talk about it and show young riders that you can be at the top of the game without steoids, etc.

I hope there isn't the same awful drug shadow across the race as last year though.