Pahahaha this thread has mad me laugh so much. Can the tag be changed to "LOL" please instead of education?
As I have said, a helmet has saved my life on a push bike, and has prevented serious injury on a motorbike. I searched as you suggested but only came up with wearing a helmet means you will be passed more closely. I can show you proof that drinking doesn't cause liver damage, and smoking doesn't cause cancer. Protective equipment saves lives. Listen or not it is up to you. I just hope for other peoples sake you stay safe on the road.
So basically - because I cannot afford it, it's alright for me to carry on riding super slick tyres on my motorbike in the winter when it is wet? So not only do I endanger my own life, I also endanger other road users. But it's okay, guys I can't afford it, I know you'll understand. Although to be perfectly honest - I think you are blowing this wet leaf thing totally out of proportion. I do ride a motorbike with a semi-slick rear tyre, I live in the middle of nowhere, and right now every road to leave my house has stacks of rotting leaves on it. I haven't even slipped once this year (i'm probably going to go outside and deck it now I bet) - saying that I ride really carefully over them, but I can still corner quite well. Combined with that, slightly deflating your tyres is probably not a good idea on leaves as the overall pressure on the surface would be lower. It's a bit like those thin body board things people throw on water at beaches and stand on them and "surf". You can slide on them because the PSI on the surface is a lot lower as the surface contact area is so much greater. I'd ride with your tyres fully pumped going over leaves - it's physics baby. I know you say you ride with them above the minimum but then you ride slightly deflated - I'm a bit confused - at the right pressure for the rider's weight, you shouldn't be seeing too much bulging on a road tyre and in reality you should be fine in more or less all road conditions, simply because the tyres are so thin to start with. And this thing about tyres exploding - slow down there soldier. I used to run DH tyres at nearly 60 PSI and never had a blowout. They're tougher than most think. (I'm not suggesting you should run road tyres at 60, FYI).
I would be lmao if I didn't think this kid is asking to be killed on the roads. I'm curious to know why he can afford to own all that camera equipment, yet no helmet I'd much rather wear some very protective headgear than no helmet at all. Rugby headgear is the next best thing to a bike helmet. Yeah, it's next to useless if you impact at high speeds, but it's not like drivers take off their seat belts when they go on the autobahn, every little bit can help. I only suggest it since it seems like getting a proper helmet on your head is a lost cause. Sure the headgear can get torn apart after one slide from road rash, but at least your head could still be fine = goal achieved. This sort of headgear is very comfortable and ventilated, and it could make the difference between receiving a headache or cracking your skull. One thing that's worrying however, is that if this is how you ride with no helmet.... how dangerously would you ride with a helmet?
Just read through this thread. So much cycle hate I think Pookey really pointed out the dichotomy to me though early on in the thread when he complained about cyclists scratching his paint. Last year my girlfriend was riding home from work and was going straight ahead on a three way intersection, in the cycle lane. A lorry decided it was taking a left turn and (supposedly not even knowing there was a cycle lane) pulled left. My girl jumped off in time, the bike was squashed like origami. 1 second more and I'd be single and depressing to be around. Cyclists scratch your paint? I agree that sucks. Motor vehicles take cyclists lives every bloody day though, and that sucks a crap load more. The attitude of "I'm in a machine that can easily kill you therefore you should get out of my way" is childish wild west behaviour which we need to get past. Ability to easily kill should not confer special rights or supremacy on the roads. edit: And to the moron who posted the "man the fudge up" picture, this is about life and death for cyclists, so perhaps it should indeed be the end of the thread for you.
I think the hate is focussed on militant, idiotic, inconsiderate or generally incompetent cyclists, not the decent people out there. That sounds like a lucky escape for your lass, and any cyclist deaths are a tragedy, but some people do bring it on themselves. Others get bad breaks from inconsiderate, idiotic, militant or incompetent drivers.
Amusing that I get called a moron when I have to explain my every action to people. Perhaps this is may fault and I need to improve my communication skills, but I would have thought that seemingly intelligent people could put 1+1 together. Obviously not. The picture was in response to the OP for a variety of reasons. The videos he has posted of peoples number plates when it is the general opinion (and mine included) that no event even took place, and the fact that the OP refuses to wear a helmet because he doesn't like them even though many people in the thread have begged him to and even helped find other alternatives. Of course road safety is important for cyclists, as indeed it can be life and death, no one is debating that. I have no idea how you managed to find a horse so tall, or who helped you get up there but it is quite unbecoming sneer down your nose like that at people. I think you might be right on your last point though however.
I can't help but feel that people use the hatred for the twats who dip on and off the pavement and burst through every red as their generalised attitude toward all cyclists though, and that very dangerously and negatively impacts upon mature road users who have every right to be on the road and not be endangered. All sorts of road deaths, accidents, injuries, all of it - has come down by between 30-50% in about the last decade. Except cyclist road deaths, they've gone up. Aberdeen is I believe the 2nd worst area in the UK for cyclist deaths per population, the worst being Aberdeenshire, and I know a good few people who've been hit or closely avoided being hit. In pretty much every case it's because drivers either don't recognise that cyclists have the right to be where they are, or because they don't bother to take account for the fact that cyclists are on the road. The bottom line is that there's an inherent disparity between the damage a cyclist can do and the damage a motorvehicle can do, and this is most certainly used by a good deal of road users, basically as leverage so they don't need account for cyclists. I do agree that perhaps some sort of road proficiency test should be enacted for cyclists who're road users, on a compulsory basis. That said, I also think that driving tests need to be radically altered for the 21st century where there are actually serious numbers of cyclists on the roads, and in my experience a good deal of road users simply will not afford them the respect they deserve as fellow road users - leading to frustration, anger, injury, and death.
I don't think the majority of the debate has been about all cyclists just Bigsharn's riding / attitude. You have idiots using all types of vehicle and luckily they are in the minority, I agree that the driving test should be changed as it hardly touches on cyclists.
I got most of it from Freecycle, so I wouldn't sell it on, more likely give it away . I use my D80 and 18-55mm for work (previously for my college course) and my 50mm f/1.8 is just a nice lens for nighttime photography. I get black and white film for free, and it's very rarely that I fill a roll up. There's a lot less in the carriageway than there is in the cycle lane. Car tyres typically have a sort of scrubbing action which sweeps dirt to the centre and sides of the road I apologise, I didn't explicitly state how much it would cost, but in an earlier post I did mention that attacking a helmet with a hacksaw and cocking it up, by the time I destroy four helmets (at £50 each, as I mentioned) I mightaswell have just got one custom made. I'd say roughly 3ft between the kerb and bus, hence not going up there. Wet leaves can take any bike down. If you're on a set of knobbly 26x2.1 tyres you can still go down regardless. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying I'd rather ride safely than spend £60 on a pair of tyres that could very easily make zero difference to my grip on the road surface. Admittedly I'd never though of looking into other sports. I'll nip into JJBs on my way home on Thursday I'd ride exactly the same. You know full well that's completely different. Slicks have very little grip in dodgy weather, mine aren't even classed as semi-slicks (though are due for a change in another 1000 miles, so next spring) But you agree, rather than riding carefully over the leaves it makes more sense to avoid them altogether if possible? I have it at a low pressure for comfort as well as safety. My road tyres are at a recommended 120psi for the best combination of safety and rolling resistance, I run them at 90 (and check them daily), which is the minimum that they should be for my weight. & I failed GCSE physics I've never had a blowout as of yet, but I have had an axle snap on me at 30mph and it's not the most pleasant experience. The majority of the debate should have been on using a camera while riding but there we go *Ninja Edit* Knobblies will make no difference to the amount of grip I have on the road. Even with knobbly tyres I'd be riding in the same lane as motor vehicles, after all, avoiding the danger in the first place rather than riding through it and hoping my equipment will save me is just stupid. Dirt's probably not the right word, silt's a better description of what lines the roads here, You know? The stuff that shifts as you're riding over it like snow does?
But they WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Pook is right in his analogy, you just seem to think that you can use the roads in anyway you want with your equipment that clearly isn't up to the job. And dirt? Are you having a laugh? Dirt cannot bring you down unless there is a huge cowsh*t in the way which I very much doubt but I guess you should avoid all cycle lanes just in case you do come across some obstacle that you cannot get past.
If you consider riding bang in the middle of the road and ignoring cycle lanes safe, then cool. However, can I suggest that you have a strange concept of safety? If you can't handle a bike where there's a few wet leaves around, just sell it now, because you're obviously crap.
True, as usual the minority do ruin the reputation of the majority. Car safety has come a long way in the last decade however, advanced features like airbags, ABS, ESP, etc have become common, which is responsible for saving many lives, and even preventing many accidents. I bet car accidents however, have increased along with the increase in number of cars on the road. True, I also think that all road users should be retested, at least once a decade. There's heaps of experienced drivers around who just get more and more slack each year, either from attitude and/or diminished ability/old age. Good idea Since there is no hard outer shell, rugby headgear isn't going to do much at all if your head strikes a narrow/thin object, such as a kerb edge, pole, car panel edge, etc, but they can offer a fair bit of protection for impacting flat surfaces, well way better than nothing that is.
I heartily agree with this idea. Since the current UK photopass part of the driving licence now has an expiry date of 10 years from the date of issue, getting a photopass should be combined with retaking the test. Sharn, I have a request to make of you. If you're going to quote me, please do it accurately - don't edit what I've said to make it closer to what you think I should have said. Deleting irrelevant bits if fair enough if you want to respond to a phrase or sentence but changing words is not. For example: You know I spot things that others (e.g. you) don't, such as the colour of a traffic light, so please don't kid yourself that I won't see you misquoting me. It does, however, make me wonder whether you've changed what other people have said.
Much of that wall of text agrees with what everyone here is saying. Feel free to copypasta anything which you consider a valid point that refutes anything that anyone has said.
I'll happily respond. I see a lot of evasion and diversionary tactics in there. Case in point - cyclists don't have to pass a test. Response: pedestrians have no formal training... motorcycle training... crass behaviour of youths... Cyclists should have insurance. Response: I can see some justification but cyclists are victims so blah blah blah... Cyclists jump red lights and ride on the pavement. Response: Diversion towards illegal behaviour by motorists. What isn't grasped is that motorists are traceable by the registration mark that has to be displayed front and back whereas cyclists are anonymous unless confronted at the scene. This basically sums up the whole page: One of the requirements of gaining a driving licence is that you know the Highway Code and are tested on your knowledge. Another requirement is that you are seen driving safely on the roads, where cyclists are likely to be. There's no such equivalency for cyclists because there's no legal requirement to undertake any training, let alone a safety test.