The British and bikes

[flecc]

Originally Posted by mk1

I wonder if these Asian cultures will think the same way in a few years time when billions of obese people are trying to drive these large fancy cars they all aspire to, on congested roads.
Maybe they will look back at these times and think the humble bicycle was not such are bad machine after all .

Martin

I think we could be at the early stages of this already Martin. The health record of Asian peoples here is already causing concern, heart attacks, kidney disease, high incidence of diabetes etc are too prevalent in those populations already.
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[fishingpaul]

As for bus drivers,since the highway code has been changed to allow bus drivers to pull out, i have had several experiences when driving my car,when with the bus stopped to pick up passengers,i have indicated to overtake and when a quarter of the way past they start pulling out on you, some bus drivers seem to think once they have indicated they dont even have to check in their mirror for somebody overtaking ,in a car you can accelerate out of danger or stop, on a bike this would leave you in a horrible situation stuck in the middle of the road.

[frank9755]

This is an interesting thread.

I'd first say that I find the overwhelming majority of motorists and pedestrians courteous and pleasant people to share the roads with. The odd one is unpleasant (such as the driver who blew his horn a few times as he overtook me while I was cycling down the road to the supermarket last night; all I can think I was doing to offend him was being on the road)

However I think there is a less positive attitude to cycling in the UK than in other European countries. I have always put it down to the belief that penetration of car ownership was higher in Britain when we were building our infrastructure after the war. Hence providing for bicycles was not seen to be a transport priority, so they were left out. Other countries which were less affluent at that time relied on bicycles more, so re-built their towns and cities with them in mind. That's my theory - don't know if it is right or not!

Frank

[flecc]

Originally Posted by frank9755

However I think there is a less positive attitude to cycling in the UK than in other European countries. I have always put it down to the belief that penetration of car ownership was higher in Britain when we were building our infrastructure after the war. Hence providing for bicycles was not seen to be a transport priority, so they were left out. Other countries which were less affluent at that time relied on bicycles more, so re-built their towns and cities with them in mind. That's my theory - don't know if it is right or not!

Frank

I think territory is a very important factor. On the continent, the low countries, the German plains and much of France are flat or fairly flat, making cycling an easy choice for low cost transport. The other factors, in line with what your suggest Frank, is that they have more space in which to build cycle facilities. With their towns and cities often more devastated by WW2, the opportunity for that was there too, something denied to us with our more patchy war damage.

Much of Britain is hilly or very hilly, but where we have quite flat areas, cycling has sometimes taken a strong hold, Cambridge and York being notable examples.
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Originally Posted by flecc

I think territory is a very important factor. On the continent, the low countries, the German plains and much of France are flat or fairly flat, making cycling an easy choice for low cost transport. The other factors, in line with what your suggest Frank, is that they have more space in which to build cycle facilities. With their towns and cities often more devastated by WW2, the opportunity for that was there too, something denied to us with our more patchy war damage.

Much of Britain is hilly or very hilly, but where we have quite flat areas, cycling has sometimes taken a strong hold, Cambridge and York being notable examples.
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Coventry got mullered by fritz in WW2 and our bike lanes are crap

still, we do have 2 cathedrals

[flecc]

Originally Posted by stokepa31

Coventry got mullered by fritz in WW2 and our bike lanes are crap

still, we do have 2 cathedrals

Taking up Frank's point, it was very much motor industry territory around there, and car workers get heavily discounted cars, so it wasn't really a prime location in those respects. Now much of the motor industry has disappeared it's a bit late of course, the space occupied by motor biased roads and lots of cathedrals.
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[Bikerbob]

A bit of courtesy both ways helps. If I'm aware that a driver has held back from me through a series of bends then I'll give them a wave of thanks when they do go past, and usually I'll get a friendly wave back (I think they mean they have only been held up for two minutes ). Seriously, if people think their courtesy has been appreciated they will be keen to do it again, if not then they may not bother.

[HarryB]

Originally Posted by Bikerbob

A bit of courtesy both ways helps. If I'm aware that a driver has held back from me through a series of bends then I'll give them a wave of thanks when they do go past, and usually I'll get a friendly wave back (I think they mean they have only been held up for two minutes ). Seriously, if people think their courtesy has been appreciated they will be keen to do it again, if not then they may not bother.

I agree with you, I always give drivers a wave if they have held back and overtaken safely. Never had a wave to me when a driver/pasenger in the car and I think it is a very rare occurance.

[flecc]

On our narrow high hedged lanes, when I've held up a car driver I always wave the driver through the moment I've rounded a bend enough to see the path is clear for them to overtake.

It only saves them a second or so, but I frequently get the lights or hazards flashed as a thanks after they've passed.

When I know there's a series of blind bends as I'm approaching the first, I'll slow right down or even stop to let a car that's coming up behind go through first.

I've long been convinced that if more cyclists did this sort of thing, most car drivers would be more considerate in return.
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[davidw]

Well said, Flecc. It's called 'give and take' and that's all it takes
David