How Not to Get Hit By Cars

[indalo]

This thread is one I have found quite stimulating and, in places, funny as it has raised one or two points people can conjecture with in an amusing way.

On the serious aspect of it, I'm delighted to report that Flecc has posted a response, (No.12) with which I agree entirely. I hadn't realised there was a strong body of opinion amongst some cyclists opposed to the further segregation of the cycling fraternity but I can well see why that might be so.

The ramifications of any legislation brought in to enforce segregation would certainly infringe on the freedom we all enjoy as cyclists and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has failed to identify that aspect in imagining more cycle tracks would be wonderful.

Indalo

 

[Marky T]

Subsidising might help, more people riding E-bikes may mean less cars on the road. What's the statistics for MV/E-bike accidents in China?

Marky T

 

[flecc]

Subsidising might help, more people riding E-bikes may mean less cars on the road. What's the statistics for MV/E-bike accidents in China?

Marky T

I don't have accurate figures, but there has been increasing concern about e-bike accidents in China:

Link one

Link two
.

 

[EdBike]

On the topic of cycle path segregation, here in Portsmouth we've got cycle paths as part of the National Cycle network which feature two narrow lanes - one for pedestrians, one for cyclists. Trying to get out via one of our three ways off Portsea island via the main roads (one being a motorway!) would be brutal.

What about cycle paths where a road is simply to large to build, but a cycle path could work better.

Yes, it's discriminating. So's a bus lane!

 

[EdBike]

I don't have accurate figures, but there has been increasing concern about e-bike accidents in China:

Link one

Link two
.

Yeah, e-bikes flying along at 60km/h with untrained riders might be an issue!

 

[Marky T]

I don't have accurate figures, but there has been increasing concern about e-bike accidents in China:

Link one

Link two
.

I suppose whatever form of transport that becomes mainstream will have inherent problems, I guess, in any case it comes down to mental attitude and respect of the individual, still I would think, accidents between two E-bikes would tend to be less dangerous, than say an E-bike hitting or being hit by various M/Vs.

Marky T

 

[EdBike]

I suppose whatever form of transport that becomes mainstream will have inherent problems, I guess, in any case it comes down to mental attitude and respect of the individual, still I would think, accidents between two E-bikes would tend to be less dangerous, than say an E-bike hitting or being hit by various M/Vs.

Marky T

Of course there will be incidents, but it's all relative. There are still fatalities from plane crashes but the chances of such an incidence compared even with being in a car are minimal.

The mental attitude is a big thing - the irrational brain can't necessarily be won over by a logical argument of keeping up with traffic and driving carefully etc.

 

[fatts]

Cycle training with the emphasis on defensive riding.
Making car drivers more aware of vunerable road users in there training and maybe a bit of compulsory time out on bicycle/ moped for them might help. The ammount of times I have nearly been whipped out on motor bikes by car drivers I always thought it might be a good idea.

 

[Dynamic Position]

I was doing some research into the safety issues surrounding cycling, so I googled a few terms and came across this website; Bicycle Safety: How to Not Get Hit by Cars. The title ‘How not to get hit by cars’ made me laugh. I love the honesty...

With BEBA potentially going for a slice of a huge £560 million government grant to help the industry (Read here: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/7234-bebas-question-norman-baker.html) I thought it would be interesting to ask some Pedelecs Forum members what they’d suggest to do with a grant, especially around bike safety, which seems to be a sticking point for many potential cyclists and e-cyclists. What do you think?

• Invest in cycle paths?
• Invest in cycling training?
• Subsidize electric bikes?
• Subsidize electric bikes events?

How about investing some of the £560 million setting up factory to design and build safe ebikes and batteries etc. in England?

 

[EdBike]

How about investing some of the £560 million setting up factory to design and build safe ebikes and batteries etc. in England?

There's lots of benefits to doing something like that in England (jobs, develop technology, stop our best brains emigrating etc.) but I feel that other companies outsource production for a reason - cost-efficiency.

Things like Lithium and rare metals don't occur in abundance in the UK, so them and other materials will end up being imported anyway.

There are already some British Electric Bike 'manufacturers' although some of them have bikes made or are owned by overseas companies. I'm not sure that "It's not British" is the main block to us not being all on electric bikes though.

Although you raise an interesting question - who actually does manufacture (even just assemble) electric bikes in Britain?

 

[flecc]

Although you raise an interesting question - who actually does manufacture (even just assemble) electric bikes in Britain?

Cytronex at Winchester, adding Tongxin motor, bottle battery and their own unique control system to quality bikes, that's it:

Cytronex e-bike range
.

 

[EdBike]

Cytronex at Winchester, adding Tongxin motor, bottle battery and their own unique control system to quality bikes, that's it:

Cytronex e-bike range
.

Thanks Flecc. Is that really it? I supposed companies like Ultra Motor and Powabyke just do assembly here then?

 

[flecc]

Thanks Flecc. Is that really it? I supposed companies like Ultra Motor and Powabyke just do assembly here then?

No, the others like Ultra Motor, Powabyke and Wisper, although British and often design or make design contributions, actually import the complete products in containers. That's almost entirely from China, though one e-folder that appeared for a while was said to be assembled in the Netherlands.

Unfortunately saying that means little, it often means little more than putting in the front wheel which had been removed for compact boxing and transit.
.

 

[Miles]

Surely the GoCycle has the greatest claim to being a UK product?

 

[flecc]

Surely the GoCycle has the greatest claim to being a UK product?

I hadn't considered it since it's been outside my view of what a good e-bike is Miles, but overall I agree. Certainly designed here, but I don't know if it's assembled here.

None of the mainstream e-bikes can qualify though. Even the Cytronex only just got into my radar for it's highly individual control system, I've excluded the bikes where it's little more then a kit added to an existing bike like the EWC Nano-Brompton and similar from other "makers".
.

 

[Miles]

The GoCycle is certainly assembled here, now. I'm not sure how many of the parts are actually manufactured here, though.

 

[EdBike]

I hadn't considered it since it's been outside my view of what a good e-bike is Miles, but overall I agree. Certainly designed here, but I don't know if it's assembled here.

What's the difference between a 'good' and 'bad' e-bike? The force of an ex-F1 engineer behind it ala GoCycle?

 

[NRG]

You already know the answer to that one!

 

[NRG]

Wow!

 

[Bikealot]

Straw Poll

Matching investment in cycling infrastructure should be money spent on changing the psychological barriers to cycling and cutting the almost the umbilical and addictive attachment to cars (and negative attitude to cycling).

A straw poll at work reveals the vast majority consider cycling as a serious alternative form of transport too dangerous for themselves and their children. Some also consider cyclists as a risk to other road users (i.e. motorists). There is also insufficient economic or practical disincentive to use the car.

Before the late 1950s we were a 'cycling nation' until mass car ownership came along. It was a transport necessity. The Netherlands have mass car ownership yet have retained their link to the cycle. Is it as simple as coordinated transport policies and decent investment? Or is it something buried in the national psyche and resistant to change? Maybe it is both.