P
Peter Clinch
Guest
<-- Wide Load -->
> Slow down approaching pedestrians.
Well, that's fine, but sometimes I'm on the bike for speed. if I'm=20 forced to use a shared use
path where I have to slow down every=20 half-minute it defeats the point.
> This is a good point, junctions are dodgy but far less a risk than cycl=
ing
> on the road from experience, I have had so many close calls on the road=
, far
> less than when I'm on the pavement. You can hear people reversing out =
of
> drives and can see above hedges and fences, also.
It seems from what you type that you actually have very limited=20 experience cycling on the road.
So it's entirely possible that you=20 cycle as close in to the kerb as you can, because you're
worried about=20 moving out? Would that be a fair description? It *is* a fair=20 description of the
way a lot of people cycle, and the way I used to.=20 It's another case of what people of thinking is
"common sense" safety=20 being far more dangerous than actual best practice, which is riding=20
further out. Whether or not my conjecture about your road positioning is true, the=20 fact remains
that experience overall, as outlined in the studies=20 mentioned, is that pavement cycling really
*is* *more* of a risk. Don't =
forget you're not particularly taking issue with *me* on this, but with=20 a very heavy weight of
empirical, real-world data which doesn't do=20 "exchange of views".
I've been through the "it *must* be much safer wearing a helmet" and "it =
*must* be much safer on a cycle path" stages too. But I changed my mind =
when confronted with hard evidence to the contrary, and lots and lots of =
it.
Worth saying it again, you're strongly advised to read Cyclecraft (John=20 Franklin, The Stationery
Office Books; ISBN: 0117020516, =A310). It's a =
mine of info on how to cycle safely on roads.
Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics,
Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
> Slow down approaching pedestrians.
Well, that's fine, but sometimes I'm on the bike for speed. if I'm=20 forced to use a shared use
path where I have to slow down every=20 half-minute it defeats the point.
> This is a good point, junctions are dodgy but far less a risk than cycl=
ing
> on the road from experience, I have had so many close calls on the road=
, far
> less than when I'm on the pavement. You can hear people reversing out =
of
> drives and can see above hedges and fences, also.
It seems from what you type that you actually have very limited=20 experience cycling on the road.
So it's entirely possible that you=20 cycle as close in to the kerb as you can, because you're
worried about=20 moving out? Would that be a fair description? It *is* a fair=20 description of the
way a lot of people cycle, and the way I used to.=20 It's another case of what people of thinking is
"common sense" safety=20 being far more dangerous than actual best practice, which is riding=20
further out. Whether or not my conjecture about your road positioning is true, the=20 fact remains
that experience overall, as outlined in the studies=20 mentioned, is that pavement cycling really
*is* *more* of a risk. Don't =
forget you're not particularly taking issue with *me* on this, but with=20 a very heavy weight of
empirical, real-world data which doesn't do=20 "exchange of views".
I've been through the "it *must* be much safer wearing a helmet" and "it =
*must* be much safer on a cycle path" stages too. But I changed my mind =
when confronted with hard evidence to the contrary, and lots and lots of =
it.
Worth saying it again, you're strongly advised to read Cyclecraft (John=20 Franklin, The Stationery
Office Books; ISBN: 0117020516, =A310). It's a =
mine of info on how to cycle safely on roads.
Pete. --=20 Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics,
Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/