Richmond Park MP backs cycle safety (From Your Local Guardian)

Before people start accusing me of being anti cyclist, I just want to state that I am one and cycle 2 or 3 times a week to work.
It's all very well making the roads safer for cyclists, but I'm sorry to say, cyclists don't help themselves, by:
1) Thinking they have the right to jump red lights (I have been shouted at by other cyclists for stopping at them when on my bike - unbelievable!!)
2) Carrying on at pedestrian corssings whilst people are crossing
3) Not having the common sense to not undertake big vehicles that are indicating or performing a left turn
4) Going around in packs forcing other road users including other cyclists who are coming the other way to have to stop or swerve (Richmond park on a weekend - the clubs know who they are)

etc. etc.

Other road users must also have a better appreciation of cyclists, but the arrogant sizeable minority of 2 wheelers needs to be educated better and have appreciation of other road users. They also need to engage common sense and their brain - we all need to use the road together, but I'm sorry to say that a significant number of my fellow cyclists seem to have this holy attitude that the roads and pavements are just for them and everyone else can go hang.

I cant help thinking that antagonism between different road users has increased in line with the policy of carving up the available space. By creating bus lanes, cycle lanes, parking bays and fencing in pedestrians - all have made people very territorial about their alloted space. It seemed to work much better when people looked out for others and naturally drove more cautiously in that regard than blindly following signs and other imposed restrictions.

I do hope that the dog poo man, Lucullus aka Tim Lennon reads this thread - perhaps he might reflect on his obsessive stance?
Alex

This campaign has been started by The Times (the national newspaper). There are a number of points to be made.

1). The cycling culture of this country is not uniform as it tends to be in cycling countries such as Holland and Denmark. There people ride 'sit up and beg' bikes and cycle for transport purposes, often with briefcase on the back of the bike. Contrast that to here where there are various different types of rider, the racing lycra clad to the more gentle. With no set bike culture it is difficult for motorists and pedestrians to know what the cyclist intends.

2). The white line in the road to designate a cycle path is a joke. Compare this to proper cycle lanes in Holland, some with traffic lights and again the difference between a proper cycling culture and what we have here shows a wide gap.

3). In Holland the car driver is automatically in the wrong if a collision occurs with a cyclist. The result is that car drivers are incredibly careful of cyclists and will wait what seems an embarrasingly long time for the cyclist to traverse them.

Yes, cyclists should be safe and encouraged to cycle in this country, but there needs to be a sea change in both drivers and cyclists mentality.

The Richmond Park cyclists perhaps are not the best example of faultless cycling, and do much to antagonise motorists. Google 'Richmond Park Cycle Club' and you can see a cycling mentality that seems to want to dominate the park.

As I said, for cycling to become an accepted form of transportation, there needs to be a change in infrastructure and mentality.

Both The Times' campaign, and our MP's support of it, are to be welcomed.

Britain - and Richmond in particular - could be a cycling paradise, and that would be a fine thing, not just for the increased general health of the population, but also for the improvements in journey time for many people, and the reduction in pollution.

However, real change is fundamentally predicated on the provision of useful facilities for people to cycle safely on: not many Richmond parents choose to cycle to school with their primary school children, whereas in the Netherlands, it's the default. To persuade these parents otherwise, they need to feel, and to *be*, able to cycle safely with young children.

This is, essentially, nothing to do with people who cycle through Richmond Park - it's about cycling as a simple means to get around, just like walking or taking a bus.

Does it ever occur to you Lucullus that not everyone wants to live in a two-wheeled lycra clad paradise?

Metis, I'm not that interested in the wearing of lycra for cycling - http://www.cycling-e
mbassy.org.uk/missio
n gives you a good summary of what I (and many others) seek for cycling in Britain. You don't need lycra, or in fact any form of fancy dress for that.