Talk about taking liberties

[Stephen]

Words fail me.......now and again. I'm shocked, disgusted, baffled and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was unbelievable. Has the world gone mad. I have to admit I was pretty shaken by the time I got home. I had to have some sweet tea and several biscuits before I regained some sort of composure. Even now I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight having witnessed this absolutely extraordinary site....

A CYCLIST ACTUALLY HAVING THE AUDACITY TO BE CYCLING ON THE ROAD. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT

[Dancing Queen]

Don't know what the world is coming to

[david63]

Was the pavement dug up for repairs?

[jay-ell71]

Did s/he stop for the red light too?

[Peter D]

You are pushing your luck there Jay.

[towny44]

Our pavements are so uneven that cyclists are safer on the roads.

[Manoverboard]

We don't have any pavements for miles in any direction ... so I for one believe you

[Keechy]

Words fail me.......now and again. I'm shocked, disgusted, baffled and couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was unbelievable. Has the world gone mad. I have to admit I was pretty shaken by the time I got home. I had to have some sweet tea and several biscuits before I regained some sort of composure. Even now I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight having witnessed this absolutely extraordinary site....

A CYCLIST ACTUALLY HAVING THE AUDACITY TO BE CYCLING ON THE ROAD. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT

OO! Get you Mr Sarky!

I'm a born-again cyclist and I use cycle lanes and tracks where possible and always stop at red lights. However, I have had motorists who 'suggest' I should be riding on the pavement (usually passengers in white vans). There's also the 'You don't pay road tax so you shouldn't be on the road' brigade. Idiots. No-one pays road tax, just vehicle tax and actually, yes I do pay tax on my car and my wife's car but I choose not to drive and add to the pollution. However, I will concede and admit there are those who get cyclists a bad name and they make my blood boil.

As an aside, I've been riding for a couple of years and in June I bought a road bike. Since then I've been on the 5-2 diet and lost a total of 19 lbs .

[Silver_Shiney]

Keechy, no-one denies that there are good, responsible cyclists out there. Sadly, you are all in the minority.

[Keechy]

Keechy, no-one denies that there are good, responsible cyclists out there. Sadly, you are all in the minority.

SS, I think it's because back in the day when I was a lad, we had respect for the law and daren't break the rules, but I don't agree that good cyclist are in the minority from what I've seen. You are bound to get the odd bad apple but generally, cyclists appear to be quite well behaved.

In our local paper is a column for court cases and it's gratifying to see people being fined up to £200 for riding on the pavement. Serves 'em right!

[Silver_Shiney]

Keechy, no-one denies that there are good, responsible cyclists out there. Sadly, you are all in the minority.

SS, I think it's because back in the day when I was a lad, we had respect for the law and daren't break the rules, but I don't agree that good cyclist are in the minority from what I've seen. You are bound to get the odd bad apple but generally, cyclists appear to be quite well behaved.

In our local paper is a column for court cases and it's gratifying to see people being fined up to £200 for riding on the pavement. Serves 'em right!

They must come from a different mould up your way, dear sir. Bad cyclists seem to be in the majority in Bristol.

When I was 11-12, I was riding a 16" frame/16" wheel bike on the pavement. A policewoman gave me "the look" - been too scared to repeat the offence since!! Many of today's kids have little respect for the law, it seems

[Princess]

Why do they cycle on the road when cycle paths have been provided?

Down here in the New Forest many, many people are fed up with cyclists on the small bendy narrow roads. They cycle on the roads which have had cycle paths built along them. And now we have large groups of cyclists who treat the Forest as if it is their own personal holiday playground. They have no regard for any road laws, cycling up to 4 abreast, overtaking each other without looking, changing direction with no signals, the groups are huge and get strung out along the road for long distances etc. etc. I could go on. They seem to think the road is their own personal race track and that cars or any other local road user should not be there and should not interfer in their pleasure at all.

As you can tell, cyclists are not very popular down this way and personally they are not popular with me either!!

[Keechy]

Why do they cycle on the road when cycle paths have been provided?

Down here in the New Forest many, many people are fed up with cyclists on the small bendy narrow roads. They cycle on the roads which have had cycle paths built along them. And now we have large groups of cyclists who treat the Forest as if it is their own personal holiday playground. They have no regard for any road laws, cycling up to 4 abreast, overtaking each other without looking, changing direction with no signals, the groups are huge and get strung out along the road for long distances etc. etc. I could go on. They seem to think the road is their own personal race track and that cars or any other local road user should not be there and should not interfer in their pleasure at all.

As you can tell, cyclists are not very popular down this way and personally they are not popular with me either!!

I just put your points to a friend of mine who cycles round the New Forest. He said the cycle tracks are mainly for off-roaders and not suited to his road bike (the clue's in the name). He also said you forgot to mention the number of animals killed by speeding cyclists and the mess left by fly-tipping bikers. And there's the times that tacks are thrown on the road when there's a mass-cylcing event taking place. All down to cyclists!

[Princess]

I had not even considered the off road cycle tracks through the forest. I was only thinking of the actual roads which have properly constructed cycle paths. Not actual cycling on the forest - that is another problem! The animal casualties in the forest are awful and are reported weekly in the local paper. That is why there are speed restrictions and the highway code, which apparently do not apply to the cyclists. And luckily, I hope, people going to the forest for holidays or events dont think to pack their rubbish!! However, there is often a fair amount of rubbish left behind mainly of the plastic cups/bottles type.

Unfortunately, the tacks on the roads just show how the local people feel about these cycling events.

[Keechy]

Unfortunately, the tacks on the roads just show how the local people feel about these cycling events.

Have they considered what it's like to have a sudden blow-out and land on loose tacks? Do they clear them up again so none of the motorists pick them up?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Manoverboard]

For me the tacks on the road simply demonstrate how possessive and selfish some of the people who live in the New Forest really are ... they are very lucky to be able to afford to live there at all but they should learn to appreciate that they only own their own little patch rather than all of it.

On a related theme ...

When we were on our canal holiday recently we were warned about cyclists on the towpath ... listen out for them ringing a bell but DO NOT step out because they often travel in twos , as it happens we witnessed a group of 27 just to the West of Kintbury out on a charity run to Bath.

[gfwgfw]

A good result

Alighting from our friendly Yellow, I was clipped by a pedal powered missile slightly shaken the best Yellow Bus lady asked are you OK Graham

Making my troubled way to gfw towers, the middle aged missile rider stopped gfw and was so apologetic . . I found myself comforting the gentleman

But it does make me a little concerned . . where is it safe to walk for us old farts these days

Lubooo all

gfwgfw x

[Stephen]

Several years ago the good lady and I were walking along when suddenly this young oik came hurtling round the corner on his bike almost crashing into us. Boy, did I rip into him. He soon went off with flea in his ear muttering under his breath........by now of course where should be, ON THE ROAD.

My argument has always been if you can't handle cycling on the road because of the traffic then don't cycle, or stick to cycle paths if available.

[Silver_Shiney]

Several years ago the good lady and I were walking along when suddenly this young oik came hurtling round the corner on his bike almost crashing into us. Boy, did I rip into him. He soon went off with flea in his ear muttering under his breath........by now of course where should be, ON THE ROAD.

My argument has always been if you can't handle cycling on the road because of the traffic then don't cycle, or stick to cycle paths if available.

Sounds a bit too much like commonsense, Stephen. You should know by now that commonsense has been outlawed by the politically-correct brigade.

[david63]

... and the EU!!

[Silver_Shiney]

... and the EU!!

I lump them both together....

[Stephen]

Then we are doomed.

[rita17]

I was in the New Forest in July when, while cycling on a gravelled cycle path, I got my tyre punctured. The gravel is quite big chunks with some lethal pointed pieces. My husband tried to repair it and found 2 holes but it still leaked and couldn't find another one. Luckily we had a spare inner tube with us so he had to change the tube. This was not easy to do as they are e-bikes and difficult to take the wheel out. However, he managed to do it and away we went, back the way we had come, to Burley to stock up on a new spare tube. On the way we passed a young woman pushing her bike as she had also puncture. The shop in Burley must be doing a roaring trade. So next time we're down there we'll be sticking to the roads (or cycle paths alongside, if provided).