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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 00:59 
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http://www.mopoc.com/m3/v1/cycling/qstart.php

This actually did the rounds on PH a while back.

IG got them all right - he would! :roll: I scored 8/9 :? and Wildy :lol: 7/9 (at last!). Has done the rounds across the family and lowest score was one of the kids with a mere 5/9 - but he's only just 9 years (nephew) ! :wink: My youngest rogues have not done the quiz - yet.

Give it a whirl and then we can maybe work out where we go wrong in car and on bikes?

Have placed link in the Nonny forum in reply to the pet troll in hope he may actually do the test and learn something! :wink:


wishful thinking - bloke's just a silly troll

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 01:14 
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2 out of 9 :o :shock: oh, the shame :oops: Mind you, I've not ridden a bicycle for the thick end of twenty years and don't plan to. No engines :( :P The only form of no-engine transport that flicks my switch is sailing, and that's mainly because you can still enjoy a beer and a bacon buttie.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 07:08 
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Mad Moggie wrote:
Give it a whirl and then we can maybe work out where we go wrong in car and on bikes?


hmm 7/9, not that I agree with all their answers mind you - and I ride up to 300km/week.

If you want to know the main thing that motorists do wrong when dealing with cyclists then it's not leaving enough room when passing. Those pedestrian islands are cyclist killers. Give most motorists an inch of room going past one of those and they WILL squeeze past you.
The next favourite trick is to pull up next to you and flash their lights to let someone turn in front of you... real smart.
Another major thing to watch for on the bike is the person who thinks that if they drive a car length past you then you magically disappear. At this point they'll either slow down and turn left, ie so you're now next to them, or they'll flash someone to turn in front of you.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 07:25 
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Jonsher: what - in your crippling naivety - you fail to appreciate is that were drivers free to determine their own safe speeds, unconstrained by traffic law enforcement, then you as a cyclist would be much safer on the roads!
Have I got that right?
Er....


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 08:47 
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Looks like the troll alert will be staying for a while.. :lol:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 09:02 
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Bloody hell . I only got 2 right and I cycle everywhere.

Buggered if I know how I'm even alive today !!! :lol:


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 09:07 
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johnsher wrote:
If you want to know the main thing that motorists do wrong when dealing with cyclists then it's not leaving enough room when passing. Those pedestrian islands are cyclist killers.

But pedestrian islands are often necessary. The really annoying ones are those little ones that have a keep left sign on and nothing else, followed by some more just like it every few hundred yards (like we'd all normally start driving on the right without these helpful reminders :roll: ). Parts of the Surrey A30 spring to mind. It seems like their only real purpose is to prevent overtaking, and AFAICT it means additional, and quite unnecessary, risk for cyclists because of a small number of drivers who can't work out that passing the lycra-clad types before or after the island makes a lot more sense than trying to squeeze past on the narrowest part. And then there's traffic calming schemes, some of which seem designed by someone who really, really hates cyclists and decided to thin the numbers a little by forcing the poor sods out in front of the traffic from time to time :o .

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 09:42 
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sucks load of hot air wrote:
Jonsher: what - in your crippling naivety - you fail to appreciate is that were drivers free to determine their own safe speeds, unconstrained by traffic law enforcement, then you as a cyclist would be much safer on the roads!
Have I got that right?
Er....


So how many did you actually get right?

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 09:47 
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Only 2 right here (how to make a right turn, and where I can legally ride), apparently I am at serious risk on the roads.

I don't think I will overly worry about that result too much, especially as I have no plans whatsoever to put my lazy arse on a treader.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:05 
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The pinch point - again = back to COAST and in particular - S and T.


Many misjudge the the time it will take to pass the cyclist - and cyclists do not help - as I have noted they tend to increase speed at these points. Part of this is actually understandable as

1. They are aware that by adopting a correct and high profile road position - they feel vulnerable and aware they may be holding up traffic

2. They wish to get through the danger zone themselves asap. :wink: (I do confess to wellying up my pedalling power at such points as I dislike them myself - as cyclist and driver - and I've had the "enhanced bits - I can ride a bike up steps now! :o :o :o !


Lot of cyclists also forget the importance of gears and braking too - bike gears are just like car gears - part of the handling and control techniques. Lot of these bikes are very high tech these days - you can actually get a nice healthy speed on them . It's part of the fun though.

I would agree that some of the answers are a bit "iffy" - one I think should be "varies" You maximise your road presence and that implies an element of variation.

The CTC has produced some reccommendations to set a National Standard - and objectives are to ensure 60% 12 year olds have a Cycling Proficiency certifificate by 2006 - (not happening in many areas! Funding!) and courses aimed at adults. (again not happening)

IIRC The scheme has been piloted in 4 areas of the country and IIRC - started in 2002. Long pilot scheme then! :roll:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:11 
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Only four :shock: and one of them was a guess, :( Looks like my bike will be staying in the shed. :thumbsup:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:11 
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Well I had a complete disaster 1/9 - apparently considerate driving must go totally out of the window when you are on a bike. The rule is when you can obstruct the traffic, then you should do. Do not on any account do the predictable or allow other road users to go past you. Perhaps the problem is that when I did my cycling proficiency test (it was 30 years ago) things like cycle lanes and road narrowing restrictions didn't exist.

Now cyclists have to deliberately and dangerously force their way into the space that an overtaking motorist would have thought was available - how stupid of me to consider that maintaining your road position and being easy to predict would be the safe answer! And I was also stupid to consider that cycle lanes were for cyclists - apparently they a purely a road narrowing measure where cyclists have to avoid them too.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:59 
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Rewolf wrote:
Well I had a complete disaster 1/9 - apparently considerate driving must go totally out of the window when you are on a bike. The rule is when you can obstruct the traffic, then you should do. Do not on any account do the predictable or allow other road users to go past you. Perhaps the problem is that when I did my cycling proficiency test (it was 30 years ago) things like cycle lanes and road narrowing restrictions didn't exist.

Now cyclists have to deliberately and dangerously force their way into the space that an overtaking motorist would have thought was available - how stupid of me to consider that maintaining your road position and being easy to predict would be the safe answer! And I was also stupid to consider that cycle lanes were for cyclists - apparently they a purely a road narrowing measure where cyclists have to avoid them too.


That apparently was Wildy's slip up - she thought using the cycle lane ws the right answer - but the Mad Doc and self have ridden in Ambleside - you wouldn't use those! :roll:

But chicanes and road humps - not improving safety for anyone and for a cyclist - these narrowings are downright dangerous - and ASLs - not exactly helpful in many cases.

I only got them all right cos recently did a bike course (we all learnt how to ride up steps and hurtle down back streets - was fun! :twisted: ) and played their tune on the answers - which is not quite correct. Have sent my comments on the quiz with a view to improving as some of it.... :? No wonder the C plus chaps score similar scores! :wink:

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:14 
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well gosh... as a cyclist & racer... 4/9

1. - if i'm turning left i'll stay a safe distance from the kerb on the left, seems only good manners to avoid blocking right turning traffic. if some nonse wants to come up and cut across left i can deal sensibly with that too.

3 - if i'm turning right into a major road i coast to a stop to the left of the centre line to avod blocking traffic which might want to go straighht through.... and opposite the entry to the road so i can turn and nip across perpendicular to the traffic flow and minimise my time/distance going across traffic

4 - pfffff..... road narrowing, move out to annoy traffic?.. i try to hold a consistent gap to the kerb so that my cycling is predictable to any motorists... if i feel i need to move out i check over my shoulder and either a) move if clear b) move gradually but definitely! and c) signal my intention

5 - cycle lanes i take on a case by case basis.... usually they're worse than cycling on the road but i often cycle only just in the lane to avoid the gutter!


so as an experienced cyclist i disagree with many of their answers..... with reason i think.
(?)





thanks for the thread.. i've often mused over COAST type principles for cycling AND road running... as other factors like comfort & energy need to be slotted in somewhere.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 12:38 
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3/9, like I care though, there were far more important questions missed out such as what to do at traffic lights and what to do when there is a que of traffic in your path, bet even the lycra louts would fail it then. ;)

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 13:30 
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suck_my_tailpipe wrote:
Jonsher: what - in your crippling naivety...

well, at the risk of feeding the troll.

(1) for some reason you seem to think that because I ride a bike to work that I can't or don't drive. Bad mistake. Not only do I drive but I have received quite a bit of training some very nice police instructors amongst others.

(2) How would drivers determining their own safe speeds help in any of the situations I've pointed out when the correct course of action for the motorist in two of those situations would be to SLOW DOWN and in the 3rd to do something amazing and THINK.


daveyboy wrote:
such as what to do at traffic lights and what to do when there is a que of traffic in your path, bet even the lycra louts would fail it then

All real cyclists stop at red lights.
Cyclists are also *allowed* to filter through queues of traffic - especially as they're usually faster than said traffic.
How many cars have I seen accelerate to get past me - often quite dangerously - and then have to slam their brakes on because they, bizarrely, haven't noticed the queue of traffic just in front of them. Of course it's me that's holding them up as they cut back in front of me and attempt to run me off the road...


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 14:18 
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johnsher wrote:
How many cars have I seen accelerate to get past me - often quite dangerously - and then have to slam their brakes on because they, bizarrely, haven't noticed the queue of traffic just in front of them. Of course it's me that's holding them up as they cut back in front of me and attempt to run me off the road...


DITTO :(


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 14:44 
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Hmm I got 3 :|
And one of them was for where to plonk yourself when turning right, which I didn't agree with either of the answers, I would have been between the 2 positions!
I really don't fancy cycling on the roads around here anyway. I'm sure there's more fun places to be!

This made me think about advisory cycle lanes (with broken lines), as a driver you are allowed to cross the line. As a cyclist you don't have to ride in the cycle lane. So you can drive in the to the left of the road, in the cycle lane if you want. As a driver you should or must move to the right if driving in the cycle lane in order to go past a bike. In what way is that different to a normal road without all the paint on? There is no difference, right? It's all pointless, isn't it?

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 17:05 
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Out of all the bad habits people complain about other people's driving, tailgating, driving on the phone, middle lane iddiots, people who cut corners, the only one I plead guilty too is the acclerating past a cyclist then cutting back in. I know its bad, but I'm so fed up with lycra loutish behaivour with no regard for everyone elses safety, no regard for the highway code, the rules of the road and absolutely zero courtesay for other road users (motorists, pedestrians) etc etc I make it as difficult as possible for these swines whenever I get the opportunity.

I'm sure I'll upset one or two with that comment, but I'm being honest, and giving genuine reasons to why I hate them so much. Hands up I'm probably behaving like an immature child, but from what I see I'm genuinely outraged and appaulled by the behaviour I see from them.

I'm much more courteous and nicer with other "slow" vehicles such horses, farm vehicles and/or similar as they're generally more co-operative, considerate and grateful than a lycra lout.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 17:13 
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daveyboy wrote:
I make it as difficult as possible for these swines whenever I get the opportunity.

yes, we're not people so no need to worry about the good percentage of us that obey all the road rules. I'm not going to try and talk you out of your obscene behaviour, but I will point out that the only thing that it will eventually lead to is a dead cyclist. Even if you don't manage to kill someone I hope you have comprehensive insurance because bikes don't come cheap - the last person to run me down got a £5000 bill.

If you pay any sort of attention to what's written on here then you'll notice that motorists are just as capable of appalling behaviour - the difference being that they tend to kill people in the process. When was the last time you heard of a cyclist killing someone, let alone 3000 people/year??

I was genuinely under the impression that the sort of person that frequent a place such as this would be a better than average. Obviously in your case I'm sadly mistaken.


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