Safe Speed Forums

There was nothing actually wrong with cross ply tyres. In fact racing tyres used to be generally of cross ply construction, and I think they continued in use for some time after road cars were starting to use radials.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Yeah, I vaguely recall a TV ad warning you not to mix cross ply and radial tyres in certain configurations. I was just a kid at the time so don't recall the full details.

IIRC crossply have more lateral give than radial but less in the direction of rotation.

This is the reason I was told my Reliant 3 wheeler could not use radial tyres. Too much lateral grip could cause it to turn over. Not that it needed much excuse.

There's an interesting 'why do drivers speed' discussion raging on Pistonheads: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 401750&i=0 (requires free registration).

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Paul Smith
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The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I believe the advice was that if you were only fitting two radial ply tyres they had to be fitted on the rear wheels - presumably so that if loss of grip were to be suffered it would be at the front end, i.e. understeer, which is deemed to be easier for most drivers to cope with.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Being of the age when cross plys were the standard and radials introduced as i changed cars, seem to remember you are right, and think that was the reason.

Homer wrote "This is the reason I was told my Reliant 3 wheeler could not use radial tyres. Too much lateral grip could cause it to turn over. Not that it needed much excuse. Shocked"

Only once had that problem with father in law's Reliant --parking on hill at Robin hoods bay (on slope).On the road, it tended to slide first, more like a moggie minor.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I know the record Wipeout with the wicked drum beat. I used to play it on my girlfriend's buttocks Ah memories.


But seriously, without wishing to detract from your original question Paul, I think maybe it isn't just about why do people speed but why do people break laws in general?

If someone perceives that a law is dumb then even the most law abiding person will ignore it, myself included, and the speeding issue is a perfect example of this.

For instance, I ride my pushbike on the pavement sometimes when I can hear a HGV thundering up behind me on a narrow road. When there's no-one on the pavement this is what I do. So long as I'm not threatening anyone, why not safeguard myself until the danger is past and get back on the road afterwards. I do the same at dangerous junctions too, but once again only if there aren't any pedestrians around. Ahh but you can't do that Tone, I hear them say.

I could go on but my point is that I don't want to blindly follow a dumb law where common sense should prevail instead. I'm not going to put myself at risk just because someone hasn't thought the law through thoroughly; someone who most likely doesn't understand what it is to be a cyclist in today's world but has the power to make my world more unsafe.

I'm putting a duty of care to myself above the law really.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.