Safe Speed Forums

I cycle a lot, mostly to work and back (maybe 100 miles a week, sometimes a bit more). There are no cycle paths of any sort, and I wouldn't use them if there were. I'm cycling to get from a to b, not to fanny around looking at the scenery with my family. I ride at an average of nearly 20mph, with a top speed of getting on for 40. I can't do that on a cycle path.
A cyclist's place is on the road, not on some funny coloured tarmac pretend road covered in broken glass and dogshit and with give way lines every fifteen yards.

It's best for cyclists to avoid cycling too near the kerb - 30 cm (1') is the recommended distance.

Who recommends that?

secondary position is about 1 METRE (3 feet) to the left of moving traffic lane if the road is wide - but not more than .5 metres (one and a half feet) to the edge of any road. Riding too close to the edge would leave you with no room for manoeuvre in any emergency, whilst increasing the need to make unpredicatable movements which could lead to a crash. You might also have to endure the discomfort of darins, edge damage and debris which accumulates at the side of the road - and there is no reason why whou should experience more discomfort than others. Riding too close to the kerb can make you difficult to see for drivers coming out of side roads and drives.

Only on long stretches of road where there are no side roads, drives and you are riding very slowly up a hill - should you allow yourself to dride further to the left than the secondary riding position, but always keep at least one and half feet (0.5 metres) from the edge. Conversley if you are riding fast - keep further out.

On lightly trafficked road where you use a primary riding position, keep aware of the conditions behind you- with both eyes and ears. Always check behind you when you see a hazard ahead. As soon as you sense a vehicle following you, plan your move to the secondary position so long as it is safe to do so. You should make your move niether too early nor too late - but gradually in a way that causes no inconvenience to another road user.

On busy roads - it will be necessary to keep to a secondary as it is ratehr tiring to keep oscillating back and forth and it will just confuse other road users

Of course in my day (Back in the Dark Ages) you had schools doing cycling proficiancy (With a strong hint that if you hadnt passed the test you shouldnt cycle!) and the Tufty Club (Anybody remember that? Its a bit before Green Cross Man!)

Nobody seems to do this anymore (Or so it seems )

Per Cycle Craft -

Thanks for that MM. One foot from the kerb is far too close in my opinion - I never ride like that.

I cycle a lot, mostly to work and back (maybe 100 miles a week, sometimes a bit more).