Tarmac cyclist

[PhilBrew]

Hi All

Don't really want to get involved in the debate ... but I will pass on a tip I have, for an easier life as a cyclist who frequently rides on paths shared with pedestrians ...

This is something I've gleaned a while ago from a leaflet produced by the canal and river trust (a predecessor to the information and videos now provided there (link)) around cycling on canal towpaths, where the advice for cyclists kept using the phrase "Give a 'ding ding'", rather than any other phrase for "sounding your bell" ... so I did a little "experimenting" and I've found (admittedly all personally and so anecdotally) that if, when riding up behind someone (or even in front of them and you want to make sure they're aware that you're approaching), you ring your bell once (short or long), then the response you get from the pedestrian is more likely to mimic the response you would get had you shouted "Oi you, get out of my f**king way!!" ... whereas, if you give two short rings on your bell, 'ding ding', then they're much more likely to respond with a positive attitude ... after giving a 'ding ding', I've even had pedestrians turning around and thanking me for letting them know I was approaching and apologising for taking up space on the path

There's probably whole areas of psychological research as to why this may help ... but if it helps us all get along a little more easily, it's not that hard to do

Cheers, PhilB

 

[skulltat280]

Everything, cyclists pay exactly the same tax towards the upkeep of the roads that motorists do.

Doesn't answer my question. What exactly is it motorists get that cyclists don't?

 

[skulltat280]

Hi All

Don't really want to get involved in the debate ... but I will pass on a tip I have, for an easier life as a cyclist who frequently rides on paths shared with pedestrians ...

This is something I've gleaned a while ago from a leaflet produced by the canal and river trust (a predecessor to the information and videos now provided there (link)) around cycling on canal towpaths, where the advice for cyclists kept using the phrase "Give a 'ding ding'", rather than any other phrase for "sounding your bell" ... so I did a little "experimenting" and I've found (admittedly all personally and so anecdotally) that if, when riding up behind someone (or even in front of them and you want to make sure they're aware that you're approaching), you ring your bell once (short or long), then the response you get from the pedestrian is more likely to mimic the response you would get had you shouted "Oi you, get out of my f**king way!!" ... whereas, if you give two short rings on your bell, 'ding ding', then they're much more likely to respond with a positive attitude ... after giving a 'ding ding', I've even had pedestrians turning around and thanking me for letting them know I was approaching and apologising for taking up space on the path

There's probably whole areas of psychological research as to why this may help ... but if it helps us all get along a little more easily, it's not that hard to do

Cheers, PhilB

Looks like there's a pattern emerging...... Cyclists are always involved in havoc

 

[terrym]

I haven't got a bell on my bike. On the occasions that I am on a shared cycle/footpath and coming from behind I shout (but not too loudly ) 'Excuse me' when at a distance which allows me to be heard and the pedestrian to move if required. Other than on rare occasions people will move if they need to and then I say 'Thankyou' as I pass.
Works for me.
However it appears I am the odd one out, as I have noticed when I am walking . The number of cyclists who give advance warning of their approach from the rear are few and far between, and are more like the pillocks who approach from behind at high speed as if their lives depended upon it, and then hurtle past with no allowance for any error.

 

[MyQul]

I dont have a bell on my bike either. Perhaps it's just London with all the background noise but I've noticed, in general pedestrian's tend to not hear/ignore bike bell's. I generally find bellowing, 'WATCH OUT!! at pedestrians/Tourists who walk into the road without looking usually does the trick

My favourite thing are pedestrians who walk into the road without looking, get to about half way, then notice me coming at a fair clip. If their a fellow cyclist you know what do do - stand still - it's very easy for me to just go around or just simple stop. But most of them arn't and they do a little dance not knowing whether to run forward to the safetly of the other side of the road or run back the pavement they were on. Had a fantastic one yesterday, he nearly fell over. That song by KC and the sunshine band, do a little dance - get down tonight always goes through my head when they do their little dance

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I dont have a bell on my bike either. Perhaps it's just London with all the background noise but I've noticed, in general pedestrian's tend to not hear/ignore bike bell's.

 

[Avo]

I pay car tax, MOT, fuel duty plus and all the rest.
Can I get a rebate when I cycle and leave the car at home ?

 

[Linalmeemow]

I pay car tax, MOT, fuel duty plus and all the rest.
Can I get a rebate when I cycle and leave the car at home ?

Is this a rhetorical question?

 

[the_quick]

If all cyclist had a bell, my life would be "jump" free - as always when they pass me quietly, it makes me jump.

 

[Avo]

Is this a rhetorical question?

Rhetorical; Yes, and no.

 

[klaus]

Drivers' favourite argument against cyclists: you don't pay any road tax ....
Yeah but but but I have three cars in the household all fully taxed, insured, serviced, etc. Even got insurance as a cyclist. And tell me how much damage my bike does to the roads and the environment?
I think car drivers (myself included) had it far too good and the reality is that we need to take vehicles off the roads, not build more and bigger roads, or replace existing cars with electric. Our town are choked with traffic every day, the air stinks at the best of times, both kids and adults suffer more from respitory problems, etc etc.

 

[skulltat280]

Drivers' favourite argument against cyclists: you don't pay any road tax ....
Yeah but but but I have three cars in the household all fully taxed, insured, serviced, etc. Even got insurance as a cyclist. And tell me how much damage my bike does to the roads and the environment?
I think car drivers (myself included) had it far too good and the reality is that we need to take vehicles off the roads, not build more and bigger roads, or replace existing cars with electric. Our town are choked with traffic every day, the air stinks at the best of times, both kids and adults suffer more from respitory problems, etc etc.

Not practical

 

[Llamaman]

Is this a rhetorical question?

No it isn’t. It’s a potato.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think car drivers (myself included) had it far too good and the reality is that we need to take vehicles off the roads, not build more and bigger roads, or replace existing cars with electric. Our town are choked with traffic every day, the air stinks at the best of times, both kids and adults suffer more from respitory problems, etc etc.

Modern cars are far less polluting then what us olds have been driving for years and electric cars are here to stay whether the petrol heads like it or not, I think they need to look at the amount of pollution that comes out of the exhausts of busses, wagons, trains, air-planes and ships and compare it to cars of which many only travel to work and back and are sat idle for 22 hours per day!

 

[Avo]

Bring back the trolley bus !

There is a push to make public transport electric, or where battery technology or a fixed distribution system is impractical or expensive, the use of hydrogen fuel cells looks like being the next big thing.

The freedom to just jump in a car and go where you want may be a luxury many of us may not be able to or want to afford in the near future. I used to drive ~50k a year in as a white van man (person). Nowadays, I hate urban driving, it's public transport for me where practical.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Nowadays, I hate urban driving, it's public transport for me where practical.

I use my car mainly to get to work and take SWMBO to the next town to do our monthly and other shopping as we have little choice here, it must be nice to have choice to give up the car unfortunately there are a lot of us who don't have that option, i would get an electric car but the purchase price and lack of place to charge it mean its never going to happen.

 

[MyQul]

I'd rather cycle than use public transport. This past week I've had a series of 'mystery puntures' (which I discovered today was down to worn rim tape) so have had to catch the train. Apart from getting lots of kindle reading done it was horrible

 

[Dutto]

Riding along a cycle track in France I went round a corner and came face-to-face with a car coming the other way.

I braked, the car braked and (unable to get out of my clips in time) I went down on to the tarmac about a foot from his front bumper.

The driver had exited from the driveway of a house alongside the cycle track so he wasn't 100% in the wrong. I was sat on the tarmac applying TCP ointment to the scrapes on my knee when he came over to apologise.

The sympathy I got from SWMBO was "You wouldn't have fallen off if you hadn't been wearing those clips!"

Happy Days!

 

[foxy]

Bring back the trolley bus !

There is a push to make public transport electric, or where battery technology or a fixed distribution system is impractical or expensive, the use of hydrogen fuel cells looks like being the next big thing.

The freedom to just jump in a car and go where you want may be a luxury many of us may not be able to or want to afford in the near future. I used to drive ~50k a year in as a white van man (person). Nowadays, I hate urban driving, it's public transport for me where practical.

You already have hydrogen buses in London even double decker ones, we have them here Hyundai I think. Not many blow themselves up.

 

[Avo]

That Stockholm bus ran through a height restriction gantry. It shouldn't have been on that route.
The gas tanks were on the roof, and I believe were CNG, similar to LPG (Methane or propane etc), but still used in a combustion engine.
Being on the roof meant the gas rupture was external, not into the bus cavity.
Frightening, though the driver survived with some hospital care.

Hydrogen cell technology is a different ball game. The hydrogen is a means for storing energy from electricity. ( As does a battery)
Electrolysis produces hydrogen, the gas is then converted back to electricity to drive electric propulsion, at around twice the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. Lessons have been learnt from the Hindenburg, contrary to what the Daily mail says.

Oil may last for a few more decades yet, certainly our lifetime. I don't think my grand kids will have the luxury we've had, of being able to take it for granted. These new technologies have to be considered, otherwise we'll have Greta on our case.