Editor's Rant

June 2002

Well folks, once again the Season is upon us. I refer, of course, to National Bike Week. Quite why we need a NBW I have often pondered. I'm told it raises the profile and "awareness" of cycling. Only the other day I saw a cyclist and I was immediately "aware" that he was riding a bicycle. Incredible.

Personally, I don't have a bike week; I have a bike year and ride most days of it too. Can you imagine if we had a National Mobile Telephone Week to raise awareness of phones ("I'm on the train") or a National Car Week to raise awareness of car transport? No, forget the last item.

Anyway, coming soon we will have Newark Bike Week to raise...etc. As CTC members in Newark attend most, and organise some, of the rides in Newark bike week I am often puzzled by the actions of local people who attend the rides. Nearly all of them who complete the rides say how much they have enjoyed them and some attend more than one ride during the week. What is amazing is that we never see most of them again until the following year's bike week. Do they put their machines away in the shed and never think of using them for shopping, visiting nearby friends and relatives or even just pleasure rides throughout the rest of the year?

Just a couple of days ago I cycled past a local Primary/Junior school at 3:00pm and was (almost) amazed to see about 60 parked cars (some double) along the road near the school with parent(s) waiting for their children to leave. It was a lovely warm summer day with the sun shining. Why not buy a bike for the children and cycle with them to school when the weather is fine? We are breeding a generation of overweight school kids who do not exercise enough. (Who sold the playing fields?) Parents and children would get fitter and anecdotal evidence suggests they would enjoy it; there would also be less pollution (linked to Asthma in children) emitted. Most car journeys are less than 3 miles. You could cycle this distance in 20 minutes even as a complete beginner. When you take into account time spent getting the car out of the garage and putting it away again (if there's room for it) cycling might be almost as quick.

I don't know if any readers of this page use the Newark to Balderton cycling path. I have used it once or twice and have serious reservations about it.
Starting and stopping a bicycle involves much more effort than starting and stopping a car, largely due to the low power output of (most) cyclists and weaker brakes compared to a motor car. If a cyclist uses the road, they can build up speed and cruise all the way from the old hospital traffic lights to the traffic lights at the Turk's Head pub. Easy. If they choose the cycle path, they have to give priority to motor traffic at every (frequent) side road junction and also look around about 270 degrees before progressing.

In my opinion, using the cycle path is MORE DANGEROUS than riding (with great care) on the highway for the reasons given above. In continental countries with a cycling culture, cyclists are given priority at junctions over motor traffic. This makes much more sense as in the event of a collision, you know who is going to be seriously injured!

A lot of pedestrians get very worked up about cyclists using the pavement. This is, of course, illegal. Except where it isn't! Where shared facilities are signposted it is allowed. Cyclists are just as keen to avoid hitting pedestrians as they are anything else. In a collision with a pedestrian the cyclist is likely to come off worse than the walker.

Cyclists are often hated by motorists because they:-

• Turn right or left without looking behind or signalling. (As do some motorists)
• Cross over when the traffic lights are red. (As do some motorists)
• Ride two abreast and obstruct the traffic.
• Get in the way on roundabouts.
• Ride the "wrong" way down one-way streets.
• Hinder overtaking on winding lanes.
• Ride without lights at night.
• Ride into car doors which are suddenly flung open.
• Overtake and then brake hard and turn left. (Woops, sorry that would be a motorist.)

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The views expressed by the editor are his personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the view of the Cyclists Touring Club of Great Britain. (Or anyone else for that matter.)

James Reckless

Page updated 14/06/02