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Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: wolfman on January 10, 2009, 03:27:15 PM
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Does the cycling proficiency scheme still exist?
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Yes it does
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_Proficiency_Test
I have a couple of friends who work as cycle instructors in local schools and businesses. Remember that cycle safety applies to adults as well as kids - as cyclist I'm often annoyed and sometimes horrified at the attitude displayed by other people on bikes when it comes to "nuisances" such as red lights
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Aggressive urban cyclists (usually male) seem to be a particular problem in London and the south-east. They ride at high speed through traffic with an alarming lack of regard for their own or anyone else's safety.
Remember this case six months ago, when a cyclist deliberately ran a girl down on his bike and killed her, and, amazingly, got away with a fine. :(
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=210995&in_page_id=34&in_a_source=
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as a cycle-commuter, sometimes taking a more primary and agressive stance towards road users is just matter of self preservation. i'm not excusing bad behaviour nor the chap in the link above, but how many drivers do you see in the green boxes at traffic lights? how many with two wheels in the cycle lanes, forcing cyclists into the gutter?
I have an array of lights, both front and back and a hi viz reflective cycling jacket, and still idiots in BMW & Audis dont appear to see you!
london and the SE is much much more congested than up here and there are thousands more cyclists, but other road users are used to them, up here im lucky if i see anyone else on my route.
i did my cycling proficency in in primary school, but pootling around on walton drive is a far cry from the A6 at 8am!
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Agreed. It's the sheer aggression towards pedestrians that you often see in London which really alarms me. This case which hit the news was, sadly, not untypical - I have witnessed cyclists heading straight at pedestrians shouting 'out of the way'! >:(
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There are two types of cycle lanes that can be introduced by local highway authorities, mandatory cycle lanes and advisory cycle lanes. Both types attempt to create space for cyclists and improve their safety.
Mandatory cycle lanes are created by way of a local traffic regulation order. They are marked by a solid white line and signed to warn all road users the lane is available for cyclists only. It is an offence for other vehicles to enter the lane during the hours of operation. Some lanes only operate during peak hours and are signed accordingly.
Advisory lanes are sometimes also used to create space when a road is either too narrow or too heavily trafficked to provide a mandatory cycle lane. Advisory lanes are indicated by broken white lines, are usually narrower than mandatory lanes and no offence is created when other vehicles enter them.
The use of cycle lanes is not compulsory for cyclists. They can choose to ignore them and use the remainder of the carriageway if they prefer to do so.
There is a great deal of published advice available to local authorities on the design and use of cycle lanes. We also advise authorities to also introduce parking restrictions in cycle lanes to prohibit cars parking in them. Source of information
http://www.number10.gov.uk/page10784
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the guidance isn't always followed.....
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/
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We seem to have drifted away from the original question concerning Cycling Proficiency. I believe the Council has some interest in this. However my personal view is that I would not offer to become a Cycling Proficiency Advisor until the Council does much more to make cycling safer within the Borough, and the Government takes similar steps Nationwide. Although one argument is that more cyclists on the road would result in better behaviour both from motorists and indeed many current cyclists, the possibility of being held responsible for actively encouraging cyclists out onto our roads is something I cannot do at present. If asked for my advice then I will give my views on how to survive our traffic conditions - I do cycle there myself -, but the decision to take to the road has to be that of the individual.
Cycle Lanes are a typical example of how this Council caters for cyclists. The recommended width of a cycle lane is 2 metres, with 1.5 metres as an absolute minimum in exceptional circumstances. It is only in the last year or so, after years of pressure from local cyclists, that this Council has started to recognise this. There is still the assumption that although Advisory Cycle Lanes may be used for parking cars, motorists will not drive into them if a road is considered too narrow for a cycle lane. The cycle lane then stops and presumably the cyclist disappears in a puff of smoke. Is it small wonder some take to the pavements.
Until cycling is recognised as an equal partner in our transport system we shall never be in a situation to really encourage more people to cycle on our roads.
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Cycle Lanes are a typical example of how this Council caters for cyclists.
I have attended the Stockport CUG meetings and although I have respect for Don Naylor the cycling officer, I do not envy his task. In my view, the main thrust of cycle lanes both in Stockport and in the wider area seems to be to get cyclists out of the way of cars so that traffic is not inconvenienced, rather than to make the journey safer for the average cyclist. I would agree with your points above about the wisdom of encouraging nervous cyclists onto the road - I have advised more than one person at work NOT to cycle until they feel more confident for that very reason
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I have an array of lights, both front and back and a hi viz reflective cycling jacket, and still idiots in BMW & Audis dont appear to see you!
Andy, Why is it only BMW and Audis that dont see.... as a driver of a bmw i can say that say i do watch for bikes aswell has motorbikes. I also think you have aproblem with these if they are the only cars that dont see because i have seen other makes and models of cars more likely to be young drivers in them that dont see where they are going and try and run people of the road.
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it was a sweeping generalisation. dont take offence.
I have a fast car therefor i can pull out infront of you, race past you and then turn left across you. pull up outside schools and drop little billy off. stop outside the newsagents and stick the hazzards on and no one will mind. the list is endless, as is the list of marques and models, however stereotypes are there for a reason. maybe as my ride takes me through bramhall and cheadle the BMW density is much higher.
(my wife drives one too)
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Children are encouraged to bring in their bikes to learn how to use their cycles safely.
Children are taught balance and manoeuvring skills in a safe and fun environment.
Children are not excluded from this training if they are without a cycle as the trainer has 4 bikes and cycle helmets for loan free of charge.
Children with disabilities are also encouraged to bring cycles as the course can easily be adapted to include them.
For further information contact
Traffic Services
Hygarth House, 104 Wellington Road South, Stockport. SK1 3TT
Tel. No. 0161-474-4866
Fax. 0161-474-4833
Email. rosie.fearon@stockport.gov.uk
Traffic Services, Road Safety Team, Hygarth House, 103 Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK1 3TT
Tel. No. 0845 833 4444
Fax. 0161 474 4833
Email. traffic.services@stockport.gov.uk
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I was driving home from work in Stockport yesterday evening and there was an Ambulance heading in the opposite direction, sirens, flashing lights and eventually lots of car drivers honking their horns. Why? There was a cyclist with all of the gear, lights, clothes etc riding down the middle of his side of the road preventing the Ambulance from passing, all he had to do was stop his bike and get off to let the Ambulance pass. Even with all the car drivers having pulled their cars over on the same side of the road as myself there was not enough room to drive round this cyclist and you wonder why car drivers hate these arogant cyclists. Ban them all unless they have insurance (not car insurance but Public Liability), pass a test, have an MOT on their bikes each year and pay road tax to ride the bike.
Yes I hate cyclists, having had so many run-ins with various ones over the years, going through red lights (even ones with all of the gear on), pulling out in front of you without looking behind to see if it is safe to do, I have yet to see a cyclist look behind, stop and wait for a gap to pull out. I am going to stop now as I could go on for hours.
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Oh dear, once again a fellow cyclist has effectively asked me to reply to Rover’s letter. Why me, is it because practically all cyclists know that Society in general ignores cyclists’ needs, resulting in many modern bicycle riders ignoring Society’s demands, and I am one of the few who is foolish enough to hope things will eventually change?
First let me say I, and many cyclists do not condone the behaviour of some bicycle riders. It is a pity we cannot differentiate between the two. Rover suggests that all bicycle riders should take a test etc. but we all know that the Driving Test etc does not turn someone behind the wheel into a law abiding courteous, competent driver, even if they have insurance etc. which many don’t.
He says a rider was riding down the middle of his side of the road ignoring an Ambulance that wanted to get past. Could there be a reason for this? First let’s take the middle of the road bit. The Highway Code says “Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path”. Is it possible the cyclist was simply following the Highway Code? At other times it is often necessary for your own safety to take up a commanding position on the road so that incompetent or inconsiderate motorists are not tempted to squeeze past in a dangerous fashion. Next, is it not possible that the cyclist was deaf? As cyclists we frequently have to consider this when pedestrians, particularly dog walkers using long leads stray across our path. I find it difficult to believe the cyclist was just being inconsiderate, but some motorists behave the same and we are all human beings.
Rover complains about cyclists ignoring Red Lights, I wonder why some crossings have cameras to catch motorists doing exactly the same thing, but I guess Rover isn’t aware of that. Cyclists shouldn’t run Red Lights but it is not unusual for the traffic light sequence to be such that a cyclist setting off when the lights are green for him that the opposing lights have changed to green before he has had time to clear the crossing.
“Cyclists should look behind them” Cyclists have to look forward to judge likely changes to traffic conditions, sideways to see what the motorist who is too close alongside them is likely to do, behind them to see what the following motorist is likely to do, and down to try to avoid the innumerable pot-holes etc that are a hazard on our roads. I suggest Rover tries it. Get one wrong and you get hurt. The motorist encased in a crumple designed vehicle and secured by seat belt has nowhere near the same self preservation rules to follow. Furthermore Rover says the cyclists should stop and wait until there is a gap before they pull out. What an absolutely selfish attitude. Why should cyclists have to wait for motorists, are they so more important? And don’t let’s start the “I pay my road tax” nonsense. How about giving the cyclists a bit of space?
Finally, because I too could go on for ages. Rover says “Yes I hate cyclists”. Change the word cyclists to -say Pakistanis - and Rover might find himself up against the Race Relations Board. Regrettably Cyclists do not have such a champion. I am sure he doesn’t really mean it. Is it just possible that he is jealous that commuting cyclists can frequently be quicker over their journey than congestion enraged motorists?
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Finally, because I too could go on for ages. Rover says “Yes I hate cyclists”. Change the word cyclists to -say Pakistanis - and Rover might find himself up against the Race Relations Board.
oh dear.. it was going quite well until then.
Perhaps you should form the "Bicycle Race Relations Board"
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I'd say it was all good. Try to remember that the person on a bike is a person, and that person is somebody's son / daughter / wife / husband etc and suddenly they're less of a target to be knocked off.
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I'm not sure it was good actually. Logical and understandable for sure but when you break it down, sorry CTCREP, it was a rant (as was rovers however his/hers was shorter :-)) and a rant based on "2 wrongs DO make a right" at that....
(But I'll forgive you....)
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Bit of a jump cyclists to Pakistanis!
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I don't know how to do the quote bit on here so all I can do is paste & copy this from CTCREP.
"He says a rider was riding down the middle of his side of the road ignoring an Ambulance that wanted to get past. Could there be a reason for this? First let’s take the middle of the road bit. The Highway Code says “Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path”. Is it possible the cyclist was simply following the Highway Code?"
The incident I mentioned is in a place that you did not know the location of! I will now tell you CTCREP and see if you change your view of this cyclist.
As you travel to Stockport from Marple you go past 17 windows, the road has double white lines (do you know what they mean?), the road slopes slightly and then there is a sharp left hand bend opposite the entrance to the farm down below on the right. The cyclist rode right from the location where Marple Old road enters the main road in the middle of the road until past the left end bend as previously mentioned, it must have taken the Ambulance at least 5 minutes to get past him, why could he not have stopped, got off his bike, stood by the side of the road and let the ambulance past? The ambulance would have passed him very slowly. Somebody could/may have died during that time.
By the way CTREP the Marple Old road I mentioned is a 'cycle path/lane' for cyclists to use to prevent them having to ride dangeriously round those bends with the double white lines, did you know that? Obviously this cyclist didn't know it or didn't care, I would imagine that a good cyclist (do they exist?), would study any area that they were going to cycle in to find out where cycle paths/lanes etc are located.
If I were riding a bike, and I have done so in the past and taken my test, I would make sure I looked behind me before pulling out even if it meant I had to stop.I am not stupid enough to risk my life pulling out in into the path of a vehicle hoping that if one was there he would stop. Motorcyclists check behind them before overtaking anything why can't cyclists?
I would not ride a bike anymore as I consider my life and my familes life worth more than saving a few £'s each week by cycling to work. If I wanted to do it for exercise then I would use one of the many cycle ways provided for this, i.e. Middlewood Way, I see many cyclists at weekend and during the week unloading their bikes off their cars and riding down MW. They I do not hate because they are not on the road but I do wish they would have a bell on their bikes and use it to warn pedestrians that they are right up your backside.
CTREP - You have no idea what job I do so don't start trying to tell me what I know about the Highway Code, cameras at lights etc.
As for your remark about a cyclist being deaf, if he was and rode a bike then what a dangerous idiot he would be, not only risking his life but endagering others.
CRTREP - as for you mentioning Pakistanis, I spent 10 months working over there and I am not racist against any other race on the planet, except Saudi Arabians.
By the way CRTREP, if you think I could be jealous of a communting cyclist being quicker over a journey than congestion enraged motorists then you are a very sad person indeed who needs to get themselves some sort of life before it is too late and you get knocked off your bike by a motorist. Having spent 8 years travelling as a sardine on a train into Manchester, I now sit in my car in a traffic jam listening to my music with the temperature at what I want it quite happy. You see I allow time for sitting in a traffic jam on my way to work.
I am a very good driver who looks out for cyclists in my mirrors bacause if I treat them as idiots then I watch out for the many dangerous mistakes that I know they will do.
Appoligies to other people for the length of this post but as I said cyclists think they are somebody special and they are not.
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CRTREP - as for you mentioning Pakistanis, I spent 10 months working over there and I am not racist against any other race on the planet, except Saudi Arabians.
Idiotic post of the year so far?
Rover - I presume CTCREP meant that you cannot generalise. CTCREP did not actually say you were racist. You have, however, managed that yourself so well done! ::)
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Tricky
Many thanks for that, but your comment seemed to imply that I am actually bothered for somebody to know that I am racist against Saudi's., I am not bothered and would love to spend hours explaining why I and thousands of other people hate the Saudi's.
Yes I am racist and I admit it, most people would not admit being racist against a race of people but having spent 3 years living in the hell-hole called Saudi Arabia I along with many other thousands of ex-Saudi workers admit that we hated the Saudi's. Unless you have actually worked in Saudi Arabia (not in a luxury compound) then you don't know what to be racist means. So unless you have actually worked in any of the 3rd world countries during the 70's or 80's or early 90's then please don't comment about being racist as you do not know what you are talking about.
I hate cyclists but not from a racist point of view, I hate them because they are more likely to cause an accident by not doing the things that I previously said. Do they think of their families if they were killed, no! As I said, I would not cycle to work as I love my family too much to have them worrying each day as I cycled to work whether I would be knocked of my bike and killed. There is also the possibility that I could have an accident in my car but as I only drive to Stockport each day I am not likely to be killed in an accident in a traffic jam.
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I have never heared such rubbish ion my life. It's people like you who "only travel to Stockport" that cause the problem, not the cyclist. If more people got out of thier little tin boxes and rode bikes, the world would be a better place - beacuse for a start, people would be less wound up about stuff that is pretty much irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Rover, you win the award for the most blinded, bigoted view I've seen on this board
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NBT
Thank you for that. I have a really good life, do you? I like being in my little tin box, I have spent many years using other forms of transport and I prefer to travel in my own comfort.
Why would the world be a better place if I rode a bike? Carbon Footprint? Like I said to CRTREP you don't know what I do for a job. I probably save more of a Carbon Footprint in 1 hour than most of you do in a week.
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This is a topic about cycling in a forum about Marple. Please stick to the topic and avoid further debate about racism or I will remove all posts.
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I don't know how to do the quote bit on here so all I can do is paste & copy this from CTCREP.
By the way CTREP the Marple Old road I mentioned is a 'cycle path/lane' for cyclists to use to prevent them having to ride dangerously round those bends with the double white lines, did you know that? Obviously this cyclist didn't know it or didn't care, I would imagine that a good cyclist (do they exist?), would study any area that they were going to cycle in to find out where cycle paths/lanes etc are located.
A good cyclist would recognise that if traveling from Stockport to Marple in order to use the 'marple old road' he would have to stop in the centre of a busy road to turn right into Marple old road, travel a relatively short distance down an unsurfaced track only to make another right turn back onto stockport road. Which even you must agree is stupid.
plus that isn't a cycle path, it is just unsuitable for cars or motorbikes.
Ban them all unless they have insurance (not car insurance but Public Liability), pass a test, have an MOT on their bikes each year and pay road tax to ride the bike.
If you are a member of the ctc you have PLI, many serious cyclist have. Unlike the estimated 2 million uninsured drivers.
Many thanks for that, but your comment seemed to imply that I am actually bothered for somebody to know that I am racist against Saudis., I am not bothered and would love to spend hours explaining why I and thousands of other people hate the Saudis.
oh dear.
Yes I am racist and I admit it,
oh dear, oh dear
Why would the world be a better place if I rode a bike? Carbon Footprint? Like I said to CRTREP you don't know what I do for a job. I probably save more of a Carbon Footprint in 1 hour than most of you do in a week
hmm, that's great, you should pat your self on the back. what you fail to understand is none of us have a carbon footprint, we create it. so unless you get to work and start planting trees in some strange carpark carbon offsetting scheme, or maybe you have laid you desk to lawn you cant really save your own, saying that its probably something boring like flogging loft insulation.
I echo nbt's thoughts
"I have never heard such rubbish ion my life. It's people like you who "only travel to Stockport" that cause the problem, not the cyclist. If more people got out of their little tin boxes and rode bikes, the world would be a better place - because for a start, people would be less wound up about stuff that is pretty much irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Rover, you win the award for the most blinded, bigoted view I've seen on this board"
People cycle because its the fastest way to commute! and you can rant and rant as much as you like but at the end of the day you will be stuck in a tiny metal box listening to wogan staring at my arse as i wizz on by! and that's what makes drivers like you so so bitter.
Marple to stockport is about 4 miles, that takes me about 18 mins max, and I dint have to pay for parking!
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OK so, er, I think we all now know the, er, cycling proficiency scheme still exists. Hope you found this thread useful Wolfman?
;)
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My intention in starting the topic "Cycling proficiency" was to try and find out if the thing still existed. It was also intended to try and get parents interested in the scheme. I tried to contact the town hall but got stone walled. Apparently there is another scheme supposed to be taking over from the proficiency thing but as yet Stockport has not taken this scheme on.
It is amazing how topics get highjacked on this forum.
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I wasn't aware that that was your aim. I personally know two people who work as cycle trainers, who work with children in local schools to privide cycle training - so I'm not sure why stockport seem to think it doesn't exist? THe person to contact would be Don Naylor, the cycling officer, I suppose.
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we irregularly get letters home from school asking for people to be cycle trainers...supposedly massive shortage and whereas when my eldest son (13) was at primary the courses were regular my daughter now in yr 6 has never been offered the opportunity to do on so clearly they exist.. somewhere but think it depends on parental involvement
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It's probalby a matter of cost too, the chaps I know both work for commercial firms, so someone pays for them to do the training.