Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Nicky Hayden

I'm sad for every cyclist who dies on the roads including Nicky, but I cant help but think that the real issue is mixing car and truck traffic at say 60 mph with pedal cycles at 15 mph. We mostly dont allow that mixing with pedestrians walking at 4mph and we do encourage peds to walk facing incoming traffic.
I accept that cycling is the latest eco fashion but it really isnt sense to mix cycle traffic with cars

Apparently he wasn't the only victim of a road accident in Rimini. Last week the German triathlete Julia Viellehner died after she was hit by a lorry.

I think it's moved from eco-fashion to sport-fashion. Cycling is a fantastic way of getting around in certain contexts and has many benefits for health, the environment and the economy. However, as this tragedy has highlighted, in many countries it has never been properly integrated with other traffic. That is the real challenge. (It can be done as many countries have shown e.g. The Netherlands and Sweden).

Taking to the doctor this morning, just after the lights turned green for the road I was in a young lady (20s) on a pushbike carried on straight across in front of us from the side turning. As I was turning right I was in no hurry to move into the junction, but the car on my left, turning left, had to brake sharply. Cyclist seemed totally oblivious to the situation...

As a kid and up to the age of 17 I used to cycle everywhere, but this was the 1960s when traffic density was far, far lower.

Last year I re-visited the places in which I grew up... there is no way I'd cycle there now. Traffic volume is such that at best a cyclist is an obstruction that frustrates motor vehicle users and at worst is an accident waiting to happen.

I'm sorry, my feelings are that it has got to the point where cyclists shouldn't be allowed on most roads unless there is a proper, purpose designed, cycle track. The attempts in London to segregate bikes from cars and busses don't seem to have achieved anything.

The 3.x mile section of dual carriageway from Cheltenham to Gloucester, known as the Golden Valley Bypass, crossing junction 11 of the M5 was at one stage a no-cycles route (after modifications to road level to clear a bridge.
When it was made a no-cycle route the pushbikers were up in arms about it. Days after the restriction was lifted a cyclist was in collision with a motor vehicle, can't remember whether they survived or not. The old road is safer, to an extent.

I was chatting to a young man in his mid 20's, only the other day, who was telling me he had a sore shoulder when he came off his bike as a result of a car turning left, then admitted he was in the cars nearside blindspot and did not see the indicators. He seemed to think it was the car drivers fault, but I would venture to suggest he was 75% to blame, and given he had more to lose [his life] he should not have put himself in this position. I still ride a bike in town, mainly for convenience, and expect not to be seen, and do everything I can to put myself in a safe space, wherever possible.

I feel sorry for anyone hurt or killed on the road, but people have to do their best to ensure their own safety, cyclists in particular.

This case may be entirely different but I am really fed up with push bike riders that seem to think the road rules don't apply to them. On the lake we do not have one legal passing zone (unbroken line all the way) yet you are supposed to give good clearance when passing bicyclists, this means breaking the law by crossing the unbroken line. There is something not terribly logical here. Bike riders are supposed to ride in single file but usually when they are in a group ride in at least double file. When finally you get past them you get stopped by a traffic light and what do the cyclists do? They pass you on the passenger side (not legal) then go through the red light (not legal) and then they become a mobile chicane that you have to stress to get past again.

Italy is wonderful but we have a 3 km section of high speed road that is shared with cyclists just befor Lecco. For at least 12 years there has been work on a pedestrian and cycle way to run alongside the Super Strada. That 3 km has cost the tax payer a fortune and yet again the contractors (2 men and a dog) have failed and are being investigated for Mafia connections.

In the mean time the limit on this section of road is a much ignored 70 kph.

Peter in UK it is permitted to cross a solid white line to pass a cyclist when safe to do so. Is it not the same in Italy ?