I don't cycle at the moment, but I have to admit that my signalling was more like the Dane's than the way I learnt as a child - a full-armed manoeuvre that would take out any passing faster cyclist!
Cyclists in England don't seem to signal at all, any more. But I rarely see slow and steady cyclists, either - even those not wearing lycra seem hell-bent on speed to the extent that they have decided that traffic lights don't apply to them. Talking of lycra, you might like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-22639683
That's wonderful! I mean, the cyclist's attitude is. The incident itself reads like a satire.
I keep an eye on the UK cycling scene via the I Bike London blog (obviously mostly London, but he covers this type of story too), and I notice that a lot of comments on UK news articles about cycling sound like those on American ones: the ever-boring "cyclists are all scofflaws who don't pay road tax" blah-blah. So it's not really surprising that the actual cycling climate is similar too, with the racing/sport mentality.
On my last trip to your country I thought about hiring a bike, but I chickened out. Even in a small town I realized I'd have felt useless and out of control in an unfamiliar and left-side traffic environment. There was no possible way I'd try a Boris bike in London. It looked like suicide to me! But I saw loads of people doing it.
Cycling in London is different to the rest of the country, I think, partly because of the couriers who race about! But I spend as little time in London as possible now. I suspect that riding a Boris bike may be the safest way to do it - drivers tend to appreciate that they are tourists, and give them a wider berth. You definitely need your wits about you to cycle there, though - the cycle lanes don't go everywhere.
Comments 3
Cyclists in England don't seem to signal at all, any more. But I rarely see slow and steady cyclists, either - even those not wearing lycra seem hell-bent on speed to the extent that they have decided that traffic lights don't apply to them. Talking of lycra, you might like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-22639683
Reply
I keep an eye on the UK cycling scene via the I Bike London blog (obviously mostly London, but he covers this type of story too), and I notice that a lot of comments on UK news articles about cycling sound like those on American ones: the ever-boring "cyclists are all scofflaws who don't pay road tax" blah-blah. So it's not really surprising that the actual cycling climate is similar too, with the racing/sport mentality.
On my last trip to your country I thought about hiring a bike, but I chickened out. Even in a small town I realized I'd have felt useless and out of control in an unfamiliar and left-side traffic environment. There was no possible way I'd try a Boris bike in London. It looked like suicide to me! But I saw loads of people doing it.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment