Cyclists - Rules of the road

hoodwinked

MugMugs wrote: »

The irony of your post is laughable.

What about C, the person out to get a bit of exercise, fresh air and enjoy life?

usually seen in parks/cycle tracks/ off road area's? so i didn't include them as they rarely pose problems on the road.

blue5000

Was stuck behind 3 cyclists riding abreast with Nenagh cycling across their asses for half a mile near Killaloe last week. Thanks, first we get a bicycle lane down both sides of the N7, then a speed limit reduction from 100km/hr down to 80km/hr, followed by a speed camera van making it's living on this road. Now we get cyclists riding three abreast, what's next?

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

usually seen in parks/cycle tracks/ off road area's? so i didn't include them as they rarely pose problems on the road.

You'd be doing well to get any kind of decent distance or exercise on a cycle path or in a park on a road bike.

Not all people on "racing bikes" are racing. Some just do it for the sheer thrill and a bit of sweat.

whisky_galore

MugMugs wrote: »

You'd be doing well to get any kind of decent distance or exercise on a cycle path or in a park on a road bike.

It beats sitting on your h*le watching tv. Horses for courses, not everyone is a masochistic lycra clad warrior.

hoodwinked

MugMugs wrote: »

You'd be doing well to get any kind of decent distance or exercise on a cycle path or in a park on a road bike.

Not all people on "racing bikes" are racing. Some just do it for the sheer thrill and a bit of sweat.

to be honest you can "sweat" on a normal bike, most if not all groups on racing bikes i know use strava or the likes to track their activity, considering a definition of race is

a contest or competition in which different people or teams try to win something or to do something first

by definition they are Racing against others/their previous cycle/their previous times/themselves.

and on cycle paths if they aren't long enough for you do them multiple times, cycle along a beach, the effort it takes to cycle on sand will get you sweating, there are other options. anyway my objection is to groups using the roads for this racing (even if they are pretending they are not.) if any other road using group tried this it would be stopped!

desertcircus

whisky_galore wrote: »

It beats sitting on your h*le watching tv. Horses for courses, not everyone is a masochistic lycra clad warrior.

Where does the warrior thing come from? I cycle because there's a history of heart disease in my family and cycling and running keeps my weight down and my heart healthy. Twenty minutes of leisurely bimbling on a Dutch-style bike would do sod all for my cardiovascular health; I have to work hard.

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

to be honest you can "sweat" on a normal bike, most if not all groups on racing bikes i know use strava or the likes to track their activity, considering a definition of race is by definition they are Racing against others/their previous cycle/their previous times/themselves.

and on cycle paths if they aren't long enough for you do them multiple times, cycle along a beach, the effort it takes to cycle on sand will get you sweating, there are other options. anyway my objection is to groups using the roads for this racing (even if they are pretending they are not.) if any other road using group tried this it would be stopped!

There is a bit more to Strava than segments and competition though.

It's an opportunity to monitor your heart rate, your zones, your elevation and your speed over elevation and last but not least your cadence.

I bike off road and on road.

I get up in the morning, put on my lycra get on my road bike and bike 100k to Mullingar lets say. I'm using Strava and a heart rate monitor. I get to Mullingar, have a cup of Coffee and a banana and turn around and head home.

I've just taken in the highs and lows, the views and hills of Louth, Meath and Westmeath and potentially had a look around a town I am unframiluar with.

Makes it a lot more interesting than sitting on a 1k cycle path and doing 200 circuits of it.

Would you consider me racing ? Or just a recreational cyclist?

desertcircus

hoodwinked wrote: »

to be honest you can "sweat" on a normal bike, most if not all groups on racing bikes i know use strava or the likes to track their activity, considering a definition of race is by definition they are Racing against others/their previous cycle/their previous times/themselves.

and on cycle paths if they aren't long enough for you do them multiple times, cycle along a beach, the effort it takes to cycle on sand will get you sweating, there are other options. anyway my objection is to groups using the roads for this racing (even if they are pretending they are not.) if any other road using group tried this it would be stopped!

Cycling on sand? Right beside a massive body of saltwater? Take one guess as to what happens the metal drivetrain when you take it into a wet and salty environment.

Or what happens when you try to use 25mm wheels on a surface that gives way under very little pressure.

MugMugs

desertcircus wrote: »

Or what happens when you try to use 25mm wheels on a surface that gives way under very little pressure.

Good point.

Need a new bike

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ice_cream_truck_2015

hoodwinked

MugMugs wrote: »

Would you consider me racing ? Or just a recreational cyclist?

in a group? racing, (lets be honest here we all know human ego's love a bit of competition) as in group b in my first post, on your own? recreational, you are going from a-b as in group a in my first post.

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

in a group? racing, (lets be honest here we all know human ego's love a bit of competition) on your own? recreational, you are going from a-b.

Ok, I did the Wiclow 200 this year. 200K and over 2000 metres climbing.

The aim of the game was to finish the challenge. We didn't care about time. We all stuck tognether because it's easier to cycle distance in a group.

The event is not a race.

We all rolled back to Greystones long after the bulk of participants had collected their medals.

Would you still consider me racing despite me saying I wasn't, didn't care about time and the event not being a race?

hoodwinked

MugMugs wrote: »

Ok, I did the Wiclow 200 this year. 200K and over 2000 metres climbing.

The aim of the game was to finish the challenge. We didn't care about time. We all stuck tognether because it's easier to cycle distance in a group.

The event is not a race.

We all rolled back to Greystones long after the bulk of participants had collected their medals.

Would you still consider me racing despite me saying I wasn't, didn't care about time and the event not being a race?

as a side note can i ask were there gardaí at the front or back (as roads weren't closed off), was there ambulance personal on standby?


a challenge while not classified as a race by the organisers (as if it was they'd have to close roads, pay a lot of money and have ambulances on standby along the route) has the same principles of a race, you still have teams trying to win something which is in the definition of "Race" ( winning in this particular case a medal at the end)


if a group of cars/motorbikes/runners/walkers were doing a "challenge" that involved the same idea's, it again would be shut down very quickly until they got road closures/health and safety in order...etc

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

if a group of cars/motorbikes/runners/walkers were doing a "challenge" that involved the same idea's, it again would be shut down very quickly until they got road closures/health and safety in order...etc

There were Gardai present but minimal. There were Ambulance crews in situ due to the fact that it's just good sense.

The medal is recognition that you've completed a gruelling cycle. You've toured the hills and spills of the Wicklow Mountains under your own steam. It's not a race.

When we bring All The Way Round back I'll send you a PM.

The lads and lassies or ATWR have driven the entire island of Ireland and done so for sponsorship. They've done so in convoy and the end game has been to raise much needed funding for the likes of Barretstown.

No Gardai are required, it's not a race just a group of people trying to do some good.

Unfortunately, by your definition of what they do, it is a race.

hoodwinked

i'm not sure of up the country to be honest, but here in Cork i have been stopped at junctions waiting as a "fun run" for charity goes by flanked by Gardaí (on motor bikes, pedal bikes, classic cars, vintage machines) these don't happen every week either it's worth taking note and i don't believe in stopping them they raise a hell of a lot of money for charity so i think that point is defunct as it;s not exclusive to cycling, by answering your questions we have gone on a tangent,

i am very clearly saying the groups you see on roads, The groups out racing tour de france style, usually (but not always) seen on country roads/weekends trying to set personal best's and timing their "races" elevations..etc shouldn't be there, any other groups of people or group of vehicles using the public roads in this manner would be stopped by Gardaí fairly sharpish if they were doing the same.

they are not comparable to cyclists out to commute or cyclist's who go from point a to point b, just trying to not get hurt on our roads. yet people lump them into the one group "cyclists"

Zillah

desertcircus wrote: »

Where does the warrior thing come from?

Well, you see. They are fitter than I am and seem to be self-motivated, so obviously they have notions about themselves and need to be brought down a peg or two. By warrior we mean some lad with delusions about how great he is.

Anyone who makes me feel insecure about anything is obviously some sort of hilarious, pretentious cliche.

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

i'm not sure of up the country to be honest, but here in Cork

The rules and laws are uniformed throughout the country.

What you've done is generalised all group cyclists as racers and said that they shouldn't be there.

By your logic, a lone cyclist is ok. A cyclist with friends isn't.

hoodwinked

MugMugs wrote: »

The rules and laws are uniformed throughout the country.

What you've done is generalised all group cyclists as racers and said that they shouldn't be there.

By your logic, a lone cyclist is ok. A cyclist with friends isn't.

first of all when i said "here in Cork" i meant i am unfamiliar with events up the country not the rules and laws.


cycling on your own is obviously ok, how many people commute alone? the majority i would hazard a guess,

as the groups i am referring to may consider each other "Friends", so if this cycling with friends involves cycling in a group on a public road to get somewhere faster than others/your previous times or falls in to

any contest or competition, especially to achieve superiority

then yes that group of friends are racing and shouldn't be on that road participating in that activity unless they are willing to close the roads being used and pay for that privilege like all other groups would have to.

keithclancy

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I just watched the Rules of the Road advert on RTE1 before 9pm news. - When driving watch out for cyclists as they may be riding 2 abreast ... why? why can they do that and take up all that space, last time I checked they are not a width of a vehicle and they do no pay road tax

I'd prefer to have to only over take one length of a bicycle rather than two.

If you can't pass cyclists riding two abreast then you can't pass a single cyclist either.

Personally I think people Cycling is great, less cars on the road, healthier, less parking problems.

It's the Cycling Infrastructure in Ireland, it's absolutely shít, cyclists using the same lights as pedestrians, cycle lanes in crazy places (between a curb and a bus lane) or that go nowhere (finish in a wall)

To top it many of the cycle lanes are only operational between certain hours.

So when Cyclists go on about Car Drivers and vice versa, you aren't angry at each other because either of you are wrong, it's just the environment is terrible.

MugMugs

hoodwinked wrote: »

as the groups i am referring to may consider each other "Friends", so if this cycling with friends involves cycling in a group on a public road to get somewhere faster than others/your previous times or falls in to then yes that group of friends are racing and shouldn't be on that road participating in that activity unless they are willing to close the roads being used and pay for that privilege like all other groups would have to.

Cool.

So you're willing to accept that not every group of Cyclists cycling peleton are racing and should be allowed full use of the road and that leisure cyclists merely out to exercise their bodies do exist and it's perfectly okay?

km991148

Holy fu(k

This is killing boards!

steamengine

km991148 wrote: »

Holy fu(k

This is killing boards!

Na, boards has remarkable survival skills - 'popcorn' threads the house speciality.

What's all this lycra business about ?, I just dress the way I am and use trouser clips.

MugMugs

If you've got and even if you don't, ya just gotta flaunt it.

Ashbx

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I wheely believe that we should allow discussion on cars V bikes. It tends to go in roundabouts and ends up in a car crash or train wreck, and nothing is every resolved. But, we should not put the brakes on the converstaion.

Agree - it makes for great entertainment!

howdoyouknow

Andy From Sligo wrote:

I just watched the Rules of the Road advert on RTE1 before 9pm news. - When driving watch out for cyclists as they may be riding 2 abreast ... why? why can they do that and take up all that space, last time I checked they are not a width of a vehicle and they do no pay road tax

I thought it was the same rules for a bicycle as a motorcyle. They can singly occupy the full width of the road depending on road conditions but shouldn't ride two abreast. Cycling on the inside of the road is safer and a courtesy to other traffic using the road.

Knasher

howdoyouknow wrote: »

They can singly occupy the full width of the road depending on road conditions but shouldn't ride two abreast.

The laws for cyclists allow travelling 2 abreast and overtaking 3 abreast.

howdoyouknow wrote: »

Cycling on the inside of the road is safer and a courtesy to other traffic using the road.

That is debatable. If you cycle in a city, you are generally much safer in the middle of the lane as it keeps you away from opening doors and stops people trying to squeeze by you when there is traffic in the oncoming lane, as well as giving you the space to swerve around potholes if needed. Generally cyclists stick to the inside mostly as a courtesy to other drivers.

07Lapierre

howdoyouknow wrote: »

I thought it was the same rules for a bicycle as a motorcyle. They can singly occupy the full width of the road depending on road conditions but shouldn't ride two abreast. Cycling on the inside of the road is safer and a courtesy to other traffic using the road.

The key phrase is "more than". It is legal to cycle two abreast and has been since 1964.

29.—(1) A pedal cyclist shall not, save when overtaking other pedal cyclists (and then only if to do so will not endanger other traffic or pedestrians) drive a pedal cycle on a roadway in such a manner as to result in more than two pedal cycles driving abreast

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1964/en/si/0294.html#zzsi294y1964a29

desertcircus

hoodwinked wrote: »

first of all when i said "here in Cork" i meant i am unfamiliar with events up the country not the rules and laws.


cycling on your own is obviously ok, how many people commute alone? the majority i would hazard a guess,

as the groups i am referring to may consider each other "Friends", so if this cycling with friends involves cycling in a group on a public road to get somewhere faster than others/your previous times or falls in to then yes that group of friends are racing and shouldn't be on that road participating in that activity unless they are willing to close the roads being used and pay for that privilege like all other groups would have to.

Cars and motorbikes shouldn't race on open roads because it would invariably mean violation of the speed limit to a truly spectacular degree and be insanely dangerous. Runners unofficially race each other all the time; just check Strava's run segments. Cyclists using Strava is no big deal because a top-tier cyclist on an eight thousand quid bike will still struggle to crack 40mph on the flat.

Andy From Sligo

07Lapierre wrote: »

The key phrase is "more than". It is legal to cycle two abreast and has been since 1964.

29.—(1) A pedal cyclist shall not, save when overtaking other pedal cyclists (and then only if to do so will not endanger other traffic or pedestrians) drive a pedal cycle on a roadway in such a manner as to result in more than two pedal cycles driving abreast

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1964/en/si/0294.html#zzsi294y1964a29

haha - hasnt been updated since 1964 - that says a lot that does ! ....

keithclancy

keithclancy wrote: »

Personally I think people Cycling is great...

Me too, especially when you jump on them and they don't expect it...

tigerboon

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

haha - hasnt been updated since 1964 - that says a lot that does ! ....

Like a lot of the opinions on this thread