Is it ok for cyclists to break the road rules? 🤨

@jxpowers

7 ай бұрын

No

@filippopogacar

7 ай бұрын

Just for a KOM (I’m kidding 😊)

@jstnclee

7 ай бұрын

So, should strava revoke the KOM/QOM if they surpass the speed limits???

@DaveBulled

7 ай бұрын

Anyone who is part of both cycling and motorcycling communities will understand that as a vulnerable road user, sometimes you need to break the rules to keep yourself safe.

@cammaunder9841

7 ай бұрын

What's not ok is playing the Aussie anthem when referring to New Zealand! Nothing us Kiwis hate more 😂

I’m an American that’s been living in Amsterdam for the past few months and I’ve noticed that I don’t break any rules here while I do back in the US. I think having better cycling infrastructure makes a big difference. I don’t have to worry about red lights when there’s always a bike crossing with its own light. We put cyclists on roads designed for cars and expect them to act like cars when they are not. It’s easy to blame cyclists and not the root cause of the problem.

@stephaniefrost9720

7 ай бұрын

This!!! So many traffic laws were not made with cyclists in mind. My college town was relatively bike friendly and having bike specific lights made a huge difference when bike paths intersected with traffic.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Very interesting point! It would seem like better cycling infrastructure is the answer to lots of road safety issues. 🚲 Has your attitude to cycling changed since moving to Amsterdam?

@neiltiffany4740

7 ай бұрын

Exactly right!

@goldikova1

7 ай бұрын

I think seeing lots of other cyclists of different ages helps improve behaviour. Often I'm the only cyclist in our city on nights like this 🥶

@basholtzer4311

7 ай бұрын

More about the root cause can be learned from this channel: www.youtube.com/@NotJustBikes. It’s an Canadian who is living in Amsterdam at the moment. He showes it about the whole city planning process that differs from Canada and the US as opposed to Europe and especially the Netherlands.

In Colorado there is a new law in the last few years that allows bikes to treat red traffic lights as stop signs and stop signs as yields. I am of mixed minds about this from a cyclist/auto relations standpoint, but I have to admit it makes my suburban rides a lot nicer.

@jbuffaloman311

7 ай бұрын

Oregon has a similar law. Bicyclist are allowed to run red lights under "certain conditions"

@danielrussell9416

7 ай бұрын

I have always done this as long as there are no other vehicles near the intersection, and I have an unobstructed view in all directions.

@fitzt70

7 ай бұрын

Idaho has had the same law in place since 1992.

@easternbrown

7 ай бұрын

That is pretty much normal behaviour where I live, although it's not the law (so that when someone has an accident they can still be held liable for it)

@guitsynthcw

7 ай бұрын

www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety-pulse/2022/may/all-about-the-colorado-safety-stop

Love how motorists don't like cyclist because some of us run a red light and because of that we shouldn't be on the road, let's look at motorists... running red lights, driving with no licence, driving with no insurance, driving with no MOT, speeding, drink driving, drug driving, driving with no headlights, not indicating, not wearing seat belts, parking in bus/cycle lanes, parking on pedestrian crossings, parking on double yellows, and on and on and on, so if we should be off the road because of red lights then Holy f**k we need to get every car of the road ASAP!

@jonathanbouchard39

7 ай бұрын

To be fair, I ride my bike with no insurance, no MOT, no tax, I rarely signal left, and I often park my bike on the side of the footpath. I don't wear a seat belt when I'm cycling, either.

@Thecyclingbusdriver

7 ай бұрын

Difference being that drivers have to follow these rules and if any are broken they can result in a fine and a ban, last time I checked cyclist didn't need a licence, tax, insurance, mot, a seat belt or anything else

@craiggreen4388

7 ай бұрын

@@Thecyclingbusdriver that's the beauty of the bicycle. And many a motorist for one day a year when the car needs an MOT or a breakdown, dig out the old bike from the shed & rely on it for a day. Riding on the pavement, ignoring red lights, probably no working lights either. People nowadays pick & choose which laws apply to them.

@vatsmith8759

7 ай бұрын

I'm a cyclist and a motorists and I don't like cyclists or motorists who run red lights.

@matthewlewis2072

7 ай бұрын

Their bad behaviour doesn't provide us with an excuse. Your arguments would mean that we could murder people, because "other people do it and don't get caught"

Sorry GCN Team, but when discussing the Noel Edmonds KZread issue, you played a short snippet of the Australian National Anthem and not the New Zealand National Anthem. I am Australian so I felt compelled to correct you. I am a MTB'er but still have a soft spot for Roadies so enjoy watching your channel, particularly when you do cross channel challenges with your GMTB colleagues. Love your work JB

@neiltitterington6659

7 ай бұрын

Mate! I'm pretty sure that they knew they were playing the wrong anthem 🙃

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

We've got some real jokesters in our editing team 👀... They have too much power if you ask us 😂

@user-ew1nc9re3h

7 ай бұрын

I have heard the National Anthem of both country's so many times before the All Blacks flog the Wallabies in the Rugby!! 😞 Nightmare stuff.

@douglaspate9314

7 ай бұрын

At least they got the flag right!! hahahaha

Kudos to Manon. She certainly is an inspiration. But let's not be so fast to put Dan on the shelf. Manon has only been around for a few years while Dan is the GCN OG. Form is fleeting but class is forever.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Dan on a shelf... coming to Christmas shops near you 😂

I used to go out for night rides at 11pm or so. And at that time, you have no choice but to go through the red lights that only change for cars. You could be waiting hours for a car to show up. So any kind of rule where no one’s around I think is fine to ignore.

@Anurania

7 ай бұрын

Also if it's a sketchy neighborhood, you don't want to be stopped at night.

@johnhoare9979

7 ай бұрын

Get off and walk then get back on the bike.

@cycleoflife565

7 ай бұрын

Or make a right on red, u-turn, right turn and keep rolling.

@meneldil7604

6 ай бұрын

@@cycleoflife565 Or just make traffic light work propaly

@cycleoflife565

6 ай бұрын

@@meneldil7604 The lights do work properly…for cars. The traffic systems aren’t designed to be conducive to cycling.

Caption: what are you drinking? Pimms?.. No I'm drinking Guinness.

Dan exhibits such style, class, and wisdom each week, that I am sad if he is on holiday!

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

He'll be back! Sometimes when you exude so much class you need to take a break and let it all build up again 😎

Rule breaking: I will go through temporary one way road work systems, trying to stay between the cones on the workforce side. If I go on the green light, not only am I holding up traffic, but also not getting through long stretches before the lights change in the other direction - bringing a stream of traffic towards me assuming that I've run the road works lights. Much safer, and quicker for all.

@loribaerne9445

7 ай бұрын

I do that too. I am not stopping my bike ride for them.

@cmwh1te

7 ай бұрын

Where I live we usually have people holding signs that say stop on one side and yield on the other, one at each end of construction. These people are always baffled if I obey their stop sign.

I live in rural Devon and obey most road rules. The one rule that I break regularly is not coming to a complete stop at stop lines when crossing major roads at crossroads and T junctions. I slow until I'm almost stopped and have a good look/listen to check it is clear and will then ride on, treating it as a give way, rather than stop. If I do actually stop, it takes much longer to clear the junction and is therefore much riskier, especially when the cars on the major road may well be travelling seriously in excess of the speed limit and on our winding roads, possibly may be unable to stop in time when they see me, if they even make any attempt to do so. Much of the traffic around here seems to feel that if they are on the major road, they have no obligation to avoid an accident, even if the vehicle/person in their way had a completely clear road when they began crossing the junction...

Plant yourself at a suburban stop sign any day and note the percentage of motorists who fully stop short of the sign, creep forward, and then proceed when it's safe. That's what the law specifies, but you'll count almost zero motorists doing it. Most motorists treat stop signs as yield signs, yet they complain when cyclists do the same.

@jamesmckenzie3532

7 ай бұрын

There was a local force who were tasked with enforcement of a stop sign at an intersection which was notorious for bicyclists not obeying. 12 bicyclists were cited in a month's time. However, 68 motorists were cited in the same period. There was a call to end enforcement.

@rangersmith4652

7 ай бұрын

@@jamesmckenzie3532 There you go.

When laws are changed to enshrine common sense then cyclists no longer have to break the law. Here in Oregon the laws for cyclists were revised a few years back to treat stop signs as yield and allow for proceeding through red traffic lights if a bike doesn't trip the sensor.

@WendsH

7 ай бұрын

Here in South Carolina, we can run a red light after 120 seconds of waiting and verifying it's clear. It's their work-around for your bike not tripping the sensor.

@dylan-5287

7 ай бұрын

Should be that way for cars and bikes. Some stop signs are just silly.

In most places a bike is a vehicle by law. If a traffic light fails to function properly vehicles can wait a reasonable time and then proceed when safe. If the light is not recognizing your vehicle (bike) it is technically malfunctioning. If it is the same light everyday, waiting won't change anything. Proceed when safe. Or go back to a steel frame which can trigger the magnetic sensors. And check out the "Idaho Stop".

@joelogjam9163

7 ай бұрын

👉Steel is real👈

Back in high school in the US, I had a avid biker friend get pulled over by the cops. He was on a long straight gradual downhill, posted speed limit was 30 mph. He was clocked going almost 40 mph down the hill. Cop gave him a warning and told him he needed to obey the speed limit regardless if he was on a bike.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Interesting - It's not something that you see all that often 👀

@gubsak55

7 ай бұрын

In 1936 or 37, my father got fined for going too fast on his bike in Odense, Denmark. He was an apprentice as a furniture maker and cycled 16 km to and from the job every day. One evening, he was late for the drawing school and was racing all he could to get there in time. He noticed another cyclist racing as well, so they raced each other through the town, but my father was faster. When my father was locking his bike, the other cyclist presented himself as a policeman. At that time, a cyclist was not allowed to go faster than a horse and carriage, so my father was fined something more than one week's full pay as an apprentice. 😮 My father was very upset by this incident, and he was convinced that the only reason why he was fined was because he was faster than the policeman. That old rule doesn't apply anymore, by the way. The Danish World champion in sprint Peder Pedersen (1974) was a policeman in Odense back in the seventies and eighties, but that is a whole different story. 😊

@TwiinStar1224

7 ай бұрын

Kind of hard to enforce speed limits on bikers anyways. If you're not using a bike computer how does one know if they're going 27mph or 38mph?

@___Bebo___

6 ай бұрын

Got a speeding ticket for 25 in a 15 in Honolulu Hawaii on a Diamond Back Mountain Bike with Specialized slick tires in 1997, lol. The officer was a goofball, there were no pedestrians anywhere near me only cars giant 5 lane road.

Just watched the PBP doc. Lovely work, as always. Interesting to see how a nutrition strategy impacted the riders showcased.

Hooray for Si and Dan noting that being seen breaking the law while still being perfectly safe has consequences.

@cumpootuhruser9355

7 ай бұрын

If we go by the video's statistics, how can people blame 80% of cyclists for actions only 14% of cyclists commit? What reason do we have to believe perceptions would improve even if 0% of cyclists broke any laws ever? It's naive to think the reason for anti-cyclist sentiment has any significant relation to the actual behavior of cyclists.

@petergibson7287

7 ай бұрын

@@cumpootuhruser9355exactly. The anti cycling movement is purely about jealousy. It’s pretty easy for stupid people to hate and because they’re stupid, they lack education about how things work and the ability to think rationally and logically. It’s also easy to hate a person or thing that they can’t do or feel that they’re missing out.

@cumpootuhruser9355

7 ай бұрын

@@petergibson7287 Absolutely! Let's also note the role of the automotive industry lobby. There are people currently making billions off the unchallenged dominance of cars.

Caption: "When you discover right after the race that you have a drinking problem". Dan is my favorite - all the put downs just roll off his back like dirty water from winter roads off brown shorts :)

Weirdly the only place I've not had the lights change for me was in Glasgow a few months ago just south of Kelvingrove Park where the bike specific lane wouldn't trigger the lights to stop, so I jumped off and used the pedestrian lights. Even the lights heading out of my village have a cycle space in front of the cars and the lights recognise me OK even if I'm the only one on the road. I did get complimented by a pedestrian today (first time ever!) as I was walking over a narrow bridge pushing my bike, he said I'm the only cyclist he's ever seen doing that and most ignore the dismount signs.

The weird thing about the Noel Edmond’s story is the bizarre unhinged rant he had at the poor woman who came to visit him to suggest the bike path going along the edge of his (substantial) land. He was deeply anti-cycling that day.

Many of the sensors at red lights in our area will not change for bikes. So we can wait or cross when it is safe.

Thanks guys. Still think there needs to be a tech show special which is mainly a bike vault featuring/led by John.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

We'll have to tempt Jon out of his deep dark cave... anybody got some retro kit we can trap him with?

Great show guys! About the pump, I upgraded to little battery one, it’s amazing. no more CO2 through the airport, very happy with it. ✌🏾

I loved this week’s film! I will miss meeting the random racers and people behind the scenes

Neomodium magnets taped to your frame can help turn lights if you pay attention to centering over the sensor.

Manon has inspired me to cycle for quite a few years now, well done xx

Inspired by last week's caption winner; "Look mum, no mouth"! Great show as always guys. Congrats to Manon "Top Tier Lloyd".

The return of the "large ankle" joke! And, love the Silca frame pumps for road riding... though a smaller pump for gravel riding (where I appreciate a gauge) since using frame bags on off road adventures takes up said frame pump real estate.

#CaptionCompetition: Bad things come to those who dye: Just For Men has reported a marked increase in "just drinking along" warranty submissions this Movember. is the most talented and charming presenter, and is the most graceful when receiving praise!

love the idea for that pump under the saddle!

I've only been riding for 8 months and I do a lot of MTB riding. (So I can avoid cars) We use roads to link the trails or to get to and from trails. What I've noticed is that my group of MTB'ers and some others I've seen, tend to obey the traffic rules a bit better that some roadies. I agree that while you're on your bike, you represent a whole community and drivers are more likely to paint us all with the same brush. So why not wait the 30 seconds it takes for a light to change? The drivers that see you are more likely to be relaxed when they encounter the next group of cyclists. This is a great topic. Thanks for the video.

Show New Zealand's flag, but plays the Australian National Anthem. Can't tell if you're just trolling us or legitimately buggered up.

@brianrichardson5310

7 ай бұрын

Isn't NZ part of Oz?

@buzcheva6496

7 ай бұрын

Noticed this myself... How to alienate an entire nation by GCN

@MarkQueitzsch

7 ай бұрын

​@@brianrichardson5310😂

@Realciderreviews

7 ай бұрын

@@brianrichardson5310that would certainly improve the Australian rugby team.

@stuartm3684

7 ай бұрын

@@Realciderreviews bit it would make our cricketers so much worse. So swings and roundabouts

Excellent, Andrew Feather coming to the channel twice in one week, can't wait 🤩🤩

When I was commuting to work on my bike, I had to leave my house at 2 am. I generally rode through traffic signals as most of the time, no one was on the road so it was pointless to stop. When I came home later in the day, I followed the rules of the road. To be fair, the silca frame pump is very nice

Here in Ontario, Canada 80% of cycling accidents occur at stop signs and lights. I will always go through on my bike when it is safe to do so. I now use a mini pump for the neat look but prefer a frame pump when needed.

I think the main thing car drivers hate about cyclists which also annoys myself when driving my car. Is cyclists riding down the road three abreast knowing cars are behind them. When I am out on my bike with other riders I always pull in to let cars pass.

As a Randonneur, I'm glad that scene is getting a bit of love from GCN. Cracking documentary on PBP. That event is on my to-do list for 2027!

Amen to that about lights not changing not matter what in Bristol, there's one right outside my house.

Frame pumps.... For our Pubcycle X (about three thousand pounds raised for a local orphanage) I used a bungee rubber cord to strap my floor pump along the crossbar in case anyone had a puncture. Luckily my mate from Singapore was on his mountain bike, and decided to take advantage and bring his tyres up to road pressure.

Here in California, USA (Sacramento area), I cycle to and from work as well as cycling on the bike trail. The rule I use is "safety and image over energy". When I come to an intersection and vehicles are there, I will become part of traffic. It's for safety and also to help battle the image that cyclists always blow through an intersection. However, I will go through an intersection against the sign when the car at a stop sign going in my direction is also taking off by the time I get to the sign. If no one is around, I will slow down especially when I cannot see around a corner. The reason I don't stop is to save energy.

As someone who bikes around Seattle, there’s no way I can abide by every single law. There are some hills (going uphill) where if I stopped completely at a stop sign, there’s no way I’m restarting and drivers know it so they let me go! Biking down some hills, I’m def going over the speed limit (going with the flow of traffic I might say!). Disc brakes are a god-send. Also this is America. There are some intersections that are just too dangerous to safely ride through so i go on the pavement and cross at a light (with no peds because its such a crap intersection). and if it’s early or late and there no cars or pedestrians crossing, I will run red lights so I don’t have to wait around for safety purposes. But if it’s busy, I follow the rules regardless of if I inconvenience cars because I’d rather not die! Also I lived in the UK in the 90s - early 2000s and Noel Edmonds is a blast from the past 😂

Early morning (6 AM) rides in the summer I sometimes take the red light when no other traffic is about...it's more dangerous if you wait and cars show up that can hit you.

Bristol, Bath, and the entire UK should go the way of Colorado, USA. In 2022 the state government passed a new law that permits cyclists to roll through stop signs and red traffic signals when the way is clear. This works well and being able to keep cycling is much appreciated by cyclists and motorists.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

It sounds like a great law, it could help get people on bikes too - a little incentive to get people riding 🙌

@paulim8703

7 ай бұрын

I think this sounds great. Of course, there’s already a precedent in the US with turning right through a red light if it’s safe to do so.

Another vote for Cape Town Cycle tour, it's brilliant fun!

A large number of lights will not trigger for a motorbike as well. Here in the US it is generally acceptable to go through the light after stopping and going on through so long as no other cars are put at risk. I always make a point to use the pointer finger to wave at the traffic camera in those situations.

#captioncompetition So glad this race has been draught to an end! Also Dan Lloyd is my favorite GCN presenter and beer connoisseur. :)

@litespud

7 ай бұрын

Yep - Lloydie’s The Man 👍 and I really enjoy the banter between Himself and Si

I worked for a while in a civilian position in law enforcement, and my favourite charge I saw on someone's charge sheet was " Riding a bicycle furiously." Made me laugh.

There is really only one law- treat others as you want to be treated. If no one's safety, rights, or peace of mind are hurt, and no one is unnecessarily inconvenienced, then the spirit, not the letter of the law is the way to go.

@Thezuule1

7 ай бұрын

Tell that to all the drivers whining about a cyclist going through a four way stop sign in the middle of nowhere without a car in sight after having themselves just sped for the better part of a half hour to get to said stop sign.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Would you expect car drivers to live by the same rule? Should they be able to run red lights when nobody is around? 🚨

@Thezuule1

7 ай бұрын

@@gcn they already do! Drivers speed constantly and roll through stop signs and then act flabbergasted when a cyclist skips across an intersection. For what it's worth I only break the rules when I'm driving and I don't get all angry at cyclists for doing things that aren't bothering anyone. People go out of their way to find reasons to get upset these days and they're a bunch of hypocrites to boot.

@cumpootuhruser9355

7 ай бұрын

@@gcn I've long since learned that expecting drivers to follow any rule at all is a recipe for disappointment. Riding on the sidewalk? Unthinkable! But parking or outright driving on the sidewalk? That's just a god given right as a freedom-loving American! Usually when drivers park on the sidewalk there's even a parking space 10 feet away. Just 2 days ago on my ride to work a driver swerved toward me intentionally to try to scare me. That driver clearly values the rules of the road. Why else would they be so eager to break them for the purpose of putting me, a lawless renegade cyclist, in my place?

Motorist only notice cyclist when they break the rules, but they never mention or notice when a cyclist does the right thing. I have almost been hit and honked at for stopping at a stop sign, they did not think I was going to stop.

Love both of you. Ran over a J-Walker, broken collarbone

“This doesn’t count as blood doping right?” Also Huge congratulations to manon!

For some more context. Here in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland (home of the AU$6000 fines) our police are notoriously anti-cyclist, half our traffic lights won’t activate for a bike, our state and council governments have a habit of replacing sections of dedicated bikeway with multi-directional shared-use zones, and we have bridges on major commuter routes with an excruciating 10km/h limit. So we are highly disincentivised to break the rules, whilst simultaneously having it made extremely difficult to follow them. Anti-bike culture here is pretty intense, so our bicycle user groups who advocate for better infrastructure deserve a massive shoutout.

I can see why some cyclist go through red lights and some of the problem's is that some driver's will go through the smallest happy to get past a cyclist, then if they get pulled, will say "well i didn't hit you", is if that is ok and most times are only saving seconds.. yes i do drive too.

Si: "I used to get maybe 4 punctures a winter" Also Si: "I went on a ride using tubeless tyres, got through 4 inner tubes and still had to get a lift home."

@douglaspate9314

7 ай бұрын

I thought that too...

8:24 'London is a hotspot of anger' I lived and cycled in London for 10yrs and moving up north was the best thing I ever did. Now I have the lakes, Yorkshire dales, peak district and north wales all within spitting distance of where I live now. Should have left years ago.

I often jump onto empty pavements to let traffic past, especially on country lanes. Drivers never thank me for letting them past...

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

As long as you feel you are doing that right thing, that's what should count 🙌

Would love to see a guest appearance by Jon one of these days! It's been a LONG while.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

The man the myth the legend that is Job Cannings... now wouldn't that be nice 👀

@hugobrown2516

7 ай бұрын

jon went to build the app. so maybe he will be back now. love him too.

@michaelskelton8516

7 ай бұрын

Defo + 🔔😎👍

Caption: is that A A Drink? Yeah mate, it's 100% Guinesss. BTW, Si is my fave GCN presenter. ;)

Our local TT which has been running for years on the same course, has now had a 20mph speed limit imposed on part of the course, meaning we are no longer able to use that course. But the 20mph speed limit is imposed due to it being outside of a primary school, but yet our TT's run on an evening at 6/7 when the children wouldn't be at school, or on Sunday mornings when the school is closed.

I was brought up in Mosside, Manchester. My mum and Dad had a Pyrenean mountain dog. They sold him and the buyer, I’m told was Noel Edmonds. It must have been in the very early eighties. He was big then too. He didn’t turn up on a bike but did wear outrageous flares I’m reliably informed.

In the US, the "Idaho Stop" is a law (originated from the state of Idaho) where a cyclist can treat a stop sign as a yield and a red traffic light as a stop IF it is safe and clear to move on. This allows the cyclist to get out in front of vehicular traffic and be seen and therefore safer. (I do this regardless of legality indeed for my safety.) It also speeds up your commute. In most states in the US, cyclists have the same rights to the road as cars, allowing you to take the full lane if road conditions call for it. The quid pro quo is that we have to follow the same road rules as motor vehicles. This is why the Idaho Stop law is so nice. We can be rule compliant and protected by law at the same time.

I live in the UK and the only time I go through a red light is when I’m on call and I’m riding home at 2:30 in the morning as there’s no way I’m stopping unless traffic is approaching to hinder my advance.

Here in Kentucky, where I live, I run the reds a lot even with the police sitting in traffic, right behind me. But only in the still dark early mornings , but only if I have a very clear right of way. On a bike. I don't drive.

Living in Wales I think I do regularly go over 20 mph downhill because I now manage to catch up on cars in a local 20 limit road

We need a new GCN channel hosted by Jon Cannings - GCN Retro

@CorneliusJames

7 ай бұрын

N+1 to that 🎉🎉🎉🎉

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Global Cannings Network 👀

yup the only red lights I run are the ones that don't detect bikes (and I always take caution as the highway code advises - I treat them the same as a broken light which makes sense). I also run red lights that are pedestrian crossings only when the people have cleared as way to get ahead of traffic and be safer. the only other rule I break is the one way streets and cycling on the pavement. I always assess the situation and ensure the situation is safe but my job as a delivery person puts a lot of pressure on me to deliver quickly and a 5 min detour due to traffic calming measures directly impacts my already low income, something I am not willing to accept

Yep broke the law this very evening on the way home, I went round a wide vehicle blocking the cycle lane by climbing onto the pavement and pootling past. No Pedestrians were inconvenienced.

Brisbane( in Queensland )put a 10 kph speed limit on a city bridge, shared path, but you can run faster

Caption "please excuse the mess, I have a drinking problem" ps. y'all at gcn are the dream team!

I do stop for the role model effect. There is a cross roads on my commute with a toucan crossing. I hop onto the pavement and cross the crossing without pressing the button. Saves me at least 5 seconds.

I like most of the rules where I live in Japan. You can ride on the sidewalk if you consider the road unsafe. However, the shoulder of the road is legally considered a sidewalk if there is no actual sidewalk, so it's often hard to avoid. All of the detector style lights that I know of have buttons for signalling to cross as well. The one really weird one, though, is that there are speed limits for scooters (30 km per hour), but none for push bikes. Scooters also have to stay to the left hand side of the road, while push bikes are free to take a whole lane. I sometimes worry that someone will notice the difference and we'll get some bad rules.

I ride against traffic a lot, mainly because I don’t like the idea of some preoccupied driver coming from behind me. ( eating, on the phone, texting, dealing with little ones in the car, playing with the radio, etc. That way I can make evasive moves! I don’t ever ride on busy roads.

Running red lights is a fevorite pass time of mine and i dont have to be on a bike to do it. Its just a free for all in florida

In my city, there are lights or stop signs at nearly every intersection. To have to stop and start at every one of them would be absolutely exhausting. If there are no cars coming and no pedestrians at risk from my going through, I'm going through. Slowing down to check for clearance is a lot less fatiguing than needing to start from a dead stop every block.

@craiggreen4388

7 ай бұрын

Tell that to the cycle lane planners in the UK, where you can have cycle lanes with continual interruptions & deviations for crossings etc, that's why I'll ride in the road. Our cycle lanes are for women & children, not making progress.

A couple of observations from the US: 1. Any law abiding (or not) human (cyclist or driver) is irritated when they see a vehicle (bike or car) ignoring the rules. 2. The most dangerous aspect of urban cycling is close contact with motor vehicles, either at times of distraction (intersections, etc.) or when their drivers are irate. 3. None of us want motorists to have another reason to despise us, or even to find us mildly irritating. Therefore, I always obey the rules when any motorist is around to see me. I resent cyclists who openly disobey the laws, as doing so creates more hostile motorists. Conversely, if no motorists are present, I disregard traffic lights in order to minimize my close contact with motorized traffic in the vicinity of intersections.

Recently constructed bike routes here in Christchurch, NZ, have sensors in the paths that are triggered by metal bike wheels passing over them. My commutes are usually done on my gravel bike with alloy road wheels, which works well. But, if I'm on my road bike, or my mtb, which have carbon wheels, I often have to go to a button for a pedestrian crossing to get the lights to change.

Be, Like Dutch Elm Disease Back in the day.. Dad was a Tree surgeon for 50 year's with Torbay Borough Council back in the day, Dutch Elm EEK heart breaking 😔

In Massachusetts near a very long bike path that’s paved that goes from Bedford Massachusetts into Boston and bikers which I am one of but I am old school and know the rules are horrendous. The thing around here is it’s a fairly wealthy area and instead of playing golf and yachting people have taken up riding $15,000 bikes in groups where they ride on the street three or four wide and have no regard for any traffic that may be going down the street and as far as bike pads are concerned which are for bikes, skaters pedestrians children they go, screaming through at high rates of speed in groups with no regard to anybody else’s safety

I have an old SRAM 80 wheel that I converted to a clock after it was crashed and outside the warranty. It hangs up in my office. Wonder if Dan and Si would prefer that clock.😆

Different countries/states/towns have very different laws about cyclists and speed, red lights/stop signs, or cycling on the footpath; because many places have seen a safety benefit to giving cyclists more leeway. So while some of us do knowingly break some rules, it’s usually something that’s perfectly legal and safe somewhere else.

Just home from a long day and realized it’s Tuesday - It’s the GCN show. The day will end well.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

We're always here! Brightening up any Tuesday ☀

Surely Dan remembers Noel from Saturday Swap Shop 🤔

I'm used to lights that don't sense cyclists being legally broken (the law says "detect vehicles" defined as including bikes), and broken lights must be treated as stop signs.

As an American who drives and cycles, I've noticed that people don't really seem to see all the motorists who run red lights and put others at risk, because they're gone in seconds, whereas the cyclist is plugging along at 10-15 mph or less.

As a teenager, my only pump was a frame pump. No gauge, I just pumped till my arms gave up or the tyre was rock hard- simple! Now I have two floor pumps, countless small pumps on various bikes, a digital gauge and a compressor. A friend showed me his new mini pump with a digital gauge that used Bluetooth to transmit to his phone, plus tyre pressure sensors on the valves. I find I'm pining for the old days, but still want the new bling 😁

Our traffic lights in Adelaide Australia also don’t detect cyclists, so at certain times of day you can be waiting tens of minutes for a light change…

Re Si on frame pumps - on the Dragon Ride a few years ago I followed a rider wearing a full size track pump on a sling over his shoulders. I've always wondered how he managed to get so paranoid about punctures!

@WendsH

7 ай бұрын

Sounds almost like me - I don't have the strength for mini pumps, so I pack a frame pump that has a little foot brace that rotates out so it can be used like a mini track pump. xD Used it SO many times.

In London I would literally run red lights - on the MTB I would dismount cx-style into a run, carrying my bike through the junction. Obvs in the US one would be jay-walking, but in the UK we can legally stroll all over non-motorway roads (and in London many people do!)

I slow down for stop signs to an almost stop but I don't put a foot down. For red lights, I just stop in the line of traffic. I can sprint up and stay on the bumper of the car in front of me at least long enough to get across and then move over to the side once through the intersection. Seems to work for me and drivers KNOW I'm there and usually drive accordingly.

Kudos to Manon! She’s a real gem

A GCN crew would enjoy attempting the Munda Biddi. This would be the challenge I would set. No cars allowed. Ride from home to the airport or catch public transport. Take a direct flight from London to Perth. Catch the train from Perth airport to the hotel. Then catch the train to Midland station and ride up the hill to the trail head at Kalamunda. Ride to Albany on the trail at a good pace, but not record breaking. Make sure to enjoy the best huts to stay overnight and enjoy the trail towns and even meet some locals. Take a time out in a hire car say at Nannup, and spend a day or so between Busselton and Augusta. There is a safe bicycle path all the way from just north of Busselton to Dunsborough along the beaches and there is other bicycle infrastructure. On arrival to Albany ride to accomodation. Ride back to Perth or catch the TransWA bus, its only 400km via the shortest route, and most of the way is sealed road. Catch the plane home from Perth and then ride home or catch public transport when you get back to UK. So the challenge is not about speeding around and not seeing anything, the challenge is to have an enjoyable adventure in another country without using a car (except in a planned timeout segment), only using a bike and public transport, and to produce the best video content. WA tourism companies and even the State Govt may be interested in sponsoring the video content.

Re disc brakes vs rim brakes. Only two of us still had rim brakes at our last club ride. Lots of new bikes on the ride, two or three new ones as winter bikes. ALL of them howled and squealed as they stopped. Sounded awful.

I've encountered lights that won't change for motorcycles. As for pavements, I routinely ride on the pavement on the last block on my way to work - dismounting on the road is just too dangerous - nearly been hit many times. Rarely are there pedestrians on that block on my way to work and I do dismount if i'd be sharing the pavement.

One intersection on my former commute route had traffic lights controlled by sensors. This was a complex intersection that had a feeder road crossing a major road with left hand advance lights. The sensors on the northeast corner would not detect my aluminum bike. The only legal way to cross the intersection going west was was to dismount, cross to southeast corner using the beg button (30 sec delay), cross to the southwest using the beg button, then cross to the northwest corner again waiting for the beg button delay. I could then remount my bike and carry on😢. It was illegal to walk across on the north side of the intersection . I broke the law almost every time I rode through at 6 am.

@gcn

7 ай бұрын

Wow that does sound complex! 🫠 - How do you think they could improve that bit of road ?

@jonathanbouchard39

7 ай бұрын

I don't know why there should be a delay on the pedestrian crossing button. If someone has gone to the effort of pressing the button, the lights should start to change immediately, then go through a cycle. The car drivers are no more or less inconvenienced whenever the lights change, there is less likelihood of the pedestrian crossing a red light if it changes immediately, and if some little toe-rag has pressed the button out of mischief, they are still there when the lights change, and you can get out and give them a kicking, since you're stopped for the red light anyway. So pedestrians waiting after they press the red light benefits no-one, inconveniences pedestrians, and encourages mischief.

@brucemckinnon7130

7 ай бұрын

@@gcn just add a bike sensor which they have elsewhere in the city or allow pedestrian crossing on the the north side. The city talks a great story about walking and cycling but occasionally they fail miserably.

The most frustrating thing on a carbon fibre bike is approaching traffic lights and they dont detect I am there in the UK!

@dh7314

7 ай бұрын

Also applies to bikes not made of carbon fibre

Rules of the road-I follow a situational awareness plan. Ride in the manner that assures your safety, assures the safety of those around you and takes into consideration how your riding might impact others. I don't blow past stop signs if there are witnesses of any kind. I have a variety of frame mounted pumps too.

I break the law all the time when riding, and sometimes when driving. I run red lights, ride the sidewalk, and run stop signs. Here in Missouri USA (other states can be different) you can run a red light if no car appears to cause the light to change. although you have to wait two full cycles. Here we use not a motion detector but an impedance circle. It requires a lot of metal to break the circle and send the signal that changes the light. Lots of modern motorcycles don't have enough metal to change the light.

In Australia, speed limits DO apply to bikes, but there isn’t any law requiring a speedometer. And the penalty for speeding on a BIKE is points for your DRIVING LICENCE!! Which can means increased insurance costs, and potentially losing your driving licence. If you don’t have one, then you get ‘virtual points’ just in case you DO get one. It’s very problematic for new drivers as they have a probationary period where ANY points means loss of licence.

In the US, many stop lights will not recognize bicycles (particularly true for carbon bikes). As a cyclist, if it is legal for me to ride on the road, the infrastructure should support me. If a stop light forces me to wait for car traffic to trigger, then I don't feel bad about running it.

In the US, our roads and traffic laws are designed with motor vehicles in mind. Traffic lights are timed for cars, not for bikes, and after the 10th red light in as many blocks you might consider cautiously riding though that light too. On a 25 pound commuter bike with unobstructed field of vision, the chances of me causing harm are infinitesimally small. I am fundamentally operating a much, much lighter and more nimble vehicle than a car, so why am I expected to follow the same road principles as one? Safety-wise, keeping moving is often the better choice as so little of our road space here is allocated for non-motor use. I'd much rather run a red light if it means I can ride around a double-parked delivery truck freely, without worrying about competing for space with a stream of speeding, oversized SUVs bearing down alongside me. Until our traffic laws and streets are redesigned to acknowledge my actual safety on the road, I can't swear to follow them as though I were driving a car.