Cycling, the new way to extend your lifespan (hardly new of course).

[lilelvis2000]

The reason I stopped cycling was that I was afraid that it would prematurely end my life.

Have you tried cycling in northern towns and cities. Drivers seem to be playing a game "How can I knock this cyclist over without damaging my car".

[SueEllen]

I always find it interesting contrasting my experience as a cyclist vs that of a motorcyclist in terms of the way you are regarded by other road users.

On my motorcycle, people can't do enough to be courteous e.g. moving over when you're going down the outside of a queue.

Do that on a cycle and I half expect somebody to open a door or something.

I get the impressions that cyclists are considered fair game for drivers and other road users to vent their spleen on.

That said, after commuting into Temple Meads evety day for the past few months their are some very angry people on bicis. They seem to exist as a vast hi-vis swarm and I'm sure the slightest transgression would result in a heavy fist on the food of the car or such like.

Not a lot of camaraderie between cyclists either as there is between bikers from my experience.

I've noticed in London that car and lorry drivers are more aware of cyclists in the past 5 years and are more patient.

Van and taxi drivers are a law onto themselves as some are complete bastards in more ways than one.

That said as a driver at this time of year there are still too many cyclists who don't understand that for me to not hit them wearing at least non-black/navy upper body clothing AND having bike lights when it's dusk/dawn/night would help.

Oh and while motorcyclists are fine, every late September we get the influx of new scooter riders who are just dangerous on the road. They are mainly the new pizza delivery guys or people trying out scooters. They either get better or have disappeared by the end of November...

[stek]

The reason I stopped cycling was that I was afraid that it would prematurely end my life.

Have you tried cycling in northern towns and cities. Drivers seem to be playing a game "How can I knock this cyclist over without damaging my car".

Here in Leeds they've spunked £30m on the Leeds-Bradford Cycle Super-highway, i.e. caused havoc on the roads with narrowing them, ripped up the bus stops, delays, bits where it's too narrow anyway so just left those bits, but al least it seems to mean the purple slugs will be moved elsewhere - roads too narrow now...

[original PM]

great I can live to 90

seeing no one for days on end

having no fun cos I gave that up years ago to live longer

not understanding anything as the world has moved on

jeezus quality of life not quantity

[VectraMan]

With all the cycling I've done this summer my legs are now quite sinewy and muscly, whereas above the waist I'm pure fat and have a bit of a beer belly. So I reckon whilst my legs might live to a ripe old age, my top half is probably going to an early grave.

[VectraMan]

seeing no one for days on end

having no fun cos I gave that up years ago to live longer

not understanding anything as the world has moved on

I have all that at 44.

[FatLazyContractor]

Here in Leeds they've spunked £30m on the Leeds-Bradford Cycle Super-highway, i.e. caused havoc on the roads with narrowing them, ripped up the bus stops, delays, bits where it's too narrow anyway so just left those bits, but al least it seems to mean the purple slugs will be moved elsewhere - roads too narrow now...

And still at least 10 people get run down every week by those low-seated-VW-golf-teenagers

Don't believe me? Start cycling from Akbar's on Leeds road towards City centre and if you don't get killed before you reach Leeds road fisheries, Fish and chips is on me.

[VectraMan]

I blame Cameron:

Cycle crashes at 10-year high (From Witney Gazette)

[minestrone]

They should have little nails under pavements that spring up when bikes go over them.

...or piano wire at neck height.

[rl4engc]

Try cycling around any major city and you end up choking in the fumes of the cars and buses, I am pretty sure that cycling is not healthy overall without a mask on

There as summat on TV the other day where they measured the amount of crap inhaled by 3 groups: 1 a cyclist in a city, 2 a pedestrian on side of the road in a city, and 3 a driver in a car in said city.

By far the lowest, by a factor of about 5 or 6, was the driver, because of the filters in the air conditioning system etc. Next worst was pedestrian and worst of all was the cyclist.

They had this ait pollution monitoring device at the side of the road and said at the beginning of the day this filter paper was white, and you looked at it and it was a murky grey colour.