Land's End to John O'Groats (2 Viewers)

[Armytwowheels]

Day 4 Shrewsbury to Preston. Tim and his cycling buddy, Bill,did today's stint without getting too wet!! 93 miles, average speed 15.3mph.
Tomorrow 108 miles to Carlisle!!

On Saturday they got very wet :rainTavistock to Bristol) including Tim's phone which gave up the ghost! oh:

So it is now sealed inside a bag of rice (next best thing to silica gel apparently, good old Google!)

Will let you know how that goes.

That's a great average speed for that distance. Well done to Tim. :thumb:

 

[Armytwowheels]

Yes I can see the logic of the bigger target.

OK, so why should we motorists have to slow down to allow you to indulge your inappropriate method of transport. Same applies to horses on roads. There are many out there on tight schedules delivering your bread who do not drive too fast at all and just need to earn an honest living. Get a few cyclists a day, their stress levels go up and we have the makings of an accident.

It's not about being nice, it's about being human.

It's about having more tolerance of people that are different and have different pastimes or preferences to you! Personally I would hate to live in a world where the car ruled the roads exclusively, not least to have to breath the air!

I wonder what would happen if all the people who currently cycle to work suddenly decided to drive a car instead, would the road system cope with all those extra cars, May be not, in the city's anyway. I think that all the people who drive for a living would have to go even slower. It would make for an interesting experiment!

 

[hilldweller]

I have heard "motorists" make the same argument about Motorhomes,
Andy

I'm not "motorists", I am a logical engineer. But yes, I've been cut up enough in the MH by folk who just have to overtake.

But it's not the same as a pushbike. In the MH I am not regularly in great danger. I am not regularly holding up traffic no matter what the "motorists" think.

All I am saying is that mixing a 15 mph vehicle on a road limited at 60 mph where there is no room for two vehicles and a bicycle is always going to end in tears for the cyclist.

I've told the tale before. Years ago I was driving along the local main road and came to a crawl behind a milk tanker. The tanker then squeezed by a cyclist on her way to work. It was frightening to watch. That night I took her out and bought her a 2CV before I lost my elder daughter. I had to force the car on her but I'm sure I saved her life.

She road a motorcycle for years, that was fine by me. She's still got a collection of bikes she enjoys riding.

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[Armytwowheels]

I'm not "motorists", I am a logical engineer. But yes, I've been cut up enough in the MH by folk who just have to overtake.

But it's not the same as a pushbike. In the MH I am not regularly in great danger. I am not regularly holding up traffic no matter what the "motorists" think.

All I am saying is that mixing a 15 mph vehicle on a road limited at 60 mph where there is no room for two vehicles and a bicycle is always going to end in tears for the cyclist.

I've told the tale before. Years ago I was driving along the local main road and came to a crawl behind a milk tanker. The tanker then squeezed by a cyclist on her way to work. It was frightening to watch. That night I took her out and bought her a 2CV before I lost my elder daughter. I had to force the car on her but I'm sure I saved her life.

She road a motorcycle for years, that was fine by me. She's still got a collection of bikes she enjoys riding.

You know what Brian, I do understand where you are coming from and I can assure you my mum would be totally 100% on your side in this discussion. But it all comes down to freedom of choice. We cannot live our lives worrying about what might happen otherwise people would never climb mountains, ski down them, run races, drive races, ski-dive, all those things that make the human race the ermmm... Human race.

 

[hilldweller]

Personally I would hate to live in a world where the car ruled the roads exclusively

I hate to point this out but you do, provided you accept all motor vehicles as "car".

So you like two wheels. So do I, I gave my car to my daughter when I retired and "my" transport is a motorbike. Now have you ever considered a motorbike. You take up a similar space to a pushbike. You can get 100 mpg and yet not be a moving chicane dreading the day when the HGV or impatient car driver tips you into a hedge.

I think you said that you cycle 0.7 miles to work. That's too close for a motorbike, by the time you've got the kit on and off you could have walked to work. Unless, of course, you need to put on a load of kit for a push bike. Maybe a decent scooter in the optimum for you.

 

[AndyPandy]

so why should we motorists have to slow down to allow you to indulge your inappropriate method of transport

I'm not "motorists", I am a local engineer

Oh, ok that's cleared that up then.
Last week I rode back from Edinburgh on my bike, 212 miles, and I didn't have one scary or unsafe moment. I had waves, thumbs up and "cheers" out the window of many drivers, white vans the lot. I stopped to read map and had offers of help and directions and I do hope the OP finds the same.

Maybe some Funsters might even see him and give him a wave, hope so :thumb:

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[chaser]

You know what Brian, I do understand where you are coming from and I can assure you my mum would be totally 100% on your side in this discussion. But it all comes down to freedom of choice. We cannot live our lives worrying about what might happen otherwise people would never climb mountains, ski down them, run races, drive races, ski-dive, all those things that make the human race the ermmm... Human race.

I have been trying to keep out of this but all the other things you mention there do not involve other people unwitingly being put in danger because you want to kill yourself, you say you have lost two friends but because it was the drivers fault it was ok , bet they wish they had kept off the road now

 

[Armytwowheels]

I hate to point this out but you do, provided you accept all motor vehicles as "car".

So you like two wheels. So do I, I gave my car to my daughter when I retired and "my" transport is a motorbike. Now have you ever considered a motorbike. You take up a similar space to a pushbike. You can get 100 mpg and yet not be a moving chicane dreading the day when the HGV or impatient car driver tips you into a hedge.

I think you said that you cycle 0.7 miles to work. That's too close for a motorbike, by the time you've got the kit on and off you could have walked to work. Unless, of course, you need to put on a load of kit for a push bike. Maybe a decent scooter in the optimum for you.

Well now! In my time and in order of owning, I have had a YB100, a VFR400, a CBR600 and finally a V twin SV650S, that bike sounded amazing!! My two wheeled passion is not just for the pedal variety. We, as in Colin and I are mulling over the idea of getting a motorbike again, but need to get the motorhome upgraded before we can take it away with us. Probably a project for next year. But I would still ride my pedal bike as I love it, simple as that.

 

[AndyPandy]

I have been trying to keep out of this but all the other things you mention there do not involve other people unwitingly being put in danger because you want to kill yourself, you say you have lost two friends but because it was the drivers fault it was ok , bet they wish they had kept off the road now

Yeah, didn't try hard enough.
Not a very nice post in my opinion

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[chaser]

Yeah, didn't try hard enough.
Not a very nice post in my opinion

The truth isn't always very nice

 

[Armytwowheels]

I have been trying to keep out of this but all the other things you mention there do not involve other people unwitingly being put in danger because you want to kill yourself, you say you have lost two friends but because it was the drivers fault it was ok , bet they wish they had kept off the road now

I am bowing out of this thread now as it's suddenly gone from a debate to sniping!

Actually we have all hyjacked someone else's thread about a personal challenge to ride the length of the country. I apologise to the original poster.

 

[chaser]

I am bowing out of this thread now as it's suddenly gone from a debate to sniping!

Actually we have all hyjacked someone else's thread about a personal challenge to ride the length of the country. I apologise to the original poster.

Sorry if I have caused any offence and I am out of this myself but I have seen what can happen when cars and bikes come together and believe me it's not nice and I don't ever want to see it again . Too late afterwards.
And I also wish the op all the best.

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