scoobynutta555

Do all cyclists that don't have lights or reflective clothing seem to have a deathwish? There seem to be increasing numbers of these morons now the days are getting shorter. I 'see' several each day on my commute. I wound down the window yesterday and shouted at one to get some lights. He was wearing all dark clothing naturally

BOB.T

There seems to be more folk cycling on footpaths of late too

what would scooby do

evolution wins

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Unlike our very own Kieren Burns who can be seen from space whilst on his bike

Jamz3k

Had this happen last night, pitch black, no lights, dark clothing and i was going full tilt up a hill (although at a legal speed limit) thinking i was Colin McRea! Angers me that i could have knocked him down and i would have looked like the bad guy

deangtiuk

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, Not on bikes but jogging around in the dark with none reflective clothing around quite busy roads, but the car driver is gonna be the culprit come on guys (remember when Texaco dished out those yellow straps in the 90's ) lets think! BE SEEN.

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

I had some moron dressed in a black hoodie with no lights on cut across in front of me, just as the lights turned green. When I had the audacity to beep my horn at the idiot, he got off his bike screaming at me for "disrespecting him".
He soon scarppered though when the red mist descended and I went after him screaming like a nut case at him.

Diesel

Absolute muppets if they dont think their lives are worth a tenner at Halfords.

I just got a traffic cop like jacket today to reflect moonlight myself and shall be going nee-naaar nee-naaar on the way to work to be seen and heard!

D

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

p1sses me off, as a driver it is alarming to happen upon a bike like that, I cant beleive that anyone would go through the thought process of climbing on a bike at night, dressed in black with no lights and think its a good idea, especially as you can get some small led flashers from Tescos for £2.69.

I, like Kieron perhaps go over the top a bit, luminous jacket with reflective bits, 2 rear lights and a selection on the front that wouldnt have been out of place on a Mods (Mods as in mods and Rockersm not Moderator) Scooter, 1 Cateye Single Shot (when its replaced, cos it broke), 2 of the excellent ten quid Tesco 3w aluminium LED torches and my backup 2 quid flasher. Just rode in at 5.30am only using one of the torches and it was adequate even on pitch black unlit lanes.

The Police should pull them over and give them a talking to, and when the bollocking has been administered they should provide them with some of the basic £2 lights, a few hundred sets of lights over a year, bought in bulk is much cheaper than one RTA and the resultant injury and damage, dont see it as rewarding feckwits, more of protecting the rest of us from feckwits.

I do think that some of it as lights arent cool, I am the antithesis of cool when on my bike, I look a right goon but rather that that bouncing off cars that havent seen me, its bad enough when lit up like a mobile Jean Michelle Jarre concert.

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

around yorkshire the police advise on cycling on the paths now as it is more safe .
apparently the roads are now very dangerous compared to 5-10 years ago dont know if thats due to the immigrants or what

pwhittle

see it a lot locally, as there's a lot of bike commuters. I think it's a born-again biker thing. I haven't survived 20+ years on the roads by wearing dark clothes and no lights.

ChrisB

Even when I'm running on lit roads / pavements, I still wear a reflective armband that has red LEDs (which can be set to flashing or constant) built into it. Got a pack of four from Aldi for about £3. There's also a fair bit of reflective material on my trainers and shorts.

pwhittle

one jumped up *** threatened to nick me for riding on the path, on a very dangerous stretch of narrow unlit de-restricted road, where I haven't seen a pedestrian in 5 years. Common sense (and police guidelines) over ruled by his annoyance at being overtaken!

PS I certainly wouldn't blame immigrants, mobiles, increasing selfishness, yes.

SiPie

Cycling home on Wed night, dark and rainy and I pass this guy dressed in head to toe 'stealth grey' with no lights or reflective anything.

I do my sarcastic best as I'm passing and ask him if he's going to ask for some lights for his Christmas? No reply, but he catches up with me at the next set of lights, and in broken English.....

"Yah I have zee veree zame lights zat you hav" with a big feckin stupid smile on his face .......

To which I reply

"Not fancy fitting them to your bike then"?

He replies....

"Yah, zat eez good"

He then procedes to take his rucksac off at the traffic lights and fits the perfectly good lights that he already had but were cunningly hidden in his rucsac

gpssti4

iTrader: (6)

Easy; police should have the power to confiscate their bike until they prove that they have lights. Make them take the lights to the police station when they go to collect the bike.

Scooby Snacks 23

I was at the traffic lights last night when a guy came up the side of me on a bike. He had no lights on, was on the phone, and had a *** in his mouth. He then went straight through the red light (a car had to swerve to avoid hitting him).

Absolute fecking *****

austinwrx

well I do many many road miles on the pushbike.... I am lit up etc- its the only way.

have no qualms in telling other cyclists to get lights/put a helmet on etc.

must admit those without them don't seem to be at the top of the evolutionary tree........ darwinism calls methinks

but I do not ride on footpaths, through red lights etc...... you have to cycle defensively and to survive, behave as a motorist would expect as if you were in a car/motorbike.

stilover

Funny this thread. 2 little sh*ts on bikes last night weaving about in the road last night. No lights, dark clothing etc.

I came across them on a mini round about when a car nearly wiped them out. I followed them down the road when one of them decided he wanted to be on the opposite side of the road, right in front of me.

He was within a whisker of getting knocked down.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

You lot should pop over to bikeradar - you'd get the commuting lot foaming at the mouth (in agreement I might add!)

I've turned into something of an evangelist when it comes to road safety on a bike. I've cycled off and on for over 20 years now and have seen some VERY scary things (been involved in a couple myself), but the one thing that utterly, utterly hacks me off is the idiot cyclist who simply doesn't realise how close to being killed he / she / it is.

I don't just mean the ones without lights - and yes I am lit up like a christmas tree - I also mean the ones that RLJ and ride like idiots.

MY lights get me more room on the ride home, cars will pull further out now. It's been immediately obvious that I am getting more space when cycling on the roads. MY patience in town gets me nods of thanks and acknowledgement. A quick "thanks" or "cheers" to people who step out of my way on the bridleway always gets me a smile.

I mean, it's EASY. It makes for a more pleasant experience all round.

God knows I feel safer knowing I am lit up and reflective, you really can't miss seeing me. I can't understand the metality of people who don't do likewise.

corradoboy

If they have lights then that's enough for me to also obey the Highway Code, if they don't then I don't recognise their right to be on the public highway and thus give them no consideration whatsoever. If that means my mirror clips their @r$£ then tough on them.

Saw two hoodie'd ******* a few weeks back, dark clothes, hoods up, no lights, helmets, hi-vis, nothing, cycling into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road, one chatting to a pedestrian on the pavement, the other on his mobile, and the corner was unlit and a blind downhill left, meaning they'd have had no chance at all.

It boils my blood that they are mostly ignored and that no-one makes any effort to try and improve the general quality of cycling. I've said it all before, but, lights, helmets and hi-vis should be compulsory with steep penalties to encourage compliance. Under 12's should be restricted to 30mph roads unless with a qualified adult, and have a compulsory basic CPT as part of the school curriculum. Over 12's should sit an advanced CPT to be allowed on roads up to 50mph with over 16's getting full freedom of the roads (except motorways) and requiring third party insurance. I'd have an ID number displayed on the helmet to aid Police identification, and abuse of this would incur massive penalty.

Right, open the floor to those who think the current system for cyclists is adequate, even considering you can buy a four year old a bike and allow them to play on a 70mph dual carriageway amongst 42 tonne trucks, buses, cars and motorbikes with no compulsory training and no safety equipment

SideShowBob

My commuter type bike has lights as I use that often in the dark, but my mountain bike doesnt, so only use that in the day.

Do feel a bit bad sometimes when the light is starting to fade and im riding back from being out on the mountain bike, but it's never that dark, and lights probably wouldnt last very long on a mountain bike trail.

Most other cyclists ive seen are pretty good, only the odd one doesnt have any lights or reflectors and they tend to be youngsters, and I must admit as a youngster I never rode with reflectors or lights, you feel invinsible at that age, only when you get older you start recognising the potential dangers.

Diesel

Stalin's got nothing on you mate Would you also have us all fill out a form before we are allowed to leave the house?

Road safety is crucial, and that is your point, but any dodgy cyclist should understand that they are the most vulnerable and most likely to be hurt. Lets not drown everyone in more red tape? If they dont see, say, lights and a lid as a 'good thing' then natural selection may take its course as someone suggests. Simpler

D

rabbos

The cops should just spray the cycletards with refelective paint from head to foot. That might get the message across.

SiPie

TelBoy

When i was a kid doing a paper round on my Chopper, i used to get annoyed with motorists who flashed me for not having a rear light, as i assumed the big reflector on the back was more than adequate.

It's only now as a motorist that i can see how completely invisible a bike is on the road without lights. I wish somebody could have demonstrated it to me when i was younger.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Thing is, when I was a kid, on your paper round you used more in batteries in winter than your wages !

The LED lights are fantastic, just been to the local bike shop and looked at a Joystick Maxx, funny thing was, at £149 it didnt seem massively brighter than the Ten quid Tesco torch I am using since my crappy 80 quid Cateye Single Shot plus bracket broke.

Love these cycling threads, my odo has just passed 700 miles, so on target for a thousand before Christmas. I was thinking I would take the car today as had a very early start, to my surprise, I wanted to go on the bike, 5.30 am is ace for cycling, pitch black and no cars.

Leslie

I can remember when bikes with no lights, no bell or cycling on the footpath were stopped and the riders appeared before the local magistrates.

The riders all obeyed the normal rules of the road and so did pedestrians when it came to crossing the road etc. They would always look first instead of stepping into the road with their backs to the traffic as they do now!

Les

corradoboy

I just want fairness and safety ! You can't use a motor vehicle until at least 16yo, and require a test to demonstrate your knowledge and ability, but are allowed to use the same roads with no mandatory safety equipment or testing at ANY age on a bicycle. Why is it so wrong to suggest that ALL road users are reasonably qualified, suitably equipped and adequately insured ?