HELP ME TO SUPPORT THE PARALYMPIC ATHLETES

PARRABUDDY.BLOGSPOT was started to help find a way for “Adaptive / Physically Challenged / Paralympic Cyclists ” to enjoy riding their bikes on the Daily Route of the famous Pro Tour Race Routes such as the “ Giro d’Italia " and the " Tour de France " !


Through lack of support i have been unable to achieve that goal and unless people decide to assist there is little chance that my 22nd season will be any more successful !


Tokyo2020 Paralympics was amazing for ALL , not just those participating but those who followed via the Media !


Since 2009 several other Blogs have been created to cover various other subjects !

Below is a guide to their separate purposes :

In the main Parrabuddy is about “Adaptive / Physically Challenged Sport” and Health Issues.


Skippi-cyclist is about personal issues and Road Safety Issues.


SkippyAus is about matters relating to Oz and some personal memories from my life there.


Tourdafarce & Tourdafrance are about matters relating to the Pro Tour , Racers and some personal experiences during my various visits to ride the Pro Tour routes .


Skippy (blogging) is about a variety of issues on the Internet .


NOT ALL postings arrive in their correct area but I will generally try to separate my views on Doping and Sporting Fraud from Road Safety Issues .



Comments ARE WELCOMED since this shows that those reading are interested in the subject matter ! Enjoy comments made to other blogs so wonder why only " anonymous " posts here !

Over the period of these "Blogs" I have had visibility on Twitter as “Skippydetour” and on Facebook as “Skippy Mc Carthy” where Google usually advise postings on the Blogs as they occur .

When any of you visit these Blogs I hope I am able to add value to your day and provide a source of information if not inspiration . Please consider asking your friends and contacts to add their support as many of the Para Athletes are struggling to find the resources to compete in Events at regional Levels let alone National Levels .


You the reader have the possibility to help these Amazing Athletes in your own way and contacting your National Paralympic Internet Site for relevant info is a good start !

Nov 8, 2012

Is it safe to ride a bike ?

Brad Wiggins yesterday , Shane Sutton , today ! What they have in common is they are both hospitalised by vehicles ! Not only that they are on the same Team ! Can you believe that only 100 days ago , Brad was sitting on a throne waiting to see if he would be on the top step of the Olympic Podium for the Time Trial Gold Medal ? Shane , as Coach for the Brit Team , would have been there also . Both , brilliant Cyclists and yet within hours of each other , arrive in hospital from accidents in the same area of the UK !

Over the years i have visited  the South West Area of Manchester close to the Airport , so as to stay with friends and ride the lanes in that neighbourhood . Many are the times i have come across members of the British team , doing cross training in that area . Cheshire is fairly popular as an area to live and train and with the Velodrome in close proximity provides ideal opportunities for short and long training rides . Sundays , as mentioned in previous blogs , i have had the occasion to ride with Cycle Clubs out of Altrincham , towards the west of the Manchester Greater Area . Generally i have found that these minor roads are free of those that think the only speed for their vehicle is max revs .

Country UK can be " sleepy hollow ", for the most part , so it is not a big surprise to see vehicle drivers , holding their ears . Oh was that a phone ? No officer , i was scratching my ear ! Totally distracted by the phone chat , the cyclist is just another road obstacle to be ignored ! Too often in the past , the inhabitants of this area were fairly affluent and looked on cyclists as being impoverished yokels . Not any more , since Cycling has risen in stature , for those wishing to get fit , or pose , now rivaling Golf as the Sport , to be seen practicing !

Recently i read an article in the " London Cyclist Blog ( http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/ ) which detailed a few of the reasons that " SMIDSY " can occur on the streets ! As a Cyclist i wear my Helmet and Glasses 100% of the time on the bike . I do not listen to a MP3 or play with the mobile phone and i still get the odd scare as something untoward happens . Looking at people riding with phone to ear or " no hands ( look at me DONT i look stupid ) chump style , annoys me intensely . No matter how nice the weather and slow the traffic is , i am constantly alert for " mistakes "! Yes that is what the driver will claim after hitting you with their tonne plus of metalwork , fact is YOU were responsible for their mistake .

When you are in a roundabout and a vehicle drives in challenging you for the space , are you supposed to get out of their way ? Fact is , it hurts if they hit you , but they get annoyed if you slow down , as they are behind you and unable to go forward . I wonder if those that i bring to a stop , because they tried to force me out of my line , understand the reason i caused them to stop ? Seems that they think a bike is of no account . Would they behave in the same manner if it was another vehicle ? NO CHANCE ! They would know that they risk losing paint and time if they choose to collide with another vehicle's panelwork , but a HUMAN BODY , that is soft and unlikely to harm their vehicle !

Daily i get on my bike , and it now requires more layers , to exercise my right to use the roads and without doing anything untoward i find that there is someone trying to demonstrate that they do not wish to see bikes using the roads they travel . Today on two occasions i was passed by " Learner School Cars " , on both occasions they were followed by traffic . Significant was the fact that they signaled LHS as they passed and RHS as they returned to their position on the roadway . Even more note worthy was the fact that the following two or three vehicles copied their example . Vehicles further behind , adopted the lazy attitude most drivers choose these days .

When " Learner Drivers " are taught to signal , why is it that the " Emergency Service Vehicles " , when on ordinary duty , choose not to set an example to other road users ? Whether Fire , Police or Ambulance Drivers , these people undergo specific training and yet they show CONTEMPT for other traffic as they drive under normal traffic conditions ! Even the road rescue services such as "AA , RAC , OAMTC , etc " think they do not need to set example to other road users ! Every member of the Armed Forces in each " First World Country " undergoes Driver Training Courses  " before they are let loose on the public , and yet they also behave badly .

Each country has it's Driving Codes and i would hazard a guess that ALL require " Signalling Intent " as they pass a slower moving vehicle ? Last time i looked , a bike was regarded as a moving vehicle !

WHEN WILL THE AUTHORITIES DECIDE THAT CYCLISTS DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH CARE ? CAN WE EXPECT POLITICIANS TO TREAT CYCLISTS AS VOTERS AND THUS WORTHY OF THEIR CONSIDERATION AS " HUMAN BEINGS "?

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