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 "?
YOU TOO CAN ASSIST " ADAPTIVE / PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED SPORT"!!..... THIS BLOG REMINISING ON PLACES AND PEOPLE VISITED OVER 24 YEARS OF PEDALING "PRO TOUR " RACE ROUTES". SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE VISIT . Note that i ride alone and unassisted ! I represent NOBODY and my views in relation to " Para Sport " are personal BUT what others do is their OWN affair ! I encourage ALL to help their National Paralympic Org. assisting those living in their area with dreams of Sporting Achievement .
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