Should cyclists be allowed to race on public roads?

stencilface said:
Surely competing endurance riders must use roads and bridlepaths sometimes. Should they be stopped too?

Perhaps parkrun shouldn't be allowed to continue in public parks across the country every Saturday?
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Sorry don't know what Park run is nor do I have any knowledge of endurance rides but if their sport involves mowing down other road users, then no not on a public road.

We have at least one sometimes two bike rides a week in the summer and the riding in that clip is typical not unusual. One nearly had a child on the floor and boasted on Facebook that he hadn't let the berserk horse affect his time a or slow him down.,,

All the riders in the area try and avoid riding on those days but with no signage or warning it's not always possible and I have to walk to and from the train station wbi h without a pavement is pretty scary.
 
Polos Mum said:
In all honestly the person with the best insurance would ultimately pick up the bill/ claims. If a cyclist had been killed or injured then their legal people would sue the horse rider, the horse riders insurance would sue the undertaking cyclists insurance company or the even organisers insurance company - a big bun fight and then they all agree to chip in.
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Is that really how it works? No attempt to apportion the blame, say, 75% to the most negligent, 25% to contributorily negligent, 0% to the person not at all in the wrong? Then decide the compensation that each party should receive for material loss and bill the negligent in proportion to the blame?

I already had an idea that insurance was essentially a racket, but your explanation of things would just lead to everybody taking the very barest, most minimum level insurance that the law requires...
 
Keith_Beef said:
I already had an idea that insurance was essentially a racket, but your explanation of things would just lead to everybody taking the very barest, most minimum level insurance that the law requires...
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I don't know about France - but in the UK yes, if you are unlucky and have no insurance then they come after you / your house - but for most of us that isn't worth their while doing, especially not for a £several million, claim for a permanently disabled cyclist. If they bankrupt me they might just cover the legal costs so it's not worth doing.

Many people on here use the BHS as their third party liability insurance (me included). That is an 'insurer of last resort' so it only comes into action once the insurance companies have tried all other policies (so my home insurance or if I had specific horse insurance, or event organisers etc. etc.) that is why it is so cheap because it comes in after everyone else
 
I’d say cycle races are fine, but the girl in the video says there was no warning, no signage. The cyclist who went round her inside acted like a complete rhymes with tanker and should face a hefty fine. He yanked her foot out of her stirrup.
 
ester said:
I'm not sure if that is serious shock or not? why wouldn't they be allowed on dual carriageways? There are some where cycling is not permitted but most it is fine.
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They could get hit by a car. The cars go so much quicker on dual carriageways.
 
ester said:
I'm not sure if that is serious shock or not? why wouldn't they be allowed on dual carriageways? There are some where cycling is not permitted but most it is fine.
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There's a time and a place. Cycling time trials used to be timed to be on first thing in the morning, when the road is quiet.

I got caught up in a nightmare tangle of busy summer traffic on the A50 near Uttoxeter when I had just picked up the late maxicob from Stubley Hollow Farm in 2012. The time trial was scheduled for a busy Saturday summer afternoon, not when the road was quiet in the in morning when I had travelled out with the empty trailer to pick him up.

It was an effing nightmare. I couldn't travel fast enough to keep in the outside lane, so I was forced repeatedly into the inside lane to sit at 20 mph until I could pull out and overtake a series of wobblists, and this went on for many miles. Gazillions of cyclists head down, in the zone, obvious to all road traffic. A complete nightmare. And like you Ester, I'm a cyclist.
 
No racing of any kind should be allowed on the roads. You can't race cars or horses legally so why bikes. It encourages dangerous riding, the amount of cyclists that come out of a junction without looking when they are racing is phenomenal, I'm suprised there aren't more accidents. Unless the roads are closed (which in itself is a pita) then there should be no racing on the roads of any kind.
 
Fred66 said:
Because cycle racing is largely split into 3 categories:
Mountain
Track
Road

Its rather difficult to do the latter without going on a road. For the larger races where they all start together then the road is normally closed or at least has a rolling road block for the main group, however for time trials where they set off separately in say 2 min intervals then closing the road would be very disruptive and is likely to only be done for national events.

Most are well signposted and most cyclists are pretty good at sticking to the rules of the road, lets not spoil it for the majority for the sake of a few idiots
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Apologies, I should have been clearer. What I meant was "Why would cyclists want to race on public roads that have not been closed to other traffic".

With all due respect, you have clearly never been to this part of Berkshire when all the clubs are out! They are thoroughly obnoxious. I have no issue with cyclists, and most individuals/small groups are very good around horses, but the pack mentality of the club posses has to be seen to be believed.
 
Appropriately enough just had a close call with a cyclist on a timed event. He came round a blind bend at top speed and obviously didn't occur to him that there might be someone walking from the village to the station and he had to brake sharply - there was a car on the other side of the road and no verge at that point. No apology, just a dirty look for slowing him down. I got back from my hack at about 5pm and there were no signs out but there were at 7pm saying cycle event so they must put them out at the last minute.
 
mule said:
They could get hit by a car. The cars go so much quicker on dual carriageways.
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ok so it was genuine, is it regarding group cycling/timed rides on dual carriageways or cyclists using dual carriageways at all?

I'd rather cycle on a straight dual carriageway than a bendy national speed limit road.
 
No.

Quite apart from the dangers, they are so inconsiderate! On more than one occasion I’ve been stuck behind a herd of them in my lorry for 15+ minutes.

I can’t overtake as I can’t accelerate quickly and I wouldn’t likento squeeze past them and risk clipping anyone.

But will they were pull over and alllw me and the queue of traffic behind me to pass?

Nope.
 
ester said:
ok so it was genuine, is it regarding group cycling/timed rides on dual carriageways or cyclists using dual carriageways at all?

I'd rather cycle on a straight dual carriageway than a bendy national speed limit road.
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Both. It's just not safe. Bear in mind I'm from Ireland where cyclists aren't allowed on dual carriageways. I assumed it was the same in the UK.
 
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About 15 years ago there was an incident were cyclists on a road race spooked a couple of horse riders horses which caused the riders to be thrown and the loose horses being involved in a collision with some cars. The case went to court and the judge stated in his summing up that all cycling road races should be escorted by a vehicle both front and rear and that in the event of meeting a horse the race should be stopped until the horse riders could be passed safely. Clearly in this road race the cyclists were not being escorted and the organisers of the road race have failed in their obligations. Once the police prosecute or fail to prosecute the race organisers/cyclists the horse owner should take out a private civil action against the race organisers/cyclist
 
Oh, I understand why you said it now, pretty common here, less so on the very big ones with slipways etc and some of those do have bans. I was cycling on one age 14/15 as it was the road into town until they added a path so it was never a big deal and often much more pleasant as people had plenty of room to move over instead of attempting it on a blind bend.

I stand by my comment that I actually find it safer than a lot of single carriageway A and B roads though, and all of my close calls have been 30mph village/town roads (and I'm a very much obeying the rules of the road commuting cyclist).
 
PeterNatt said:
About 15 years ago there was an incident were cyclists on a road race spooked a couple of horse riders horses which caused the riders to be thrown and the loose horses being involved in a collision with some cars. The case went to court and the judge stated in his summing up that all cycling road races should be escorted by a vehicle both front and rear and that in the event of meeting a horse the race should be stopped until the horse riders could be passed safely. Clearly in this road race the cyclists were not being escorted and the organisers of the road race have failed in their obligations. Once the police prosecute or fail to prosecute the race organisers/cyclists the horse owner should take out a private civil action against the race organisers/cyclist
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As said previously how do you escort a Tri race like this based on timings with chips as there isn't a beginning and end of a group of people? it goes on all day in waves. As you can see in the video everyone is very strung out. The same with sportives.
 
ester said:
Oh, I understand why you said it now, pretty common here, less so on the very big ones with slipways etc and some of those do have bans. I was cycling on one age 14/15 as it was the road into town until they added a path so it was never a big deal and often much more pleasant as people had plenty of room to move over instead of attempting it on a blind bend.

I stand by my comment that I actually find it safer than a lot of single carriageway A and B roads though, and all of my close calls have been 30mph village/town roads (and I'm a very much obeying the rules of the road commuting cyclist).
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Interesting. The more rural roads seem to attract cyclists here. Narrow, winding roads with blind bends, you have to be brave to cycle here;)
 
No, I dont think racing should be allowed. Sure, organised bike rides are fine IMO (as in not against the clock) but as soon as you add the time element it seems these cyclists will do anything to get their time, it doesnt matter who is on the road. Where I am, Ive never seen any roads closed when a race is on... the one that came nearest me last year certainly did not close roads but thankfully they did put up signs in the week prior so I knew to avoid hacking out that day.

I dont believe a cycle race is a good enough reason to close a road if Im honest so I wouldnt want that option either!

I dont believe it can be compared to riding on the road (or endurance rides where some parts may be on roads) as I would think the vast majority of riders are pretty good at being polite and slowing down for things or allowing vehicles to pass. I always stay in to the side and will trot to a near roadway / layby if a big vehicle is coming (why risk getting too close to a lorry?). So many cyclists not even on races seem to unfortunately be oblivious to other road users and merrily make you follow them for miles on rural roads while they're spread across the whole thing in their groups, then not even a wave in thanks when you eventually do get past.
 
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I got caught up in a race that had no warning sighs, nor any prior knowledge whilst on a newly broken horse. It was fairly terrifying, and luckily my friend went on the outside with an older horse. We did complain to the marshals, but got a shrug of the shoulder....
 
Last night on my way home from work along a fairly busy narrow windy B road which has a lot of potholes I met a peleton of about 25 cyclists 3/4 abreast and clearly racing. 200m further on is a junction with another B road where I had do an emergency stop as 3 lycra clad road warriors cut the junction totally in my lane at speed. I have it all on dash cam and as soon as I have worked out how to down load it it is going to the police and if I can find which local club it is a copy will go there and to local media. If I had been a metre further on all 3 would have collided with me. The air was very blue and the window was down so hopefully they heard me.
 
mule said:
Interesting. The more rural roads seem to attract cyclists here. Narrow, winding roads with blind bends, you have to be brave to cycle here;)
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Likewise the group referred to in my previous post use this road a lot even in winter when most have no lights at all !!!!
 
I'm having a discussion on my FB at the moment. A couple of cyclists on there not exactly defending the cyclist, but also apportioning some blame to the horse rider, saying she should have moved over to the left when she saw the first bikes.

She could have, but if they blatantly 'didnt see her' then the undertaking ones may well have gone in to the back of the horse if she was further left.... However, even the ones on the right were passing too fast.
 
Given that road cyclists themselves are often told to not ride on the far left of the road I don't think I buy it! They weren't short on space on the right hand side to give her plenty of room, there was no traffic coming the other way, not that any of them did.

I'd be inclined to suggest that had she been right up against the verge she would have had a cyclist hit the rear of her horse instead!
 
ester said:
As said previously how do you escort a Tri race like this based on timings with chips as there isn't a beginning and end of a group of people? it goes on all day in waves. As you can see in the video everyone is very strung out. The same with sportives.
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If they cannot be run safely on public roads then maybe they should not be run on public roads.
 
Well quite, I was simply picking up a point of fact given that it was suggested that they weren't acting on legal precedent....
 
Crackerz said:
I'm having a discussion on my FB at the moment. A couple of cyclists on there not exactly defending the cyclist, but also apportioning some blame to the horse rider, saying she should have moved over to the left when she saw the first bikes.

She could have, but if they blatantly 'didnt see her' then the undertaking ones may well have gone in to the back of the horse if she was further left.... However, even the ones on the right were passing too fast.
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Ask them if they automatically go single file and hug the left of the road when they have a car coming up behind them ....

Thought not!
 
Auslander said:
I don't understand why they would WANT to conduct races on public roads. If achieving the best possible time is the aim, why would they want their finish time to be compromised by negotiating around motorists, leisure cyclists, walkers, riders, etc etc.
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They don't want to be compromised either. Hence the behaviour seen on the video in question.
 
There's a somewhat defensive update on the Windsor triathlon's organisers page.

http://humanrace.co.uk/news/press-statement-incident-windsor-triathlon/

Including 'KEY QUESTIONS

1. Why can you organise a Triathlon on open roads?

We follow best practice as per guidelines from British Triathlon. Throughout the planning process we liaise with the local council’s highways department and with the relevant Safety Advisory Groups about the event and its routes. The bike course takes place on open roads so individual participants are required to always ride within the rules of the Highway Code, and act with due care and to ensure their own safety as well as that of all others also using the road.'
 
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