Should cyclists be allowed to race on public roads?

From me its a resounding "NO" to racing on public roads.

In my local town, the Tour of Britain is coming in September. Everything will stop. Potholes will be filled, traffic lights (temp ones, of which there are plenty right now!) will disappear miraculously, all the nasty dog poo which everyone grouses about will miraculously disappear. You'll see at least one copper on duty (unknown hitherto).

The cyclists will, we have been told "bring foot-fall to the town" and bring money in on the day from spectators. In other words, the arrogant gits will Shlt miracles and go so blimmin fast through the town that they'll disappear up their own backsides (hopefully).
 
As long as there is prior warning about an event and clear signs I don’t really feel it is a bad thing. People are passionate about bike racing like we are about our horses.

However... the behaviour that people have been speaking about at that recent race is not safe or acceptable. It must have been a terrible experience.

Bike races are not all the time and with clear warning can easily be avoided. I would simply not hack out if I knew!
 
fourshiresrambler said:
But why aren't the roads closed? Why are they allowed to race on public roads. So dangerous.
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Because they race all over the place all the time - drivers would be up in arms if the roads were shut all the time. Within 30 minutes bike ride of here there is a race almost every night of the week normally 6pm - 9pm - EVERY week. The good ones are on the major dual carriage ways which is why you don't get more horse vs. cyclist incidents.

Actually the cyclists would probably LOVE the roads to be shut, they could race without worrying about traffic - everyone commuting home from work would go mental.
 
Well I live in a country village and they're flying though here all the time and they never close the road. We have main through routes to quarries, farm machinery, horse riders and more and they fly down past our yard down a single track lane at at least 40mph because they're trying to get their times up. It's a blind bend, not closed off, two way traffic. Only a matter of time until they either hit a horse, dog walker or tractor at 40mph. I just hope it's the latter not the former. -_-
 
PM or they'd stop having them so often because they wouldn't get the permission to close the roads and all have to go track racing instead.

Or actuallly they might move round areas, the same as a lot of the running races do when they want to road close so it isn't the same people affected every week as happens in some places now.

I really cannot get my head round people being allowed to do timed races on public roads, the two just aren't conducive to each other when your main aim is to go as fast as possible, on the best bit of road possible, as aerodynamically (ie head down) as possible.
 
Tbh I don’t support roads being closed so these races can take place why should someone be trapped in their home because of these races and there are a lot of them in some areas and people would be seriously effected .
We have one of these time trial things near here the first year I was inadvertently caught in it driving to my mothers she had had a stroke recently .
To be clear these roads where not closed and the cyclists over took cars into on coming traffic which had to stop and they came straight across give ways with out slowing it was madness I would have been seriously afraid if I had been on a horse the horse in the video was wonderful the outcome could have been very different ,I nearly had had a stroke by the time I got to mums where happily she was feeling dizzy because she had not drunk enough .
The system for warning local people of the races is not suffient and locals should have the right to prevent them taking place .I live eight miles from mum I had no idea .
There’s a balance to be struck we need to train our horses to accept cycles and cyclists need to respect more vulnerable road users even if they are racing .
The country needs to get fit and cycling has a role in this but some stricter control of these big races is called for .
 
Obviously the behaviour of those cyclists was indefensible and they should be facing severe penalty.

Pesonally I would be pretty careful about calling for a ban on cycle racing on the roads. There are plenty of people out there who would like to ban horse riding on the roads too, and some of the same arguments do apply. Ok, we don't actually race on the road (except the sulky races around here which are another issue altogether) but what about hunts, endurance rides, trec etc.
 
Cycle racing & time trials yes, the focus speed seems to override everything else & make them oblivious to other road users. General cycling certainly not, and that includes club rides.
 
It’s a no from me. Luckily I’ve not had any incidents with my horse, however on the bypass down to my yard there’s regular races. They seem to get so enamoured with racing that they forget they’re on very busy roads. Regularly have them swerving infront of me when I’m overtaking. I couldn't believe it when I saw one try to undertake a tractor!! Mad!! They just have no road sense at all & are a danger to themselves & other road users.
 
UK competition cyclists are TOPDOG in the world of cycling.

They need the freedom of the road.

As far as road rights go .........horses/riders are way down the pecking order.
 
Fairly sure most of these people are not great 'competition cyclists' particularly the triathletes involved here :p.
 
rifruffian said:
UK competition cyclists are TOPDOG in the world of cycling.

They need the freedom of the road.

As far as road rights go .........horses/riders are way down the pecking order.
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Winning medals does not give you the right to break the law and that was u lawful behaviour.
 
laura_nash said:
Obviously the behaviour of those cyclists was indefensible and they should be facing severe penalty.

Pesonally I would be pretty careful about calling for a ban on cycle racing on the roads. There are plenty of people out there who would like to ban horse riding on the roads too, and some of the same arguments do apply. Ok, we don't actually race on the road (except the sulky races around here which are another issue altogether) but what about hunts, endurance rides, trec etc.
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Agree. I have taken part in a number of triathlons on open roads. I still stick to the rules of the road, check at junctions and stop.if necessary.

Horse riders are on VERY shaky ground calling for bans on other annoying road users. We need to shout about making sure ALL road users are respectful and behave safely at all times - whether it's a time trial, a hunt or a Sunday morning jogger.
 
No, because although of course, 90% of cyclists are polite and courteous road users, but what about that 10%? If you have lots of people taking part in a road race, that ten percent suddenly becomes a whole load of idiots, and I don't think it's safe for the cyclists or other road users.
 
Theocat said:
Agree. I have taken part in a number of triathlons on open roads. I still stick to the rules of the road, check at junctions and stop.if necessary.

Horse riders are on VERY shaky ground calling for bans on other annoying road users. We need to shout about making sure ALL road users are respectful and behave safely at all times - whether it's a time trial, a hunt or a Sunday morning jogger.
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When did you last see horse riders racing on the roads ,I don’t think we are saying that cyclists should not be on the road I think people are saying they need to obey the rules like everyone else .
A race does not allow you break the law which I have seen and which clearly happened in this case there is no way undertaking a vulnerable road user is lawful .
If these road races are getting out of hand then some form of control will be inevitable .
I also think third party should compulsory.
 
Maybe as more incidents captured (I'm sure there was another one recently where marshalls were directing traffic, which they also shouldn't be doing?) they will try and get their own house in order?
 
No, I think their sport has now grown so substantially that it needs greater controls and restrictions. Perhaps it’s time for fewer but larger events and properly run with rolling road closures to minimise impact on locals, keep everybody safe and still allow the sport to grow.

If we tried to hold showjumping on every village green & mounted games races on the grass verges to maximise competition opportunities I’m pretty sure we’d have been stopped long ago. What we have going on with cycling now is their equivalent of this.
 
Goldenstar said:
When did you last see horse riders racing on the roads ,I don’t think we are saying that cyclists should not be on the road I think people are saying they need to obey the rules like everyone else .
A race does not allow you break the law which I have seen and which clearly happened in this case there is no way undertaking a vulnerable road user is lawful .
If these road races are getting out of hand then some form of control will be inevitable .
I also think third party should compulsory.
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I agree. And in every race I have been in, I have obeyed the usual rules of the road - and haven't seen anyone break them, either. Race organisers are VERY clear about sticking to the rules of the road. A crack down on rule breakers is much more appropriate than banning races.

(Some) horse riders break the rules of the road all the time. It doesn't mean we should all get an automatic ban as a result!
 
On the whole I don’t see why it’s an automatic right to hold any event on a public highway and thinking that it is is arrogant in itself. However it’s not uncommon for various sporting events to take place on public highways e.g. marathons etc. So a complete ban is too restrictive.

I think there needs to be tighter regulation with the event organisers / clubs paying for licences etc. to the local authorities/ highways authorities affected. There should be a limit on numbers held per area so that people are not unduly affected. There should be appropriate signage, stewards and road closures where necessary all paid for by the event organisers who I think rake it in with very little outlay.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
On the whole I don’t see why it’s an automatic right to hold any event on a public highway and thinking that it is is arrogant in itself. However it’s not uncommon for various sporting events to take place on public highways e.g. marathons etc. So a complete ban is too restrictive.

I think there needs to be tighter regulation with the event organisers / clubs paying for licences etc. to the local authorities/ highways authorities affected. There should be a limit on numbers held per area so that people are not unduly affected. There should be appropriate signage, stewards and road closures where necessary all paid for by the event organisers who I think rake it in with very little outlay.
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This would be my stance too I think.
 
Racing should not be allowed on any road or right of way, and why should roads be closed and so disrupt the life of everyone in the area. If I compete my horse I go to a venue that is on private land, and the same goes for everyone competing in other sports - no one expects to play foot, cricket, golf or whatever else on the highway - so why should cyclists be a special case.
 
Theocat said:
- and haven't seen anyone break them, either. Race organisers are VERY clear about sticking to the rules of the road.
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They really are not round here.

When I accidentally caught up in them the ones that ride sensibly are the exception not the rule. Last time it happened only one of the dozens that passed me slowed and gave me a reasonable amount of space including squeezing between me and a parked car. The stewards/marshalls I stopped to speak to said they were racing (it was technically a timed event but that slip of the tongue shows how they don't differentiate) and it was unreasonable to expect them to slow down for any reason
 
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.
 
I am in favour of racing on public roads, if those roads are temporarily closed to other traffic. I've seen cycle, running and motor races of this kind in the UK, in Belgium and in France, and it works well.

But the people who live where the races are held must have a voice in organising the event. And if the people decide they don't want the race, then the organisers need to find another location.

For me, it doesn't matter what kind of race it is. It could be an egg-and-spoon or a sack race. Whenever there is an organised race on a public road, the road needs to be closed to other traffic.

https://www.acu.org.uk/news/2017/04/closed-public-roads-road-racing-in-england/
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg...tor-racing-and-motoring-events-on-public-ways
 
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