I agree with almost everything you said, I agree that you can't be diving in and out all the time and it is a fact that some motorists do not understand the reasons for primary/secondary positioning and some even respond aggressively with the horn, shouting abuse, close punishment pass or tailgating, some get triggered just because we are on the road. All of this can be very intimidating and probably is the reason that some cyclists only ride in secondary all the time, I really don't think many do it to entrap motorists.
This is why I like two tone high vis jackets, the type with a yellow top and blue bottom, because the yellow works great in the low light, and the dark sections work great when you are riding between drivers and the sunset.
Sometimes I use an orange jacket with yellow gloves and headband. also have reflective yellow tape on the back of the trunkbag and a yellow reflective strip on the rear mudguard.
Pedals with reflectors are also very effective at night, they immediately identify you as a cyclist in the headlights of an approaching motorist. Hi Vis really comes into it's own when vehicles have their lights turned on, at other times in poor light you need lights and bright colours.
When I cycled, the scenario at around 12:03 I used to leave just over a vehicle length to the car in front and put my thumb up to the driver behind to say they could come passed when safe and go ahead. I wasn't the quickest on the bike and sometimes it just felt like the right thing to do, especially if the road was opening up to a 40mph after the lights. Most of the time the gesture was appreciated but not taken but it showed awareness of those behind that could be going quicker
15:25 "country roads" makes me chuckle every time. They aren't country roads at all. Try some of the roads north of Bolton. Make these look like dual carriageways!
Excellent take as ever. I support this 100%. I do find it so so tiring to have to mitigate the conduct of drivers on *every* *single* ride. I have changed my attitude regarding primary from watching your videos.
I wear high viz and also add reflective yellow tape to the back of the trunkbag and mudgaurd, but what I consider most important for visibility is bright lights which work well even in bright sunlight.
I always use daylight lights and highviz or reflective clothes. I dont do it to be seen as it makes little difference. I do it so I or my family can clam the maxamum when im hit.
I'm not a fan of camera or light mounts on helmets. This could be a conspiracy theory, but it kind of makes sense to me. The injury to Michael Schumacher was that the impact hit the GoPro mount which went through the helmet hitting his head causing the brain damage. Instead of distributing the force of the impact over the whole helmet, it focuses the force into one small point which the helmet isn't designed for. So i avoid adding any external mounts on my helmet even if it gives a better vantage point for my 360 camera. I know it sounds like i should wear a tin foil hat, but i feel safer this way.
There is a widely held misconception that hi-vis helps you to be seen in the dark (or darker light). In low light conditions and after lighting up time (when other vehicles have their lights on) you need retroreflective clothing or panels to reflect the light back at the driver. Of course, a hi-vis with retroreflective bands (like the one you wear) is the best of both worlds.
Urban environments is fine with me for low light as there is usually enough contrast between differing buildings, side roads and other furniture such as bus stops and car lights (if used). The problem I used to find was along lanes where it is the same shade of green along the edge and other road users are in the shadows where they tend to blend in Something I find that helps is to move the eyes from side to side rather than focussing between the hedges, it helps the brain to pick out shapes and colours that don't quite fit in As for personal visibility, I cycled the way I drive. Lights always on regardless of the time of day, twilight, night or dawn👍
I'd like to see you doing a piece from the Fiveways roundabout when you get the road bike on the go. Just a perspective on position and indication from each entry and exit. That would be interesting to see your approach. As you know, the Childwall Road entry is tricky on a bike when it's busy and you're heading for Childwall Priory or Queens Drive. To offset that, entering from Childwall Priory is almost a doddle as it's downhill 👍
I think it was on GCN channel they did a visibility test, the results were the high vis material is best used on moving limbs like legs and shoes. But also wear a high vis bib just to be sure.
Saw that too and got myself some new reflective clips. The movement is key for recognition. I was behind a chap with just red lights today, and it honestly looked as if he was stationary. Not recognisable as a bike at all.
Horse riders put reflectors on the horses legs, really eye catching when approaching them. Alas bikeys will do nothing to help themselves or their image, instead delegating responsibilty for their own safety to everyone but themselves.
That is becasue the eye is attracted to movement, riding at an angleto a car is a way of making yourself easier to see. Pink is supposedly the most visible color , your legs and arms being a shade of pink. You will notice that your eye gets attracted to a cyclists legs as they cycle.
@@DemiGod.. depends on the shape of the legs & what they are attached to 😁 Alas most bikeys seem to be middle aged boring old men playing dress-up in their super-hero costume like they did when they were five.
GCN also encourage a 'racing mentality' on lots of their videos; how often does the average rider ride on closed roads? When riding on the road, safety before strava times........
For me clothing helps but i think good lights are a must in all light conditions. It baffles me people who run no lights at all at night. Many times all you see is a glimpse of a silhouette of someone if you're lucky. They must think "if i can see them, they must be able to see me!" but what doesn't come into their mind is that they can see you because you are running lights and that is what they are seeing, not you per se.
For me the most challenging light conditions is the low level sun, a full sun sitting just above the horizon, either you are being blinded by it or the oncoming traffic is. Thankfully it is usually a short window this happens, but if you're in that window it sucks big time. Because either you're not seeing or you're not being seen. This is one of the many reasons i wear a cycling cap under my helmet, it acts as a sun visor in bright conditions, even with sunglasses on, direct sunlight into your eyes is not good, the best way is to shield your eyes from the sun, which is why cars have sun visors for the driver to block direct sunlight into their eyes and cycling cap is the bike version. Even if a helmet has a built-in peak, the cap is better as it sits just above the eyes so can be pulled a fair bit down to block the low sun, a helmet peak sits too high to help block a low sun.
18:52 no give way lines for the cycle track there, so under rule 76 & 140, that cyclist would have priority to cross the junction. I would have gone too though as they seemed to hesitate.
There is a lot to be said for "creating movement" on a bike as well, if I think a driver hasn't seen me I like to drift left and right if its safe, so that i add some movement, or I might wiggle a bit to create someting notieable for the drivers to see
I have started doing that on the quiet country roads when I see someone coming in my mirror, although my reason for doing it was to try and look "unstable" so they gave me more space when passing :) . Also recently found out that on those country roads you are advised to always stay in primary until someone wants to overtake.
Now the cooler days are here, my warmer tops are hi-viz, which I now wear. Together with 3 rear lights, and one or two front lights, depending on light levels. I've started to be more proactive in my primary/secondary positions. Not always, but certainly more often than I used to. I do have one issue, though. Whilst there are many that are Strava speedsters, not all users are solely concerned with speed. I use it to track my fitness or lack of, but also to see what cycling mates across the country are up to, and my daughter in Oz is doing with her running. I'm well past the age and fitness that I'm going to be fastest on any segments.
@AshleyNeal-JustCycling Not at my age Ashley 🤣 Though I know some do. However, when I had to undergo lung surgery, the surgeon was impressed by my lung function, considering I had a tennis ball sized tumour in the right lung.
I agree. There is so much more to Strava than 'speeding'. I find it a bit ironic that Ashley made that comment whilst riding an e-bike at a speed way higher than most cyclists could manage!
I have been rear ended three times in my lifetime on the road. Three times I was in a vehicle and one of those times I was completely stationary. I have never been rear ended while cycling
Talking about the "seeing" part of seeing and being seen, does anyone have any tips for a glasses wearer when cycling in bad conditions? I've found rain to be fine in daylight, but as soon as headlights are on it becomes near impossible to see sometimes
One thing I've found that seems to encourage safe passes by drivers is an obvious helmet camera. Now you can't get much more obvious you're wearing a helmet camera than a 'Jeremy Vine' style 360 jobbie poking out the top of yer noggin. I did try it for a while, but it was impractical for me. The weight was uncomfortable on the road bike and I don't wear a helmet on the town bike. Plus I'm not sure about the safety of it in the event of a crash. I think you'd be far safer with no helmet, than a helmet with a camera mounted on top.
See AND be seen, as my old driving instructor used to drum into me. Helps having always ridden a motorbike and cycled too. Why not make yourself as visible as possible?
The highway code says should leave at least 1.5m. The way i think everyone should approach that is you better have a very good reason why you don't leave that much space. The should leaves the opportunity for judgment passing closer when you cannot leave that much space. It is not an excuse to pass closer when the space exists.
@simonwatson2399 shame the highway code does not tell bikeys to keep 1.5 metres away from peds. Bikeys love to 'punishment pass' peds on zebra crossings as close as they possibly can. Former footpaths, now 'shared' with bikes can be even worse. Bikeys see them as their own raceway, peddling as fast as they can, pushing past peds who do not step out of their way immediately when a ding of entitlement is heard. Maybe the HC does tell bikeys to keep 1.5M from peds, even if it does, bikeys ignore the HC anyway.
The law when overtaking 1.5m is a minimum safe distance for overtaking in slow moving traffic. If you cannot allow the minimum distance, do not overtake until you can. At speeds of 30mph or above, the Highway Code recommends a car width may be needed to overtake safely.i would check the 1.5m law if i was you Ashley
What law is broken _if_ someone passes a cyclist closer than 1.5m? Is it a specific close pass law that explicitly defines the safe distance or is it another offence that uses other factors as guidance? If it was law, why are so many passes closer than 1.5m that are reported deemed to be safe with no further action to be taken as the driver showed appropriate care?
@@smilerbob The HC is not statute. You do not have to follow it. However, much of the information within it is taken from statute. The writers cleverly do not state which parts are statute and which are not. Of course, if one is riding/driving in accordance with the HC and is involved in a incident, adhering to the HC can be used in mitigation. An example maybe passing a bike, who then swerved into you & they ended up injured or worse. If one was passing at 1.5 metres and there was no reasonable way to predict the bike would swerve (bike scared by dog jumping out of bushes & instinctive swerved away, for example) a court may find no responsibility on your part. The same scenario, but passing at 0.5M a court could decide that had the recommended 1.5M space been given, collision & injury may have been avoided. I just wish bikeys would give 1.5M when weaving through peds on zebras or on shared paths, but of course bikeys want it all their own way.
@ Completely understand that one and fully aware the Highway Code _can_ be used to make a judgement. However, the quote from some saying “1.5m is the legal minimum” is incorrect as it is a recommendation for speeds up to 30mph. Am I saying it is fine to pass with less than 1.5m space regardless? Of course not Would I pass a cyclist with less than 1.5m space in a normal drive? No. Have I passed with less than 1.5m space? Yes, but the rider had indicated to me that they were happy for me to do so, I didn’t assume they were happy for me to do so
A person who rides an e-bike should not be giving advice on primary and secondary positioning to cyclists who ride normal bikes. "Struggling to do 23kph up this hill". 🤣 There's a HUGE difference between 23kph and the 7kph you'd be doing without the e-assist and the abuse you'd get for being in primary. The extra speed you're getting from your motor completely changes that situation for you, but I expect you'll just pretend you could tootle along at 5mph in primary all day without ever getting any aggro.
That speed was beyond the electrical assistance which was also on its lowest level. This is also on a bike that has no normal gears but an automatic gearbox within the electric motor. So many assumptions you make. Stop showing prejudice against e-bikes as cycling should be for everyone.
@@AshleyNeal-JustCycling I'm sorry but you're not seeing cycling the way the rest of us experience it. As you say, cycling is for everyone, not just people who have an e-bike. You need to get on a normal bike and see for yourself that your e-assist does give you a huge boost and the advice you're giving on moving in and out of primary position doesn't always apply the way you think it does when moving at lower speeds. If you're going to educate people then do it properly.
If a driver is going to give abuse to a cyclist then it doesn’t matter if the cyclist is doing 23kph or 7kph in primary or secondary, the driver already has the wrong attitude and will give abuse. They are the ones that need to be prosecuted, even if it is for reeducation rather than punishment as that has to be better than adding to the resentment and biased hatred Why do people claim e-bikes are not proper bikes? I used to love cycling but injury means that is no longer possible and I would love for e-bikes to be at an affordable price for a weekend tootle along the cycle paths and canal near me, but alas I am limited to walking those paths and having to put up with “proper” cyclists hurtling passed at ridiculous speeds or shouting that we haven’t moved over…oh hang on, where have I seen that attitude before? 🤔 Cycling should be inclusive wherever and whenever and there should be no discrimination from anyone on the choice of bike used or position in the road taken and *everyone* should be able to share the roads, paths and lanes without abuse from anyone
8:07 yes, I don't think that speed uphill is much of a factor when considering whether to use primary or secondary position. If it's too narrow for a vehicle to pass safely, it's simply too narrow irrespective of the speed of the cycle.
if my daily driver can disappear into the grey background, imagine how easy it is for a pedestrian or cyclist. and for you who say it's the driver's job to see you - why make it harder for them?
@Ash, wasting your time mate. On other tubes/books, I have suggested to bikeys that hi-viz might be a good idea. There is just a pile-on with the entitled saying things like 'I don't see cars wearing hi-viz' and the all time classic 'we don't have to' I have no idea why the mentality of people changes when they get on a bike. So many also say 'well most bike riders also drive a car' which makes it all the more astonishing how they act when on a bike. As you know, your name is hated in the bikey world, often with jibes directed at yourself, one recent tube, where a really bad/reckless car driver drove on the opposite carriageway to make their right turn as an innocent bike was peddling towards them were met with 'I bet Ash says the bike could have done better' failing to acknowledge the bikey was wearing all dark clothing (bike did have lights) and rather than brake sooner to keep distance and away from this moronic driver, braked only just enough to swerve round the car at the lass second. Posting educational cycling videos is just a waste of time.
Two "cycling fallacies" there! Quotes: 1. Hi-Vis (not Viz, that's a smutty comic)... "It's received wisdom that high-visibility garments make people cycling easily visible, and therefore safe. But unfortunately the evidence just doesn't show this at all. Studies suggest that high-visibility clothing has little or no effect on cycling safety, or on the behaviour of people driving. In some studies, the wearing of high-visibility clothing is even correlated with higher crash risk. Equally, there may be some instances where such clothing actually worsens visibility - there have been instances where high-visibility clothing has been cited as an exacerbating factor in road deaths. Rather than insisting that people wear special clothing when cycling or walking, we should be designing roads and streets that keep all users safe, all the time." 2. Education (I agree it's mostly a waste of time): "Higher standards of driving, due to improved training and more stringent testing, may help to make cycling a little safer. However, countless attempts have been made for over 80 years to get people to “share the road” safely, with little or no success. While there will always be an anti-social and aggressive minority who will resist ‘education’, even the best-trained and best-intentioned people can make genuine mistakes when driving - human beings are not perfect, and motor vehicles are potentially dangerous machines. It is fear of motor traffic itself that overwhelmingly discourages people from cycling, not just bad driving specifically. No amount of driver training will relieve these genuine worries, because the end result still involves someone on a light, low-powered machine trying to share roads which are dominated by high-powered vehicles weighing hundreds of kilograms and travelling much faster. Even if 100% perfect driving could be achieved, cycling in motor traffic would remain an unpleasant and intimidating experience for most people, as it involves interacting with fast, heavy machines at close range. The most sensible - and proven to be safest - strategy to enable cycling is to limit the number of interactions with motor vehicles, through good design which separates cycling from driving as much as possible."
I agree with almost everything you said, I agree that you can't be diving in and out all the time and it is a fact that some motorists do not understand the reasons for primary/secondary positioning and some even respond aggressively with the horn, shouting abuse, close punishment pass or tailgating, some get triggered just because we are on the road. All of this can be very intimidating and probably is the reason that some cyclists only ride in secondary all the time, I really don't think many do it to entrap motorists.
This is why I like two tone high vis jackets, the type with a yellow top and blue bottom, because the yellow works great in the low light, and the dark sections work great when you are riding between drivers and the sunset.
Sometimes I use an orange jacket with yellow gloves and headband. also have reflective yellow tape on the back of the trunkbag and a yellow reflective strip on the rear mudguard.
Pedals with reflectors are also very effective at night, they immediately identify you as a cyclist in the headlights of an approaching motorist.
Hi Vis really comes into it's own when vehicles have their lights turned on, at other times in poor light you need lights and bright colours.
When I cycled, the scenario at around 12:03 I used to leave just over a vehicle length to the car in front and put my thumb up to the driver behind to say they could come passed when safe and go ahead. I wasn't the quickest on the bike and sometimes it just felt like the right thing to do, especially if the road was opening up to a 40mph after the lights. Most of the time the gesture was appreciated but not taken but it showed awareness of those behind that could be going quicker
15:25 "country roads" makes me chuckle every time. They aren't country roads at all. Try some of the roads north of Bolton. Make these look like dual carriageways!
Excellent take as ever. I support this 100%. I do find it so so tiring to have to mitigate the conduct of drivers on *every* *single* ride. I have changed my attitude regarding primary from watching your videos.
I wear high viz and also add reflective yellow tape to the back of the trunkbag and mudgaurd, but what I consider most important for visibility is bright lights which work well even in bright sunlight.
Great riding, exactly how I've commuted for the last 20 years. Keep safe. Looking forward to seem you on a road bike.
I always use daylight lights and highviz or reflective clothes. I dont do it to be seen as it makes little difference. I do it so I or my family can clam the maxamum when im hit.
I'm not a fan of camera or light mounts on helmets.
This could be a conspiracy theory, but it kind of makes sense to me. The injury to Michael Schumacher was that the impact hit the GoPro mount which went through the helmet hitting his head causing the brain damage.
Instead of distributing the force of the impact over the whole helmet, it focuses the force into one small point which the helmet isn't designed for.
So i avoid adding any external mounts on my helmet even if it gives a better vantage point for my 360 camera.
I know it sounds like i should wear a tin foil hat, but i feel safer this way.
There is a widely held misconception that hi-vis helps you to be seen in the dark (or darker light). In low light conditions and after lighting up time (when other vehicles have their lights on) you need retroreflective clothing or panels to reflect the light back at the driver. Of course, a hi-vis with retroreflective bands (like the one you wear) is the best of both worlds.
Urban environments is fine with me for low light as there is usually enough contrast between differing buildings, side roads and other furniture such as bus stops and car lights (if used). The problem I used to find was along lanes where it is the same shade of green along the edge and other road users are in the shadows where they tend to blend in
Something I find that helps is to move the eyes from side to side rather than focussing between the hedges, it helps the brain to pick out shapes and colours that don't quite fit in
As for personal visibility, I cycled the way I drive. Lights always on regardless of the time of day, twilight, night or dawn👍
I'd like to see you doing a piece from the Fiveways roundabout when you get the road bike on the go. Just a perspective on position and indication from each entry and exit. That would be interesting to see your approach. As you know, the Childwall Road entry is tricky on a bike when it's busy and you're heading for Childwall Priory or Queens Drive. To offset that, entering from Childwall Priory is almost a doddle as it's downhill 👍
Consider it done!
@AshleyNeal-JustCycling Top man 👍
I think it was on GCN channel they did a visibility test, the results were the high vis material is best used on moving limbs like legs and shoes. But also wear a high vis bib just to be sure.
Saw that too and got myself some new reflective clips. The movement is key for recognition. I was behind a chap with just red lights today, and it honestly looked as if he was stationary. Not recognisable as a bike at all.
Horse riders put reflectors on the horses legs, really eye catching when approaching them.
Alas bikeys will do nothing to help themselves or their image, instead delegating responsibilty for their own safety to everyone but themselves.
That is becasue the eye is attracted to movement, riding at an angleto a car is a way of making yourself easier to see. Pink is supposedly the most visible color , your legs and arms being a shade of pink. You will notice that your eye gets attracted to a cyclists legs as they cycle.
@@DemiGod.. depends on the shape of the legs & what they are attached to 😁
Alas most bikeys seem to be middle aged boring old men playing dress-up in their super-hero costume like they did when they were five.
GCN also encourage a 'racing mentality' on lots of their videos; how often does the average rider ride on closed roads? When riding on the road, safety before strava times........
For me clothing helps but i think good lights are a must in all light conditions.
It baffles me people who run no lights at all at night. Many times all you see is a glimpse of a silhouette of someone if you're lucky. They must think "if i can see them, they must be able to see me!" but what doesn't come into their mind is that they can see you because you are running lights and that is what they are seeing, not you per se.
For me the most challenging light conditions is the low level sun, a full sun sitting just above the horizon, either you are being blinded by it or the oncoming traffic is. Thankfully it is usually a short window this happens, but if you're in that window it sucks big time. Because either you're not seeing or you're not being seen.
This is one of the many reasons i wear a cycling cap under my helmet, it acts as a sun visor in bright conditions, even with sunglasses on, direct sunlight into your eyes is not good, the best way is to shield your eyes from the sun, which is why cars have sun visors for the driver to block direct sunlight into their eyes and cycling cap is the bike version.
Even if a helmet has a built-in peak, the cap is better as it sits just above the eyes so can be pulled a fair bit down to block the low sun, a helmet peak sits too high to help block a low sun.
18:52 no give way lines for the cycle track there, so under rule 76 & 140, that cyclist would have priority to cross the junction.
I would have gone too though as they seemed to hesitate.
There is a lot to be said for "creating movement" on a bike as well, if I think a driver hasn't seen me I like to drift left and right if its safe, so that i add some movement, or I might wiggle a bit to create someting notieable for the drivers to see
Fully agree, "motion stealthing", where your relative motion makes you apparently stationary is a real problem and gets people killed.
I have started doing that on the quiet country roads when I see someone coming in my mirror, although my reason for doing it was to try and look "unstable" so they gave me more space when passing :) .
Also recently found out that on those country roads you are advised to always stay in primary until someone wants to overtake.
The human eye is more sensitive to lateral motion than a looming object - so wiggle to be visible!
That’s also why drivers need to take extra care in these conditions - to be prepared for cyclists who don’t wear fluorescent clothing as advised
Fully agree, low light is much worse than full night. Much worse contrast, hi-viz is a must.
Now the cooler days are here, my warmer tops are hi-viz, which I now wear. Together with 3 rear lights, and one or two front lights, depending on light levels. I've started to be more proactive in my primary/secondary positions. Not always, but certainly more often than I used to.
I do have one issue, though. Whilst there are many that are Strava speedsters, not all users are solely concerned with speed. I use it to track my fitness or lack of, but also to see what cycling mates across the country are up to, and my daughter in Oz is doing with her running. I'm well past the age and fitness that I'm going to be fastest on any segments.
I understand the use for fitness however, increased fitness is usually an increase in pace on a bicycle
@AshleyNeal-JustCycling Not at my age Ashley 🤣 Though I know some do. However, when I had to undergo lung surgery, the surgeon was impressed by my lung function, considering I had a tennis ball sized tumour in the right lung.
I agree. There is so much more to Strava than 'speeding'. I find it a bit ironic that Ashley made that comment whilst riding an e-bike at a speed way higher than most cyclists could manage!
Most of the time beyond its Electrical assistance also!
I have been rear ended three times in my lifetime on the road. Three times I was in a vehicle and one of those times I was completely stationary. I have never been rear ended while cycling
@smilerbob You have never worked at the BBC then.........
Talking about the "seeing" part of seeing and being seen, does anyone have any tips for a glasses wearer when cycling in bad conditions? I've found rain to be fine in daylight, but as soon as headlights are on it becomes near impossible to see sometimes
One thing I've found that seems to encourage safe passes by drivers is an obvious helmet camera. Now you can't get much more obvious you're wearing a helmet camera than a 'Jeremy Vine' style 360 jobbie poking out the top of yer noggin.
I did try it for a while, but it was impractical for me. The weight was uncomfortable on the road bike and I don't wear a helmet on the town bike. Plus I'm not sure about the safety of it in the event of a crash. I think you'd be far safer with no helmet, than a helmet with a camera mounted on top.
See AND be seen, as my old driving instructor used to drum into me. Helps having always ridden a motorbike and cycled too. Why not make yourself as visible as possible?
The highway code says should leave at least 1.5m. The way i think everyone should approach that is you better have a very good reason why you don't leave that much space.
The should leaves the opportunity for judgment passing closer when you cannot leave that much space. It is not an excuse to pass closer when the space exists.
@simonwatson2399 shame the highway code does not tell bikeys to keep 1.5 metres away from peds.
Bikeys love to 'punishment pass' peds on zebra crossings as close as they possibly can. Former footpaths, now 'shared' with bikes can be even worse. Bikeys see them as their own raceway, peddling as fast as they can, pushing past peds who do not step out of their way immediately when a ding of entitlement is heard.
Maybe the HC does tell bikeys to keep 1.5M from peds, even if it does, bikeys ignore the HC anyway.
@wibbley1 we get it. You hate cyclists. How sad. Life's much more fun if you define it by what you like and enjoy. Give it a try.
The law when overtaking
1.5m is a minimum safe distance for overtaking in slow moving traffic.
If you cannot allow the minimum distance, do not overtake until you can. At speeds of 30mph or above, the Highway Code recommends a car width may be needed to overtake safely.i would check the 1.5m law if i was you Ashley
What law is broken _if_ someone passes a cyclist closer than 1.5m? Is it a specific close pass law that explicitly defines the safe distance or is it another offence that uses other factors as guidance?
If it was law, why are so many passes closer than 1.5m that are reported deemed to be safe with no further action to be taken as the driver showed appropriate care?
@@smilerbob The HC is not statute. You do not have to follow it. However, much of the information within it is taken from statute. The writers cleverly do not state which parts are statute and which are not.
Of course, if one is riding/driving in accordance with the HC and is involved in a incident, adhering to the HC can be used in mitigation.
An example maybe passing a bike, who then swerved into you & they ended up injured or worse.
If one was passing at 1.5 metres and there was no reasonable way to predict the bike would swerve (bike scared by dog jumping out of bushes & instinctive swerved away, for example) a court may find no responsibility on your part.
The same scenario, but passing at 0.5M a court could decide that had the recommended 1.5M space been given, collision & injury may have been avoided.
I just wish bikeys would give 1.5M when weaving through peds on zebras or on shared paths, but of course bikeys want it all their own way.
@ Completely understand that one and fully aware the Highway Code _can_ be used to make a judgement. However, the quote from some saying “1.5m is the legal minimum” is incorrect as it is a recommendation for speeds up to 30mph. Am I saying it is fine to pass with less than 1.5m space regardless? Of course not
Would I pass a cyclist with less than 1.5m space in a normal drive? No. Have I passed with less than 1.5m space? Yes, but the rider had indicated to me that they were happy for me to do so, I didn’t assume they were happy for me to do so
Psycho Path. I mean Cycle Path!
A person who rides an e-bike should not be giving advice on primary and secondary positioning to cyclists who ride normal bikes. "Struggling to do 23kph up this hill". 🤣 There's a HUGE difference between 23kph and the 7kph you'd be doing without the e-assist and the abuse you'd get for being in primary. The extra speed you're getting from your motor completely changes that situation for you, but I expect you'll just pretend you could tootle along at 5mph in primary all day without ever getting any aggro.
That speed was beyond the electrical assistance which was also on its lowest level. This is also on a bike that has no normal gears but an automatic gearbox within the electric motor. So many assumptions you make. Stop showing prejudice against e-bikes as cycling should be for everyone.
@@AshleyNeal-JustCycling I'm sorry but you're not seeing cycling the way the rest of us experience it. As you say, cycling is for everyone, not just people who have an e-bike. You need to get on a normal bike and see for yourself that your e-assist does give you a huge boost and the advice you're giving on moving in and out of primary position doesn't always apply the way you think it does when moving at lower speeds. If you're going to educate people then do it properly.
If a driver is going to give abuse to a cyclist then it doesn’t matter if the cyclist is doing 23kph or 7kph in primary or secondary, the driver already has the wrong attitude and will give abuse. They are the ones that need to be prosecuted, even if it is for reeducation rather than punishment as that has to be better than adding to the resentment and biased hatred
Why do people claim e-bikes are not proper bikes? I used to love cycling but injury means that is no longer possible and I would love for e-bikes to be at an affordable price for a weekend tootle along the cycle paths and canal near me, but alas I am limited to walking those paths and having to put up with “proper” cyclists hurtling passed at ridiculous speeds or shouting that we haven’t moved over…oh hang on, where have I seen that attitude before? 🤔
Cycling should be inclusive wherever and whenever and there should be no discrimination from anyone on the choice of bike used or position in the road taken and *everyone* should be able to share the roads, paths and lanes without abuse from anyone
8:07 yes, I don't think that speed uphill is much of a factor when considering whether to use primary or secondary position. If it's too narrow for a vehicle to pass safely, it's simply too narrow irrespective of the speed of the cycle.
You just look like a bit of a douche now, mate.
if my daily driver can disappear into the grey background, imagine how easy it is for a pedestrian or cyclist. and for you who say it's the driver's job to see you - why make it harder for them?
@Ash, wasting your time mate. On other tubes/books, I have suggested to bikeys that hi-viz might be a good idea.
There is just a pile-on with the entitled saying things like 'I don't see cars wearing hi-viz' and the all time classic 'we don't have to'
I have no idea why the mentality of people changes when they get on a bike. So many also say 'well most bike riders also drive a car' which makes it all the more astonishing how they act when on a bike.
As you know, your name is hated in the bikey world, often with jibes directed at yourself, one recent tube, where a really bad/reckless car driver drove on the opposite carriageway to make their right turn as an innocent bike was peddling towards them were met with 'I bet Ash says the bike could have done better' failing to acknowledge the bikey was wearing all dark clothing (bike did have lights) and rather than brake sooner to keep distance and away from this moronic driver, braked only just enough to swerve round the car at the lass second.
Posting educational cycling videos is just a waste of time.
Two "cycling fallacies" there! Quotes:
1. Hi-Vis (not Viz, that's a smutty comic)...
"It's received wisdom that high-visibility garments make people cycling easily visible, and therefore safe.
But unfortunately the evidence just doesn't show this at all. Studies suggest that high-visibility clothing has little or no effect on cycling safety, or on the behaviour of people driving. In some studies, the wearing of high-visibility clothing is even correlated with higher crash risk. Equally, there may be some instances where such clothing actually worsens visibility - there have been instances where high-visibility clothing has been cited as an exacerbating factor in road deaths.
Rather than insisting that people wear special clothing when cycling or walking, we should be designing roads and streets that keep all users safe, all the time."
2. Education (I agree it's mostly a waste of time):
"Higher standards of driving, due to improved training and more stringent testing, may help to make cycling a little safer. However, countless attempts have been made for over 80 years to get people to “share the road” safely, with little or no success.
While there will always be an anti-social and aggressive minority who will resist ‘education’, even the best-trained and best-intentioned people can make genuine mistakes when driving - human beings are not perfect, and motor vehicles are potentially dangerous machines.
It is fear of motor traffic itself that overwhelmingly discourages people from cycling, not just bad driving specifically. No amount of driver training will relieve these genuine worries, because the end result still involves someone on a light, low-powered machine trying to share roads which are dominated by high-powered vehicles weighing hundreds of kilograms and travelling much faster.
Even if 100% perfect driving could be achieved, cycling in motor traffic would remain an unpleasant and intimidating experience for most people, as it involves interacting with fast, heavy machines at close range. The most sensible - and proven to be safest - strategy to enable cycling is to limit the number of interactions with motor vehicles, through good design which separates cycling from driving as much as possible."