Do you agree that bikes are unstable and should be allowed only on cycle tracks?Not main roads OR pavements.

Answer 1

No byt I do think the riders should learn the highway code - like RED MEANS STOP at traffic lights

Answer 2

I have seen alot of good points made in these answers. I gave up my car earlier this year and now cycle everywhere. Its not the bike riders that unstable on roads, its the state of the roads thats the problem. We have to stick to the kerbside where all the glass, debris, holes and grates are so we do have to swerve around and avoid things just like care drivers do.

In the case of whoever mentioned the child proficiency, I enquired about this and only kids over the age of 13 can take this, which again is stupid as my kids have been riding bikes for years, both from the age of 4. Its also not law to take a cycling proficiency - but it damn well should be.

I always use cycle paths when they are there, but even these can be overgrown, full of debris and glass....its a tough job for cyclist let me tell you.

Most of the answers are right, motor vehicles users should be more tolerant and considerate taking into account the problems cyclists face.

Great Question by the way...has helped me vent for the day

Janey

Answer 3

Bikes are not unstable, possibly there are people who ride them who are.
Are you suggesting that the morons who drive cars without due care and attention should spoil the free and healthy way of getting to work,?Should not cars and their drivers be at fault in this?
Are you also thinking that every road should have a cycle path throughout the country side?
Sorry, I disagree with this, roads and cycle paths if possible but not confined to it.
Definitely not to use pavements, although we could than confine the pedestrian to either bikes or cars...for their own safety of course.
Perhaps you've had a bad experience though and been crashed into by a bike, poor road man-ship by unstable people is always hard to stomach.

Answer 4

If geniuses like you would place your minds in gear before engaging your mouth you would find that the overwhelming fault for motorcycle accidents lie with automobile drivers. While many motorcyclist do perform stunts on the road that infuriate drivers they seldom kill themselves. A motorcycle is a very stable platform with a gyroscopic effect to weigh ratio that cars don't enjoy. As for safety, a bike like a car is no safer than the driver. If you respect my right to a lane position, don't force me into the median, don't turn across in front of me, and generally obey the rules of the road we can co-exist. Your, or perhaps my, problem is you don't look where you are going. A motorcycle is a smaller target than a car and a driver too lazy too actually look will

Oh good god. What is the point in trying to educate someone with no more sense than you seem to possess. Get a bigger car, black out the windows and kill a few more people. And don't forget to run for office. After all, you are the ONLY person on the planet smart enough to save all the rest of us. I thank you so very much for your insight and enlightened vision.

BTW, can we prevent anyone with a negative IQ from getting an Internet connection?

Answer 5

Bicycles and Motorcycles are both essentially gyroscopes. They are both as stable a vehicle as a car, if not more so. The rider might be your primary grievance, as our balance and raised center of gravity can in some cases weaken the stability at low speed.

To propose that any cycle be taken off the road is a tad extreme, maybe we should all hang up the cell phone, concentrate on driving and share the roadways. Bicyclists also need to remember that they have a smaller road profile and need to obey traffic laws like cars do (this is a loosely enforced law) and be proactive on their own safety.

Answer 6

One of the things we have impressed me since being in the U.k, is that you do have loads of cycle tracks. I do not cycle ,but we are considering to let our children ride to school . The problem is that ,i am not sure that my daughter will be as vigilant about her safety as necessary., and i do think she would be safer on a cycle track. there is not one that runs all the way and I don't expect that there should be.

i heard that they may enforce a law that everyone needs to have a cycling compentency test. I think this is a very good idea for youngsters. where we live , there seems to be a big cycling community and i have seen adverts for teaching cycling safety. i will defitely be going that way , before allowing her to her own devices. sometimes cyclists do seem to be in danger and i have seen some be a bit risky, hence my concerns, but motorists are meant to be alert too. unfortunately there are not cycle tracks everywhere and will cost a fortune to lay down, so for now we all need to be considerate of each other.

Answer 7

Just a legal perspective for you.....

In my home state of Texas, and in many others I know of, bicycles are legally defined as a motor vehicle and are required to comply with the same laws as cars. You can be ( and should be) ticketed for riding on a sidewalk. It is also illegal to ride on the shoulder, just as it is for a car. The law requires motorist to pass safely with a minimum clearance of three feet. If a road lane is less than 17 feet wide, the biker can and should in some cases ride in the center of the lane to prevent people from "squeezing by" when it is not safe to pass, like in a blind curve. This is called "taking the road" and is a legally prescibed measure to protect the cyclist. Otherwise, a biker is required to ride as far to the right as practical and not unduly obstruct traffic.

Share the road. It's the law. There are several local policemen and a state trooper that ride with us that love to take down tag numbers of people who don't.

When gas gets to $5.00 per gallon, as it will, you will see a lot more bikes on the road.

Answer 8

bikes are not unstable, there are however riders that can be.
Of course they should be allowed on the road, and every car driver should have to ride a bicycle through a busy town as part of their driving test.

Answer 9

No. We need more people getting rid of their cars and taking up cycling. Bikes are stable and should definitley be allowed on roads. People using different forms of transport just need to be more considerate of one another. At the end of the day we are all just trying to get somewhere.

Answer 10

No. They shouldn't be on pavements, but main roads are fine.
They've been on the roads longer than cars have, so they have as much, if not more, right to be there than cars have.

Answer 11

No, I don't agree with that. But I do think that all towns and cities should provide bike lanes along side the road.