The tools in carbon are coming down Ayliffe's in 4's!

The 4 tools riding super fast weaving in and out across lanes behind the semitrailer down Ayliffes road at 745 this morning helped me realise why cyclists are getting sledged in the Adelaide press at the moment. Any of them could have become a smudge on the road or caused others to come to grief. Sigh.

1 member likes this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Frank on February 8, 2012 at 20:30

Blow it up

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by snappy_don on February 9, 2012 at 9:31

Chuck Norris aside, I take Mark's point that some cyclists are more reckless than others. I don't know if they were breaking the law, but Mark saw what he thought was dangerous and unless I saw it myself, I'll take his word on that.

Like others here have said here, if I can keep pace with the traffic I'll certainly take the lane and command my own spot on the road. If we're all doing 50-60 kph I'll sit several car lengths back because I don't have 4 disc brakes like a car does, but I don't need to be close to get a huge tow from the slipstream.

BTW, is it an especially Aussie trait to put the boot into people who we see doing the wrong thing- especially when their car or clothes, or in this case flash bikes, are better than ours? Tall poppy thing? I know I tend to do it too..

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jeremy Champion on February 9, 2012 at 13:02

Surely Mark is just saying these guys whether we think it is safe or not would have given the impression to Joe public they were riding like dheads. Joe public quickly then goes to all riders ride like dheads and we all suffer as a consequence.

Interesting points on braking distance and reaction times etc however most are looking at one riders reactions excluding the interaction of the other 3 riders and assuming the truck is just stopping straight and not undertaking any avoidance manoeuvres of its own. The online calculator says you can stop a bike within 4.6m at 36kmh I'm confident it does not say "safely" the Sydney Council Guidelines and AustROADS guidelines include the words safely and require much greater distances. Design guidelines have much wider parameters built into them including allowing for grade and even then they can be found wanting.

Chuck Norris probably can't even ride a bike.