Views on Runners?

[Neil Ives]

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I reckon it's best to consider everybody else on the road, (also in life generally) as idiots until you get to know them.

[Neil Ives]

I used to know that road fairly well..

You know the short section of dual carriageway at Bowling Green? One bright sunny morning a woman driver struck my bike and knocked me into the road. My theory for the reason she didn't see me was that she was chatting to her passenger and not looking ahead, (don't you just hate to see that?) My bike needed a new wheel and mudguards, but I was not seriously hurt thank goodness. I was nervous about cycling after that.

[Neil Ives]

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Cyclists probably drive all makes of vehicles.... but they seem to forget that the rules still apply to them when on two wheels.... went to see Milton Jones last week, he said 'any cyclists in the audience' then flashed a picture of a red traffic light up on a screen, 'any of you know what this means?'

Funny-ish! A car jumping Amber and even up to long changed Red lights are a more serious threat to our safety. I frequently start to move into a junction after my light has turned green to see vehicles still moving through. There is no excuse for it.

[Kremmen]

No I don't know it that well to have spotted a bowling green. I was always driving (trying to avoid cyclists)

I'll get my coat.......

[JimSh]

Most adults who ride bikes are also motorists and pedestrians.
A lot more tolerance is required all round.

Edit Typo

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[Kenneve]

Seems like my request in include cyclists in this post, has struck a nerve.
I note there are at least twice the responses so far from members, relating to cyclists rather than runners.
Not sure of the reasons for that?

[culzean]

Most adults who ride bikes are also motorists and pedestrians.
A lot more tolerance is required all round.

Edit Typo

Arguably cyclists more of a threat to pedestrians than vehicles are, they often ride on pavement, cyclists often ride across pedestrian crossing ( they are supposed to dismount and push their bike ), shared pedestrian and cycle lanes are a nightmare, no warning of approach, just suddenly a cyclist whizzes past weaving between walkers.  Cyclists also cut inside turning lorries and wonder hwy they end up on the floor...   Cannot remember last time I saw a bell on a bike, and they often do not have lights, rear view mirrors also not fitted any more.   I used to cycle a lot and if i knew a queue was building up I would pull into side of road and stop, never seems to happen these days, cyclist hold the traffic up on hills and then pedal like mad down the other side of on the flat, making it difficult to overtake them.  Those electric scooters are even more of a menace, they are illegal if privately owned by a responsible adult but apparently OK if a 13 year old hires one from a council facility...

How dangerous are e-scooters?

Most regular electric scooters have a max speed of 20mph though some models are capable of reaching up to 60mph. They can be dangerous for the rider if they crash, or if they collide with other road users. The problem with e-scooters is that like bikes, they are almost silent — and even more difficult to see coming.

E-scooters have been restricted in other countries for safety reasons after several deaths. Silent vehicles like e-scooters can also be particularly dangerous for people with disabilities, such as blind and partially sighted people as they are hard to hear and capable of reaching high speeds.

There has already been one e-scooter related death in the UK. Emily Hartridge, a television presenter who was using an e-scooter on a road in south-west London, died last year when she was hit by a lorry.

However, the biggest concern is that like dockless bikes in major cities, these e-scooters will end up on pavements, unfairly obstructing the way for people with disabilities. It is still not clear whether companies will be obliged to fund docking stations for e-scooters or set up a more efficient collecting system if they become more widespread.

Natasha Bernal is WIRED's business editor. She tweets from @TashaBernal

[culzean]

Seems like my request in include cyclists in this post, has struck a nerve.
I note there are at least twice the responses so far from members, relating to cyclists rather than runners.
Not sure of the reasons for that?

Mainly because cyclists cause road users ( and a lot of other people ) a lot more grief than runners....

[Bazzzer]

No I don't know it that well to have spotted a bowling green.

I drove along it yesterday... I didn't realise Bowling Green was a place name, not a sporting venue.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=52.15914&lon=-2.26625&layers=168&right=BingHyb

[nowster]

This time of year, when running (even in daylight) I wear a fluorescent yellow top with reflective details. My shoes have reflective bits. The running trousers I have (now it's getting proper parky out there) also have reflective bits. If I'm running after dark I will have a head torch. The cap I wear has reflective bits.

I'm "only" doing about 50km per week at the moment.

The big problem I have with cycles on canal towpaths is that very few of them have bells (or if they do they don't sound like cycle bells), and they sneak up behind. I wear bone conduction headphones which leave my ears uncovered, so I can hear traffic, etc., but they still catch me out from time to time. It used to be a legal requirement for one to be fitted.

Another problem I have with cyclists is them cycling on the pavement (especially when there's a bike lane alongside). It is illegal but very rarely enforced.

On rural roads wide enough to allow two cars to pass, I take the right hand edge. On single track roads I might run on the crown of the road if the camber is too extreme. I don't run on main (A or B) roads except on the pavement.

[richardfrost]

I 100% agree with everything you just said Nowster, apart from two things 1) I'm not back up to 50km a week yet, and 2) I run in shorts, but really need to get some running tights this Winter.

Cyclists can be a real pain on the canals and are one of the reasons I avoid them these days unless I need a towpath to link between places. I also prefer to run on the crown of a single track road if possible. When I was marathon training I was putting in weekly 13/14 mile runs on single track roads and the effect on your ankles of running on the camber was quite insidious. It was only when I did a training run with someone else and mentioned my ankle trouble that she suggested I run on the crown.

[embee]

I feel there are 2 considerations, one is for other road users and the second is for themselves.
Round here there are a couple of smaller back roads used heavily by cyclists in particular, though the points apply to runners/walkers equally.
Most cyclists are considerate, but there are some who are not. They ride abreast and make a point of holding up motorised traffic ....  because they can. They would be the first to get angry if a car was to pull in front of them and slow down to a crawl, holding them up. Just be considerate (like most are).
The main gripe I have is the apparent total lack of awareness of their environment and their place in it. So many wear black/green/blue lycra and ride on country roads with trees and hedges which make them all but invisible especially when the sun is bright and they are in shadows. I have seen (just) cyclists wearing camouflage. What part of their own safety don't they understand? Just wear something bright and visible, pink, orange, white, yellow etc, something which doesn't blend into the background. Give car drivers a fighting chance to notice them.

Runners (back on topic) generally seem very much more considerate and aware than cyclists, no issue with them. 

[nowster]

I 100% agree with everything you just said Nowster, apart from two things 1) I'm not back up to 50km a week yet, and 2) I run in shorts, but really need to get some running tights this Winter.

I've been running in shorts until the cold winds started a week or so ago. If outside temp is above about 7°C, shorts, unless there's a large wind chill factor. I need gloves before I need to cover my legs.

I've only recently got up to the 13 mile distance. I've done four half marathon distances in the last three months, but my more usual distance is 10km (and parkrun on Saturday mornings).

Another hazard is school bus stops at "letting out time", which seems to be about 2.30pm nowadays.