Driving standards

[MrWolf]

 

3 minutes ago, 30801 said:

 

Um, you can't. Legally you can have pedal assistance up to 15mph and I think 200 watts. Anything else counts as a motorbike. 

Of course that doesn't stop loads of them being sold for 'off road' use...

 

Obviously the people with the blue boxes strapped on the back don't care about that, nor do their employers, or rather the people said cyclists sub contract to.

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Worse are the morons with no lights, dressed in black and hooded, paying no attention to any road rules. Perhaps they don't want to be seen for some reason?

 

I posted some footage here a while ago. It may have been a bit too subtle.

60mph unlit road.

[MrWolf]

Difficult to make out on my phone, is that some brain donor on one of those electric scooters?

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Difficult to make out on my phone, is that some brain donor on one of those electric scooters?

 

Road bike. All you can see is his white helmet a little right of centre.

[MrWolf]

I can make out the hands and the white helmet, that's all.

 

The helmet won't be much use if he ends up with a car as a suppository at 60mph.

 

Not to worry, it will still be the car driver's fault regardless and there'll be plenty of screeching on X and various cycling forums.

 

Speaking of helmets, he is one. Maybe purple is more his colour? Paired with a pink roll neck sweater to keep warm...

 

Be what and who you are, as the media never tires of telling us!

[johnofwessex]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

............................

 

Worse are the morons with no lights, dressed in black and hooded, paying no attention to any road rules. Perhaps they don't want to be seen for some reason?

 

.........................................

 

The reason why they dont want to be seen is that there are people waiting for organ donations 

 

But there is no shortage of Practitioners of the Solitary Vice on the roads whether they have four wheels, two wheels or shoes 

[Reorte]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

A flashing red rear is much less of a distraction and quite a good idea though.

Definitely, I should probably clarify that I'm not grumbling about those.

[GrumpyPenguin]

13 hours ago, Reorte said:

This might get be a bit of abuse but I'm fed up with bike lights now. Thanks to LEDs they can be as bright as car headlights now. That on it's own certainly isn't a bad thing, but they're rarely adjusted accordingly, and I find flashing at that brightness level is disorientating, especially if it does a strobe-type flash (beats me how anyone can standing cycling with that). When the law was changed to allow flashing bike lights it was probably a good idea, when they were nowhere near as bright, but they've changed.

Although still an HGV driver I no longer drive them in Central London. One of the biggest problems I had was flashing cycle lamps at night - it made it very diffecult to judge how far away from the truck cyclists really were.

So, all you cyclist please bear in mind that HGV drivers are not out to kill you, help us to help you & remember, no matter how good the HGV driver is get it wrong near an HGV & the day will end very badly for you.

[Enterprisingwestern]

13 hours ago, Reorte said:

Since it's pretty much all LEDs (for new) now anyway it's a while since I've seen "but they're much better because they're brighter" even though it wasn't the technology but the law created for a very good reason that kept the brightness down.

 

This might get be a bit of abuse but I'm fed up with bike lights now. Thanks to LEDs they can be as bright as car headlights now. That on it's own certainly isn't a bad thing, but they're rarely adjusted accordingly, and I find flashing at that brightness level is disorientating, especially if it does a strobe-type flash (beats me how anyone can standing cycling with that). When the law was changed to allow flashing bike lights it was probably a good idea, when they were nowhere near as bright, but they've changed.

 

12 hours ago, Nick C said:

Bike lights? As in lights, on bicycles? That'll never catch on...

 

Whaaat??, you'll be suggesting working indicators on BMW's and Audi's next, don't be so ridiculous.

 

Mike.

[MrWolf]

57 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

 

Whaaat??, you'll be suggesting working indicators on BMW's and Audi's next, don't be so ridiculous.

 

Mike.

 

Or that white zigzags don't mean reserved parking for "footballer's wives" to drop their lawn monkeys at school...

[Hroth]

And its well known that cyclists* have difficulties with "are you a robot" tests as they have no idea what a traffic light is.

 

* Particularly those who ride about at night wearing black hoodies with the hood up, and no lights on their bike. One shot across a red in front of me late at night the other week...

 

[MrWolf]

2 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

 

The reason why they dont want to be seen is that there are people waiting for organ donations 

 

I don't think that it's anything quite so altruistic, it's often more to do with what they have in their pockets. Especially if it's a grown man on an electric scooter or a BMX, it's about dodging the Five-O innit bruv? 

 

2 hours ago, johnofwessex said:

But there is no shortage of Practitioners of the Solitary Vice on the roads whether they have four wheels, two wheels or shoes 

 

It's part of the human condition that people from all walks of life seem determined to be selected as the next Archbishop of Bashington.

 

Now that side roads are official crossing points for pedestrians and anyone turning left is obligated to stop for them (whilst hoping that the following vehicles don't rear end them) many of the cretins don't even look up from their phones and they've taken to doing it everywhere. 

 

Those people on petrol powered two wheelers fall into three categories:

 

•Motorcyclists.

 

•Helmetless cretins on stolen scooters, Motocross and quad bikes, a group that motorcyclists would cheerfully bash the living f*** out of if they could get away with it.

 

•Weekend wobblers on the latest ZYX1000RRR. A group of over fortys who overtake you on their rear wheel and three inches from your right elbow to demonstrate how big and clever they are.

Fortunately, they're only allowed out by their wives for a couple of hours on sunny Sundays. More than two hours at a time of their antics significantly increases the odds of their becoming yet another of those tacky roadside memorials.

[beast66606]

On 17/02/2024 at 12:31, MrWolf said:

Could be worse!

 

I worked in Bahrain in the late 1990s - taking a taxi there was an life threatening experience

[johnofwessex]

5 hours ago, Reorte said:

Definitely, I should probably clarify that I'm not grumbling about those.

 

Are you a Baboon?

 

(Edit for Clarity, you dont mind Flashing Red Behinds)

Edited February 19 by johnofwessex

[leopardml2341]

On 17/01/2024 at 15:20, Hroth said:

Of course, the boot would be on the other foot if you braked sharply and your brakelights didn't come on...

 

That used to be the case for SAIC Motor Roewe i5 (MG5 SWEV in the UK). In KERS level 3, brake lights didn't (used to) come on when you lifted off the accelaerator though the deceleration was pretty rapid.

 

A software update soon followed 😆; the first rash of insurance claims - probably!

[Reorte]

9 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

That used to be the case for SAIC Motor Roewe i5 (MG5 SWEV in the UK). In KERS level 3, brake lights didn't (used to) come on when you lifted off the accelaerator though the deceleration was pretty rapid.

 

A software update soon followed 😆; the first rash of insurance claims - probably!

Wouldn't it make more sense if the KERS didn't kick in until the brake pedal was pressed? Cars are full of electronics anyway, may as well make some use of them to distribute the braking between that and the pads as required. Although there's possibly something to be said for the braking system being as simple as possible so you can be absolutely sure it does what you want it to when you press the pedal.

[leopardml2341]

11 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Wouldn't it make more sense if the KERS didn't kick in until the brake pedal was pressed? 

Not to a Yorkshireman - saves pounds on brake pads 😁

There are many different concepts with EVs, two extremes being with the aforesaid MG5 and the BMW i3.

 

On the former, take your foot off the brake and the car moves (think conventional Auto Transmission) whilst on the latter the car stays still until you depress the accelerator.

 

On a different note some EVs don't cut motor power when the (foot)brake is applied when stationary thus potentially leading to motor overheat events.

 

That said, I do wonder why manufacturers bother fitting handbrakes to UK cars these days as it seems most drivers seem to sit with their foot on the brake, without giving a flying f*ck thought about the driver behind that is being dazzled. No doubt the clutch will be help depressed where the vehicle requires it too.

 

Not a lot of car sympathy there then - ah, but wait, it doesn't nmatter cos it's probably leased.....

#rantover. 

Edited February 19 by leopardml2341

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Wouldn't it make more sense if the KERS didn't kick in until the brake pedal was pressed?

 

Absolutely not!

You'd understand if you've ever driven a car that effectively freewheels....

[Reorte]

5 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

That said, I do wonder why manufacturers bother fitting handbrakes to UK cars these days as it seems most drivers seem to sit with their foot on the brake, without giving a flying f*ck thought about the driver behind that is being dazzled. No doubt the clutch will be help depressed where the vehicle requires it too.

If the handbrake was a new invention, only in new cars, they'd all praise it about how much effort it's saved them from keeping their feet on the pedals...

[Reorte]

1 minute ago, 30801 said:

 

Absolutely not!

You'd understand if you've ever driven a car that effectively freewheels....

Fair point, a balance somewhere in between then.

[leopardml2341]

10 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Fair point, a balance somewhere in between then.

Aye, keeping the accelerator pressed just enough to prevent too much retardation when going doan a long steep hill - simply lifting off will cause the motor to regen to its 'balance point' which can be as low as 4 mph.

 

It's a fine art to keep the needle on zero if you really want to 'coast'.

 

Edited February 19 by leopardml2341

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, leopardml2341 said:

That said, I do wonder why manufacturers bother fitting handbrakes to UK cars these days as it seems most drivers seem to sit with their foot on the brake, without giving a flying f*ck thought about the driver behind that is being dazzled. No doubt the clutch will be help depressed where the vehicle requires it too.

 

From what I've seen of YouTube 'driving instructor' channels that's how they teach these days. The thinking being a big line of cars with brake lights on is a more obvious hazard.

Personally I only show brake lights while at the back of a queue.

[PhilJ W]

I was taught to use the handbrake when queuing in traffic as in application its 100% effective whereas you foot could always slip off the pedal. Indeed once upon a time if you held a car on the foot brake on the driving test and not the hand brake it was an instant fail.

Edited February 19 by PhilJ W

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, 30801 said:

 

Absolutely not!

You'd understand if you've ever driven a car that effectively freewheels....

 

Ah, the Wartburg 353, what an experience!

 

Mike.

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, 30801 said:

 

Absolutely not!

You'd understand if you've ever driven a car that effectively freewheels....

 

31 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Ah, the Wartburg 353, what an experience!

 

Mike.

And 50's and 60's Rovers.