Category Archives: Safe Cycling

Some of the things I do to try to remain as safe as possible on the roads as they currently are.

A response to a well-meaning, but ill-informed driver.

Three days ago, a driver in Bristol posted a video that has got quoted in the local press. This driver was aggrieved because his car was damaged by someone who was unable to be traced. I can understand why he … Continue reading

Posted in Article, Road Justice, Safe Cycling | 7 Comments

Playing billiards with cyclists?

Introduction In the game of billiards, points can be scored by hitting the red ball and the opponent’s cue ball in the same shot; that is called a cannon. I wonder whether the equivalent on the road involves hitting two … Continue reading

Posted in Article, Road Justice, Safe Cycling, Salford, Space for Cycling | 29 Comments

Why do you … block the whole road coming into Bolton?

This article is a video that I created back in September. Its purpose is to explain some of the reasons why a cyclist takes up a strong road position in the centre of the lane (sometimes called “primary position”, or … Continue reading

Posted in Article, Bolton, Safe Cycling, Why do you...? | 2 Comments

Why do you … ride in the middle over the M60 bridge

Two lane carriageways often present a difficult problem for cyclists. If you ride near the kerb (secondary position) in the inside lane, many motorists will try to share that lane with you and pass too close, often not even moving … Continue reading

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Why do you … ride in the middle of the lane past Topp Way

This is the approach to the junction between Higher Bridge Street and Topp Way in Bolton. It is a tricky junction because it is very busy, it involves climbing a fairly steep hill on the approach, it has a very … Continue reading

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Kamikaze Cycle Lanes – Part 2

Last April, I wrote a blog article about what I called Kamikaze Cycle Lanes. These are cycle lanes that force a cyclist to swerve out across a traffic flow, and I said I thought these were very dangerous. I even … Continue reading

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The Times cycling advice is flawed (in my opinion)

Although I welcome and support the Times’s “safe cycling” campaign, I think the advice given in its graphical article is flawed. It looks as though it was put together in a hurry, to be honest. In particular, I felt the … Continue reading

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Why do you … ignore the cycle lane on Manchester Road?

Well, this is nowhere near worthy of the title “cycle lane”. It is far too narrow to be taken seriously, according to the DfT’s own guidelines. It was this incident that made up my mind just to ignore it in … Continue reading

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Why do you … block the traffic going uphill through Astley Bridge traffic lights?

Even though it is hard to pick up speed up the hill there, I started to hold the centre of the inside lane all the way through the lights and past the road that forks to the left. This is … Continue reading

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Why do you … ride in the middle of the f*****g road on Kearsley roundabout?

I ride far out into the lane, as recommended by the Cyclecraft book, to stop idiots and lunatics from forcing me into the traffic entering from the road on the left: I also try to keep control of the lane … Continue reading

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