Sharing the road (Irish TV ad)

Irish TV are broadcasting a well balanced advert showing how cyclists and motorists should behave together. See

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/irish-tv-airs-ad-on-how-motorists-should-share-the-road-with-cyclists/014576

One of the problems highlighted is that cars and lorries don’t feel at all unsafe when passing a cyclist giving just a few centimetres clearance, but the cyRecommended gap of 1.5m when overtking cyclists.clist feels extremely vulnerable in the same situation. The recommendation to leave clearance of 1.5m when overtaking a cyclist is the same clearance as mandated in French law (when out of town; when in-town in France the clearance required is reduced to 1m).

It would be nice to hear a similar recommendation from the Department for Transport, it could be included in the next edition of the Highway Code. Or better still how about a law following the French model?

Wonder when we might see similar adverts in the UK?

Hayling Billy trail usability

The Hayling Billy trail is a great facility shared by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. At various times of the year it supports many kinds of cycling, and many kinds of cyclist. There is a regular band of commuters using the trail as a pleasant traffic-free start and end to their day; and some off-island commuters use the trail as an alternative way to Portsmouth (via the ferry) rather than ride around the mainland and down Portsea Island. The trail is popular with weekend leisure cyclists. Young children learn to ride their bikes along the trail. It’s a nice route if you go shopping in Havant by bike. Cyclists ride the trail on mountain bikes, hybrid bikes, touring bikes or their shopping bikes; out and out racing bikes can be difficult because they work best on smoother surfaces, but ridden slowly and carefully a racing bike can use the trail … most of the time. But some of the time the trail is difficult for all bikes.

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