Clarkson weighs in on the cycling debate - and is right!!

Stat Brother · May 27, 2013

It was with a heavy heart I finally read Mr Clarkson's latest missive, entitled:-

Bums on saddles, folks - let's rout the pushbike Bolsheviks.
With the accompanying cartoon with a man on an exercise bike saying "I'm practising being smug and aggressive".

Once you get through the few thousand words of hyperbole, stereotyping, crass metaphors and all the other Clarkson vitriol, which I do quite enjoy, you end up with this:-

There's only one way they (cyclists) can be defeated. And that's for normal people to start riding bicycles. We need to swell their ranks with moderates, people who ride a bike because they've had a drink and because taxi's are too expensive. Ordinary people in t-shirts and jeans and with no stupid helmets.

That's the whole bloody point.
Had the stooopid bitch, last week, spent any time away from her steering wheel she might not have been so keen to run a cyclist off the road.

How many journeys are under 2 miles?
How lazy and fat is the nation becoming?
How clogged up are the roads?
How expensive are cars to run?

Even Clarkson has now bought a bicycle, t'is a strange world we live in.

teaboy · May 27, 2013

YES!!!

A bicycle is primarily a mode of transport. Once you own one it's (pretty much) free to run. If you don't need to transport more than 4 carrier bags of stuff then it's the logical choice. Especially when the weather's as nice as it is at the moment!

brightn'ove · May 27, 2013

Agree with that, except the helmet part. I don't wear cycling gear at all, just my normal clothes, but i do wear a helmet. I was thrown off my bike by a complete idiot but landed on my arse (still ****ing hurt mind you). If a similar idiot did the same thing and i landed on my head, that could easily be the last of me. Ever since then i've worn a helmet, i encourage people to do the same, because sometimes it is just out of your control.

Deleted member 22389 · May 27, 2013

brightn'ove said:
Agree with that, except the helmet part. I don't wear cycling gear at all, just my normal clothes, but i do wear a helmet. I was thrown off my bike by a complete idiot but landed on my arse (still ****ing hurt mind you). If a similar idiot did the same thing and i landed on my head, that could easily be the last of me. Ever since then i've worn a helmet, i encourage people to do the same, because sometimes it is just out of your control.

I like cycling for exercise, but yes there is absolutely no way you will see me in that gear. Last year with all the Wiggins mania I saw a team sky rider making his way to Peacehaven. I'm talking about the complete set and bike as well lol, must have cost hime a few grand. The bloke looked absolutely knackered. I wonder if he is still cycling now?

Stat Brother · May 27, 2013

The helmet reference was a call back to some earlier bluster.

Cheeky Monkey · May 27, 2013

brightn'ove said:
Agree with that, except the helmet part. I don't wear cycling gear at all, just my normal clothes, but i do wear a helmet. I was thrown off my bike by a complete idiot but landed on my arse (still ****ing hurt mind you). If a similar idiot did the same thing and i landed on my head, that could easily be the last of me. Ever since then i've worn a helmet, i encourage people to do the same, because sometimes it is just out of your control.

Every time I find myself speeding down one of Brighton's many hills it's dicing with death, but I just can't be arsed with a helmet. My other half bought an expensive one a few years ago and wore it once before ditching it. The sensible cyclists wear helmets, the rest of us take our chances, enjoying the freedom of not being encumbered by yet another piece of equipment.

El Sid · May 27, 2013

I fully support the call for more people to use self-propelled transport.
However, every road user should conform to the following:
Undertake training.
Take a proficiency test.
Comply to the rules of the road.
Carry Third Party insurance as a minimum.

teaboy · May 27, 2013

At the risk of starting a helmet debate I strongly believe that it should be the rider's choice. It's one of the things that puts people off cycling, and may increase the danger of the cyclist being hit by a vehicle as it's been shown that less space is given to helmet-wearers than non-helmet-wearers. I would certainly recommend people wear helmets, but it should be their choice.

Greg Bobkin · May 27, 2013

Why does he want to 'defeat' cyclists? And why do anti-car types want to 'defeat' the car. It amazes me why people can't just accept that the can both co-exist.

I don't agree with his helmet comments, either. It's a bit like him advocating not wearing a seatbelt. The crazy things I've seen recently is a girl riding her bike with her helmet hanging off the handlebars, and countless parents who insist on making the kids wearing one, but don't bother themselves. Admittedly I was anti-bike helmets when my Dad insisted I had one (after I came off in a nasty accident), but I was a teenager. These people are old enough to know better.

On a brighter note, I had a wonderful ride this morning to Brighton Marina and back from Shoreham-by-Sea. The sun was out – as were several people from last night, Volks was still open, and the guys from the council were doing a sterling job clearing up the seafront after yesterday's deluge of visitors.

teaboy · May 27, 2013

sidtheseagull said:
I fully support the call for more people to use self-propelled transport.
However, every road user should conform to the following:
Undertake training.
Take a proficiency test.
Comply to the rules of the road.
Carry Third Party insurance as a minimum.

I wouldn't disagree with that. The best way to ensure it happens is to get cycle training into every school. If you have kids, lobby their school to provide bikeability training.

Stat Brother · May 27, 2013

sidtheseagull said:
I fully support the call for more people to use self-propelled transport.
However, every road user should conform to the following:
Undertake training.
Take a proficiency test.
Comply to the rules of the road.
Carry Third Party insurance as a minimum.

If everyone complied with the rules of the road, the moment they left their front door, nobody would need insurance.

cheshunt seagull · May 27, 2013

I've just been out on my bike around Lea Valley. Scruffy T-shirt, old shorts and trainers and no lycra anywhere. After a minor accident I did start wearing a helmet. As I am a car driver as well, I also try to assess any situation from both perspectives and often slow down to let a car pass. Is it right that I should feel so smug about not being smug?

Stat Brother · May 27, 2013

To clear up his helmet comment (curse you Times firewall)

If you actually wanted to protect your head, you would wear the sort of thing a motorcyclist would use, and if you wanted all round visibility you would go to the people who supply the British Army. But instead cyclist choose to wear 5 hardened bananas on their bonce. It's the 21st century of the British Leyland Donkey jacket.

Raleigh Chopper · May 27, 2013

Cycling is good, until you get to a hill. Get off and push or have a heart attack.
Bikes with a little motor that kicks in when you get to the bottom of a hill and helps you get up it would be a gas.

hans kraay fan club · May 27, 2013

Stat Brother said:
It was with a heavy heart I finally read Mr Clarkson's latest missive, entitled:-

There's only one way they (cyclists) can be defeated. And that's for normal people to start riding bicycles. We need to swell their ranks with moderates, people who ride a bike because they've had a drink and because taxi's are too expensive. Ordinary people in t-shirts and jeans and with no stupid helmets.

Err....yep, that's right Jeremy. Next time you realise you've had 12 pints, ride a bike down a public road, rather than take the car, because you will be breaking no laws at all then. None at all. Great advice.

KZNSeagull · May 27, 2013

What happened to the Cycling Proficiency Test? Pupils were not allowed to cycle to the secondary school I attended without having passed it.

upthealbion1970 · May 27, 2013

KZNSeagull said:
What happened to the Cycling Proficiency Test? Pupils were not allowed to cycle to the secondary school I attended without having passed it.

Not sure, but my son (10) did bikeability at school last week 5 x 1.5 hour sessions

Triggaaar · May 27, 2013

teaboy said:
At the risk of starting a helmet debate I strongly believe that it should be the rider's choice. It's one of the things that puts people off cycling, and may increase the danger of the cyclist being hit by a vehicle as it's been shown that less space is given to helmet-wearers than non-helmet-wearers.

I find that hard to believe. When I'm driving and I see a cyclist (the battle is almost won by that point) I try not to hit them. I don't ever look to see if they're wearing a helmet, and if I did notice them wearing one, I wouldn't think 'oh they're protected, I can drive closer to them'. I'd be interested to see the study that proved it.

m20gull · May 27, 2013

teaboy said:
At the risk of starting a helmet debate I strongly believe that it should be the rider's choice. It's one of the things that puts people off cycling, and may increase the danger of the cyclist being hit by a vehicle as it's been shown that less space is given to helmet-wearers than non-helmet-wearers. I would certainly recommend people wear helmets, but it should be their choice.

I choose to wear one and lycra when I'm out on my race bike. So far I've not been knocked off but I have fallen off three times and would not dream of not wearing one (and have to wear one on triathlons).
I choose not to wear one when I am out on my other bikes and don't wear lycra then either.
And wearing a motorcycle style helmet makes no sense; it's hot enough in a vented one!

Billy the Fish · May 27, 2013

sidtheseagull said:
I fully support the call for more people to use self-propelled transport.
However, every road user should conform to the following:
Undertake training.
Take a proficiency test.
Comply to the rules of the road.
Carry Third Party insurance as a minimum.

No way. It's all this gubbins that puts the casual user off.

Just buy a bloody bike and ride it.

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Clarkson weighs in on the cycling debate - and is right!!

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