What's up with some cyclists having deathwishes here?

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zcapr17@reddit

The redways are great for kids and leisure rides, but if you are cycling fast on a road bike (e.g. for fitness/sport) then redways are not practical (too many stops/junctions, pedestrians, dogs, glass, etc).

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SnooChipmunks9180@reddit

Agreed - it’s the too many stops for me

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Adrinn89@reddit

But you have a ringbell. Use it!!! And they will jump out of your way. 😉

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error_9873@reddit

Yes, this is exactly right.

Personally, I wouldn't cycle on the grid roads - drivers are too lazy on the grid roads and I wouldn't feel safe enough. I take redways to nearest country road and take it from there.

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AvadaBalaclava@reddit

Getting downvoted by people who have probably never ridden on the redways at any great length.

There’s a common denominator of what seems to make riding bikes on dual carriageways and redways a problem.. other people not paying attention and being aware of their surroundings.

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RustyInvader@reddit

I know right, we should really build a best in country bike path system which prevents the dangerous mixture of bicycles and motor vehicles on our road network.

Oh wait

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uphoriak@reddit

Lived in MK over 20 years and not once have I cycled on the grid. Redways, very often.

When I see a cyclist riding along on the grid road and swerving across the roundabout when there's a perfectly good redway nice and wide and literally about 30 feet away running along the road rhere is a certain rage that only this situation can bring, culminating in the slight muttering of the word "idiot" under my breath 😅

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Sweet-Dragonfly5792@reddit

Cyclists everywhere have a habit of thinking they’re the only ones on the road/lane. I cycle (infrequently) myself, so I do know how easy it is to ring your bell or yell out “passing”, “on your right”. But many cyclists still will silently zoom up and right by pedestrians, which is always jarring and dangerous.

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TerrifiedRedneck@reddit

Perfectly legal and, assuming they are following the rules, perfectly safe.

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GNARSHEN@reddit

But why not use the red ways?

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Practical_Bobcat3650@reddit

And you generally can't do 30mph on a redway

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GNARSHEN@reddit

Fair point but the majority of cyclists aren't hitting/maintaining 30mph

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Practical_Bobcat3650@reddit

Oops, meant KPH. When you're on a 'proper' bike you want to keep speed and cadence up and you just can't on the red ways, given they're shared.

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Adrinn89@reddit

You can. Ringbell! If you learn how to use it, you don't have to stop. Try it 😉

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Practical_Bobcat3650@reddit

You assume pedestrians care and are not using airpods and the like, also, dogs don't care

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Adrinn89@reddit

I don't know. When I am riding with kids they always jump out of our way, hold the dog tight... Very rare people didn't do that. Maybe because kids...🤷‍♀️ They afraid my sons hit them or their dog 🤭🤭🤭 I am a driver too. I socialized on Balkans. We had much more things to avoid in the roads. But here in UK, doesn't matter the professional bikers knows what are they doing, but most of the driver don't know how to switch the lines.... etc.. This is the problem. And unfortunately cars always win...

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TerrifiedRedneck@reddit

Because not everywhere has redways.

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SoSpeaksGalactus@reddit

😡Bleedin’ cyclists with their non-lethal, environmentally friendly, low cost, low congestion, health-positive transport choices. How DARE they expect other road users to offer them even an inch of our tarmac..?😡 [satire font, obviously].

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DeadPlank@reddit

Health-positive but life threatening 😅

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SoSpeaksGalactus@reddit

Ronnie Pickering entered the chat…

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RadicalDog@reddit

When there's redways parallel to the route we're sharing, I'm worried for the cyclist on the road. I want him to get somewhere safely and I would make different choices to do it.

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jimmyb27@reddit

Yeah, but they don't pay road tax innit.

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SoSpeaksGalactus@reddit

gif

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rain3h@reddit

Wherever I walk/cycle the paths/redways through estates I find cars blocking dipped carbs/yellow posts some even covering whole paths with absolutely zero attempt at allowing people those use the path as a path.

If paths are car parks I don't see why roads can't be for cycles, we all have to just get on with it, can't drivers?

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Adrinn89@reddit

They are not safe there. There is no helmet to save them if they got hit 60-70mh/hour. They will die straight away. Thats why not suitable grid roads to bikers.

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rain3h@reddit

If it's socially acceptable to people to block access to paths and force vulnerable pedestrians to walk on roads so their car can be 1 meter closer to their house then I don't understand why it's not acceptable for experienced cyclists to ride on roads.

One is far more of an unnecessary risk but it's somehow more acceptable?

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wizardnumbernext2@reddit

There is no such thing as 70mph dual carriageway in UK. Absolute top allowed speed on dual carriageway is 60mph. 70mph is allowed only on motorway

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Flat___________@reddit

Yeah erm No.

Dual carriage way with national speed limit is 70mph.

Maybe you should voluntarily take a speed awareness/re-education course to update yourself of the actual speed one is allowed to drive?

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wizardnumbernext2@reddit

Speed limit does not apply to me, so no amount of speed awareness/reeducation would change that. I am cyclists.

cycling on dual carriageway is permitted.

Oh and please don't even start with speed limit for cyclists. There isn't one and drivers should be last to argue that, as all 20mph roads are full of vehicles, which as by magic are moving faster then me, even when I cycle at 25mph.

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Flat___________@reddit

What. The. Fuck. Are you on about?

Where did the cyclist thing fall out of?

Maybe smoke less shit and get your head straightened out before you get back on your bicycle. You going to
Do Yourself a Mischief

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Desperate-Letter2395@reddit (OP)

What nonsense disinformation are you spreading?

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/speed-limits/

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wizardnumbernext2@reddit

I stand corrected.

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

I just like to use true sources, not third parties

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ariadnevirginia@reddit

Milton Keynes was designed with redways for cyclists, why in God's name would they choose to use roads?

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Adrinn89@reddit

Stupidity, arrogance. They beleive they car survive everything. They can ride a bike properly. But what if the driver can't drive properly??? There is a lots of driver who shouldn't have driving licence

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ariadnevirginia@reddit

Tell me about it, my 89 year old mother drives in MK.

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FinchMandala@reddit

I think everyone using any vehicle needs a reminder to utilise them properly.

Three times on the way to the doctor's yesterday motorists decided that giving way to the right doesn't apply to them.

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hamsterbasher@reddit

Oh man, is this the people who try to sneak out and turn left because they think you're continuing around the roundabout?

It's mad, it happens all the time now. It's like a bunch of people learnt to drive that they only give way to lanes of the roundabout that they need to cross or use.

Car on the inside and you want the outside, pull out on them. It's fucking madness.

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Spud_1997@reddit

I don't get cyclists in MK, you have large AF redways following all the grid roads, used em extensively before I got my car. So much easier and safer, and don't have to deal with motorists riding my ass

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hamsterbasher@reddit

I had someone explain it me that the problem is the pedestrians get in the way.

Apparently it's very dangerous to be flying along at 16mph and have pedestrians walking around, popping out of junctions etc.

Of course, as a driver I couldn't possibly understand how difficult it is to have to share the tarmac with more vulnerable users going a quarter of your speed 😂

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DeadPlank@reddit

Ohh how the tables have turned. Cars > bikes > pedestrians

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GavUK@reddit

Some of the redways aren't in the best state of repair, so maybe that's the reason for some cyclists deciding to use the roads, but many of our roads have potholes that I'd have thought could be even more dangerous to them. Another reason might be that some cyclists might not be aware of the redways in Milton Keynes.

Like you I've only ever used the redways when I cycled and would not be comfortable on roads.

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Fair_Future7245@reddit

Right? Yes, they do have the right to use the road, but we have cycle paths for a reason!

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GreyHairedDWGuy@reddit

natural selecton

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nickkuk@reddit

Not just cyclists, as I was just about to turn into Morrisons last night two youths came flying past on a motorbike with no lights on. They must have been going at least 50-60mph.

I wouldn't be surprised if they got hit on the way to wherever they were going.

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farr2211@reddit

No lights? All mopeds and most motorbikes have automatic lights you can’t turn off

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Due-Reflection4882@reddit

Some dirt bikes dont have lights or indicators and wouldn't be classified as road worthy. We have a few groups of teenagers that ride them where I live and its just an accident waiting to happen.

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2JagsPrescott@reddit

They do now - but older ones don’t, and that’s to say nothing of machines in poor repair or having been acquired and maintained by the Caravan Club of Ireland

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Revolutionary_Deer33@reddit

35 years cycling in Milton Keynes, always used the redways, never had a problem. You'd have to be a bell end of the highest order to cycle on the dual carriageways around here. Especially when there's a cycleway running parallel 🤣

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HarryTurney@reddit

As someone who cycles to work, not in a million years am I cycling on the roads.

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Independent_Hat_7101@reddit

I cycle across fields to work, I would never cycle on the road it scares the shit out of men. I can never understand, as a cyclist, how other people think they are safe on the road.

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Leather_Creme_6957@reddit

Horses versus sports cyclists. Never slow down and as there is no engine noise the sudden appearance of several sports cyclists going past at speed is bloody dangerous. Sports cyclists slow down for no one. Overtake cars stuck behind a tractor on narrow country road. Who cares if anything coming the other way. It seems they plot their routes so always turn left at junctions. That way they don’t have to stop or slow down. Going through town and pedestrian crossing light red?That’s ok, bypass the crossing by going up on the pavement. I have seen all of these. It seems their times are more important than road safety.

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GavUK@reddit

Some of the redways aren't in the best state of repair, so maybe that's the reason for some cyclists deciding to use the roads, but many of our roads have potholes that I'd have thought could be even more dangerous to them. Another reason might be that some cyclists might not be aware of the redways in Milton Keynes. Regarding moving to the outside lane, as per the highway code if they want to turn right on a dual carriageway then they need to move to the outer lane (near the junction or to join the queue) to do that.

I've never cycled on roads though, and wouldn't feel comfortable to do so. When I cycled I always used the redways.

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SalmonBoi@reddit

What’s up with drivers not being able to respect people here?!

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AvadaBalaclava@reddit

Surely dual carriageway is the best place, you can easily go round them without crossing into incoming traffic

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Desperate-Letter2395@reddit (OP)

Redways are the best place

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