RIP Graham Cooper

[Lance]

I have to say that we as cyclists need to take the initiative and sort out our image with the motoring public.  Clubs that tolerate the "middle finger" guys in their midsts need to think about what this is doing to other cyclists.  This sort of behaviour is not promoting healthy tolerant behaviour from other road users and I for one have the following problem:  Ride in a group and we're all over the rode.....Ride alone at your peril, exposed and vulnerable!    I can't stand the toxic attitude of some cyclists who cannot understand that people hoot because they are afraid they might hit us, not because they want to pick a fight.  We cannot control what others do, only what we do.  Let's do what we can to change our intolerant and aggressive image.

[Delgado]

Yup....change anything you want by starting with one's self!!!

[TNT1]

Yup....change anything you want by starting with one's self!!![/quote']

 

I'm gonna make a change, for

once in my life

 

It's gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference

 

Gonna make it right...

 

 

As I, turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat

 

This wind is blowin' my mind

 

I see the kids in the street, with not enough to eat

 

Who am I, to be blind? Pretending not to see their needs

 

A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top

 

And a one man's soul

 

They follow each other on the wind ya' know

 

'Cause they got nowhere to go

 

That's why I want you to know

 

 

 

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

 

I'm asking him to change his ways

 

And no message could have been any clearer

 

If you wanna make the world a better place

 

(If you wanna make the world a better place)

 

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

 

(Take a look at yourself, and then make a change)

 

[peloton]

In reserarching the history of the bicycle I have come across anecdotes that indicate that even with the old Penny Farthing in England & France in the late 19th century there was a distinct dislike of bicyclists. It would seem that highwheelers of the time frightened & spooked horses pulling boats in canals, to the utmost frustration of other users on the canal-banks.

 

I have come to the conclusion that a cyclist on the road frustates other road users, for they will be 'working (commuting to/from work, delivering goods, getting to meeting etc.) whilst cyclists are seemingly 'playing' (training rides/event rides etc.)  in the midst of traffic.

 

It is an opinion which has perhaps no real basis at all, but the strange thing is people do not write the local paper to complain about a postman on a bicycle, or a petrol attendant going to work on his dikwiel. In literature you will even find poems remembering the 'outa in die wapad'. But, when you wear tightfitting lycra, an aero helmet riding alongside other mates having fun on the road, all hell brakes loose. It does not help if cyclists are (tiredly) on occasion swerving in front of traffic, are sometimes seen to skip robots & stopstreets, perhaps even ignoring basic traffic rules whilst momentarily riding alongside one another 'having fun'. The fact of the matter is that a bicycle is a very slow moving, small vehicle without lights, indicators, which cannot outsprint or brake as quick from a dangerous situation when it arises.

 

In trying to educate road users of the 'rights' of bicyclists one must remember that there is a 100years worth of irritation to consider, and there are legitimate complaints to be levelled at cyclists who often seem to be arrogant (worldwide). Doping incidents also ridicule the general public's opinion of bicyling, adding to the general disdain.

 

The most advocated strategy to assist cyclists are cyclepaths. The strange thing about cylepaths - however - seem to be that faster cyclists are in turn frustrated by slower cyclists, again creating a situation of roadrage & insultslinging, which forces 'proper riders' back onto the road. In England there is a fairly recent case where a rider was assisted by the cyclistsdefencefund.com after he was charged with inconsiderate use of a road after he rode on a main road (holding up traffic) - despite a cyclepath having been provided by the municipality - the reason cited for cycling on the main road was essentially that it was statistically safer to cycle on the road, as the risk of cycling on a cycle path @ 15mi/p/h could result in an accident at a turnpike. Off-roaders are in turn despised by hikers because they 'hijack' the trails. 

 

I don't know what the answer is, but insisting on 'your right to cycle when and where you would like to cycle', giving the middlefinger and the actual use of mace on motorists are all symptomatic, vengefull treatment of problematic roadsituations, and is simply not conducive to helping the Cooper family. My sincere condolences towards their loss.

 

The only suggestion I can venture is to keep on advocating and to expand the number of bicycles on roads. A driver with bicycling experience might have a more sensible approach / compassion to a bicyclist out on the road, perhaps even a friendly chirp. Perhaps even an organisation to receive complaints from bicyclists and the public on 'road hogging'. A car's license plate is there for a reason, why not send the transgressing owner a formal letter to record the incident, and to request his cooperation in future. Wouldn't that be value added to the situation if done via your local  cycle club? As a tagline from one of the hubber's points out - "it happened if there's a paper trail..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[steve]

My 2c worth.

 

Protest rides etc are not the answer! Sure it will create awareness for cycling if it gets media coverage. But, think about this, the media coverage will be seen by the educated, income earning portion of the population.

 

The people, drunks, uneducated, taxi drivers etc do not usually read magazines, newspapers or watch TV so the entire effort will be wasted.

 

What someone needs to do is to get the Dept of Sport and Recreation, Drive Alive and Cycling SA involved where they could use all their persuasive powers to get top line cyclists, including previously disadvantaged sportsmen to take part in a huge awareness campaign.

 

WE need something to be visible on free-to-air television. Also on posters in major centres, not just affluent areas, but at taxi ranks, in factories, offices, banks, at football, cricket and rugby stadiums. Whatever is decided upon, it must be interesting enough for people to talk about it and it MUST be at schools.

 

Children must grow up with an awareness of cyclists otherwise the killing will continue as each batch of school leavers gets behind the wheel of a car.

 

 

[slowpoke]

we must also always remember that if we want to be treated with respect as road users we should not behave like road ABusers. every cycling road abuser adds to the irritation and ill will of other road users.

 

 

[Nettie R]

Steve, unless you'll be riding your bike around the soccer fields in 2010, I don't think that Sport & recreation are bothered. 

The protest ride is a good idea: Even if it's to pay last respect to co-cyclists who loved the sport the same way you do. I agree with you, it'll take a hell of an advertising campaign to make others aware, but for now we do what we can, right?  (With Arrive Alive's major ad campaign about driving under the influence and reckless driving, not much of it made an impression on the BMW driver.) We rode past the accident yesterday and it horrific to see.

Hope to see as many cyclists as possible at the protest ride!!!

[porky]

I am also not in favour of protest rides, although I respect the rights of others to do so, I wont participate.

 

Generally these rides serve little constructive purpose,as they do not change the attitude of the cyclists themselves.

 

We are an odd bunch, we want the world to change to suit our circumstances but apart from a few of us who do believe in been friendly and curtious to motorists, and other road users,many Cyclists are pigs, who change from normal rational humans to aggressive, arrogant,macho,idiots the minute they climb on a cycle.

 

[porky]

I have to say that we as cyclists need to take the initiative and sort out our image with the motoring public.  Clubs that tolerate the "middle finger" guys in their midsts need to think about what this is doing to other cyclists.  This sort of behaviour is not promoting healthy tolerant behaviour from other road users

 

Yes, Lance, this is an excellant starting point - the clubs also need to accept responsibility for their members, its not good enough to say, "oh but he / she is a doctor / lawyer / dentist / whatever and are intelligent folk so I CANT TELL THEM WHAT TO DO"

 

Rubbish, if they are misbehaving in the club, its the clubs responsibility to tell them "this is not acceptable behaviour" and if you continue with it we will ask you to leave.!

 

How many clubs have a rule of "HELMETS ON ALL RIDES" - probably all of them,.......................is it enforced..................seldom, and you can go out any weekend and see guys riding without a helmet in the club bunch - its the same thing, clubs turn a blind eye to members using rude and abusive language / behaviour, wheras they should be pro-active in dealing with this and stamp it out.

 

We will all be better off for it.!  

[dirtrider]

I am slightly amused to see that a few people don't agree with trying to get peoples attention by doing protest rides but also fail in supplying workable alternatives . I agree we need to reach the non-cyclist and the only way to that that is through the media , be that newspaper , magazines or TV . If a drunk does not read or can not read he WILL not get the message . But he/she/it is the minority and we want to get to the majority !

[Nico RoadKill]

I agree, i have a family member that hooted at a training bunch (20 or so riders) on a blind rise as to warn them, and they flat refused to get in line, even gave her the finger when she could pass them later on, her whole family are cyclist, even a springbok uncle "nogal".

 

Remember that not all motorists are out to bug cyclists!

[dirtrider]

And not all cyclist are out to annoy motorists.

[porky]

I am slightly amused to see that a few people don't agree with trying to get peoples attention by doing protest rides but also fail in supplying workable alternatives . I agree we need to reach the non-cyclist and the only way to that that is through the media ' date=' be that newspaper , magazines or TV . If a drunk does not read or can not read he WILL not get the message . But he/she/it is the minority and we want to get to the majority ! [/quote']

 

I have no issue with getting the publics attention, but I dont think protest rides are constructive or serve any purpose.

 

I spent some years working in Australia in the 90s and they were sufferring the same situation then as we are now.

 

But they took constuctive action, a task group was formed and funded they ran adverts in trucking magazines, they held wrkshops to educate truck drivers of the dynamic forces a truck has on a bicycle, they went on the road and ran seminars at motoring events they made the public aware of the cyclists in a friendly, informative manner and look where they are today ...........one of the best countries to cycle in the world.

 

.........and it can be done here, there is money available, it just needs to be chanelled correctly, structures in the system like the CSA need to be more proactive, its really not up to the cyclist to do this himself / herself, its a logistical issue that needs to be tackled at the highest level, cyclists on the road have little impact here except to irritate the motorist even more on the "protest ride".

[IanJ]

The whole purpose is to create awareness, I have had calls from several media this morning who were not even aware that the two cyclists had been killed this weekend, they are now planning on covering the stories and will cover the ride this weekend.

I have also had contact with the Guild of Motoring Journalists who are keen to explore ways of joint education of both Cyclists and Motorists.

 

Sure we need to get our own house in order but neither of the guys killed this weekend was riding in the middle of the road and they certainly weren't flashing fingers at anyone.

[cyclemania]

I agree with IanJ. Like I said yesterday these idiots with the flashy fingers are a select few and they cause pain for other. Groups and other riders should educate these riders or tell to get another group to ride with.

[widget]

Its a personal view but I think "protest ride" is the wrong name.

 

A "protest ride" conjures up visions of an unrully mob who go along simply to flout every rule in the book under the protection of the "protest".

 

If the ride is to be in honour of someone, call it that, if its an awareness ride ride, call it such, in a country of "protests" many of which are simply a means of disrupting as many of the social structures as possible and usually decend into violence and or looting and misbehaving we may end up with the wrong media attention.

 

I have done my fair share of these type of events, and its my opinion that 70% of the participants could care less about the issue, its simply another gathering where they can congregate, rumor monger and gossip and later have a chance to run / ride in the middle of the road in a protected group.

 

If we think back to the run which was organised as a "protest run" in honour of the three runners killed in Bedford view in march last year, well I partook in the event, and it was "interesting" to say the least,(enough said) but has anything changed, and, dos anyone even remember it.............No, not really. 

 

Generally, we have short attention spans for this type of thing.  

 

So, in closing I am not sure if I am in favour of these rides / runs whatever, especially under the banner of "a protest", I think it has a short life span, can generate the wrong impression and of course the media will cover it, mostly in the hope of a controversial "happening"!!

 

I tend to agree with the poster who said it needs to be addressed higher up, a structure must be created and a sustainable campaign must be funded and implimented,sadly, on Wednesday next, this ride will be old news and everybody would have forgotton about it!!.

 

In the end, I guess, its a personal view and you either support it or you dont and both have their merit points, but I wish you luck and good fortune and a good turnout for the effort.