Cycling in the UK - what you should consider before you start

[Peter Korsten]

Op 17-2-2012 22:04, Andrew Tarpinian schreef:

> I have biked in Amsterdam and as far as I'm concerned the bikers seem to always have the right of way, its awesome, it's the only city I have been to where in a situation of bike vs car, bike would win :)

Well... since about 10 or so years, bikes have the same right of way as 
cars (and other motor vehicles). Before that, bikes would only have the 
right of way if it was explicitly indicated by signs or road markings.

That's an interesting side-effect of moving to a different (European) 
country: in the Netherlands, there are countless examples of where you 
have to give way to the right, because there is no difference in 
priority between two roads.

In Malta (who presumably took over the British system), there's never 
really any doubt who has the right of way: either you're on a main road, 
and the side road has to give way; or there's a stop sign; or there's a 
mini-roundabout.

That, at least, is the theory. In practice, the Maltese consider the 
horn as a valid alternative for the brake, and will often honk their 
horn and run a stop sign without ever slowing down. Remember: brake pads 
wear down, but who has ever heard of a horn wearing out?

Which is one reason why cycling in this country is generally not a good 
idea.

Oh yes, to get back to Amsterdam: trams *always* have the right of way. 
Not just because legally, they do, but also because 50 tons of steel 
don't brake that easily.

> It helps that Dutch bikes are not bikes, but tanks.

It also helps that the Dutch are built like brick outhouses. :)

> And yes tourists are seem to think the bike lane is the walking lane.

Moreover, I've come to the conclusion that tourists are actually a 
separate species from humans. This transformation happens as soon as 
they arrive in a foreign country. Any common sense goes out the window, 
and the preferred way of walking is everybody next to one another, even 
if they occupy the whole street that way. It must be something 
primordial, to try to look as big as possible to any potential enemies.

- Peter