[well OT] Tour of Brtiain Cycle Race

Yup there were out in force riding from Southend on Sea to Harlow yesterday. I needed to go out to a place near Hanningfield at about 1:30

- so drove through Rochford, Hullbridge, and Battlesbridge which all appeared to be on the main cycle route.

While the bikes had not yet got that far yet, all the spectators were out lining both sides of the roads and the corners etc. The police had also blocked off some paths through the roundabout at Rettendon as well.

So I thought, I will go back via a different route since I don't want to meet that lot head on!

On 09/09/2023 11:12, Bob Henson wrote:

The race came through our village on Tuesday, the Goole to Beverley day. I was amazed how quickly they passed through. When we got to the end of our road, and stood beside the church, there was a crowd of about 20 people and the lane end and opposite by the war memorial. These are at the top of a slight hill which the riders seemed to manage as it was dead flat. Beforehand, a motorbike pulled up to block any traffic that might come out from the side road, and the motorbikes seemed to be moving in relays: as soon as another one arrived, the first set off to the next road ahead, and so on, several times.

We heard a bit of cheering from the crowd at the bottom of the hill around the corner, and then the three leaders (I'd seen them on the TV coverage that I'd been watching a few moments earlier) came storming past, with a camera bike alongside. Those cameramen make it look so easy: the cameraman standing up on the back of the bike without unbalancing the bike. Then there was a gap of a minute or so, with a few more police and race-marshall motorbikes, followed by the peleton and another camera bike. I'd noticed that the footage from the peleton camera looked a bit fuzzy, with quite a bit of colour fringing, and I imagine it was because the cameraman was using a mirror to look backwards: he had his camera facing at about 2 o'clock position (if 12 is the driection of travel) but his camera was seeing the 6 o'clock position. I imagine he can switch that mirror in and out, so he can also take side-on shots if needed.

After the peleton came loads of support vehicles: a couple of ambulances, a few tail-end police cars/bikes, and a lot of cars with spare bikes on roof racks. At some point the TV camera/comms helicopter appeared, and took an aerial shot of the group of us as we watched everyone go past.

And then it was all over - total time for everyone to pass was probably not much more than five minutes.

When I looked at the footage later, I couldn't see myself or my wife: we must have been standing just a bit too far back from the white line at the junction so we were hidden by other onlookers. And we were somewhere among the heads that were visible on the helicopter shots.

It was good to see the race. I just hope we don't have the same problem as in the Yorkshire Dales with the Tour de Yorkshire: large groups of cyclists on semi-official rides, who ride selfishly in one big group for mile after mile, so there is no way for faster vehicles to overtake them. I got caught behind one group, several months after the TdY race, and there were riding about 5-abreast across the whole width of the road (which is *just* wide enough for two cars in opposite directions to pass) and there were several near misses as oncoming cars, which had generally slowed down or stopped in passing places, were almost hit by the cyclists. They were riding very anti-socially and dangerously, as if the road was closed to other traffic (which it was not). Quite a few of use wrote to the organisers of the race (we saw the name on the cyclists' vests and the race cars) and I had a letter back saying that the organisers had no idea that the riders were taking up the whole width of the road and were riding in a big group: the instructions that the riders had been given were that they were to ride no more than 2 abreast, keeping left on the real or notional white line down the centre of the road, and to ride in groups of no more than 5, leaving a gap of two car lengths between them and the next group, to allow cars to "hop" from one gap to the next and hence to get past the riders. In one location, there were long-term traffic lights, because part of the road had collapsed, which enforced single-alternate line working. The cyclists carried on riding through the red lights and I witnessed several incidents where cyclists shouted at oncoming traffic that had gone through on a green light and therefore was not expecting to encounter oncoming bikes. I imagine there were interesting discussions at the cycle club afterwards, in the light of our letters of complaint.

I've not problem with small groups of friends riding the route, but I think that any larger event needs either to be run under closed-road conditions or else needs to be very carefully marshalled so they cause as little disruption to other road users. I'm not in favour of any timed race been run on an open road, because there is too much temptation for riders to disobey the normal rules of the road and the normal courtesies of cycling amongst faster traffic. Those arrogant race riders spoil it for everyone else who just want to cycle the route of the original TdY race but who are courteous to other traffic.

There was that notorious event a few years ago, maybe on the Tour de France, where race riders went through red level-crossing lights just before a train arrived, and seemed to expect that the train should have stopped for them and not split the riders into two sections. I'd say that it's just bad luck if the riders happen to arrive at the wrong time, and that things like trains take precedence over a race, even if it is run under closed-road conditions.

When the TdY went through York, apparently pregnant women who were due to give birth were advised to go into hospital just before the race in case they went into labour, and there was a case of someone who needed medical attention - maybe a heart attack - and the ambulance was delayed by the race. That was bad contingency planning: any race on a public road needs to have plans for unforeseen medical or fire emergencies, with the race being suspended to accommodate the ambulances, fire engines or whatever. It disrupts the race, but it is the price that you pay for not running the race on a segregated, non-public route.

eh? Flares are not worn, they are burnt.....

Flares are a special type of firework that when lit emits a bright light, useful for rescue services to find you in the dark.....

S.

I liked the piece of land art, a huge pennyfathing composed of hundreds of live sheep. Presumably gobbling up lines of feed, and marshalled by a few sheep dogs to be so evenly distributed, would have required clever timing as well.

Also must have fashion wear in the 1960s.

Well of course they are. No one with any sense would be seen dead wearing them.

Did they obey the 20/30mph speed limit through towns and villages?

Of course they dont, as there is no offence for a speeding cycle, and, also, the road is classed as closed around the race 'bubble', so they couldnt even be charged with 'cycling furiously'.

I remember a village constable stopping some triathlon competitors and keeping them for long enough to lose any advantage they had in the race. However The Organisers deducted some time from their total to compensate as a steward had observed it..

I'll bet that that they didn't use the cycle lanes all the way down the sea front that that the council spent a fortune installing!

I have used those lanes a few times, and it strikes me that every near miss I have had on the bike, has been in that section between adventure island and Rossi's. The number of times a brain dead pedestrian just walks out in front of you without even a glance is alarming!

(not to mention those who think it might be a good idea to walk down the middle of the cycle lane instead of the pavement).

Don't think speed limits actually apply to bikes...

(not that it matters much to me - I can only hit 30 downhill!)

Well the council did confuse people with their shared space where pedestrians, cycles and cars all have equal priority.

Nor to any vehicle that is not legally required to have a speedometer fitted.

A chap I know has done a really nice restoration on a 1920's motorbike. Also notable that it does not have a speedo as it was not a requirement when the bike was new!

For all its daftness, I have not had any near hits on that bit along the golden mile (probably because it is a "target rich" environment and you can't ride normally!)

The most dangerous section seems to be where the cycle path is between the pavement on the coast side, parked cars in the central reservation - people cross to the parked cars with just a glance over the shoulder to check there are no cars coming and don't think to check for bikes - which depending on which way they are walking may be coming from the "wrong" way given it is a bidirectional cycle path on one side of what is in effect a dual carriageway.

(or a few weeks back a young lad (early teenager) was kicking a ball about, and fumbled it off into the cycle lane, then just ran out to get it without looking. I just about managed to avoid flattening him. His dad was watching, and was most apologetic (and probably quite relived!)

My brother started motorcycling in 1952, on a 1938 250cc BSA Empire Star.

He was forever being stopped by the police, presumably for speeding, and being asked why the machine had no speedometer fitted.

It had been registered the day before such an instrument became compulsory, which I believe was 1st October 1938…

But prosecutions can still take place for dangerous riding and a number of other offences, that can be used instead of speeding laws.

I have a clear memory of a horse rider receiving a speeding fine...