S Glos resident calls for Severn Bridge Road Race to be routed away from village where cyclist was killed

HoarseMann wrote:

If his concern was really for the safety of the cyclists in the event, surely he would be advocating closing the route through Olverston to motorised traffic?

Maybe the event organisers should be forced to get the roads closed, its not a time trial so how can racing be allowed on open public roads? 

Mb747 wrote:

HoarseMann wrote:

If his concern was really for the safety of the cyclists in the event, surely he would be advocating closing the route through Olverston to motorised traffic?

Maybe the event organisers should be forced to get the roads closed, its not a time trial so how can racing be allowed on open public roads? 

Racing is allowed on open public roads - it happens up and down the country every weekend and most midweek evenings between March and October. At least three bodies organise racing in the UK - British Cycling, TLI and LVRC - all of those in conjunction with local authorities and police forces via an arduous process of risk assessments to ensure safety of riders and the public as well as can be. Races on public roads have motorcycle outriders, commissaire's cars and Marshals at hazard spots.

Occasionally, there are accidents - just as there are with time trials, triathlons, rallying and other activities.

grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

He also said
“These are top level cyclists, they are really fit people and they go way faster than the speed limits for cars.”

Really?..........

The rider was killed while riding at 46.5mph. If the speed limit is 30mph, I would consider that to be "way faster then the speed limits for cars". 

Jetmans Dad wrote:

grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

He also said
“These are top level cyclists, they are really fit people and they go way faster than the speed limits for cars.”

Really?..........

The rider was killed while riding at 46.5mph. If the speed limit is 30mph, I would consider that to be "way faster then the speed limits for cars". 

There's no speed limit on Vattingstone Lane (other than the national one). It's a bit outside the village.

Jetmans Dad wrote:

grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

He also said
“These are top level cyclists, they are really fit people and they go way faster than the speed limits for cars.”

Really?..........

The rider was killed while riding at 46.5mph. If the speed limit is 30mph, I would consider that to be "way faster then the speed limits for cars". 

I would also. Though I wouldn't consider it 'way faster than the speeds many motorists would in practice drive at in a 30mph zone'. It's actually a bit slower than many I see.

But I'm not at all sure about racing on non-closed roads, for any vehicle type. Motorists sometimes do it (on an amateur basis) and when they do it sometimes results in third-parties being killed.

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

But I'm not at all sure about racing on non-closed roads, for any vehicle type. Motorists sometimes do it (on an amateur basis) and when they do it sometimes results in third-parties being killed.

If you want to do motor racing on a legal basis it's things like rallying (which can use public roads under certain conditions) or it's on purpose built facilities like Silverstone. Unofficial "motor racing" on public roads (ie two or three cars having a burn up around the M25) is incredibly rare and incredibly illegal.

When cyclists do it, it's under the auspices of legislation called "The Cycle Racing on the Highways Act". There is specific Government legislation around it and provided that the rules within that have been followed, you are legally allowed to do it. If you don't like it, don't ride it; no-one is forcing you to enter a race.

As mentioend above, the complaint sounds very much like a NIMBY trying to use one tragic accident nearly 7 years ago to stop the event because perish the thought that he might be delayed getting out of his driveway.

crazy-legs wrote:

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

But I'm not at all sure about racing on non-closed roads, for any vehicle type. Motorists sometimes do it (on an amateur basis) and when they do it sometimes results in third-parties being killed.

If you want to do motor racing on a legal basis it's things like rallying (which can use public roads under certain conditions) or it's on purpose built facilities like Silverstone. Unofficial "motor racing" on public roads (ie two or three cars having a burn up around the M25) is incredibly rare and incredibly illegal.

When cyclists do it, it's under the auspices of legislation called "The Cycle Racing on the Highways Act". There is specific Government legislation around it and provided that the rules within that have been followed, you are legally allowed to do it. If you don't like it, don't ride it; no-one is forcing you to enter a race.

Agreed. Rhe number of sanctioned courses for road racing is getting smaller and smaller. Part of the reason is the increased insistence in putting traffic lights everywhere, but there's also a healthy bit of nimbyism - with a lot of protests about racing starting with 'I don't mind cyclists racing on the road but...' and invariably ending in some form of 'so long as its not near me'

I race in the NW, and we've lost lots of circuits (and had the use of others severely restricted - to just one event per year in some cases) in the past few years. There's a decent local flat course that has one particular arsehole living on it who does everything he possibly can to disrupt the one race a year we're permitted to use it for - parking his van in the middle of the road despite having a drive that he parks on every other day of the year, trimming his hedge while the race is on etc etc).

People are such pricks

As mentioend above, the complaint sounds very much like a NIMBY trying to use one tragic accident nearly 7 years ago to stop the event because perish the thought that he might be delayed getting out of his driveway.