Strange....

[Islay]

How there is no outcry on AB about streets being shut down for this - yet just the other week they were on here complaining about Pride shutting down the streets!
I wonder why?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4743942/RideLondon-road-closures-leave-locals-stranded-homes.html

[Islay]

There were quite a few up in arms over the pride parade stating that it was wrong they blocked streets etc now I am beginning to think it was nothing to do with streets being blocked but more to do with the fact that it was 'a gay' parade!! shocking I know!

[naomi24]

My husband rides in this every year. He's insured.

[Tilly2]

I think you might be correct, Islay. ;-)

[THECORBYLOON]

We may have pals who are cyclists or work with folk who are cyclists but why can they not have a wee pedal up and down a quiet country lane?

Why do these folk need to flaunt the fact that they're cyclists?

[mikey4444]

lol Corby....BA !

[Mamyalynne]

A Gay bicycle sounds fun Ron, I have my eye on a Unicorn one.

I'd need stabilisers though as it's a skill I never mastered.

[New Judge]

You will find that I am against just about any road closures with the exception of the areas around Westminster for the Remembrance Day service and the State opening of Parliament.

This particular jolly is not so much a problem in London but an absolute nightmare out in Surrey. Large numbers of people are effectively confined to barracks for the duration and it's an outrage. There are plenty of cycling tracks where bikes can be ridden round and round to the cyclists' hearts' content. There's simply no need for them to have competitions on public roads.

[naomi24]

THECORBYLOON, In my experience they're not flaunting it. It's the challenge they go for. This one was about 100 miles I think. (He's on his way home now ... and will no doubt fall asleep in the armchair right after a shower and dinner!).

[Islay]

I have to agree with Mikey BA to corby - how dare these cyclists flaunt that they are cyclists and in that tight highly coloured lycra too!!

[THECORBYLOON]

NAOMI,...never mind

[naomi24]

THECORBYLOON, I don't. Not at all.

[mikey4444]

I am tending to agree with NJ here.....it must have been a nightmare for the millions of people that lived on the route.

[-Talbot-]

There's a bit of an outcry about it here
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1563811.html

[Tilly2]

What an over reaction. Nightmare? Being unable to use your car for one day is a nightmare? For goodness sake!

[Mamyalynne]

Isn't the next big cycle rally in Alton in September?

[Islay]

Mamya would that be where one of our esteemed member is going on holiday

[sp1814]

Islay

An excellent point. There's an inverse amount of reaction on AB about this. Pride closes down far less of London than this but the dial on the AB 'Outrage-ometer' is still hovering between 1 and 2.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe more folk are cyclists here than are gay, and so have vested interest ? Still wrong to close roads to traffic for demos, though.

Can bicycles be gay ? You may be able to get a rainbow coloured one.

[New Judge]

“Being unable to use your car for one day is a nightmare? For goodness . sake!”

Depends what you’ve got to use it for, Tilly. If, for example, you need it to get to work in perhaps a hospital or as a bus or train driver or some other vital service industry, then it is a nightmare. Even if your job is not in one of those lines but in something less critical it’s still a nuisance and an unnecessary one at that. And it is not only that you can’t use your car. You virtually cannot go out.

The long and the sort of it is that roads are simply for getting from A to B. They are not for demonstrations or parades or festivals and they are not for bike races that necessitate their closure to anybody not taking part. If they want to run their bike race then let them do so among the usual Sunday morning traffic with people out in their cars getting the papers and a pint of milk or doing the Tesco run (and going to work). Either that or, far more preferably and as I suggested, hold it on a bike track.

[ChillDoubt]

Why on Earth do we humour Cyclists like this. They pay no Road Tax
------------
Nor do you.....or I.....or anyone else for that matter. Roads are paid for by every UK citizen who pays taxes.
Folk often confuse Road Tax(which doesn't exist) for a VEL(Vehicle Excise Licence) which I DO have and pay for...but then so does every other law-abiding UK citizen who owns a vehicle.
As you may have guessed, I'm rather a keen cyclist!