Quote from: Exupnut on 18 August 2013, 03:10:08 pm

U can still use broken cycle lanes to filter.

I don't believe you can bud,

Highway Code Paragraph 140:

Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation. Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane whilst waiting restrictions apply.
Law RTRA sects 5 & 8

It's a "Do Not" not a "Must Not".

Segregated cycle lanes, in my experience, are there to keep cyclists off the road rather than to protect them.

I entirely agree with you.

There are some like that in Portsmouth and, like that one, you get pedestrians (or other obstructions) in the cycle lane and if you're cycling, every time you get to a road, you have to waste energy slowing or even stopping to let traffic cross, then expend more energy getting moving again which means you are not cycling in the most efficient manner (which is to lose as little momentum as possible).

As such, I simply do not bother using those cycle lanes.

So, the law has been changed to make it easier for Police to fine people for inconsiderate or careless driving. Great, but where are the Police to enforce this? The A3 southbound this evening could have done with one...

I was in Lane 1 and there was a car ahead of me, so I checked my mirrors and saw a car behind me in Lane 1 and another some distance back in Lane 2. There was also a van ahead in Lane 2, but nothing close enough to cause any problems.

Fine, no problems, I indicate, pull out and suddenly realise that the car behind me in Lane 1 (a silver Mercedes) is coming past *inside* me. Not only that, but he then pulls out into Lane 2, ahead of me, to pass the car I was trying to pass, then cuts *back into* Lane 1 to undertake the van in Lane 2 and finally, for an encore, he pulls back out again into Lane 2, thence to Lane 3 before cutting back into Lane 2 to undertake a vehicle in Lane 3!!

It's at times like this that I wish I had a helmet camera 

No, I am talking about cycle lanes in London where they are seperated from the road by a kerb in order for vulnerable road users to be able to use them safely,

I'm not familiar with those. I've seen the blue tarmac ones, but none that are actually physically separate.

This sounds just like the "six bikers die in one week" story that happened down here in Hampshire at the start of the hot weather.

It's probably just a statistical anomaly, but it doesn't stop idiocy happening.

Unfortunately it does tend to result in official stupidity like another long swathe of the A32 (from Wickham almost all the way to Droxford) being made a 50 mph limit as if that would actually make any difference

As their Analysis piece says "It's worth bearing in mind that this isn't a new offence, it is just another way of dealing with the current offence of "careless driving".

The short version is that as long as you don't drive or ride like a twunt, you should be ok

Jeez, sounds as if it could have been a hell of a lot worse! Glad to hear you're mostly ok

Sorry, can't make this one.

Unless we see pictures then I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I bet it was a fat guy on a Harley which is the only reason you lost him on the twisty bits 

I didn't know you were down in that neck of the woods

"Her visor"? Is romance in the air for a certain FZ6 rider? 

Alas I didn't get her number (or her number plate!)

I've just spent a week in North Devon (Croyde) for my annual surfing and biking holiday and had a rather good time.

Getting there from Portsmouth I take the A36 to Salisbury, then the A30 down to Exeter followed by the A377 up to Barnstaple which is a lovely bit of road.

Interesting thing happened on the way down: Somewhere on the A30 I noticed another bike behind me, but I lost them on some of the twisty bits after doing overtakes, but later I got held up in traffic in a village and noticed them coming up behind me again.

I set off once more, lose them, but then get stuck at traffic lights and a while after, they reappear...!

This goes on for a couple more times until I got stopped by some more lights and the rider filters up alongside me,  flips up her visor and asks where I'm going, so I say I'm going to Exeter then Barnstaple and she says she's heading up to Taunton.

Then, surprisingly, she says "Awesome riding!" (I was reasonably happy with it, but I felt some bits were a bit ropey, however I'll accept the compliment...)

So we head down the A30 again until she turns off up to Taunton, but it was a nice bit of biking cameraderie


Oh and later on in the week I rode the A39 from Barnstaple to Minehead via Lynton, Lynmouth and Porlock, a road that has more twisty bits than a very twisty thing, followed by a lovely ride back across Exmoor.

I have been wearing Wolf textile stuff and find them a good fit, reasonably comfy waterproof and well made, not that expensive either compared to some

Yep, I've got Wolf textile stuff too and it's good for keeping me dry and warm in the winter

The jacket has vents under the arms for warmer weather, but you really need a proper air jacket for weather like we've had this summer.

I'm looking for an infil panel for the left side of the bike (a boxeye). Anyone know where I can find one?

I understand someone left one on a road recently...