Think Bike...

[Liam]

Think Biker
These signs seem to be all over Derbyshire, especially along the roads to the various biker haunts.
Speaking to a few people (car drivers) who come in the gym, I get the impression that these signs irritate them.
The car drivers thinking is that bikers don't do much thinking about cars, or the road in general
I must admit the standard of riding (and driving) doesn't seem great. Not that I'm an expert, but there seems to be an intent by some to ride above their ability.
A lot of bikes nowadays, seem to ridden by silly old twats who can't handle the power.
n.b. A silly old twat can be someone a lot younger than me!

An accident recently caused some discussion. I'll call all of the next section "allegedly" as it's only what I heard from a biker friend.
It's not the police version.
A bike rider trying to catch up with his mates, hit a bollard and was thrown into another bike with rider and pillion.
An accident? Maybe but he was allegedly doing up to 90 mph in a 50 limit.
He died, as did the two innocent bikers minding their own business.
Thrashing along without concerns for others, seems a bit selfish. Maybe he didn't know the road but it was a Saturday afternoon and the A61 does get very busy with traffic.

We all like riding fast but that seemed suicidal. It's a shame he took two others out as well.

[Funkycowie]

There are signs in my area that going something along the lines of

'Think, theres no excuse for speeding!'

I took this to be aimed at bikers, as they are on popular biking routes.

I have a co-worker at work who thinks all bikes are dangerous, when we know its not the bikes its just some of the riders just like its some of the car drivers. But the whole Think! campaign is just aimed at making car drivers more aware of bikes and that they have a right to be on the road. It just some car drivers think we all ride like nutters.

[Drago]

There's a few signs around here as well. Problem is the fair weather/power ranger/weekend warriors
do tend to ride like maniacs.

Speeding, were not saying just a few mph over on a A-road were talking 90+. I had a group who roared
past me when I was doing 60mph. There was no way they were doing less than 90...

Overtaking in silly places - blind corners, junctions etc. Or worse, they ride really close to the vehicle they plan to
overtake. A few times i've even had them roar past me with just inches to spare!

Terrible road postioning - I see many hugging the solid white line on the very edge of the road,
some are on the centre lines.

Most reported (local papers) PTW fatalities involve a middle aged person or some youngster
who f*cked up trying to keep up with his mates we had one who was on the wrong side of the road
on a very tight turn - he met the front end of a 44ton Lorry, not pretty. Groups are the worst of all,
as lower skilled members will take (stupid/dangerous) risks to keep up with the rest.

Sadly it's these Idiots that give all PTW a bad name. But then it's also upto cars drivers to pay more attetion to their
surroundings. Which is what the think campaign is about. I'm not digging at manual bikes, just the idiots that ride them for a few days a year. You can tell an all year/weather rider straight away. Rides sensibly, overtakes in safe & sensible spots. Doesn't speed but will make progress when possible.

[Earl]

Groups are the worst of all,
as lower skilled members will take (stupid/dangerous) risks to keep up with the rest.

That is also down to the more experienced riders not taking into consideration the abilities of their mates, if you go out with trad scooter riders you'll find mostly they ride as fast as their slowest rider.

And my belief is 'A bike is like a gun, it's only as dangerous as the person using it'

[MrGrumpy]

You can tell an all year/weather rider straight away. Rides sensibly, overtakes in safe & sensible spots. Doesn't speed but will make progress when possible.

Hmmmm I ride most days all year, but that doesn't sound like me! I think I must have been a sportsbiker in a previous life, or maybe I am one in a parallel universe!

[michaelphillips]

i sometimes have to take my son to school in the car as taking missus to work as well, my son has kiss radio on and they play an advert were it states 30 bikers are killed or injured every day, that again is intended as a message, i have to sit in the cue of traffic in car, same journey can take 25mins longer in car, and when on scoot i filter slowly always looking ahead a few cars, my eyes slightly glued to the cars wheels in case someone wants to do a u turn, which has happened once, good job i was filtering slow.. i understand the frustration of sitting in traffic in the car watching the £10 of fuel i put in yesterday for a gallon and 3/4 of juice just disappearing, and a bike just filters past me, and i think, HMMM what make was that, some car drivers would think, arsehole who does he think he is... yet the biker has a bad rep built up over time.. its time the add boards like funky said are aimed at both biker and car driver and, where they should be at the side of the road where everyone can see them.. put them on all speed cameras
it could say : Bikers Slow Down - Drivers Phone Down well near enough
or : You Don't Hear A Bike - So Why Didn't You See It

[ridinhigh]

Think Biker
These signs seem to be all over Derbyshire, especially along the roads to the various biker haunts.
Speaking to a few people (car drivers) who come in the gym, I get the impression that these signs irritate them.
The car drivers thinking is that bikers don't do much thinking about cars, or the road in general
I must admit the standard of riding (and driving) doesn't seem great. Not that I'm an expert, but there seems to be an intent by some to ride above their ability.
A lot of bikes nowadays, seem to ridden by silly old twats who can't handle the power.
n.b. A silly old twat can be someone a lot younger than me!

An accident recently caused some discussion. I'll call all of the next section "allegedly" as it's only what I heard from a biker friend.
It's not the police version.
A bike rider trying to catch up with his mates, hit a bollard and was thrown into another bike with rider and pillion.
An accident? Maybe but he was allegedly doing up to 90 mph in a 50 limit.
He died, as did the two innocent bikers minding their own business.
Thrashing along without concerns for others, seems a bit selfish. Maybe he didn't know the road but it was a Saturday afternoon and the A61 does get very busy with traffic.

We all like riding fast but that seemed suicidal. It's a shame he took two others out as well.

that must the Chesterfield accident then

[Data]

Very sad some people died. But in fact, there are very few accidents that are accidents. That's why the police don't call them accidents anymore. They are road traffic incidents. Someone is nearly always to blame and 99% of accidents can be prevented by someone being more careful or applying common sense.

A good example of sheer idiosy that I witnessed was whilst travelling on the A12 just a few days ago. I was returning from Chelmsford. I was driving my car at 70mph in the right hand lane in a long line of traffic. I had as always left the 2 second gap between me and the guy in front as had nearly all the motorists (yes...rare I know!). We were all overtaking a slower moving line of traffic in the left lane. It was mid afternoon. I check my rear view mirror frequently. Suddenly, bike headlights appear behind me wiggling in and out of the traffic. Without warning three bikes ridden by insanely inconsiderate idiots came speeding up the middle of the two lanes of traffic passing just two feet from the side of my car. Utter madness and likely at some point to result in someone getting killed. The bikes all passed me on the inside doing at least 80mph and gave no thought for their own safety or that of others. If my car had drifted just a foot or two to the left I would have killed one or more of them and maybe someone else. If a road trafic incident occurred due to riding like that, it's not an accident. Makes my blood boil when twits like that take to the road. It aint funny!

[Funkycowie]

Agreed

[Liam]

that must the Chesterfield accident then

Hi Keith. Yes the one at Wingerworth, by the Hunloke pub.
It's always been a fast road and the highways people made it a 50 limit, put speed cameras and a diagonal hatched centre section to deter overtakers.
I don't think it's a solid white line, so you can overtake but there are bollards just before the pub to protect (I presume) people turning right into the car park.

The traffic always seems to keep near the limit so I can't remember the last time I overtook going along there.
There are a couple of hidden junctions along there from both sides, theres a big layby on the left almost opposite the pub, and the entrance to a football pitch and some industrial park on the old Coalite plant on the right. Then theres a bad one on the left after the bend, a little road going to Wingerworth village which is so sharp that cars can't always get round in one go.
You need to keep your wits about you, that's for sure!
But obviously, that goes for everyone, wherever they ride!