Dan C

I'm sure many of us have been asked questions from newbies, but what single piece of advice would you share with someone who is just starting out with cycling to work? Also why would you consider this important to share?

There is no right answer on this imo, just interesting knowledge.

In Hampshire and Dorset there has been a rise in the number of drivers caught over the alcohol limit. Obviously this poses a severe risk to others, particularly towards more vulnerable road users such as pedestrians etc.

(Near Bournemouth, I read this week of a pedestrian being killed on a signalled crossing, he and his partner had pressed the button and begun to cross on the "green man" phase, only for him to be knocked down and killed instantly, such were the driver's actions.)

In some places the Police have been on the news stating that theres been a doubling of drink drivers.

Not much has changed, we cant really blame bad times as we've all been through that before. So what needs to be done to improve our safety and prevent drink-drivers? Do we need more Police, harder punishments, or life bans, or so let the Police know of suspicions we have of neighbours/family members?

Solutions to this mess?

(PS Happy Christmas and safe travels!!)

I live in the UK. Cycling is a minority transport option but growing, and growing too as a sport. I have always cycled and have seen a change of climate away and towards cycling in different respects. As a result of recent years I have felt compelled to write letters and emails to officials and public bodies in the hope of swaying positive change. I have also written letters to newspapers and magazines (half of which have actually been published). I have also managed to help several work colleagues get on to the saddle and given advice.

So what have you done in the way of swaying positive change and encouraging others to ride bikes? Anything really interesting or different?

Thanks!

I know that solar electric is seen as the most common use of the sun for energy, but its not that efficient compared to oil or nuclear. I have however seen "solar towers" that focus large parabolic mirrors onto a structure of pipes. The sun superheats these into around 400 degrees centigrade and the water drives turbines in the same manner as fossil or nuclear.

I find this very interesting, but are these the only two ways we can harness the sun? Are there other ways that are often ignored or forgotten?

I'm having a little trouble answering this myself elsewhere and tried to look up for some official Department for Transport stats and just got lost and swamped.

So, in the UK how many cyclists are there. By this I mean regular riders who only use the road systems or commuting facilities such as cyclelanes, not the off-road mountain bikers who will sometimes drive their bike to a private facility or people who use a velodrome.

I have heard estimates from 4 - 5 million but I'm having trouble substantiating this. If you have a link to an official government webpage (DFT, directgov etc) all the better!

Thanks people!

I know there are good reasons why this might be: good separation from oncoming traffic, slip roads that build you up to speed and generally straighter trajectories.

But do the statistics back this up? If so how?

We've all had high points, I'm sure.Perhaps you won a race, or achieved a personal best. Perhaps you shed a little weight off those hips.Perhaps you just saved a lot of money by not driving to work.

So for you, what has been the best thing about riding our bike that you can think of, that has happened over the past 12 months?

A number of drivers in the UK have recently been sentenced to what some might actually call a "reasonable sentence" for once (it is very rare for a driver to be sent to prison in the UK even if they've done something so obviously terribly wrong.. the average sentence seems to be a £300 fine and 3 points on their licence)

Given that drivers like the fellow below have a catalogue of convictions, shouldn't we in the UK consider a Vehicular Manslaughter law similar to that used in other countries (USA, parts of Eastern Europe)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1331001/Hu...

I don't want people to assume its just cyclists at risk. These kinds of drivers have killed pedestrians and other drivers too. A case in point being that of Lee Hughes who is currently serving time for killing the occupants of another car.

I'll let this one go to the vote but welcome your views. Thanks!

I'm not a cat owner, but we seem to have a fair few roaming through our garden. I've never really had an issue with that, however there are a couple that seem to attack, even kill the wildlife we have in our garden.

I have tried deterrants such as smellies, high pitched sound generator based cat deterrants, planting thorny plants like thisles, even lion dung and yet they still come. Its come to a head this week when one was caught mauling a hedgehog (we had to take it to a vet to be put down).

The usual thing is dead birds and frogs where the cat has "played" with it, or just killed it outright.

So what can I do to stop this? The only thing that seems to work temporarily is turning the sprinklers on. I dont have time to be there and keep doing this so if anyone has a solution I'd like to hear it?

Thanks!

If I think of all the nonsense and insults used... "lycra lout" (when most bad cyclists dont even wear it), "eco hippy" (just keeping fit here tbh).. "pay something" (MoT, vehicle excise duty, insurance, and any other sundry payment cyclists do not legally need to pay, usually shouted out of some form of misguided jealousy)

..even down to the classic "get off the road!"

Isnt this only serving to make us react? Make us campaign? And certainly make us think? Have you,like myself been spurred into writing letters and promoting cycling as a result?

In light of the many "ban the cyclist" type of question on here this has made me wonder, is it now time to put more control on driving in the UK?

A list of the downsides affecting driving in the UK:

-We have a situation here in the UK where drivers kill 3000 people a year, maim many thousands more and cause conflict hourly.

-congestion has reached epidemic proportions (Bristol and London traffic suffers terribly during the day)

-pollutants from the exhausts such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and many byproducts of the petrochemical fuels used, and noise pollution from tyres and engines

-motorvehicles are often used to transport just one person - should car pooling be more strongly encouraged?

-they are grossly expensive to run with high maintenance costs

-we are now beleived to have reached well past "peak oil"

-bad drivers are consistantly let off with fines and endanger all

Anyway, is driving now so negative an activity on society that it needs extra control?