Posted By Paul Leadbetter Mike Parking on pavements, not stopping at amber traffic signals, ignoring box junctions, turning right despite 'no right turn' signs, stopping across pedestrian crossings when in traffic (and then being stuck there when the lights change), etc., etc. Motorists heal thyselves! Paul

Posted By Dave Wilson Ouch!!! Never seen a cyclist or a motorcyclist come off better when coming into contact with a car/bus/lorry etc. My mate has just failed his bike test because the tester said he wasn't riding his bike fast enough in the rain to overtake!!?? Flabbergasted was his polite comment.

Posted By Arran Linton - Smith Mike, Having cycled over 3000 miles this year which includes the UK end to end route in seven days, I think I am sufficiently competent to answer some of the points that you raised in your original statement. No tax, wrong we pay income tax, national insurance, VAT on the cycles and our lycra and we even pay road tax on our cars, however we cannot pay much tax on our fuel as most food items are exempt from VAT. No insurance, wrong many serious cyclists automatically have third party insurance (which we also pay tax on). Mine comes courtesy of my CTC membership. Pavements, I try and avoid these wherever I can; unfortunately local authorities do seem to think that it is a good idea to put cycle routes across some of these. Lights, yes I use these in the dark. Mobile phones, yes I will stop to answer one of these in order that the other person does not hear any heavy breathing. Helmets, before anyone asks, yes I do wear one. There are defensive cycling techniques which we now used on roads protect ourselves; unfortunately most car users don’t seem to understand this principle yet. Unfortunately many other vehicle users don’t give us a wide berth when passing us, they quite happily pull out immediately in front of us when we are moving above twenty miles per hour and frequently try and turn left across the front of us. In the UK there are probably more cycles than there are cars; unfortunately most of them are not used. Mike for the New Year, why don’t you get your old bike out of the shed and try and join me. You might even find that you enjoy cycling!

Posted By Arran Linton - Smith Mike, I think the probability of your son’s car being hit by an uninsured motor vehicle is now much greater than an uninsured cycle. I think that I have heard somewhere that there are some parts of the country where one in ten cars are probably uninsured. Cyclists are also governed by the same laws on our roads and yes we can also get points on our driving licences from cycling offences. Compulsory insurance for cycles, surly that would need a whole raft of new legislation to get all those millions of bicycles resting in our sheds and garages registered? When you pass me in the New Year, will you give me more room?

Posted By Arran Linton - Smith Mike, I suspect the person on the bicycle that hit your son’s car was not wearing Lycra otherwise he may well have been insured. Cycling is probably one of the best ways of losing all that excess seasonal weight. If I appear to be taking the cycling argument seriously, I just felt that someone needed to come out and defend the cycling point of view for a balanced debate on your original statement. I am now looking forward to seeing you join me on my training rides and you might discover that even enjoy it! If you start training now, what time do you think that you can do a half century ride in by June? PS. I know of good place for buying cheap Lycra.

Posted By Robin V Boughton As a motorist of some 35yrs experience and as a keen cyclist too I can see both sides of this discussion. I adopt defensive techniques when both driving and cycling on our busy roads. My guiding principle is that I must think for myself and for the other drivers around me. On average only one in four drivers is totally concentrating on driving, if you doubt this just stand on a pavement and watch passing vehicles!!!! Whilst there are faults on both sides in terms of bad road craft behaviour, in my considered opinion a large minority of vehicle drivers have very little regard for cyclists and pedestrians for that matter.They drive very efficient killing machines without regard to other road users!!! A Safe New Year to All Road Users

Posted By Mike Miller Thanks John for that well ballanced view! I will put my point in a more direct fashion!For those who missed the point. Is is legal for a push bike rider to use a mobile phone whilst riding on a public road? If so do you think that it is safe to do so? Do you not need more consentration to ride a bicycle on a public road if it is so dangerous (as others have quite rightly pointed out) Have they slipped through the net of the new legislation? The same questions apply to walkman radio's or anything with earplugs for that matter. Thanks for the debate Mike