Cyclists take to the pavement at times for their own safety knowing that their vehicle of choice is not a potential killing machine that a car is. Having best part of a tonne of metal careering around at speed is a lot more dangerous in the hands of a lunatic than a pushbike.

As someone who cycles and drives, I am more frustrated at other drivers driving badly than a cyclist seeking to gain a bit of time by opting to risk things by jumping a light or by hopping on to the pavement.

Drivers texting, talking on phone, rebuking kids in back, smoking, not concentrating, speeding, not checking mirrors, driving too close to car in front, pulling out without looking, are all more likely than a cyclist causing an accident themselves I would have imagined.

I don't deny those cyclists exist, but they're the exception that prove the made-up rule - most of us are just going about our business, trying to get some miles in without ending up in casualty and stoically trying to ignore the multiple shouts of "pay some road tax" that seem to punctuate every ride. I've only twice had someone try to push me off from a passing car, once had a McDonalds milkshake (strawberry) chucked at me from a car window and countless times been verbally abused - all for the subversive and radical attention-seeking behaviour that is - riding a bike! It's a crazy world.

Just stopped raining here by the way - looks like more to come though.

Bren, you get that as a pedestrian in Wakey (after a night on the lash with "The King", TRB and Mutts... but how did they know it was me??? )

The problem with cycling over here is that so many people do it, so by default you're going to get a larger proportion of idiots. It's particularly bad in the Summer, when people who should require a licence for walking on the pavement seem to think it's OK to hop on a bike and add their own interpretation to the road traffic laws. By contrast, a lot of people who drive during the week cycle at weekends, and are therefore more aware of cycle traffic (but not necessarily more considerate).

I wouldn't cycle to work in the UK - way too risky for mine - but I admire those of you who do.



Floodwatch: Cloudy over here, with the chance of a shower later in the evening, but flooding unlikely.

Long story short there are idiots who ride bikes, drive cars and walk on pavements.

Seriously though wouldn't dream of riding to work, I got knocked down years ago by a prick who came through a red light, so I wouldn't go there again. Personally I just go out on the mountain bike down the backs on the Trans Pennine Trail or go to Trail around the North.

Keeping on topic raining atm, probably won't lead to flooding.

Having had chance to think about it a bit more I'd like to concede that I was wrong to mention the 'mow down' bit.....no-one deserves that and on reflection it was the wrong thing to say......wouldn't be fair on either a cyclist or the person driving the other vehicle......

I think any cyclist who has no regard for the rules of the road and blatantly goes through red lights in order to try and save a few seconds deserves to hit a curb further on their journey, fall off and bloody hurt themselves though....!

Likewise with car drivers, they deserve to hit a lampost and give themselves a bang to the head and do a lot of monies worth of damage to their car.....

Frustrating places are roads for great drivers like me

Don't think we've seen the last of these floods either with rain apparently around for quite a while yet...

This is all.

Started raining again now and coming down pretty hard.