Exeter cyclist forced to quit after two collisions in 15 months

cycling is dangerous andmore so than ten years ago. I live in a rural area but have to contend with motorists. Most motorists are careful but there are others who are not. Motorists may not be careful because of ignorance or old age or just poor driving, often due to being late for work.  I feel much safer in my Land rover TD5 weight 2.88 metric tons. four wheel drive, warm and cosy, radio.  But I would like to cycle around as well. Age 74. Why should we have to worry and consider getting video equipment to protect ourselves from these drivers, many of whom speed in built up areas and believe they are entitled to drive at 60MPH on national speed limit roads, regardless of their abilty to stop within the distance that they can see to be clear.

SP, if you can, maybe get her some wintery tyres.  As soon as I've fettled my brakes with the knobblies, I'm going to put on my Conti winter contacts on the getting to work about bike.  Gives a little more confidence on the icy stuff.  1st iteration, the're onto the mark IIs now.  "Sharp" rubber in mine, latest are all about lamellae.

It's what is missing that is the most interesting and important.

Where are the comments from the council and the police?  Are they happy that the roads under their control are not safe for people to use?  What are they going to do about it?

Very sad. We talk about making cycling safe for ages "8 to 80" and we should mean it.

https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/safe-cycling-for-8-to-80-year-olds/

"Once a year for approximately the past five years I have had a major accident on my bike"

Coincides neatly with a Conservative government's cut on policing and car-worshipping policies.

I suppose you could always prefix the word sport with tran, that would make it work.

Don't give up - accidents sometimes occur close together for no particular reason. Once a year for approximately the past five years I have had a major accident on my bike including a fractured zygoid arch (face bone), 2 broken collar bones (one requiring plating), a punctured lung and a fractured wrist. In between one of the accidents (I can't remember which one) I was sent flying by a suicidal cat running under my front wheel. Fortunately, although the crash was spectacular I just wrenched my knee a little that time. 

In the 30 years of cycling before my recent spate of accidents I only had two accidents (one broken wrist and one set of bruised ribs). Only one of all my accidents was down to a car driver and the others were all different and random.

I've just come back from mountain biking with my 9 year old son (a snow storm in Llandegla!). His first time and my first time in 20 years, and we both loved it. Bikes are great!

> An unfortunate cyclist in Devon is preparing to give up the sport

Since when was commuting to and from work a sport?  It's this kind of language that reinforces opinions about who exactly rides bicycles.  Nobody would say that a motorist forced to sell his car was giving up his "sport".

A good gauge of liveability is whether it is pleasant to cycle around. Britain is thus a failure of a country.

Real shame, dont give up, get a smart trainer and workout indoors