Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: citoyen on 04 August, 2021, 05:22:28 pm
-
A cyclist died in Whitstable this morning - at the bottom of Borstal Hill, near the junction with Joy Lane (those who do the FNRttC will know that you come into Whitstable along Joy Lane, then turn left along Canterbury Road, instead of right to go up Borstal Hill)
Not clear what happened - early report said "collision"; later report after he died said he "left the road".
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whitstable/news/cyclist-50-died-at-scene-of-collision-251794/
It's conceivable he was simply going too fast down the hill and lost control on the bend at the bottom. I descend that hill regularly on my way to the station, so I know how easy it is to hit speeds in excess of 60kmh without really trying.
But I'm not ruling out motorist involvement.
A friend was pretty badly injured on the descent a few years ago when he didn't manage to avoid the idiot who pulled out of a side road. I've had a couple of near misses like this myself - which is why I always cover the brakes and err on the side of caution.
I've also had idiot motorists recklessly overtake me on the descent, even when I'm going above the 30 limit - the usual story, they just can't abide being "stuck" behind a cyclist.
Doesn't help that people use the road as a car park, creating chicanes. If I had my way, I would make it double yellows along its full length.
-
RIP Cyclist.
ETA - I'm kind of surprised it isn't double yellows along that stretch.
It's really crying out for it.
-
ETA - I'm kind of surprised it isn't double yellows along that stretch.
It's really crying out for it.
Quite
-
When we did the grand tour of Kentish coast the other year, the entrance to Whitstable was notably horrid. It was not the tranquil village of hearty seamen I'd been promised, but a traffic clagged avenue of aggressive morons willing to kill for a parking space.
-
Whitstable is totally mental when it comes to parking space.
I've done car park duty in the charity car park in the school next to the library on a couple of occasions.
Voluntary contributions.
I collected around £700.00 on each 4 hr shift.
-
It also has horrible foot-wide pavements in the town centre and constant traffic and you think someone really ought to build a bypass.
Then you look at the map and realise it has several already.
-
DFL magnet.
-
Sandwich was similar, traffic with a town attached.
-
It also has horrible foot-wide pavements in the town centre and constant traffic and you think someone really ought to build a bypass.
Then you look at the map and realise it has several already.
Indeed, the bypass has a bypass.
-
Ironically the bypass (and the M2) also make it very easy for people to drive down there and off the bypass into town.