Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Is this allowed?

[ChrisBushell]

Well I have had a 500 mile weekend in the car, managing a moving average of 22.5 mph according to the sat nav, sorting out the route for next weekends Mini Giro and putting up all of the route arrows.

I am absolutely knackered!

We has a couple of amazing incidents whilst undertaking this marathon:

1) On Saturday we had come across a number of cycle events on the way down towards Goodwood, but out the back of Liphook I came round a corner to find my side of the road blocked with a group of cyclists 4/5 across and 2/3 across coming the other way; I had no where to go but straight through them if I couldn't stop! Now I was probably doing no more than 35mph and was able to stop without a problem, but I could have been doing 60mph and I shudder to think what the carnage would have been.

Am I right in thinking that in the highway code that cyclists are not supposed to ride more than 2 abreast?

2) Yesterday we were out the back of Haselmere heading towards a village on a nice winding B road, again bumbling along at about 30mph and I came round a sharp left hand corner (blind because of the hedge) and there in the middle of my side of the road was an OAP on his 4 wheel motorised buggy doing 12mph and there was a car coming the other way - so I had no where to go! At that speed I managed to pull up with a reasonable margin to spare.

Now this was in a 60mph limit, there was a perfectly useable pavement and the buggy showed no registration plate! If I had been on the bike, I could easily of been doing at least 60mph!

If I had been going any faster I would have gone straight up the back of him, no doubt thrown him out onto the road and probably either seriously injured him or maybe even killed him.

I pulled over past him (there was a clear straight bit of road) and engaged him in a polite conversation regarding his death wish. It seemd that he had just acquired this vehicle and was enjoying a new found freedom of movement. Apparently he found more than 50 metres to far to walk! His attitude was that 12mph was fast enough for that road and other drivers should make allowences for him.

He declined to use the pavement as it was too bumpy!


I have found the whole experience very sobering and feel certain that the later case should be looked at by the law makers or is it a way of culling the OAP's to save on benefits!

Anyone got any thoughts?