Thomas wants 'compulsory' helmets

John Smith wrote:

 All I said was that it is comparable to other road users.  road users.

Its not comparable. Group cyclists have the option to break into smaller groups to make it easier for others (share), whereas the farmers and caravaners you quote have fewer options.  You yourself used the word "wilful" with regard to some group cyclists (despite earlier saying we cyclists all share and its everbody else's fault). 

John Smith wrote:

It’s not me that’s wilfully twisting other people’s words? Where did I say I had little tolerance for other road users? It’s not me that said “inconsiderate group cyclists rather than individual solo cyclists.  I've had a bellyfull of this behaviour cycling”. All I said was that it is comparable to other road users. I made no comment on how much tolerance I have. Perhaps you need to calm down a little then you won’t get as annpyed with other cyclists?

 

As for the comment about “getting off the road” that may not have been the intention of Thomas but it certainly is what is intended when most people say it, and what he is referring to. I suspect he does not know what he is talking about and has little experience of real riding on the road among real traffic, without a team car to back him up or a coach and bunch of team members around on low traffic roads in the south of France, not your average UK cycle commute or after work ride, which makes up most cycling and most of the complaints from other road users.

This is silly. Of course G did the 100,000 miles riding it typically takes to get to world tour entirely cossetted by cars and teams, never spent evenings, days, nights in the dark and rain, and sunny bank holidays on club runs. 

No. He knows exactly what it is like in the trenches. He races 100 days a year. The other 260 days a year he is out on a real bike in real traffic. Hence the not irregular stories of pros having training accidents. 

madcarew wrote:

John Smith wrote:

It’s not me that’s wilfully twisting other people’s words? Where did I say I had little tolerance for other road users? It’s not me that said “inconsiderate group cyclists rather than individual solo cyclists.  I've had a bellyfull of this behaviour cycling”. All I said was that it is comparable to other road users. I made no comment on how much tolerance I have. Perhaps you need to calm down a little then you won’t get as annpyed with other cyclists?

 

As for the comment about “getting off the road” that may not have been the intention of Thomas but it certainly is what is intended when most people say it, and what he is referring to. I suspect he does not know what he is talking about and has little experience of real riding on the road among real traffic, without a team car to back him up or a coach and bunch of team members around on low traffic roads in the south of France, not your average UK cycle commute or after work ride, which makes up most cycling and most of the complaints from other road users.

This is silly. Of course G did the 100,000 miles riding it typically takes to get to world tour entirely cossetted by cars and teams, never spent evenings, days, nights in the dark and rain, and sunny bank holidays on club runs. 

No. He knows exactly what it is like in the trenches. He races 100 days a year. The other 260 days a year he is out on a real bike in real traffic. Hence the not irregular stories of pros having training accidents. 

Leaves 5 days off. The fanny.

John Smith wrote:

Also, sharing the road is not an issue for cyclists, it’s drivers that can’t share. 

Yeah, right, its always somebody else's fault. Admittedly failure to share the road when cycling usually comes down to inconsiderate group cyclists rather than individual solo cyclists.  I've had a bellyfull of this behaviour cycling in France over the Summer, even sometimes struggling on my bike, let alone the car, to get past the tourist brigades swanning around gaggle astern. 

Griff500 wrote:

John Smith wrote:

Also, sharing the road is not an issue for cyclists, it’s drivers that can’t share. 

Yeah, right, its always somebody else's fault. Admittedly failure to share the road when cycling usually comes down to inconsiderate group cyclists rather than individual solo cyclists.  I've had a bellyfull of this behaviour cycling in France over the Summer, even sometimes struggling on my bike, let alone the car, to get past the tourist brigades swanning around gaggle astern. 

 

I have come across the occasional group of cyclists who do genuinely hold up traffic with no regard for others, ignoring the rules on letting others pass, but very few and far between, and no worse that the problems I have had with caravans and tractors over the bank holiday and much less common. Huge club outings of 20+ in the Cotswolds are normally what I find, where it would be much better for them to break down in to smaller groups of 10-12 to make passing possible, but as I say, they are far less common that other forms of slow moving traffic. Generally what is meant by “share the road” is “cyclists get off the road. I hate having to slow for a second and pass safely when driving to work” not “I find huge chain gangs on the odd sunny Sunday annoying”

John Smith wrote:

Griff500 wrote:

John Smith wrote:

Also, sharing the road is not an issue for cyclists, it’s drivers that can’t share. 

Yeah, right, its always somebody else's fault. Admittedly failure to share the road when cycling usually comes down to inconsiderate group cyclists rather than individual solo cyclists.  I've had a bellyfull of this behaviour cycling in France over the Summer, even sometimes struggling on my bike, let alone the car, to get past the tourist brigades swanning around gaggle astern. 

 

 

I have come across the occasional group of cyclists who do genuinely hold up traffic with no regard for others, ignoring the rules on letting others pass, but very few and far between, and no worse that the problems I have had with caravans and tractors over the bank holiday and much less common. Huge club outings of 20+ in the Cotswolds are normally what I find, where it would be much better for them to break down in to smaller groups of 10-12 to make passing possible, but as I say, they are far less common that other forms of slow moving traffic. Generally what is meant by “share the road” is “cyclists get off the road. I hate having to slow for a second and pass safely when driving to work” not “I find huge chain gangs on the odd sunny Sunday annoying”

Now you are being mischievous. When G (and you refrence was about him) referred to sharing the road, he meant just that, not that one party should "get off the road". As for the farmers working the bank holiday while you were on a day out? You certainly have little tolerance for your fellow road users.

ConcordeCX wrote:

Hopefully Lord Sir Chris de Boardman, VC, DSO, Bart. will have a quiet word, and Geraint Thomas will say ‘oh yes, sorry about that, I take it all back’.

And the retraction will get the same amount of publicity.

Pretty much exactly what happened on Twitter. 

However, I'm not sure whether it generated the same amount of publicity. I'd place large money on the silver Merc mob who read the Times, and will have translated Thomas's comments as 'cyclist blames cyclists for their injuries and places equal blame on them for not sharing the roads', will not be aware of Boardman's comments.