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Great Budworth, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by Mike Peel, www.mikepeel.net_.jpgCouncil in Cheshire village warns dangerous, sweary and urinating cyclists
A parish council in has written to 10 cycling clubs in Cheshire to complain about the behaviour of groups of cyclists passing through their village, claiming they ride too fast and create a danger to local residents, litter, shout and swear and even urinate in public.
The letter was sent by Great Budworth Parish Council to clubs including Weaver Valley and North Cheshire Clarion, both of which insist that their members ride considerately, reports Telegraph.co.uk.
The letter was signed by parish council clerk Caroline Marshall, and read: "We have received a number of complaints from residents within the village regarding the conduct of cyclists riding though the village.
"Frequently cyclists come through Great Budworth at a dangerous speed (often in group formations) that are dangerous to both other road users and pedestrians.
"Whilst we appreciate that riders enjoy travelling through such a picturesque village as ours we would like to ask them to be more considerate of the residents who live there. Repeatedly cyclists are overheard using offensive language and generally shouting as they travel through.
"It has also been reported that cyclists have been seen urinating in the street, and within both our Upper and Lower Pump houses, historical landmarks in the village.
"We consider all of this conduct unacceptable and urge you strongly to remind your members about what should be considered acceptable behaviour."
Parish council chairman Hilary Brudenell said the letter was intended encourage some riders to be more responsible.
"We are on the Cheshire cycling way and the village is a well-entrenched route for cyclists and in all honesty we have not had complaints before now,” he said.
"This is the first complaint we have sent out and we just hope its acts as a gentle warning to some cyclists to be a little more considerate in future."
Several villagers quoted, however, were more forthright in their views, with the speed that groups of what they said were up to 30 cyclists were travelling at a common complaint.
One described cyclists as “a total menace” and said she would ban them from the village.
Another claimed: “They come down the high street really fast, shouting and swearing at each other. They litter and throw Lucozade bottles out in the street.”
In a joint statement, North Cheshire Clarion and Weaver Valley CC insisted their members behaved responsibly and that it was a “"small minority" of riders not linked to them that were to blame.
"Simply, the issues raised by the parish council do not refer to any of Weaver Valley Club, or North Cheshire Clarion club members, who ride with respect and to the Highway Code on all of the roads that we find ourselves on.,” they wrote
"We are well-known and respected local clubs which engage with our local communities with mutual respect and understanding."
The parish council’s letter was sent out following a meeting in June between Mr Brudenell and two follow councillors with Cheshire Police and the Highways Department of Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The meeting addressed issues including speeding motorists and implementing parking restrictions. On the subject of cycling, the parish council’s notes record that the advice it received was:
Support writing to cycling clubs and national bodies to highlight issues. Cyclists are mainly on unofficial ‘rides’ and therefore difficult to regulate. Difficult to take action as not considered to be a significant problem.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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45 comments
I probably cycle through here twice a month and it is nice. It reminds me of the village in Hot Fuzz and is a typical English village (in an Americans mind) I haven't seen anyone tearing through the village but the houses are directly on the road so maybe they can hear a bit of noise I haven't seen anything worthy to shout about but it was probably because I was drinking my sparkly lucozade as swearing at my mates. (thats a joke as I have no mates)
And the Daily Fail headline:
"Village issues ban on cycling Lycra louts who speed along their roads"
I wasn't aware that we could enforce bans on our public highways, I may ban cars from the M6 between junctions 16 and 17...
I started reading the comments
They did not help with my misanthropic tendencies.
I mean if you are going to put 'Great' in front of your village name then you are going to attract people!
Very near to me, I shall make sure to star that there segment and re-route Sunday's ride, I do hope I need a dump!
Well if NIMBYs want a war, how would they like a crowdfunded journo sent down there to see if there's any instances of child abuse being covered up.
Now, I don't want to mention that the Parish Council has a Twitter account.
I dont want to mention that it is @GtBudworthClerk.
Basically they don't want people in their village.
Although it looks a lovely place so I think I'll take a spin by.
Obviously not weeing or swearing or lobbing lucozade bottles - cos who does that ??
And now there's suddenly loads of complaints? Okay...
Right. But the KOM suggests that even the fastest aren't anywhere near the speed limit.
Right. What exactly is the problem? You'd rather 30 cars?
Really?! Honestly? So they're riding through shouting "fuck, shit, fuck, wanker". Come on...
I have never ever seen a cyclist stop and urinate anywhere other than tucked behind hedges on country roads. I'd suggest that if somebody is really urinating in the street, the problem is completely unrelated to cycling and they have a screw lose.
The only unacceptable conduct is blatant fabrication of lies by residents and then you're acting upon that without any further thought
Lucazade and other "sports drinks" like Red Bull are usually just chucked out of car windows. Cyclists drink from proper water bottles and since I don't have a team car behind me and I'm not in the Tour, I don't just throw those into the hedges!
Funny when it's litter from cars like MaccyD wrappers that never elicits angry letters to all the local Macdonald's telling them to remind their customers to behave properly!
The residents are no better themselves
http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/10718365.Brain_damaged_drink_dr...
Another horrific car driver report - so clearly all Gt Barworth residents are drunk drivers, backed by fact rather than un-proven assertion! No doubt the Parish Council has written to the British Legion bar.
“They come down the high street really fast, shouting and swearing at each other. They litter and throw Lucozade bottles out in the street.”
Hmm.
I know the village, it's on the slope of a hill and I can imagine cyclists possibly going too fast , but it's odd because it's tucked away off an A road and doesn't actually see that many cyclists. As for the lucozade (in 15 years I've never seen a cyclist drink it) and club riders urinating in the pump house (which is on the A road) when there are acres of farmland for a 10 mile radius? Did anyone witness that?
Nah.
That area of Cheshire is pensioner/NIMBY central, I'm willing to bet cyclists are a convenient scapegoat for all sorts of social ills .
So we have residents complaining that they speed though silently, while shouting and swearing. And that they are rising at dangerous speeds? The Strava segment for the village shows the KoM a (WVCC rider. Incidentally), only doing 36 kph, in a 50 Kph/30 mph road.
This is hate for cyclists in general. Once the council writes to the AA and RAC asking their members to drive and park legally, then perhaps their complaints could be listened to. But I suspect that the Google street-view scenes of cars parked on pavements are the residents themselves. Showing that they are hypocritical cyclist haters.
Probably a case of anecdotal experiences of 'cyclist behaviour' being blown-up into a general scattergun 'cyclists are a nuisance'. If I lived in a village, I know I'd far rather have more cyclists than more motorists passing through...
Cyclists fueled by Lucozade, a likely story.
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