Watch A Ride Into Town Video With Cyclist Terry Duckmanton

Published on: 6 May, 2018
Updated on: 6 May, 2018

By Terry Duckmanton

My video A Ride Into Town was originally conceived as a moan about the lack of facilities in and around Guildford for cyclists like me.

Eventually it dawned on me that not many cyclists are actually like me at all. How many cyclists would be happy to use the A25 to commute between Guildford and Effingham on a daily basis, in all weathers, for a period of 13 years? How many cyclists have bothered to become qualified to deliver Bikeability training? The answer to both questions is most probably ‘Not many’.

If we ignore the dedicated sports cyclists who are more than capable of keeping up with traffic, the average cyclist, if such a thing exists, is a person who cycles a mile two at a time in order to get to the shops or school or their workplace.

The average cyclist isn’t interested in his or her heart rate or how much power is being delivered to the pedals, they just want to arrive safely, do what they have to do in the shops, school or workplace and then go home again. Arriving home in one piece is paramount.

What will our hypothetical average cyclist get out of watching A Ride To Town? I hope they will see it not as pie in the sky, but as something to aim for.

A word of warning before you rush down Aldershot Road to try it for yourself. The route shown in this video is best suited to confident and experienced riders. If you do try it you will find yourself cycling alongside large vehicles which will be doing 30mph to 40mph.

Although the video depicts a route which is best described as not for the faint-hearted, it does show the viewer the most direct route into town from where I live. If we replace the word ‘town’ with ‘shops’, ‘school’ or ‘workplace’ this is what our average cyclist is trying to achieve.

A still from Terry Duckmanton’s video A Ride Into Town. When watching the video make sure you have your volume turned up on your computer to hear Terry’s commentary.

At this point it would be a good idea to reappraise the function of this video. Instead of it being a general moan about facilities or the lack thereof, we can use it as a starting point showing what we are trying to achieve i.e. the most direct route from here to there on a bike.

It still functions as a good old moaning video, but it now also has a much higher purpose.

Follow-up films will look at how the cyclist can avoid some of the problems areas by employing slight diversions at certain points along the route. Unfortunately for those viewers who do not live near me or are not trying to cycle into town, the proposed diversions will be of little or no use. What the viewer will find helpful is learning how to find an alternative route without losing sight of the overall objective.

The route depicted in the video is my regular route into town which has given me lots of opportunity to video deviations from this route. I now have a good collection of videos from which I can create a new one with the working title A Ride To Town – Diverted.

Get that bike out of the shed, give it a good clean and a few well placed drops of oil and get ready to join me on a ride into town.

Just in case you worry about such things, I shall not be advocating the wearing of any special cycle clothing. I won’t be suggesting that you are using the wrong type of bike either, as long as it is in good roadworthy condition and it fits you properly.

Responses to Watch A Ride Into Town Video With Cyclist Terry Duckmanton

John Lomas Reply

May 7, 2018 at 10:53 am

The bus lane might be marked Buses and Goods Vehicles Only, but those large blue signs at the start of each section look like this.

https://goo.gl/maps/5rJaeAWdHdz

They clearly show a cycle symbol, the symbol for goods vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes and taxis.

I have often wondered why there is not more enforcement on the “Broken White Line” cycle lanes.

HC Rule 140 Cycle lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You must not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a solid white line during its times of operation.

Do not drive or park in a cycle lane marked by a broken white line unless it is unavoidable. You must not park in any cycle lane while waiting restrictions apply.

Law RTRA sects 5 and 8.
- Dave Middleton Reply
  
  May 8, 2018 at 1:56 pm
  
  I was of the understanding that the goods vehicle restriction on the bus lanes on Woodbridge Road and Onslow Street was that the bus lanes could only be used by goods vehicles with a weight of 7.5 tonnes and over?
  
  Surely that makes more sense, rather than allowing the bus lane to fill up with transit vans and the like?
  
  If the restriction was to prevent vehicles over 7.5 tonnes using the lane, then surely the lorry symbol would have the conventional red bordered circle with 7.5T and a red slash through it?
  
  Anyone from SCC Highways, or GBC got the definitive answer? The Highway Code doesn’t show such a sign as appears on the blue bus lane boards.
Dave Middleton Reply

May 7, 2018 at 12:16 pm

Good safe ride from a competent and responsible cyclist, an excellent example for other cyclists to follow.

One little point; don’t worry about the markings on the surface of the bus lane being “Buses and Goods Vehicles Only”.

The important information is on the big blue signs set periodically alongside the bus lane on a pole on the side of the road.

They show the times the bus lane is in force (not all of them are 24 hour) and which vehicles can use them. Cycles are permitted.

Don’t forget though, that when the bus lane isn’t in force, any vehicle can use it.
Terry Duckmanton Reply

May 7, 2018 at 2:47 pm

Thank you John and Dave for pointing out that the bus and lorry lanes along Woodbridge Road are also cycle lanes, perhaps I didn’t make this clear in the video.

I must also thank Dave a second time for his very kind comments in his opening paragraph.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

May 9, 2018 at 11:08 am

I do not ride a bike but I would not like to see anyone taking the risk of riding into Guildford town centre.

The roads are simply not safe enough but for the very experienced and mature riders like Terry Duckmanton.

The answer possibly lies in creating space for bikes in park and ride areas and charge cyclists a much smaller fee.

There may be scope for creating storage spaces along various outer routes around the town centre and charge a similar fee for their use together with cheaper bus fares for the younger cyclists.

It would be preferable to also make the town centre pedestrian friendly by removing traffic through it. It can be done and I have been promoting my ideas but the councils must take this view seriously enough to do something about it rather than just hoping for a modal shift to materialise magically.
- Dave Middleton Reply
  
  May 15, 2018 at 4:20 pm
  
  I disagree.
  
  Provided you, as a cyclist, apply common sense and ride responsibly and in accordance with the rules of the road, using cycle paths where possible and even getting off and walking with your cycle where necessary, it is possible to ride into Guildford town centre perfectly safely.
  
  I can ride into town from my home in Stoughton on residential roads, cycleways and along the river towpath.
  
  It may not be the fastest route, but it’s safe and enjoyable.
  - Bibhas Neogi Reply
    
    May 16, 2018 at 3:05 pm
    
    “….apply common sense and ride responsibly and in accordance with the rules of the road, using cycle paths where possible and even getting off and walking with your cycle where necessary” – says it all why it is not safe (and for that matter for the motorists and pedestrians), for the young cyclists to ride through the main heavily trafficked roads that have no cycle lanes.
    
    Once I nearly hit a cyclist at night in Woking Road because the cycle did not have any lights nor any reflectors – talk about being responsible?
    
    Many youngsters ride their bikes with no lights at night during summer months. It would be devastating if you caused a fatality even if the rider was irresponsible.
    - Ciaran Doran Reply
      
      May 27, 2018 at 6:51 pm
      
      Bibhas Neogi keeps altering his point about a responsible rider being safe in Guildford by mentioning cyclists without lights and young cyclists.
      
      I fully agree with him about cyclists who are stupid enough to ride at night without lights. I encountered someone a few years ago with whom I had a debate. He argued that if I killed him, then I killed him. My argument was that I would have to live with it, not him!
      
      Yes, people without lights put themselves and drivers in danger. Yes, young children would find navigating the one-way system more dangerous if they are not experienced.
      
      But this does not excuse the fact that drivers must take more care of other road users, other drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders, all of them.
      
      All too often an argument is put against other modes of transport because it’s dangerous. If so, then change it. Change your driving habits in a way that teaches other road users.
      
      Guildford is a rather small town in the scheme of towns in England. Most of it is relatively flat. So there is absolutely no reason why we cannot improve the safety across the town so that all non-motorised forms of transport are safe.
Nigel Burke Reply

May 10, 2018 at 9:47 am

Good video – I have put a link on Guildford Bike User Group (GBUG) Facebook page.
Chris Ogle Reply

May 10, 2018 at 10:25 am

Fantastic initiative Terry.

There is a good route going west from Stoke Park to the Surrey Research Park where you can avoid the road almost entirely.

I have found that not many people are aware of this so increasing awareness in this way is brilliant and with more cyclists we may even get some more good routes installed.
Bernard Parke Reply

May 16, 2018 at 8:45 am

I think cyclists are very brave considering the heavy traffic congestion, bad driving and the resultant pollution which can only worsen with further building with scant regard to the infrastructure.
Terry Duckmanton Reply

May 16, 2018 at 3:46 pm

Thank you for all the comments. It is good to see people discussing the idea of riding a bike into town even if they don’t actually do it themselves.

I am currently putting together a second video which covers the same journey, but this time I will be investigating the possibility of diverting from the route shown in this video.

I apologise for the long delay between videos, but I am a one-man-band with limited resources.