VERY IMPORTANT POLICE NOTICE - EVERYONE PLEASE READ

[Andrew G]

I have received a letter from Surrey Police (I have to send them an advance notification of a race for the Open 25 so guess that's why it was sent to me).

Please read this and take notice. Addiscombe have not received any complaints that I am aware of so lets keep it that way and take care. With this weekend being a club run on Saturday and the first Addiscombe Sportive on Sunday there will be lots of cyclists out and many in club colours so lets show the club in a positive light.

Alan, please can you copy and paste the letter (or selected highlights) below in to your final email to riders entered in to the sportive if possible. It would be a shame if the event received complaints which were down to riders from other clubs.

[quote]
Dear Club Member,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Mole Valley Safer Neighbourhood Team at Surrey Police. We are responsible for the local policing of parts of the Surrey Hills, including Box Hill, Ranmore and Leith Hill.

Over recent months we have noticed an increase in the number of cyclists and cycle clubs using the roads around these areas, and we expect this to continue in the run up to the London and Surrey Classic this year, and the Olympic events next year.

The reason for my letter is that we have also had increased reports of anti social and inconsiderate cycling, in particular complaints about groups of cyclists blocking roads by cycling in "pelotons". in addition, we have had complaints regarding the inappropriate speed of some cyclists in the narrow and winding lanes around the Surrey Hills.

In relation to speed, we have already had one very serious collision near Box Hill involving a cyclist, as well as a number of more minor incidents involving single cyclists. These are public roads which are also being used by all types of vehicles; horses; casual cyclists, pedestrians and all other roads users must follow both the Highway Code and relevant traffic law. I would like to point out that the Highway Code advises riders not to cycle more than two abreast, and in narrow roads to ride in single file.

Please could I ask you to ensure that your club riders are aware of the complaints we are receiving, to ensure that they do not become subject to complaint themselves. Where necessary, we will be taking enforcement action, but it would seem an appropriate matter for responsible clubs to regulate themselves and show cycling in a positive light, rather than as a source of reports to the police.

We are sending this letter out to a large number of cycle clubs and therefore please do not infer that complaints have been specifically made against your club.

Yours faithfully,

PS Simon Cox
Mole Valley Sergeant

[Ian A4size]

I've read it and really would like to reply to the officer,
something of the like .... please pass this notice to all drivers- and give them a copy of the highway code and perhaps in todays caring sharing touchy feely world, a person to read it to them.

Take out the airbag and put a 6" spike on the steering wheel.

TBH tho sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

[Roy Green]

I think the copper has actully put it quite neatly and reasonably tactfully. A lot to bear in mind there. Can't always pass the buck onto loony motorists.

[Paul H]

Bloody cheek. I dont think there is a law against us riding in peletons and I hope he has told that to the drivers who have complained.

Please supply his email address so we can make a complaint every time a car does something dangerous towards us. PC Cox can then send a letter via the DVLA to every car owner in Surrey.

[kieran]

well, 2 wrongs don't make a right, so I guess just because car drivers drive recklessly doesn't grant us a licence to do so as well. But there seems to be complaints that cyclists are both going too slow (delaying those drivers on their vital missions to the DIY/garden centre)and too fast ( I don't get this - is it from horse riders? every time I am in the surrey lanes the cars are going much faster in those narrow and twisty lanes)??

[Andrew G]

If complaints have been received then they have to be responded to. I think this is a much better way of responding, asking cycling clubs to be aware of the complaints, rather than come down heavy handedly. Drivers are also on the end of complaints and I'm sure that they are also looked at, they have registrations so easy to deal with on an individual basis.

While riding in a peleton may not be illegal, the officer doesn't say that it is but points to the Highway Code's advice, if a group of cyclists take up as much room as a car then if a car was driving mile after mile at say 20mph and holding up traffic regularly then the driver would also be called.

One arguement about x vs y (life changing accidents) doesn't have any relevance to the issue which was raised, which is a response from the police to a series of complaints being made. If you were aware of a series of complaints made to the police about something where you lived and it was ignored would you be happy?

In general cyclists and cycling clubs have a good relationship with the police, and they could make life difficult should they so wish by refusing permission to hold races on certain roads, and personally I think it would be a shame if this relationship was spoilt.

As the officer says this is not a letter to any one club or group of cyclist but has been sent to local clubs as a way of letting us know that complaints have been made so that we can police ourselves rather than have heavy handed clamp downs.

[Andrew G]

It was a letter in response to specific complaints that have been made about cyclists behaviour that they have received, not a cyclist bashing vendetta. It was sent to local cycling groups in general as the best way to inform them about the situation that seems to have arisen lately.

I'm sure the amount spent on advertising regarding various forms of bad driving - speeding, drink driving, "think bike" etc is a reasonable sum and is the primary method of reaching drivers. I would imagine the police want all road users to behave themselves and be considerate to others using them.

I'm clearly not militant enough as I really don't understand the issue, with what I saw as a perfectly reasonable letter and request following a series of complaints made about some members of a community we belong to.

[Paul H]

Well I dont like being threatened with "enforcement action" over issues which are not against the law and I think the Club needs to reply and put our own view across.

[Robh]

Just for you Paul :-

http://www.surrey.police.uk/neighbourho ... nsoid=1561

Also you could ride down and see him does say all welcome :-

Street Angels Meeting
There will be a meeting on Thurs 9th June, 7.00 pm at the Christian Centre, hosted by Mole Valley Neighbourhood Sergeant Simon Cox, to discuss a proposed 'Street Angels' scheme for Dorking. http://www.streetangels.org.uk for more information. One of the key people from the Guildford scheme, Rod Boreham, will give an overview of how the project operates there. All welcome

[Dombo]

Seems a perfectly reasonable letter. He is only threatening enforcement action where appropriate, ie if we break the law or ride dangerously, so I don't think we'll be going to jail just yet for riding two abreast and, while we have all experienced knob-end motorists on the CR or when out on our own it is up to us to report them.

[Ben]

Shouldn't they investigate the complaints first

[nick de meyer]

he's not a cyclist clearly, i was asked by the national trust manager at boxhill last year, if i could run a cycle safety course for club cyclists going up boxhill, so haha i politely said excuse me!!!!! but its the drivers who need a safety course! and please re surface the road on boxhill too...
the only thing i would say is that on one or 2 occasions i've seen cyclists veer onto the other side of the road around reigate heath, due to braking in corners, its a "whoaa what are you doing!!" moment, please don't do that, it scares the life out of everyone else in the group, so no braking in corners, thanks

[Marek]

Dear Mr Cox,

Thank you very much for you letter about the complaints that you have been receiving. As a club we have considered your comments and would like to make a few observations on the points. In the last few years the government and local authorities, in particular around London, have been encouraging the use of different forms of transport. One of those has been cycling. The bike to work scheme and the Boris bike scheme can be two good examples of the encouragement to increase the number of journeys by bike. The natural extension of this encouragement is likely to be more leisure cyclists on the roads in areas of natural beauty, like around the Dorking area.

You have indicated injuries to cyclists in the area, the details of this you have not given except that a number were individual issues, I can only assume that this would be something like someone veering off the road or coming down due to a handling or mechanical issue. Cycling incidents I don't believe are any more common than motoring incidents, it would be interesting to maybe compare the reported motoring incidents in the area relative to the bike related incidents to see if there is a relative issue. Another good comparison could be the number of walkers that injure themselves by spraining their ankles whilst walking around the local footpaths. Our conclusion is on this point that these things do happen.

Also you indicate inappropriate speed. Inappropriate speed is only inappropriate if it is likely to cause an incident and if it is over the enforceable speed limit on the roads. We have discussed the speed limits in the area around Dorking and we feel that it is very unlikely that there are many cyclists that would be riding over the speed limit. Contrary to that, we believe that it is a lot easier for motorised vehicles in the area to use excessive speed, what I mean by that is driving over the speed limit.

As a group, we feel that we are being victimised by those in faster motorised vehicles. I have in the past few weeks seen a Mini Car Rally, Skoda Rally and a whole host of Motorbike Groups meeting in the Dorking area and driving around the lanes in large groups. I often get quite frightened when 50 motorbikes come thundering past me, no doubt below the speed limit, down the windy country lanes around the Surrey Hills. If you could ask them to maybe fit some kind of silencing device to their engines that would be much appreciated by cyclist and no doubt other naturist groups.

We recognise that other road users like horse riders do find it very worrying to have large groups of bike riders bearing down on them. In my experience cyclists do tend to be as considerate as they can to horse riders, I for one will always call ahead giving the rider warning and will always ride past the horse slowly, I do not want to get kicked by one of those animals and become another bike incident.

If you would be so kind as to pass back to those that have complained the following messages:

1. Cyclists are allowed to ride in groups on the road and as long as they are riding two abreast they are not breaking the law.
2. Inappropriate speed can only really be measured by assessing whether or not the bike rider is going above the stated road speed limit, if so please could they take down the riders details and pass them on to British Cycling as we may have a new Olympian on our hands.
3. Incidents that involve bike riders we believe are rare, and normally only involve the bike rider becoming injured.
4. The increase in cycling should over the longer term lead to less cars on the road, which, may actually lead to those that still wish to drive around the lanes around Dorking a easier and quicker journey.
5. If complainant is a car driver, could you ask them to please be patient when they see cyclists on the road, give them a lot of room when they overtake them and if they are so inclined feel free to shout encouragement as we try to climb up some of those fantastic hills around Dorking.

Also, if you would be so kind to send a letter out to all motor vehicle organisations and Jeremy Clarkson encouraging drivers to stick to the speed limit and avoid inappropriate speed then we believe that this could make the roads a lot safer for all those using them.

Hope to see you out on a bike soon Mr Cox.

Kind regards,

Marek.....

[fortuns]

Quite simply I do not think jo public has any comprehension that cyclists are within their rights to ride two-abreast. I have no doubt in my mind that this is what is causing all the complaints...

[Paul H]

Well put Marek - have you sent it to PC Cox?