Today's Rant: What good are Roadbikes?

Iwasgoodonce

Old School Grand Master
Let me make this clear. I really like my roadbikes. This is a rant over the state of our roads which seemed so bad that I'm not sure I want to risk using my skinny tyred steeds.
I had to collect my car this morning after having the fuel pump replaced. It was a nice morning so rather than get the wife to drop me over to the garage in her car, I decided to ride the 30 or so miles. I rode a road I don't generally cycle on and was shocked at the condition of it. On a main A road there were small holes, large holes and holes so big one of those new Fiat 500's was stuck down it!
Even where there were no holes the wearing course was so knackered as to make sitting on the saddle very uncomfortable. I actually had to stand up on the pedals rigid MTB style! Even then my vision was blurred and the handle of my brand new pump (not cheap and it hadn't even lost it's tyre pumping cherry) vibrated loose and is gone forever. Even the small local road requires a pretty good slalom technique.
So Mr Brown/Darling my question is with fuel and road tax rising exponentially, why are our roads sh!t?

Here endeth today's rant. I'm off to enquire about plum transplants on the NHS>
 
Combine that with lunatic (women) drivers on the school run and I will be keeping my cycling off road thank you very much.
 
I tried getting back on the road bike a few weeks ago but after a couple of weeks gave it up as a bad job. To many close calls with nob-heads in cars.
 
I agree , the roads in this country are a disgrace . I enjoy the road bikes , but routes are very limited .
 
So Mr Brown/Darling my question is with fuel and road tax rising exponentially, why are our roads sh!t?

Roads are paid for out of general taxation. If vehicle licenses and fuel duty were lower then income tax would have to go up. The government aren't sticking the money in their own pockets - to cut taxes you have to cut spending.

Were the roads knackered because of the recent heavy rain and floods making winter frost damage worse?
 
terryhfs":f3lkumyx said:
Roads are paid for out of general taxation. If vehicle licenses and fuel duty were lower then income tax would have to go up. The government aren't sticking the money in their own pockets - to cut taxes you have to cut spending.

Were the roads knackered because of the recent heavy rain and floods making winter frost damage worse?

You're a bit innocent if you think that income tax is the only way for a Govt to raise cash other than road tax and fuel duty, there are alternatives. What about capping MP salaries for 5 years or even better, reducing them? Only ordering helicopters that they need rather than ones that will sit in a bunker unused? Monitoring MPs expenses, not starting wars that cost billions? Increase efficiency in the NHS, Police and armed forces? How about doubling the tax on cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol and making smokers and people with drink related diseases pay for their own hosital treatment when they inevitably become ill?

Anyway, roads... I had such a bad time on my road bike about 6 months ago that I hung it up for good and haven't ridden it since. Poor road conditions, tosspot drivers, pollution, pah, don't get that in the hills.
 
What about capping MP salaries for 5 years or even better, reducing them?

Well that would make about 1p difference over the course of a year to the average taxpayer. I'm not sure it's the complete solution.

making smokers and people with drink related diseases pay for their own hosital treatment when they inevitably become ill?

That's a pretty dangerous approach. Who gets to decide what we a society morally approve of or not? Some people would argue that people who injure themselves cycling have only themselves to blame and that maybe they should pay for their own treatment. Wrecked your knees cycling? Surely that's your own fault.

Increase efficiency in the NHS, Police and armed forces?

The OECD found that the UK has about the most efficient public services in the world in terms of results achieved for money spent. We are a low tax country - I think in Europe only the Portugese play less. My colleagues from Europe love being seconded here for a couple of years as the low tax rates are like getting a massive pay rise.

If we do have a problem is that our infrastructure is suffering from years of underinvestment because we collectively don't pay enough tax.

Anyway, slightly off topic for this forum I think :cool:
 
religion and politics - stay away.

just passed a load of roadies in their garb and £3k bikes - :roll:
 
legrandefromage":2vkzbbru said:
just passed a load of roadies in their garb and £3k bikes - :roll:


Were they going to the tip? :LOL:
 
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