Water Bikes In Wroxham..

[grendel]

i am more worried about finding a nice quiet spot to moor up on bridge broad for the night then suddenly being surrounded by a gaggle of water cyclists, it was bad enough last year coming out of the shower when moored up at the end of deep dyke moorings at hickling wearing just a towel to find myself surrounded by paddle boarders, I am not certain who had the worse shock.

[grendel]

actually I have nothing against the bikes or their riders, as I am happy to slow down and travel at an appropriate pace along the stretch above wroxham, gliding along making barely a ripple, and making the most of the river at tickover, quite a lot of that is 3mph anyway.just keep them away from the bridge is all I ask, I expect that if i approach the bridge and sound my horn that I wont be called upon to try and perform evasive manouvers while transiting the bridge.

[Cheesey69]

Its the cyclist mentality that worries me. 
I.e. im one up from a pedestrian and pedestrians don’t need to follow rules. I’m not anything to do with an internal combustion engine so naturally I don’t need to follow them. 
this was actually said on a radio London programme on cyclists jumping red lights

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Mouldy said:

wonder if the term ‘peloton’ would still apply or if there would be something more appropriate.

Pillockon?

[Oddfellow]

I wish this enterprise every success. I know they have invested a large amount of money in these vessels and it deserves to work well and, as for location; there's a lot of people suggesting chaos, but there's already occasionally chaos in Wroxham anyway and this enterprise has been discussing its ideas with the BA for some time, so it's not just rocked up without any consideration. 

 

[Turnoar]

As a cyclist I feel there is a distinct risk of being tarnished with the same mop as these hulls angels!

I wonder if back in the respective days the same thoughts existed about catamarans and then sailboards, granted both found their suited havens at Hickling. If Wroxham doesn’t work out it’ll soon find an appropriate place like power boats at Oulton for instance and water skiers.

[Andrewcook]

Hi I wish that Company all the best with there New Enterprise. I do hope there will be Rangers on patrol to that area  from time to time to make  sure  that is All's well to Boaters ect who uses that stretch of River 

[Mouldy]

3 hours ago, FreedomBoatingHols said:

I wish this enterprise every success. I know they have invested a large amount of money in these vessels and it deserves to work well and, as for location; there's a lot of people suggesting chaos, but there's already occasionally chaos in Wroxham . . . . . . . . . .
 

No objection to new businesses, however its not hard to imagine a group of alcohol infused youths, pedalling about five abreast at 0.5 mph along the Bure on a busy summer Saturday causing chaos.  One can only hope that the company hiring these out have some strict criteria that hirers must follow.

3 hours ago, Turnoar said:

As a cyclist I feel there is a distinct risk of being tarnished with the same mop as these hulls angels! . . . . . . . . .

As with any group of people, the minority often tarnish the image for these many.  There can’t be many motorists who haven’t been frustrated by a group of 15 or more cyclists spread across the width of a carriageway of a rural road and over thirty yards or more, causing it difficult and dangerous for car drivers to overtake.  We can share the roads, but some cyclists think they own them.

[NeilB]

4 hours ago, Jemaki said:

Pillockon?

Plankton...?  

[ES2]

57 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

 We can share the roads, but some cyclists think they own them.

Yes, although being a cyclist myself in a small way I have often been trailing bloody minded cyclists in my car riding two abreast for more than two miles at 10 mph on winding country roads. Since they pay no road tax and get all the benefits perhaps they should keep a low profile.

As I have said earlier in this thread, some canoeists have the same attitude. Will this progress to the riders of these contraptions?

Why oh why oh why? 

[Turnoar]

Yes, having been knocked onto the pavement once by a car turning across in front of me into Recorder Road off the (at the time) most dangerous street in Norwich, I tend to stick to quiet lanes, ride solo and avoid confrontation by pulling over and letting cars, tractors etc. past, no enjoyment to be had with a ton or two of metal up your Chuph.

Getting back on saddle I’ll be giving this catacyclic idea a wide berth, as some have said they could by dyke blockers at the relatively slow pace. If they catch on and progress to a cross with a wing bike then that might be more interesting... and better suited to open water. The Dutch seem to be developing that idea with no board or floats but just hydro foils; I’m not shore the punters will be up for having to pedal from point of launch continuously until the end of hire, even just an hour. Sink and swim!

[SwanR]

2 hours ago, ES2 said:

Since they pay no road tax and get all the benefits perhaps they should keep a low profile.

Oooo ... wonder if they will have to pay a toll ...

[Turnoar]

2 hours ago, ES2 said:

...cyclists... Since they pay no road tax and get all the benefits perhaps they should keep a low profile.

As I have said earlier in this thread, some canoeists have the same attitude.

Well, I’m a cyclist and I pay road tax as I own cars. Even if I was carless I’d still be happy to pay a licence to use a pushbike on the public roads. In fact I would prefer that as I’d feel a genuine stakeholder in the debates around the creation of cycle lanes in our fine city as well as my local town. I would object to many of them, sleeping kerbslands, flattened wands, 2 way tracks the width of one... disjointed and poorly planned in my experience.

Canoeists don’t have to pay a BA toll if they’ve gone down the canoe union subscription route. Believe the same or similar for stand up paddle boarders. And third party insurance is included so for the duration of the licence you know they are covered.

Why? In answer to your question I think, like the dinghy sailing revolution of the early sixties particularly diy home builds, means of getting on the water at a low price point are presently very attractive and with a lot of folk being laid up for a year any combination with exercise in the mix is an added incentive. I think this venture is simply seizing the moment.

 

[TheQ]

With for the moment these being only hire vehicles insurance etc will be covered by the company. However if they become popular for private owner ship. I'm pretty sure that like many canoeists there will be some that have have neither tax nor insurance. The few canoeists I've spoken to on the river banks knew nothing of Broads tax or navigation regulations.

My other concern is lack of leg power. I'm not on Horning Sailing club rescue boat duties that much, but have rescued two hire canoeists out of the water and another two hire canoes needed towing back to their base, as they couldn't make headway against the wind.

[grendel]

well I never hurry a cyclist, I will always slow down and wait for an appropriate place to pass them, the cars behind me - well some are not so patient.

But this venture, as with paddle boarding and canoeist, the participants deserve to enjoy their variation of being on the water, canoeist and paddle boarders i will slow down and either ghost past in neutral, or on a very low tickover so as to create no wash to upset them, similarly if I encounter these i will do my best to pass without causing them an issue.

last year I had to wait behind an oblivious canoeist sitting right in front of bishops bridge, doing something on his phone and not paying attention, he had headphones on so could not hear me and was quite startled to turn and see me patiently waiting behind him not 6 foot away, after all we are not in  a rush are we, we are on holiday, and the pace of life on the broads is leisurely.

Live and let live is my motto - to each his own.

[vanessan]

On 02/04/2021 at 19:57, BroadAmbition said:

Just one of these going up the Ant will cause chaos when it’s busy. They will be slower than a paddle board 

Griff 

I’m not convinced they’ll get that far. At £25 per hour to hire, it could prove quite expensive to hire for long enough to get to the Ant! I see they currently have 5 cycles and hope to have 15 within a couple of months. 

[ScrumpyCheddar]

I remember seeing one of these at Hippersons yard at Beccles a couple of years ago back... Not my cup of tea lol...

I wonder will they be wearing there Tour de France Lycra outfits or dressing up like it’s a knock out..🤣🤣🤣

 

[Oddfellow]

On 03/04/2021 at 16:39, Mouldy said:

No objection to new businesses, however its not hard to imagine a group of alcohol infused youths, pedalling about five abreast at 0.5 mph along the Bure on a busy summer Saturday causing chaos.  One can only hope that the company hiring these out have some strict criteria that hirers must follow.

Heck, always willing to stick a downer on it, 

It would be highly irresponsible for any operator to place somebody who's inebriated into a vessel of any kind and I would doubt that anyone would do this. Corporate manslaughter is an incredibly serious charge.  It's a different matter if they get pie-eyed having already rented one and that's out of the control of the operator in every instance whether pedal, paddle or petrol powered ( and diesel). 

[MaceSwinger]

This story has been posted on another FB group and it's generating quite a bit of controversy. I'm firmly of the opinion that whilst it's not the absolute worst idea, and as much commercial sense Wroxham makes, there must be a better place for these. There are plenty of less crowded stretches of river. I can see it now on a handover day, with Queen of The Broads coming out of the basin. It's a recipe for carnage in my eyes.

[MrBlueSky]

I,m of the opinion that Thorpe Green would be an ideal location for the water bikes

 

[Oddfellow]

1 hour ago, MaceSwinger said:

This story has been posted on another FB group and it's generating quite a bit of controversy. I'm firmly of the opinion that whilst it's not the absolute worst idea, and as much commercial sense Wroxham makes, there must be a better place for these. There are plenty of less crowded stretches of river. I can see it now on a handover day, with Queen of The Broads coming out of the basin. It's a recipe for carnage in my eyes.

Why does everybody have the opinion that this is a bad idea? How many of you know the operational area of these bikes? How many of you have met the individuals running this?  Mow many of you have been in on the safety discussions with the BA? 

The MUST be a better place than this? Why? I guarantee you that there is NO better place to operate such things. The first rule of business with anything that isn't supplied remotely is LOCATION. And, I worry, actually, that being tucked away so far off the main drag of Wroxham that the location isn't perfect either, but there aren't many option, frankly. 

Carnage? Really? Big yellow floats with people high up wearing survival orange life jackets. How's anybody gonna claim they can't see them? 

Why can't people reserve judgement? 

[annv]

Hippersons at Beccles have been hiring these along with kayaks for several years now with no issues. John

[Smoggy]

I thinks it's a great idea and will probably prove popular during summer, the river is there for everyone to enjoy and anything that helps get the economy moving again has to be good, Thorpe green would also be a good spot but I do wonder how they'd cope with the flow outside of the bridges.

It helps that I have no desire to take my boat near wroxham mind you....

[Oddfellow]

2 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

I thinks it's a great idea and will probably prove popular during summer, the river is there for everyone to enjoy and anything that helps get the economy moving again has to be good, Thorpe green would also be a good spot but I do wonder how they'd cope with the flow outside of the bridges.

It helps that I have no desire to take my boat near wroxham mind you....

Thorpe Green has a number of issues that would not really make this an easy business to operate from there. A key problem is security. However, I happen to know that there are other locations being sought for these natty vessels.  

[MauriceMynah]

I wonder what the draught of these things are, and how much they cost to toll. Wouldn't mind one as a tender.