banny sti

iTrader: (68)

Yes, nothing more needs to be said....

corradoboy

Indeed I do, but the proportion of very bad car driving and extreme rule breaking I see is much lower considering the amount of drivers and the amount of regular cyclists. How often do you see car drivers deliberately going the wrong way down a 1-way street ? How many cars run a VERY late red light, or completely disregard that it is red at all ? How many car drivers mount the pavement, regardless of pedestrians in the vicinity to avoid a hold-up ? How many car drivers deliberately hold up others to antagonise and make some kind of point ? How many car drivers have no insurance cover in the event of an accident ? How many cars on the road have NEVER been checked for roadworthyness ?

To say car drivers are accused of not noticing cyclists and not giving them enough consideration, there seems to be plenty of people whom have noticed the awful behaviour and attitudes of them

davyboy

Who is "we"?

I pay VED, I pay income tax...don't I pay for them too?

I could suggest I pay for fat people to get gastic bands, but it doesn't make me angry.

Lee247

I have no problem with them, at all. They have every right, the same as all road users, to be there.
Difference is, I have the protection of a pile of metal, so give them and other road users, ie horse riders, motorbikes, etc loads of space as I think I have a better chance of survival in a collision than they have.
We all have the right to what ever mode of transport suits us, to a bit of respect

Mus

iTrader: (2)

people on bikes are annoying but people in roller skates on the road I really want to run over they are so annoying skating at 10mph in a 30mph zone

corradoboy

But respect must be earned, and so often cyclists attract disrespect, hence peoples attitude towards them.

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

I could suggest they may well pay for that themselves through all the extra tax paid due to over-eating for x amount of years.

In all seriousness, I think the real issue is lack of respect/consideration of some people out there and imo that goes across the board, not just restricted to cyclists.

I am neither a cyclist or driver, but I see selfish behaviour from both when 'getting about' and I'd like to think I'm not biased one way or another. I personally feel, it's down to the person, not necessarily what mode of transport they are using.

If everyone wasn't so hellbent on either causing conflict or unwilling to show a bit of respect, there wouldn't be half the problems that there are. Perhaps if everyone didn't put themselves at the centre of the universe, everyone would get about alot more happily/safely and even quickly enough.

Tbh, the way people behave on the roads at times is just an extension of the way some people are generally in life nowadays. It's a shame there isn't some way of enforcing manners/courtesy/consideration.

Lee247

Sorry, I disagree. I get more crap on the roads than most cyclists. Blonde Hair, WR1, got to get on the **** of the car at any costs, then get past, no matter what. It pisses me off, big style.
The cycle path, coast to coast, is literally 100 yards from my house, and I have never had one problem. They move over, stop, and always wave a thank you as I slow down for them.
I have more respect for the cyclist than a car driver, any day

Clarebabes

That's a smoker talking if ever I've heard one....

Lee' s got it right as usual, cyclists aren't protected as much as a car, so needs space in case a car comes passed so fast and close that you knock them off. I was riding in the gutter once, you know, where cars want you to be and nearly got sucked under a bus! Frightened me a bit, so moved out further into the carriageway so they would give me more room.

The other day Dave and I came to a roundabout and as we were coming round, a guy wasn't going to stop. We did luckily, but he could have hit us. We weren't asking for it, just out on a ride!

Clarebabes

In fact, I am disgusted at the attitudes of some people on here. You think another human being is " fair game" because they're dressed in lycra and keeping fit. Disgusting attitude.

I know I'll get yeah buts, but think about it, yeah.

tony de wonderful

The UK has always been intolerant of cycling enthusiasts, people either mocking their clothing or giving them no room on the road etc.

It's in contrast to say in Europe etc where cycling is much more tolerated.

Lagamorph

iTrader: (12)

I pay road tax for 2 cars and have a number of 44t trucks which I pay £1200 VED EACH for not to mention almost £400 (which inc duty) per day on fuel for each vehicle! so you could say I contribute to the roads and this economy alot more than you ever would. They are a damn menace and have no place on or in a modern busy road. Whos insurance is affected when one of these idiots causes an accident? all motorists pay the price for these 2 wheeled tree hugging do-gooders. They should all be made to have insurance and relevant training to use the road network.

Lagamorph

iTrader: (12)

UK roads are a lot busier than our european counter parts with the exception of places like paris where everyone is intolerent of everybody on the road.

Gigsy

Cyclists don't belong on roads, they belong on cycle lanes. Unfortunately, we don't have enough cycle lanes so we're forced to share the road with each other.

In fairness, most cyclists are fine, but some really are nerdy little geeks that seem to enjoy pissing people off and then claiming to be the innocent victim. And those lycra outfits? Seriously?

Perhaps instead of campaigning for road safety, and moaning when drivers get upset with them when they ride in an inconsiderate fashion, they should be campaigning for more cycle lanes instead.

I cycle a fair bit myself off road but I have absolutely no desire to do it on the road (or in lycra) - I have a car for that which has air-conditioning to keep me cool in the summer, a heater and nice dry cabin to keep me warm and toasty in the winter, and an engine so that I don't have to arrive at my destination smelly and dripping in sweat.

Clarebabes

I have both mtb and road bike, plus a car.

DYK

I think really our road planners/roads have not designed or thought out properly for bus,cycle lanes.Some council workers come and lay down some coloured tarmac,put up a sign saying no cars between 7.00am-9.30am,4.00pm-7.00pm or something to those times,and designate it a bus+cycle lane.Now vehicles are usually restricted to the right hand lane during the busier times when you need to free up road space to help the traffic move along..When i worked in the city,i actually found using the Canal network a great way for getting about on my bike.I could of cycled the 15 mile into the city using the roads,but instead i would come off the road when i reached the canal and cycle the rest of the way 12 mile or so into the city,it was a great way to get about,and most towns/cities have canal networks...

dunx

iTrader: (3)

But if "our" roads are to be used for cars, you car drivers have to pay for that privilege due to the inconvenience you cause to "us"...

I have hit one other car since passing my driving test, he pulled out of a side street and I couldn't stop ( it was wet ! ), and he was stupid...

I have been hit by car drivers three times on a bike, once a pensioner doing 50 mph whacked me with his door mirror. Once I was crushed into a barrier not unlike the guy in the other thread, costing some ****** a £1000 for my new bike. And the third time some "kid" in mummy's Micra chopped lanes and I caved the passenger door in, he and his mate sat laughing at me, so I kicked the rear quarter in to match... and cycled off laughing.

LoL

dunx

P.S. C.B. as you enjoy driving, I enjoy cycling, but I follow the rules regarding red lights etc., just as you've never even thought of exceeding the speed limit

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

So, what about those learner drivers eh, bloody menace, clogging up the roads, getting in the way.....

As for cyclists weaving all over the road, generally the ones I see keep a straight trajectory, that is cyclists, people who do it regularly as opposed to kids on bikes or drunk people on the way home from the pub because you cant get banned for being p1ssed on a bike. If I "weave" it is usually in response to a hazard, for example the grids that have been stolen, potholes, bits of trees, dead badgers, bits of car or other debris, pretty much the same as I would in a car and the same reasoning applies, if you are behind and want to overtake the onus is on you to give adequate room not the person in the car or on the bike you are overtaking, cyclists don't weave for fun as most of us know that is a bad idea as some car drivers don't leave a lot of room and weaving for fun would involve being hit so it is only generally done as a last resort, in fact sometimes I hit potholes as I cannot be sure the car behind me is far enough away to allow me to move, it can damage the bike and can hurt but to avoid a collision or annoying a motorist, sometimes its easier to get out of the saddle and hit the pothole, some are too big to hit, wonder why they are there though, I doubt its bikes that cause them.......

Some car drivers don't like you pulling out for parked cars, what are you meant to do, stop behind it, launch yourself over the roof ? that's not weaving its avoiding a car, parked in the roadway, the problem is not the cyclist !

Eco-nutter, car hating, sandal wearing, Guardian reader, er, no, not here, I cycle as I like it, I save petrol and can avoid a diesel car, I can run, even now whatever I want MPG wise as I do little mileage, most of the Cyclists I know have fairly smart cars, we arent in London !

Cycle paths, I use them if suitable, used the one through the airport tunnels at Manchester Last Night as to be honest, its death on a stick through there, all Range Rover flat out and errant United Players wrecking Ferraris, I then used the side roads and bridle paths to avoid "Getting in the way", see all cyclists you dont see, some minimise their exposure to traffic wwhere possible by using routes that are no use when in a car.

"Cyclists", they arent a sub species or any different to you, just someone who chooses to occasionally use an alternative transport method or as a leisure activity, most use cars as well, everyone is an individual who is responsible for their own actions, though tempting it is pointless to punish one person for an interaction with another, and punishing someone on a bike with your car is a fairly good route to ending up on a bike yourself.

I know its nice to have a focus for your ire, one that is an easy target, but really most issues you have on the road are not with cyclists and more generally in life, you cant blame spending 8 hours a day, five or six days a week in a car being driven by learners on cyclists.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

and then we get the complaints about cyclists illegally using the pavement... damned if you do, damned if you don't

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Honestly - it's this kind of ignorance that scares me the most. No matter how often you try to tell people, the message simply doesn't get through.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

A cyclist is often a car driver without their two tons of armour on...

dunx

Gigsy

Quite... what's needed is proper cycle paths as they having in Sweden and other countries. Then there'd be simply no need for cyclists to use the roads.

Nutzz

I don't have a problem with cyclist and actually know some, there a few numptys out there but you could say that about any car or motorcyclist too.

I used to drive into London everyday and then I started ride (motorbike), if I feel uncomfortable and think someone else is a hazard around me I don't hang around them. I actually used to enjoy my commute into London through the rush hour traffic as it requires quite a high level of observation and awareness due to the amounts of hazards.

My personal record was 34 min, from Biggin Hill to Waterloo Bridge on a Gilera Runner 180, for some reason I was always slower on the sports bike, the car used to take me about 1 Hour 20 minute on average?

Now I do 70 into London everyday (but not on the public roads LOL)

The point I am trying to make is treat others how you want to be treated, if you think all cyclist are A holes, they probably think all Impreza drivers are the same. We all know there are some A hole Impreza drivers juts like there are some A hole cyclist.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, just paid £185 for the wife's car last month, renewal for mine is £245, the FIat 500 is exempt. I pay tax on 50 plus grand a year, Vat on everything, Council tax of £210.

Quite happy to pay "Road Tax" on my bike, based on the car rules, oh, look it produces 0 grammes of c02 per km so is exempt.

Does it cause potholes, er no.

Can I use motorways, no

Are some roads too dangerous to use, pretty much

Do bikes need 20ft wide roads, no

Would I be allowed to use more than the leftmost 2ft of the road even if I paid £450 a year, no

If people who cannot afford to use a car cant use a bike, what are they meant to do ?

Do you really want to displace say all the cyclists in London back into cars, wonder what would happen.

Do you really not get the joy of doing 30 miles on a bike and not handing the government 4 or 5 quid ?

Do you moan about fuel prices, then drive 2 miles, pay to park and then drive back ?

Do you not realise that you may have to change your habits as the £2 litre approaches, or are you going to do a King Canute, waiting in vain for the prices to drop ?

Are you going to sell your car for a tiny diesel to save fuel, getting pennies for your Scoob and paying 15 grand for the motoring equivalent of gruel ?

Do you really enjoy sitting in traffic ?

Are you actually scared of riding a bike ?

Nutzz

Well said mate!!!!!!

Coming from a non-cyclist

If I did not have 2 massive hills to my 7 mile journey to work I would love to cycle to work, but seeing as I do I have to resort to my 180cc moped, £10 sees 100 miles, £33 a year to tax and about £100 a year to insure. I thought about losing the moped and using the big bike or the scooby but the ped is so dam cheap to run.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Nutzz, I say go for it, I am 40 years old, overweight and pretty lazy but I do like the bike, I do 7 miles either way and its dead easy, I amazed myself in the Lakes last year by climbing some huge hills and getting to do 47 mph on the way down the other side was fun (if terrifying).

Its amazing what you can climb, just select a low gear and spin, but not flat out as you will pass out just back off a bit, it will feel slow and tedious but you will get up, next time you will be a bit better, think of the workout, the feeling of achievement, think we have all got to used to things being too easy fr us, using the bike makes you appreciate how easy driving a car is.

My route doesn't have many hills so I take different one with hills in, its weird how you avoid hills and then do one and hate it, but something makes you want to go back, its a strange compulsion but though unpleasant at the time it provides a buzz, like all the best things in life, you need to put in to take out and now, hills that seemed daunting make me wonder what I was fussing about, honest, go for it, might take a few goes but you will see what I mean,

davyboy

How big are these hills?

...sounds like a challenge!

Wizzbang

I drive (car and van), ride a motorbike, mtb and a road bike, so that just about covers me for witnessing this argument from both sides of the fence.

I have started to commute to work (only 10 mile round trip) and have to ride on some heavy traffic routes. The range of attitudes and abilities of motor vehicle users are astonishing, some are very good and give plenty of room and choose their overtakes carefully (large stretches of double white line carrigeways), but for every 1 that is considerate there are 7-8 that just try to squeeze you out and get past asap (will someone also explain that double whites CAN be crossed while overtaking slow moving traffic).


When I drive I fall into the considerate driver catagory towards cyclists, BUT, just as not all drivers are 'good' drivers, not all cyclists are 'good' either. There are bad eggs in both cases.


As I was riding home yesterday, there is a small section of road (very built up area approaching a shopping area) with multiple islands to aid pedestrian crossing, and to add general road safety. I was riding along this section with my mate in single file, a couple of cars overtake in between some of the islands and as they have misjudged our speed (20mph+) they end up having to cut up my mate in front as they need to get back into the lane before the next island. So I move over so that Im riding more towards the centre of the lane. I chose to do this for safety, and what happens ? some **** in a small van decides that wants to overtake, gets halfway out of his lane when a bus comes round the corner and he has to swerve back nearly hitting me. He then sits behind blaring his horn.

Its drivers like that which really make me irate, but a simple finger gesture in his direction makes me feel so much better. Had he got any closer he would have lost a wing mirror, or had a dent in the door.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Are Clarebabes and daveyboy related by anychance ?? they both seem to be as argumentative as each other and back each other up in most SN arguments, for example both cyclist threads and the nationality thread just this week.

Clarebabes

J4CKO, as usual, and Wizzbang, spot on

Dave and I just did our usual 17 miler and I didn't cause any accidents, anyone to swerve unnecessarily or witness much in the way of bad behaviour except one driver in a clapped out, loud Mitzi FTO who squeezed me because he/she couldn't wait 10 seconds to get passed me. (Nice to see a "revert to type" there though....)

Actually, we will be making a little vid later which we will post so you can see how dangerous we were