Got nothing against then in princible,
But, why do people ride horses on MAIN ROADS! have they got a death wish? I know 'the horse was here before the car' but come on.
Also, cyclists on dual carriage ways.
The express way in runcorn by ICI, near me, is statisticaly one of the most dangeroud roads in britain for deaths of cyclists, yet they still insist on riding up it, especialy across the slip roads. ie, between the slip road and the carrigeway in heavey traffic. Cant see them until the last minute.
I get realy angry, because of their own stupidity, they get knocked off. But could you ever forgive your self if it was you that hit them, through no fault of your own?
Shouldnt be there in the first place.

Should be a law against it.

Can see your point mate, But the horses i see on the road, only use little roads "around epping forest" to skip from feild to feild.

but some cyclists yes, very dangerous worst i have seen "very nearly never saw him" was on the a10 near harlow, pitchblack no lights on his bike, on a road where cars do 60 -80 mph ?, only reason i saw him was becase he was wearing a reflective postmens jacket lol.

worse are the packs of club cyclists who block the whole road......... and then get annoyed when you try to get past. Or cyclists who weave their way to the head of a traffic Q and position themselves directly in front of you so its not possible to do anything more than 10MPH

There's a dual carriageway in Nottingham that has a cycle lane either side of it, and still cyclists use the bloomin road. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Never at all made a point of stopping right next to the kerb in traffic queues so they couldn't squeeze down the inside :D

a cyclists response.

have been a club cyclists for many many years.

we are LEGALLY entitled to use most roads in the country

AFAIK there isn't a bike on the market that lets you fly so how can we get from one edge of a slip road to the other without making motorists turn their heads slightly to see us. driving with undue care and attention springs to mind.
(as for the express way by ICI i would never ride on their anyway - too many dangerous motorists.)

club cyclists tend to ride two a breast as a safety measure. motorist will try regardless to pass a single line of traffic regardless of there being enough room. most cyclists i know will go single file and let traffic past.

swrtw - have you ever been on a cycle lane. usually full of broken glass and debris thrown out of the window by passing motorists. the gutters are only slightly better.

ps i cant believe ive been arsed to reply.

happy motoring / cycling everyone

cyclists riding 2 abreast as safety...rubbish! i always give cyclists room but when i see a club and they are riding 2 and 3 abreast with no consideration to motorists then bollox to the room...i am not slowing down for you prats...you don't even ride single file down country roads so inconveniencing motorists who actually have to pay for the pleasure of riding on the roads...fair enough if they move over and then go back to 2 abreast when traffic passes so they can carry on the conversation but as for blocking half the road they can go bollox!

Why the "us and them" thread again? I do both (drive and cycle) and I come across good and bad examples of both! The number of times (while on bike) a car has overtaken me only to turn immediate left in front of me causing me to brake heavily I hate to imagine.

And what about those cyclist that you pass only to have them come down the inside of you when you stop at lights so you have to pass them again, until the next set of lights!

I must admit that cycling on the road is much harder, lots more obsticals to avoid, you feel very vanerable, everyone else is so impaitent! This is why I only ride off road, but now there are walkers/ramblers to contend with (another "us and them" thread I think!)

The two abreast thing really get on my tits[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

I really have no problem with cyclist using the roads, I really haven't....I used to do a bit myself but to block a road off as a "saftey measure", c'mon you're having a giraffe aren't you?!! The roads aren't a social event, they're not there for you to have a chat with your mates on, go in single file, get to where you're going, then have a chat[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

It's totally unfair to have a que of a billion cars behind that can't get past for fear of either hitting you or an oncoming car as you weave about all over the place.

Bob, persisting with the holding your hand on the horn till you're past the whole bunch method[img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

what about those club cylists who ride in packs 4 or even 5 abreast who look at you as if THEY own the road....very rarely do I see them single file or even 2 abreast- if they are then no problem. Still that doesnt answer the problem of Mr Spandex on his racing bike who pulls up in front of you at the lights and then proceeds to wobble off at low speed in front of you blocking the way. Remember this cyclists one day you will p1ss off the wrong guy and get knocked off your bike- then who will be the one in pain- not the car user! I ride a cycle myself and used to take part in hill climbs so its not an "us and them" thread- its the incosiderate jerks who think they own the road who cause the problems. Mutual respect means no problems.

Bleedin' 'ell people chill out :D

Is this such a major thing worth really stressing about?

FWIW I am a cyclist and motorist, and as mentioned above, I have seen good and bad from both parties.

As long as you get to your destination in time, what does it matter? I really do think people stress too much about simple things :rolleyes::)


[Edited by Hanslow - 3/25/2003 9:36:11 AM]

Where I live there is a stable on top of my road.

It still gets to me, when I'm trying to drive home down the little country lanes. I meet up with 2 horses, taking up *all* the road, but helpfully, they swap to a 1 abreast formation, offering be about 3 foot of road to overtake, and then complain when I take ages trying to find a suitable place!

Crowt123

I'm afraid its attitudes like yours and I'm sorry to say, Bob's that are the reason cyclists ride two abreast, or sometimes three.

Read the highway code - you are supposed to give cyclists room, not squeeze past within the lane.

So if it is not clear to overtake by crossing into the oncoming traffic lane (on a single carriageway road, for example) you shouldn't be passing anyway and therefore it should make no difference whether cyclists in single file or two abreast.

They do it because its safer.

And don't go bleating on about road tax and the rest, until the law is ever changed cyclsist have as much right to be there as you.

Get over it

D

I have my view on the horses/cyclists subject but this was done to death last year on Scoobynet. Do a search and see what was said then.

Dave

I started getting riders riding about in the morning outside of my house, at about 6:30 every day.

I soon put paid to that though - one glimpse of me, starkers, walking out of the bathroom brushing my teeth scared them off, and I've never seen them that early again ;)

best thing to do here is notify the offending horse riders and cyclists with a quick bib on the horn.

this is best acheived about 2mm form their 4rse
with at least 110db of sounds (twin air horns being ideal here)
and the duration should last about 30 seconds.

this should ensure the horses jump over the nearest fence,
the cyclist stacks into the kerb, thus rendering your journey unimpeded.

i am both a cylist and a driver, but i cycle "off-road"
and drive "on-road"

feel free to comment.

BB:)

Diablo, if they rode in single file there wouldn't be a problem... I've cycled many miles myself and felt much more vulnerable when 2 abreast, that's why I didn't make a habit of doing it! I always give cylclists as much room as poss, obviously I don't want to knock anyone off... I don't want to scratch mi car anymore than it already is!:D

A bit of consideration from them is all I ask for:)

For the record, I finished up on a 309's 1/4 panel after he cut me up whilst on my bike so you won't find me cutting folk up.

I guess it all boils down to my general feeling on roads, folk using roads, be it in cars, on bikes/horses/foot need more education and to be aware of other road users.

Dicky Ticker

Do you where tight lycra shorts and anti-radiation crash helmet?

Don't get me started..... I'm still trying to resolve an accident where a horse damaged my car, insurance have given up claiming the rider isn't negligent !!!!
Therefore be warned, if a horse kicks YOUR car, it's YOUR fault !!!
Small claims here I come.

D

there are some fit chicks round my way riding horses, I love it, watching them trot up and down on the saddle in their tight fitting jodpurs, arse up and down, fecking marvelous

I follow for as long as possible perving

Mrs Mooseracer has a horse, whereever possible she rides away from main roads, is always wearing reflective gear, always thanks the drivers that show some consderation when passing her (sadly probably only about 50% of them :( )

What I find really, really annoying is this: I live on the outskirts of Bristol, in a rural area, with mile after mile of quiet country roads - so why do some horseriders feel the need to ride along madly busy A roads during the evening rushhour?

As for the ignorant riders out there who don't acknowledge drivers who have slowed down for you - and passed wide and slow - well I'm sorry but you have no right to complain. It's common courtesy to give the driver a wave of thanks and will only encourage them to do the same the next time they come across a horse.

I cycle a lot, and it's interesting to read this thread. I ride 99% of the time on my own, so I don't really get into situations where I might be riding two abreast. I think the important thing for all road users to do, whether on a bike, in car or whatever is to go about what they're doing with no anger, and with a bit more patience. That is what I see most of on the roads.

I admit that sometimes I do intentionally hold car and lorry drivers up, but it's only for self preservation, and I always do it safely and signal my intentions. I will move to the middle of my half of the road when approaching narrow sections of road because people still try to pass me, and also where there are pedestrian islands in the middle of the road. It just stops me from being pushed to the side of the road, or worse, knocked off.

I try to 'let things go' as much as possible, and be aware of my own surroundings. People always cut me up in traffic, and they do the old trick of overtaking then turning left in front of me. But you just have to set yourself up to know in advance when people are going to do this. As soon as you get angry, that's when all reason goes out the window and accidents happen that you will regret for a lot longer than being held up for a few seconds.

On the horse front, I had an exciting moment on my motor bike a couple of years ago when I went round a corner straight into a pile of sh1te in the middle of the road.
As you can imagine the bike went all over the place. Thankfully I was not hurt. What I want to know is are horse owners not responsible for cleaning up after their beasts? I mean if I had spilt some manure out the back of a van all over the road and caused an accindent wouldn't I be responcilble?

follow through

i am glad you mentioned a liking for a well fitted pair of jodpurs as i thought you wanted to see me in my lycra shorts.

LOL@ Follow Through. This thread is heading for a padlock, or deletion, methinks.
My prob is slowing for horses: I've got full decat, so when I pull away again, even gently, I can produce a large bang!
What do I do???
Spongebob

Oh dear , what have I started, its war!!:D

You'd like this, here in Ohio we have a lot of Amish who ride in horse-drawn buggies and wagons. Some of them are so strictly religous that they feel having any reflectors would be vain and worldly, so you have to keep a sharp eye out for those black buggies!

BTW a horse's natrual pace is in second gear.

On the gravel roads that are so much fun in the Outback, I watch for the little narrow tracks left by the steel-rimmed wagon wheels; those tell me I am catching up to a wagon. Also, the manure piles are indicators - if they haven't been run over yet, the horse is not far ahead.

(I had a link to a picture of an Amish buggy on the road here, but that seems to have overloaded that site so I pulled it out.)



[Edited by The_Lizard - 3/25/2003 2:11:40 PM]

The thing is, the girls in tight jodphurs like the guys in tight lycra shorts. Well, that is judging by the smiles I give and receive to the horseriders :)

diablo

and when i did my cycling proficiency they said never ride 2 abreast so stop being a prat! CYCLISTS SHOULD NOT RIDE 2 ABREAST AT ANY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It shouldn't matter if cyclists are riding two abreast or not - you should give as much room when overtaking as you would a car. So you should be right across the dotted white line, so as to not squeeze said cyclist(s) into the kerb. I'm both a cyclist and a driver, and when cycling I always keep a good 3 feet away from the kerb to avoid being squeezed in. It's good cycling technique to move in front of the car at the head of the queue at traffic lights. Invariably the cyclist arrives at the queue after the head car and can make his/her way to the front. If the cyclist stops alongside the head car, the chances are that the driver will not notice the cyclist and be at risk of turning left across the cyclist or running them into the kerb.
Any car driver cutting me up - especially trying to run me into parked cars - is likely to have a boot through the door.

On the subject of cyclists I saw an interesting confrontation in Manchester a couple of years back.

A line of traffic including myself had to carefuly squeeze past a cyclist who appeared to be content to cyle in the middle of our lane. When we all stopped at a set of lights I was the second car in line and sure enough the cyclist squeezed back past us all on the inside. He then stopped adjacent to the BMW in front of me and put his hand on the roof of the car to steady himself so he didn't have to take his feet off the pedals.

The occupants of the BMW didn't like this and the passenger wound down his window and told him so. The cyclist refused to remove his hand so the BMW washed his windows soaking the cyclist in the process. The cyclist then moved to the front of the BMW and hopped off his bike propping it up aganst the front of the car. He then came to the drivers side and took a well aimed kick at the drivers door.

At this point the BMW driver swiftly opened his door onto the cyclist dropping him to the floor. He leapt out and pushed his bike off the front of his car jumped back in his car and as the lights were now green promptly set off driving over the cylist's bike in the process.

The cyclist came up to me (I hadn't set off as I didn't want to drive over the now wrecked bike) and asked me to be a witness - I told him to go and do something with sex and travel.

It's one of the few times that I have wholeheartedly agreed with a BMW driver's actions. As far as I am concerned the parasite got what he deserved - I hope it taught him a lesson.

Regards,

tiggers