There was one occasion I was at a pedestrian crossing in central London and it was a green man for pedestrians, so I began to cross the road. As I stepped out onto the road, a cyclist zoomed past and swerved to avoid me. He must have blast through the red light for regular traffic. He looked back at me as if I was the one in the wrong.
Cycle RAGE!!!!!
- Thread starter Tek81
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We could all be nicer to each other.
One time I crossed half a junction in my bike with a way point in the middle at a roundabout. My brain failed to register the car coming and as I crossed the second part of the junction I pulled out in front of it. Totally my fault due a lapse in concentration and I held up my hands in apology.
That's my worst and only major lapse in the last 6 months of cycling to work.
Drivers have accelerated and buzzed me (passing close and fast), one turned into an exit only right in my path on the cycle lane.
This is with my cycle route being 90% cycle path.
Everyone could be more considerate and careful on the roads.
One time I crossed half a junction in my bike with a way point in the middle at a roundabout. My brain failed to register the car coming and as I crossed the second part of the junction I pulled out in front of it. Totally my fault due a lapse in concentration and I held up my hands in apology.
That's my worst and only major lapse in the last 6 months of cycling to work.
Drivers have accelerated and buzzed me (passing close and fast), one turned into an exit only right in my path on the cycle lane.
This is with my cycle route being 90% cycle path.
Everyone could be more considerate and careful on the roads.
Absolutely - especially since driving a larger, slower vehicle I've had no end of drivers tailgating so close I can't even see their numberplate and the drama around right of way is just LOL.
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It's people like you that cause the problem.
If you cant take a couple of seconds to safely overtake a cyclist, then you have the issue.
Any road user should treat any other road user the same as they would want to be.
I am a runner, motorcyclist, cyclist and a driver. You encounter idiots in any of these forms of transport, and generally its mostly car drivers that cause the problems. But that's just because there are more of them rather than any specific vehicle related stereotypes.
Essentially people are the issue. Especially those with impatient, entitled and selfish attitudes like yours.
Man of Honour
For the first 6 months of cycle commuting I was a rage cyclist, anybody who did anything wrong on me I would catch up and give them full verbal barrels.
Also during that first 6 months I've done things in retaliation that I'm not proud of.
Over the last 6 years I've become very passive with the attitude that if I haven't been hurt then there's no problem but I have knocked on windows and asked "Did you know what you just did?" or other similar sentences but not in anger, basically for education.
I've had quite a few close calls and not once has a driver known what they were doing, totally oblivious to left hooking me or getting so close they have brushed my arm etc.
This has bought me to the conclusion that motorists are complete idiots and when I get in the car am I the same?
Also during that first 6 months I've done things in retaliation that I'm not proud of.
Over the last 6 years I've become very passive with the attitude that if I haven't been hurt then there's no problem but I have knocked on windows and asked "Did you know what you just did?" or other similar sentences but not in anger, basically for education.
I've had quite a few close calls and not once has a driver known what they were doing, totally oblivious to left hooking me or getting so close they have brushed my arm etc.
This has bought me to the conclusion that motorists are complete idiots and when I get in the car am I the same?
I live in Surrey. Cyclists at the weekend cause abject misery.
Blokes in groups, 6 abreast on major roads, clad in nothing but cling film and on a bike totally unsuited to the conditions, literally riding along completely oblivious to other road users having a chat with each other with a 30 car tailback behind them.
It is outright terrifying approaching a roundabout to turn right with a group of cyclists hurtling head long toward you in the opposite direction with absolutely no intention what so ever of giving way.
It’s a middle class fad and an utter nuisance. The pack mentality of it all is scary sometimes - groups surrounding cars intimidating the driver who has absolutely no idea where they are going, when one is going to pop out and side swipe the other, dodging pot holes which takes them into the path of passing traffic etc.
It’s all well and good saying everyone needs to respect everyone else blah blah blah but ultimately you don’t see a jet ski hurtling down a canal do you? Nope - primarily because the canal isn’t suited to it - just like most of the roads aren’t suited to mentalists in spandex.
Blokes in groups, 6 abreast on major roads, clad in nothing but cling film and on a bike totally unsuited to the conditions, literally riding along completely oblivious to other road users having a chat with each other with a 30 car tailback behind them.
It is outright terrifying approaching a roundabout to turn right with a group of cyclists hurtling head long toward you in the opposite direction with absolutely no intention what so ever of giving way.
It’s a middle class fad and an utter nuisance. The pack mentality of it all is scary sometimes - groups surrounding cars intimidating the driver who has absolutely no idea where they are going, when one is going to pop out and side swipe the other, dodging pot holes which takes them into the path of passing traffic etc.
It’s all well and good saying everyone needs to respect everyone else blah blah blah but ultimately you don’t see a jet ski hurtling down a canal do you? Nope - primarily because the canal isn’t suited to it - just like most of the roads aren’t suited to mentalists in spandex.
Soldato
Sounds like you have just described quite a few other groups of road users
Peoples attitude towards other people (yes people) is quite frightening to be honest. I’ve said it before, it’s peoples attitudes towards any other road user which is the problem. You get idiots from all types what’s wrong with just trying remain alert and anticipate something unexpected or annoying to you?
Also out of interest why do you imply cars have more of right to be on the road than bikes?
Man of Honour
Sounds like you have just described quite a few other groups of road users
Peoples attitude towards other people (yes people) is quite frightening to be honest. I’ve said it before, it’s peoples attitudes towards any other road user which is the problem. You get idiots from all types what’s wrong with just trying remain alert and anticipate something unexpected or annoying to you?
because he pays imaginary Road Tax and cyclists don't.
I used to live in the middle of Surrey hills, for 4 years, and it's like Mecca for cycling into the UK. Right in the middle of the route used for the Olympics and ride 100 actually.
I can count on one hand the problems I had with cyclists. I cannot begin to count the number of bad car drivers I encountered.
I never once came across a group of cyclists riding more than 3 abreast, and when I did find a three, they dropped back to 2 abreast or even single file and I would pass when it was safe to do so.
Are you not, per chance, slightly exaggerating your experience with roaming mobs of rogue cyclists?
No. I am a very considerate driver and give cyclists a large amount of space as I pass as safely as I can. I'm not the problem but other drivers can be. I was simply stating it as it is, the truth of the matter as such.
When there is a trail of traffic 30 cars long on a main road that people are commuting to or from work on and the hold up is some guy fully togged up treading his way up a hill at 10mph it can get a little frustrating. I think that cycling routes and times could be better planned personally in this particular case
No. Epsom, 11:15am on a Sunday. Sit back and what the mayhem.
Agreed with most of what you say except the distance from the kerb. You should be at least two feet from it. I like 3 if the road is wide enough. It’s a safety feature and means you have an escape route if someone cuts in too close, without ending up against the kerb. And before any non cyclists complain about using up too much road, it’s actually what’s taught if you do a cycle training scheme and would be taught if cyclists had to have a licence.
More detail here for example: https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/road-positioning
Also worth pointing out that if turning across a road (I.e right), you should be on the centre line, not at the kerb. Yes, you get some ****head motorists that think you’re in the wrong but it’s the safest place to be. Don’t end up a statistic, having been crushed between a kerb/wall and a car/bus...
Next on behind the gif: theif gets run over by person whose bike they stole.
I was lucky, growing up in a New Town, where there was a completely separate set of cycle “roads” around the town. Dual lane, road markings, bridges and tunnels when crossing major roads. All designated for cyclists and scooters. Used them a lot and they were super practical, although you invariably got a lot of pedestrians obliviously walking down the middle of them (and not on the dedicated path beside them).
Now I live in a city that also has dedicated cycle lanes. A few years ago the city took away a lane on several roads and turned them into segregated lanes, traffic signals and everything. They have thousands of users every day and you rarely see anyone not cycling on them when in the downtown area. They’re well built and looked after (usually the first things to be cleared after snow for example).
Set up the infrastructure and people will use it instead of the multi use roads. Unfortunately most locations just assume they’re designing cycle paths for kids, not people doing 20+mph.
Soldato
I nearly squashed a moronic cyclist today.
The lycra-loser decided that a red light didn't apply to him. I only just missed him. 13 tons doesn't stop easily. Muppet gesticulated at me as though it was my fault.
The lycra-loser decided that a red light didn't apply to him. I only just missed him. 13 tons doesn't stop easily. Muppet gesticulated at me as though it was my fault.
Happened to my sister many years ago in Manchester. Dick head cyclist ran a red light as she's turning right and bounced onto her windscreen. Luckily she's a doctor and kept the idiot breathing until the ambulance came. But she said the worst thing was everyone (even witnesses) were treating her as the guilty party hitting the poor cyclist, even though she was the one giving him medical attention, until the police reviewed the CCTV there and then and saw the cyclist ran a red. She said their attitudes changed night and day.
They run red lights constantly at the crossroads at the end of my road. Not just on the road, but on the crossings as well. I've seen loads of near misses myself.
We saw one get hit right outside where I used to work years back. Guy went straight through a red, totally oblivious and had headphones in. Got run over by a mini coming out of another exit at quite some pace. He was really messed up and I'd be surprised if he could walk again. The police put him at fault, so he probably ended up having to pay for repairs to the car which crippled him.
We saw one get hit right outside where I used to work years back. Guy went straight through a red, totally oblivious and had headphones in. Got run over by a mini coming out of another exit at quite some pace. He was really messed up and I'd be surprised if he could walk again. The police put him at fault, so he probably ended up having to pay for repairs to the car which crippled him.
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