Cycle RAGE!!!!!

[Tek81]

Ugh, this is a first for me. I was coming home from work earlier today, when some lycra clad tit on a bike decided to kick my wing mirror clean off and hurl a load of abuse at me. And, I have no idea why. I had to give way at a round-about and he pulled up along side me and hurled a load of abuse, before deciding to damage my car. I was absolutely furious, so jumped out of the car with every intention of giving him a thrashing and he sped off. I've reported it to the police because it's all on cam, but damn. Any one else had something similar happen? I'm still livid. /rant

 

[Tek81]

Echoing this. He’ll take the same route home everyday. (Or if he’s got any sense he’ll avoid it for a week or so) Confront him about the damage if you see him again.

What an absolute idiot.

We have a couple of cycle clubs around here, so I'm assuming he's local; the route he was following is generally one only people familiar with the area would choose. The thing that got me most, wing mirror aside, was that it could have been anyone in the car - an old couple, woman with a baby etc. I found it a bit nerve wracking, but it could have been terrifying for someone else.

 

[Tek81]

Now now calm down, I know we motorists own the road and for some silly reason have to share it with a cyclist...

But why don't you go back through your dashcam and see if you did anything to upset said cyclist? Maybe you just didn't realize or notice yet could've put him in massive danger. The anger I'd have after nearly getting killed on London roads daily from drivers not paying attention or driving like Muppets on purpose was ridiculous. I can see why some people would get angry. Not blaming either side but something must've caused the reaction, was it justified or not is only for you tell.

I've done it. And the police are reviewing the footage from the security cams at the roundabout as well. The guys reaction was crazy. Even if* I'd done something "wrong", it didn't warrant his reaction.

 

[Tek81]

You most likely nearly killed him and didnt realise.
It's amazing how often car drivers have no idea they nearly wiped someone out.
Same applies to cyclists, runners, pedestrians, motorcyclists.
Clearly he was having a bad day and lost it. But ask yourself. Is someone likely to behave like that if they were not absolutely raging? I suspect he had a reason, and you are oblivious to it.
His reaction is not justified, but I bet it was caused by something...

I know what you're saying, but I couldn't have possible nearly killed him. I was driving through a small village with a 20mph speed limit on a straight road. I was just following a road I've driven down thousands of times when this happened. I'm sure it was caused by something, but just as the kids at the special school I used to work in would go crazy at the slightest thing, this guy was probably on the same level.

 

[Tek81]

I couldn't have possibly nearly wiped him out. I was on a straight, 20mph village road. I saw him speed up behind me, screaming like a maniac and then come along side me when I stopped to give way at a mini roundabout. Anyway, the police are ringing me later today to take more details. The guy was totally unhinged.

 

[Tek81]

you have not confirmed yet .. that was the first time you saw him , and had not previously overtaken him ?




you don't have a dashcam yourself then, to submit such footage, to the police ?
(... are there stats that show if there are genuinely many prosecutions/accidents for which dash-cam footage is facilitative )

Nope, at no point did I overtake him. Of that, I'm 100% certain. The first time I saw him was when I heard him screaming abuse at me and saw him behind the car.

 

[Tek81]

Come on, show us the video, you know you want to.

3 days worth of lead up should be enough to judge if you annoyed him first.

That'll be determined this afternoon when the police let me know what the security cam footage shows. I can't post anything from my own cam, because they want the card from it.

 

[Tek81]

I find that very difficult to believe.

Believe what you will. It's all on camera.

 

[Tek81]

Just to add to this, I'm a cyclist myself and have been for going on 20 years. I've had my fair share of close calls, but at no point ever have I been so enraged that I'd attack a persons vehicle. I'll post up an image of the road I was on once I get back from talking to the police.

 

[Tek81]

You’re plowing someone’s missus, aren’t you?

Yes, but the guy on the bike wasn't her husband

 

[Tek81]

Just finished talking to the police. He was entirely in the wrong. Will update later.

 

[Tek81]

Perhaps roads are getting too busy to share with selfish private car drivers making unnecessary car journeys and taking driving two abreast (generally single person car journeys, no passengers). I ride a lot in London where it will be common to overtake hundreds of cars in minutes... now who is slowing down the roads - the cyclists or the car drivers?
How many parents drive their kids less than 1 mile to school in a huge 4x4? Far too many. It's ridiculous.


Cycle lanes almost definitely not fit for purpose. Most are shared use and have driveways / junctions every 5 seconds. Chances are drivers coming out of driveways and junctions will not look so you end up having to cycle along at 10mph just in case. Also there's further challenges - avoiding the pedestrians, dogs not on leads, on retractable leads, glass, debris, and then... BAM the cycle lane just suddenly finishes after 20 yards but the council don't care. They've ticked the "Cycle provision" box!
Check the cycle lanes in Central London. Segregated from traffic, check how many cyclists use those. Thousands a day, because they're good.


I'm curious. How did you define yourself as a cyclist? How often do you cycle?


Some of them aren't fit for cars let alone bicycles.


This is advisable, because idiotic drivers will come along and give you zero room. Then you at least have a bit of breathing room to move left. Why should it matter even if you're in the centre of the road? Drivers are supposed to give at least 1.5m of space.

Thin country roads with a wide cycle path? Hmm.

Where are the mountains in London? Do you also drive a huge SUV round London?

I use my bike more than my car and cycle every day.

 

[Tek81]

This was 30 seconds prior to the incident in the OP



Source: Burnsy23**

If only my car would go that fast.

 

[Tek81]

... eventually need a picture, or further elaboration, on the damage to mirror ...
kicking a mirror = vandalism, most folks would need to dismount, but , cycling past and brushing with hand, to cause it to flip, as a sign of annoyance ?
that mechanism can become stiff if not lubed, so, if you exchange mirrors with another car, you end up with broken glass/mechanism.

He booted it off. It's on cam. I can't post the footage though because things are "pending", which probably means nothings going to happen. Still, I've been advised not to. Regardless though, the guy was a tit and I hope I see him again.

 

[Tek81]

Show us the vid!

I can't, as already said.

 

[Tek81]

Hey guys, 'member when the OP had a video?

Hey guys, remember when I said I've been advised not to post it? There's plenty of videos of cyclists acting like maniacs already online, I'm not going to add to them.

 

[Tek81]

I remember when Op said he did nothing wrong whatsoever and had never even seen the cyclist before

Ha, you guys are a laugh. The police have identified and contacted the cyclist. He was a member of the local bike club. Not his first time either. Just have to see where it goes from there.

 

[Tek81]

So he was wearing club kit at the time?

He must have been, but I didn't recognise it as such until I'd been given additional info. The club has been very forthcoming though, which is great.

 

[Tek81]

I'd forgot about this, but a brief update. It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Explains why he looked so shocked after he saw who was driving. Anyway, all resolved now. We'll, I say that, but the guy with the same car as me is still diving around like a maniac, as I passed him the other day.

 

[Tek81]

I ended up ordering the parts and fixing it myself, because I use the car on a regular basis. He has since paid for the repair.