Do cyclists have a date with death?

Facts please: at the risk of confusing everyone, car/lorry/etc. drivers don't pay road tax (look it up if you want) and require a license to use the roads. Cyclists, pedestrians and horses have a right to use the roads.
 
Firegod said:
That's road tax for the car. Just like if I owned a bike and a car, both need tax. I can't say "oh but I own a car so I don't need to tax my motorbike". Same should be if you cycle on the road.
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Last time I looked a pedal cycle didn't emit any CO2 ;)
 
Bikes cause **** all wear and tear to the roads in general but yes traffic lights and road paint all cost money I guess. Isn't my fault I'm not forced to tax my bike, would be too much ball ache for the government to bring in and enforce. Number plates on bikes and all that jazz.

I know of someone who was swung for(a mate of kieranv on here) and I've been in about 4 full on arguments with pedestrians over it. Rolling along a footpath on my downhill bike with a really loud freehub they don't hear me coming then go off their heads when I scare them. I would never cycle my commuter on the pavement at the speed I do on the road,hitting a person at that speed is gonna hurt them and me lots!

The cycling on the pavement thing isn't clear cut.

A 'footway', commonly referred to as a pavement, normally runs adjacent to the road
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A Footway means a way comprised in a highway, which also comprises a carriageway, being a way over which the public has a right of way on foot only [Section 329(1) Highways Act 1980]
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I doubt a copper would pull you for cycling along on a pavement next to a road if it wasn't busy. I've never had ANY problem with the please regarding that. Only issue I've had was launching of a stairgap in town...
 
Boy at my old job had a cyclist come out of no where crashing right into the side of him, resulting in him flipping right over the top of the car.

Only to brush himself off and start having a go, with him standing there wondering how it can be his fault with a massive dent in the side of his car!

Not had any problems with cyclists myself though, always try to give them as much room as possible as used to cycle a bit myself.
 
MrMoss said:
Facts please: at the risk of confusing everyone, car/lorry/etc. drivers don't pay road tax (look it up if you want) and require a license to use the roads. Cyclists, pedestrians and horses have a right to use the roads.
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What do you mean drivers don't pay road tax? Should I call it car\vehicle tax will that be OK then? Either way, cyclists don't have this.
 
I'm a cyclist, a motorcyclist and a car driver so I can see all sides of the argument.

So, from my perspective, I'd love to be allowed to cycle on the pavement so I could avoid having my elbow smashed by moronic car drivers' mirrors (has happened to me several times) as they try to pass me while traffic is coming the other way. Would it really hurt to wait a few seconds to pass?

Many car drivers seem to think that it is their god given right to use the road and that I am satan incarnate for hindering their progress.

My attitude:

Suck it up. I have as much right to be on the road with my bicycle as you do in your car.
 
Why should a cyclist not be allowed on the road, I pay road tax too :confused:

I cycle to work and back everyday these days, there are generally quite a few cyclist on my route, most cars will give me a wide birth when overtaking, making sure that it is clear for them to go on the opposite side of the road. I have had a few stupid people overtaking on blind corners, overtaking really close and even on one occasion someone blasting there horn because I moved out into the road to right turn at a mini roundabout :rolleyes:

So what if a cyclist holds you up for 10-15 seconds whilst you wait to pass, is 10 seconds really that important :confused:
 
ALL CYCLISTS ARE TERRIBLE, NO REGARD FOR OWN SAFETY..
Car drivers are all saints though.

There are bad cyclists and drivers. Go figure, get over it, and move on :)
 
I'd never imply or think that cyclists didnt have a right to use the road and I wouldnt imply all cyclists are bad cyclists.

Personally I was complaining about the bad cyclists - I give cyclists consideration and space on the road, all I ask is the same in return but rarely get it
 
I see a lot of complaining about cyclists not hugging the kerb, but there are reasons for that; the kerb / gutter is where all the crap that gives you punctures is, there is the risk of catching a pedal on the kerb, it's generally the worst part of the road surface and it's where the puddles form.

General advice given to cyclists is to be 60cm from the kerb.

Shall I start a thread about all the drivers who overtake me as I'm turning right, into my driveway? Or perhaps the frequent 'left hooks' I've recieved from drivers who overtake me and then decide to turn left without giving me enough room?

There are good cyclists and there are bad ones. Same goes for drivers.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;14719964 said:
Shall I start a thread about all the drivers who overtake me as I'm turning right, into my driveway?
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Errr they have the right of way, you are the one turning off the road, wait until they pass you near the kerb or if they are still far behind you signal that you turn right and already start turning right.
 
In central/east london what annoys me is those pesky fold away bikes....seems to attract the most idots on them - no helmet/non appropriate clothing and not a worry in a world as to whats around them like they are in some country lane in middle england.

a lot of cyclists with the usual mountain bikes/cylces are better. Some of the couriers especially. They have great skill at navigating the roads without being a pest to everyone else.
 
cotton_flex said:
no helmet/non appropriate clothing and not a worry in a world as to whats around them like they are in some country lane in middle england.
a lot of cyclists with the usual mountain bikes/cylces are better. Some of the couriers especially. They have great skill at navigating the roads without being a pest to everyone else.
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Helmet? Appropriate clothing ? No wonder there are so little cyclists in the UK, way too many people who take things way too seriously. I honestly can't see why bother with a helmet on a bike, you usually don't do fast speeds on em anyways. I mean even the law here kind of backs this up, 25 kph moped riders don't have to wear helmets, 45kph moped drivers do... If you don't do high speed don't bother with a helmet if you don't want to look silly.

I can't honestly remember the last time I've seen a cyclist with a helmet here, and I see at least a hundred on my way to work every mon-fri.


To be honest, I can't believe some of the attitudes towards cyclists from people on here, or well generally from other countries, sure there are some bad types in there like kids between 12-16 who don't even look before pulling out from wherever, but some of you seem to consider the traffic rules holy, as if you can't cycle through a red light in a specific situation, or you behave as if cars are above cyclists on the road. Learn to appreciate them a bit, if all those cyclists used cars the roads would be congested a lot more, in the case here in the Netherlands, 24% of all people use bikes to travel to work ( 60% use cars, 9 % use pub transport, 4% walk and 3% use other ways like mopeds motorbikes etc) , if they all used cars the roads would be stuck pretty much all day here, in fact, 50% of all commuters who have to travel 1 to 5km to work use bikes...
 
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snowdog said:
but some of you seem to consider the traffic rules holy, as if you can't cycle through a red light in a specific situation
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er, well - what can you actually say when someone says that haha. Thing that annoys me the most about cyclists is the fact they want to be treated as a vehicle up until a point and then they want to be considered a pedestrian because a lights red.
 
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