Cyclists

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Anyone else thoroughly annoyed by the manner in which some cyclists ride?

Today I was turning left onto Poultry/Cheapside in slow-ish moving traffic, when what felt like every single cyclist in the city decided to ignore my indicator and undertake me at a crawl. The van in front moved off fairly slowly, I check my mirrors and then there's these dayglow/lycra combos coming up my left side. So I'm stuck, moving at a crawl trying to get through a wall of bikes.

I counted thirteen, one even shouted at me!

[paddlesat16]

Nice diagram...

It's nice to wait and let there legs take the strain, with a twist of the wrist your gone. no problems.
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I once saw a bloke shagging a donkey.... in Saudi arabia. Theory Test Passed 26/10/09 Mod 1 Passed 26/4/10, Mod 2 Passed 7/6/10 Current Bikes Suzuki GSX1400 K5, Aprillia Pegaso 650, Suzuki DR350T.

[Minty]

I'm a cyclist. I get really annoyed at cars and motorbikes trying to cut across me when I am in my cycle lane. I shout at them and make 'grrrr' noises too.

Selfish tossers.

To be honest though, who has priority? A cyclist pootling along in a cycle lane/side of road or the vehicle to the right wanting to turn left. If I am on my bicycle, I would expect them to let me proceed before turning left behind me. If the bike or car is ahead of me wanting to turn left then I would give them priority.

<shrugs>
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

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[Stelmer]

In the work van I usually avoid the situation and do not not turn left. I'll drive to a roundabout or turn round in a side road to the right and go back.

If I can avoid a blame claim, I will. It's not worth it. Since my accident in January where someone SMIDSY'd me at work, i've got worse. Don't ride much either now.

[Ste]

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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[sagalout]

I do a lot of cycling and notice far more bad driving towards me than when I'm on the motorbike.

A particular favourite is cars / vans that underestimate my speed, overtake me and then swing left into a left hand turn almost side swiping me. Also cars that overtake quickly then slam all on and swerve left for speedbumps - I've hit the back of 2 cars that did that to me on the same downhill where I was doing 30mph.

I will undertake cars where safe to do so though (but not near left hand turns) as cycling is all about keeping up momentum, and its a right pain when you stop as you have to unclip from the pedals then clip in again everytime you set off.

There are suicidal cyclists about though, especially in cities. Basically you have to cycle even more defensively than you ride, but with the advantage of undertaking (although if traffic is moving at less than 10mph I often filter down the middle where I'd be on the motorbike)
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Current Bike: Triumph Speed Triple T309
Previous: CBR600F => ZX9R => Triumph Tiger => Honda Blackbird => GSXR 750 => Versys =>ZX12R

[G]

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[deanoet]

[Meshuggah]

[Dan79]

As motorcyclists we are all vulnerable users of the road and so we should think carefully before picking on another group of even more vulnerable road users. As a motorcyclist (who uses a small motorbike and a medium size cruiser), car driver, cyclist, and pedestrian, my experience is that many other road users treat their fellow travellers with a degree of contempt, rudeness and recklessness inversely proportional to the size of vehicle they are using (or not using!). I can predict how other drivers will in general treat me very accurately before I get on the road, according to which I use.

All those who rant about cyclists, or any other group for that matter, should try doing as they do for a while and see how they like it.
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Previous bikes - 1984 Honda VF500 (FII) Interceptor and 1990 Yamaha RXS100
Current bikes - 1984 Honda VF500 (V30) Magna

[kitty kat]

What about the ones who ride the lanes 3 or 4 abreast and there is usually a bloody long line of them so noone can overtake.

There were a couple last night when I was out on the bike, they were side by side on a narrow lane and when I went to overtake (leaving wobbling room) they spread out a bit more across the road. Needless to say I waved politely at them and continued on my way.
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Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[colin1]

I'm an occasion cyclist, who sometimes forgets he's not on a motorbike.

Today as I approached an pelican crossing, with a car stood waiting for the light to change, I knew I could maintain my speed, and overtake the car, as I would arrive as the lights changed.

This was motorbike thinking, I went alongside, but the car pulled away, we were longside for a few seconds, I wasnt gonna get the overtake and so I did the sensible thing, braked, and pulled in behind, instead of going for the overtake.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

[neatbik]

The ones that annoy the fuck out of me are the ones that rip through the red lights at the crossing by my sons school, usually when i'm halfway across with my 4 yr old son..

Wankers...

[Ste]

Be able to go through traffic lights is an advantage of cycling.

[neatbik]

Not if theres a chance you hit my son...

[woo]

OMG!

vanflyheight13 I take that route every morning to get into work on the gsxr1000 that junction is a nightmare with cyclists

In fact the whole city of london is a nightmare with cyclists, most dont look where they are going and take far too many risks jumping red lights
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Elen sila lummen omentielvo!

[Ste]

[sebastianw]

Any cyclist should know better than to undertake on the LHS of any vehicle, especially in the City (of London)...............but they mostly assume that they have right of way regardless of the road, highway code etc etc