Do cyclists go looking for trouble?

[Mondeo Man]

I cycle to work many days, and also out and about at weekends.

The thing that amazes me is how sedate and uneventful it is. I've been cycling for ten years plus and can count on one hand the number of times "cagers" have done something worthy of rebuke. When it happens, I think to myself, "you know, I'm not a perfect driver, I'm sure I've made mistakes. ..."

Yet, if you look at youtube, or talk to the average skinny tyred cyclist, you'd think cars were all out to get us. Cyclists seem as inflicted by pointless roadrage as anyone else - getting hot under the collar over incidents which are, actually, nothing. And, I think a lot of cyclists want minor incidents to happen, because otherwise they are recording trees and traffic lights.

I cycle and I see other cyclists and I think most cyclists haven't got a clue. The number I see undertaking as they join roundabouts, for example, is staggering. Or changing lanes - or position in lane - without any rear obs. And frankly, any cyclist who dies under a left turning lorry was as dimwitted as those who die at train crossings: fairly obvious to me not to take on a lorry at a junction.

Worst of all, is youngsters with no lights and mobile phones, texting. What the fuck? I'd love to see these wasters fall off.

[G]

There's enough videos of motorcyclists, car and lorry drivers doing similar.

The trick is to not base your view of any society on the portion of that which frequents youtube as a social site.

[Drew]

I've only been riding a year, done a little over 2000 miles, and can't remember a single incident of anger from either me or another vehicle towards me.

[JonB]

Don't think it is the cyclists in particular. I think there are a lot of "road users" that just don't understand the laws of the highway, think they are above the laws of the highway and those who just have an inability to read the road ahead.

I probably have 1 road rage incident a year on the bike, I cover between 2000-3000 miles per year. I generally find vehicles that are towing the worse. As it is probably a rarity they can pull in too quickly leaving the trailer to nearly take you out.

I have no time for vloggers on YouTube that literally go out of their way to court trouble to prove a point. I would probably put my neck on the line also and say that 60-70% of cyclists on the road have complete disregard for the Highway Code. It's grim as I am part of the fraternity, but whilst I am in the other 40% I have become rather immune to the constant irritations and abuse on the road. Only yesterday a group of ginger cvnts were shouting and hollering abuse out of the car window as they passed me. But what can you do, eh?

People = shit.

The only thing that really gets my goat is the fact that 90% of car drivers are unaware that it is not illegal to ride 2 abreast on the road if it is safe to do so. That being said I do not condone groups of riders riding 3 or 4 abreast blocking a whole lane and I know that it happens.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[colin1]

Cyclists dont have to pass a test, and so some have never had their poor behaviour challenged.

I think there needs to be a bit of common sense. If I were cycling along a narrow road holding up traffic and the pavement was clear, I'd ride on the pavement.

Sometimes apparently dumb cyclist behaviour can actually be aggressive self protection, like using the car lanes on a roundabout rather than sticking to the outer edge, just in case you get cut up by someone cutting across you.

However cyclists are far more vulnerable than motorcyclists, as they are constantly being overtaken and usually don't have mirrors.

Really they should learn to look over their shoulders before doing manouvers but that in itself is dangerous.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[Bikermice]

Depends where you live, whether you ride in rush hour, the width of the roads.

I had an electric bike and commuted through quite heavy traffic, 5 days a week. I must admit that when the lanes were wide enough I rarely had many problems with close passes. however, lots of road on my main commute was 2 lanes which were incredibly narrow. trying to ride in primary was suicide, and trying to ride in secondary was ok most of the time. I had so many dangerous close passes that in the end decided to get a motorbike so no-one would overtake me at all.

Yes some cyclists are OTT, but if you've ever nearly been killed by a twat in a van then you tend to take things a whole lot more seriously! Also, if no-one speaks up for themselves then these idiot and/or useless drivers will not have any knowledge that they have done anything wrong and will keep driving dangerously around other vulnerable road users.

[el_oso]

I would agree. Some cyclists are out to cause trouble it seems. Whilst they do have every right to the road, a small number take the piss. They think they own the road. Take up way more space than what they need to and perform ridiculous overtakes.
That being said, there are a hell of a lot of cagers that get way too close on overtakes and just generally pull out even when they are looking at you straight in the eyes. Had one about a week ago. Would have drove straight into her if I hadn't applied both brakes sharply. She was looking at me the entire time she was turning left.
One thing that cyclists seem to do more than anyone else is run red lights.
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Duke 390
Previous: '05 XR125L | '96 XJ600S Diversion |'05 Suzuki GSXR1000 | '05 Honda CBR125-R | '97 YZF 600R Thundercat | '11 Honda CBR250
Car: Jeep Wrangler 4.0L

[Simple]

I would challenge anyone to ride down Foleshill road in Coventry on a regular basis and not be run off the road by (typically) a man of dark skin with tattoos who drives a car with tinted windows and halfords accessories, who will then at the next set of traffic lights get out of his car to try and physically stop you and educate you on the highway code.

I actually don't ride on the road anymore. It's all very well being in the right in the eyes of the law, that doesn't help you if you're in a hospital bed or a coffin. Rather use my big steel diesel box and take my bike somewhere away from the dregs of Coventry.

My bike is Orange (in colour) my jacket is orange, I have an Exposure flare on the back, it's on even in daytime and I keep pace with traffic, I stop at red lights etc. Still get idiots trying to kill you.

Must be road tax envy.

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Cyclists are of course the only road user who doesn't require insurance to use it (horses riders do as do all motorised vehicle drivers), don't pay a road tax and require no test. They are also largely untraceable.

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Insta - FemFeral

[Derivative]

The road tax argument annoys me because if we're being reasonable, there is no reason to charge cyclists anyway.

Taxing emissions should clearly be rolled into fuel tax or tax on purchase because emissions don't come from simply owning a car, they come from either burning fuel or manufacturing the vehicle.

Road wear goes as fourth power of mass per axle.

HGV's and large vans are basically the only real contributor to road wear.

A well made road would likely stand up to cycling for centuries.

[smegballs]

I was in Amsterdam for the first week of this year. As usual I hired out a bike to get around for the duration of my stay as it's a big place and walking everywhere sucks!

While I was there, I did at least 10km around town each day and rode out to the north sea via Haarlem one day for something to do.

What struck me is that although the level of riding is absolutely appalling by UK standards, there was no noticeable road-raging or crashing going on. It's seems expected for cyclists to be pulling out randomly, or going the wrong way down one-way streets. As a cyclist you also expect pedestrians to be stepping out onto the cycle paths without looking.

It seems to be an example of organised chaos that actually works, helped in no small part by the massive proliferation of cycle-paths alongside almost every footpath. Tbh, I feel like a bit of a dick riding on the road, or footpath there, seeing as there is no real excuse to not stick to the massive cycle lanes everywhere. Even when interacting with cars on the road though, riding UK-stylee makes you seem over cautious as cars do genuinely seem to be looking out for bikes and will stop/slow down until you are clear.