Cyclist attitudes.

[chris-red]

[map]

[KLR600]

[Bru]

[Redoko]

[CoolBanana]

Well...I've lived outside of the UK for many years and would far prefer to see cyclists catered for as they are in Belgium, the Netherlands etc.

We have nowhere near the amount of cycle lanes that they have over there to make cycling safer for all. To say cyclists are well catered for here is an absolute joke as what we have is half measures in national terms and they have no choice but to share the road with much more dangerous, faster moving vehicles. You have to remember that children are allowed to cycle and we need to be able to protect them too - and ignoring them and suggesting they shouldn't be allowed on the roads is indicative of a very uncivilised, mongrel society when solutions are available to cater for this.

As someone who used to live and breathe cycling as a sport, I am very obviously pro-cycling and would like to see it organised so that everyone can safely commute on a bicycle if they so wished given that the culture within this country towards cyclists is very much reflected on this Thread by motorised vehicle users in that cyclists are not wanted on the roads.

That doesn't mean I don't get worked up about the idiot who jumps a red light and generally ignores the highway code. All road users should be responsible and tolerant of each other.

I don't commute anymore as I work from home so my transport use is now pretty much equally spread between my car, motorbike and cycle. I guess I'm less bothered by ignorant motorbikers and car drivers who don't want me cycling having lived in Africa and learning to ride with the dangers over there. But I'd still like to see more cycle education and lanes here for my kids etc.
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[snikks]

[mistergixer]

I came very close to squashing a number of lycra-clad cyclists yesterday - I was driving my car down the main road through my village, there were loads of parked cars on the other side of the road, I spotted a party of 4 cyclists (riding 2 abreast) coming the opposite way.

They waited until I was level with the parked cars (on their side of the road), before swinging out onto the 'wrong' side of the road.

Obviously, they expected me to stop for them, which wan't going to happen - as far as I'm concerned, if you have to use the opposite carriageway to pass an obstruction, then you should check it's clear first.

So, I didn't stop.

The first pair of cyclists had the common sense to pull into single file (leaving them enough room to pass the parked cars on their side of the carriageway), the second pair failed to comprehend this until the very last minute and had to swerve in and stop.

Through my open window I heard one of the cyclists protest (in a loud 'Mercan drawl) 'Oh my gaawd, did you just see that??' Clearly, they were expecting me to just pull to a stop and let them through in their formation.

How wrong they were.


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[TheBikerStig]

[flyer]

I cycle a lot and obviously motor bike a lot. Id have to agree with 'UnknownStuntm...' theres nob heads in all manners of disguises. Id personally think motor bikes and cycle shave a lot in common, especially for city use. Get along folks
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[mfactor]

Righto I am biased about this but with reason.


I drive for a living (20 years PCV at the moment) and have used a push-bike for work for long periods during that time .


As someone has said above there are idiots using all forms of transport, but with all apologies to the good ones, cyclist are without a doubt the worst road users I come across on a day to day basis driving in the city.

examples this week only


Cyclist comes down side road to the left does not stop despite my dirty great big bus being about 10 feet away doing 40mph, he looked, saw me and thought fook it I will do it anyway, causing me to brake heavily to avoid him .

Cyclist overtakes me in slow moving traffic on the pavement (no problem with that) but then jumps the bike into the road 2 foot in front of me just as I am accelerating as traffic clears, cue more heavy braking

An everyday occurrence on two stretches of road we use that HAVE cycle lanes is that cyclists DON'T use the lanes because they are 20 foot longer than the roads (NSL busy roads)

As I said I see stupid driving from all road users but the above is the norm for most cyclists, so much so I leaned out of the window on one occasion to thank a cyclist for his good manners as it is so rare, he thought I was a loony I am sure.


Low points this year

Cyclist going between bus and curb whilst I am unloading (at bus stop), cue bike v granny collision.

Cyclist undertaking HGV that was clearly turning left , cue poorly cyclist, I actually had a moment of schadenfreude on that one as he had come up the inside of me and as I could see the HGV was going to turn left so beeped my horn to warn him, only to get the finger.

Cyclist going under my bus (He was OK thank god) , Why, riding nohanded whist listening to Ipod and attempting to answer mobile phone.

[CoolBanana]

[map]

On a serious note (despite my flippant posts above) I do think the cyclist lobby are more organised than the motorcycle lobby.

Thinking about it they can put lots of happy smiling faces on the street and in front of the media's cameras. Lots of families too with their ikle kiddies enjoying this green transport plus it's healthy exercise as well.

Let's not forget the kudos of the cycling team success at the Olympics, World Championships and recent Tour de France.

What do motorcyclist offer, black leather clad helmet wearing intimidating cyborgs riding big noisy machinery.

On motorcycle racing success I suspect the general public could still only name Barry Sheene as a British champion racer So hardly in the public conciousness. Plus motorcycles are dangerous, when was the last time a road was closed due to a bicycle accident? (ok, I'm sure it happens, just doesn't make national traffic reports as often, if ever).

Having worked in the Netherlands they have a more laid back attitude to bicycles. I admit it's a cultural thing and I doubt we could get that here.


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[Alpha-9]

Went to see the estate agents on monday, was 2 cyclists riding next to each other blocking the whole lane doing like 10mph

y u do dis
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Fzr-600 1999

[chris-red]

[paddlesat16]

I don't know why cyclist stop at the lights, cus round our way they all ride on the pavements and nobody says anything about it.
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[Alpha-9]

[stinkwheel]

Some coherent thinking with the cycle network would be a great help.

I fairly regularly cycle in York and I now refuse to use the roadside cycle lanes, they were designed by some absolute moron.

They leave and rejoin the carriageway and they cross side roads all over the place leading to right of way conflicts, pedestrians have to stand in the cycle path to cross the road and sometimes they just stop abruptly for no apparent reason.

The newer ones carry cyclists round with the pedestrians inside a barrier part way down the bigger side roads then suddenly all traces of the cycle lane disappear for the pedestrian crossing, then it reappears again after as if they had no idea how to deal with it.

Here is a classic example. This is brand new, I just ride along the road, it's safer.

I actually felt compelled to talk to one woman the other day. She was clearly one of the better off York residents judging by the "classic" style shopper bike she was riding. She went merrily wobbling up the inside of a bendy bus as it went round a left hand bend. I pulled alongside her once we were on the river cycle lane to explain a few salient facts about the way these busses manouver and the visability the driver has. She had not the slightest idea how much danger she was putting herself in.
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[nickGT]

I cycle into central London every working day of the week and generally don't have any real issues.

I would be the first to admit it is dangerous but that's a risk that you have to take. Cycling conditions won't get any better any time soon so it's put up or shut up IMO.

I feel that the motorbike training I have had has made me a more proficient cyclist and I often ride my push bike exactly as I would my motorbike. I'm not one to cut lights but I will place myself in what I deem to be the safest posistion. If that means being infront of the lines of traffic at the lights that is what I will do.

There is a large portion of cyclists in London that simply don't have a clue what day of the week it is. Let alone what they are doing on the roads. They change lanes without checking and just generally ride like twats. It's often those lot that find themselves sprawed out across the road claiming that 'London's not safe!'

[map]

[stinkwheel]

[Shielder]

The thing that really pisses me off is those cyclists who ignore the highway code. The thing is, they know that if anything happens, it won't be their fault. No matter what they've done wrong (gone through a red light, gone the wrong way down a one way street etc), it won't be their fault. It will always be the fault of the poor sod who hit them.

Another thing that annoys me is the cyclists that ride down the walkway outside our house. We have a staggered barrier at one end that is supposed to stop them riding down the path. It is a minor inconvenience to these idiots. I've had a stand up argument with a number of cyclists who have nearly hit my kids by riding down this path at speed.

Can you surgically remove a whole bike from up someone's arse?

Mind you, for some of these cyclists, they seem to think that the sun is up there, so a bike shouldn't be too much of a problem.
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[Andy_Pagin]

[jackw72]

[jackw72]