General Chat

But the roads are not really for sport when they are being shared with other road users are they and that's some of the problem. I have been involved in 2 accidents where youths on bikes have been racing each other on pavements and roads. I wasn't in any way to blame for either and was praised for my quick thinking in one. In the first, because I swerved to avoid a head on collision, the whole side of my car was damaged. I thought I was lucky that a witness came forward as the youth and his pal ran off. When the police visited, the youth and his family denied he even had a bike. In the second, one of the racing pair flew over my car bonnet smashing my windscreen. Luckily for me, again there were witnesses and I was so badly shaken the police wouldn't let me drive home. In both cases I lost no claims bonuses and had a load of hassle while they were repaired as I used my car in my job.

I think most of us motorists started out as cyclists anyway so know perfectly well what it is like to be a cyclist. I think the difference nowadays is attitude and this kind of arrogance in causing as much hindrance as they can that gives some of them a bad name. When they think they are too good for the cycle paths as Ann says and riding how and where they like with no respect for other road users or thought or caring of any inconvenience they are causing.

I agree with what you say about bad driving with other road vehicles too, but that doesn't make it ok for cyclists to do the same.

Oh yes,mtrue, we have lights very near here and I lose count of the number of times they jump the lights, bring back cameras on lights!

Ann, at least your comments re' obvious reason' are a reasonable interpretation, instead of an across the board 'stupid'.

I think cyclists regard their sport as important to them, and until banned from roads, are as entitled as anyone else.

I seem to be on the side of cyclists, but i am just trying to put both sides of the situation.
Cars, especially big ones, with only one person driving to my mi nd are equally annoying. Cars are also driven badly, carelessly and go through red lights too.

Sue

I do find it frightening when we are following a cyclist uphill and theya re determined to ride to the top but have to sort of zigzag to do it. We also had to compete with racing cyclists on a busy dual carriageway in the Lake District when returning from holiday a couple of weeks ago. I found it quite frightening and fully expected to see an accident any minute.

Sue, to me the 'obvious reason' they don't use the perfectly good cycle path always seems to us that they think they are too good for it, the same reason they ride straight through the red lights.

Bobtanian

Sadly the 'speed limit' dictates how fast you can go. Unless driving at a stupidly slow speed, they are not breaking the law.

why don't speed restricted young motorcyclists do that as well? I believe that they are taught to ride near the crown of the road,
on the grounds that " you have paid to use the road, so use it!"



My belief is, if you cant achieve the speed limit for that road, you shouldn't be on it!

The lycra clad, would be Wiggins cyclists ignore the cycle lane at the edge of one of our busy main roads......... because it's smoother and faster where the cars have worn it!

Someone arranged part of the route of a cycle race on one of our really fast and busy dual carriageways recently. Many of them were neck and neck, side by side and it effectively reduced the dual carriageway to a dangerous one lane as cars kept having to swerve as the cycles overtook each other.......senseless!

On holiday recently a road wasn't wide enough for a big vehicle to pass a cyclist and it it caused a huge tailback of crawling traffic for several miles. Now, when I rode my bike as a teenager, if traffic couldn't get by, I would pull into the next field gateway and stop and let traffic come by or push my bike onto the roadside verge or path. Why can't cyclists do that nowadays?

Tour de France starts soon.

They all "ride aggressively".

Have seen your post IGP, and have nothing to say.

Sue

"Real cyclists understandably do not want to use cycle paths for obvious reasons. "

Obvious reasons? for example they are plain stupid?

I can understand both points of view here. Real cyclists understandably do not want to use cycle paths for obvious reasons. Been thinking about this and think it would be fair for cyclists who want to use the road with cars to pay an appropriate road tax and insurance, so that if there was an accident,responsibility ..would not fall entirely upon the motorist. Those on cycle tracks obviously just want to get from A to B so would be exempt.

Having said that there are alot of motorists who do just as they please, cutting in front on motorway suddenly to turn left. A regular thing i see.
Sue


:-)

But Sue, if you read my post you will see that 'real' cyclists ignore cycle paths. :-)

Driving OH to work this morning, 4.30am, so the road are pretty clear.

But was stuck in a queue on Lower Road, Deptford, as we all tried to get past 1 cyclist!

He was all over the place, so trying to get round him was a trial as his weaving around was awful.

But we all got past him eventually.

Then, at the junction by Tescos (Old Kent Road). A lady was walking along the pavement, when a lycra clad fascist (also totally the wrong size for this wear!) wearing a helmet cam, nearly knocked her over, bet he will not be putting that bit of footage up on FB!!

:-D :-D

Yes, Mayfield, but cars are holding cars up for miles and miles too. :-| :-| :-| :-| :-| :-D

Perhaps it's because she has held them up for a mile or so :-D :-D

Have just been reading a book by Josie Dew, a Cyclist who has travelled widely around the world. Its very interesting (i'm not a cyclist myself) and among other things she writes about how cars and big gas guzzling cars driven carelessly push her into the side of the road.

Would think there was room for improvement with both car drivers and cyclists. After all, cyclist are not polluting the atmosphere like cars. Think there should be much better cycle routes for them, for at the moment a lot are just not good enough.

Sue :-)

:-D :-D :-D @ Bobtanian

It was a council owned grass cutter, being driven by a young, would be.. petrol head.

There are some cyclists who "ride aggressively" because they are encouraged by certain websites to take control. If the road is narrow they ride in such a way to prevent cars overtaking because it's "too dangerous" for cyclists if they do.

Maybe it was on its way to Mow' de grass?

(Mardi Gras)?






or mow a meadow!