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Jimboka
2,676 posts
73 months
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rhinochopig said: grumpy52 said: Yet to find a person on a bike dressed in lycra that makes any sense !
If I drove my car dressed like a F1 driver i would get laughed at a then sectioned But your car is not likely to turn into a fireball requiring you to have some level of fire protection. Whereas a cyclist - be they Lance Armstrong or Fat Bob who does 15 miles once a week - will all sweat so will benefit from the properties of fast drying / high wicking fabrics. Lycra (plain) has its benefits. But there should be rules against tubbies, or mid life crisis man, dressing up in full Team Sky kit (or any other pro team kit) for the Sunday jaunt!
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Slaav
1,991 posts
79 months
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Jimboka said: rhinochopig said: grumpy52 said: Yet to find a person on a bike dressed in lycra that makes any sense !
If I drove my car dressed like a F1 driver i would get laughed at a then sectioned But your car is not likely to turn into a fireball requiring you to have some level of fire protection. Whereas a cyclist - be they Lance Armstrong or Fat Bob who does 15 miles once a week - will all sweat so will benefit from the properties of fast drying / high wicking fabrics. Lycra (plain) has its benefits. But there should be rules against tubbies, or mid life crisis man, dressing up in full Team Sky kit (or any other pro team kit) for the Sunday jaunt! I hate to admit to owning a fair bit of lycra... dont get the team kit at all though! There is enough great gear out there without the team stuff. Did my longest ride of the year on Easter MOnday in torrential wind and rain. 108k or so and first time I have ever ridden a whole ride in weather that bad. My God I was grateful for some decent gear on though. Had a debate when I started with a neighbour and could not understand why there had to be a complete wardrobe of cycling specific kit. Have great sailing stuff including lightweight storm jackets etc but useless on a bike compared to cycling specific stuff though. Oh well..... Guess that is just life I suppose. And to the OP, cannot help thinking that you need to relax a little more. Cyclists can be a pain if they are not reasonable but sounds like you are making a mountain out of a molehill? Don't mean to poke at you but taht's the way it seems to me 
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Gizmoish
15,518 posts
78 months
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Jimboka said: Lycra (plain) has its benefits. But there should be rules against tubbies, or mid life crisis man, dressing up in full Team Sky kit (or any other pro team kit) for the Sunday jaunt! There is. #17. http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#17
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philthy
4,526 posts
109 months
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Raoul Duke said: philthy said: No they're not. The local club the "Exeter wheelers", are a pain in the arse. Ride several abreast, on unsuitable roads, and don't give a f  k about any other road users. Road lice ! That's a rather sweeping generalisation you've made there fella! The Wheelers are no different to any large group ( cyclist or otherwise ), with their fair share of cocks in the ranks, but you find cocks in all walks of life. Some cyclists really don't help themselves with their attitude, but to insinuate that all that ride with them "dont give a f k" about other road users, is somewhat wide of the mark!  OK, let me be more specific. The group that use the A379 between Dawlish and Exeter on Tuesday nights, seemingly don't give a f k for any other road user? There may be some amongst them who do ride responsibly, but it doesn't appear so? I'm sure I'm way off though, and everywhere else they ride, they don't ride three/four abreast, down narrow country lanes, then stop in huge groups at main junctions. Any wonder they get hit by cars. Ride a motorbike, and you ride defensively. Take the engine out, and it seems you can put who you like at risk?
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PHmember
1,774 posts
40 months
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Mr GrimNasty said: Count yourself lucky. We have a charity 'night walk' event that seems to have become an annual fixture. As often as once a year? My dear fellow, how on earth do you cope?
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swerni
19,867 posts
79 months
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LiamB said: Glade said: Bloody NIMBYs Wouldn't mind if we even got told about it. Maybe they tell mummy or daddy. Bloody students, they can do one!
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Raoul Duke
813 posts
32 months
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philthy said: they don't ride three/four abreast, down narrow country lanes Don't really want to get embroiled in another cyclist versus motorist debate on PH, they are getting a little repetitive and tiresome to say the least! But have to answer this one, they very rarely ride 3/4 abreast on the Tuesday - its a "chaingang", so two at the most, unless a faster cyclist is trying to overtake a group of two abreast, but this would only take a moment. I'll accept that it may appear that they are more than two abreast when there is a large group riding in close formation but the reality is that they won't be. Also, when a car is noticed behind then it reverts to single file as soon as its safe to do so. At least the Dawlish road is relatively wide, with some decent straights and half decent visibility, making it easier for motorists to get past relatively safely - at least when done with a little patience and consideration. It’s not perfect by any means - there have been a couple of bad accidents on it in recent years, including a fatality - admittedly not on the Tuesday ride, the unfortunate person was actually riding solo, therefore impeding other road users minimally. But sending large groups doing 20mph+ down the unclassified lanes that's the alternative is a recipe for disaster, unless you'd prefer to encounter them on the dual carriageways? I personally don't enjoy their large group rides very much anymore because of the increasing levels of impatience demonstrated by some other road users - you end up feeling incredibly vulnerable when someone with a short fuse, armed with a couple of tons of metal sits right on your chuff trying to bully you out of the way - so I end up heading out on my own to use the quieter lanes to train on. Its only a matter of time... 
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Saddle bum
3,603 posts
88 months
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A bike rider does not have to apologise for being on the road. The Road Traffic laws specifically point to Horses, Pedestrians and Cyclists being allowed to use the highway (for free). Drivers of motorised vehicles are required to fulfill many requirements and payment before being allowed the PRIVILEDGE of driving on the road.
With regard to groups of riders, in most Euro countries, such groups are considered as one large vehicle akin to a tractor and trailer and are to be treated as such.
Britain (and Australia) are alone in their aggressive marginalising of cyclists, it is something to do with the backward looking culture. Maybe Neanderthal genes have survived in some quarters.
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graememac
167 posts
73 months
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4keymonsta said: Just googling my local councils phone number so that I can ask for my road to be closed so that I can race my car up and down it with my friends. Some car drivers already do think the road is their own personal race track. Obviously as all car drivers are all the same I'm going to blame all of them.....
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dkturbo
85 posts
30 months
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Whenever I race in France people come out of their houses with their whole family and cheer the race on. Weird how some people in England get so uptight about little things.
I advice people not to show aggression to other road users. I normally ignore every shout and beep but after the 1,000 time someone will get some.
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LiamB
Original Poster
4,577 posts
12 months
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swerni said: Maybe they tell mummy or daddy.
Bloody students, they can do one! Cute.
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swerni
19,867 posts
79 months
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LiamB said: swerni said: Maybe they tell mummy or daddy.
Bloody students, they can do one! Cute. Have you been looking at me in my latex again
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racerbob
231 posts
49 months
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threads like this remind me of why i now live in France, I respect anyone who tries to ride a bike in the UK, especially in mind that most cyclists are also motorists, something that the 'they don't pay road tax' brigade don't get. When I lived in the UK I also owned and taxed 4 cars but prefered to ride my bike most days more often than not. I am a motoring enthusiast, worked in motorsport for 11 years, but there is no excuse for some of the anti cyclist antics that go on in the UK these days.
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LiamB
Original Poster
4,577 posts
12 months
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swerni said: Have you been looking at me in my latex again Sorry hunny. racerbob said: threads like this remind me of why i now live in France, I respect anyone who tries to ride a bike in the UK, especially in mind that most cyclists are also motorists, something that the 'they don't pay road tax' brigade don't get. When I lived in the UK I also owned and taxed 4 cars but prefered to ride my bike most days more often than not. I am a motoring enthusiast, worked in motorsport for 11 years, but there is no excuse for some of the anti cyclist antics that go on in the UK these days. I am not anti cyclist. If you read the OP you would see I DO NOT MIND cyclists at all. I am annoyed at the fact that they block our driveway, ride 4 abreast and just hold up everyone while they hold this race that we do not get ANY warning about.
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magpie215
1,908 posts
58 months
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Raoul Duke said: Its only a matter of time... Is that a dog catching a frisbee in the pic??
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mcelliott
1,805 posts
50 months
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Great post Raoul Duke. My sentiments entirely. I have every sympathy for UK cyclists, the amount of hatred posted on this thread deeply saddens me. I think people in the UK need to accept that they live in an overcrowded Island (and I accept that not all cyclists are angels) but a bit of give and take on both sides would make life easier for everyone.
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BliarOut
53,499 posts
108 months
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swerni said: LiamB said: swerni said: Maybe they tell mummy or daddy.
Bloody students, they can do one! Cute. Have you been looking at me in my latex again I can assure you it's not a pretty sight...
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NDA
10,203 posts
94 months
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LiamB said: I am not anti cyclist. If you read the OP you would see I DO NOT MIND cyclists at all.
I am annoyed at the fact that they block our driveway, ride 4 abreast and just hold up everyone while they hold this race that we do not get ANY warning about. Is there no way you can simply shoot them? It would seem the easiest solution, although I'm unclear of the law in this area. I think you'd be OK from what I've read.
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racerbob
231 posts
49 months
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LiamB said: I am not anti cyclist. If you read the OP you would see I DO NOT MIND cyclists at all.
I am annoyed at the fact that they block our driveway, ride 4 abreast and just hold up everyone while they hold this race that we do not get ANY warning about.
Just as well you don't live over here then, bike races happen all the time, it wouldn't just be your drive blocked off, it would be the whole road i'm afraid, bikes rule over here ;-)
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swerni
19,867 posts
79 months
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racerbob said: LiamB said: I am not anti cyclist. If you read the OP you would see I DO NOT MIND cyclists at all.
I am annoyed at the fact that they block our driveway, ride 4 abreast and just hold up everyone while they hold this race that we do not get ANY warning about.
Just as well you don't live over here then, bike races happen all the time, it wouldn't just be your drive blocked off, it would be the whole road i'm afraid, bikes rule over here ;-) That's why, next summer, I'm cycling from London to Monte Carlo instead of LEJOG!
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