Cyclists! Why do they ride in the middle of the road?

[Monkeylegend]

will_ said:

Angry motorcyclists should just stay off the roads. Can't stand them.

You missed a bit, that should read motorists as well, the two are often one and the same.

Too much intolerance in the world today, everybody has the right to use the roads legally, including horses, we should accept it and get on with life.

[Engineer1]

If you in a car with many mutiples of power over a cyclist can't get past safely then it is poor driving not poor riding.

[BGarside]

73mark said:

I'd like to know why they ride on the road when a cycle path is right next the them.

And it's always the Lycra wearing knobheads.

Maybe it's because we actually want to get somewhere without stopping and giving way at every side road, playing chicken with lemming-like pedestrians of laughably-named 'shared use' paths, avoid getting punctures from the glass typically strewn all over cycle paths, not get hit by cars emerging from driveways without looking, etc, etc.

Cycle paths are not designed and built to any minimum standards of safety or usability in the UK, neither are they maintained. They are a bad joke.

Oh, and why does wearing lycra cycling clothes make me a knobhead? Is a swimmer wearing swimwear a nobhead or a runner wearing running gear, etc, etc?

Your crass ignorance reveals who is the real knobhead here...

[Ash From Flux]

cjb1 said:

73mark said:

I'd like to know why they ride on the road when a cycle path is right next the them.

And it's always the Lycra wearing knobheads.

Hmmmm... not so much. The 'cycle paths' in my area consist of a slightly widened path that often takes in numerous bus stops, with a couple very close to schools. These often become very crowded. As a result, I can safely say that - while I may occasionally be a 'lycra wearing knobhead' - it's definitely less dangerous for all concerned for me to use the road... as I'm quite entitled to.

Thanks,

Ash.

(A car driver and cyclist)

[BGarside]

Engineer1 said:

If you in a car with many mutiples of power over a cyclist can't get past safely then it is poor driving not poor riding.

Quite. I find it extremely easy to overtake cyclists in my car without endangering either their lives or mine, and with minimal delay to my journey.

Far less than, say, I would typically incur waiting in traffic or at traffic lights, junctions, etc...

This is why it annoys me so much when some twunt tries to kill me because they either can't drive, don't know how wide their car is, or just can't be bothered to wait what is usually a matter of a few seconds until it is safe to pass.

[sleep envy]

TonyHetherington said:

For the record, I'm a lycra clad road bike idiot. And have owned through the years many performance cars. (did I just break the internet?).

Anyway, the problem is that the piece is written for the point of view of a well obersving, considerate cyclist. Of which there are many, and of which I like to think myself as one.

For the equally well observing, considerate car driver all of these points would be accepted, seen in advance, and accounted for with barely a second thought.

Whenever discussions like this arise, it takes the side of either good cyclist vs bad driver, or good driver vs bad cyclist. Neither will ever win.

Occasionally I have really nice interactions with good drivers. For example, on narrow country lanes when behind me I'll spot a 'passing place', wave them through just before it, pull over while still standing/pedalling slowly, they pass with a thumbs up/indicator flash/quick horn and we both get on with our lives.

Occasionally you see interactions with bad driver and bad cyclist. And they're posted on YouTube, and we rightly call both of them idiots.

Agree wholeheartedly, only problem is with an opinion like that you can't go around on cyclist threads calling people s.

[scherzkeks]

cjb1 said:

Perhaps it is because average speeds are around 17-25 mph, and our bikes were designed to be ridden on the road whether touring or racing. But much easier to remain ignorant.

[J4CKO]

Nobody wants 250/260 pounds of me, bike and rucksack travelling on a footpath with pedestrians at 20 mph, I will use cyclepaths if they are good, but most arent, I got some stick off a bloke in a Vectra and got told to get on the (100 yard long) cyclepath, he was really quite rude and just said "oh" when I said I wasnt going the way the cyclepath went.

I dont ride int he middle of the road, I dont like obstructing cars, I dont want irate drivers behind me, but I will defend my position, if say going through roadworks or round a blind bend, I dont want to be overtaken as what happens is the car overtaking comes into conflict with cars coming the other way, they can potentially collide, I make that decision, to make myself wide to prevent an overtake, may sound arrogant, it isnt, it is self preservation as I know for a drivers (especially inexperienced ones) point of view it is quite umcomfortable having to make that decision, should I/shouldnt I and sometimes it is easir just to accept the short delay and avoid making a trick decision, I think most prefer that, ok there was the BMW that overtook anyway and nearly hit the bin wagon but you cant allow for every eventuallity.

[paranoid airbag]

Like fish in a barrel:

LiamB said:

I'm not an angry rider.

And yet here you are, ranting on the internet. Sort of sounds like you are.

LiamB said:

there rules

their

LiamB said:

and if you want to overtake them, they're not happy they have enough room till your riding into oncoming traffic.

you're

Also, no, they want you to give enough room to move around a pothole or react to a gust of wind, as per the article. Room you clearly didn't give them.

The reason why these threads aren't in a subforum is because the tendency of governments to treat motorists (and motorcyclists) like idiots won't stop until people like you are shaken from the delusion that you don't ride like a knob.

[Marvib]

TonyHetherington said:

For the record, I'm a lycra clad road bike idiot. And have owned through the years many performance cars. (did I just break the internet?).

Anyway, the problem is that the piece is written for the point of view of a well obersving, considerate cyclist. Of which there are many, and of which I like to think myself as one.

For the equally well observing, considerate car driver all of these points would be accepted, seen in advance, and accounted for with barely a second thought.

Whenever discussions like this arise, it takes the side of either good cyclist vs bad driver, or good driver vs bad cyclist. Neither will ever win.

Occasionally I have really nice interactions with good drivers. For example, on narrow country lanes when behind me I'll spot a 'passing place', wave them through just before it, pull over while still standing/pedalling slowly, they pass with a thumbs up/indicator flash/quick horn and we both get on with our lives.

Occasionally you see interactions with bad driver and bad cyclist. And they're posted on YouTube, and we rightly call both of them idiots.

Well said, I've not ridden a bike in years but I'm perfectly aware of the probable result of car hitting bike/motorbike and judge my passing based on this.

As a road user (of any transport) ALWAYS assume everyone else is on a suicide mission and try not to be the "rope".

Edit to add....a few cyclists on here have commented on "taking the line/lane" for defence and I 100% agree with this where there are parked cars/bends/roadworks etc...I don't agree when they do it on a road where they can ride sensibly to allow easy overtaking.

Further edit...my final two words above "easy overtaking" for the hard of thinking please replace with the phrase "safe overtaking".

Edited by Marvib on Wednesday 16th April 12:51

Edited by Marvib on Wednesday 16th April 15:50

[Mave]

LiamB said:

I always look for cyclists that are trying to kill themselves

...and that's why you were filtering past a bus stopped at a junction? Lucky it wasn't a car that pulled out and went into your side...

[rhinochopig]

KarlMac said:

Whats the excuse for riding 4 abreast like my local club has taken to?

Because four breasts are better than two?

[Monkeylegend]

J4CKO said:

Nobody wants 250/260 pounds of me, bike and rucksack

What do you carry in your rucksack?

[mikeveal]

Adopting the primate position doesn't work. Motorists just push past anyway. It's human nature to push back when someone (cyclist) tries to impose their will on you (motorist).

It is far better to stay over and let the motorist decide when it's safe to pass, than it is to attempt to impose your will on the motorist. The motorist is more likely to treat you with respect and less likely to attempt something stupid.
Yes 98% of the traffic will wait politely. But 2% won't and it isn't smart to wager 100Kg of flesh bone and bicycle against 1.5 tonnes of steel and glass piloted by a hacked off & reckless driver gunning the throttle to squeeze past in the tiny gap you've left him.

It's called the primate position for a reason. It's adopted by monkeys on bicycles.

Written as both a motorist and a cyclist.

[boyse7en]

LiamB said:

... but I do admit to using the cycle boxes, I'm not going to sit next to the wheel of a car at a red light when there is a perfectly acceptable space that both motorcycles and bicycles can fit in.

I think (remembering from when I took my bike test) that if you filter past traffic that is stopped at a red light you are supposed to stop behind the first stopped vehicle (ie. making you the second vehicle in the queue) so you shouldn't be in the cycle box, nor next the wheel of a car.

[J4CKO]

Monkeylegend said:

J4CKO said:

Nobody wants 250/260 pounds of me, bike and rucksack

What do you carry in your rucksack?

6ft/16 stone of me (224), twenty ish pounds of bike (244), laptop, clothes, phone, lunch, pump etc etc soon adds up.

Even your average (not powerfully built) bloke on a bike is going to be getting on for 200 pounds.

[Herman Toothrot]

boyse7en said:

I think (remembering from when I took my bike test) that if you filter past traffic that is stopped at a red light you are supposed to stop behind the first stopped vehicle (ie. making you the second vehicle in the queue) so you shouldn't be in the cycle box, nor next the wheel of a car.

Yep that's what's taught. Suspect Liam is yet to do his bike test, he's probably on a moped the average cyclist could out drag so is angry at the situation.

[kenno78]

Herman Toothrot said:

boyse7en said:

I think (remembering from when I took my bike test) that if you filter past traffic that is stopped at a red light you are supposed to stop behind the first stopped vehicle (ie. making you the second vehicle in the queue) so you shouldn't be in the cycle box, nor next the wheel of a car.

Yep that's what's taught. Suspect Liam is yet to do his bike test, he's probably on a moped the average cyclist could out drag so is angry at the situation.

The 'rules' and what you do in reality are two different things. Are you still feeding the steering wheel through your hands?

[Mr SFJ]

The Cyclists that I encounter are a menace. last week I was driving down a DC, me in the outside lane going about 50, cyclists on inside lane where lowe and behold cyclist decides that he needs to turn right at the next junction, so without even looking he pulls right in front of me. I have to brake like fk to slow down to his pace (about 12mph) and when I blew my horn (as I would've done to a car, don't worry!) he stopped, came round to my window and tried to give me abuse saying that I should've been prepared for his actions. I merely looked up and said that how was I supposed to when he didn't indicate his directions, nor look over his shoulder to see what was coming.

Now who's trying to say that some cyclists are not menaces?

On the flip side, I can see why cyclists take the "primary position" at points because of poor road quality/manhole covers but what boils my piss is when they adopt said position and then don't move back even if it becomes clear. I know that not many riders do this but it fks me off when cyclists run red lights, yet complain when they get hit off?

I know that there is wrong on both sides, but with how vulnerable cyclists are, you'd assume they would look around a bit more?

[boyse7en]

kenno78 said:

The 'rules' and what you do in reality are two different things. Are you still feeding the steering wheel through your hands?

Not on my motorbike...

But there is a very good safety reason why you are supposed to stop behind the first car, which is to stop LiamB's situation happening. Because he has gone to the front of the queue, he has had to either jump a red light by crossing the line or to stop alongside the first vehicle, which may not see him (most drivers are unlikely to check their right-hand blind spot before pulling away from lights).