Cyclists! Why do they ride in the middle of the road?
Discussion
boyse7en said:
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).
Marvib said:
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.
What do you mean by "easy overtaking"?Given that you need to pass into the oposing lane to pass a single cyclist, it really doesn't matter if they are in primary or secondary road position.
Riding primary only stops those who would otherwise just squeeze by (or even just blast past) - that's the whole point.
The exception (which you may be speaking of) is where the lane is wide enough for a car to give the required distance when passing, but for a cyclist riding far out. But that's a very small number of roads I would think.
yonex said:
the only option is to carry some motorist repellent 
. Fits neatly in my jersey pocket, weighs little. Have a look yourselves at the effects of pepper spray, quite remarkable, cheap as well.
So, my angry fellow road users.
There's only one angry road user in your post. . Fits neatly in my jersey pocket, weighs little. Have a look yourselves at the effects of pepper spray, quite remarkable, cheap as well.So, my angry fellow road users.
PS. Cars typically have a roof and windows thus making the application of pepper spray particularly tricky. You may need to rethink.
yonex said:
It's amazing that it's perfectly acceptable to play risky games with cyclists lives, largely due to impatience, then take the moral high ground.
Like I said it hasn't happened but if/when it does I absolutely won't be taking a beating from some knuckle head.
Your decision Yonex. Like I said it hasn't happened but if/when it does I absolutely won't be taking a beating from some knuckle head.
Carrying pepper spray is an offence.
But actually using it would see you charged with ABH or GBH and may well cloud the issue of the drivers liability for anything that happened prior to your use of the spray.
I don't think anyone here is stating that it is acceptable to play risky games with cyclist's lives. Just that it isn't smart for cyclists to do so either.
Some people think that the best way for a cyclist to stay safe is to deliberately block traffic.
Some people think that the best way for a cyclist to stay safe is not to deliberately p
s off a random driver of whose temperament they have no idea by placing their venerable flesh and blood in the path of a couple of tonnes of steel with at least a 15mph speed differential.Jagmanv12 said:
Cycle paths are built at great expense to all of us so I suggest if cyclists don't want to use them then cycling clubs should tell the authorities you don't want them. That would save some of our taxes being wasted.
Cycle paths are a tick box exercise for counsels. They're rarely done with proper consultation. It is indeed a waste of our money. Even if done properly, they aren't going to be suitable for all riders.
Rawwr said:
There's only one angry road user in your post.
PS. Cars typically have a roof and windows thus making the application of pepper spray particularly tricky. You may need to rethink.
lol, yes I might have to wait until said fat, middle aged angry bloke gets out of his car, you know the type?PS. Cars typically have a roof and windows thus making the application of pepper spray particularly tricky. You may need to rethink.
Jagmanv12 said:
Cycle paths are built at great expense to all of us so I suggest if cyclists don't want to use them then cycling clubs should tell the authorities you don't want them. That would save some of our taxes being wasted.
The law about riding on the pavement should be repealed. There are loads of pavements that are barely used by pedestrians and cycling on them would be safer for cyclists than riding in the road. Cyclists ride on the pavement in Tokyo and it works there. Obviously they have consideration for pedestrians and don't expect to ride as if they are in the Tour de France. As we read from the posts here some cyclists have no consideration for other road users.
I cycled for 8 years and would have welcomed cycle paths. Also I always kept close to the kerb as was recommended in the HC.
To address some of your points:The law about riding on the pavement should be repealed. There are loads of pavements that are barely used by pedestrians and cycling on them would be safer for cyclists than riding in the road. Cyclists ride on the pavement in Tokyo and it works there. Obviously they have consideration for pedestrians and don't expect to ride as if they are in the Tour de France. As we read from the posts here some cyclists have no consideration for other road users.
I cycled for 8 years and would have welcomed cycle paths. Also I always kept close to the kerb as was recommended in the HC.
- 'Great expense'? Have you seen the standard of most British 'cycle paths', many of which are no more than white lines on a pavement or road.
- 'Some cyclists have no consideration...' - just like 'some drivers' apparently regard cyclists - human beings, remember - as nothing more than potential roadkill.
- Riding on pavements is not a satisfactory alternative to using the road, as pavements are strewn with obstructions, children, dogs, pushchairs and pedestrians on autopilot messing about with phones, iPods etc. Would you welcome the suggestion that you drive your car in such cluttered and intrinsically unsafe conditions?
- If pavement cycling were legalised cyclists would receive even more abuse for cycling on the roads, which we have a legal right to do.
- Keep close to the kerb - Great idea, ride in all the glass and debris swept to the road side by cars, drop into every drain and manhole cover in existence, and invite traffic to crush you / run you off the road.
You are a perfect example of the type of totally self-centered, intolerant, arrogant, patronising moron that seems to largely inhabit the UK these days and whom I dread trying to share the roads with...
BGarside said:
To address some of your points:
- 'Great expense'? Have you seen the standard of most British 'cycle paths', many of which are no more than white lines on a pavement or road.
- 'Some cyclists have no consideration...' - just like 'some drivers' apparently regard cyclists - human beings, remember - as nothing more than potential roadkill.
- Riding on pavements is not a satisfactory alternative to using the road, as pavements are strewn with obstructions, children, dogs, pushchairs and pedestrians on autopilot messing about with phones, iPods etc. Would you welcome the suggestion that you drive your car in such cluttered and intrinsically unsafe conditions?
- If pavement cycling were legalised cyclists would receive even more abuse for cycling on the roads, which we have a legal right to do.
- Keep close to the kerb - Great idea, ride in all the glass and debris swept to the road side by cars, drop into every drain and manhole cover in existence, and invite traffic to crush you / run you off the road.
You are a perfect example of the type of totally self-centered, intolerant, arrogant, patronising moron that seems to largely inhabit the UK these days and whom I dread trying to share the roads with...
Maybe if cyclist had to pay tax,mot,insurance,we drivers wouldn't mind where you ride.- 'Great expense'? Have you seen the standard of most British 'cycle paths', many of which are no more than white lines on a pavement or road.
- 'Some cyclists have no consideration...' - just like 'some drivers' apparently regard cyclists - human beings, remember - as nothing more than potential roadkill.
- Riding on pavements is not a satisfactory alternative to using the road, as pavements are strewn with obstructions, children, dogs, pushchairs and pedestrians on autopilot messing about with phones, iPods etc. Would you welcome the suggestion that you drive your car in such cluttered and intrinsically unsafe conditions?
- If pavement cycling were legalised cyclists would receive even more abuse for cycling on the roads, which we have a legal right to do.
- Keep close to the kerb - Great idea, ride in all the glass and debris swept to the road side by cars, drop into every drain and manhole cover in existence, and invite traffic to crush you / run you off the road.
You are a perfect example of the type of totally self-centered, intolerant, arrogant, patronising moron that seems to largely inhabit the UK these days and whom I dread trying to share the roads with...
And the money made off you could go to cleaning up the glass,debris,manhole covers,potholes,drains.
BGarside said:
- Keep close to the kerb - Great idea, ride in all the glass and debris swept to the road side by cars, drop into every drain and manhole cover in existence, and invite traffic to crush you / run you off the road.
C'mon BG, Barring potholes, glass, and drains, there is no reason why a bike could not be ridden close the the curb.
I stay out about 18" to 2', so that I've go somewhere to go if some one does try to squeeze past. If I see a nasty in the road I'll move gradually out.
You may choose to take the primate position (I like calling it that, it seems to annoy old airbags
) for the very last of your reasons, but the others can be easily managed by a competent cyclist.TooMany2cvs said:
KarlMac said:
Whats the excuse for riding 4 abreast like my local club has taken to?
Shorter "pack", so easier to overtake. After all, even if there was just one, you'd be giving them as much width as possible, right?Gggrrr!
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