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

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

Author
Discussion

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Mastodon2 said:
Ah, a pro-cyclist, anti-motorist piece that assumes that motorists are morons and cyclists are unsung heroes trying to save us all, written by a cycle propaganda hack. How balanced.
Why not argue with the points raised in the OP rather than simply dismissing the whole thing?

Or do you not agree with any of it?

Just because it is written from one perspective doesn't make it automatically "wrong".....

Truffs

266 posts

137 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
GarryDK said:
Or you could try not reading threads about bikes! rolleyes
You have not really understood my post. Its a bit deeper than that or a rolleyes. I do try not to read them now which is a shame and one of the points I was making. We are getting immune to all this stuff as its day in and day out. It just does not help get the important points across as people switch off.

Truffs

266 posts

137 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
will_ said:
You mean, for example, the Pedal Powered sub-forum on PISTONHEADS?
Ah so this post is miss placed and should be in a sub forum??? How does it get moved into there?

TheGreatSoprendo

5,286 posts

248 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
will_ said:
You mean, for example, the Pedal Powered sub-forum on PISTONHEADS?
Indeed, along with all of the below. Perhaps we should get them all closed down?

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oyster

12,577 posts

247 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
LiamB said:
Expert pot hole spotters.. Expert aholes more like.

I had a cyclist go into the side of me yesterday while I was filtering on a motorbike, he fell on the floor then promptly got up and basically called me a for not riding a kids toy and that they have right of way EVERYWHERE apparently (he came out from in front of a bus into my side)

I can't fking stand the pro cyclist, anti everything else bds. Stay in your little cycle lane and let me watch the Lycra clad women's arses.
You sound too angry to ride a bike in public.

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Truffs said:
will_ said:
You mean, for example, the Pedal Powered sub-forum on PISTONHEADS?
Ah so this post is miss placed and should be in a sub forum??? How does it get moved into there?
Why do you think the topic is misplaced? It's about cars and cyclists interacting on the road - GG seems perfectly suitable.

Do you think that liking cars and liking bikes are mutually exclusive?

TurboHatchback

4,152 posts

152 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I imagine there is a bit of defensive cycling, when I ride on the road I don't trust drivers to make intelligent decisions about whether the road is wide enough for two cars + bike or 1 car + bike so I make it for them. If the road is only wide enough for 1 car + bike then I deliberately ride far enough out to stop people from squeezing past because they can't wait 5 seconds for an overtaking spot. On a road that is wide enough I ride further in to allow overtakers past while traffic comes the other way.

GarryDK

5,670 posts

157 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Truffs said:
GarryDK said:
Or you could try not reading threads about bikes! rolleyes
You have not really understood my post. Its a bit deeper than that or a rolleyes. I do try not to read them now which is a shame and one of the points I was making. We are getting immune to all this stuff as its day in and day out. It just does not help get the important points across as people switch off.
i read it and understood it, and it still gets a rolleyes shall we shut down all the threads about sports? books? gardening? watches? food? drink? being its PISTONheads? or can we all share our common hobbies/loves/interests? I'm sure the the powers in PH towers would love to see over 50% of their users disappear!

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

249 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
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.

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
oyster said:
LiamB said:
Expert pot hole spotters.. Expert aholes more like.

I had a cyclist go into the side of me yesterday while I was filtering on a motorbike, he fell on the floor then promptly got up and basically called me a for not riding a kids toy and that they have right of way EVERYWHERE apparently (he came out from in front of a bus into my side)

I can't fking stand the pro cyclist, anti everything else bds. Stay in your little cycle lane and let me watch the Lycra clad women's arses.
You sound too angry to ride a bike in public.
Angry motorcyclists should just stay off the roads. Can't stand them.

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
will_ said:
Why not argue with the Points raised in the OP rather than simply dismissing the whole thing?

Or do you not agree with any of it?

Just because it is written from one perspective doesn't make it automatically "wrong".....
Because the majority of cyclists I see the roads aren't inconveniencing anyone for safety's sake (and while we're at it, I'll spot my own hazards and I'll be the one choosing when to overtake, thanks), they are doing it because they don't give a flying fk about anyone else on the road, as long as they get to live out their tour De France fantasies they are happy.

LiamB

7,923 posts

142 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
will_ said:
oyster said:
LiamB said:
Expert pot hole spotters.. Expert aholes more like.

I had a cyclist go into the side of me yesterday while I was filtering on a motorbike, he fell on the floor then promptly got up and basically called me a for not riding a kids toy and that they have right of way EVERYWHERE apparently (he came out from in front of a bus into my side)

I can't fking stand the pro cyclist, anti everything else bds. Stay in your little cycle lane and let me watch the Lycra clad women's arses.
You sound too angry to ride a bike in public.
Angry motorcyclists should just stay off the roads. Can't stand them.
I'm not an angry rider. I don't go around shouting in peoples faces, I just hate some cyclists that think everyone on the road should work by there rules and if you want to overtake them, they're not happy they have enough room till your riding into oncoming traffic. MOST cyclists are okay. They actually look where they are going and say thank you, it's the select few extremist cyclists that I hate.

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Mastodon2 said:
Because the majority of cyclists I see the roads aren't inconveniencing anyone for safety's sake (and while we're at it, I'll spot my own hazards and I'll be the one choosing when to overtake, thanks), they are doing it because they don't give a flying fk about anyone else on the road, as long as they get to live out their tour De France fantasies they are happy.
Mind reading and expert hazard perception.

If only all drivers were as good as you, cyclists wouldn't need to ride defensively.

I don't think for one moment that you have any idea why cyclists do what they do, nor do you care. You've probably not even read the OP to bother to try to understand, as if you did you might at least have something constructive to say about it (rather than making crass presumptions and generalisations).

cjb1

2,000 posts

150 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
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.
laughbeerthumbup

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
LiamB said:
will_ said:
oyster said:
LiamB said:
Expert pot hole spotters.. Expert aholes more like.

I had a cyclist go into the side of me yesterday while I was filtering on a motorbike, he fell on the floor then promptly got up and basically called me a for not riding a kids toy and that they have right of way EVERYWHERE apparently (he came out from in front of a bus into my side)

I can't fking stand the pro cyclist, anti everything else bds. Stay in your little cycle lane and let me watch the Lycra clad women's arses.
You sound too angry to ride a bike in public.
Angry motorcyclists should just stay off the roads. Can't stand them.
I'm not an angry rider. I don't go around shouting in peoples faces, I just hate some cyclists that think everyone on the road should work by there rules and if you want to overtake them, they're not happy they have enough room till your riding into oncoming traffic. MOST cyclists are okay. They actually look where they are going and say thank you, it's the select few extremist cyclists that I hate.
I can't stand the motorcyclists who scream past giving inches of room, dart into mandatory cycle lanes without looking, ride into cycle boxes or block filtering spaces because they're incompetent, bully and hassle other road users and generally act like tts.

otolith

55,899 posts

203 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
You are approaching a narrowing of the road between parked cars. You can see another car coming the other way. It might just be possible for both of you to squeeze through at once but it's risky, someone is likely to lose a wing mirror. You are entering the narrowing first.

Do you position your car as far over to the left as you can, to encourage the oncoming car to have a go, or do you place your car so it's clear that he needs to wait until you are clear?

LiamB

7,923 posts

142 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
will_ said:
LiamB said:
will_ said:
oyster said:
LiamB said:
Expert pot hole spotters.. Expert aholes more like.

I had a cyclist go into the side of me yesterday while I was filtering on a motorbike, he fell on the floor then promptly got up and basically called me a for not riding a kids toy and that they have right of way EVERYWHERE apparently (he came out from in front of a bus into my side)

I can't fking stand the pro cyclist, anti everything else bds. Stay in your little cycle lane and let me watch the Lycra clad women's arses.
You sound too angry to ride a bike in public.
Angry motorcyclists should just stay off the roads. Can't stand them.
I'm not an angry rider. I don't go around shouting in peoples faces, I just hate some cyclists that think everyone on the road should work by there rules and if you want to overtake them, they're not happy they have enough room till your riding into oncoming traffic. MOST cyclists are okay. They actually look where they are going and say thank you, it's the select few extremist cyclists that I hate.
I can't stand the motorcyclists who scream past giving inches of room, dart into mandatory cycle lanes without looking, ride into cycle boxes or block filtering spaces because they're incompetent, bully and hassle other road users and generally act like tts.
Well that's lovely. I don't do any of that, but one. And I rarely see any of it being done either. I always look for cyclists that are trying to kill themselves, never use the cycle lanes, 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.


jimbop1

2,441 posts

203 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the read. I needed a good laugh laugh.

Rawwr

22,722 posts

233 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I've never been inconvenienced by a cyclist. I may have had to slow down and, horror, give thought and consideration to another road user, but I've never been inconvenienced. People on the whole are just angry, selfish, impatient twots.

will_

6,027 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
LiamB said:
Well that's lovely. I don't do any of that, but one. And I rarely see any of it being done either. I always look for cyclists that are trying to kill themselves, never use the cycle lanes, 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.
Until another cyclist arrives and you're taking up the space clearly and expressly reserved for him. So he has to sit next to the wheel of a car at a red light instead of you - but heck, who cares eh? I'm sure those road designers meant for motorcyclists to use the cycle boxes but just got the picture wrong.

Oh, and you've run a red light to get there.

Damn these cyclists - don't you know they all break the law?