Do you 'engage' with cyclists?
Discussion
Interested in other people's opinions / experiences on this...
Trying to get home yesterday, a tree hugger in dark clothing and obligatory lack of lights was clogging up the single lane main road yesterday at rush hour. His selfish human rights self didn't care of the fact that there was a huge tailbacks due to his paltry maximum of 15-18 mph. Also kept going through red lights.
There was a cycle lane, however he wasn't using it as he either decided it was too narrow for him or that the whole road is all one big 'pinch point'. I would have happily interacted further but the cycling has turned him into a Wiggins-shaped weakling. In cleats.!
I wondered is there any point in 'engaging' with cyclists in situations like this? The downside is (as we see on so many videos online) that you may encounter a nutter who is happy to start tapping your rear windscreen, or hit your side mirrors or use physical violence. Given the cyclists gesture to me afterwards, they clearly believe they are in the right and probably now have a negative opinion of motorists. Therefore me 'engaging' with them has not had the desired effect.
Trying to get home yesterday, a tree hugger in dark clothing and obligatory lack of lights was clogging up the single lane main road yesterday at rush hour. His selfish human rights self didn't care of the fact that there was a huge tailbacks due to his paltry maximum of 15-18 mph. Also kept going through red lights.
There was a cycle lane, however he wasn't using it as he either decided it was too narrow for him or that the whole road is all one big 'pinch point'. I would have happily interacted further but the cycling has turned him into a Wiggins-shaped weakling. In cleats.!
I wondered is there any point in 'engaging' with cyclists in situations like this? The downside is (as we see on so many videos online) that you may encounter a nutter who is happy to start tapping your rear windscreen, or hit your side mirrors or use physical violence. Given the cyclists gesture to me afterwards, they clearly believe they are in the right and probably now have a negative opinion of motorists. Therefore me 'engaging' with them has not had the desired effect.
Mr Roper said:
If there's a cycle path and he's not using it causing tailbacks then damn right I'd tell him.
I don't use all cycle paths, some of them are covered in crap from the road, covered in junctions that are inviting a t bone accident and some require you to come back on to the road anyway. And of course lets not forget that there is no obligation to use them, as cyclists are perfectly entitled to be on the road with the cars. Also I seem to remember if you're riding at speeds above a certain level then you're recommended to be on the road anyway, I think the speeds mentioned in OP are over that threshold.Where was this cycle path, I see you're local to where I live (sadly) I can probably give you some balance as to why they were not using it.
Edited by okgo on Wednesday 25th February 11:43
LordGrover said:
If by edit you refer to my deletion, it's because I stopped and thought about it.
I can't be arsed to get involved with pompous, self-righteous zealots so bowed out.
The zealots? I've got a car, in fact I drove it last night when I could easily have cycled the journey, in Kingston too, but I'm not a complete idiot and can understand that not always are bike lanes well thought out or even safe vs the roads.I can't be arsed to get involved with pompous, self-righteous zealots so bowed out.
Yazar said:
Trying to get home yesterday, a tree hugger in dark clothing and obligatory lack of lights was clogging up the single lane main road yesterday at rush hour. His selfish human rights self didn't care of the fact that there was a huge tailbacks due to his paltry maximum of 15-18 mph. Also kept going through red lights.
Surely self preservation would make all but the truly stupid want to be seen by other road users. I just don't understand why someone would get on a bicycle and take that chance- the roads are bad enough in a car.Squawk1066 said:
Surely self preservation would make all but the truly stupid want to be seen by other road users. I just don't understand why someone would get on a bicycle and take that chance- the roads are bad enough in a car.
This, however if you drive around Cambridge then you realise that it simply isn't the case and there is a fair proportion of people on cycles that seem to want to end up under a significant amount of metal.Woo another cyclist thread.
Lack of reflective gear and no lights at night is inexcusable and you should be fined – ohh wait you can be but there are sod all police around to do it.
On the other points, some cycle paths are a pain in the backside because they are nothing more than a bit of pre-existing footpath that has been painted/marked as a cycle path. I only use proper divided cycle lanes on the road and genuine cycle paths that are totally separate from the road/path. You will find that many ‘cycle paths’ exist because the EU was/is offering money to the councils if they invested in cycle infrastructure, painted lines qualify as cycle infrastructure.
The ‘cycle paths’ that are re-marked footpaths bring pedestrians and cyclists into conflict you have to constantly bell people to get them to move out of the way for which you often receive a scornful look or as often happens they have an iPod plugged in so they can’t hear you anyway, or their rat dog has its lead stretched out over the path. This means that you can’t ride at a decent pace (and for me that is 15mph + unless there is a steep hill or vicious headwind) if there are any pedestrians about just in case and believe me cycling at 10mph is just as tedious and infuriating for me as a cyclist as it is for you being sat behind a cyclist doing up to 20mph on the road or some cretinous little arse hole doing 40-50mph in a 60 zone for no good reason.
The ‘cycle paths’ are also frequently not very wide and are two way this means that one cycle has to move onto the footpath or stop to let the other past and it’s virtually impossible to overtake Mrs Miggins doing just over walking pace on her 50 year old three speed complete with small dog in the basket as there just isn’t the room.
I speak from both a motorist and cyclists point of view.
Lack of reflective gear and no lights at night is inexcusable and you should be fined – ohh wait you can be but there are sod all police around to do it.
On the other points, some cycle paths are a pain in the backside because they are nothing more than a bit of pre-existing footpath that has been painted/marked as a cycle path. I only use proper divided cycle lanes on the road and genuine cycle paths that are totally separate from the road/path. You will find that many ‘cycle paths’ exist because the EU was/is offering money to the councils if they invested in cycle infrastructure, painted lines qualify as cycle infrastructure.
The ‘cycle paths’ that are re-marked footpaths bring pedestrians and cyclists into conflict you have to constantly bell people to get them to move out of the way for which you often receive a scornful look or as often happens they have an iPod plugged in so they can’t hear you anyway, or their rat dog has its lead stretched out over the path. This means that you can’t ride at a decent pace (and for me that is 15mph + unless there is a steep hill or vicious headwind) if there are any pedestrians about just in case and believe me cycling at 10mph is just as tedious and infuriating for me as a cyclist as it is for you being sat behind a cyclist doing up to 20mph on the road or some cretinous little arse hole doing 40-50mph in a 60 zone for no good reason.
The ‘cycle paths’ are also frequently not very wide and are two way this means that one cycle has to move onto the footpath or stop to let the other past and it’s virtually impossible to overtake Mrs Miggins doing just over walking pace on her 50 year old three speed complete with small dog in the basket as there just isn’t the room.
I speak from both a motorist and cyclists point of view.
Up to a point because I doubt anyone dim enough to ride on a main road in the dark with no lights is likely to be that receptive to advice. It would have to be easy as well. Sod turning around, parking up and trying to have a conversation. So if I could shout "put some feckin; lights on, dips
t" through an open window, yes, otherwise no.
Similar issues from my own experience in the not too distant past:
1) Two runners in dark clothing running in the road at night and ignoring the 8' pavement
2) Blackberry pickers picking fruit from the road on a blind bend with no pavements
3) Families with dogs off leads and unrestrained toddlers having a stroll in the middle of the same road
3) often tell drivers to slow down.
What can you do? It's Darwin.
t" through an open window, yes, otherwise no.Similar issues from my own experience in the not too distant past:
1) Two runners in dark clothing running in the road at night and ignoring the 8' pavement
2) Blackberry pickers picking fruit from the road on a blind bend with no pavements
3) Families with dogs off leads and unrestrained toddlers having a stroll in the middle of the same road
3) often tell drivers to slow down.
What can you do? It's Darwin.
It's about being courteous and understand how your actions affect others. Some people are s and don't give a st about others.
In a tight road, if the timing is right, I have actually stopped to let cyclists coming in the other direction go first. It does surprise them, mind.
As I say, it's about being courteous to other road users.
s and don't give a st about others.In a tight road, if the timing is right, I have actually stopped to let cyclists coming in the other direction go first. It does surprise them, mind.
As I say, it's about being courteous to other road users.
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