Need a rant - f**king motorists and "invisible" cyclists
Discussion
Several decades of riding has convinced me that some drivers are beyond help. Most of car/cyclist encounters are due to Driving without due care, etc. Causes: Attitude, Selfishness, Low IQ, The Mental, Lack of awareness, "Cyclists don't count".
They may see you, but don't acknowledge you. Their attitude is exemplified their reaction to being critisised when you catch them up. Normally very hostile.
The commuter is very much more at risk than the sporting types who tend to ride away from the risky areas. I still avoid late afternoon, going home time.
They may see you, but don't acknowledge you. Their attitude is exemplified their reaction to being critisised when you catch them up. Normally very hostile.
The commuter is very much more at risk than the sporting types who tend to ride away from the risky areas. I still avoid late afternoon, going home time.
Just think how many times when driving you get cut up by some gormless idiot. Same applies when you get on the road on your bike.
I changed my route to work to avoid the usual numpty hotspots and although it's added almost a mile to my previously 7 mile commute I definitely feel much safer. Darker nights mean I'm now going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark so tend to use the car a lot more. No point being run over just to save a few quid in petrol.
Summer time it's fine though, just need eyes in the back of my head and accept that most drivers will be half asleep in the mornings and in a rush to get home in the evenings.
I changed my route to work to avoid the usual numpty hotspots and although it's added almost a mile to my previously 7 mile commute I definitely feel much safer. Darker nights mean I'm now going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark so tend to use the car a lot more. No point being run over just to save a few quid in petrol.
Summer time it's fine though, just need eyes in the back of my head and accept that most drivers will be half asleep in the mornings and in a rush to get home in the evenings.
I have to say that I have changed my riding style...dark nights, wet leaves and idiot motorists have meant that I now resemble a fluorescent christmas tree who cycles further away from the kerb. Having hit the wet leaves and nearly come off I now give them a wide berth.
Should I be hit by a car it would be impossible for any driver to say that they couldn't see me !!!
It does amaze me though how many people cycle on the road with no lights, helmet or reflective kit, I mean they look invisible on the road.
With regard to the flashing lights...I didn't know that they were illegal, however I am happy to break the law on this one, they are definately more attention grabbing and I'll take my chance with the BiB
Should I be hit by a car it would be impossible for any driver to say that they couldn't see me !!!
It does amaze me though how many people cycle on the road with no lights, helmet or reflective kit, I mean they look invisible on the road.
With regard to the flashing lights...I didn't know that they were illegal, however I am happy to break the law on this one, they are definately more attention grabbing and I'll take my chance with the BiB
It seems to go both ways. I now have a 12" gouge along the front wing of my Tuscan due to a cyclist with headphones in deciding to cut across through the traffic lanes whilst we were still moving slowly. His pedal hit my car hard enough that I felt it and he nearly fell off, but he just rode off.
It would appear that cars can be invisible (and silent) as well....
It would appear that cars can be invisible (and silent) as well....
Jimboka said:
I may be a lone voice, but my winter commute feels safer. I use 1 constant & 1 flashing light front & rear. I find cars give me a wider berth as I guess they can't judge how close they could get...
Thin ice Jimboka, thin ice.Edited by Jimboka on Saturday 30th October 21:06
Try commuting in Edinburgh it'll really boil your p**s. Motorists are as bad as any where else with the roads in the city centre not helping but tbh the f**king idiots who cycle deserve to get knocked off. Numerous times I see people cutting reds when you'd be crazy to play chicken with the crossing traffic. Loads of people don't bother with lights or helmets and the one that annoys me the cyclists who indicate and think that's all they have to do to warn motorists before sweeping across lanes of traffic.... I nearly ran a cyclist over in princesses street when he failed to look at the traffic coming down from the castle whilst cutting a red. Boy I shouted at him and turned a few heads and if I was on my orange five not carbon roadie I'd ploughed into him
I actually think the law changed so that flashing lights are no longer illegal - certainly some of the cycle 5-0 I see around use them.
HOWEVER, due to the way the human eye works, just a flashing light means that its distance can't be judged - hence why I use a flashing and steady light on the frame AND a flashing on the back of my rucksack.
HOWEVER, due to the way the human eye works, just a flashing light means that its distance can't be judged - hence why I use a flashing and steady light on the frame AND a flashing on the back of my rucksack.
bleesh said:
I actually think the law changed so that flashing lights are no longer illegal - certainly some of the cycle 5-0 I see around use them.
HOWEVER, due to the way the human eye works, just a flashing light means that its distance can't be judged - hence why I use a flashing and steady light on the frame AND a flashing on the back of my rucksack.
http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=4071HOWEVER, due to the way the human eye works, just a flashing light means that its distance can't be judged - hence why I use a flashing and steady light on the frame AND a flashing on the back of my rucksack.
and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/...
Flashers are legal as long as they're white front/red rear.
el stovey said:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=40...
and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/...
Flashers are legal as long as they're white front/red rear.
Cheers, wasn't aware of that. I still use two rear lights though for reasons stated about about the human eye judging distance with a flashing light. and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/...
Flashers are legal as long as they're white front/red rear.
The commuting continues... Friday was fine, this morning I got a lift in (knackered after a weekend of MTBing, driving and boarding
) as the wife was going for a train from the station next to my work. Tonight will be the first properly dark commute home of this winter though...Parrot of Doom said:
Have you noticed how balanced the answers are in this thread, compared to similar threads in GG complaining about "fecking cyclists"?
I did actually - nice to have a thread with actual balanced responses when it comes to cyclists vs cars. Looking back at my original post I can see myself coming across as pretty hard on motorists, but my defence is I was bloody raging when I typed it lol.PaulHogan said:
The roads were not and (mainly) are not built for cyclists. It would be much better if cyclists were simply banned from all lesser roads like they are banned from motorways.
Ah, there we go........ 
I call TROLL.
(edit - forgot the "smilie"
)Edited by a11y_m on Monday 1st November 09:25
PaulHogan said:
The roads were not and (mainly) are not built for cyclists. It would be much better if cyclists were simply banned from all lesser roads like they are banned from motorways.
We could ban cars from any road that was built originally for horses. So what roads would you propose cyclists be allowed on?
PaulHogan said:
Obviously it's not going to happen. As there is no money to build alternative routes for cycles only. (maybe if cyclists had to pay a road tax and have insurance then the funds could be generated over time...)
But, logically, it is the best solution.
Logically the best solution is for ALL road users to act responsibly and walk/ride/drive carefully and with consideration of others. Adding more laws because people are incompetent road users seems to be illogical - treat the cause (crap road users) rather than the symptom (accidents).But, logically, it is the best solution.
Edited by ewenm on Monday 1st November 09:38
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