There's a new cycling epidemic....
Discussion
I live out in the sticks and along a hugely popular cycling route in South Wales. I've been here for a year now and have just about gotten used to the numbers of cyclists about, but a recent trend is testing my patience.
Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
RowntreesCabana said:
I live out in the sticks and along a hugely popular cycling route in South Wales. I've been here for a year now and have just about gotten used to the numbers of cyclists about, but a recent trend is testing my patience.
Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
That contrasts with the SIngle Track road I use where a fair few drivers go way, way too fast round blind bends and look totally surprised when there is something coming the other way, the mode of transport isnt the problem, its whoever is driving or riding it, I regularly end up having to dive left as some dumb pillock in an X5 screams past, suppose the stakes are higher for me though, as for any cyclist, I think the minute you lose concentration and rely on people in big heavy things to see you, you are on borrrowed time.Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
TwistingMyMelon said:
Confirmation bias with a sample size of one....
I've noticed a trend recently of drivers being really short tempered with cyclists that van ramming one off the road proves it
With all due respect, this is happening more and more frequently, probably 5 or 6 times over the last few weeks.. What exactly is van ramming?I've noticed a trend recently of drivers being really short tempered with cyclists that van ramming one off the road proves it
J4CKO said:
That contrasts with the SIngle Track road I use where a fair few drivers go way, way too fast round blind bends and look totally surprised when there is something coming the other way, the mode of transport isnt the problem, its whoever is driving or riding it, I regularly end up having to dive left as some dumb pillock in an X5 screams past, suppose the stakes are higher for me though, as for any cyclist, I think the minute you lose concentration and rely on people in big heavy things to see you, you are on borrrowed time.
True, but I've been here for a year now, and this is defintely a recent problem. I don't know whether its simply a case of fair weather cyclists hitting the roads, but for crying out loud, if you're on a bike you're in far more danger, at least look where you're going. Tonight, it was a guy zig zagging up hill whilst looking down at the road. Possibly a fitness issue, as in he was simply that f
ked he was mentally exhausted, but its an accident waiting to happen.RowntreesCabana said:
I live out in the sticks and along a hugely popular cycling route in South Wales. I've been here for a year now and have just about gotten used to the numbers of cyclists about, but a recent trend is testing my patience.
Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
Took me a while to work out what you're talking about but I'd be fairly certain that there's Strava segments up the hills they're competing for!Over the last month or two I've noticed a good 10% of cyclists aren't actually looking where they're going. I'll drive around a bend and be met with a cyclist on the wrong side of the lane with his head down, or coming up a hill with the head down riding towards my bonnet as I've pulled up. Luckily for them I'm really taking it carefully now, but some of them are completely oblivious, almost jumping out of their skins with fright when they finally look up.
Why oh why would you do this along roads only designed with barely enough room for one car?
As a side note, the road wasn't 'designed' for one car at all! It was probably tarmacked/surfaced decades ago when cars were half the size and the only people in that area were probably driving tractors anyway...
Banana Boy said:
Took me a while to work out what you're talking about but I'd be fairly certain that there's Strava segments up the hills they're competing for!
As a side note, the road wasn't 'designed' for one car at all! It was probably tarmacked/surfaced decades ago when cars were half the size and the only people in that area were probably driving tractors anyway...
As a side note, it probably wasn't "designed" for a lycra biker either! But for when cars and bicycles weren't invented and people were half the size, tractors were way in the future and a horse (and cart if you were posh) were status symbols!As a side note, the road wasn't 'designed' for one car at all! It was probably tarmacked/surfaced decades ago when cars were half the size and the only people in that area were probably driving tractors anyway...
This is PH after all, not MAMIL Weekly FFS!
Mr Tidy said:
As a side note, it probably wasn't "designed" for a lycra biker either! But for when cars and bicycles weren't invented and people were half the size, tractors were way in the future and a horse (and cart if you were posh) were status symbols!
This is PH after all, not MAMIL Weekly FFS!
Actually I'll think you find most roads were paved at the turn of the century because of the pushbike, I thank you very much.This is PH after all, not MAMIL Weekly FFS!
And this is the pedal powered section, so if you don't like it why are you posting on this particular section......FFS !
OP "lives out in the sticks in South Wales"
I was born and brought up there. If it's truly "in the sticks" there's probably no suitable alternative to the road he's on. It's also highly likely that the road only exists because it wasn't "designed" at all. It most likely grew out of a lane worn into the landscape by the herding of sheep, or driving of cattle to market, or between winter and summer pasture.
As for cyclists not looking where they are going? A Strava acquaintance of mine recently wrote off his bike, and hurt himself quite badly, when he rode into the back of an AA van attending a breakdown at the side of the road. I can't say I've recently experienced the sort of roads the OP talks about, but yesterday I was driving back from Kent to Hampshire through the Surrey Hills "cycling corridor" and I can confirm that there were loads of problems around cyclists on the route. But from what I could see, they were caused by inept or downright aggressive driving, rather than poor cycling.
Finally, to the OP directly: If they are riding uphill, and you have come to a halt, worry not. The cyclist who isn't looking will probably wake up when they see your car in their peripheral vision, whereupon they will cack their pants, wobble, and possibly fall off. This will be a) entertaining, and b) entirely their own fault. If you are driving down narrow lanes, you'll never be able to safely drive at the speed limit anyway. Take it easy and enjoy the drive...
I was born and brought up there. If it's truly "in the sticks" there's probably no suitable alternative to the road he's on. It's also highly likely that the road only exists because it wasn't "designed" at all. It most likely grew out of a lane worn into the landscape by the herding of sheep, or driving of cattle to market, or between winter and summer pasture.
As for cyclists not looking where they are going? A Strava acquaintance of mine recently wrote off his bike, and hurt himself quite badly, when he rode into the back of an AA van attending a breakdown at the side of the road. I can't say I've recently experienced the sort of roads the OP talks about, but yesterday I was driving back from Kent to Hampshire through the Surrey Hills "cycling corridor" and I can confirm that there were loads of problems around cyclists on the route. But from what I could see, they were caused by inept or downright aggressive driving, rather than poor cycling.
Finally, to the OP directly: If they are riding uphill, and you have come to a halt, worry not. The cyclist who isn't looking will probably wake up when they see your car in their peripheral vision, whereupon they will cack their pants, wobble, and possibly fall off. This will be a) entertaining, and b) entirely their own fault. If you are driving down narrow lanes, you'll never be able to safely drive at the speed limit anyway. Take it easy and enjoy the drive...
cb1965 said:
Because it's completely up to you to ensure their safety
EFA:100% correct!
As an operator of a vehicle it is entirely down to you to ensure that you don't hit other road users, especially those more vulnerable than yourself! Like cyclists and pedestrians...
Equally, it is up to cyclists to ensure their own safety and the safety of those more vulnerable than them - such as pedestrians.
It really isn't that difficult, the real difficulty appears to be getting people on all sides to accept their own responsibility to themselves and others... I genuinely fear for humanity and the world that my daughters are growing up in.
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