Passing Cyclists!!
Discussion
I think a lot of the issue is perspective, its hard to understand the cyclists position if you haven't ridden a bike since 1986 when you got your first car, and similarly if you cant drive a car and only ride bikes it limits your understanding, same for trucks, buses, motorcycles, horses etc.
Cyclists arent one amorphous group, I just walked the dog and saw two people on bikes, neither were lit and one had headphones in, like the driver of a well maintained, MOTd, insured, taxed car doesnt identify with those in uninsured, untaxed sheds I dont have much time for those kinds of cyclists, they arent cyclists really, its knobheads on bikes.
I think we only tend to notice the problematic ones on the road, cars and bikes, and with cyclists I feel, and I have done it when in my car, it is all to easy to go from zero to raging in 30 seconds if stuck behind a group who are seemingly oblivious to you, but then will sit in a queue of cars for ages without complaint.
Dont rule out cycling, you dont need to choose a cause, its just another option and suitable for some journeys, cars work for some but sometimes its not the best option, sometimes a bike is the answer but other times a car is better, sometimes walking is the perfect solution, not taking the car like a chap I know to drive 100 yards to pick up his Chinese meal, possibly part of the reason he is very large.
I would just say try it, cycling can be utterly miserable, up hill into the wind, its cold and raining but at least it isnt never dull and when its good it is so wonderful, saves fuel, you get some exercise and can always park near the door.
Even if you arent that fit or live in a hilly area , get an E Bike, what a fantastic invention.
Future is going to be EV's bikes and IC's for fun I reckon, doesnt sound so bad to me.
Cyclists arent one amorphous group, I just walked the dog and saw two people on bikes, neither were lit and one had headphones in, like the driver of a well maintained, MOTd, insured, taxed car doesnt identify with those in uninsured, untaxed sheds I dont have much time for those kinds of cyclists, they arent cyclists really, its knobheads on bikes.
I think we only tend to notice the problematic ones on the road, cars and bikes, and with cyclists I feel, and I have done it when in my car, it is all to easy to go from zero to raging in 30 seconds if stuck behind a group who are seemingly oblivious to you, but then will sit in a queue of cars for ages without complaint.
Dont rule out cycling, you dont need to choose a cause, its just another option and suitable for some journeys, cars work for some but sometimes its not the best option, sometimes a bike is the answer but other times a car is better, sometimes walking is the perfect solution, not taking the car like a chap I know to drive 100 yards to pick up his Chinese meal, possibly part of the reason he is very large.
I would just say try it, cycling can be utterly miserable, up hill into the wind, its cold and raining but at least it isnt never dull and when its good it is so wonderful, saves fuel, you get some exercise and can always park near the door.
Even if you arent that fit or live in a hilly area , get an E Bike, what a fantastic invention.
Future is going to be EV's bikes and IC's for fun I reckon, doesnt sound so bad to me.
Jazzer said:
Today was the worst I have ever witnessed with cyclists clogging up the roads, causing massive frustration for drivers. ....time they paid some road tax perhaps?
Jazzer
Jazzer
Jazzer said:
Something clearly needs to give here, or should we sit back and watch death tolls in accidents involving cyclists continue to rise?
Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....
The people suggesting bicycles should be subject to road tax are the people who are just brilliant at total non-sequitur arguments.Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....
slk 32 said:
I both drive and ride bikes... indeed I've just got back from a 28 mile ride up to the M25 and back from Richmond.
I've had three incidents in approx 20,000 miles. Two were old people passing too close (lack of spatial awareness) and the second was narrowly missing a head on collision with a Range Rover in Richmond Park who came round a blind bend on thr wrong side of the road overtaking a 20 man peloton who seemed to think they were in the Tour de France.
The majority of car and van drivers are considerate, I just think sometimes cyclists need to match this.
Riding along two abreast may be legal but is it necessary?. The same for riding in a huge peloton which just causes frustration to other road users who find it then difficult to overtake.
I came up behind three lycra clad middle aged blokes the other day... they were all carrying a bit of timber and were obviously mates but they were riding wheel to wheel at a slow pace. I could almost understand the draughting if they were more serious club riders but the speed they were going at (sub 20 mph) it wouldn't have made much difference.
In this case why couldn't they have split up a bit and left maybe 3-4 car lengths in between so that cars on a busy road weren't having to try and pass all three at once?. I dropped back leaving a 3-4 car gap for a mile or so before I turned off just so I didn't make the situation worse
All it takes is a nit of consideration from both sides and 9 times out of 10 it works.
That's not to say I'm a saint..I will regularly ride through red lights in London when I'm commuting on my Boris bike. I take the view it is safer to do that than try to pull away as the light changes on an uphill stretch of the Embankment at 630am when you are surrounded by construction traffic who can't see directly in front of them because of the height of their cabs.
This is all well and good but, I’m sure that like all other average mileage drivers, I possibly spend 25 hours of my life annually in traffic. How much of this do cyclists cost me? 1 minute a year? Two? Two at the absolute most. You’ve probably just spent more time typing it out than you’ll spend held up by cyclists in any given year. I've had three incidents in approx 20,000 miles. Two were old people passing too close (lack of spatial awareness) and the second was narrowly missing a head on collision with a Range Rover in Richmond Park who came round a blind bend on thr wrong side of the road overtaking a 20 man peloton who seemed to think they were in the Tour de France.
The majority of car and van drivers are considerate, I just think sometimes cyclists need to match this.
Riding along two abreast may be legal but is it necessary?. The same for riding in a huge peloton which just causes frustration to other road users who find it then difficult to overtake.
I came up behind three lycra clad middle aged blokes the other day... they were all carrying a bit of timber and were obviously mates but they were riding wheel to wheel at a slow pace. I could almost understand the draughting if they were more serious club riders but the speed they were going at (sub 20 mph) it wouldn't have made much difference.
In this case why couldn't they have split up a bit and left maybe 3-4 car lengths in between so that cars on a busy road weren't having to try and pass all three at once?. I dropped back leaving a 3-4 car gap for a mile or so before I turned off just so I didn't make the situation worse
All it takes is a nit of consideration from both sides and 9 times out of 10 it works.
That's not to say I'm a saint..I will regularly ride through red lights in London when I'm commuting on my Boris bike. I take the view it is safer to do that than try to pull away as the light changes on an uphill stretch of the Embankment at 630am when you are surrounded by construction traffic who can't see directly in front of them because of the height of their cabs.
We are drivers. We cause crushing, grinding congestion. Cyclists do nothing of the sort.
996TT0 said:
Jazzer said:
Something clearly needs to give here, or should we sit back and watch death tolls in accidents involving cyclists continue to rise?
Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....
The people suggesting bicycles should be subject to road tax are the people who are just brilliant at total non-sequitur arguments.Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....
Dont like rolls said:
I wonder what cyclists would say if there was a massive increase in Horses on the roads/time trial courses
I take the horse to the local village shop around 2 miles away. Parked up outside the shop he just gets loads of attention. Never been passed by a cyclist, don't think they'd dare, very docile but a big f
ker.. 
Centurion07 said:
Yes, it is.
Are you honestly trying to argue that because something HAS been the norm in the past that it should revert, not CONTINUE, but revert back to that state despite society having moved in completely the opposite direction?
Even if the only things in the road were horses and bikes, advocating children use that very same space to play is ridiculous.
Ok. Are you honestly trying to argue that because something HAS been the norm in the past that it should revert, not CONTINUE, but revert back to that state despite society having moved in completely the opposite direction?
Even if the only things in the road were horses and bikes, advocating children use that very same space to play is ridiculous.
Is it okay if people drink on the street?
https://twitter.com/wandscyclist/status/1281924135...
heebeegeetee said:
Centurion07 said:
Yes, it is.
Are you honestly trying to argue that because something HAS been the norm in the past that it should revert, not CONTINUE, but revert back to that state despite society having moved in completely the opposite direction?
Even if the only things in the road were horses and bikes, advocating children use that very same space to play is ridiculous.
Ok. Are you honestly trying to argue that because something HAS been the norm in the past that it should revert, not CONTINUE, but revert back to that state despite society having moved in completely the opposite direction?
Even if the only things in the road were horses and bikes, advocating children use that very same space to play is ridiculous.
Is it okay if people drink on the street?
https://twitter.com/wandscyclist/status/1281924135...
For what it's worth I think there are probably very few streets that should be given over to pedestrians. Roads have been built for a reason, as have pavements.
AdeTuono said:
Gweeds said:
Poor little princesses having to wait a few seconds on occasion. Ah diddums. Do you want your dummies back?
How old are you? 4? 5? Gweeds said:
About as old as those here wishing death on other people because they’re having to wait 10 seconds to pass a cyclist or a horse.
But yeah, that’s the post you pull out.
Usually fat people or lazy people who have never been on a bike on the road - as jackos quite good post points out, its about perspective. Of the 50ish cyclists I know and have spoken to, only 1 of them does not have a car or several too, so know what it's like from both perspectives.But yeah, that’s the post you pull out.
Indeed. Most of the cyclists I know, and I ride about 7-8000 miles a year, are petrol heads. So that next one you threaten because you can’t be arsed to wait might well be someone very like you, just not in their car or on their motorbike at that very moment.
Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled aholes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues.
Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled a
holes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues. Gweeds said:
Indeed. Most of the cyclists I know, and I ride about 7-8000 miles a year, are petrol heads. So that next one you threaten because you can’t be arsed to wait might well be someone very like you, just not in their car or on their motorbike at that very moment.
Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled aholes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues.
Could not agree more.Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled a
holes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues. How difficult is to understand that cyclists have all the rights to use the road same way as drivers are. And person who can't safely overtake cyclists or other slow moving traffic should have their driving licence revoked. Driving is a privilege, not a right.
danashby said:
Gweeds said:
Indeed. Most of the cyclists I know, and I ride about 7-8000 miles a year, are petrol heads. So that next one you threaten because you can’t be arsed to wait might well be someone very like you, just not in their car or on their motorbike at that very moment.
Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled aholes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues.
Could not agree more.Seriously, the venom and hate because of entitled a
holes thinking the roads are theirs and theirs alone is staggering. If you’re wanting to throw bricks and wish animals to die because you got a little bit held up on your not-at-all essential drive then you should hand your licence in and seek some help for your anger issues. How difficult is to understand that cyclists have all the rights to use the road same way as drivers are. And person who can't safely overtake cyclists or other slow moving traffic should have their driving licence revoked. Driving is a privilege, not a right.
I think that it just goes in the pot and gets spent as is seen fit, a lot of the cyclists I know have cars as well, they have jobs and pay income tax and NI, bikes and bits have VAT on. Bikes can only really use the leftmost couple of feet of the road, usually fully of grids, potholes, gravel, litter and parked cars, bikes cant use motorways and dual carriageways by and large.
Given that some cars are free or 20 pounds a year, not sure how much cyclists should have to pay, its based on emissions and bicycles are emissions free.
Its funny how its cyclists seen as getting in the way, nothing like going through the town centre here, seems to me its clogged with Range Rovers etc mainly, usually all that square footage of road space occupied by one person, but its the bikes that are in the way ?
It's not cyclists not paying Road tax that annoys me, its that I think they should have some kind of mandatory insurance to pay for damage that they sometimes cause to cars and to cover the occasional accidents.
Car drivers need to think about whether an overtake is worth it, for instance when slowing at the lights, there is no point in pushing past a bike to only stop 50m further on at the traffic lights (and bike regaining its spot at the front...)
Car drivers need to think about whether an overtake is worth it, for instance when slowing at the lights, there is no point in pushing past a bike to only stop 50m further on at the traffic lights (and bike regaining its spot at the front...)
Edited by jackliebling on Sunday 12th July 10:02
jackliebling said:
It's not cyclists not paying Road tax that annoys me, its that I think they should have some kind of mandatory insurance to pay for damage that they sometimes cause to cars and to cover the occasional accidents.
Very occasional accidents Edited by jackliebling on Sunday 12th July 10:02
Less than 0.1% insurance claims involve cyclists (note “involve” not “caused by”)...
https://www.abi.org.uk/news/news-articles/2018/11/...
jackliebling said:
It's not cyclists not paying Road tax that annoys me, its that I think they should have some kind of mandatory insurance to pay for damage that they often cause to cars and to cover the accidents that they cause...
What about insurance for pedestrians? To cover those who step out in the road, or walk between two closely parked cars and their coat zip scratches the car's paintwork, or... you get the general idea. Every British Cycling member has third party insurance with their membership. Many have legal cover with their other insurance policies too.
jackliebling said:
It's not cyclists not paying Road tax that annoys me, its that I think they should have some kind of mandatory insurance to pay for damage that they sometimes cause to cars and to cover the occasional accidents.
Car drivers need to think about whether an overtake is worth it, for instance when slowing at the lights, there is no point in pushing past a bike to only stop 50m further on at the traffic lights (and bike regaining its spot at the front...)
I think the key words in your post are “sometimes” and “occasional”....Car drivers need to think about whether an overtake is worth it, for instance when slowing at the lights, there is no point in pushing past a bike to only stop 50m further on at the traffic lights (and bike regaining its spot at the front...)
Edited by jackliebling on Sunday 12th July 10:02
the damage a bicycle can “sometimes” cause to a car through an inconsiderate riders actions to a car is negligible, a few scratches, a dent on a panel if you’re really unlucky.... But flip it the other way and what’s the worst an inconsiderate driver can cause to a cyclist.... that’ll be death, and that’s with mandatory insurance, registration plates et al...
I just feel if motorists concerned their efforts not on cyclists but on the uninsured or banned drivers, illegal modifications (stance etc), driving under the influence and general hoonery rather than cyclists, they’d actually have a point.
I call out s
t behaviour from cyclists all the time but the truth is they are mostly just teenage morons on bikes and in a few years, they’ll be morons in a car....Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff