The hatred towards cyclists/horse riders etc

We have both, on the whole all fine.

However, we are increasingly being used for races and...as a result we have cyclists going out in packs in between times and that can be irritating.

Thats a shame. I always make sure i smile, nod and thank all drivers. I've taught DD to do the same?

I had a mammogram appointment yesterday at Kings in Denmark Hill, s London. Took me 20 mins on quiet roads to get there on my bike. Bus would have taken nearly an hour. Car nearly impossible as there’s no parking.

I’m in my 50s, I cycle boringly sensibly. I have helmet and lights but do wear Lycra on occasion. I obey every rule but do get cross with both Mamils and Deliveroo cyclists who ignore the rules.

The intolerance on this thread is deeply depressing.

And yes - cyclists are supposed to ride two-abreast, rather than single file, as it takes a shorter time for a car to overtake, and thus should in fact be easier.

Let’s go with a nod then. It’s not difficult to do but I very rarely see it around here.

I have another, half-baked, theory.

For many primates, being shown an arse is a sign of disrespect. Therefore, being shown lots of (lycra-clad) arses enrages the chimp brain, and causes visceral and irrational hatred.

As the chimp brain is more dominant in some half-witted motorists (probably the same ones who say 'cyclists don't even pay road tax) it makes for a dangerous mix.

A nod to say thank you for those of us respecting their safety and passing them respectfully would be nice.

That's really good to hear. I think we should encourage cycling as a means of transport. There are arseholes out there for sure but I don't think they are a majority by any means.

Horse riders are supposed to ride side-by-side for their own safety.

Agree with a nod but like I said not always possible to wave.

Therefore, a nod or a wave thank you for drivers going extremely slowly and being very careful when passing would be polite.

That we are all road users and everyone gets home safely
So cars and cyclists should drive and cycle as to the road one is using so if there is a single lane we drivers need to wait to pass safely um , as l said we all use the roads

Exactly

I’ve driven in rural areas for 30 years, and have never seen anything like that. What are you doing in your car to make these horses so jumpy? Revving your engine at them? Beeping your horn and driving up their backsides?

The highway code clearly says it is safest for riders to ride 2 abreast. It reduces risk of drivers not giving us enough room when they overtake.
Police also advise riders to ride 2 abreast too.

They should nod but not always possible to say thanks with a hand gesture if it's not safe to take hands off reins.

But the roads were originally for horses, wagons etc. Cars are just another vehicle on them. The roads are not specifically for cars, lorries etc.

Perhaps this is going against the grain on here but I find the cyclists around here to be reasonable and the horse riders to be, on the whole, arrogant. The cyclists often wave a thank you for carefully passing them. The horse riders, not all but most, ride side by side so passing them widely is impossible as they are already on the white line in the middle of the road. Despite slowing down and being carefully, I’d say that less than half of them ever offer a nod or wave to say thank you.

All riders I know deck themselves and horses out like Christmas trees 🤣 many of us also wear cameras to capture the entitled twats who put our lives in danger

If you are wearing black you are really not as visible as you think you are, no matter how many lights.
Invest in some orange or pink hi-viz. that shows up so much better than yellow.

I think vulnerable road users, bikes, pedestrians, horses have a responsibility to make themselves seen, even if its not the coolest outfit!

Adding another message of support for cyclists (and horse-riders)!

I'm full of admiration for people who cycle and I very rarely come across idiotic cyclists, yet I encounter horrendous drivers almost every time I'm out, whether I'm driving or walking.

The level of vitriol towards cyclists is disgusting and worrying. That's another person, someone's loved one, doing something peaceful that has such tiny impact on you in your car.

I now live somewhere rural with many narrow, winding roads and big hills. Cyclists cause me absolutely no issue and I am always able to overtake when safe. If it takes me a minute or two to wait, who cares. If I'm running late and didnt leave enough time for any sort of delay, it's my fault, not the cyclist's. Motorbikers, caravans and Sunday drivers cause a lot more problems and make for a far more stressful driving experience than cyclists do.

I do wish bikes had lights on at all times (though ideally not those ones brighter than the sun in my direct eyeline as I can't see a thing!) - it can be hard to see them in low light and dappled light, but that's my single very minor gripe and is as much for their safety as my peace of mind! Please tell your cyclist friends 🙂

I went for a walk at lunchtime. Relatively narrow pavement, wide residential road (30mph) but relatively quiet at that time. Cyclist (e bike too I think as fast) came up behind me on the pavement and shouted Excuse Me. I had no choice but to step into the road to let them pass!!

One section of my local high street is so narrow that it's one way traffic at a time, controlled by 3-phase traffic lights (a side road joins at the apex of a bend on the narrow stretch).

Cyclists regularly mount the pavement to avoid waiting for the lights to change. I was walking along the (narrow) pavement once when a cyclist flew round the bend and almost hit me. I stopped dead, and as he bumped down the kerb and into the road to avoid hitting me, he shouted "You cunt" at me, which I thought was a bit much!

I'm a cyclist and have hated the loathing for them, then I started horse riding again and was blown away by how ignorant drivers are around horses too.

I only go on the roads I absolutely have to, but goodness me drivers speed by, cut too close or cut up, and risk theirs, mine and my horse's lives regularly. It's a hundred times worse than when I rode a decade ago.

Why are drivers always in such an angry rush? I drive but I don't feel the need to do 50 in a 30 and 70 in a 50 all the bloody time.

It's awful. I cycle with my daughter on my bike to take her to school. It's a distance of about 2 miles, quiet country road. I also cycle with a group of cyclists. Drivers can be so careless. There's no need for it. You will be able to pass in about a minute so please just be patient and don't put my life at risk for the sake of a few seconds extra on your journey!

I live in a rural area. Cyclists really are a problem. They behave in a very dangerous (to them) way - it is terrifying because if I were to hit one whilst driving it would be my fault.

They hunt in packs - 10 or a dozen of them in a row on winding country lanes. They do not have the courtesy to pull in at a gateway even when there is a massive queue of traffic behind them.

I think that cyclists have an absolute right to ride on the roads, but with that comes the responsibility not to create unsafe situations.

I am the world's slowest driver and even I find it worrying.

Unfortunate4ly it is a daily occurrence rather than the exception.

As to horses - there are of course lots of those, but on the whole I find that their riders are courteous to other road users.

In which case surely your biggest concern is cars being allowed on the roads, as they are the most dangerous ‘thing’ to use roads. Reducing speed limits and reducing cars would increase road safety hugely.