Why so much anger towards cyclists?

[Thatsthatthen87]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/01/i-will-never-ride-a-bike-again-why-people-are-giving-up-on-cycling

Just read this and I can totally relate to what a couple of people are saying about drivers' attitudes to cyclists. If people are not following the rules or using their bikes responsibly or whatever, I get it, but some drivers just seem to hate the fact that they have to share the road. Why? I've even had 'get a car' yelled at me from a window. 😄

I can answer this -

because USUALLY the people riding are men with decent jobs (lawyers, media careers, similar) and they will give you a lecture about how cycling is good for the environment, yet they’ll drive their families around in large litred cars the rest of the week. oh and I’m pretty certain Lycra production isn’t good for the environment, nor the materials they use to create these bikes worth thousands of pounds but please correct me if I’m wrong.

They’ll lecture you about how cycling is excellent exercise, yet consume many pints and a burger every time they finish a ride (and many then drink cycle after the pub)

they’ll put cycling above their friends and family.

they hold up traffic (which is not good for the environment)

also (and I live in a cyclist heavy area) they weave all over the place, make it hard to overtake them, ignore cars jamming up behind them.

are impolite - I also live in a horse heavy area, and 99% of the riders make an effort to let cars squeeze by. Cyclists will just carry on as if the own the road.

theyre dangerous - as much as you might like the roads to be for everyone, cars are on the road and playing chicken with a car is just ridiculous. Cyclists forget that they just can’t be seen as easily. You might feel obvious, but it is easy to get loads in a blind spot. It’s nerve wracking as a road user!

Yes, quite right. We must immediately ban the use of cars on bank holiday weekends. All those traffic jams full of people on recreational trips...

Wow, this thread just proves the animosity towards cyclists.

Live and let live, they have a right to be on the road. They are either travelling in a non-polluting way or getting healthy exercise, unlike car drivers.

Nope l don’t get like this with horse riders. They are neither arrogant or smug, and are happy to wave you past.

Im neither angry nor a dangerous driver, lm just pissed of with MAMILS. Not the rest iof cyclists, just the Lycra clad mobs.

Well its generally sensible to ensure you have at least 10-15 contingency incase of any unexpected roadworks or traffic. Then again where I live I know weekends the cyclists are out around 7am and come back just after lunctime so I plan accordingly if im going out around those times -thankfully the roads are wide enough to allow for safe passing but still i would leave some extra time.

Its a bit like knowing that there is going to be roadworks for 6 weeks on a stretch of road, you plan for it.

also I feel that if a bunch of people went out and bought horse and carts, and held up the traffic dawdling around on them, no one would be very happy right?

just because cycles were fleetingly a good mode of transport doesn’t mean they are still.

Oh gosh I’m sorry I’m really on one but also please please, can cyclists together and agree to actually USE the cycle lanes millions upon millions of pounds have been wasted on. Rather than cycle down the blooming road right next to them!

Cyclists are legally entitled to use the highway. Cycle lanes are often really shit because they are sporadic and do not connect - due to underinvestment.

If you want cyclists on cycle paths - campaign for a proper cycle network.

Cars pollute and ruin neighbourhoods, they should not be the priority. I can not wait for autonomous vehicles because a lot of drivers have an over-inflated sense of both their own ability and their right to the road.

This, 100%

They are a great mode of transport, every person cycling instead of driving frees up metres of road space for you to sit on your arse in your car.

You would be mental to want people off their bikes. The roads would be jammed up with more cars.

to actually USE the cycle lanes millions upon millions of pounds have been wasted on. Rather than cycle down the blooming road right next to them!

can all drivers stop storing their cars in the cycle lanes.

then make the cycle lanes ridable, if they aren’t ridable or signposted, then they won’t get used. Having a shared cycle path the width of a single buggy is not practical or safe

Haters gonna hate. Cyclists are an easy target.

There is zero logic to this hate.

we spent the summer in the Netherlands and the difference was unbelievable. No aggro, ever. And they have higher rates of car ownership than we do.

Oh you most definitely are "lm just pissed of with MAMILS. Not the rest of cyclists, just the Lycra clad mobs"

Sounds angry to me, not good when you re in charge of 1.5 tons of metal.

Its a great pity you are not pissed off with the approx 300 innocent children killed each year by car drivers or the 10s of 1000s of children and adults killed by poor air quality, most of which is car pollution.

But woe betide a cyclist who dares to delay your Sunday morning drive around.

Yes cco obviously you know everything about me😂

Saynotothefishtank

I have no problem with drivers going to work, but to drive to the swimming pool or play tennis just for fun, not acceptable

What’s often annoying about cyclists is that they do things like cycle right in the middle of the road which is against the Highway Code, holding people up just because they feel like it . Or they whizz down a pavement, knocking over kids and old ladies.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow

you’re certainly got an issue with Lycra, so you get odd about other types of clothing?

Ha ha no! Used to design sportswear, including Lycra stuff.

MondaysChild7 Do you ever read the Highway Code?

I guess they are seen or perceived as holding up the traffic in various parts where cars ect cannot overtake ?

And I've been in 20mph zones with motorists driving in excess of 40mph!

Ha ha no! Used to design sportswear, including Lycra stuff.

you refer to it a lot in your posts. It’s really comfortable for commuting when your cycling 10 miles each way, can’t really see what your problem is with people wearing comfy practical clothing

I don’t have a problem with cyclists, I have a problem with the lack of safe roads for them to cycle. Where I live it’s all narrow country roads and you just can’t overtake them safely at all. So there either a long queue of cars driving at 10 miles an hour for miles or there’s impatient people that try to overtake on the roads and put the cyclist in danger. Same for horses. Sometimes a cyclist will pull into the hedge and let the cars past but this is quite rare. I would love to be able to cycle but I just wouldn’t feel safe.

No road user should be holding up another road user if it can be prevented. And there is no excuse for cycling on pavements at any time.