This hatred towards cyclists needs to stop

[OverlyFragrant]

This constant drip feeding from the media and online that cyclists are road vermin, dont pay tax, shouldn't be on roads etc needs to stop.
The last two days ive read about cyclists being pushed into dangerous situations by members of the public who feel entitled to hurt them, just because...
First a cyclist was pushed into a canal, the cyclist was still clipped into their bike pedals and couldn't swim. They very nearly drowned.
The second was pushed off a beach wall and needed urgent assistance from the ambulance and suffered serious injuries.
Words aren't just words, they have consequences and know two people have come to harm simply because they were riding a bike.

Ok. You stick with your anger and refuse to listen or see that some cyclists and cycling organisations need to change their behaviour.
That will definitely stop the negative image and press and these dreadful incidents.

If cyclists respected the rules of the road, used the designated cycle paths and marked routes or quiet roads (clearly identified by the cycle network), rode single file to allow passing and most of all pulled over if they realise there’s a queue of traffic behind them (eg 8 or more cars)then they would get less issues. Riding at 1mph on steep bendy hills marked not suitable for cycling rather than taking the clearly marked diversion, choosing to ride in groups at times people are commuting for work and school and riding on roads with 60mph speed limits which are not safe to pass them makes cyclists unpopular here - groups come on holiday here to tackle our steep hills marked, some of us have jobs to get to!

With adding a word - "Some UK cyclists..." I agreew ith this. Nothing excuses aggressive actions from anyone, but many cyclists act appallingly and think it's ok. Up until last year I lived in a major city and regularly had the near misses with cyclists going through red lights, on pavements, weaving in and out of traffic unseen. One of the most bloody annoying things was £millions spent on a major cycleway linking the two nearby cities - cyclists proceeded to never use it and continued on a busy road because the cycleway forced them to stop a few times to allow pedestrain access to cross it - like 3/4 times where there were bus stops in a 15+ mile stretch! And that is literally the reason they gave for not using a pathway designed excusively for their use.

I now live in the countryside - cyclists still on pavements; cyclists riding 4 abreast and blocking the entire road, etc etc.

None of these things are rarities either - they are multiple times a day.

Some cyclists are docks
Some drivers are dicks
Some pedestrians are dicks.

The canal one... cyclist was stopped when she was pushed, man claim he felt "threatened" and protecting pregnant partner (who was not near cyclist having moved to far side of path)... he was definitely the bigger deck or a bully.

People who bash cyclists are ridiculous. Cyclists are not a monolith - some are responsible road users, some are not. Some are also car drivers, some are not.

The pushing in - filtering - is really important because it means the drivers see you ahead of them. It also helps speed my city (20mph limits) journeys to the point where they’re as fast as by car, something I now see clearly as I’m back in my car. The alternative, sitting directly in the exhaust fumes, is horrible. Having said that, I would always pull over frequently on fast roads, especially if level or downhill (uphill is the worst for drivers stuck behind cyclists but also the hardest for the cyclist to get going again - we aren’t all super fit, just working on it!).

Cycling in the uk isn’t very safe, everyone I know who cycles regularly has been knocked off their bike by a driver with varying degree of injury. It’s a shame because cycling is great exercise and a great way to get around shorter distances and more environmentally friendly than driving.

But it’s not safe and as I read here it’s not going to get any safer if people think it’s ok to push someone into water because they’re cycling in a way they dislike. Some cyclists are knobs, but so are some drivers and pedestrians! Our roads are unsafe and overcrowded generally which brings us all into too many situations for conflict.

Then they need to fuck off and use cycle lanes and stop holding everybody up.

No, cyclists needed to improve their behaviour on the roads. Follow rules, stop jumping red lights, use cycle lanes etc
The anti car brigade are much worse.....

and frequent “wiggle” events where cyclists block the roads by riding three and four abreast refusing to let cars overtake them for miles.

OP, you said these things haven't happened since 2022? They should never have happened, but I suggest you pop around to mine in South Yorkshire, because large groups of lycra clad cyclists riding 3 or 4 abreast and blocking the road for miles and miles are every weekend and soemtimes mid week too.

As a driver and a cyclist in the uk, I can confirm that both groups are equally terrible.

where I live the ‘hate’ towards cyclists is a direct result of cyclists behaviour.

i walk on a river 4km a day, the path is ‘pedestrian priority’ and about .75m wide with nettles and dig shit one side, river the other. I pass about 100 people in total per day, 10 of them cyclists.

it’s pedestrian priority so I would think that means the cyclist should slow down, maybe even dismount and stand to the side in the nettles to allow the pedestrian to walk past unimpeded.

Not.

Once.

not once have I had a cyclist dismount, many don’t even slow down, all expect the pedestrian to stand in the nettles and dog shit so that they can zoom past with barely a thank you.

yet if they were on a road, and a car zoomed past them that close, they would have a fit.

so. Would I ever push one in the river? No. Do I think most of them deserve it? Yes.

So? Being in water and not being able to swim doesn't equal nearly drowning. If she was stuck under the water then yes but even by both his and her statements she was able to stand up within seconds in relatively shallow water

Round here cyclists forget that they are playing chicken with a big metal box that weights a few tonne. It's actually terrifying how brazen they are and I often wonder if a few of them have a bloody death wish.

Look its a 2 way street.
pardon the pun

In Ireland cyclists will stop and pull in a let a load of cars go past.
At lights they will hang at the back so they arent holding everybody up.
In general they behave "like a car" not like total dickheads who own the road

In the uk you do not get any of this.

On the weekends i regularly see cyclists happily riding two abreast when its hard to overtake on national speed limit roads that goes for miles and there a queue of cars doing 17 mph behind them while they saunter along thing "fuck em" nothing interferes with my strava score.

They randomly mount pavements and are aggressive with pedestrians

They purposefully go to the front of short change lights then set off nice and slow so 2 or 3 cars get through in rush hour traffic.

I could go on

If cyclists want better treatment they should behave better and I cycle!!!!

As a walker, I get fed up of cyclists using footpaths, which they should not be on. Even on Bridal Ways they are supposed to give way to walkers and horses which they never do. I suspect the canal incident was due to them not slowing down.

I’m afraid the posts on this thread show that antipathy towards cyclists isn’t going to stop any time soon.

We walk on a lot of shared paths, including towpaths (specific guidance here https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/stay-kind-slow-down/faqs). The vast majority of people are sensible and courteous - cyclists, equestrians, pedestrians including with dogs. A few in all categories aren’t.

The canal incident was bad - I’ve seen the video and it doesn’t look like she was going that fast, did slow down and the guy could easily have stepped in front of his girlfriend. The cyclist was a bit daft to have her feet clipped in on that sort of path I’d have thought, which must make stopping and slow manoeuvring harder, but clearly she wasn’t expecting deliberate obstruction because most people have more sense and courtesy.

Cylists and drivers are as bad as each other.

As well as the other already mentioned issues such as red lights, i’ve had 2 recent days where cyclists have given zero fucks about giving way to me at a roundabout and I’ve had to do emergency stops. I’m not talking about the criminal acts op described, but cylists do also put themselves in danger.

Our roads are also not built for them though in most places. I recently went to Antwerp where there are cycle lanes everywhere and it felt much less of an issue and I felt safer as a pedestrian around cyclists.

Thanks for explaining this. More consideration for everyone who uses these (sometimes very narrow) paths is needed.

Priority order the cyclist should have given way to the pedestrians.

I don't have an issue with cyclists generally, always give them a car widths distance to overtake - annoying those behind me as they want me to go past them with inches to spare. Cyclists are vulnerable road users and I treat them as such. I do have an issue with some Lycra clad men usually who are ignorant and entitled and deliberately obstruct you from overtaking when safe to do so.

What I hate the most are drivers (and I am one) - so many aggressive and rude wankers who can't drive.

I don’t hate cyclists providing they use a cycle path where there is one, cycle at a reasonable pace on the road and do not cycle in groups, 2-3 abreast and/or holding motor traffic up.

Where I live, the country lanes get really clogged up at weekends because groups of 10+ are enjoying their cycle but, because the roads are very bendy, it’s impossible to overtake.

Anyone cycling to go about their business is fine in my book but the groups of MAMILs at the weekend really do irritate.

What do you mean by give way
Can you say exactly what you would expect if someone gave way to you.

Nope, the link is that "some" car drivers do not wish to slowed by anyone, be it walkers, horse riders or cyclists.

I cycle mostly on my own or with one other, on very quiet rural roads, always stop and let cars pass.
Vast majority pass me with plenty of space but some don't, deliberately coming far too close and at speed....why? even on wider straight roads, they even overtake when there is a car coming the other way.

As far as i can see, this hatred of cyclists and anyone else... started with Top Gear and that twat Clarkson.

However, yes larger groups of cyclists that make no attempt to let vehicles by is annoying, why do they do this? i don't know... we live in an entitled society.

Great, so let’s put lots of investment into building proper cycle lanes, yes? Of course in many cities there isn’t space so a lot of roads would need making one way or closed entirely to cars, and in narrow country roads we’d have to take out lots of hedgerows and stone walls….hm… or maybe motorists could be a bit more patient? (I walk and drive, almost never cycle btw because cars make the roads so unsafe)