To get annoyed with cyclists not using cycle lanes?

[AKMD]

In the town I live in there is a big A road leading straight into the town centre, with a cycle lane running the whole way to the countryside alongside it. Most of the track is set back from the road. I use it; it's lovely.

As a car driver, I often pass cyclists ignoring the lovely cycle lane and using the road instead, forcing cars to slow down and pull partially onto the wrong side of the road to pass them. I hate overtaking cyclists. I'm always scared of either knocking them off if they wobble or having a head-on collision with cars coming in the opposite direction. On normal roads I have to get over it but on this road I am getting increasingly irritated. AIBU?

You are a brave woman Beaker

The sheer amount of times I wince at near collisions is unbelieveable.

Most cycle lanes are designed so as to make cycling much slower than using the road. The cyclists MUST give way at every junction & even at private driveways, especially if a blind corner is involved, even though the main flow of traffic does NOT have to give way at these places. The cycle lane takes a longer way around every junction or RAB. The lane is often covered with detritus (like flints and thorns) that increase risk of punctures, and are never ever cleared away. Bushes & trees overgrow the lane & sign posts & bollards are often plonked in the middle of the lane (get hold of a copy of Crap Cycle Lanes for ample examples). Cyclists have to share with pedestrians. The cycle lanes make access to right turns quite difficult & extra-time consuming. Getting onto or off the cycle lane is only easy at a few access points (otherwise kerbs get in the way).

If you are describing a cycle lane without any of those features, then YANBU. Mostly likely YABU, though.

missfaversham I think sometimes it looks scarier than it is! There are also some bad cyclists around who probably make it look very dangerous too. Once you've built up some confidence, it's really not so bad. Having said that, I hope you don't see me having a near collision next time I cycle through fulham

suburbandream I'm scared of cycle lanes. I ride around on a 1970's banger with tiny little wheels at a snails pace. As i use my bike to get to A to B without the car and I am usually in long skirt with shopping I daren't go in the cycle lanes with the big boys, they go so fast in their lycra and I get in the way even there.

In my defense I dismount (and have taught DS to do the same) when there are pedestrians and push his bike to the side of the path to let people past in case we catch one of them.

AKMD did mention the cycle lane was lovely and she uses it herself, I think YANBU AKMD. The road is even busier than the cycle lane in terms of danger to the cyclist. I would get irritated too, I drive a huge car and I can park it in tiny spaces so it's not a spacial awareness thing, I'm simply aware that if they wobble or have a fall they're straight under my wheels.

YANBU. There is a well-maintained cycle lane alongside the (fairly twisty) stretch of NSL road I use to and from work. It gets a reasonable amount of use but there are two or three cyclists who stick to the road. Why? Why would you choose to dice with death amongst cars, vans and buses travelling up to 60mph when there is a dedicated cycle lane a couple of feet away?

YABVU. The basic point is that cyclists are entitled to use the road, they're usually smoother, you don't have to stop at every side junction, and there will be no pedestrians.

I've had drivers try and wave me off the road and I think to myself who are they to tell me where to cycle. I don't say to them "there's a bus there, why not get in it", "there's a footpath, why not walk on it".

YABU

Nobody is "forcing" you to risk a head on collision.

Overtake when it is safe to do so.

I had an incident with an ignorant HGV driver the other day. Cycling along a road, there's a "cycle path" on the pavement, which is basically a cycle drawn on the pavement. The HGV started to bully me from behind and was waving frantically. He then overtook dangerously. Unfortunately I didn't get his number plate to report him

Cycle lanes in the UK are designed for a maximum safe speed of just 12mph, so if you're a cyclist who wants to go faster than that, they are not appropriate. It's as simple as that.

YABU

Typical car drivers - we must be kings of the road and shove cyclists off it.
Let them keep to their cycle lanes or they should all be arrested for disrupting busy and important drivers.

Roads are not just for cars, and don't you lot even care about all their polluting?

And all the deaths and injuries they cause every day?

And the fact that if we and our children go everywhere by car we'll all just get fatter and fatter till we can't move at all?

Obviously not.

These regular "make them use cycle lanes by cutting off their fingers one by one and confiscate all their assets" threads are often just anti-cyclist, whatever caveat they use and justify their rage by the fact a rude cyclist was on the pavement the other day near their child and isn't it disgusting?

So ban all cyclists or make them pay fines and hold licences, and ignore the disadvantages of the car culture. Oh Oh Oh me first to join the cycling police!

I use cycle lanes if they are available but they are not as ubiquitous as they should be.

For very good health and environmental reasons many more people should cycle. But I expect they won't because of people like you and your drip drip drip of anti-cycling nonsense.

Bikes make London roads frightening? Really?!!!!

People just have no common sense? I've seen cyclists with earphones in, no helmets (yes, I know another thread), pulling out in front of me. I even saw a woman the other day with her child about 6years old just sitting on the back of the bike on the little bit where you can strap a bag, clinging on, neither had helmets. Or the ones with little ones sitting on handle bars. Cyclists that ride two abreast also annoy me. I'm talking about busy London roads too, not meandering country roads.

Franziska l dont think your analogy makes much sense. You telling car drivers to use a different mode of transport altogether. would be very different from them telling you to use the designated part of the road for yours.

I can see both sides here, my son cycles to work in a big city. He has an expensive road bike, enters triathlons regularly etc so very experienced cyclist. However he prefers the cycle path and there are no kerbs for him to jump as the few on his route are all dropped. Debris is not a problem either as the paths are cleaned/maintained regularly where he lives.

His main problem is joggers/walkers wearing ear pieces /headphones and who insist on jogging/walking in a row of two or three.

He tells me he's actually had to dismount a few times and tap them on the shoulder to say 'Excuse me'.

Typical car drivers - we must be kings of the road and shove cyclists off it.
Let them keep to their cycle lanes or they should all be arrested for disrupting busy and important drivers. - I cycle and drive

Roads are not just for cars, and don't you lot even care about all their polluting? I drive a Prius, I do care about pollution

And all the deaths and injuries they cause every day? Yes, hence my concern for a fellow cyclist's safety

And the fact that if we and our children go everywhere by car we'll all just get fatter and fatter till we can't move at all? I ride my bike with my son wherever possible.

Just because I own a car doesn't make me the Devil incarnate. I've seen this from both sides of the coin. If two car drivers are being total fanny's on the road, they may have a small bump, some damage to the car and an increased premium. If a cyclist is not using a perfectly usable cycle lane (no glass, book wielding pedestrians etc) and has a momentary lapse of judgement my car could kill them, easily. This scares me. I think OP's concern for other road users as a cyclist and car driver herself is not demonstrative of a "king of the road" attitude.

mindyourownbusiness, it is an extended analogy, but the point is that drivers have no right to tell me to get off a road I'm perfectly entitled to cycle along. How about as a closer analogy I could stand at the end of the road and shout at drivers at traffic lights and tell them they should be driving on the ring road.

YABU the cycle lanes are often not maintained and therefor dangerous to use. Even more so if they are shared use. Cyclists are road users like anyone else, and entitled to use the Road.

Myfriendflicka

'they justify their rage by the fact a rude cyclist was on the pavement the other day near their child and isn't it disgusting?'

My DGS walked out of my drive onto the pavement last summer and was literally lifted off his feet and thrown to the ground by a speeding 'pavement cyclist' who flew past our drive (with dropped kerb and white H line across it - so very obviously a drive). I will never forget the sickening crack as his head hit the pavment.
Luckily he was ok (severe concussion, kept in for obs and mri scan overnight).

The l'm alright Jack cyclist banged his head too but was wearing a safety helmet, so was ok like l cared.

These posts always end up as an us-versus-them argument and nothing gets resolved.
The truth is that cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers are all capable of driving selfishly when it suits them. Pedestrians can also behave thoughtlessly on the roads. You just have to look out for yourself and get on with it.

yanbu in your particular example (and there is a good cycle track along a v busy road in my town too) but there are some rubbish cycle tracks that go to nowhere/suddenly end etc that mean this isn't always possible or convenient for the cyclists

To be fair, it started with a "cyclists shouldn't be on the road" statement

I'd be happier if cars kept out of cycle lanes too! There's many a time I've been driving behind another car muttering "there's another dead cyclist" to myself as they meander in and out of the cycle lane!

Exactly Franziska - I totally agree with the OP that cycle paths should be used if they are available and usable....I do however, object to being told that cyclists should not be on busy roads!

YANBU

I think that cyclists should be obliged to use the cycle lane if there is one available.

They should also have 3rd party insurance.

...and another thing, when did it become okay for cyclist to cycle on pavements? Those cyclist bug me more than the rest.

I think it was when some decided they werent safe from cars on the road so they thought 'Oh well, l'll just pass it on' and make the pavements dangerous for pedestrians.
The one who nearly killed/seriously damaged my DGS was apparently on the pavement as 'the roads arent safe'