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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think some cyclists appear to have a death wish

144 replies

whoneedssleepanyway · 18/10/2012 10:23

last night it was dark and rainy I was turning right into a residential street with cars parked both sides so only room for one car and as I am turning suddenly a cyclist comes into view coming out from behind parked cars, no lights and wearing a dark jacket...I nearly knocked him off.

If I had would it have been my fault, I am guessing it would have...? But I can't understand why someone would cycle in the dark and rain without the proper equipment (lights and visible clothing...)

OP posts:
cumfy · 18/10/2012 15:29

What Skippy said.

as I am turning suddenly a cyclist comes into view coming out from behind parked cars, no lights and wearing a dark jacket

But from the cyclists point of view, they saw you coming:

As I cycled straight along the street up to some parked cars I saw the car, headlights on, negotiating the right turn into the street. Observing all of this several seconds prior to the parked cars I judged it safe to overtake the parked cars.

Clearly I wasn't there, but essentially:
They saw you, but you didn't see them, hence your surprise.
Of course they should have appropriate gear/lights though.

DigestivesWithPhiladelphia · 18/10/2012 15:44

Can I complain about the cyclists who ride side by side, chatting to each other? On twisty country roads where you struggle to overtake one bike, never mind TWO that are weaving about in the road. With those big saddle bag things on both sides, making them wider & wobblier than ever.

Or the ones in 30 zones that ride in the middle of the road, making them impossible to overtake, because they mistakenly believe they are doing at least 30... So it's okay for all the drivers to sit behind them. Often wearing head to toe Lycra and going downhill. I want to scream out of the window: "You are only doing 20 - MOVE TO THE SIDE".

Or the ones dressed head to toe in black, at night, in the rain, again on dodgy country roads. WHY??

Thank you, I feel much better now.

evilgiraffe · 18/10/2012 15:56

Hmm, I'm in two minds. Some cyclists DO have a death wish, and there is no excuse for rising in the dark with no lights. On the other hand, there is a lot of generalised cycling-hatred on this thread, which is both irritating and unhelpful. I use roads as a driver and a cyclist, and there are idiots in both camps. On the whole, though, the mad drivers outweigh the ninja cyclists in both numbers and degree of dangerous behaviour.

SydneyB was spot on with this: "Gah, this drives me mad. No-one ever posts to say that 'drivers appear to have a deathwish' or 'pedestrians have a deathwish'. Some people do stupid things but it seems that cyclists always have to prove they don't whereas it is assumed that most drivers and pedestrians behave well. Stop lumping us all together like this. I am a cyclist, a pedestrian, a driver and I think I do these things safely."

Incidentally, I rode past a traffic accident earlier (road closed, but cycle lane open, it was very peaceful), and the attending police officer was very friendly and impressed with my bike :) No-one can accuse me of being a ninja cyclist though, with the amount of high-viz I wear. I rarely have lights, but that's because I go out in the day and lights are not necessary.

I do think anyone who cycles regularly should wear one of these too. I feel much happier knowing DH (who cycles around 30 miles every day) has one, and I have one myself too.

evilgiraffe · 18/10/2012 16:01

Digestives - sometimes drivers assume that cyclists are going slowly simply because they're cyclists, though. The other day I was doing 30 in a 30 zone (downhill admittedly) and got overtaken by a speeding (he must have been, to overtake me at all) Land Rover which then promptly slammed the brakes on to make a turn, and I nearly ran into the back of him. Fortunately, I was paying attention and my brakes are in good condition. There is no excuse for that sort of idiotic and inconsiderate driving.

SkippyYourFriendEverTrue · 18/10/2012 16:26

'Or the ones in 30 zones that ride in the middle of the road, making them impossible to overtake, because they mistakenly believe they are doing at least 30... So it's okay for all the drivers to sit behind them. Often wearing head to toe Lycra and going downhill. I want to scream out of the window: "You are only doing 20 - MOVE TO THE SIDE".'

Oh do fuck off.

I was walking down the street earlier, and I saw a cyclist. He was kitted out and competent, but on a narrow town centre road he was cycling in the left of the lane.

I wanted to shout at him "MOVE OVER!".

He left enough space for a car to pass, which it did too close for comfort. Behind this was a large truck, which clearly though about doing the same, but thankfully thought better of it.

150 yards down the road is a red light, 100 yards beyond that another, then a third.

The best thing for him to have done would be to cycle in the middle, or slightly to the right of the middle of the lane, because that would have prevented a completely pointless overtake by the vehicles behind and enhanced his safety.

Moving on to your comments, a 30 zone does not mean that you must do 30. 30 is the MAXIMUM.

The reality is in many 30 zones the actual average speed taking into account congestion etc. is about 10mph. So a cyclist might well not get beyond 20mph, but they are still making better progress than you, so it's you that's holding them up, not the other way round.

I'm not sure what their choice of clothing has got to do with anything, but if they are going downhill they obviously need more space because they are likely to wobble/weave, so it's a good idea for them to make it impossible for you to pass, because there's not room for you to do so safely, especially if the downhill is sweeping and considering the state of many road surfaces they may have to take evasive action to avoid potholes, slippery drain covers, etc.

It's likely that they have a better awareness of their speed than you of yours, but that does not make you more important than them!

I was driving through a town centre a while ago. Typical stop-start traffic, a cyclist was there, not very fast, but she had past me a couple of times in traffic, and I didn't see the point in hurrying past very close (she was cycling virtually in the gutter), so I waited for a gap in traffic coming the other way before passing. The car behind me didn't like this and beeped his horn at me, so I just slowed down even more.

Fact was the cyclist was holding up nobody. All the damn motorists in their cars were the problem. YOU are the traffic. Not cyclists.

The only problem is with selfish motorists who see a bicycle in front of them and demand they get the fuck out of their way because the motorists are so fucking entitled they think the cyclist is poor and inferior (I was told this by a Range Rover driver once, he assumed I must be poor because I was on a bicycle, er no, I have a very nice car thank you, I just prefer to ride my bicycle most of the time) and a second-class citizen.

How about you just watch some of these 30mph zone cyclists a bit more carefully and consider that their right to life is a lot more fucking important than your desire to get to the next set of traffic lights a bit quicker, and notice that in fact they are making better progress than you are, in spite of your big polluting engine making you quicker on the open road.

kekouan · 18/10/2012 16:34

Totally agree. I see cyclists in the gutter and also want to tell them to cycle further out so that people have to overtake them properly instead of squeezing past.

kekouan · 18/10/2012 16:35

Totally agree. I see cyclists in the gutter and also want to tell them to cycle further out so that people have to overtake them properly instead of squeezing past.

kekouan · 18/10/2012 16:35

Um whoops :)

evilgiraffe · 18/10/2012 16:45

Hear, hear, skippy Cyclists are traffic too!

I've got to say I've never found myself held up by cyclists for more than a minute or two. Motorised traffic, on the other hand, has held me up for hours.

prettybird · 18/10/2012 16:58

Dh was out for a cycle ride recently and a car driver stopped to have a rant at him for going too fast Hmm

The car concerned had just driven through a T-junction (ie through the give-way sign) far too fast and had then had to swerve to miss dh (who was on the "main" road and therefore had right-of-way). Dh was going at a goodly lick for a cyclist admittedly - a whole 18mph (in a 20's plenty zone).

The car driver had either just not seen dh or had misjudged dh's speed, but still got angry enough to stop and berate dh ConfusedShock

He was most upset when dh just laughed at him and cycled past.

ivykaty44 · 18/10/2012 19:06

It really gets on my wick when motorists insist on sitting in traffic jams, they sit all in a line and drive at about 4 mph and stop - but they stop all higgletly pigglety all over the road - they refuse to leave entrances clear for even other motorists to enter let alone another road user to over take them.
I have overtaken cars stationary in a cycle lane (are they really that delusional they think they are a cyclist?)

When cars speed up around towns at rush hour - stupid name for cars sat in lines as they are not rushing anywhere - then they can start telling cyclists to pull over in traffic so that they can pass...that will be never as the more cars there are the slower they go Grin

crackcrackcrak · 18/10/2012 19:15

Yanbu. I hate cyclists. And motorcyclists. They are dangerous and arrogant. Glad it's not just me.

prettybird · 18/10/2012 19:28

I could write "I hate car drivers. They are dangerous and arrogant."

But that would be silly Hmm. I am a car driver too, as well as being a cyclist.

I hate those car drivers who are dangerous and arrogant. I also hate those cyclists that are dangerous and arrogant.

Unfortunately, if a good cyclist happens to come across a bad driver, the cyclist will come off worse - and the bad driver will probably walk away with at most a scratch to their car :( If a good driver comes across a bad cyclist, again, the driver is usually the one that will be unharmed and the bad cyclist will bear the brunt.

ilovemyteddies · 18/10/2012 19:31

I'm a cyclist and I must admit I am a twat.

No helmet, just cycle clips on if I have trousers.

Red light, what red light?

At weekends I drive a "I'm a flash dickhead I can go at a million miles per hour" car, which probably annoys people, too.

I can't help it, really.

My thighs are good from cycling.

I think there's something in my childhood which makes me need to (1) be slightly obnoxious and attention seeking (2) be disapproved of. OOH PUNISH ME, EVERYBODY.

FORGIVE ME, MUMSNETTERS .

gastrognome · 18/10/2012 19:34

Skippy what a brilliant post.
I have recently started cycling to work and back, partly so I can collect my 4yo daughter from school and take her home on the back of the bike rather than subject her to a long walk.

It is absolutely frightening how blasé some drivers are with regard to cyclists, or how close some of them drive when trying to squeeze past. We were nearly knocked off the bike today by a driver deciding to overtake with about 5 cm to spare, instead of waiting a few more seconds when she would have had ample room. Yesterday I was beeped at for having the audacity to be on the road at all. And the day before we were nearly squashed by a bus pulling in to the side while overtaking us. My nerves are always totally frazzled by the time we get home!

AnotherCerealNameChanger · 18/10/2012 19:37

I used to commute on my bike every day in all weather conditions. I had a helmet, high vis jacket, and damn good lights. My DH still commutes on a bike.

However.

Every day when I drive past the university there are hordes of lethal cyclists. No high vis, no lights, no helmets and they do some crazy maneuvers as well. It is a minority that are properly kitted out and who show reasonable road sense.

SugarPastePumpkin · 18/10/2012 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnotherCerealNameChanger · 18/10/2012 19:39

I have no issue with cyclists riding where they need to in order to avoid potholes or drain covers, but I do have an issue with being unable to see them

SugarPastePumpkin · 18/10/2012 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whois · 18/10/2012 20:03

I drive. I bike.

I think ALL cyclists in london should have to spend a week driving around the city.

And ALL drivers should have to spend a week biking around.

That way you appreciate the annoying/dangerous things the the half do e.g bikes not being visible, not being predictable, nipping between lanes of traffic. Or, cars not indicating to turn, not looking before changing lanes etc, hassling bikes.

kekouan · 18/10/2012 20:20

Hang on... is this an almost sensible thread about cycling on MN? Grin
Usually these things descend into a bunfight rather quickly.

I'm off to The Doghouse to start a calm a normal thread about rehoming a dog Wink

bureni · 18/10/2012 20:24

I think that a helmet, high Vis and fixed lights should be compulsory for cyclists and that the laws regarding cyclists should be a lot more strictly enforced by the police when cyclist run red lights, ride on pavements etc. The police should also prosecute numpty car drivers who drive around at night with no lights on at all (getting far to common this time of year).

Lifeisontheup · 18/10/2012 20:25

To the cyclist who cycled across the road in front of me today.....

Think, I was driving a five ton truck with the braking distance of an artic, I was also driving on an emergency with all relevant visible and audible warnings on. I can brake in time because I was reading your body language which spelt out very clearly that you weren't going to stop (the ipod was a bit of a clue too) and when I lean on my air horn to try and get you to notice me and you give me the finger, think that I might be the person who scrapes you off the tarmac when you argue with someone who isn't as alert as me.

Also a big thank you to the cyclist I pass each morning at 5.00am who is lit up like a christmas tree. You make me smile and restore my faith in common sense. Smile

inabeautifulplace · 18/10/2012 20:41

Totally agree with the OP, makes no sense whatsoever to use a vehicle on the road in the dark without lights.

However, due to the sheer amount of made up statistics in the thread, I thought I'd post some real ones from a Transport Research Laboratory report in 2009.

"In crashes where a cyclist over 25 sustained minor injuries (the vast proportion of collisions), the motorist was entirely at fault in between 67% and 75% of incidents, and the cyclist solely at fault in only 16% to 22% of cases (p33).

When a cyclist over 25 sustained serious injuries, the motorist was entirely at fault in between 64% and 70% of the time, with the cyclist at fault in between 23% and 27% of incidents (p33).

In cases when a cyclist over 25 died in a crash, the motorist was deemed entirely at fault in between 48% and 66% of incidents (p33), and the cyclist in 33% to 43% (p33).

NOTE: The figures for faults in fatal and serious crashes are likely to underestimate the number attributable to drivers because the victim's ability to give evidence against the driver is strongly affected by the crash."

Abra1d · 18/10/2012 20:56

What is the obsession with helmets? In major cycling cities like Amsterdam and Cologne nobody wears them.