WTF cyclists in the snow

[lifeandtheuniverse]

Cycling in the snow and ice, with no lights on and no reflective gear.

AIBU to think they should be arrested as a danger on the road.

Just had one fall off as lost back wheel on the snow,, car behind him managed to swerve round lost his back end and corrected. Me second car behind, I slam on brakes as he slides towards my front wheels - feet under my bumper. Car behind me ends up touching my bumper!

Then the moron has the balls to swear, berate me and demand my details.

The statistics on helmets are interesting - you really shouldn’t judge someone for not wearing a helmet, personal choice.

I thought he was under your bumper but now you say you were 20m away?

Gosh this story changes faster than the weather. 20m away or feet under the bumper....big difference.

I can think of 3 pedestrians killed by cyclists in the last 5 years. Very sad but statistically speaking a pedestrian or other road user is far less likely to be killed by a cycle than a car.

I don’t wear a helmet. I don’t consider myself ill prepared.

Do you drive Kid? If so you'd know that there occasions when you hit black ice that you cannot always control the car. This isn't about wreckless driving.

This thread is so odd! Just because it's not a legal requirement to wear high vis clothing etc doesn't mean you should be an arrogant numpty and prepare yourself to be seen as clearly as possible!

In this weather common sense would surely mean you would be wearing a helmet, high vis clothing, lights and not be wearing bloody headphones so you are as alert as possible!

It's a twattish thing to do if you don't do these things as standard when going out cycling in snow/ice and poor visibility!

please learn to read

I couldn’t have said it better.

For those that judge and here.

I don't judge. DH only wears a hat for events where he has no choice but to wear a hat, the rest of the time he wears a cotton cycle cap.

I generally wear one all the time apart from when we are on our touring holidays when I usually wear a baseball cap .... in a foreign land on unknown roads cycling on the wrong side of the road.

Just because someone chooses not to wear a hat doesn't mean they are an idiot taking risks.

Yes, I do, and I know that black ice only forms under certain conditions, and if black ice is likely I drive accordingly - hence I've never been "caught out by it"

Not hard, is it?

Advanced driving schools, the police and so on will teach you there is no such thing as a road traffic "accident". Only avoidable mistakes.

You hit black ice when the road surface is below freezing. Again, drive to the conditions, especially if you are in the vicinity of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians or cyclists.

Same argument can be used for cyclists too, and yes I do agree about drivers doing the same.

Cyclists should also prepare themselves for the conditions and ensure they are as visible and prepared as possible.

Would you go out and leave your front door unlocked and your windows opened? No you wouldn't. Why? So you don't get your house burgled.

If your house was burgled then of of course it would be the fault of the person who went in your house, but you still minimise the risk of happening by taking proper precautions such as locking doors and windows.

Same applies to cycling. Take proper precautions to minimise the risk of being hurt. Otherwise it's like going out with all your windows and doors open and deliberately making yourself vulnerable.

Car 1 : lights on a good 20 metres behind, me car 2, lights on and snow tyres, a good 10 metres back from him.
Speed dictated by the effwit virtually invisible cyclist

Virtually invisible yet you could see him from 30 meters away? Sure.

You were too close.

The speed would have been dictated by him/her whether they had hi-viz gear and lights on or not, so that's entirely irrelevant.

You're just annoyed that you are not the only person allowed on the road.

What do you mean that you drive accordingly on black ice Kid? I'm intrigued.
Do you think all the drivers that have crashed on black ice were driving like idiots then?

I'd suspect Kid means he/she would avoid driving in those areas, not driving on black ice as you enquire Great. Weather forecasts are wonderful things.

It's befuddling to know drivers will still risk driving on roads which police and weather folk have heavily advised them not to.

Yet cyclists are fine to do that though

Lordy - backward and forward.......

Yes indeed. But you can't have one rule for cyclists and not for drivers. If it's not safe to drive it's not safe to be out on a bike. It's common sense, because there will definitely be some cars out on the road so why put yourselves at risk?

Really? You are intrigued by the notion of being aware when black ice might be likely, and acting accordingly?

Fuck me.

Sometimes we have absolutely no choice but to drive when it's icy. Is your "acting accordingly " not to drive anywhere when it's below freezing then? Or something else?

"Oh, it's a bit cold, and it's dark. There might be ice. I'll drive carefully, or maybe I'll go another way where the gritter might have gone through. Etc. Maybe as I live in an area where there is ice often, I'll get some winter tyres."

It's really not difficult - think, and drive to the conditions. Black ice forms under predictable conditions. If you don't know what they are, maybe you should find out.

Likewise, Great, some people have no choice but to cycle in those situations. One of our friends is a trauma consultant, he doesn’t own a car because he cycles everywhere.

I am selling my car and buying a Brompton so I won’t have a car to drive next winter either. I will put studded tyres on it if I feel I need to.

I would be interested to know how many posting here go to the bother of putting winter tyres on their cars. We see it as part of taking proper precautions, something that has been spouted on this thread, only against cyclists of course. Putting your backside in a large metal cage on wheels seems to be seen as taking proper precautions by some.

It's a pity the chap on his bike in this thread doesn't follow your excellent advice eh? He might not have nearly killed himself had he done.

I'm very surprised the cyclist had earphones on. I mean how stupid is that! I don't think they should have headphones on anyway when cycling on roads but to do so in this weather where he should be on high alert to sounds around him as well as visually. Some people just don't help themselves!

Sounds like everyone in the op, including the cyclist are idiots.

the cyclist was at least 30 m in front of me - we had all driven for the previous 2 miles behind him on a straight lit road ( the street lights were on - indication it was dusk and getting dark!) No one attempted to over take him, it was too dangerous, no one beeped, flashed lights or drove up his arse.

He slid down the hill and ended up with his feet under my bumper, he did not touch my car. His bike was where he fell off - 30 metres up the hill. The story has not changed.

Ill prepared idiots drivers or cyclists should not be on the roads in these conditions. He was ill prepared, and put his and others lives in danger.

He fell, he hurt himself, no cars involved - none of us did him damage, he did it to himself, to abuse people who did not injure him is unreasonable.

You're pissing in the wind OP. The cyclists on here will not have it that the man was wrong, that he put himself and others in danger. And they wonder why cyclists have a bad name.