To think some cyclists are complete arseholes....

[Sophisticatedsarcasm]

I’m not blind to the fact that cyclists get grief from drivers, you’d think they’d give some thought to pedestrians. 3 Times today I came across douchebags who couldn’t be bothered to signal when turning and almost run me over, luckily I’m very aware when out walking. One of then tried to hurl abuse at me when I shouted back some very tasteful words along with the other women also almost knocked over. If you want to cycle in a busy part of town then you need to abide by the Highway Code of signalling so people know not to cross the road not just cycle along and spontaneously decide I want that turn no matter who’s there.
Another went up a one way street the wrong way then because a car was coming swerves and almost hits me on the pavement....and not a sorry in sight... which I kindly pointed out when I shouted your welcome really loudly... not that it mattered he continued on his ignorant way.
I like to cycle but I’m always weary of people and to me pedestrians are priority.... it’s a shame not everyone feels the same.
So tell me am I being unreasonable....

UserX

If its the incident that I am thinking about he had no brakes because the bake had never had them fitted (was designed to have them) and it wasn't road legal.

But you keep making excuses.

*wasn't designed to have them not was

We live near to a road where cyclists regularly race. Of course they call it "time trials" because they're not allowed to race on the road, but it is races.

The behaviour of these middle-aged cyclists is appalling - they have no consideration for pedestrians or other road users. They also insist on getting to the front of a queue of cars at the traffic lights at the bottom of a steep hill so that they can lead a parade of cars at 3mph as they try to peddle up the hill in the middle of the lane.

God forbid a car tries to overtake - as well as swearing I've seen legs swung out to kick cars. Toddler tantrums by greying lycra-clad idiots.

Queendoris if you are going to use stats at least use them right. Those figures do not take into account that there are many more car users than cyclists. It would be interesting to know what percentages are

They should be banned from riding in groups often 2-3 abreast. So dangerous getting past

We have a purpose built cycle path running up the main road near us which cost millions and a lot of disruption to install.
The Sacred Lycra Ones still ride on the road and hold up the traffic.
I drive along country roads a lot and have seen groups of them cover both sides of the road coming up to a bend. All it would have taken was one van coming round the other way.
I've also had to slam my brakes on when they pulled onto my side of the road to clear a parked car. No warning, acknowledgement or anything.
It seems when they race and get in a pack, all road manners go out of the window.
This said, I'm sure most cyclists are a lot more considerate.

Absolutely! Some are so vile!!! A few months back, a mum was walking her 2 children to school and I was walking about 50 m behind her. A cyclist was riding at full speed, pushed past me and hit the child as he passed. She was too shocked to respond. Luckily, an older man held the cyclist up ahead and he was cautioned by the police. The child had to be taken to the hospital for the injuries. Honestly, sometimes, they deserve the grief given to them by the car drivers.

Last year a cyclist ran straight into me when I was crossing (the road was closed anyway, if it hadn't been he would still have been going the wrong way as it was one way). I'd just bought a Starbucks (extra hot). Went everywhere but mostly over him. Like to think of it as karma.

You see arsehat behaviour from all road users - I cycle to work a few days a week and have had van drivers pull into the cycle lane sharply in front of me and slam their brakes on because they're making deliveries, but I've also had van drivers 'fend off' inconsiderate drivers trying to cut me up on roundabouts. I've seen other cyclists nearly trimmed out or having to swerve in front of buses because of pedestrians who haven't looked properly, and I've seen the idiots who are so obsessed with setting a personal best for their ride to work that they can't be bothered to stop for pedestrians using proper crossing points. We have a complete bellend who often rides past our house fast, in the middle of the road, neither hand on the handlebars, texting as he goes. I have to admit to having been delighted when he missed the 'road closed' signs last week and ended up pitching straight into the big hole left by the burst water main

Very apt thread for me this morning. A guy on a bike rode into the side of ky car yesterday. He had to be taken to hospital. I barely slept last night. He was cycling down a hill on a pavement. I was stopped at a juntion behind another car. Both waiting for our green light. He didnt notice the junction coming up, didnt expect traffic there, didnt break in time, swerved to miss the car infronr and crashed into me instead.

I don't understand why these threads always turn into 'but car drivers are more dangerous'. The OP hasn't disputed that - she said that some cyclists are a pain in the arse.

I spent a long time in Cambridge where cyclists are pretty good on the whole. I learned to drive there, which was sometimes quite interesting when you had a tourist on a hire bike coming towards you on the wrong side of the road

I live in a much more provincial town now and the cyclists are terrifying. They don't seem to be very road aware at all - they want to get from A to B and the lights and signs are for everybody else. Mind you, the drivers are much worse here too - I often wonder if it's because in Cambridge as a driver and a cyclist you have to be hyper aware of each other as there are so many cyclists, so indicating for example isn't optional like it appears to be for so many people here.

Lots of MAMILs about round here too - but they seem to be pretty good and very road aware on the whole compared to the experiences of PP.

🙄 yeah, not all cyclists

I’m not worried about being killed by a cyclist. I’m worried about them injuring me. My disability means I can’t always react quickly. So when I “should just get out of the way” I can’t. I shouldn’t have to be vigilant about that crossing on the green man when the cars have stopped, but the cyclists don’t. Or on the pavement. Same goes for the odd skateboarding nob head as well.
Plus the verbal abuse is worse from cyclists, they’re not in a vehicle they are basically next to you having a go and calling you for everything, I’ve been followed by one kicking off at me for being in their way, followed up the pavement.

Tow paths are shared use. Part of my commute involves a canal and the amount of times I’ve seen the path blocked by stoned boaters trying to moor up is unbelievable. If you can’t share the path, don’t complain about people getting annoyed.

Actually, pedestrians have priority on the canal path at all times per the Towpath Code. Cyclists have to yield to pedestrians, not the other way around.

canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/our-campaigns/share-the-space-our-towpath-code

www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/campaigns/cycling/briefing_note__cycling_on_towpaths

“Slow down when approaching anglers, towpath walkers and other towpath users, especially family groups and disabled people or those with reduced mobility, and be prepared to dismount or wait for people to get out of your way.”

A colleague of mine was a speed freak. Used to log his commute times every day and was a pain in the arse about it
One day the road was busy so he cycled on the pavement. ..just as a local was wheeling out his bin.
He never did that again.

Some people are bottyholes. Some of them cycle, run, drive, spacehop, pogo, or pedestrianise themselves, but they're still bottyholes.

I was walking home yesterday down a quiet shared footpath/cycleway and some idiotic man yelled at me to make me jump, just to show off in front of his mates, as they all sped past on their bikes. I don't know what he was thinking, but it clearly wasn't "oh, that woman is alone and might be a bit anxious about walking down this path on her own - I better not make it worse".

I'm pretty sure most of the cyclists that die or have to have any of their limbs amputated as happened recently in london, are not these nasty aggresive speed freaks that quite rightly piss so many people off. They are just decent law abiding citizens trying to get about. The more cyclists we have the safer it will be for everyone and the less aggression there will be on the roads.

The high profile accidents on London seem to involve cyclists and huge bloody lorries and commercial vehicles.

AsAProfessionalFekko

If you look at the incidents you will usually see why.

They (drivers) don't look, turn incorrectly, piss about with their phone/laptops... The city is especial bad.

Some people are arseholes. They are still arseholes whatever means of transport they use!
This. ^^

But as it's a cycling thread no doubt someone will turn up and moan about groups of 4 cyclists riding in 2x2 formation safely so that cars can do one safe overtake with an appropriate amount of space and instead lament that what should happen is they ride in a long line so that instead of doing one safe overtake the driver can squeeze past unsafely.

Then it'll be the usual 'I saw a cyclist who...' and some stories about mass floods of ken in lycra going at a bazillion mph on the cycle track and terrorising children and dog walkers.
And another few stories about people being pissed off that there's cyclists on the road near them (when the alternative is a glass filled cycle track for 200m and is so badly designed that it crosses the roundabout on pedestrian crossings and people have to stop ever km to walk their bike theough a range of gates)
Then we'll get some disparaging comments about men who take up cycling.

I'm guessing.

A sit is with cyclists, undertaking when cars/buses/lorries are turning left.

Always being in the blind spot. Weaving in and out of traffic. Not stopping at red lights etc. etc. etc.

If a cyclist is going to try and undertake a lorry that is turning left its only going to end one way.

I know 2 cyclists. I know that they are complete control freaks. Firstly spending hours on their activity each weekend at detriment to their family time. Secondly have cheated on their wives and finally control everything their wives do. They don’t know each other (these cyclists) but they’ve tainted my view of all cyclists!

@Wheretheresawill1 it is legal to ride two or even 3 abreast and actually better for drivers as you have a shorter length of cyclists to overtake when you can safely overtake them. You are aware you need to go into the opposite lane to overtake like you would overtake another vehicle?

If you got out on a bike as well as just driving you would understand this.