AIBU to bloody hate cyclists

[FortyAndFlagging]

I have just trailed three cyclists during the course of the day. Honest to God, why don't they just pull over and let people pass?

It doesn’t kill cyclists to move over a bit and allow drivers past, it doesn’t kill drivers to give cyclists a bit more room

The problem is that it can kill cyclists. Bring forced to ride in the gutter or the door zone can lead to events that can seriously injure a cyclist or in fact kill them.

If moving over a bit means a driver decides to squeeze through a gap that is too narrow to overtake (because in their view 50cm is 'plenty of room'), it can definitely kill me.

@Zampa I was refering to the New Forest where there are no gutters or door zones. Lots of pass points have now been put in as they have put logs along the roads to stop tourists pulling onto verges instead of using car parks. We were behind a cyclist at the weekend who had 3 opportunities to move over to the pass point and didn’t meaning we were stuck behind him for a mile as it is a single track road. He wouldn’t have needed to slow down or stop his ride just move slightly to the left, he chose not too. That is what I mean when I say consideration of each other

Also, sometimes it's safer to jump a light.

there is a light I always jump near my house.

There are no pedestrians crossing as they cross on the next turning along.

after the light two lines of traffic waiting at the red light merge into one. As a cyclist you are always squashed into the side by cars and there is nowhere to go.

It's far safer to jump the red light whilst the pedestrians are crossing (on a different road) and get a head start on the cars.

Problem at traffic lights, where there is a left turn, is that if you are not in front of the leading car, drivers will just turn left, knocking the cyclist over, who is either riding straight ahead or also turning left.

Where the council has put in a cyclist only box at the front junction, cars go and stop in them.........

Tara336 - the "Gutter" refers to the edge of the road, where there is often pot holes, sunken drain covers, glass and other debri, possibly forcing the cyclist to swing out into the road..... just as you are over taking.....

@jajas1973 I understand but the pass points are all new and newly surfaced 3 car lengths long (I know as there were 3 of us in one giving way to an oncoming car) it really wouldn’t have done any harm for him to move into it and let us pass by, this is the kind of thing that infuriates drivers (before anyone starts I was not driving and not infuriated just mystified as to why he couldn’t show other road users some consideration)

From reading lots of comments it seems it’s an argument no one will win and no one camp wants to be reasonable towards the other or see anyone else’s point of view and adjust cycling/driving styles accordingly.

no one camp wants to be reasonable towards the other or see anyone else’s point of view and adjust cycling/driving styles accordingly

This is bollocks. I am a driver as well as a cyclist. Most cyclists are. When I drive, I drive safely around bikes. When I cycle, I use the road in a way that is considerate to drivers.

What I will not do is compromise my safety while I cycle in order to pander to dangerous drivers.

@Tara336 well, if that's the case, the cyclist was an idiot.

I move out of the way to let cars go by out of self preservation (and avoid busy roads like the plague) if you don't, the 'driver might well decide to get by regardless and mostly, the drivers appreciate it, give a wave etc and perhaps a few might come away with a slightly better opinion of cyclists?

we were stuck behind him for a mile as it is a single track road

You were stuck behind him for a whole mile? 😱😱😱

From reading lots of comments it seems it’s an argument no one will win and no one camp wants to be reasonable towards the other or see anyone else’s point of view and adjust cycling/driving styles accordingly.

People ride a bike in all sorts of ways. Some of them do so dangerously, some of them may do inconsiderately. The same is true of all road users. I not in any sort of the same "camp" as the people you're moaning about in the New Forest just because I go to work on a bike. I am in no way accountable for the actions of anyone else on a bike, yet I am still viewed as a "cyclist" (and all that entails in their silly little heads) by a significant proportion of drivers.

As it happens, when I go riding in the countryside I am pretty conscious of not wanting to hold people up and will pull over if it's not easy to overtake me. But that doesn't stop the idiotic motorists. I had someone a few weeks ago get irate at me for taking primary position going round a blind bend - she had been following me for 20 seconds at most, and after the bend it was easy to overtake. But no, for some reason she got annoyed because I'd stopped her from overtaking in a dangerous place, and then when she did go past it was deliberately close with horn blaring. In her head she probably saw me as just another lycra lout cyclist. She wasn't to know that a minute earlier I'd pulled over to let a few cars go past. Threads like this legitimise that behaviour (the title is AIBU to bloody hate cyclists after all). If you see people who ride bikes concerned about this as just in one "camp" then you are part of the problem too.

I have to say, i'm not a great fan of the Primary Position.

Car drivers don't get it, just seems to really annoy them, they then do stupid things!
The sort of drivers who are considerate wouldn't overtake dangerously in anycase & the sort we need protecting from, overtake regardless....only now i'm in the middle of the road and a big target :(

Thats my experience anyway.

I saw this in today's Times (well on the website) - it's about Ireland, but applies to the UK just as much: www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/cyclists-can-ride-in-middle-of-the-lane-motorists-told-x8dn3kfcz

Motorists will be reminded that cyclists have the legal right to ride in the middle of a lane if they need to.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) confirmed that it would include information on “primary positioning” in a new copy of Rules of the Road, which will be published later this summer.

Primary positioning is when a cyclist rides in a middle-lane position. They are legally allowed to do so and often chose this position when avoiding parked cars or uneven surfaces, when preparing to turn right or if they feel at risk of cars passing them dangerously. It can allow cyclists a better view of the road and junctions ahead, and ensure that they do not get caught in a narrow pinch point between a car and the kerb.

Primary positioning applies to both urban and rural roads, but cyclists who utilise it are advised to signal their intention to drivers behind them.

Primary positioning is included in Cycle Right, the national standard manual for cycling training produced by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It says: “[Positioning] is critical, and correct positioning will allow a cyclist to move competently and confidently on the road network.”

An RSA spokesman said that it would update the rules to clarify that “cyclists are entitled to take a command position in the approach to junctions and roundabouts.”

From reading lots of comments it seems it’s an argument no one will win and no one camp wants to be reasonable towards the other or see anyone else’s point of view and adjust cycling/driving styles accordingly.

Well somehow we are going to need to find a way to coexist safely and respectfully because it isn't going away. There are clearly some utter dickheads of both stripes, on this thread and on the roads. I'm going to continue to drive safely around cyclists and be sure to acknowledge those who do what they can to avoid causing delays where possible. I will take every opportunity to share information about safe driving around cyclists.

It would be nice if the large groups who cycle around here would avoid barrelling through our beautiful village at speed, yelling, swearing, throwing litter, aggressively banging in car wing mirrors because they want to ride 4 abreast, and shouting at any resident who has the temerity to venture out onto the pavement. We can see you, quite obviously, but if you need to check just make eye contact. Also, while on the roads if someone patiently follows you at a safe distance and passes you when it's safe, don't flip them the finger when you sail past them as you jump the next red light. It isn't a crime or morally reprehensible for a motorist to want to travel at more than 15 mph as long as they aren't endangering your safety.

Oh I do love Mumsnet! You try to be reasonable, explain the problems your experiencing in your home area, explain your personnel experiences and suddenly your the problem? @Housename has described pretty much what I’ve seen and experienced, the report from Sway council reports exactly what I’ve experienced and witnessed in the Forest including a perfect description of cyclists on the Wiggle etc not allowing enough gaps between groups to allow overtaking drivers to pull in.

But hey because I drive a car I’m a selfish person damaging the environment, yet all these cyclists who drive to the Forest to race around are angels, the cars they use to carry the bikes down here don’t pollute, the crap they throw on the ground as they are cycling is ok. Their behaviour is perfect and they are just keeping fit not racing

@Userx yep stuck for a mile, that road in the forest is narrow anyway and what was happening was tourists were pulling onto the verge and stopping to pet the ponies so NFDC put in pass points and put in logs all alone the verges on both sides to stop people pulling over. The cyclist I was stuck behind passed 3 and did not attempt to move over at all so we were stuck until road widens further down.

It’s been assumed by some posters that I’m part of the problem yet I’m not a driver that yells as cyclists, cuts them up, dangerously overtakes etc. I ve said EVERYONE needs to be considerate of each other but nope that’s wrong too!

Maybe those that think it’s unreasonable moaning want to pop down and visit the Forest and see how these mass cycle events affect the area? And how these cyclists behave (not all but enough to spoil it for the many)

Honestly I’m throwing my hands up in despair, the title of the thread is AIBU to fucking hate cyclists? I’ve said it’s lovely to see people out cycling, people need to consider each other, cycling events a fine but need numbers limited as area can’t cope and that there’s should be a code of conduct adhered to if you attend the events.

I give up I honestly do

It’s been assumed by some posters that I’m part of the problem yet I’m not a driver that yells as cyclists, cuts them up, dangerously overtakes etc. I ve said EVERYONE needs to be considerate of each other but nope that’s wrong too!

And yet you are all het up about being slowed down for one (1) mile. What did that cost you, an extra 3 minutes?

I cycle in cities for transportation but I don’t really enjoy cycling for exercise. I was stuck behind a cyclist for 10 minutes at the weekend. She was doing about 18 mph downhill on curvy roads. National speed limit for some of the way, reduced to 40mph in some parts, then 30, back up to 40 and then national speed limit. The line of cars behind me was at least 8 cars. I wasn’t going to endanger her, hence the long wait but she should have pulled over in a drive way when we were in a hamlet (hence the drop to 30mph).

My son still has the scars of an encounter with a group of lycra louts.

We were cycling as a family along a coastal foot/cycle path which was basically no wider than an average pavement, so just about enough room for two bikes to pass or cycle side by side. Shrubs etc on each side.

We were in single file going pretty slowly (son was only around 6 at the time). Then there was this huge group of lycra louts coming towards us, going really fast, all two abreast. The first few went into single file, but the group behind just ploughed on side by side meaning we had nowhere to go, so just tried to get as close to the edge as possible, but my son ended up hitting his handle bar on a shrub branch and ended up sprawled over the path. One of the lycra louts actually ran over his leg but couldn't be arsed to stop. The following lycra louts just carried on regardless, some even swearing at us for blocking their way. Never seen such an arrogant bunch of middle aged lycra louts. Presumably they were on some kind of group event/race and weren't happy with mere mortals on "their" path!!

@Tara336

Have you read any of the posts recently? i said the cyclist you were following was an idiot for not allowing you past.
The PP to me said pretty much the same the same thing, we've both said we try and cycle considerately, as have others.

But what you are doing is paying scant regard to the fact that 100s of vulnerable road users are killed whilst cycling, walking, on horseback by car drivers.
But apparently being delayed (by a selfish cyclist) for a few minutes is far worse.

Aside, the problem with mass participation cycling events in this country is that they are on open roads, they should be on closed roads, as most major events are in europe are... this removes the problem of overtaking cars.
Why does this rarely happen in the UK ? because we are an intolerant lot who will not give up our love of the car even for one or two days of the year, when it has happened, people(motorists) throw tacks on the roads and campaign to have the event stopped, because they can't get to the Garden Centre.
Or as a woman in Plymouth did, when she couldn't drive her car due to a running race, tried to drive over the participants/marshalls when they tried to stop her.

Yes you get that in our town when the annual half marathon is on. Closes roads for a maximum of 3 hours, on a rolling reopening basis so most are open much sooner and still people complain. All they need to do is move their cars 5 mins away from their houses and they could drive anywhere quite easily!

The Ride London event is on closed roads I think but that annoys a lot of people. However, the air quality in London is massively improved that day (and similarly on London marathon day). I think we need more such events, not fewer.

@UserX where did I say I was het up? as @JasJas1973 said he was a selfish cyclist. I didn’t say I was particularly bothered by the selfish cyclist I just said this kind of thing is what winds a lot of drivers up. What I could have done was attempted to squeeze past I chose not too as it would have been irresponsible and dangerous so instead I sat behind him. Throwing tacks on the road to stop cycling events is stupid and dangerous you have to question the mindset of anyone who would do something like that tbh. Closed roads is the way to go as you say safer for everyone, in my home county there have been mass cycling events well signposted and marshalled and I imagine the numbers were better controlled, I personally didn’t witness or hear of any problems there, but I think it’s because it’s a less congested area in general with a much better road system (maybe the people running the event were more organised as well).

I’ve seen the video of the lady with the road race I believe that someone did something similar the year before as well, it was appalling tbh

My exh rode a bike 16 miles to and from work and I hated him doing it as while I have no issues with cyclists (contrary to popular belief) and I ride so I do know exactly how vulnerable people are on the road and exactly how selfish and inconsiderate other road users can be. But as I’ve said over and over it can only improve if everyone shows each other consideration.