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?

Being a cyclist has made me a better driver because I can fully appreciate how scary it is when clueless drivers don't overtake safely.
I agree. I mountain bike more than road and won't cycle on the road on my own because I find myself getting startled by asshole drivers who think squeezing past and being 3.5 seconds faster is acceptable. I never cycle on rural winding roads (same reason and I also don't want to feel trapped on tight turns etc).

Interestingly when I've gone to the continent on my bike, I've found the drivers much more courteous and a lot less dangerous (there are assholes everywhere obviously but the UK does have a culture of cars own the road and any other user should make way for the mighty car).

Apparently, according to a cyclist friend of dhs they use the roads because 'its a road bike, not a path bike'.

In Sussex, they spent hundreds of thousands on a lovely, level riverside cycle track, approx 5-6 miles long. It saves cyclists from having to ride on a narrow, winding, up-and-down NSL road, that carries heavy traffic including enormous HGVs that have just got off the cross channel ferry. (Dutch flower lorries, mostly, I seem to see one every time I use that road).

Do they bloody use it? No they don't. They still ride on this C-category road, which has only 2 short stretches where overtaking is possible. If there is oncoming traffic on these stretches, you can be stuck behind a cyclist for almost 7 miles. On the uphill stretches, this can be at not much more than walking pace. And sometimes at this time of year, you get big groups of cyclists so that make such a long line that you can't pass them all on the short stretches that are straight enough to overtake safely.

On occasions, I have counted queues of more than 20 vehicles stuck behind a cyclist. They never pull over to let cars past, unlike tractor drivers and horse riders.

One of the best things about changing my job is that I never have to drive down that road to see clients. I used to have to do it several times a week.

On these threads people always jump in to say you should leave the same gap as if you were overtaking a small car. Show me any urban single carriageway road that you could actually overtake a car on. There certainly aren't any where I am.

So you are stuck behind a cyclist for mile after mile, waiting for a gap. Finally you get a gap with nothing coming the other way and get past them, only to find that when you get stuck at the next set of lights they come up behind you and squeeezzee up the 2 inch gap between your car and the parked car next to you. Then you are stuck behind them again, waiting for the next non existent gap.

I don't know about anyone else's car but mine really doesn't like trundling along at less than 15mph, and the extra emissions caused by everyone creeping along is causing far more pollution than if they were able to drive at a more reasonable speed.

The cyclists do not practice what they preach and do not overtake leaving a gap. I have had cyclists try to overtake up the centre of two lanes in a road not wide enough to have two lanes, just as the traffic set off. Not even enough room for their handlebars - how did they think they would fit?

The most scary time was driving through a residential area where there are parked cars both sides of the road and the gap is only just big enough to get one vehicle through. All stuck because someone couldn't wait and tried to come up the road as 3 from our direction were driving down. We are driving really slowly. Suddenly my sensors start donging and there is a cyclist trying to get up my inside. Honestly? Do people like that have no brain at all?

OP is a tiresome plopper, I see. Only to be expected from such a dimwitted post.

Interesting to see and hear that so many people seem to think endangering cyclists is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. Obviously some cyclists are knobs, though I’m pretty certain far more car drivers ate knobs, the difference being that a car could kill a cyclist but a cyclist is highly unlikely to kill a car driver.

My car has such low emissions I don’t pay vehicle duty anymore. DH is a cyclist as well. I suppose that makes us scum.

Cyclists can be decent road users but mostly they aren’t.

I have been knocked over (as a pedestrian) by a cyclist overtaking on the inside at about 30mph in stationary traffic, they generally do not stop at red lights and they become pedestrians (use the pavement) whenever it suits them.

I am sure there are some fantastic responsible cyclists and that they would welcome cycle number plates and bad cyclists being meaningfully penalised when they break the law.

Yes Wealsles, we have roads like that. If you are stuck behind anything slow moving, you just have to suck it up as it can be many many miles before you can see sufficiently to pass. To then have a cyclist come past you at lights when going through a village or something and be back to square one would be infuriating.

YABU - thank god for cyclists, they cut down on pollution massively and are actually helping traffic congestion in cities

Most of the cyclists people are moaning about aren't commuters though leftie they are hobbyists who aren't cutting anything in terms of pollution or congestion unless their alternative hobby is rally driving or helicopter flying.

Someone mentioned cyclist and insurance.... all cycling clubs/groups I know of insist on members having such insurance.

@waxonfeckoff most drivers aren’t commuting either especially on weekends

most drivers aren’t commuting either especially on weekends

True, but most people on the road at the weekend or otherwise aren't out for hours on end driving about at 20-30mph, they are usually going to or from somewhere. They also aren't hurtling through the woods at about 40-50mph in groups on footpaths.

I have no issue with people using cycles as a means of transport. The ones that piss me off are the serious, lycra-clad individuals who think it's fine not to use the expensive cycle paths and insist on holding up the traffic.

It's like me going running on the road and not on the path, just because I want to.

Exactly Bobby - I think that's what we are talking about. Of course people are allowed to do things that give them joy and keep themselves fit as well, but it's having a bit of thought about the impact of that on other people. Just because you are allowed to do something doesn't always mean that you should.

Declaring that you hate people that ride bikes is making you look like a very prejudiced person

As for rubbish, try looking at the verges on the motorway as they are full of rubbish but not sure how people on bikes get the rubbish there...

@BobbyBrewstersMagicTorch

Jeez thanks that really big of you.

If cycle paths were well maintained and not full of grit/glass and thorns that cause punctures, cyclists would use them.

I ve been cycling in Mallorca recently and was using a very well maintained and clear cycle path, a family was walking 4 abreast, i slowed and said a cheery "excuse me" i got back (from the english family.. ) "why haven't you a bell? you should be on the road!" (Was it you?)

However, considering that there are almost no cycle paths nationwide, it doesn't help your goal of eliminating anyone who might delay your very very important journey.

How do you feel bobby about the drivers that hold up the cyclists every morning ? It happens in many towns and cities each morning and afternoon, 1 person in each car taking up the entire width of the lane queuing. Why can’t these drivers be considerate and 4 of them get in one car and that would be 75% less cars on the road

jasjas1973
I agree. There's one near us that is quite good, but really there's lots of dog walkers and families on bikes (rightly so it gets really well used) but other than joining 2 or 3 areas of town it doesn't take you anywhere so anyone wanting to cycle out of town can't use it.
Another one runs for 300m on a pavement so to use it cyclists have to cross from the pavement, across 2 lanes of traffic, onto the cycle path and then 300m later join traffic at the junction. It's terribly designed and nobody uses it.

Plus when people do use the (rare) useful cycle paths there's a mumsnet thread to the effect of:
I was walking with DC on the cycle path this morning when some mamils in lycra were ringing their bell telling us to move out their way. Who do they think they are expecting the world to move out their way? They need to slow down really. It's not the bloody olympics
Reality: average speed cyclists usr cycle path and the same sort of person who whines about cyclists on roads wants another whine.

WaxOnFeckOff

Exactly Bobby - I think that's what we are talking about. Of course people are allowed to do things that give them joy and keep themselves fit as well, but it's having a bit of thought about the impact of that on other people. Just because you are allowed to do something doesn't always mean that you should.

Your vehicle literally spouts our poison! What’s that if it’s not having an impact on anything that breathes. Just because you are allowed to drive doesn’t mean you should

www.gov.uk/speed-limits
Pregnantonpurpose
It seems it’s not a requirement to drive at 60mph it’s only a maximum limit

Ivykaty44
Did you really have to go to .Gov to know that? Or is that a poor attempt at sarcasm?

It's a 60mph road, I was going 60mph like in legally entitled to, because that's as you already pointed out, the maximum legal limit. He still pulled out infront of me.

If a car pulled out onto a 50mph and got hit by a car, they cant say "well you should have been going 20, not 50, that's only the maximum limit, I would have made it if you was going 20mph."

Idiot.

YANBU. I bloody hate cyclists. Take no care at all for their own safety, wear head to toe black at night, no lights/reflective gear, jump red lights, never ever use their bell, never pull over to let faster vehicles pass unlike tractors etc, I've seen them looking at their phone whilst cycling, headphones in so oblivious to their surroundings, quite happy to knock over pedestrians both on the pavement or if crossing the road.

I absolutely hate them. They need to be taxed and insured and registered so they can held accountable for their careless, dangerous and negligent cycling just like other road users.

PregnantOnPurpose
Anyone pulling out into a road needs to ensure it's safe to do so.
Anyone on the main road needs to be aware of the road conditions and part of that is (generally, at least when I'm driving) is to identify a potential hazard and adjust speed accordingly, not drive at the speed limit because there's precious seconds in their journey.

A cyclist or motorist pulling out recklessly is out of order.

But adjusting speed seeing a potential hazard is common sense. What's the point in being right if dead or seriously injured?

And all the posters saying cyclist should use cycle paths and not roads.... most National Cyclist Routes are on roads. Do you ever see the little blue signs with the red numbers? Probably not because you aren’t paying enough attention

A car is two ton of metal surrounding the driver and occupants pregnantonpurpose, but you stopped so you wouldn’t have hit the car anyway