AIBU Cyclist Twats

[TractorAndHeadphones]

Walking down lovely canals with DP. Supposed to be romantic - but every 5 minutes we were interrupted by a cyclists whizzing along! Some had the courtesy to ring the bell but even so they rode straight at us instead of around us.

This really boils my piss because cyclists always complain that cars overtake dangerously and that’s it’s their god given right to hold up traffic. But cyclists can ride straight through pedestrians?

There was enough space for a cyclist to ride alongside us if they’d been slower ; even so you don’t expect people to walk in single file on canal roads which are meant to be enjoyed slowly! There were families in front of us, mothers with prams etc. Thé cyclists were probably scared of swerving into the lake but if you can’t control your bike then dont bloody ride!
It really ruined my day.

This has also happened on pavements with people whizzing along in the middle. Even if the road is dangerous there’s no need to go that fast.
AIBU to think that cyclists are twats and should be licensed?
People often complain that cars are rude to cyclists but IMO people in general are twats. Cars can do more damage but they’re not behaving worse than cyclists.

Also @BoredZelda sorry to hear about you and DD being driven away by cyclists! You have perfect right to be there.

On my path they would have had to slow down for a wheelchair user. At the speed and position of approach they’d have gone bang into them otherwise.

Why do people think it’s acceptable for cars to be held up but not cyclists?

Also I’m not pro-car. I’m pro public transport

@TractorAndHeadphones

Also the majority of votes are YANBU 😎 Treat everyone with respect that’s all I’m saying Cars, cyclists, pedestrians

Treat cyclists with respect, says OP who also calls them twats

@EnidFrighten read all my posts. Also green tea is good for you

Even in my local park there was a teenage lad riding his bike home from school (presumably given the time and in full uniform). He was going ridiculously fast on a smallish path (full of young children, dog walkers, elderly) no bell ringing whatsoever. I was with my 2 year old sat on a bench, she got down off the bench and honestly he was a hairs length from mowing her down. I was absolutely livid. His approach was absolutely silent so I had no warning at all (in which case I would have kept my DD on the bench until he passed). Don't think he should be allowed to be whizzing around a public park at full speed. Accident waiting to happen!

Only yesterday I saw a middle aged lady on a sit up and beg bike happily sail through two red lights one after the other. The first was a pedestrian crossing where two people had to jump back onto the pavement and then about 200 yards down the road, she sailed through a red light on a nasty 3 way crossing. She didn't slow down, look or signal...just sailed on by and carried on.

Where I live there is a canal towpath which is the main cycle friendly route for a lot of people’s commute. It is a shared use path. Cyclists go quickly on it cause they aren’t out for a leisurely cycle - they are off to work. Many pedestrians also use it. It’s not a problem if they stick to one side and cyclists stick to the other side. What is a problem is those that don’t appreciate the shared nature and want to walk (or indeed cycle) 2 abreast, or walk an out of control dog off the lead. Or the very worst, a dog on one of those retractable leads. Wrong sort of path, find somewhere else.

@anonymousanne

Even in my local park there was a teenage lad riding his bike home from school (presumably given the time and in full uniform). He was going ridiculously fast on a smallish path (full of young children, dog walkers, elderly) no bell ringing whatsoever. I was with my 2 year old sat on a bench, she got down off the bench and honestly he was a hairs length from mowing her down. I was absolutely livid. His approach was absolutely silent so I had no warning at all (in which case I would have kept my DD on the bench until he passed). Don't think he should be allowed to be whizzing around a public park at full speed. Accident waiting to happen!

Exactly - and what’s the solution? All the people wanting people ‘off cars and onto cycles’ please suggest. If a car drives badly and something bad happens their license can be revoked. They have number plates to identify them. But there’s no recourse for cyclists.

The best thing would be to get people onto public transport.

It really takes a certain type of person to dress head to toe in lycra and zoom around on a bike. Twats 😂

Was the speeding school kid on a cycle path? If so you should have been more aware, if not you are reasonable for being pissed off.

What type of person? I like cycling and wear Lycra. How does that make me a twat?

I like cycling and wear Lycra. How does that make me a twat?

😂😂😂

@eirian171

Only yesterday I saw a middle aged lady on a sit up and beg bike happily sail through two red lights one after the other. The first was a pedestrian crossing where two people had to jump back onto the pavement and then about 200 yards down the road, she sailed through a red light on a nasty 3 way crossing. She didn't slow down, look or signal...just sailed on by and carried on.

Whereas last time I was on my bike in the rain, I stopped at a zebra crossing for a woman to cross. Unfortunately both of the cars behind me didn’t bother to stop and drove on, nice and dry inside their cars while the woman and I got wetter.

@Whycangirlsbesonasty

Where I live there is a canal towpath which is the main cycle friendly route for a lot of people’s commute. It is a shared use path. Cyclists go quickly on it cause they aren’t out for a leisurely cycle - they are off to work. Many pedestrians also use it. It’s not a problem if they stick to one side and cyclists stick to the other side. What is a problem is those that don’t appreciate the shared nature and want to walk (or indeed cycle) 2 abreast, or walk an out of control dog off the lead. Or the very worst, a dog on one of those retractable leads. Wrong sort of path, find somewhere else.

The thing is though, even if a towpath is the best way for cyclists to commute on, they don't own the path. Dog walkers/peds etc have every right to use it and if it's not marked with seperate sides for cyclists etc then faster users just need to deal with that.

It's the same for drivers getting annoyed when they get held up by tractors, if you don't allow enough time in your journey to have a bit of leeway that's not the fault of the other road users.

@PixieLaLa

It really takes a certain type of person to dress head to toe in lycra and zoom around on a bike. Twats 😂

Cycling is fun. Lycra is a necessity because of chafing. Sorry, I frequently cycle over 50 miles. I’m not wearing jeans or a dress. But hey let’s sneer and make nasty comments about people. I mean we’ve even had a few comments about Lycra clad fat arses already.

Funny MUmsnetters are normally so “right on” about not being judgemental, not slagging people off for their personal appearance, etc but as soon as there’s a cyclist thread there’s comments about how they look stupid in Lycra, mamils, too fat to wear Lycra, etc. It’s not original, mature or nice.

A cyclist crashed into my 9 year old a few years ago whilst driving far too fast down a residential road. They both had to go to hospital. He then tried to claim for a new bike on my motor insurance despite my car not being involved. He must have driven to the scene and noted the vehicle outside my house - which wasn't mine - and told police I had been driving it. When I ignored the first letter, he reported me as an uninsured driver.

• 100% this! I think many people don’t understand the sheer number of cyclists. It’s not ‘momentarily stepping aside to give way’ it’s a constant stream of people.

Which is it? A constant stream or a cyclist every 5 mins as per your OP?

@MsTSwift

What type of person? I like cycling and wear Lycra. How does that make me a twat?

Because you are wearing comfortable and suitable clothing, and the poster calling you a twat is probably a bit too chubby to get away with it?

Oh God! Cyclists and tow paths. We all want to enjoy a day out; if you need to keep ringing your bell to make people move that should tell you that you are moving too fast for the general speed of other users and you are spoiling things and unsafe; there is not enough room and if anyone is going to end up the water I'd prefer it to be you; get off and walk.

Same goes for anyone over the age of 10 cycling on a pavement who bleats: "I don't want to ride in the road because it's dangerous."

It's difficult to walk anywhere these days without all kinds of vehicles streaming past (scooters, bikes etc)

I think everywhere is busy. People are working from home more, they have more dogs to walk, and they've found a new fondness for the outdoors. It's not just cyclists or scooters, it's everyone.

Funny MUmsnetters are normally so “right on” about not being judgemental, not slagging people off for their personal appearance, etc but as soon as there’s a cyclist thread there’s comments about how they look stupid in Lycra, mamils, too fat to wear Lycra, etc. It’s not original, mature or nice

It's a fair point though that people in the UK feel the need to dress up (or down, depending on your view!) to cycle. In the Netherlands or Denmark they just jump on their bikes in anything and away they go. I don't think you need lycra, you just need padding for your bottom if you are doing a longer ride.

We live near a royal park where cyclists used to be an absolute menace. There’s a perimeter road (20 mph limit, largely because of the deer) but also a shared, fairly narrow path for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Lycra-clad variety used to zoom along that path, regardless of little kids, old people, anyone who might be deaf, not to mention dogs - ringing their bells and expecting everyone to get out of their way as they hurtled along at more than the perimeter road limit.

I heard of one dog being killed, and there must have been more accidents.
Thank goodness a 5 mph limit was finally introduced a few years ago. You still get the odd arrogant twat ignoring it, though.

The best thing would be to get people onto public transport

But they don't want to use public transport, they want to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors.

@eirian171

Only yesterday I saw a middle aged lady on a sit up and beg bike happily sail through two red lights one after the other. The first was a pedestrian crossing where two people had to jump back onto the pavement and then about 200 yards down the road, she sailed through a red light on a nasty 3 way crossing. She didn't slow down, look or signal...just sailed on by and carried on.

At least she was on a bike and not in a car!

@SusieBob exactly it’s the same principle as a road.
If a road doesn’t have marked cycle lanes you don’t expect cyclist to be squashed to the side while cars ride on.
I don’t know why a similar principle applying to towpaths is a huge leap of logic.
While on large paths etc people should expect courtesy you don’t expect the more vulnerable road user to ‘give way’ solely for speed. If you cannot adjust your speed then you’re not capable of riding there. Cars (and people on buses!) also have to put up with a slower commute because of cycles. But cycles don’t want to put up with slow pedestrians. It’s this that I find strange

Along the Waterfront in my town they have banned cars to enable people to enjoy the waterfront safely. Unfortunately they have not banned cyclists who come at you both ways at extreme speed - no cars to block their way.

Several times I have stepped sideways to avoid a cyclist coming towards me at speed only to step into the path of a cyclist coming the other way.

At least you can hear cars coming - it seems that bells are defunct on cycles nowadays.

It has made walking extremely unpleasant now.