To wonder why some people are twats towards cyclists

[Apacheshadows]

I’ve lost count of the number of times a car has driven past me and people (usually grown men) have screamed/shrieked at me out of their window, shouted obscenities etc.
Beeped at and then they drive on laughing
Today I had a teenage boy deliberately try and jump in front of my path on a road, this isn’t the first time someone has done that.
I had another teenager try to intimidate me by pulling out in front of me on his own bike, forcing me to quickly swerve

It’s putting me off cycling really, there are some absolute pricks out there.

Also, the number of people who have to comment on how small the bike is. It’s not one of the mini fold up bikes or a children’s one, it’s a bit smaller than average but suits me fine, but people have to comment on it constantly which is weird.

Anyone else had this when cycling? I’m responsible, use lights and wear a high vis and go slowly

@BurscoughBooths

Roads aren’t built for leisure activities. I don’t drive round a velodrome

Of roads aren’t built for leisure activities, why do so many people drive on them for a day out at the seaside or the zoo? Or to go to garden centres or big shopping centres. Or to visit friends & family? All of those are leisure activities.

I’m a cyclist who owns no Lycra. I have a granny bike to go to work on which I also use to go shopping or to go to the pub or cinema. I have a car too for longer journeys so I do pay my way with VED as well as income tax, VAT, insurance premium tax, council tax and every other tax that most people pay. All of which go into the general pot to pay for roads and cycling infrastructure

But if all road users/cyclists had this attitude it wouldn't be a problem. We all just need to be mindful of each other.

If I am on the motorway and someone comes speeding on close behind me, even if I am in the fast lane, I pull over. They need to get somewhere quicker than I do. I pull in and let them past.

It should be the same on pavements, roads and motorways.

@ivykaty44

MotherofPoodles How do you know they are a biker when they’re on a horse or driving? I guess you can tell if they have bike carriers on the car, but on a horse, how can you tell?

I can feel it in my water

Fomofo: Roads aren’t built for leisure activities. I don’t drive round a velodrome.
@Lightisnotwhite and I've never cycled around Silverstone. Is there a point you are trying to make?

@DreadingChristmasAlready

As a driver on country lanes cyclists are extremely dangerous. They often have a long queue of traffic behind them and choose to cycle during the busiest times of the day. I have never shouted abuse at anyone in my life and wouldn't start on cyclists now, but I can see how people would get the rage.

What are you talking about?

It's not dangerous to have a queue of traffic behind you.

And cyclists can use the road at any time of day they like, like motorists, or any other road user.

@mammyofonlyone no such thing as a fast last, it's an overtaking lane. You should pull over if you aren't overtaking.

They also like to ride three or four abreast on a very narrow road, ensuring that no-one who actually cvontributes to the roads can actually get by.

They do contribute to the road @JudgeJ as has been pointed out about 50 times on this thread alone.

@JudgeJ

This boils my piss. Every adult pays for the upkeep of roads, whether they own a car or not. They are paid for via income and council tax.

Rather than greedy cyclists using the roads that the poor hard-done-by motorists pay for, it is perhaps the other way round.

It seems to be men in lycra that attract particular hatred, rather than the pootling commuter.

I have a vague evolutionary theory about this. As you approach a lycra-clad MAMIL on a road bike with drop handlebars from the rear, all you can is an arse. Maybe this arse triggers something in the instinctive reptilian part of the brain that means 'insult', or 'he's mooning at me', or similar.

Just going to add, louder for those at the back:

FOUR ABREAST IS SAFER FOR EVERYONE THAN FOUR IN A ROW

An infographic, which everyone should see.

P.S. I’m not a cyclist. I just have a modicum of respect for fellow humans.

If I am on the motorway and someone comes speeding on close behind me, even if I am in the fast lane, I pull over. They need to get somewhere quicker than I do. I pull in and let them past.

You’d only be in the outside lane to overtake, so how will you abandon the overtake to allow the driver behind - who wants to go faster- get past? Surely the driver behind will have to wait until you have finished overtaking and pulled over to the inner lane?

I was tailgated on an A road last night driving home, but I didn’t pull over to allow the driver to pass, I have as much priority to drive on the road as they do. I continued to drive on the speed limit & stay steady. Fortunately a roundabout was coming up and the driver turned off

@Fomofo

I'm not gonna lie, I don't think blokes look good in lycra and I just wear normal clothes when I cycle

It's about function not looks.

Why are you in the overtaking lane if you're not going to overtake? And why are you pulling over on the motorway if you haven't had an accident or a malfunction?

I’ve explained why other cyclists do this, for safety and it’s taught in bikeability. It makes it easier for drivers to overtake

It makes it harder on narrow windy country roads

@DreadingChristmasAlready

As a driver on country lanes cyclists are extremely dangerous. They often have a long queue of traffic behind them and choose to cycle during the busiest times of the day. I have never shouted abuse at anyone in my life and wouldn't start on cyclists now, but I can see how people would get the rage.

I agree. I live in the countryside and you can't help but feel extremely irritated when you get stuck behind one for miles because there's nowhere to safely overtake. Its dangerous because it pushes drivers to overtake unsafely. The worst is when you get them riding two or three abreast.

Literally nothing pushes you into being a shit dangerous driver.

@OneTC

Literally nothing pushes you into being a shit dangerous driver.

You're overestimating the characters of the large and varied human population then.... Bikes on the narrow country roads with no space to overtake push many drivers into anger which means being a shit and dangerous driver. So do the elderly driving 50% under the speed limit.

I meant that if your prone to such things you're a shit driver. Nothing made you a shit driver, you're just a shit driver. You'll do shit driving given any opportunity and it will always be someone else's fault

I dunno about that. It’s annoying sometimes for cyclists to slow down for pedestrians on shared use paths, but “these dog-walkers are in my way!” would not justify being a shit and dangerous cyclist, would it?

Sorry, that was in reply to pinknikes

"I live in the countryside and you can't help but feel extremely irritated when you get stuck behind one for miles because there's nowhere to safely overtake. Its dangerous because it pushes drivers to overtake unsafely."

Such utter bollocks.

You don't have to overtake dangerously. If you live in a place with narrow roads etc and you frequently get stuck behind cyclists - which I bet doesn't actually happen very often at all - then you need to allow more time for your journey.

@SusieBob

"I live in the countryside and you can't help but feel extremely irritated when you get stuck behind one for miles because there's nowhere to safely overtake. Its dangerous because it pushes drivers to overtake unsafely."

Such utter bollocks.

You don't have to overtake dangerously. If you live in a place with narrow roads etc and you frequently get stuck behind cyclists - which I bet doesn't actually happen very often at all - then you need to allow more time for your journey.

This 100%, what is actually meant her is:-

I'm a shit impatient drive, who takes risks and then blames other perfectly legal road users.

How do you think court would view you, when you have an accident? Would it not be deemed dangerous driving, I don't think they'd agree that you were "pushed" to drive dangerously, that would be wholly down to you.

If it annoys you that much, then move.

I thought living in the countryside was all about taking a more relaxed approach to life you's lot all seem to be in a mighty rush

I imagine you’re nit living in the countryside then? @Fomofo

You realise people have jobs to do, children to pick up etc etc just like anyone else. It’s nit like the locals are on holidays and can take all the time they want p.

How do you think court would view you, when you have an accident? Would it not be deemed dangerous driving, I don't think they'd agree that you were "pushed" to drive dangerously, that would be wholly down to you
Courts usually let you walk free, even killing someone with your vehicle doesn’t guarantee prison