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

I've not read the entire thread so this may be a repeat.

CYCLISTS!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WEAR PROPER 'VIS'!!!

I don't understand why it's yellow. On my drive to work, yellow hi Vis just blends into all the trees, grass, and in some seasons, fields of rapeseed.

Why don't people wear florescent pink or blue?

The number of cyclists that are cycling down a leafy backroad wearing green, black and brown.... I very nearly stopped someone the other day to tell them they were invisible.

.

Thanks for your input Covid, no I just look out for the gutter, move my wheel a few inches to the right and go around it if it's a hazard. Go over it if not. There is really no science to it. Are you a male group cyclist? The groups, blocking the road I encounter, are busy chatting whilst cycling, more of a hazard than a gutter. As for moving out to the right as you clearly illustrated, no, I just honk my horn.

@HopelesslyOptimistic

Tompinch, yes clearly if I rammed them off the road, I would gladly revoke my licence, do bird and know there was one less group of psychopaths riding side by side blocking the road. Then again, I'm more likely to be riding my two wheels tucked in to the pavement, allowing motorists to pass. Do you group cycle?

You try to make psychopathy so reasonable. You wouldn't gladly do anything, and the licence would in fact be taken off you.

I find it hard to take posts like yours seriously. I'm not sure what your motives are in contributing dross like this.

In answer to your question: no I don't group cycle. I commute. But I fully support the rights of sports cyclists to use the road and I regard motorists' complaints about them nothing more than whining and moaning about nothing much. I don't believe sports cyclists are in reality anything like the big deal they're made out to be. The complaints are like someone from the 70s complaining that all foreigners smell of curry: untrue, irrelevant and prejudiced, and more truly motivated by the person just not wanting them around.

Must admit when I’ve been staring at a MAMIL’s arse for ten mins down a country lane and I approach a straight bit with a few big puddles. Well, it’s defo pretty tempting to test the waterproof qualities of their Lycra as I go past in my wagon.

EightWheelGirl Many cyclists run cameras www.mylondon.news/news/health/law-car-splash-water-puddle-15520807 so you could run the risk of points and a fine

I think is because every cross section of the world has nice people and twats. I met two twats today. One cylcling who raised his foot at a traffic light to kick my wing mirror. He had purposely been zig zagging into the road when I tried to pass with plenty of room. Another motorist cut me up at the junction.
Im a very experienced and considerate driver.

@HopelesslyOptimistic

Thanks for your input Covid, no I just look out for the gutter, move my wheel a few inches to the right and go around it if it's a hazard. Go over it if not. There is really no science to it. Are you a male group cyclist? The groups, blocking the road I encounter, are busy chatting whilst cycling, more of a hazard than a gutter. As for moving out to the right as you clearly illustrated, no, I just honk my horn.

No I’m not a male group cyclist….why would you assume that?

I’m a female group cyclist.

I’m not sure what benefit honking your horn rather than safely overtaking will do because I can promise you if you sat behind my club ride honking we would just carry on cycling. We’re not going to pull over just because someone doesn’t want to overtake.

@HopelesslyOptimistic

Tompinch, yes clearly if I rammed them off the road, I would gladly revoke my licence, do bird and know there was one less group of psychopaths riding side by side blocking the road. Then again, I'm more likely to be riding my two wheels tucked in to the pavement, allowing motorists to pass. Do you group cycle?

Not quite sure what kind of cyclist you are if you dream of ramming fellow cyclists off the road, and you ride with two wheels tucked against the pavement. Do you think that makes you safer? What do you do when you encounter drains, potholes, pedestrians standing with their feet hanging over the edge of the pavement ready to cross? You sound pretty unsafe to me, and that when you're on a bike you feel cars have more right to be on the road than you. Which they don't.

@HopelesslyOptimistic

Thanks for your input Covid, no I just look out for the gutter, move my wheel a few inches to the right and go around it if it's a hazard. Go over it if not. There is really no science to it. Are you a male group cyclist? The groups, blocking the road I encounter, are busy chatting whilst cycling, more of a hazard than a gutter. As for moving out to the right as you clearly illustrated, no, I just honk my horn.

Do you honk your horn and refuse to overtake properly when you're trying to overtake a slower motor vehicle too? I just don't understand people like you. I really hope that your posts are just there to wind people up and aren't what you actually do in real life. And if you are just trying to wind people up, just why? The world is fucking burning. Getting more cars off the road and more bikes onto it is a little positive contribution to stopping us speed towards a climate disaster. That's the reality. But this is the kind of shot that cyclists have to put up with? I fucking despair.

@Greeneyedminx

I feel there should be more cycle lanes on roads where there is space for both cyclists and vehicles. However, I also strongly believe that where there are cycle lanes, then cyclists MUST use them, not cycle on pavements or on the roads next to the cycle lanes. If cyclists don’t use the cycle lanes, then they should be fined, the same as if cars drove on pavements etc. It’s things like this that annoy car drivers, roads being made narrower to allow cycle lanes to be built, which then are not used by the cyclists. If I had the transport budget, which I obviously don’t, I would also install barriers next to the cycle lanes to keep cyclists and vehicles apart and safe. If cyclists are then held up by slower cyclists, then that’s tough luck!!! But at least they’re safe and not in a position to be knocked down by vehicles.

If cycle lanes are safe, I cycle in them. If they are not, I will ride in the road.

I won't ride in a "shared use" cycle lane that is only 2 feet wide. It is dangerous to the pedestrians.

I won't ride in a cycle lane that crosses driveways every 5m. It is dangerous to me. Drivers pulling out look at the road, not the cycle lane. I've had experience.

I won't use cycle lanes that are 10m long and then suddenly stop with an arrow saying I should pull into a road at right angles that also doesn't have a cycle lane. It's dangerous to me.

In the same way, there are some roads I won't ride on and will walk on the pavement alongside instead. Added bonus is me and my bike get in the way of the idiots on the same pavement trying to ride their bikes.

Some cyclists are dangerous. Those riding on a road next to a cycle lane may well not be.

@Greeneyedminx

I feel there should be more cycle lanes on roads where there is space for both cyclists and vehicles. However, I also strongly believe that where there are cycle lanes, then cyclists MUST use them, not cycle on pavements or on the roads next to the cycle lanes. If cyclists don’t use the cycle lanes, then they should be fined, the same as if cars drove on pavements etc. It’s things like this that annoy car drivers, roads being made narrower to allow cycle lanes to be built, which then are not used by the cyclists. If I had the transport budget, which I obviously don’t, I would also install barriers next to the cycle lanes to keep cyclists and vehicles apart and safe. If cyclists are then held up by slower cyclists, then that’s tough luck!!! But at least they’re safe and not in a position to be knocked down by vehicles.

Perhaps you ought to take it up with whoever was responsible for designing many of these cycle lanes.

I did more than 30 miles yesterday (place I was returning from hasn't had a railway station since 1951, the nearest surviving station to it was closed for Sunday engineering work and you can't put a bike on a replacement bus). Mostly on completely segregated well-built cycle paths. Great.

Compare that with the path between two local towns however, they've just stuck some blue signs on the pavement and painted some markings. So at every side road you pass, you must give way whereas on the parallel road you can keep going at speed. Then there's another one locally which only lasts for a few hundred yards before suddenly disappearing - not worth using.

If someone actually put some thought into the design of these things, maybe they'd get used.

Spot check, so like an invisibility cloak, that's amazing! So you can't see the bike or their head or legs either because they're wearing a yellow jacket, extraordinary.

@spotcheck

I've not read the entire thread so this may be a repeat.

CYCLISTS!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WEAR PROPER 'VIS'!!!

I don't understand why it's yellow. On my drive to work, yellow hi Vis just blends into all the trees, grass, and in some seasons, fields of rapeseed.

Why don't people wear florescent pink or blue?

The number of cyclists that are cycling down a leafy backroad wearing green, black and brown.... I very nearly stopped someone the other day to tell them they were invisible.

I prefer orange as it happens, stands out better than anything.

Any colour is useless at night though, only reflective silver will do. Plenty of pedestrians on the unlit, tree-lined cycle path last night were invisible last night, even when wearing bright colours. The dog walker wearing a work coat with silver stripes however reflected my lights from a long way away. He was also wearing a head torch.

Covid when I ride with group cyclists, I just keep to the side, don't block the road & experience limited road rage from motorists.

HopelesslyOptimistic

but on a group ride do you not rotate the riders on the front?

@ivykaty44

HopelesslyOptimistic

but on a group ride do you not rotate the riders on the front?

Oh course, in a vertical line, not horizontal across the road chit chatting....

@HopelesslyOptimistic this is for you, and all of the other posters on here who have no idea what the rules of the road are and that cyclists are part of general traffic and have as much right as everyone else to be on the road.
You yourself probably want to take notice of how far from the curb you should position yourself. And you might want to consider some Bikeability training before you go out cycling again...

www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/road-positioning

Because some people are arseholes, who can't slow down and wait for a minute or two.

Their precious time is more important than the runner / cyclist / horse getting home un- injured and in one piece.

Or a cyclist once wronged them and now they have the small minded opinion that all cyclists are the same.

It's so sad and pathetic tbh. We are all allowed to use the roads. Let's do it safely and look out for each other.

I've been driven at on country roads where there is no pavement whilst running into traffic in full high viz because someone was texting and driving.

Had my horses tail touched by the bumper of a car it got so bloody close.

So far, cycling it's just been the odd very close overtake - nothing too bad.

Oh course, in a vertical line

so which rider goes to the front? and where does the rider on the front go?

@HopelesslyOptimistic

Covid when I ride with group cyclists, I just keep to the side, don't block the road & experience limited road rage from motorists.

But if you’re not riding in pairs you’re causing more of an obstruction than if you were in pairs. 🤷‍♀️ Like I said earlier it’s easier to pass 5x pairs than a line of ten cyclists. So you’re causing a bigger problem than the cyclists you’re complaining about l 😂. I agree, you sound in serious need of a bikeability course.

@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.

No cyclist would ever 'choose' to cycle at the busiest time of day. Believe it or not, cyclists are trying to get to or from work, hospital appointments or the shops, just like everyone else. And just like everyone else, they often have to get places in the rush hour.

[quote DreadingChristmasAlready]@tabletennistop what is appalling about my question?

I would say roads are for cars, buses, lorries, vans, etc. Vehicles that pay tax to upkeep them. Cyclists have cycle routes, horses should be in fields.

Please stop being so rude and faux offended.[/quote]
Roads are paid for out of general taxation. The tax that motorists pay is for emissions. Cyclists and some cars don't produce any emissions so don't pay the tax.

I wish there were cycle paths where I live!

Cyclists and motor vehicles are an unsafe mix when using the same busy roads, as one is far more vulnerable than the other.

It's funny then, that cyclists don't have more empathy for pedestrians crossing on the green man, while they cycle through red lights and expect the pedestrians to jump out of the way? Or, don't the rules of the road apply to cyclists?

Intercity, not all cyclists, I am very respectful of pedestrians