9hrs is all it took!

[Finallylostit]

The new highway code to cause anger!

I went for my morning cycle - no issues did nothing different than I normally do.

Home, shower, jump in car to get food shopping. I live down a country road - wide enough for 2 cars to pass with care, wide enough for a car to over take a cyclist sticking to the left of the lane, with the required space at certain points. Locals all know the places to do it safely.

Today 1 cyclist riding down the middle of the lane - now unsafe for car to pull over to other lane and pass - brilliant

Was he considerate of other road users and pulled over- no.

As on the other side were 8 riders riding two abreast high fiving each other and doing the finger to the motorists. Shouting its the law twats!
Were they considerate of other road users no.

Some of the new laws i think are sensible -
but the ride in the middle of the road, even if there is a cycle lane because you don't feel like it - is asinine

2 abreast packs of mamils hunting on weekends as they venture out of London - when they are generally rude enough as it is - gives those cyclists who are arseholes a legal right to now be an arsehole.

Be considerate and pull over to let cars and vans pass -
that is as likely as Downing Street not having another party in a lockdown!

Its ridiculous!

We have a 50mph double lane road - but very thin. Only enough space for one car each side - so even before when on the edge you had to cross the white line to overtake.

Now we have cyclists two abreast and no one can overtake.

Whats irritating is their is literally a purpose built cycle path seperated by a small grass verge running its full length. Yes the cyclists then have to stop for 1 junction which is why they probably dont do it. But now the cars have to slow to a near still due to the backlog.

We live rurally and on a national cycle route. The roads are very twisty, and I've lost count of the amount of times I've been walking the dogs and had a gang of lycra clad buffoons hurtling towards me shouting "move". Fuckers.

It has now, I can see that! But the poster you quoted had not!

And yes, most if the roads round here aren't wide enough to comply with the law anyway. And in many places there is nowhere for cyclists to stop. So, round out 28mile loop, the usual practice is to wait for the cyclist to wave you round, which they do, sensibly.

I am really hoping that this morning's belligerence is short lived. Because those roads are going to be additionally busy with farmers and trailers as lambing season kicks in.

I don’t mind that we are acknowledging cyclists’ rights but they have to have responsibilities too. Quite a lot of them are not following rules, cutting corners, cycling without lights. Yes, they are not a threat to cars but they are a threat to pedestrians and other cyclists. I would love to see something done about this.

And don’t get me start on environmental effects of new rules..,,

The government doesn’t understand winding country roads. Are we to go round at each corner at 5-10 mph now on B roads? They are wide enough that it a cyclist is nearer the hedge and you come across them, you can overtake even if a car is coming the other way. Not so if they are in the centre of the road.
So emergency braking or going round the corners very very slowly.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Cycling in the centre of the lane is so cars can only overtake if the other lane is clear. So basically treating them as a car not something that can be squeezed past. Two abreast similar... easy to overtake if the other side is clear.

Its been advised for years, not new.

But you can't do that along some country lanes, are you suggesting we all have to drive at 10 mph for some middle aged men having a crisis with their penises bobbing about for all to see?

I don’t mind that we are acknowledging cyclists’ rights but they have to have responsibilities too.

Have you actually read the revised Highway Code sections for cyclists? Because I think it does do that already, pretty clearly…

I'm quite glad of this. I'm careful only to overtake cyclists when it's safe, and I'm sick of being pressured by other drivers who think I should pass even when it clearly isn't. At least with the cyclist in the middle of the road it should be clearer that passing isn't an option.

What's even more nuts is that cyclists are not being compelled to take responsibility for their own safety by wearing compulsory helmets and high visibility clothing. Motorists and their passengers can be fined for no seat belts - yet a more vulnerable group can cycle in unprotected heads, un lit bikes and dark clothing. Idiotic. Mystery why that hasn't been sorted.

Here it is, Highway Code rules for cyclists:

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82

Maybe worth a quick read through to see what it actually says, before getting all angry about what someone on Facebook said the local paper said it says?

@GoldenOmber

I don’t mind that we are acknowledging cyclists’ rights but they have to have responsibilities too.

Have you actually read the revised Highway Code sections for cyclists? Because I think it does do that already, pretty clearly…

The issue is a, hopefully short lived, celebration of the new rights with no application of the accompanying responsibility.

There are shite cyclists as well as shite drivers.

Just as there are sensible, courteous versions of each.

@Fedupsotired when I lived in the country I got more fed up of going around a blind bend to then have to mount the verge to avoid a speeding driver squeezing past a cyclist.

I live in an area of London where all the roads have been narrowed to put in wide cycle lanes on either side. Great for cyclists, lovely and safe for everyone you'd think. But - so often the cyclists don't use their lanes and cycle in the middle of the car lanes instead, blocking all the other road users - and I'm absolutely gobsmacked to discover this is legal, they are not obligated to use the cycle lane only and are legally allowed to use the car lanes! WTF?

Compulsory helmets and registration for cyclists if they wish to use the roads please.

Also let’s get rid of the cycle lakes now as they’re obviously not needed.

Fedup it’s always middle aged men isn’t it?! Who then waddle round the cafes in their Lycra, leaving their bikes in the way, and spreadeagling so nobody else can access a table or walk on the pavement.

@Zandathepanda

The government doesn’t understand winding country roads. Are we to go round at each corner at 5-10 mph now on B roads? They are wide enough that it a cyclist is nearer the hedge and you come across them, you can overtake even if a car is coming the other way. Not so if they are in the centre of the road. So emergency braking or going round the corners very very slowly.

You know you are supposed to drive at a speed which allows you to stop in the distance you can see, right? If you are going round a tight corner on a b road and there is a tree down, is it the trees fault if you are going to fast to stop in time.

Jesus wept.

@RJnomore1

Compulsory helmets and registration for cyclists if they wish to use the roads please.

There we go.

Cycling in the centre of the lane is so cars can only overtake if the other lane is clear. So basically treating them as a car not something that can be squeezed past. Two abreast similar... easy to overtake if the other side is clear.
Except cyclists don’t go the same speed as cars. We have cyclists on our local road where the speed limit is 60. It’s straight but busy so no overtaking a cyclist in the middle of the road poodling along. I fear this stupid road rule will result in deaths before someone sees sense.
Plus if we see expected to treat cyclists like cars than they should also pay road tax like cars.

ding ding ding, ‘road tax’!

I suspect RJ posted as a response to you windy 🙂

I am all for protecting cyclists but I think anyone who uses the roads whether it be on a bike, car or electric mobility scooter should have insurance, pay road tax and helmets. They should also enforce the law on light as I see so many bikes who think that all they need is the back light.

@ittakes2

Cycling in the centre of the lane is so cars can only overtake if the other lane is clear. So basically treating them as a car not something that can be squeezed past. Two abreast similar... easy to overtake if the other side is clear. Except cyclists don’t go the same speed as cars. We have cyclists on our local road where the speed limit is 60. It’s straight but busy so no overtaking a cyclist in the middle of the road poodling along. I fear this stupid road rule will result in deaths before someone sees sense. Plus if we see expected to treat cyclists like cars than they should also pay road tax like cars.

Exactly, cyclists are much slower than cars so overtaking is much easier due to the greater speed differential

Just give them space as you would a car and pass safely. Easy.

And sure, happy for cyclists to pay the equivalent road tax as a car with zero emissions. That's fair.

@SamphiretheStickerist

I suspect RJ posted as a response to you windy 🙂

Nah, I doubt that. Plenty of idiots who still bleat on about insurance and road tax.

Middle aged men in lycra, is mostly a terrible look, that aside, if the roads are so annoying to drive on op, just do it less, food can be delivered to your door. Fewer cars on the road is a good thing