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!

Bit worried by the number of people who clearly thought they were just fine to overtake cyclists at 60mph squeezing past in the same lane under the previous Highway Code…

Around there’s not much verge here. Hedges, then a ditch, then 2 wide lanes. I suppose more drivers will end up in the ditch, rather than hit a cyclist or oncoming traffic, whereas before they had room to overtake. It is difficult to know where to position the car now going round the bend.

The vast majority or car drivers do not overtake cyclists with sufficient room where I live. Putting yourself in the middle of the lane is putting yourself in control and keeping yourself and your bike away from the drains/rubbish/uneven verge etc. Car drivers will need to adapt.

@greenlynx

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..,,

I think that they actually are a threat to cars. If you can't see them and you hit them that is a problem. I don't cycle but I don't have a problem with them - environment and all. But it fucks me off that I don't think I have ever done a single journey (London) where a cyclist doesn't run a red light. I am more than happy to abide by the new rules - they're no different to how I would drive anyway - I was always taught to be aware of cyclists, always look over my shoulder when turning left or right etc. But the running red lights and zebra crossings annoys the fuck out of me. I'm sure some cyclists will now say that they see many cars running lights. But really they don't - because when you do see it it is quite shocking as it is so unexpected.

@T00Ts

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!

Really? Actually high-fiving each other? Really?

I look forward to seeing high fivers lose control and wind up in a deep ditch.

@Momicrone

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

Do you get annoyed at other people wearing appropriate clothing for the activity they are undertaking?

I mean, do you go "oh look at that nurse, who does he/she think she is wearing scrubs?"

Put this morning and encountered two large groups of male cyclists behaving as the OP described, causing tailbacks and baiting car users over a 5/8 mile stretches of roads respectively.

I've no problem with the new rules per se but unless cyclist's show consideration by pulling over/stopping (which neither group did today and frankly seemed to be delighting in not doing so) I do worry that these changes will lead to more confrontation and potential danger for those on a bike.

I simply hoping it's just initial enthusiasm for the the changes and it will calm down in a few weeks.

There should be a law if there is a cycle lane they need to use it as well as wear bright clothing and lights at night as law

@Aroundtheworldin80moves no it hasn't it just been changed
So if you on a 60 mph rd and cyclist in middle doing 20 the road is busy so not clear what do you sit behind them for an hr
Its not been thought out at all

Hmmm. I went out for a ride today & had no issues. I'm riding an hour later & will report back if anything happens. DH & DS rode about 5 miles (well, 12 miles for DS including DS's paper round) & haven't reported anything.

All of us on Small town, winding B-roads or single width country lanes.

And some lanes are wide enough to ivertake a cyclist when its one to the left etc but not same when its two or one in middle

I have always only overtaken if there wasn’t any oncoming traffic and I could go on to the other side of the road safely.

However I live down a long country lane. There are plenty of larger passing places that I could overtake a cyclist if they were on the left hand side but for some reason they still ride in the centre of the lane, often in twos or threes next to each other and don’t pull over, so you end up having about 10 cars going 5miles per hour for about 40mins instead of what would be a max 15 min journey.

@GoldenOmber

ding ding ding, ‘road tax’!

I don't think they should pay road tax (doesn't even exist). But if I were a cyclist there is no way I would take to the road without some form of insurance. There are shitty drivers (even drivers encounter them, pulling out, cutting you up etc) but it is futile to proclaim that cyclists are saintly. If a cyclist ran a light and I hit them, I would expect their insurance to settle damage not mine.

I ride a bike - and horses - aound my local area, which is surrounded by countryside. I also, many years ago, did Advanced Driver Training, and passed theTest, These experiences instilled one thing - and that is, on a single carriageway road, never make a moving line of three. In or on anything other than a car, I woud try to "take the lane" - which does indeed mean that you are, if not in the centre of the lane, at least NOT in the gutter, and therefore too easy to pass, but in a dangerous manouvre. It isn't - for me at least - to be annyong - but to be safe. But I do not have the need to ride in busy aeas, although I would say, there is a lot of crazy and dangerous driving on he B roads, sometimes by the flipping tractors!

Can't believe the amount of hate for cyclists. You might get held up for two minutes behind one. Big deal. They are getting some exercise and not polluting the environment. Why is your journey more important than theirs? We should all be using cars less, and part of that is making it safer to cycle and walk. In the Netherlands everyone cycles because it's so much safer to do so. If it's not safe to overtake a cyclist in the middle of the road it's not safe to overtake them at the edge. Just because you feel nice and safe squeezing past inside a metal box doesn't make it safe for them. Sometimes you'll just have to wait. Tough shit. I say this as a car driver and cyclist.

@blacksax

The dreaded MAMILs were entitled fuckwits already and this new law will make them totally insufferable.

@Finallylostit Well done, for a so called cyclist, you certainly know how to bring out the anti cyclist morons don't you?

Never read to much twaddle in my life.

@GoldenOmber quoted this earlier: “You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so."

So basically saying cyclists should take account of road conditions at the time and act accordingly.

I actually have no issues with cyclists and think people should be encouraged to cycle more but if you are going very slow and there’s cars waiting behind you, then the most considerate thing is to pull over and let them past.
The same goes for things like tractors too.

Thewordwomanistaken - it annoys me every time I go out cycling cars jump red lights - every time

Windystate - I was being facetious about mamil's attire, I would argue that lycra is not necessary for cycling, I don't wear it

Instead of improving cycle lanes throughout the country and encouraging cyclists to use these lanes wherever possible, they are actually discouraging them to do so to and telling them don't bother, just go on the road...

@PhilCornwall1 utterly vile, I’ve reported your post.

A long time ago, but my driving instructor helpfully condensed the Highway Code to "do not make anyone else change speed or direction without bloody good reason" - it still seems to work today.

Cyclists who hug the kerb often need to swerve around potholes, manhole covers and grates, cycling away from the edge of the road is safer for all concerned given the terrible state of the roads. Like any other road user, if your speed results in a queue of traffic behind you, you should regularly pull over where safe to do so and let faster road users pass.

As ever, I look forward to seeing the deluge of prosecutions for Rule 64 (You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement), not holding my breath however.