....to tell you that negative comments about cyclists can cause issues...

[alittlequinnie]

I cycle to work - every day that I'm working in the office.

This morning I was cycling - wearing high viz, a helmet - two red lights on the back and two white lights on the front.

I'm going to try to upload a picture of where I was - the road is really really narrow - so no matter where I position the bike if you want to overtaken me you are going to have to go over the centre line.

This morning only me and a car coming up behind me on the entire road. I'm pretty much bang on centre in the lane. Nothing coming towards me or the car behind me.

Car behind overtakes - really really close and then pulls in too quickly in front of me - causing me to swerve.

Few meters up the road catch up with them at the lights. Knock politely on the window and ask her "why on earth did you do that - there was plenty of room?"

She responds that it's my "own fault" I was "riding in the middle of the road" I "do it on purpose" and she see's me "every morning" - then calls me a stupid cow.

I say "really? you did it as a punishment?" - she then repeats that I shouldn't be in the middle of the road.

No point arguing with stupid so I remind her that it's a good idea to read the Highway Code - she tells me I need to read it and then calls me a cunt.

I feel this all the time on the bike that all the comments that "all cyclists" do red light jumping and pavement cycling etc means that there is just such a HATE for cyclists - wherever and however they ride.

Imagine what this is like for me - this woman has told me she sees me all the time and she did it on purpose - so she's bound to do it again - it's really frightening.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to achieve by posting this - just think carefully before spreading the sort of venom for cyclists that I see on here and other sites?

Exactky this.

The cyclist was doing exactly what cyclists are advised to do in the Highway Code.
The driver could have passed safely by crossing the centre line. Again, all in the Highway Code
The driver instead chose to close pass then pull back in sharply causing the cyclist to swerve.
The driver's actions were illegal and unsafe.
Yet the cyclist is at fault?
The amount of victim blaming and cognitive dissonance on the thread makes me angry worried and sad at the same time.
But please crack on, because you're completely proving the OPs point.

The comments from people that don’t agree with OP are full of hate!

It is not about Bikes or cars. It’s about being civilised. Unfortunately, an angry person in a car can cause a lot of damage. Yes, a cyclist can cause damage too but at a much, much smaller scale. Drivers are not fearing for their life. Some are just angry people.
I sometimes drive, and I don’t imagine myself endangering a cyclist.

How the heck is sticking to the Highway Code passive-aggressive @Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit ?

I think we need to look to where cycles work. Netherlands. In big cities or built up areas car and cyclist rarely meet. We need that here too.

It's similar to running. I get moaned at on the pavement but I don't feel safe running on the road. Where should I go then?

www.cyclinguk.org/blog/court-hearing-granted-challenge-removal-high-street-kensington-cycle-lane

Any attempt at that kind of infrastructure is fought tooth and nail.

I lived in Walthamstow when the mini Holland scheme was being built. You'd think the world was ending the way some carried on. In the end it was fine and it made walking and cycling much more pleasant, especially with toddlers.

@MissMaple82 Yes completely different, i'm glad you ve noticed this.

A driving licence needs to be seen as a privilege, a responsibility, instead its treated as a right and is often a right to kill other people who get in your way.

Just because you can cycle in the middle of the lane doesn't mean you should. The majority of cyclists I pass in the morning keep themselves tucked to the left for easy overtaking. I work in the countryside and there's a particular length of road that is popular with cyclists. Solo cyclists stick to the left. When they're in a group they ride three abreast and signal when it's safe to overtake. It's a winding road and easier to overtake 9 cyclists riding three abreast than 9 cyclists riding to the left.

She said I was "cycling in the middle of the road" but I don't think I was.

I've been accused of cycling on the centre line deliberately to hold her up.

I posted the photo because the left hand lane is taken up mostly by the parking bays - the remaining lane is pretty much an exact car's width - no matter where I ride in that lane whoever is overtaking me HAS to move over the centre line to do so - even if I ride an inch away from the parked car mirrors.

For everyone saying I "banged on her window" "looking for an argument" - it's not true.

This woman admitted to deliberately driving too close because she felt I was riding in the middle of the road ... I don't jump red lights etc... but posters are jumping on me with "well cyclists jump red lights" etc... stoking the hate.

If it helps try to picture it - I am literally a grey haired grandma on a shopping bike with a wicker basket!

For the poster who said I need to get my go-pro before the morning - luckily I'm not back to my cycle commute until next week - but you're right - I'm shitting myself that I'll "get in her way" again!

I really wish car drivers would see that it is in everyone's benefit to get people out of cars and onto feet/bike/even those bloody electric scooters. Decent pavements and safe, well maintained cycle lanes would mean fewer cars on the road, less pollution. Then the roads can be clearer for people who do need to drive for whatever reason.

Cyclists also need to follow the road rules and most of us do, they are there to keep us safe too. I always make sure I have hi-vis, plenty of reflectors/lights and I cycle defensively (including taking primary position where it's necessary). Yet still people pull out in front of me so I have to brake sharply (plus pedestrians running out in front of me), close pass or beep me for daring to use the road. I also do have insurance- my bike insurance includes liability insurance.

Cycling in the Netherlands is an absolute joy and everyone does it so where spaces are shared people are considerate towards cyclists (plus there are strict rules about liabilities if you knock over a cyclist). Plus there are clear rules for cyclists too and you can be fined if you don't have lights when needed, a bell and the correct reflectors.

Yanbu and I’ve said this before on MN. Anti cyclist threads whip people up to hysteria, encourages the hatred of cyclist mentality and puts cyclists actually at risk. Someone gets in their car the next morning after reading a thread full of “wanker cyclist” comments and sees a cyclist and immediately feels enraged and then does close passes, etc.

in the last 24 months a friend of mine was killed cycling and another was purposefully rammed by a 4x4. The 4x4 actually did a U turn and came back to hit the group on purpose after one of the group gave him the finger due to a close pass! Injuries and a bike written off.

Do you want to suggest exactly where a cyclist should position themselves on this street then? This is the photo the OP posted. Any car would need to go over the line to overtake safely.
The Highway Code also advises cyclists to position themselves away from parked cars to avoid being doored.
But cars rule so cyclists should make themselves as small and out of the way as possible, shouldn't they? And woe betide those that don't

Insurance will do nothing of the sort.

Drivers having car insurance doesn't stop them doing stupid shit.

Insurance is needed for cars because it's really easy to do an shitload of expensive damage with a car. It's really hard to do the same on a pushbike.

You are also labouring undering the completely false assumption that not having insurance means that cyclists are absolved of liability. They are not.

You really are full of shit.

Nobody but a complete idiot wouldn't realise that you have to pass parked cars at approx 1.5m away... otherwise you risk cycling into a swung open car door....

So at least two posters fall into this category.....

I don't enjoy being stuck behind a cyclist, however I also don't want to kill or injure anyone so I just mutter to myself & wait until it's safe to pass. To be honest I've never been stuck behind them for too long, maybe 5/10 minutes. I also find if you are considerate a lot of cyclists & motor cyclists will help you out by pulling in to let you past or letting you know when it's safe to overtake. They really don't want us behind them either! Its easy to be considerate.

TBH I think cyclists shouldn’t be cycling in the middle of the road and I don’t know where so many of them get off in banging on people’s windows. It’s always done to women as well - no one ever bangs on the car of the 6’4” bodybuilder bloke do they

^This - I can drive my car slowly when I need to.

This is my experience of cyclists. Should we not "make negative comments" about this sort of thing, which is a common occurrence? Cyclists are boring to deal with when one is driving, but an absolute menace to those on foot.

What do you mean by "cycling in the middle of the road" exactly?

Different areas have differing conditions.

Near me there is a main arterial road. It gets very busy and congested.
Yet there's always a cyclist that makes matters worse , particularly as the road is narrow and cyclists slow the traffic down.

Trouble is, there's a very wide footpath , along this long stretch of road , that is split into half cycle path and half pedestrian. This is very clearly marked and was introduced to get cyclists off the road as they caused tailbacks on this major arterial road.

Do the cyclists use this designated cycle path ? Do they fuck.
They continue to ride on this road and cause mayhem behind them.

Agree w you, OP. If a cyclist is inconveniencing a driver, it's usually not for very long. I just don't get the hate. I cycle and I don't preach to anyone. It's so weird. The first time I went to the Netherlands I felt genuinely in shock at the different cycling culture there.

Then there’s an issue with that cycle path which you as a driver don’t notice. If there wasn’t they’d be using it because they’d much rather be away from cars.

so either crap/glass consistently on the path (they don’t get swept), or it ends weirdly and abruptly putting the cyclist in danger. Or there’s too many side streets cutting across it again increasing the risk.

o4 maybe they know they will go faster than the recommended cycling speed for cycle paths, especially shared used paths. Think they say don’t do more than 12mph. On the flat I’m doing about 18-19mph, that’s not safe on a shared use path. I should be on the road.

Yet what causes this congestion? Its too many cars.

Came back from Plymouth earlier, unbelievable amount of traffic, nose to tail crawling along... not a cyclist in sight.

Your frustrations may occasionally be caused by a cyclist (though ime a cyclist is often quicker than a car in a traffic jam) but the reality is we use our cars far too much... hence why most of us are fat and unfit, causing huge drains on the NHS and GP's
We don't walk enough, let alone cycle.