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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fucking Cyclists

624 replies

SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 16:17

I live in a very rural area that is super popular with cyclists. All of the roads around me are narrow, bendy, single track lanes - no white lines. Wherever I go I get stuck behind cyclists. I accept this, always leave extra time for my journeys and never drive aggressively.

The issue is that the cyclists always seem to try and wave me past when I don’t feel it is safe to overtake. Either into blind corners, or when the road is too narrow so would necessitate going onto the verges which are rutted and full of hidden rocks and pot holes - I’m not willing to risk my tyres driving at pace along them. Obviously I just ignore them but this seems to infuriate them.

I’ve just returned from yet another journey where I was behind a pair of cyclists for several miles. The cyclist at the rear kept waving me on and when I didn’t go past she seemed to get increasingly angry about it, gesticulating etc. when I finally did pass, she screamed fucking twat at me and gave me the Vs.

Nice. So basically that’s my ‘thanks’ for trailing patiently behind them for 10 minutes and almost doubling the duration of my journey.

disclaimer: I realise that not all cyclists do this, but there seems to be a significant enough number of them around here to make this sort of thing a weekly occurrence.

AIBU to overtake cyclists when I’m good and ready, and think that some of them need to learn a few lessons about manners and road safety before they go out on their bikes?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 20:57

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 20:55

@Dreamysaurus but I think it shows that nasty angry cyclist hating drivers, are worldwide.

The nasty feckers are everywhere.

Is this better??

amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/02/pedestrian-jailed-manslaughter-cyclist-fall-car-huntingdon

Dreamysaurus · 03/04/2023 20:59

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 20:55

@Dreamysaurus but I think it shows that nasty angry cyclist hating drivers, are worldwide.

The nasty feckers are everywhere.

Yeah true. But you can say that about every group of people. Nasty <insert thing> hating people everywhere.

Someone shouted abuse at me today because I have copper hair. It sucks!

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:00

Soapyspuds · 03/04/2023 20:47

Around 2m should really be quite sufficient on a quiet road stuck at pedalling speed, bearing in mind that ideally your overtaking manoeuvre wants to give the cyclist a wide berth and preferably keep acceleration to a sedate minimum at the same time

If the cyclist hits and loses balance, or needs to steer around a pot hole do you think that you will be able to take evasive action when you are 2m behind them?

This is why we feel vulnerable.

Typically when I get stuck behind someone like this they are barely moving, so yeah. Obviously if we are talking a blistering 18-20mph or more people should keep a distance accordingly.

TruthsAndALie · 03/04/2023 21:03

Sure it’s been said already but the state of the roads at the moment are truly dangerous for cyclists. I both drive and cycle and the other day (cycling) had to slow to a near stop as the road was chewed up so much, not just 1-2m fro the kerb either. Total mess, luckily there were no cars so I could go round it safely but the potholes are a nightmare for cars and cyclists alike at the moment.

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:04

@Dreamysaurus so you think it's ok, should start a fucking copper coloured hair people?

I think that would be fucking awful!

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:08

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:04

@Dreamysaurus so you think it's ok, should start a fucking copper coloured hair people?

I think that would be fucking awful!

Should start a thread with

Fucking copper haired people

Dreamysaurus · 03/04/2023 21:09

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:04

@Dreamysaurus so you think it's ok, should start a fucking copper coloured hair people?

I think that would be fucking awful!

I really hope for your sake that you can see a difference between being a cyclist and having a personal appearance.

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:11

I never understand, why are tractors ok and other slow moving vehicles, but cyclists are the devils spawn

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 21:12

TruthsAndALie · 03/04/2023 20:52

Cyclist should not have done the V’s and sworn, as no road user should.

Cyclist did nothing wrong in trying to wave you past. If you don’t want to go that’s fine, but there’s a thread on here everyday complaining cyclists don’t let people past. Can’t win.

Saying cyclists made your journey 10 mins longer is just the same as a car driver saying “all these annoying cars in front of me made my journey 10 mins longer”. Cyclists are road users like everyone else.

I’m sorry but it IS wrong. It’s in the Highway Code and was covered in my cycling proficiency and riding and road safety tests. Amazed at how many people don’t seem to realise this. And let’s be clear, waving someone on is not the same as ‘letting’ someone past. Actually letting someone past would involve pulling over.

In any case, as I have said repeatedly on this thread, I’m not particularly bothered about being delayed by a cyclist. All I want to do is keep myself and other road users safe without being harassed and abused for not overtaking.

FWIW, I do understand that it’s harder for cyclists to keep stopping for cars that not is for horse riders, tractors etc so I don’t have any expectation for them to do that.

OP posts:
nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:13

@Dreamysaurus no I can't!

I cannot see that a cyclist, who loves cycling, keeps them fit, healthy and happy should be judged.

It's so bloody wrong...

AskMeMore · 03/04/2023 21:14

Endlesssummer2022 · 03/04/2023 20:41

As a woman, I’d find it threatening if a man was walking behind me for 10 mins not overtaking. As a cyclist I’d feel threatened if a car was trailing for that long and not overtaking either.

When you’re aware you’re the vulnerable party, you want the danger to go away. It’s highly anxiety inducing. There is no way you couldn’t have found an opportunity to pass before 10 mins.

It is totally different. Unless you think a car driver is going to attack you?

I understand having a car behind you for ten minutes in a quiet rural lane is not much fun. But you need to put up with sharing the road with other users as well.

TruthsAndALie · 03/04/2023 21:15

Great OP - hope to see you on the next cyclist bashing thread telling everyone it’s in the Highway Code cyclists should NOT wave on cars to pass them.

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:18

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:11

I never understand, why are tractors ok and other slow moving vehicles, but cyclists are the devils spawn

I don't think >90% of cyclists behave like the charmer the OP encountered, but other petrol/electric vehicles tend to go in the normal flow of traffic (matching speed, using passing places, merging, yielding if a long queue builds up) and horse riders are taught not to wave people on to overtake, and do not tend shout and scream at car users behind them, even though they face the same issues (arguably moreso) when a car is directly behind them.

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:21

I'm sure you've spent hours of your life in traffic jams caused by sheer weight of traffic and yet you single out a couple of cyclists, do you ever think you're misdirecting your anger, easy target maybe?

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 21:21

Endlesssummer2022 · 03/04/2023 20:41

As a woman, I’d find it threatening if a man was walking behind me for 10 mins not overtaking. As a cyclist I’d feel threatened if a car was trailing for that long and not overtaking either.

When you’re aware you’re the vulnerable party, you want the danger to go away. It’s highly anxiety inducing. There is no way you couldn’t have found an opportunity to pass before 10 mins.

This is so silly. I’m sure you’d feel a lot more threatened if I tried to overtake you when I can’t see the road ahead.

I’m repeating myself now, but I clearly live in the sort of area that you cant imagine driving in. When I leave my house, it takes an absolute minimum of 20mins in any direction to get off single track roads and onto something wide enough to allow 2 cars to pass each other.

OP posts:
QuintanaRoo · 03/04/2023 21:23

Really? Really?

several miles? Really? I’m a decentish cyclist and average 15mph….so if you’d been stuck behind me for “several miles” you’d be looking at being behind me for 30 mins. We’re you really behind a cyclist for thirty mins?

if it is genuinely as you describe then of course she shouldn’t have acted like that. Just seems a crazy over reaction. Why would she call you a twat for being stuck behind her? It wouldn’t affect her. Unless of course you were up their arse and intimidating them.

of course you will say no. And possibly even have convinced yourself that you weren’t too close, etc. but I really think you probably were.

fucking motorists. I could certainly say that just about every bike ride. Certainly for the one who killed my friend last year and for the one who’s up in court for turning their car round and purposefully driving into another friend last year.

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 21:25

QuintanaRoo · 03/04/2023 21:23

Really? Really?

several miles? Really? I’m a decentish cyclist and average 15mph….so if you’d been stuck behind me for “several miles” you’d be looking at being behind me for 30 mins. We’re you really behind a cyclist for thirty mins?

if it is genuinely as you describe then of course she shouldn’t have acted like that. Just seems a crazy over reaction. Why would she call you a twat for being stuck behind her? It wouldn’t affect her. Unless of course you were up their arse and intimidating them.

of course you will say no. And possibly even have convinced yourself that you weren’t too close, etc. but I really think you probably were.

fucking motorists. I could certainly say that just about every bike ride. Certainly for the one who killed my friend last year and for the one who’s up in court for turning their car round and purposefully driving into another friend last year.

I'm sorry you lost your friend and another was frightened.

Angry, stressed drivers are just fucking awful.

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 21:26

TruthsAndALie · 03/04/2023 21:03

Sure it’s been said already but the state of the roads at the moment are truly dangerous for cyclists. I both drive and cycle and the other day (cycling) had to slow to a near stop as the road was chewed up so much, not just 1-2m fro the kerb either. Total mess, luckily there were no cars so I could go round it safely but the potholes are a nightmare for cars and cyclists alike at the moment.

This is a good point. It’s another reason why I’m reluctant to overtake - not only do I not want to put my car into the potholes on the far side but I’m also aware that the cyclist may need to take evasive action and move further into the middle of the road at any point. We don’t have kerbs here, the tarmac just stops and joins grass verge but the road edges are mostly mangled

OP posts:
ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:30

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:21

I'm sure you've spent hours of your life in traffic jams caused by sheer weight of traffic and yet you single out a couple of cyclists, do you ever think you're misdirecting your anger, easy target maybe?

It's the opposite of singling out when literally any vehicle on the road in question going at 10mph is going to be the sole source of the traffic jam, and they could stop it happening whenever they liked with a simple pull over every 5 or 6 minutes like the rest of us would do when making people queue, but instead do the lazy arse's version of pulling over which is to wave at people that they could do an unsafe overtake but carry on at 10mph regardless.

It's not the bike. To take your example, if a tractor does this then people quite rightly think it's inconsiderate and unsafe tbh

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 21:31

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:21

I'm sure you've spent hours of your life in traffic jams caused by sheer weight of traffic and yet you single out a couple of cyclists, do you ever think you're misdirecting your anger, easy target maybe?

This is a nonsensical comparison. How many times do I have to say this? I’m not bothered about being held up by the cyclists, or any other road users. Other posters have complained about being delayed, perhaps you are confusing me with them?

OP posts:
ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:33

(FWIW I am convinced that a lot of drivers and cyclists don't even realise it's a thing that you pull over and let people past when it's getting antisocial. Not the bike, maybe more a matter of not using country lanes much in your daily working life/school runs etc)

QuintanaRoo · 03/04/2023 21:36

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:33

(FWIW I am convinced that a lot of drivers and cyclists don't even realise it's a thing that you pull over and let people past when it's getting antisocial. Not the bike, maybe more a matter of not using country lanes much in your daily working life/school runs etc)

As a cyclist I pulled over for a car only yesterday on a narrow road where I knew he couldn’t pass me for two miles.

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 21:37

QuintanaRoo · 03/04/2023 21:36

As a cyclist I pulled over for a car only yesterday on a narrow road where I knew he couldn’t pass me for two miles.

Show quote history

Right 👍 like a competent cyclist

DdraigGoch · 03/04/2023 21:38

Imashamediknowthis · 03/04/2023 17:10

Funny how every other slow road user (tractors, horses, my mum) know that they should pull in every now and again and let the trailing traffic go past. It's basic rural road manners but apparently completely incomprehensible to cycle twats with padded pants and a copy of the highway code.

Have you ever heard of caravans?

Devoutspoken · 03/04/2023 21:38

Oh sorry op, I think I misunderstood your post, so you are angry at cyclists for trying to get you to pass them when you consider it unsafe, not because they are slowing you down?