Fucking Cyclists

[SpanielSprint]

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?

That’s unfortunate - I will always move aside. But I’d rather not unclip my shoes from my pedals and totally loose momentum, so I wave people by to hurry the whole thing soon and cause as many collusions as possible.

Well yes, often when I come across another car we might have to stop and one of us reverses (not for miles - there are gateways). Or if possible I will pull onto the verge but slowly, not fast enough to overtake a cyclist. That this is a revelation to you proves how comparatively non-rural your roads are!

To be clear I can and do overtake cyclists regularly. I just won’t be dictated to as to when and where!

Fair enough, maybe you should turn down the anger dial a notch, starting cycle hating thread isn't good for anyone

It’s not a revelation- I was just wondering how practically you can pass another vehicle if the roads are too narrow for cyclists and the verges hazardous.

Where you live and where I live actually bears little relevance to the discussion we were having which centred around whether or not cyclists should wave people past. But you keep changing the narrative to suit whatever agenda you are trying push.

To be clear I can and do overtake cyclists regularly. I just won’t be dictated to as to when and where!

Why did it take you 25 pages to make yourself clear? you have the impression it’s just not possible.

Anwyay, off to feed the chickens and let the horses and dogs out. Then I’ll get on with some work. Hope they enjoy their city centre grazing today.

OP was clear from the first post?

AIBU to overtake cyclists when I’m good and ready,

She never said she couldn't overtake cyclist, just that she wasn't prepared to be dictated to by cyclists when she should and then receiving abuse when she did.

YANBU no one should overtake unless they are happy and feel safe to do so and everyone's judgement on that is different.

I just have a query though in relation to traffic building up behind cyclists where there is no space to safely overtake..... My fil is a farmer in a rural part of England and when he is in his tractor on the roads he has to, by law, pull in when he gets an opportunity if there are 4 or more cars tailing him. Is this the same for all slow moving vehicles including cyclists?

I was admiring your bravado until
i got to your final statement. Since to do that would be beyond stupid I can only assume that you’re bored and get some kind of adrenaline fix from attempting to wind other people up. I’d suggest being grateful for what you have and try to live your life not at the expense of others. It’s far more uplifting 😊

We’ve agreed to disagree on the waving, but you keep insisting that I must be some kind of imbecile for not passing the cyclists as soon as they say so and refusing to drive at 30mph+ along the verge. That’s what I take issue with.

cyclists pulling over around here is unheard of.

Of course you are 😂

I can relate to the sides of the roads being hazardous OP. In my area of the New Forest there are deep ragged edged trenches and holes along the edges of many of the roads and I have had a flat tyre or two as a consequence

You’re right - to be fair the chickens have an automatic door. Excellent purchase would recommend. Saves waiting for the chickens to go to bed before you go to bed in the summer. The chicks from March are a bit intimidated by the big girls though so I worry they’ll get left sat on the ladder.

@RedTulipsSpring have you posted on the right thread?

Yes. I went off on a tangent after being called hard of understanding and a fantasist. OP can’t comprehend that not every user of MN with a different view to her own might be a country dweller. I was humouring her I suppose. Apologies.

Now back to discussing “fucking” cyclists in OP’s non inflammatory post.

DH & I were out on some country roads this morning. Because of this thread it's now a family tradition to say, "Fucking cyclists!" whenever we spot one.😂

But it was only the title.......

She really didn't mean it to be inflammatory (doe eyes).

Like she couldn't have asked MN to change the title!

And on a subconscious level how do you honestly think that may affect the drivers attitude and patience to cyclists? I don’t find it funny to be honest. Maybe having my friend killed by a driver with attitude has robbed me of my sense of humour. She had a 3yo son who was left motherless.

@QuintanaRoo It hasn't affected my attitude to or patience with cyclists at all. When I discovered this thread, I already knew about country roads; cyclists who wave you round them (a) when they shouldn't because it's too dangerous & (b) solely because of their own emotional response to having a car behind them; & the importance of ignoring the cyclist's gestures. Having become aware of these facts by driving on such country roads, I had already reached a Zen-like state of calm when behind a cyclist who was angry that I was on the road & who was waving me past him on blind corners. How? Because I was driving safely & while I may have been held up, the knowledge that the cyclist was absolutely livid that I wasn't overtaking him meant that there was no need for me to be angry about the cyclist: I was annoying him (by driving safely) far more than he was annoying me. I kept us both safe.

Reading this thread hasn't changed my mind or my attitude at all.

who was waving me past him on blind corners.

often when I’m cycling I can see above the hedges & therefore the corners aren’t blind, when I drive the same rds, the corners are indeed blind for me

just an observation

I get why cyclists think theyre being helpful in beckoning someone to overtake. If I was driving , and it was someone I knew, then Id probably rely on their judgement.
But when I learnt to drive I was taught to assume the cyclist couldnt drive, therefore not rely on their judgment in any way.

Sar12 I rarely make indication of any type to drivers, but I want to stay alive & if I was to wave a driver on when it wasn’t clear - I put my life in danger. Ultimately it’s the motorist driving that has to decide & im not offended if they ignore me giving them the thumbs up it’s clear until they can see fit them self - but it does mean they’re ready to do so

@Whichnumbers , cyclists are a billion times more vulnerable than car drivers are, I completely agree, and of course the overwhelming majority of cyclists are perfectly sensible road users. But... some of them take risks, sometimes people make mistakes, sometimes people misjudge the (lack of) acceleration in my elderly car...and I dont much fancy squishing anyone. So Id always rather wait until I know its safe to overtake. OP's cyclists was needlessly aggro about her not overtaking (which majes me question that particular cyclists judgement!).

It’s odd to me that ops cyclists were particularly aggressive - I’d rather the driver waited than put me in danger.

but all sorts of people use different transport and some are aggressive, other sweet as a daisy