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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
Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 18:13

MsJD · 03/04/2023 18:06

Yabu for getting so wound up about this and then bothering to post on MUMSNET. I was nearly knocked off my bike today by someone who overtook me on a mini roundabout. FUCKING car drivers. 😀

Ha. And yet the subject obviously interests you enough to have read my OP at least. I dare say threads have been started on more mundane topics. I do genuinely feel like something needs to be done to improve cyclist awareness of this issue though.

OP posts:
nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:14

MsJD · 03/04/2023 18:12

There is so much irrational hatred of and anger towards cyclists out there.

I know it's vile isn't it.

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 18:14

Rosula · 03/04/2023 17:59

On the face of it, it seems quite surprising that there was absolutely nowhere you could pass a cyclist over the course of several miles.

There are miles-long stretches of roads around where we live where if the cyclist did not pull over you could not physically pass at all, and even more where you could hardly/not pass safely. If you cycle on these sections, pulling over is an absolute no-brainer, people who do the wave and wonder why nobody does a blind bend overtake or worse just ploughs through them with their car half in a hedgerow because of a wave, are very silly.

Ten minutes is I suppose possible, especially given that's about 300 yards for some cyclists 😂

MsJD · 03/04/2023 18:15

I always move into the passing places to let them pass, but not into the stingers.

AskMeMore · 03/04/2023 18:15

Agree OP I ignore cyclists who wave me to overtake when it is a blind bend.

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 18:15

Poor cyclists can't do right these days, hated by pedestrians if on the pavement (even shared use ones)

I'm fed up of the arseholes who cycle on the pavement near me. Especially when they try to claim it is a "shared path". No, it's a pavement for pedestrians and there is literally nothing anywhere to suggest otherwise.

There is a certain breed of cyclists who think they are always in the right. It's by no means all of them or even a majority but they are they ones who ruin it for others.

sheeeeeeshh · 03/04/2023 18:16

CoalTit · 03/04/2023 16:36

Obviously it's shit when you get abuse for driving safely and considerably. It's scary how many road users don't know the highway code or don't think it applies to them.
But it's twattish to then try to stir up hostility towards the demographic whose members were rude to you. If another motorist had behaved badly I don't think you'd be on here writing "fucking car drivers" or "fucking lorry drivers".

I mean fucking BMW and Merc drivers are all pretty much selfish tailgating dick heads 🤷‍♀️

BubziOwl · 03/04/2023 18:16

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:37

I spend a lot of time driving in rural Yorkshire. It's entirely possible to not be able to safely overtake for 10 minutes (or more). Quite often there are limited places where you can safely overtake anyway, and sod's law dictates there is oncoming traffic when you reach these spots. Many of the lanes are very narrow and twisty with lots of hairpin turns and blind corners. Add in high hedges or trees where you cannot see over the tops to view oncoming traffic from further round the bend, and you get the picture!

The main road to the nearest town where I live (not Yorkshire) is what I guess I'd call a semi-rural road. It's nothing particularly crazy, we're not talking single track winding lanes, but in the 20 minute journey there is only one place that is truly safe to overtake. If there's other cars coming when you're on that straight, then you're stuffed until you get to town!

Exl · 03/04/2023 18:16

YANBU. I livenin a similar villagento yours and know exactly what you mean. The number of cyclists who expect me to overtake a long slow queue of 29 bikes on a blind bend just because they’ve waved st me that they think it’s ok, is astounding.

I hate them. What gives them the right to clog up rural roads with their hobby? I don’t travel down to London and do yoga in the middle of Oxford St, expecting traffic to wait patiently for me to finish!

(Different if they’re cycling to work, those guys I applaud. But 99% of cyclists on my local roads are twats from London having a ‘fun day out’ and fucking up local transport for thise who actually need to go to school/shop/hospital.

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 18:17

MsJD · 03/04/2023 18:12

There is so much irrational hatred of and anger towards cyclists out there.

Equally, there is a whole lot of irrational defending of the ones who are in the wrong.

AskMeMore · 03/04/2023 18:18

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 18:14

There are miles-long stretches of roads around where we live where if the cyclist did not pull over you could not physically pass at all, and even more where you could hardly/not pass safely. If you cycle on these sections, pulling over is an absolute no-brainer, people who do the wave and wonder why nobody does a blind bend overtake or worse just ploughs through them with their car half in a hedgerow because of a wave, are very silly.

Ten minutes is I suppose possible, especially given that's about 300 yards for some cyclists 😂

Show quote history

It is easily possible. I have noticed far more very slow cyclists this year. They used to all race around in lycra. But now I find myself behind a few cyclists fairly often leisurely and very slowly cycling along.
I will not over take in a blind bend no matter how much you wave me through.

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:21

Equally, there is a whole lot of irrational defending of the ones who are in the wrong.

I've not defended any bad cyclists, it's the stupid "all cyclists" are whatever, I hate all cyclists, fucking cyclists, I despise all cyclist" that I find unreasonable.

Ridiculous!

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 18:22

twats from London having a ‘fun day out’ and fucking up local transport for thise who actually need to go to school/shop/hospital.

I will be honest, I cycle on country roads for pleasure (and occasionally necessity) myself and I still find it annoying when someone is holding up traffic for their delightful countryside jolly.

There's just no need, and nobody can pretend they don't understand. If you are holding up traffic in a slower vehicle, pulling over every so often on your own initiative is easy enough.

WestwardHo1 · 03/04/2023 18:23

The more cars there are on the road, the more the car drivers hate the road users who aren't in the cars

They're directing their fury and aggression at the wrong target.

honeyytoast · 03/04/2023 18:26

I can kind of understand a lone, female cyclist feeling intimidated by being effectively followed.

But other than that it’s not your problem that they’re choosing to cycle. As long as you’re not too close or being purposely intimidating, you can overtake as and when you please

honeyytoast · 03/04/2023 18:28

honeyytoast · 03/04/2023 18:26

I can kind of understand a lone, female cyclist feeling intimidated by being effectively followed.

But other than that it’s not your problem that they’re choosing to cycle. As long as you’re not too close or being purposely intimidating, you can overtake as and when you please

Clarifying that I did read the op and understand that she wasn’t alone, just giving an example

ConcordeOoter · 03/04/2023 18:31

WestwardHo1 · 03/04/2023 18:23

The more cars there are on the road, the more the car drivers hate the road users who aren't in the cars

They're directing their fury and aggression at the wrong target.

This is a separate conversation, in the countryside bicycles are often not at all a viable option for the people using those roads for non-leisure purposes, and even public transport (which is also part of that traffic) can be very sketchy. It's just one more thing that is not necessarily understood by the clot of urban leisure riders you encounter as you desperately wish they'd pull over so you can get to work 🤣

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 18:31

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:21

Equally, there is a whole lot of irrational defending of the ones who are in the wrong.

I've not defended any bad cyclists, it's the stupid "all cyclists" are whatever, I hate all cyclists, fucking cyclists, I despise all cyclist" that I find unreasonable.

Ridiculous!

I think there's only been one post that said anything like that.

Plenty defending bad cyclists though and ignoring the anger issues of the rude one that the OP is complaining about. Someone even called her a bad driver with anger issues getting het up behind the wheel, which she absolutely wasn't.

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:34

@SoupDragon I think you'll find including the OP there are at least 3.

Maybe take the time to read the posts, otherwise you'll remain in the wrong.

I called her a bad driver, because I think she is!

Muu · 03/04/2023 18:34

It’s just road rage. Ignore it. I wish the roads were safer for cyclists.

No cyclist involved but I saw a pedestrian get hit by a car because someone waved him out into traffic and he just legged it. It didn’t look like he was badly injured but it was awful. You have to use your own judgement when someone’s waving at you.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 03/04/2023 18:34

OMG yes!

I also drive on a lot of country roads & I get exactly this: cyclists...

  • blocking the road (because it's narrow & twisting so lots of blind bends which makes overtaking impossible)
  • getting furious with me because I have the gall to use the road behind them
  • waving me past on potentially lethal blind bends

Anyone who denies this happens simply doesn't drive on this type of road. I see you're in Yorkshire, OP. I'm on the south coast & I get exactly the same thing. Cyclists (on MN anyway) seem proud of the fact that they hold up cars, so why do they get so angry when we're stuck behind them? At least it means I don't feel angry with them, because I know they're more put out by the situation than I am. It gives me a sort of grim satisfaction to sit there while they turn & glower at me every so often & I decline their invitation to drive headlong into oncoming traffic (which also convinces me that they're morons, giving me a warm feeling of superiority).

Why do they feel like this? The only explanation I can come up with is that they feel that if they cycle in the countryside, there should be no cars around at all, so they can arse around doing a Fotherington-Thomas ("Hello flowers, hello trees!") & pretending they're back in the 1950s. Well, tough luck.

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 18:35

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:34

@SoupDragon I think you'll find including the OP there are at least 3.

Maybe take the time to read the posts, otherwise you'll remain in the wrong.

I called her a bad driver, because I think she is!

Where has the OP said she hates all cyclists? Hint: she actually specifically said that it wasn't all cyclists in her first post.

vitahelp · 03/04/2023 18:36

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 18:35

Where has the OP said she hates all cyclists? Hint: she actually specifically said that it wasn't all cyclists in her first post.

Show quote history

The title ‘fucking cyclists’ wasn’t a great start though was it. Why not call it ‘rude fucking woman’.

nomoremerlot · 03/04/2023 18:36

@SoupDragon I quoted "fucking cyclists" which is fairly generic and very hateful.

One poster said she despised all cyclists

Another they hated all cyclists.

It's all there to read......

It's not that long a thread.

boxtrot · 03/04/2023 18:37

It seems unlikely that a cyclist would suggest someone should overtake unless they were sure the way was clear? Because I suspect that if most people were in line for a head-on collision, they'd probably instinctively duck left and take out the cyclist, and I'm fairly sure cyclists realise that!