Cyclists who act like they own the road should pay towards it

[dreamingofsun]

So cyclists get priority on the roads, and are happy to ride two abreast so they hold all the car traffic up. Shouldnt they at least pay towards the upkeep of the road?

It’s not just something going slowly, it’s something going unexpectedly slow. You see a cyclist, horse
rider or tractor you expect it to be going slower and act accordingly. Unless you’re the type of driver who blasts past horse riders?

I wouldn’t take my notice of Cambridgeshire Live tbh.

Because you're chosing to deliberately obstruct other people. Your bicycle is painfully slow compared to a car. And the majority of people who use the roads are in vehicles. So you inconvenience them.

Why don't you drive or take a bus?

@onefinemess

You're delayed for a few seconds,

You're not "obstructed".

In order to drive I'd have to spend thousands purchasing, insuring, fueling and maintaining a car. I'd also have to find somewhere to park it, both at home and near work - in both cases depriving someone else of a convenient space as things are tight around here, sometimes I'd get home from work and have to park at the other end of my village. There's quite an environmental impact to all this.

If I got the bus to/from work I'd have finished my shift at 1:30am and had to sit around for four hours before taking the first train and then a connecting bus home. Needless to say that after 16 hours out of the house by that point the cat wouldn't have been impressed with me when I got back, and I'd be a zombie.

Much more convenient to spend just a few hundred on a bicycle that requires little in the way of maintenance and is fueled by bacon sandwiches. I can come and go as I please, parking it securely in the porch.

Still not your turn with the family brain cell this week?

Depends on the circumstances. I've been delayed by selfish cyclists who are dawdling along at 10mph and can't be overtaken.

So you're wrong. Cyclists cause unnecessary delays to other people. It's selfish, entitled behaviour.

For the last time motorists do not own public roads. In fact apart from motorways, other users have more of a right to use the roads.

Why resort to insults?

Bicycles are slow, their presence on the road obstructs other vehicles. You can't deny that cars get stuck behind Bicycles.

What I'm saying is correct.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Cyclists cause delays, and that's a selfish thing to do to other people when there's no need to cycle anywhere. You could just as easily take a bus or taxi, you're closing to use an outdated mode of transport which causes delays and inconvenience to others.

@onefinemess for the hard of reading (aka you) I own, insure and drive a car. It’s also not always the most efficient to get to where you want to go, and driving it does not keep you fit which helps considerably with my medical conditions. I am regularly slowed down by cars whilst on my bike and even more regularly by lorries overtaking lorries, than I am when I have to pass a cyclist.

A journey I do occasionally is in Yorkshire on a main A road which has a steep/winding bit for a few miles. double whites in the middle of the road so you can't overtake. You're stuck behind bikes for about 5-10 minutes going at around 5 mph, as it's steep uphill and can't pass due to the white lines (and traffic coming the other way of course). Will the sods stop to let the couple of miles of traffic queue they're causing, go past them, no they won't. About half way up, there's a lay-by. Every single time there's a slow moving tanker going up (they usually manage around 15 mph) they'll stop in the lay by to let the queue of traffic go past. Yet the cyclists never do!

If we want to talk about inconvenience how about the inconvenience cars cause pedestrians?

@onefinemess

I’m a cyclist who gets stuck behind cars. Cars that are moving slowly and stuck in traffic jams and then park up blocking the carriageway when not in use.

Have you considered that you’re the selfish one? I also suspect you drive and don’t take the bus

Cycle lanes DO cause more congestion if they're badly planned/installed!

One particular busy junction in particular used to be two lanes - one for straight on/turning right, the other for turning left. Never any significant congestion/queueing in either direction. It worked well.

They removed the left lane by hash-marking it and white-lined a cycle lane instead. So now all traffic has to use what was previously the right hand lane, for going straight ahead, turning right or turning left. Of course, now it's backed up constantly as the cars turning left have to wait for cars turning right, which in turn have to wait for cars coming in the other direction to clear, so it basically holds everyone up! I've seen queues as long as a mile back, which in turn cause congestion at other junctions along it!

What's even more stupid is that there is no cycle lane before or after that junction, so bikes are in normal traffic flow, then they have about 50 feet of their own cycle lane which causes the chaos, then after the junction, they're back in normal traffic flow. Surely it's more dangerous for them to have to cycle alongside a long queue of traffic, weaving in and out, having to watch for pedestrians/traffic turning through the queue of traffic in their path, etc?

And?

Your bicycle delays the majority of road users. That's a fact, not a judgment.

Maybe you are OK with causing delays to others, I just think it's selfish.

From the Highway Code, in Rules for Cyclists:

"on quiet roads or streets – if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, move to the left to enable them to overtake, if you can do so safely"

Funny how so many cyclists bleat on about motorists following the Highway Code, but then always ignore that nugget.

Do I get to complain about the cars I get stuck behind?

The sooner we move to car-free living, the better our society will be.

If you have ever ridden a bike uphill you will know why they don't stop to let you past- getting started again is almost impossible

If cyclists paid for anything it should be proper cycling infrastructure

Just back from Germany - it's eye opening how cycle friendly it is with its wide separate tracks that go everywhere, underpasses to help at busy junctions

You know what causes most delays? Congestion, that is too many cars. You aren't stuck in traffic, you are traffic. Most of the issues car drivers have are caused by other car drivers.

Exactly.

Entitled cyclists with huge egos. And they wonder why people don't like them.

This.

Of course, motorists never moan about cyclists and the Highway Code do they? 🤔

Your car spews out particulate emissions (even if electric, tyre rubber can be nasty) that shortens the lives of the majority of road users. That's a fact.

Maybe you are OK with causing death to others, I just think that it's selfish.

Ok
Cyclist bashing because you can't go as fast as you want !

Let's bash the car driver who kills the planet with their emissions , causes asthma and dementia deaths with their fumes , and leads to their own rising obesity

And all that causes my taxes to have to pay for all the health problems car drivers cause

"If you can do so safely"

I'm not facilitating a dangerous, illegal close pass.