AIBU to find cyclists annoying

[MumOfTheNorth]

This probably is unreasonable but I just find cyclists so annoying. Not saying every cyclist does every one of these things. It just seems to happen a lot. Am I the only one that gets this irrational irritation?

What I find annoying...

• Taking up the whole road so you can't leave enough space to safely over take
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Walking around cafes or the office in sweaty lycra with their click clacky shoes
• Running red lights when I'm trying to cross on a green man
• Cycling on the pavement
• Not tucking in on small country roads once in a while when there's a massive que of traffic behind them
• Having no lights or helmet on in the dark
• And most of all... talking to me about cycling

I’m a cyclist and I find the majority of drivers annoying !

(I do drive too)

YABU and boring. Yada yada yada, cyclists are annoying, heard it all before. Drivers brake far more laws than cyclists and cause far more deaths than cyclists do. Get angry at drivers. Oh yeah, you won’t because you are one.

I am a cyclist. A agree with some points:

cycling on pavements - defo not
helmets and lights - always should be worn
running red lights - absolutely not

the rest you are unreasonable. You should not be passing a cyclist unless you pass it like a car - it should be a cars width space. They will be cycling in the middle of the road so you don’t risk overtaking without enough room.

country lanes. Have some patience. Everyone always over exaggerates this. It’s never miles and miles and massive queues. It might be a couple of cars - and when it’s safe the cyclist would usually pull in when they can but they can’t do this every time… they would never get anywhere. You probably complain about them using main roads, as well as country lanes and footpaths so WHERE can they go? Why don’t you try cycling so you can feel the vulnerability? Before you go off on one, it’s great exercise and better for the environment than using a car.

some of your other points I’m just rolling my eyes.. you need to chill out.

p.s I also regularly drive. I know the rules of the road and understand some frustrations.

The lights absolutely, I don't think they realise how invisible they are without lights sometimes and it's a really big safety issue.
The walking around cafes one, there is a cafe near me that will be absolutely packed with cyclists post ride on a weekend morning and the sweaty hot lycra smell from 30 men in a small space isn't pleasant but that's my issue with so I just choose not to go there anymore.

The only cyclists that annoy me are the ones that cycle on the road when there's a purpose built cycle lane/path right next to it.

Just why?!!

i dont want to chill out walking down the shared path when the lycra wearers zoom past without so much as a by your leave, no warning, no BELLS
my own dd in her pram nearly had a nasty accident

I am a cyclist who follows all the rules and I am teaching our 9yo to do likewise. What really scares me is some of the car drivers when we’re cycling to school pulling out without looking or when it’s clearly our right of way (part of our route is used as a rat run).
We’d like DS to get himself too and from school in year 6. As things stand he’ll be much safer walking.

I have a few friends who cycle so am really in the 'lets all get where we are going alive' camp, I don't want to be responsible for causing death or injury to another human.
The few times I am irritated are when the men of a certain age cyclists ( and before anyone cries ageism, it is always a certain age that behaves like this locally) come straight out of a junction into the road, causing me to slam on my brakes, they would be absolutely furious if someone else did this to them ! The ones who coast along not peddling but the minute you go to safely overtake them in town, they peddle like mad, again its always men of a certain age, and not on electric bikes, always road bikes.

It does annoy me when I see people passing too fast and too close to cyclists, and this happens far more frequently than the irritating behaviour I mentioned above.

Cyclists are not supposed to 'tuck in' and you are not supposed to squeeze by when overtaking.

Have you not heard of the hierarchy of risk? As of the start of this year, you as a car driver, are legally responsible when you overtake a cyclist. They are entitled to cycle in the middle of a lane and you should not overtake them unless you can do so while leaving at least a car door's width (1m) between you and them.

They are entitled to wear whatever they like, as are you.

But they are not allowed to cycle on the pavements or jump red lights. Personally I don't mind children cycling on pavements to keep them safe, but the law says otherwise.

Bear in mind, they are not polluting the atmosphere. As net zero laws tighten, I think many more areas will be cycle only. Better to join them than moan about them.

You do realise that most of these lycra clad 'eco warriors' are just cycling as a hobby escaping from their families don't you? As if they don't have their own Chelsea tractors on their drive at home and drive them in the same way they cycle, like they own the road.

Yeah they're always so sanctimonious too 'oh I wouldn't sacrifice the environment just to get to work' and 'I hate the idea of children with asthma dying because I want a pint of milk'. Grow up.

The more cars on the road, the better 😂

Cyclists are choosing not to pollute.
They hold me up a lot less than the car traffic.
They have every right to use the road.
They are less of a danger to everyone.
We should all be cycling when we can, instead of using cars.
They are a good example to my children and should not be criticised.
YABU

Never been too worried about cyclists until yesterday.
One was weaving in and out of traffic yesterday as we were at a light, then he rode his bike into my car, got up and scowled at us before getting back on his bike and riding away.
It was not our fault, and I'm certainly pissed off that there's a nice scratch on my car now. Ofcourse, he didn't apologise or mention that he had damaged my car. Fucking dick.

I agree. Just explaining the issue with OP's first argument

Cyclists commuting,using it as a form of transport arent usually annoying- unless they are couriers in a city in which case they are dangerous!
Cyclists doing it as sport ( mamils) are often very annoying, travelling in big groups in country lanes, 3- 4 abreast. With no chance of overtaking for defintely wont ever pull over even whilst going up hill( will ruin their strava stats)
There are huge numbers of these cyclists in my rural area every weekend.
They arent taking cars off the road by not driving as for them its a sport like going to football.
Cyclists are usually very self absorbed.
There are also a lot of horse riders in my area too but they are very considerate and will move over when safe to do so to allow slow overtaking and wont speed up whilst you are over taking.

Between cars and cycles, there seems to a miscomprehension that cars and other vehicles have more of a right to the road than cycles which isn’t true. That cyclists should make themselves as unobtrusive as possible, which is actually dangerous. This fundamental misunderstanding has led some cyclists to become quite aggressive about protecting their rights and to automatically assume car drivers are going to behave badly. Ultimately cycling is much better for everyone (air quality, health span and cost to NHS of inactive people) so it needs to be encouraged.

When I’m in my car I find cyclists bloody annoying.

When I’m on my bike I find car drivers to be annoying twats.

I know I am being unreasonable! I just keep my unreasonable thoughts to myself my view is they basically all other road users should sod off out of my way.

• Running red lights when I'm trying to cross on a green man
• Cycling on the pavement
• Having no lights or helmet on in the dark

I agree with these 100%.

However, all the cyclists will no doubt claim that it's perfectly acceptable. They always do on MN. Then they will do some "Whataboutery" about car drivers.

The res are unreasonable points though. Apart from the last one I guess - boring someone about your hobby is unreasonable whatever the hobby!

having no bell

Bells on bikes are really annoying

You need a way to let people on shared use paths know you are coming up behind them though

Yawn, same old crap about cyclists.

No other groups gets vilified for wearing appropriate clothing for the exercise they are doing.

People need to get over it. As a cyclist and female I wear whatever it is that prevents any chafing esp about my previaye parts. Cos if you have ever experienced it u will never do it again and wearing lycra helps prevent it. Not to mention I don't get hot and even more sweaty if I wore normal clothes.

• Walking around cafes or the office in sweaty lycra with their click clacky shoes

Seriously? wtaf.

no, bells on bikes are an absolute necessity imo, when on a sharing path - it is very dangerous to zoom along share pathway without consideration for children/dogs/adults etc, who also use the path

I just slow down and say excuse me please, no bell needed - I hate people dinging their bell at me