The hatred towards cyclists/horse riders etc

[RH1234]

Following on from a conversation on another thread; AIBU to think that the hatred towards all cyclists/other road users I.e. horses is completely atrocious and unjustified.

Lots of people will make comments about “I bet they were in Lycra”, “I dislike road cyclists”, “they don’t even pay road tax”.

My question is not; do you hate cyclists. My question is why do you hate me someone you have not met) as a cyclist?

For perspective:

1. I pay VED (Road tax doesn’t exist) on 3 vehicles.
2. I have insurance for my bikes - which includes public liability etc. My cycle insurance is genuinely more expensive than my car, I also have free insurance through British Cycling.
3. I don’t run red lights (for transparency, I have been through one red light, floor sensors don’t pick up carbon fibre, it was 5am, after waiting a few minutes, with no cars I went through)
4. I cycle an average of 19-23mph, I can overtake tractors near me, I’m smaller than a tractor surely you can pass me.
5. I do ride two abreast if in a group, but if passing is difficult, as per the Highway Code we ensure you can pass when safe.
6. When riding on my own, I wave cars past so they can often go before they can see.
7. Yes I wear Lycra - but you try cycling 100 miles without decent chamois in place. I won’t mention leg hair as that’s a whole different subject for you.
8. My wife use to love cycling, but won’t ride on the road now due to the drivers attitudes.

AIBU to be annoyed that I don’t do any of the things people moan about, yet people will hate me, some people will hurl abuse, some people will literally try and drive me off the road (luckily not that often for the last one)

All I want is, to enjoy the sport I’m love, get fit and then spend the time with my family. Yet my wife has said to me, she is anxious when I’m out and follows me on find my iPhone, because she’s terrified someone will one day leave me for dead in a ditch.

Surely a two minute delay is not unreasonable? I don’t judge based on hobbies or backgrounds, why am I judged?

AIBU in thinking that those who state they hate cyclists clearly are either media influenced or just plain horrible people.

Apologies, this has turned into more of a rant than a AIBU, but I’m sure you get the gist.

This doesn't always work. I was walking on the canal with a toddler and a buggy when I heard a ding of a bell behind me. So I moved all of us closer into the side we were walking on giving the cyclist more space on the free side to pass.

For some reason, she expected me to have eyes on the back of my head and to move a metre to the left instead of her simply changing her path and cycling around us. She came up right behind and had to skid to a stop to avoid hitting us. Some cyclists, like road users, are just thoughtless idiots.

Not all of us have quick, calm reflexes. This is ableist thinking.

it is the responsibility of the cyclist to presume that the pedestrian will not be able to move and may even behave erratically.

Cyclists should travel at a speed appropriate to the terrain. I agree with you there. But, if you are on a shared path, you need to be prepared to make space for cyclists to pass. There is nothing wrong with a cyclist ringing their bell to let you know they are behind you so you can move to the side.

I think you’re getting a little hyperbolic now. But I am sorry that you and your wife have been made to feel unsafe, I don’t like aggression in any shape or form.

Assuming you are in the UK, I would assume you would go left as well...

The point is that there is not always safe to move aside quickly on a narrow path. Especially with young kids. The most sensible option is for the bike to slow down until there is space to overtake. Like a car should do. Inconsiderate joggers can be just as much of a pain too tbh but less chance of getting run over by them!

Except that the cyclist doesn't know anything about the person that they are ringing the bell at, they could be deaf, they could be wearing ear pods.
By all means ring your bell, sound your horn but if you have to slam the brakes on to stop or you can't maneuver around them without slamming the brakes on or sliding to a halt you are going to fast.

If you are on a shared path, you need to slow down to a speed that you can pass safely and widely enough without needing to ring your bell.

I expect that most people who are out for a walk are able to step to the side. But yes, cyclists should give plenty of time and space just in case. I don't really understand why so many pedestrians are surprised by cyclists on a shared path though. You don't need quick reflexes to react to something that is expected to be there.

Cycling in the Netherlands is a joy. There are dedicated bike lanes everywhere, and separate traffic lights for bikes / pedestrians / cars.
Roundabouts have special cycle lanes (in the UK I refuse to cycle on a roundabout).

Car drivers always stop for cyclists and pedestrians.
Everyone seems to cycle - old people, kids, cargo bikes for deliveries, etc. I never felt I was being a nuisance.

In the city centre where we stayed it was all bikes, no cars.
And yes cyclists frequently ring their bells to alert you they are there. I got used to it once I realised they weren’t being rude.

I don’t know the overall impact this must have on pollution and health in the Netherlands, but it must be significant.
We didn’t see many obese people…

The trouble in the UK is that cyclists have to share the road with cars, which is just not safe, and we are a very car-centric society. How many shopping centres or new housing estates are built with separate bike lanes, decent amount of bike parking etc?

Agreed.

Why would you assume that?

Many paths are not wide enough to do this. Have a look at the one in the article shared by the OP as an example.

It may be because the cycle paths are unusable. There is one by me along an A-road. It has broken glass and grit on it, low overhanging trees (so much so that I have to get off my bike to pass under them) and the cycle path randomly weaves back onto the road without warning to either the road users or the cycle track users. There are also many many side roads and every time the cycle path crosses one, the cyclist has to stop - which means getting from A to B takes a ridiculous amount of time.

I don't hate you (or all cyclists) at all, and am in much the same situation as your wife. I think, though, for most road users, it does come down to the difference in speed. To a driver, a cyclist is a hazard and because they have to react, adjust, make additional decisions, and concentrate specifically when one is around, they become an annoyance, like when cars park on bends and make it difficult to see if you can move out to get around, or when kids dart into the road. It is more taxing and in each case you're slightly anxious about there being a negative outcome.

Granted the last statement is a bit exaggerated, no doubt.
My point is that there’s is a portion of the population who feel it’s amazing when a cyclist is hit, or will justify it. Social media is renowned for it.

I was curious as to why my life is worth less compared to another (I know it’s not, just to clarify).

I don't know anyone that feels amazing when a cyclist is hit.
As for justifying it some (as we have done) will point out when its not just the car at fault.
As for social media it has more than its fair share of dickheads, wankers and trolls that post just to piss people off. Look at the current Euros win. how many are just posting to piss people off.

But as car drivers we should accept that we are the annoying ones. We are the ones driving a 1ton heap of metal at high speed, capable of killing and maiming just by turning the wheel in the wrong direction. We are the ones burning fossil fuels. We are the ones taking up most of the space on the roads, often just to transport just one person.

As a car driver yes it’s harder to drive with cyclists around because you have to take more care, but that’s our responsibility.
The alternative to the cyclist would be another car on the road, causing more traffic - and what is more annoying, a traffic jam or a cyclist?

I don’t drive and generally dislike cyclists because most of the ones here ride on the pavement and I have nearly been knocked over dozens of times. Of you are old/infirm or a young child you have no chance of getting out of their way quick enough. When I have said something you get a load of abuse.

Obviously this is not all cyclists but it is enough to be annoying

Then you stop and walk the bike. I’ve been both a cyclist and a pedestrian. I was never so rude as to expect to plow through, especially on a narrow path.

YANBU

An old and late friend of mine was a keen cyclist. He said "there are cyclists, and people on bikes. The people on bikes are the assholes".

I honestly don't get the comments about cyclists wearing lycra. It is a fabric. Fabric does not make someone an asshole. Keen cyclists wear what is comfortable to ride in.

I have been a cyclist, motorcyclist, and car driver. Horses always made me nervous as I am scared of them anyway, plus I was always worried that I was not giving them enough room, or letting off the accelerator/throttle enough so I was quiet when I passed.

Like most things in life, you notice the shit things. That applies to cyclists too. You don't notice the ones who just passed you with no issue. I can guarantee that they far outnumber the ones who made you slam on the breaks etc.

But some people just assume all cyclists are twats, so hate them accordingly... forgetting that many of them are also motorists. My brother sold his bike after someone tried to run him off the road for no reason whatsoever.

And I don't get the whole "just use cycle paths" stuff. They are nice in the day. I used to commute 16 miles a day on my bike... most was a cycle path. A lot of it was totally unlit, and I was a woman cycling home alone when it was dark. One time, I passed a group of people who I heard say "shit, we missed a bike", when I passed. I can assumed they were waiting for someone to rob. Another time, I had beer bottles thrown at me when I passed a group. I also had a bat get stuck in my hair 😅

By the way, horses and bikes were using roads before cars were.

Auriel Grey. She didn't like a cyclist that was coming up to her on a shared path and hit her, causing the cyclist to fall into the road and be killed by a car.
A few threads on here about it... and some people thought the lady who pushed her was justified.

I never suggested cyclists should "plow through". Walking beside the bike takes up more space than staying on it so the pedestrian would still need to move to the side to allow me to pass. Or are you suggesting I should just walk behind the pedestrian until the path gets wider?

Usually I ring my bell, the pedestrian moves to the side, I say thank you, cycle past and everyone carries on with their day. Can you please explain why you have an issue with that? At what point am I being rude?

Auriel Grey didn't hit anybody, she did shout at and wave her hands but she didn't hit anyone.

You can see from the video that the two sets of people could see each other in plenty time and you can judge from the scenery how fast the bike is going, which is not fast to start with and gets slower as she approaches.

She did nothing wrong.