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.

I got here too late to vote but I agree with you OP. The hatred towards cyclists is horrible, extreme and weird. There is a lot of dehumanisation. I think there is an impact to this

i think it also teaches people that you will be punished if you go against the grain (driving)

I think the hatred is manufactured too. French and Spanish people don't have this same hatred and cycling there is so much nicer

Yes. Cars are much faster than bicycles. And roads are predominantly used by cars and trucks. And bicycles, especially those ridden as a hobby, cause unnecessary delays to others. If I were to walk along the middle of a shared use cycle path, which most are, and force all the cyclists to dismount or get stuck behind me, they wouldn't like it. But on shared spaces, pedestrians give them the courtesy of letting them pass, which they don't have to. Cyclists should give motorists the same courtesy.

if car drivers are that impatient they are a danger and shouldn’t be on the road. Utterly ridiculous attitude, I suspect you drive, worryingly.

I think it's pre emptive fear that causes the anger.

Drivers are afraid of clipping a cyclist or causing a horse to start playing up and so they are angry that these are on the roads, because that fear makes them uncomfortable.

Motornormativity. People think roads are only for cars and drivers think they pay for them, despite the fact that everyone pays for them, even the ones like motorways that horses and bikes can’t ride on.

Today there were local news reports that a cyclist suffered life changing injuries after a hit a run from a BMW driver. First comment was “great news” followed by loads of bleating about helmets. Let me tell you if you’re under the wheels of a car, a helmet is doing nothing. it’s awful that people can be dehumanised simply for how they choose to get around.

i don’t get the rage, I’m a very considerate cyclist, I’ll ride two abreast if safer to do so with my child, but pull in when we can and we’re not on roads for long. I stop at red lights but there’s a couple it’s actually safer to cross at with pedestrians because of the sequencing, again I’ll do that slowly and considerately giving priority to pedestrians if safer to do so when cycling with my child.

most cyclists are also car drivers. Most drivers in my experience are quite polite, as there’s more cyclists in my area I’ve noticed a real improvement. But some people are dicks and think they are more important and will behave that way whether in a car or on a bike and unfortunately they can do a lot more damage in a car. I think if you hurt or kill someone when driving penalties should be much more severe, there’s hardly ever any consequences. And speed limiters should be mandatory, those changes would save lives.

Quite, it’s bad drivers.

Ultimately I dont want to drive around at 10mph in a queue behind a cyclist, horse and rider or tractor. Just as I doubt you'd want to have to negotiate around pedestrians on the road.

I dont hate you, I want to go about my day without the added stress of delays.

Just as not all cyclists cycle badly, not all drivers hate cyclists.

Dh has got a gravel bike so can do much more off road. Am so much happier with this.

Road cycling is for mainland Europe where they are normal towards cyclists. He cycled the length of Italy without one unpleasant incident. One morning in England - 3.

i used to cycle 10 miles across London for my daily commute, have wfh since covid but occasionally go in, the number of 20 somethings now cycling on forest/lime bikes on the new cycle infrastructure is brilliant, good for them and the environment and taking people off roads. I think this picture is brilliant, cars are the problem not bikes. In cities we need to continue normalising cycling over driving. Active travel kept my weight down with so little effort beyond my commute.

i do get a bit pissed off if I’m following loads of cyclists out for a weekend ride in the country who I can’t pass for ages but i can live with it and don’t need to threaten them, it’s rarely more than 5 mins.

It isn't impatience. The majority of cyclists will not allow a car to pass. This means that a tailback forms, a bicycle travelling at 20mph on a 60mph road reduces traffic speed by almost 70%. Ant as long as the bicycle remains on that stretch of road, the resulting tailback increases. This slows down the average speed of the traffic on that road to 25mph. I notice you ignored my comparison to cyclists on sharde pedestrian paths. I suspect you cycle. Worryingly.

But this is YOU. I hate them in my area because:
despite there being a dedicated cycle path off the road, a mere 50 feet from said road, they prefer to cycle along a 60mph dual carriageway.
They wear black, at night, with no lights.
They ride like maniacs, wrong way down the road, jump lights, on and off the pavement.
if I was to hit one it would invariably be considered my fault, damage to my car would cost me as they don’t have insurance.

if this is not you, fair enough, but as with many things it is a case of ‘not all…’ but drivers/cyclists/mobility scooter riders get tarred with the same brush.

Everyone is held up much more by other cars/ trucks etc than by bikes.

Think about how many times you have been stuck behind other cars in traffic, and add that time up - queues at lights, queues to get out of junctions, queues because of heavy traffic at rush hour etc.

Bikes are not the problem to congestion and slow traffic, they are the solution.

I'm referring to main roads roads, not urban streets.

Rural country lanes & some main roads were designed by horses for horses.

If you watch the tracks that horses (and other grazing animals like sheep) leave in their fields you will see how those winding rural lanes ended up how they are today.

Wide enough for 2 horses & following the winding path that horses naturally take.

They were never designed for cars, commuting & the school run. These are all guests on rural roads.

Horse riders, pedestrians and cyclists have a right to be on the road. A driver does not have a right to be on the road instead is only there under the conditions of their license

Far more traffic jams are caused by sheer weight of traffic or in towns - parked cars, but hey lets all hate on cyclists. Such a mean spirited and small minded view of the world

You should not be waving drivers on, that goes against the Highway Code. Cyclist have taken to using the path near me and I have had near misses with a few as I’ll be walking on the pavement(you know for pedestrians) possibly with headphones and they come rushing up behind and have almost hit me.

I don't hate cyclists. I get a bit stressed when I see them because I have to figure out where the best place to pass them is.

I would say the one thing that particularly irritates me is when I'm behind a cyclist at a bend and my field of vision is not clear and they try to wave me on because the way looks clear to them. I know it's good natured but I'm not over taking round a bend until I can see it's clear myself.