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 don't hate horse riders. (Nice people on beautiful animals...)

Cyclists.......? No comment ...

HTH.

I certainly don’t hate any road users, but I do notice that there seems to be a big difference in behaviour around us between cyclists who are out for a family cycle ride / cycling to work / the pub etc as compared to cyclists who are aiming to beat their personal best time / racing against others. The former as generally courteous and safe in their behaviour, the latter seem to be single minded in refusing to stop / slow down or give way in any circumstance as they don’t want to mess up their pace. I am always patient and courteous with all road users but the “road racers” do act selfishly in my opinion.

Well, you clearly don’t understand the law or the Highway Code. You sound like a very selfish driver and thus, an unsafe driver.

15 minutes getting held up is minor.

And what you could have done is part up for a few minutes, let the cyclists get ahead of you and then drive up if it's so difficult for you to have a bit of control over your speed.

Ultimately, like it or not, those cyclists had as much right to be on the road as you. Just because you are in a car which can go faster than them makes no odds at all.

I live rurally. The single track road outside my house is a very popular route for cyclists.

I need the road to commute to work, shop, take DC to school etc. The road is a lifeline for us, it is not a hobby.

At least once a day I have to crawl for 2 miles behind a Lycra clad cyclist freewheeling. They NEVER give way to oncoming cars, and NEVER pull into any of the passing places. At weekends it is considerably worse.

The 2 minute delay you dismiss really adds up for locals - more than 12 hours extra driving a year! …to accommodate your hobby.

In contrast, the horse riders round here are local and always wave cars past when they get to a passing place. Never had an issue with them.

But ultimately its still the cars making it unsafe. It's only dangerous because a car would not be paying attention, a car will be travelling at speed, a car has overtaken when it's not safe, and a car is going to do the killing.

My point is if you take the view that we need to remove hazards from roads, then the first thing to go would be cars. Everyone on the road needs to accept that the roads are for everyone, and while it can be frustrating being stuck behind a cyclist when you want to go faster, as long as everyone is following the rules of the road then they have eve right to be there

Yes to this. ^ Ordinary bike riders - going to work/out with kids/off for a ride in the country with their partner, are one thing.

The MAMILs/lycra clad brigade (always MEN!) are quite something else.

I don't hate you, why would I, I don't know you.

I get annoyed with cyclists sometimes. E.G. last week I am not exaggerating 30 cyclists in a group blocked up the whole road. It was impossible to pass them. There must have been something on because I had passed groups of 2/3 and solo cyclists before I got to the main group. It is a very twisty road and even on the straighter parts I did not feel comfortable overtaking that large of a group even though the two at the back waved at me a few times. It was a lot longer than 2 minutes.

I meet one cyclist many mornings who is clearly commuting. That is fine, I stay well back until it is completely safe to over take. I also meet quite a few people around here that do it as a form of leisure.

The ones in the cities often scared me as a pedestrian though

I mean it's in the highway code so it is "taught when you pass your test"

I get some drivers don't anticipate cyclists will swerve to avoid a drain, but that is most definitely taught when you pass your test

Gosh not 12 hrs a year, however will you cope.

If its 2 miles everytime that's just how long the journey takes. The same as traffic. Sometimes there are other road users on the road that make our journeys slower, that's the nature of public services. The road is no more a "lifeline" to you than any other road is.

What are you talking about? A car is the biggest hazard on the road! Do you think that most road related deaths are caused by cyclists and horse riders? Obviously not. Tbh people like you are the problem here, thinking you own the road because you are in a car. Everyone from pedestrians to tractors to bicycles to horse riders have as much right to be on the road as you do and your driving should reflect that other types of road users may be present.

Absolutely.

I live near some very twisty hilly country roads.

Mum dad and kids no problem.

Lycra clad groups are awful. Never ever let anyone pass, and it’s too dangerous to overtake on these roads. Too many corners.

Thetes also a wide flat countryside path near me. About 5 miles long. Clearly says cycling on it is prohibited.

Its becoming impossible to walk on due to number of cyclists who think they can just ignore the signs.

I’ve always tried to pull in and let cars pass me when I am riding my horses on the road. I would like to think most horse riders do the same. I also thank EVERY vehicle who passes me sensibly. I shouldn’t have to, but if my politeness means that the driver will pass the next rider they see in the same manner, that’s the most important thing.

I purposefully only ride at quiet times- Sunday mornings, late Saturday or Sunday evenings (in summer) and ride quiet, residential routes.
I would imagine most riders are the same now. 20/30 years ago, I could ride on the roads far more because the traffic was nowhere near as bad/frantic as it is today. Some of the roads I regularly rode on then, I wouldn’t dream of riding today.

Unfortunately to access bridlepaths, horse riders have no choice but to go on roads.

'Tbh people like you are the problem here, thinking you own the road because you are in a car'

We live semi rurally. I see those riding horses who are clearly jumpy and shouldnt be on public roads when I'm out and about walking.

The ignorance of some posters is nuts!
Despite the reputation of horse riders being rich toffs the reality is most of us are just ordinary working class folk, which means we don't have masses of land (with the necessary woods some of you think we should be riding in) to ride on.
We don't generally ride on our fields because there are other horses using them.
The nearest woods to me are 5 miles away across an A road that has accidents involving lorries nearly every week. And horse riding is not allowed anyway.
So I do have to ride on roads to access off road riding.
I've lived in my village 7 years and in that time 4 nearby fields have had housing estates put up, and 2 more have had planning permission granted.
I do alwats wave/smile/nod at courteous drivers, and hope that they're actually looking when I do, but to be honest, we shouldn't have to thank drivers for obeying the Highway Code!
If you want to be educated about what we're up against, go check out the Pass Wide and Slow page on Facebook, plenty of hat cam footage showing some terrifying driving.
And also Endurance with D'Arcy, who highlights incidents with off lead out of control dogs, which we don't tend to encounter on roads.
And give over with the "you don't get horses in built up areas ", 2 riding schools in Central London using Hyde Park, crossing very busy roads, mainly used by tourists who bring a lot of revenue to the city, the army horses, the police horses, no fields for them to ride in.

Probably because drivers like you are driving like entitled idiots around them.

How do you think you train horses to deal with traffic without riding them on the roads?

All it needs is for drivers to show courtesy, pass at no more than 10mph with at least a 2m gap. As in the guidelines in the Highway code.

The issue is shit drivers, not horses, on the road.

The lycra clad bunches of men are vile aren't they? So obnoxious and entitled, and think they can do no wrong. I despise them

@CherryogDog Most decent intellingent people who have common sense don't hate horse riders. I live in a tiny village, and we have many of them around here. They are very courteous and polite and pleasant. The posh toffs who have horses, and the ordinary working class folk who have horses. All of them are nice people...

People don’t hate you, it’s most likely nobody on here has even met you. Points 3 and 5 are generally, IMO, the issues. I nearly hit a cyclist, well actually the other way around, a couple of weeks ago because he flew through a red light. The two abreast thing is fine and is part of the Highway Code but it’s when cyclists don’t allow people to overtake that it causes an issue. In fact not allowing people to overtake is a breach of the Highway Code that cyclists love to quote as their protection.

It’s not when you’re working in the community with vulnerable people! If I get delayed 15 minutes between each client that’s hours of my day I loose. It’s people waiting for their medications, or something to eat. It’s people with dementia wondering whether anyone is coming to them.
All because of mindless men usually who are more worried about their personal best than being a decent civilised human being

I don't hate you but you seem quite annoying

I find cyclists a bit annoying as they slow down my drive and don't pull over often enough. I mainly drive on back roads so can't overtake.

Also I find in general they are grumpy and don't say hello when they cycle passed when I'm walking or running.

Horses are fine.
Cyclists biking to work, fine.
Cyclists posing in Lycra and blocking country roads because it’s their hobby are irritating as fuck.

So presumably you get equally annoyed at anyone driving under the NSL who are travelling for leisure too?

I’ll be honest, I've purposely tried to be a bit annoying, tends to get a true reflection of people. Sure I know I’m annoying to people in real life, but I’m sure you are too (as is everyone else).

I’m actually quite surprised that most of the people on here come back with very reasonable comments.

Out of all the comments there’s only one person in this thread who I feel should not have a license, I won’t name them.

Out of curiosity what’s your hobby or interest?