Cyclists! A rant.

I've seen many inconsiderate, dim, or self-entitled, unobservant or aggressive cyclists over the years. But I could say the same about drivers - and supply examples. I am neither a cyclist nor a driver. I don't tar all drivers as idiots, inconsiderate or homicidal thugs. Likewise cyclists. A car is way more likely to seriously injure or kill than a bicycle if driven carelessly, aggressively or recklessly. 

A small rant of my own... m

A trip the the Netherlands might show how it can be most efficaciously be done?. Please be aware the bikes were there on life's byways long before the cars arrived, and no accommodation was made for them for many decades. now we see bike lanes and dedicated tracks for them apart from the car traffic, and in some cities "Slow lanes."

Instead of a rant about the bikes, how about solution oriented ideas for accommodating everyone. After all, not all us us want to drive. Some of us like to bike and to feel entitled to a lane on the road in life's journey. We often view cars as clueless bullies, spewing toxins in their wake.

So have a care! Hate speech leads to action.

Steady on, or the next time your feeling cocky, encouraged by such posts as this, to bully some, small, in-MY-way, bike or pedestrian remember that anger and hate can and DO maim and kill.

A person may be biking to a job interview that took months to get, only to be peevishly splashed by some driver just for a laugh. Or, hit head on, paralyzed for life.

Sitting in a misanthropic bubble that is a person in a car, you are shielded from the vicissitudes of weather, birdsong and fresh air and time to think.

It is no wonder people are so divorced from reality. and struggle with empathy for others.

Infrastructure people!! Now. Otherwise, your just blaming the victim (once again) whose carbon foot print, BYT is 0.

A future is built on what happens NOW. 

We are long over due for a paradigm shift.

END OIL NOW

So I'm driving my very first car, it's full of my mates and we are trundling towards the ford when I spy him.

The lone cyclist in the ford...

I guess we went through it at about 35MPH, it was enough to create a fairly decent "wall of water", I remember that... 

Apart from that little incident, (I grew up mostly around 2 years after that) I've always treated cyclists and horses with courtesy.

But I still remember his face as he turned around at the sound of me changing down a gear and nailing it, to get enough acceleration to arrive at the deep bit at the "right" time and wrong speed to wash him off his bike...

That this story still amuses me to recount, is clearly a sign that I'm not yet a proper Christian...

More work to do, on that front I guess.

Cyclists do my head in, too.

They're EVERYWHERE, here, on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Plus, it's the Patricians of our community who cycle.

Plus, back in July, I had a culture shock at the lift at James Street Station in Liverpool. Scouser bringing his bike to the lift. Only just enough room for the two of us. Plus, he told me that I dropped my phone. Thank God he wasn't a thief.

It would be nice if everyone was well mannered, but frequently they're not, I could have a rant about drivers who don't indicate, or only indicate when they're already half way round a corner. The lorry drivers who clutter up the side roads and supermarket entrances. The people who park on double yellow lines and zig zag lines near a zebra crossing because their packets of chips are to heavy to carry across the road to the car park, or to go to the post office because they've "always parked there".

There are good and bad people in any group of people (though personally, I struggle to see that in members of the Russian army right now).  Some cyclists (myself included) do have insurance for riding on the road, do stop at red traffic lights, do ride on roads not footpaths, do slow down to give horse riders a wide berth, Sadly, some do not. 

As to the roads, we have to share them, be you a lorry driver, car driver, motorcyclist, cyclist or horse rider (I have been all of those at different times).  A cyclist and horse rider have an absolute right to use them, other do so under licence.  Though I understand drivers' frustration when a cyclist is free wheeling and slowing them down rather than going as fast as they can.  I find the more effort I putting in to keep up with traffic and not inconvenience anyone, the more tolerant car drivers seem to be.  What we need is more consideration of other people and a move away from "your rights" to "your responsibilities", then maybe we could all get along a little bit better.

Cyclists are dangerous silent killers, many don't even use their bell to warn you that they are about to go past.

If we accomodated cyclists any more than they are already round here nobody else would be allowed out! Pavements have been widened, cycle ways created, loads of stuff, but you still get cyclists on pavements, footpaths where it clearly says they shouldn't be there.

Who would I report bad cycling too? There was quite a big accident caused by a cycling club, a horse seriously spooked who threw the rider who ended up with a broken hip. The club involved just ignored any complaint made against them and have been allowed to carry on, how is this right?

Living in a tourist destination rather than a town or city, people seem to leave thier manners and common sense behind when they pack their suitcases, although thats not just cyclists it seem to be the majority of visitors in one way or another. Its like we only exist to service thier needs.

They were quite popular in Der Nederlands when i lived there. I enjoyed it.

Answer seems to be more accommodation for them, like in Nederlands, so they don't have to mix with the cars, perhaps they can be calculated into the algorithm of traffic control. It may even encourage more to bike! It would for me. On some streets they are experimenting with 2 wheel accommodation trials. on 'side streets'.

Hello, 

I am sorry you have had some bad experiences. As a club cyclist, and insured by the way, I have experienced some frightening close passes by cars. I have seen dog walkers having to jump out the way on narrow roads. Having looked after horses, I always slow down to  pass as well as covering my flashing front light to avoid spooking them. I have a rear light as well and use this all day.

If you do see poor cycling then why not report it? Are they in a club? If so then complain to Cycling UK or British Racing who act as a regulating body. I have called out people not stopping for a red light. I have seen more cars do this than bikes. We all need to take more care on the roads, not just cyclists.    

They (e-scooter menace folk) do this along the narrow paths through our local park.  Unpleasant.

Inactive account said:

Bells on cycles can be irritating, but it's an option cyclists are encouraged to use

This reminds me of when I lived in Frankfurt and bicycles were a very popular form of transport - typically the ones with a basked in front for placing your shopping in.

Manys the time I would find a cyclist heading my way ringing their bell like made and shouting "aus, aus" at me - I guess the pavement must have doubled as a cycle path. They were certainly vocal in their displeasure of me not throwing myself into the bushes to clear their path.

E scooters are the things that bug me. I was walking down a narrow tarmac footpath on one occasion and had to go off onto the grass bank as he was not slowing down to pass me. If they aren't on the pavement they are a hazard in the road.

Drivers doing that bug me too, the other big bug bears are people who don't indicate and those who don't where reverse gear is. On our little roads you see people drive a car length or two past a passing place and then sit in the middle of the road because another vehicle's there. If it's me I just slowly advance on them, but I have been known to turn the engine off and sit there with my feet up on the dash board until they move.

Bells on cycles can be irritating, but it's an option cyclists are encouraged to use. Rule 63 of the Highway Code does say that bells should be used for this, but I don't like it much. If I'm cycling I tend not to use mine. Approaching a pedestrian from behind, I slow down to a fast walking pace, give them a wide berth, and maybe say "good morning" or something to make them aware of my presence. As someone who is autistic the "good morning" option is quite hard.

What really gets me these days is the car drivers who flagrantly go through red lights, weave in and out of traffic as though they are the only ones on the road.

I feel that every drive is like an immunity challenge, with the cyclists; as well as the kids on e-scooters. Sometimes, I wonder what the parents put into the boys and girls.

I do not drive, I mostly walk to places and cyclists and scooter riders on pavements annoy me - they shouldn't even be on them unless it's a combined pedestrian and cycle path.

Some do use their bells, ringing them loudly as they come up behind you, making you jump and making you feel like you are in the wrong because you didn't look out for and make way for them.