Bicycles and Cyclists...

[Spinal]

Sunday I went to Play Live (a video game expo sort of thing), while play live was quite fun, I got there VERY angry.

While driving down the A40, I noticed a cyclist in the rain (with a red bag on either side of the bike, alot like the royal mail ones)... While I thought it was quite stupid to ride in the rain, and I found it odd there was a "royal mail" bike on the A40 on Sunday - I ignored him and kept going.

Not long after, I'm stuck behind a foreign car from Bulgaria (I think... BG is said in the Euro-stars) in a very slow moving queue of traffic. A while later, guess who shows up? The friendly cyclist...

Only this time, as he weaves through the almost still traffic, he sticks out his hand and slaps the bulgarian's right-hand-side mirror. I was shocked, I truly was. He didn't bump into it, he actually slapped it!

The car, not being in the most pristine condition, promptly released the mirror, which flew a few meters ahead. The car's driver then proceeded to get out of the car and pick up the mirror before driving on, probably thinking the cyclist bumped into him.

I sat there stunned, part of me wanting to get out of the car and run after the cyclist, the other half of me wanting to call the police...

Why don't cyclists have plates? Why can they hide under a helmet, wreck other people's property and get away with it?

It's just not fair! I always move out of the way for bikers and cyclists, from now on, cyclists aren't getting any favours from me! That one cyclist ruined it for all the others!

Michele

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

I'm a cyclist a member of a club and have time trialed. We do obey the law, are sensible and as the nature of being on a bike are very wary of our surroudings.

Don't let one person on a bike make you angry for all the others. We were not at the scene so cannot fully comment however from what you have said s/he was in the wrong.

Also I pay road tax on two cars, CTC insurance for when I'm on my bike. If I'm on my bike I'm not driving so I've as much right as anyone else if obeying the laws of the land.

So if an audi cuts you up in the car say... do you then hold a grudge against ALL audi drivers??

Sorry while one cyclist may have been in the wrong I think maybe too much video game playing is not good for you


Maybe tomorrow you will think differently

 

[st4]

True, not all cylists are bad, but there is a significant number of them who run red lights. Was it not so long ago one of them ended up being ran over and killed.

IMO if bikes want to use the roads that each of us pay for, per vehicle we drive, they should abide by the laws/

 

[Jerrytommygal1]

True. It would be nice to get a license plate in case of a mishap with a cyclist where you're the victim.

A couple of months ago a cyclist lost his balance and used my car to regain it. In the process he scratched nearly the entire length of the car I was in the process of selling. Off he went without a glance at the damage. Luckily the buyer was a man and was only concerned with the condition of the engine. A female buyer would have seen things differently.

I now give cyclists and bikers a very wide berth and actually get agitated when they come too close.

 

[rf065]

I now give cyclists a very wide berth and actually get agitated when they come too close.

Me too, primarily due to their fetish for tight rubber clothing.
they are not to be trusted at all.

Russ

 

[Ade B]

Me too, primarily due to their fetish for tight rubber clothing.
they are not to be trusted at all.

Russ

And they shave their legs

Ade

 

[Flash]

Cyclists too should be made to have insurance and some form of visible ID like a number plate or something!

If motorists have an accident with a cyclist than the cyclist is allowed to claim but not vice versa unless you go through a small claims court (very difficult though with cyclists in recovering the money if you are able to trace them after an incident).

Had one cyclist collide with my Sprinter in West London as he was weaving in and out of traffic - he is lucky he got away from me as I was furious when he did a runner!

 

[Carrotchomper]

And they shave their legs

Ade

Erm no, not me... That's the lunatic fringe!

 

[Ade B]

Erm no, not me... That's the lunatic fringe!

My brother is part of said fringe, he's recently graduated from triathlon to ironmans and has a bike worth as much as my car...

I'm happy to say it doesn't run in the family. My push bike (his old Canondale bitsa trainer) has been leaning against the meter cupboard in the hallway for the last 6 months...


Ade

 

[Sp!ke]

I graduated to bicycles with engines when I turned 16.

Non powered bicycles are a waste of perfectly good energy in my view.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I cycle everyday too and from work and you wouldnt belive the number of drivers that appear to block your way on purpose.

Last Tues I was nearly killed due to a Taxi driver not bothering to look as he approached a roundabout, I sucessfully swore at him and punched his wingmirror nearly off (hanging down) after he called me a w**ker.

It goes both ways re: bad & good drivers/cyclists, we must remember that the pedesitrian is everyones enemy

 

[Dieselman]

I cycle everyday too and from work and you wouldnt belive the number of drivers that appear to block your way on purpose.

Maybe that's why the cyclist knocked the mirror off. What had the car driver done to deserve it..??

 

[Carrotchomper]

I do both. Actually cycling is far quicker to work across the City Centre, but has its own issues.

Generally which involve me showing off for nice ladies/gentlemen and then falling off in shame!

 

[glojo]

Cyclists too should be made to have insurance and some form of visible ID like a number plate or something!

If motorists have an accident with a cyclist than the cyclist is allowed to claim but not vice versa unless you go through a small claims court (very difficult though with cyclists in recovering the money if you are able to trace them after an incident).

Had one cyclist collide with my Sprinter in West London as he was weaving in and out of traffic - he is lucky he got away from me as I was furious when he did a runner!

How will this be enforced? Especially with the young children that ride bikes. Will the legal age of responsibility be lowered?

Will there be an MOT? Will they have number plates issued by the DVLA? Will they have a road fund licence? Will bicycle offences be taken into account when convicted for a motoring offence?

I grew up in Stevenage and as the new town was built, they built cycle tracks than were completely seperate from both roads, and footpaths. What a great idea and boy did we have fun.

John

 

[Deleted member 6183]

There will always be some ill-feeling from motorists to cyclists while those on 2 wheels deliberately damage cars. There is no excuse for ripping off a car's wing mirror in anger at the driver's lack of judgement.

Where we live there is a coastal path with 2 seperate lanes,one for pedestrians and another for cyclists. The committed cyclists, those with the lycra, refuse to use the cycle path and prefer to obstruct the road that runs alongside the path. I try not to let it annoy me but I can't help feeling agitated when the path is empty and I'm either stuck behind a cyclist or passing when he swerves out to avoid a drain.

On a more posistive note, the majority of cyclists are also motorists and can see both sides and will drive with respect and also cycle reponsibly. Thankfully only the minority are fanatical.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

There will always be some ill-feeling from motorists to cyclists while those on 2 wheels deliberately damage cars. There is no excuse for ripping off a car's wing mirror in anger at the driver's lack of judgement.

When your a foot from being killed and then called a w**ker there is.

 

[imadoofus]

I have always had third party insurance for my bicycles, but the biggest risk is drivers who, as has already been said, resent cyclists.

I've been involved in several, to my mind deliberate, near misses with cars, and I'd happily have torn off a wing mirror or two!

 

[pammy]

True. It would be nice to get a license plate in case of a mishap with a cyclist where you're the victim.

A couple of months ago a cyclist lost his balance and used my car to regain it. In the process he scratched nearly the entire length of the car I was in the process of selling. Off he went without a glance at the damage. Luckily the buyer was a man and was only concerned with the condition of the engine. A female buyer would have seen things differently.

Talk about stereotyping!!! I think you were lucky in that the buyer was only concerned about the engine - his gender is irrelevant. You could argue his priorities were wrong as in the main you can fix an engine. Fixing bodywork isn't always that cheap or easy.

I now give cyclists and bikers a very wide berth and actually get agitated when they come too close.

We should always give them a wide berth anyway It's very easy to lose your balance on a bike, especially if someone is too close to you!

Not releasing the idiot bike riders out there who are a law unto themselves

 

[st4]

How will this be enforced? Especially with the young children that ride bikes. Will the legal age of responsibility be lowered?

Will there be an MOT? Will they have number plates issued by the DVLA? Will they have a road fund licence? Will bicycle offences be taken into account when convicted for a motoring offence?

I grew up in Stevenage and as the new town was built, they built cycle tracks than were completely seperate from both roads, and footpaths. What a great idea and boy did we have fun.

John

Some valid questions. I think they should have plates issued by the DVLA and should pay a notional road tax of £10/year. Afterall, you pay road tax on every car you drive, not just one road VED. A licence would seem a tad pedantic but the plates would be used for ID purposes, so if a bike goes through a red light or cought doing an offense, a nice letter with a NIP arrives.

My only nark in my relatively short driving career with bikes, is the red light running and their seeming failure to use cyle lanes on the roads. Many road widening schemes could have taken place, but cycle lanes and even separate tracks near the road (space imo which would have been better used by widening the road) have been made instead, only not to be used!!

In town, one should do ones best to allow bikes room, give them space as if they fall off, you don't want to hit them, but cyclists have to also help us to help them IMO (i.e. use cycle lanes if they are there instead of the road, + obey signals etc).

 

[glojo]

Some valid questions. I think they should have plates issued by the DVLA and should pay a notional road tax of £10/year. .

That's a quick way to get more unemployed off the streets but £10 would never, never cover the admin costs, plus how would we give a bicycle it';s designated number? Would it be like a car registration? Where would it fit, how, size etc? What happens if the bike is wrote off? There are just far to many insurmountable problems.

Sending a NIP through the post!!! I buy my 8 year old son a bike.... Are we suggesting he gets the NIP? What about if a school friend borrows it and goes through a red light. Is my 8yr old boy going to be prosecuted if he fails to disclose details? Or will I get prosecuted as the child's parent? I hate to say it but it is a non starter,

Having been the kill-joy I am anti those biker's that go through red traffic lights, but that is still no excuse though for ramming these law breakers.

I watched a very short news item that featured Alan Shearer and a TV presenter who rode their bikes some considerable distance. What annoyed me was the fact that Gary Linnaker made light of the fact they never once stopped at a red traffic light! This remark MIGHT have been tongue in cheek, but it should never have been said. Bicycle riders by law must comply with the laws of the land.

When I went to school............... We were encouraged to take a cycle proficiency test. Is this scheme still running? Do children still ride bikes to school?

Sorry to be a killjoy regarding bicycle registration
Regards