Rude cyclists

[Shude]

Why would a cyclist shun the idea of compulsory protection to help save their lives ?

Did you know that pedestrians are at least twice as likely to die of a head injury than a cyclist? Before cyclists, pedestrians should be made to wear helmets. In fact, drivers of cars are nearly twice as likely to die of a head injury than cyclists so it's helmets for car drivers too please!

 

[Fady]

They should be made to use cycle lanes for their own safety. We are made to wear seat belts for our own safety so what's the difference

One of the many problems is that a proper national network of cycle paths doesn't exist. There are just bits and pieces of cycle path here and there. Some of these 'bits' might be useful to say local children at a local school, but depending on where you are travelling from and to, it's sometimes more dangerous for the cyclist to leave a path at it's end join say a major road, butting out from "nowhere" into traffic. As I say, lots of other problems with compelling cyclists to stick to cycle paths (which is why The Highway Code no longer suggests this) - so the road is for everyone to share in harmony.

The one thing I don't tend to get is...on say an hours journey in a car there are loads of other things that slow you down. Things like traffic lights, roundabouts, speed humps, speed cameras, speed restrictions, pedestrian crossings, slower drivers, drivers waiting to turn right etc. A person on a bike is just another one of these things. How much time does it 'cost' to slow down a little and give a cyclist wide berth and then speed up again. 5 seconds? 10 seconds. No time at all in relative terms.

 

[fredfloggle]

Why would a cyclist shun the idea of compulsory protection to help save their lives ?

For the same reason you shun bulk roadside checks

I'd like to think that people are capable of making their own decisions... I for one believe that not all decisions made on me behalf are always for the best .
Going completely off topic , I'm watching the government suggest that it should bail out the mortgage market because of it's own mistakes, rather than let nature take it's course as happen last time round. I don't see why the speculators who chose to mortgage themselves up to the hilts shouldn't learn the same lesson as we had to in ther early 90's.
There we go, spleen vented.

 

[st4]

One of the many problems is that a proper national network of cycle paths doesn't exist. There are just bits and pieces of cycle path here and there. Some of these 'bits' might be useful to say local children at a local school, but depending on where you are travelling from and to, it's sometimes more dangerous for the cyclist to leave a path at it's end join say a major road, butting out from "nowhere" into traffic. As I say, lots of other problems with compelling cyclists to stick to cycle paths (which is why The Highway Code no longer suggests this) - so the road is for everyone to share in harmony.

The one thing I don't tend to get is...on say an hours journey in a car there are loads of other things that slow you down. Things like traffic lights, roundabouts, speed humps, speed cameras, speed restrictions, pedestrian crossings, slower drivers, drivers waiting to turn right etc. A person on a bike is just another one of these things. How much time does it 'cost' to slow down a little and give a cyclist wide berth and then speed up again. 5 seconds? 10 seconds. No time at all in relative terms.

Well in that case, the road in my area should have been widened, not given over for something not recommended in the highway code.

 

[Ted]

I'd like to think that people are capable of making their own decisions... I for one believe that not all decisions made on me behalf are always for the best .
QUOTE]


Well said Mr Floggle. Much said in few words.

 

[Philayl]

There is one further point worth noting, where I live we have a problem of cyclists not only not using the costly and newly constructed cycle lanes (all tarmac and nice and smooth) they ride on the pavements in towns where there are no cycle lanes, this resulted six weeks ago in an elderly lady being knocked over, on the pavement, by a cyclist and suffering a broken hip and leg, he of course rode off very quickly.

 

[st4]

Where there are no cycle lanes I have no problem with them being on the road. Its illegal to ride a bicycle on a pavement. Just another example of lawless behaviour from this group of "road users"

 

[wemorgan]

Certainly cyclists should not cycle on the pavements, but if they feel they must then they should give priority to pedestrians.

However the statistics I found showed that 80% of pedestrian deaths are caused by motor vehicles. (not sure what causes the remaining 20% though)

 

[imadoofus]

One of the problems facing cyclists is that cycle lanes have a tendency to start and stop seemingly at random. This makes a cyclist's journey more stressful than it otherwise might be, because they are forever leaving and rejoining the main carriageway.

The reason for this is that a painted cycle lane can only be added to a road if the carriageway is above a certain width. wherever the road is narrower. the cycle lane can't be added. So you find that on an apparently straight road, the cycle lane keeps disappearing, as the kerbs aren't always parallel.

On urban roads, the carriageway must be a minimum of 4.5 metres, before a cycle lane can be added. The cycle lane must be a minimum of 1.2 metres, ideally 1.5 On uphil sections, it should be as wide as possible to allow for 'wobble'.

So if a road is 4.5m wide, a cycle lane can be inserted, reducing the 'car' lane to 3m (ideally). But, if the road width fluctuates to 4.4m, the cycle lane has to stop; and if the road widens again, it can be continued.

It's no wonder that many cyclists use the pavement. Having said which; like some others, I did a Cycling Proficiency Test at primary school, and the rules I was taught have stayed with me. I suspect that huge numbers of cyclists have had no such training or advice...

 

[splang]

A shocking photo of a group of cyclists being taken out by an idiot in a car...

http://sportscracklepop.com/2008/06/02/deadly-bike-crash-in-mexico/

 

[Dieselman]

I VERY nearly got taken off my bike yesterday when riding round a roundabout by a car driver failing to stop when reaching the give way line at the end of a dual carriageway.

I swerved and they did an emergency stop with me a foot or so from their front bumper. They were right on the roundabout by this time. It would've hurt...a LOT..!!


Maybe they couldn't see me....???

 

[Carrotchomper]

You can't just tease us like that.... We want to see the rest of the lycra

Motorists are especially ****e on roundabouts, I have very nearly been taken out on a mini roundabout by someone completely ignoring me. Rage doesn't even come close....

 

[Sp!ke]

Wearing yellow lycra like that, I'm not surprised someone tried to take you out.

 

[futsysmids]

cyclists, cycle paths, off roading and the road.

I used to own a mountain bike - a proper £2000 mountain bike and it was used to go out mountain biking every sunday, come rain or shine off-road whether that be Cannock Chase, Malvern Hills, Sutton Park, Lake District, etc - but I never used the bike on the road - you know why - coz it's too fcuking dangerous.

Yes I had the protective gear - helmet, gloves, kevlar inserts - but not for road use.

Now, I don't own a mountain bike - maybe I will later on - but again it will be used off-road only.

I now live in Kent, where there seems to be an abundance of smooth cycle paths - which are hazardous to the health of pedestrians when you are walking and share the same path as the cyclist.

Because, round here they speed down the cycle path like they are on the road and seem to think they have sole right of way. Some very abusive language is used by cyclists if you don't move out of their way.

Mainly around here cyclists utilise the pavement regardless of whether they should or not. You very rarely see a cyclist around here that rides on the road.

As a motorist, and a mercedes motorist and an ex-cyclist I always give cyclists on the road a wide berth, just to make sure that my precious baby isn't damaged by a spooked cyclist.

 

[Dieselman]

As a motorist, and a mercedes motorist and an ex-cyclist I always give cyclists on the road a wide berth, just to make sure that my precious baby isn't damaged by a spooked cyclist.

That's how to tell a Mercedes driver from a BMW driver. The Beemer driver will try to clip the cyclist with their mirror. One did to me, again very close.

 

[MBManInKen]

That's how to tell a Mercedes driver from a BMW driver. The Beemer driver will try to clip the cyclist with their mirror. One did to me, again very close.

The Merc driver might be a W210 owner worried that the mirror will fall off with all that rust .

 

[tyke]

cyclists

im a cyclist, as well as a driver, and it frustrates the hell out of me, the attitude of some cyclists. single file was the way i was always taught `when i were a lad` last week is was at a red light ready to turn right (with my bike on the roof), my lights changed to turn, and some @rick came straight through a red light and almost mounted my bonnet, needless to say, i hurled quite a bit of abuse at him, no response (probably listening to his fecking ipood), surprised he wasnt on his mobile phone either....... come on cyclists, if youre going to use the road, use it PROPERLY and SENSIBLY, hey weve all got one road to share, make sure you stay alive....

 

[xpc316e]

'I'd have hit the gas and watched him become a cripple'.

What a wonderful example of a kind, considerate human being you are ***.

Those cyclists had every right to be where they were, and poor little Mercedes driver was inconvenienced by actually having to slow down for another road-user - what a shame. I suggest you reconsider your driving and your behaviour - would you have done this on your driving test?

 

[Spinal]

You're not alone...

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=48976

 

[rf065]

'I'd have hit the gas and watched him become a cripple'.

What a wonderful example of a kind, considerate human being you are ***.

Those cyclists had every right to be where they were, and poor little Mercedes driver was inconvenienced by actually having to slow down for another road-user - what a shame. I suggest you reconsider your driving and your behaviour - would you have done this on your driving test?

While I'm sure *** was not serious for a minute, there is a reason why cyclists were voted the most hated road users. Whilst they demand everyone yields to them, at the same time they show no consideration to anyone else on the road. Maybe if cyclists changed their behaviour, others would see them in a different light and in return show more courtesy towards them. The ball is in your court as they say.

Russ