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Inconsiderate cyclists - Examples of poor cycling you have witnessed
- Thread starter Goldilox
- Start date
Trumpet
Well-Known Forumite
Regards cyclists some form of compulsory training and / or parental responsibility wouldn't come amiss, only last night a girl aged probably about 10 came out of a side road from my right and proceeded across the road, with no heed to traffic, to ride in the left hand gutter into the face of oncoming traffic. Don't start me on cyclists with no lights in winter that also want to ride with no consideration for their own or anyone else's skins, or the ones (usually adult, in proper gear so presumably club guys) that wish to ride in groups of a dozen or so two abreast when there is traffic coming the other way preventing any attempt to overtake therebye slowing other road users down to their pace and get abusive if you dare to give them a toot on the horn to warn of your approach.
As a former competitive cyclist myself I have no axe to grind against cyclists, just inconsideration and gross stupidity from whichever quarter it may come.
As a former competitive cyclist myself I have no axe to grind against cyclists, just inconsideration and gross stupidity from whichever quarter it may come.
shoes
Well-Known Forumite
Oh yeah there's enough of that about! It was mentioned earlier (or in another thread?) that there are a few who give cyclists in general a bad name. Much in the same way the mother-of-one who drives her little cherub to school in a hummer and blocks up the street is responsible for the deamonisation of 4x4 drivers.
Why cycling proficiency is not compulsory any more is beyond me, I literally can't think of an argument against it ?!
Why cycling proficiency is not compulsory any more is beyond me, I literally can't think of an argument against it ?!
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
"How right basil is", I thought to myself as I cycled down the backs this afternoon. I made a mental list of all the common events that happen on the road, including people opening doors in front of you. At one point I had to use a bit of the highway at Fairway and a woman pulled across me to stop and then just flung the door open. I was still moaning to myself about it when I got to the cycle path from the top of St Leonard's to Baswich and was hit by a cyclist whizzing round a blind bend, far too fast and on the wrong side.....basil said:
What's the point?....
shoes
Well-Known Forumite
Did it not used to be incorporated into primary education?Wormella said:
I'm all for raising the age of driving to 21, possibly later for blokes, but lets be honest it's the young 'men' who crash their cars the most due to immaturity at a guess, and enforcing cycling proficiency. It would be far greener, and hopefully reduce insurance costs!
Mr X
Well-Known Forumite
If all motorists were considerate when overtaking and take notice of the highway code (somewhere it tells motorists to allow the same space overtaking bikes as cars) then this wouldn't be neccessary.Trumpet said:
Unfortunately, most drivers attempt to overtake in places where the road is only wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions. Therefore when they meet a car coming the other way they are forced to pull back in and run the cyclist off the road into ditch/hedge/brick wall/parked cars/kerb etc etc. By riding two abreast it forces drivers to think properly whether it is safe to overtake in the correct manner.
Also consider that a cyclist doing 10mph is easy to overtake safely so doesn't really hold the traffic up. It is people who drive slower than is neccessary on the open road that hold the traffic up because it can be impossible to overtake them safely (it takes far longer to overtake the car doing 40mph than the cyclist, so the gap in oncoming traffic must be far bigger).
I'm sure other cyclists on here will agree that most drivers will happily overtake a cyclist dangerously! (I suspect it is the drivers who don't ever ride bikes)
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Trumpet
Well-Known Forumite
I believe that somewhere in the highway code it also says that it is acceptable for cyclists to ride two abreast where it is safe and not causing obstruction to other road users. If by riding two abreast you cause motorists to pass by closer than you would wish I would say that the answer is in your hands. If I'm behind a car doing 30 or 40 mph dependant on speed limit I'm happy to stay behind it, on the other hand if I'm stuck behaind a group of cyclists doing 10 or 15 mph I, quite rightly, want to get past them.Mr X said:
As I said in my earlier post as a former competitive cyclist I have no axe to grind except when confronted by inconsideration or gross stupidity, think I'll add selfishness to that.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
One thing my CBT instructor mentioned is that cyclists can stay in the left lane at roundabouts regardless of where they wish to exit. How does that work? I'd be crapping it thinking someone will assume I'm going to take the first exit and ploughing into me. I always take the correct lane, as if I was on a motorcycle, is this wrong?
EDIT: Not that I'll be cycling for a bit
EDIT: Not that I'll be cycling for a bit
Mr X
Well-Known Forumite
I guess it depends on the junction (layout, volume of traffic etc) but I would normally take the correct lane to avoid confusing drivers. I feel safer knowing that the car behind is going the same way too as that way you're covered from drivers not looking properly at the roundabout. Being in the left hand lane, everybody else is going in different directions to you!tek-monkey said:One thing my CBT instructor mentioned is that cyclists can stay in the left lane at roundabouts regardless of where they wish to exit. How does that work? I'd be crapping it thinking someone will assume I'm going to take the first exit and ploughing into me. I always take the correct lane, as if I was on a motorcycle, is this wrong?
EDIT: Not that I'll be cycling for a bit
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
So.
I'm approaching a roundabout.
Everybody hates me. They do not appear to be overly concerned if i die.
They insist that i signal my intentions despite rarely doing so themselves yet to do so means dramatically lessening the control i have over my vehicle.
Staying in an inside lane means that other, faster road users can keep on doing what they are used to doing by over-taking me.
I seem to be the only user of this road who is aware of what other users of this road are doing, due to the fact i am using my eyes and the rotational abilities of my neck, rather than mirrors and the radio/cd player, and i exploit the gaps accordingly.
My mind and my body are one.
I am free.
I am happy.
I'm approaching a roundabout.
Everybody hates me. They do not appear to be overly concerned if i die.
They insist that i signal my intentions despite rarely doing so themselves yet to do so means dramatically lessening the control i have over my vehicle.
Staying in an inside lane means that other, faster road users can keep on doing what they are used to doing by over-taking me.
I seem to be the only user of this road who is aware of what other users of this road are doing, due to the fact i am using my eyes and the rotational abilities of my neck, rather than mirrors and the radio/cd player, and i exploit the gaps accordingly.
My mind and my body are one.
I am free.
I am happy.
Vault_girl
Well-Known Forumite
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0017TNLZE/ref=asc_df_B0017TNLZE753823?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0017TNLZEWithnail said:
or
http://www.gadgetsquick.co.uk/bicycle-wireless-indicators-p-768.html
I think these should be standard on bikes! It is true it can be quite dangerous to indicate sometimes. These would make it nice and obvious what you plan to do to other road users!
Withnail
Well-Known Forumite
I don't think they would be noticeable enough for most drivers, though if they did become widespread i suppose drivers would become more used to looking for them.Vault_girl said:
Just as many drivers do, i tend to indicate when doing something that would not be otherwise expected in the flow of things. As Mr.X points out, it depends very much on the nature of the junction as to how much indication of intention is necessary, and you wouldn't want to stick to an inside lane if cars are going to have to cut across you.
On the whole my approach to cycling in traffic is to not get in the way of those that are going faster than i.
What does slightly annoy me is that oftentimes drivers seem completely unaware of the dimensions of the vehicle they are driving and will hover behind you until there is no oncoming traffic then overtake without even crossing the central line for example. As the cyclist in this scenario you are left thinking "You could have done that, perfectly safely, ages ago - and i bet you've been hovering there cursing me all this time."
Peace, love and understanding.
Sex, Battenberg and Rock 'n' Roll.
Gramaisc
Forum O. G.
Try both methods when cycling inbound from Creswell to the Eccleshall Road - the answer will become obvious, if you survive both variations...Mr X said:I guess it depends on the junction (layout, volume of traffic etc) but I would normally take the correct lane to avoid confusing drivers. I feel safer knowing that the car behind is going the same way too as that way you're covered from drivers not looking properly at the roundabout. Being in the left hand lane, everybody else is going in different directions to you!tek-monkey said:One thing my CBT instructor mentioned is that cyclists can stay in the left lane at roundabouts regardless of where they wish to exit. How does that work? I'd be crapping it thinking someone will assume I'm going to take the first exit and ploughing into me. I always take the correct lane, as if I was on a motorcycle, is this wrong?
EDIT: Not that I'll be cycling for a bit
Vault_girl
Well-Known Forumite
I got hit by a young cyclist on the pavement when I was going to post a letter down my road the other day. The post box is on the corner and just as I was reaching it he came flying round the corner at top speed and there was no way he could stop and ran straight into me. I've got a big rubber mark on my favourite pair of jeans and a rather large cut on my knee. It didn't hurt at first but about half an hour later started to really throb and cause me to limp and keeps throbbing every so often ever since. Doh! The kid was about 10 so I don't blame him for using the pavement, perhaps this will stop him flying along at top speed in future though! At the time he apologised and I just said it was OK because I knew it was an accident. Still got a sore knee now though.