Nearly put this in the joke thread

[Vann]

Knees and hips?

Knees and hips are just as likely to need attention in the obese (= intolerant car drivers ) as in cyclists. Now, if you'd said broken bones and lacerations...

Cheers, Vann.

 

[baldkev]

Here in devon there's lots of lycra clad rolling roadblocks
Lots of potholes too

 

[TRITON]

No it isn't the same, buses stop/pull over to let passengers on/off. When was the last time cyclists did the same?

You're relying on buses stopping at each and every stop, And as buses can go quite a number without stopping, it kind of smacks of a bit of a silly comment.
But even then, even a bus stopping takes up so much of a single lane you would need to cross the white line to overtake, something which you seem to be suggesting is impossible with a cyclist.

And on that note the entire silliness about cyclist riding 2 abreast isnt normal on main roads, 99.9% of the time they are single file.

.

I mentioned cyclists and look what happened.

No, what you said was very clear and well on point. It was Dr Booby who broke it.

I like to shout at my fellow cyclists who ignore red lights

Yeah, me too, and usually along with a shake of the head and eyes raised to heaven. And for the same reasons. Its one of those things motorists really really hate, mainly because they wish they could get away with doing it too, but thats just part of the human condition and nothing to do with them being fine upstanding members of the community who would never ever dream of breaking the law of the road

I did see one cyclist a year or so ago. He was at the front and rather than wait the few seconds, took a chance and went across a cross road junction. I was in the inside lane one back(also on the bike). To the right of my and 2 back in the outside lane was a police car He clearly hadn't seen it, but they saw him and when the lights changed i held back and watched them go after him. That brightened up my day and other car drivers who caught the action.
When I did pass,he didnt look that happy

 

[paulrbarnard]

Oh heck I own a car and a bike. Looks like some think I should pay twice. And of course I’m licensed to drive a car so have past a test to say I am competent on the roads despite the perceived wisdom being cyclist don’t know the rules of the road. I think you will find the vast majority of cyclists, of the Lycra clad ilk, are in a similar situation to me.

 

[sploo]

Why are cyclist vs driver conversations always so argumentative. It’s a shared space where we should treat each other with respect. Both sides have their fair share of twits who wind others up with a lack consideration. But drivers wind each other up, just watch the dodgy driver videos, as do cyclists. I like to shout at my fellow cyclists who ignore red lights, as it gives drivers ammunition to aim at me even if I’m considerate.

I thinks it’s a tribal thing and also a very British thing, we see cyclists as queue jumpers and that’s just not cricket!

Absolutely agree.

The problem with car drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists, walkers... frankly everyone is... they're people; and, let's be honest - people are bl**dy awful.

OK, I'm being slightly tongue-in-cheek, but the reality is that just about any road user will have encountered the ignorant, the inept, the aggressive, the selfish, and the downright dangerous; regardless of the form of transport. The common denominator isn't the type of transport; it's people.

 

[JSW]

And since when do we see huge lines of build up traffic caught up behind buses ?, well obviously we dont. Drivers behind pick a safe time and overtake, and having 2 cyclists riding abreast is exactly the same.

You're relying on buses stopping at each and every stop, And as buses can go quite a number without stopping, it kind of smacks of a bit of a silly comment.
But even then, even a bus stopping takes up so much of a single lane you would need to cross the white line to overtake, something which you seem to be suggesting is impossible with a cyclist.

Arguing with yourself there pal

 

[TRITON]

Arguing with yourself there pal

No not really
As to damning your nonsense, yup nailed that..

 

[Fergie 307]

Dear oh dear. Can't we just accept that all have every right to be on the road and try to get along? The fact is there are inconsiderate, selfish individuals in every group, be it horse riders, cyclists or car drivers. Most however are perfectly reasonable. It is unfortunate that road rage is a very real phenomenon, which causes people to behave in ways they wouldn't dream of in other circumstances, so relatively trivial incidents can escalate out of all proportion. As a motorcyclist I have seen riders kick dents in cars for some perceived lack of consideration, and car drivers who will take any measures to prevent a bike making progress through traffic, even at the risk of taking the rider out. I am sure no one would want to beat the queue jumper in Sainsbury's to death with a tin of beans, so why they find this sort of behaviour acceptable on the road is quite beyond me.

 

[ian33a]

As a keen cyclist as well as an avid car driver I really wish every road user could be forced to ride a bike and drive a car on a variety of British roads for at least 100 miles. Not necessarily in one go, just over a variety of them. Perhaps then everyone might appreciate the difficulties that each faces.

The country is littered with idiots who think they own the road, be in using motorised transport or pedal power. Equally, it is littered with people of all transport types who don't deserve to be allowed to use the road. For the majority, it's all about getting from A to B as well as getting along and being safe.

I ride on my own as well as in a club. Highway code rule 66 advocates riding up to two abreast and British Cycling even recommends riding that way - the reason being for safety (as a mass) and also to reduce the length of a riding train making motorised vehicle overtaking easier, albeit with less opportunity. Always though, only where road conditions permit it. Overtaking close to a cyclist is about the most dangerous thing any road user can do. General guidelines suggest leaving 1.5 metres between a cycle and the overtaking vehicle, irrespective of what it is. That way, singly or two abreast, overtaking becomes a decisive planned manoeuvre rather than a last minute opportunity.

There are two recommended cycling positions when riding on the road, primary and secondary. Primary is in the middle of the lane and secondary is about a metre from the kerb. It is considered dangerous to be less than 0.5 metre from the kerb and most of us ride secondary in our club. That way other road users notice us and it takes some consideration to overtake. Primary isn't generally used, aside from a two abreast formation. Having these positions gives a cyclist some latitude to move around on the road - why? because of road surface deformities:

When I driving around on super wide low profile tyres my only real concern is damaging my wheels and tyres on potholes. If I ride a bike, any surface deformity is a potential safety risk. With 28mm wide tyres (and many have much skinnier tyres than me) any crack, edge of a drain cover, small hole, badly done tarmac patch and, of course, pot hole , is an opportunity to chuck a cyclist off their bike. A wet drain cover is a skid risk. A gutter, taken at the wrong angle, can kill. Hitting a kerb at speed can do the same. This is the main reason why cyclists appear to be weaving around. Riding needs mental agility constantly - not just to make progress forward and to avoid other road users - but primarily to remain cycling forward while avoiding road deformities. Remember also, many of us serious cyclists are averaging 16 to 20 MPH - this takes lightening reflexes and a huge amount of road surface visual processing.

I do my best to be sensible and sensitive when on the road. I also do my best to be non confrontational when other road users are than less sensitive to me - irrespective of what I am driving in or riding on. I do, however, appreciate that I sometimes upset other road users and I know, for sure, that plenty of other road users upset me - be it on a bike or in my car. It's not deliberate but it happens.

As to the graphic that the OP presented, it's probably no different to what most large European cities already have. I remember 30 years ago, when I was a car driver and resident in Munich, when I turned into a side road, I had to watch for 1) the tram, 2) the cycle lane 3) the pedestrian lane 4) other cars. If nothing else, it made me more road user aware, and that has to be a good thing.


Be safe, everyone.

 

[penyrolewen]

Utter nonsense, and I'd have thought you a bit more sensible to be spouting such.
We all pay for the roads everyone. It's taken from general taxation.
Saying its from 'vehicle excise duty' is a strawman argument.


So let's do a bit of "apportioning"
Cars alone kill an average of 3 cyclists per week here int he UK, and injures about 20
And as to who causes the damage to the roads, as well as life and limb,its the car that holds the record.

Cyclists produce little to no pollution, and well I think we al know the biggest culprits there.

But please continue with your little tantrum



2 abreast is pretty much the equivalent width of a car, or if slightly wider, then a truck or a bus.
So why not blame buses or trucks for a build up of traffic. OR even ask yourself why it isnt safe to overtake. Could it possibly be that the high proportion of other cars,buses and trucks on the road are preventing it ?.
And since when do we see huge lines of build up traffic caught up behind buses ?, well obviously we dont. Drivers behind pick a safe time and overtake, and having 2 cyclists riding abreast is exactly the same. To be the equivalent of a bus you would need a group of 10 cyclists, and how often do we see groups of ten cyclists riding along city streets ?, yet again obviously we dont, so you are referring to a rare occurrence out on country roads, and not something that happens every day.

Really I thought intelligent people used these boards, but im now beginning to wonder

Well, I’m a cyclist and I can see merit in all these points of view.
I live in rural Devon and cyclists cause a lot of problems. On narrow, single carriageway, national speed limit A roads cyclists can cause long queues of traffic at 10mph or so which can be very dangerous. People get impatient and try to overtake when it’s not safe - for them, oncoming traffic or the cyclist. Groups of cyclists make this worse.
As for traffic building up behind buses, lorries, caravans - yes, that does happen but it’s a)not as slow and b) it’s harder to overtake so less risky manoeuvres are trued.
Particularly irritating is cyclists on the road when there is a cycle path literally next to the road. I’ve asked people about why they do this and have been told that they don’t like using cycle paths because pedestrians get in the way!
I agree with rules to make cyclists and pedestrians safer but there should be enforceable and enforced rules for cyclists too

 

[Rodpr]

Like many cyclists I also have a car for which I pay road tax. When I get 'stuck' behind a cyclist the reason I can't overtake is usually cars coming the other way.

 

[Jacob]

.....

Followed 2 bikes along the winding roads for about 2 miles, about 6 cars behind me. Finally got to a spot where it was safe to overtake just before a small single file bridge with traffic lights on. The lights were on red so all the cars stopped, the cyclists proceeded to overtake all the cars and sit at the front of the lights, had to follow them for about another 2 miles before another suitable overtaking spot

Normal. Motor bikes do it too. A lot of traffic lights have a marked up space at the front for bikes. There's at least one very good reason this in that cyclists are slow and if not at the front of a queue they may get caught out half between lights changing and find an irritated driver coming towards them. I've even had to stop and explain to one red faced berk that the lights were green when I set off. Some of them are really keen on being offensive to cyclists.

....

I have nothing against cyclists who know what they are doing but there are a lot out there who would be better off getting a different hobby.

Ditto with drivers. Many really need some form of bike training. Those who can't cope with alternative road users should perhaps lose their licences.

 

[Oakay]

And again, the people that actually pay for the road are being shunted further and further down the list of the ones able to use it. I can see this causing no end of accidents and bad feelings, particularly with cyclists.
Reproduced from the Telegraph.
View attachment 124465

As over the years there has been a continuous increase of cars, vans and lorries, it is becoming harder and harder to safely be a cyclist or a pedestrian. There are far too many inconsiderate drivers, even at pedestrian (zebra) crossings. It is good that drivers are being forced by law to respect slower forms of travelling, especially as some have various disabilities. So many selfish drivers out there who could in many cases be pedestrians or cyclists themselves if they weren't so lazy and thoughtless.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Particularly irritating is cyclists on the road when there is a cycle path literally next to the road. I’ve asked people about why they do this and have been told that they don’t like using cycle paths because pedestrians get in the way!

Try riding a high performance road bike along a typical cycle path and if you still have teeth left at the end of it you have found the 1% of good cycle paths in the U.K. Pedestrians can be an annoyance, for the same reasons cars get upset at bikes (they get in the way and slow you down), but they have every right to be there so I suck it up. Even the painted lanes at the edge of a main carriageway can be a problem as they don’t get swept by vehicle tires so have all kinds of puncture or crash inducing stuff all over them.

 

[Jacob]

Well, I’m a cyclist and I can see merit in all these points of view.
I live in rural Devon and cyclists cause a lot of problems. On narrow, single carriageway, national speed limit A roads cyclists can cause long queues of traffic at 10mph or so which can be very dangerous. People get impatient and try to overtake when it’s not safe - for them, oncoming traffic or the cyclist. Groups of cyclists make this worse.

Groups of cyclists make things better - you only have to overtake one group rather than each one of them separately strung out down the road

As for traffic building up behind buses, lorries, caravans - yes, that does happen but it’s a)not as slow and b) it’s harder to overtake so less risky manoeuvres are trued.
Particularly irritating is cyclists on the road when there is a cycle path literally next to the road. I’ve asked people about why they do this and have been told that they don’t like using cycle paths because pedestrians get in the way!

Many cycle facilities are an absolute farce and are best avoided Cycle Facility of the Month It's perfectly legal to avoid them too, unless there is a specific prohibition on cycling on the road

I agree with rules to make cyclists and pedestrians safer but there should be enforceable and enforced rules for cyclists too

There are.

 

[Oakay]

Normal. Motor bikes do it too. A lot of traffic lights have a marked up space at the front for bikes. There's at least one very good reason this in that cyclists are slow and if not at the front of a queue they may get caught out half between lights changing and find an irritated driver coming towards them. I've even had to stop and explain to one red faced berk that the lights were green when I set offDitto with drivers. Many really need some form of bike training. Those who can't cope with alternative road users should perhaps lose their licences.
View attachment 124491

Love that cartoon.

 

[Ozi]

When I was very young there was an old man who used to cycle around the village delivering shoes he had mended. his bike had a very interesting attachment - to me at about 5 - the back wheel lifted on a stand then two grind stones could be engaged and he would sharpen knifes.

Now gents I trying very hard here, I've introduced Horses and now sharpening to this tread - this should have been enough to get this thread banned by now

 

[Jacob]

http://wcc.crankfoot.xyz/facility-of-the-month/book.htmSome of them are hilarious, others just moronic. This dull sort of thing is most typical we've all seen them:

 

[sploo]

Now gents I trying very hard here, I've introduced Horses and now sharpening to this tread - this should have been enough to get this thread banned by now

If you can say something about his political beliefs I think you'll have nailed it. Or you could at least shout "Bingo!"

 

[Keith Cocker]

I just think seriously cyclists are hilarious. Who in their right minds would dress the way they do - particularly the men! Ugh!!!

Being serious though when I was a kid I went to “National Cycling Proficiency “ classes. They were very popular. I still have my triangular badge from passing the tests. An adult version seems a good idea.