Don't get too close.....

[FrenchieBoy]

YOu sir are a man after my own heart. Pay tax on three vehicles currently and can obviously only drive one at once yet they pay fck all. I have actually knocked two cyclists off and quite frankly had I not been on my way to work would have smacked them. First ran a zebra crossing whilst I crossed, second shot out in front of my on my motorbike mid corner just managed to lean it over and kick him out the way. Bloody cretins and worse art is most are not young people certainly I see more 40+ idiots than any other types.

And I'll bet that they both still tried to claim/say that you were to blame!
Even though they contribute nothing to the cost of the roads upkeep (They don't need to pay Tax, Insurance, MOT like motor vehicle owners have to - Nor do they have to sit and pay for a driving test) the majority of them still think they are the only ones with a God given right to use the roads in any way they fancy regardless of who they inconvenience or endanger. If the police want to clamp down on motorists who pass cyclists to closely then they also need to clamp down on the idiotic and inconsiderate and in some cases brainless lycra clad clowns and menaces behave on the roads in front of motor vehicle drivers - These laws regarding the use of Public Highways have to cut both ways!

 

[Woodsmoke]

3 abreast on a corner of a back lane

I have a deep-seated desire to carry a Deep Heat aerosol and crop-dust those buggers from my passenger window . . . . .

 

[Feugh]

I have a confession to make to the SD collective - I cycle a bike. In fact, I've cycled a bike for years and years, and even raced on it on a semi-pro basis when I was a triathlete. I used my bike on a daily basis commuting to university through the mean streets of Aberdeen back in the 90's, and during the summer I still commute 50km two or three times per week. It keeps me fit. There are many things that I don't do on my bike - I stay off main roads (and I'll stay off-road completely if possible), I don't ride in big groups, I don't ride two abreast when there is a car behind, I will pull in to passing-places when there's a car behind on a single track road to let it past, I don't jump traffic lights. Part of the problems I have had in the past have been due to motorists not expecting a bike to be going fast - many times I've been over-taken in a 30mph zone when I've been going at around that speed and there isn't room between the car in front and myself for a car to fit.

There has to be give and take here, and there is fault on the side of cyclists as well as drivers. Lumping all cyclists together as lycra-wearing eco-fascists is stupid, but many do deserve that title and I struggle to understand why some cyclists lose their head when they stick a helmet on top of it. Annoying they might be, but it's still a life and there is only one loser in a crash between a cyclist and a car.

 

[Rasputin]

And I'll bet that they both still tried to claim/say that you were to blame!
Even though they contribute nothing to the cost of the roads upkeep (They don't need to pay Tax, Insurance, MOT like motor vehicle owners have to - Nor do they have to sit and pay for a driving test) the majority of them still think they are the only ones with a God given right to use the roads in any way they fancy regardless of who they inconvenience or endanger. If the police want to clamp down on motorists who pass cyclists to closely then they also need to clamp down on the idiotic and inconsiderate and in some cases brainless lycra clad clowns and menaces behave on the roads in front of motor vehicle drivers - These laws regarding the use of Public Highways have to cut both ways!

Yep you you are spot on. The general persecution of motorists by successive governments is a joke. I'm all for getting people to cycle but use the damn cycle lanes or make more where possible. Having lived in Europe where bikes are common place they don't seem to ride like idiots. Seems to be a British thing.

inride a motorbike 70% of the time and do at times feel people in cars just don't see you and are not aware but at least I pay tax have insurance and generally obey the rules of the road.

 

[ILoveBambi]

It's like everything in life some are pricks some aren't goes for cyclists and car drivers alike. As for paying road tax when my bike weighs as much as a car takes up as much room and chucks out as much pollution I'll pay road tax as I do on my Hilux sitting on the drive. However the wife pays as much for her Skoda as I do for my bike. So that argument for road use is dead isn't it.
I regularly get stuff thrown out of car windows at me as they pass but good things come to those that wait.
2 weeks ago car goes past kids front and rear hang out of windows and scream at me almost causing me to loose control. Woman driver laughing her head off. About a mile further on stopped in traffic lane 2 is said car near side windows still open so as I approach I lean across and shout BOO driver jumps slips clutch and runs up the chuff of car in front. He who laughs last Ha Ha
ILB

 

[sikamalc]

I know what you mean they are a pain in the arse sometimes. Around one of my areas I stalk they have seem to have road time trials going on at weekends. Why is beyond me! And it takes ages to find a safe route around them with traffic

However I took this picture the other week as it took me a long time to overtake this one, cant understand why???

 

[Brimfire]

I know what you mean they are a pain in the arse sometimes. Around one of my areas I stalk they have seem to have road time trials going on at weekends. Why is beyond me! And it takes ages to find a safe route around them with traffic

However I took this picture the other week as it took me a long time to overtake this one, cant understand why???











View attachment 74512

Probably because you were driving in your brand new Morris Minor at the time judging by the age of the bicycle....

 

[basil]

Probably because you were driving in your brand new Morris Minor at the time judging by the age of the bicycle....

And only one hand on the steering wheel ..................

 

[scubadog]

YOu sir are a man after my own heart. Pay tax on three vehicles currently and can obviously only drive one at once yet they pay fck all. I have actually knocked two cyclists off and quite frankly had I not been on my way to work would have smacked them. First ran a zebra crossing whilst I crossed, second shot out in front of my on my motorbike mid corner just managed to lean it over and kick him out the way. Bloody cretins and worse art is most are not young people certainly I see more 40+ idiots than any other types.

Sorry, I have never heard of road tax.
You may mean vehicle excise duty wich is based on the amount of emissions a vehicle emits.
Unlike your gas guzzling vehicles, cyclist emits nothing.....hence they pay nothing.

 

[Woodsmoke]

cyclist emits nothing......

Apart from the overpowering reek of smug self-righteousness, perhaps?

 

[Highlandsjohn]

I know what you mean they are a pain in the arse sometimes. Around one of my areas I stalk they have seem to have road time trials going on at weekends. Why is beyond me! And it takes ages to find a safe route around them with traffic

However I took this picture the other week as it took me a long time to overtake this one, cant understand why???

View attachment 74512

Ha ha, I had the exact same problem on a loooong uphill single track road last week. I just could not take the chance on passing her with the jeep and she eventual pulled over onto the grass verge. I am sure she gave me the bird as I was passing looking straight ahead of course...

 

[Woodsmoke]

I just could not take the chance on passing her

Yep. Same happened to me last week with a bloody horse. I just couldn't bring myself to risk it . . . . .

 

[Rasputin]

Sorry, I have never heard of road tax.
You may mean vehicle excise duty wich is based on the amount of emissions a vehicle emits.
Unlike your gas guzzling vehicles, cyclist emits nothing.....hence they pay nothing.

A tax is a tax which ever way you dress it up. If you want to call it exercise duty, road tax or whatever else, its still motorists that are subsidising the government. Cyclists after initial purchase and possibly a few consumables do not come anyway near to what a car user provides the government.

 

[JockStalk]

exercise duty

To me that seems a very sensible tax for cyclists.

Maybe combined with a 'Lycra License', sliding scale of fit young lasses in undersized lycra being paid, through to a charge of several thousand pounds for many of the MAMIL's out there.

Would fair tidy the place up.

 

[Woodsmoke]

To me that seems a very sensible tax for cyclists

Heh heh. Yep.

Even compulsory third party insurance would be a step in the right direction. As it is, I wonder how many of those self-righteous, manically-arrogant lycra-clad idiots who seem to think they can swan around the roads as they please bother their arses to comply with even the most basic of insurance requirements? Unless, of course, it's to protect the very thing they're swanning around on in the first place.

Young fit lasses would pay a minimal charge, of course. Blokes just trying to get to their work would pay very little too. However, those lycra-wearing cycle-nazis who weave around three-abreast, careen downhill through groups of children, dogs, and other pedestrians, and who generally seem to delight in being as smug, arrogant and self-righteous as humanly-possible should be hammered for cash until their teeth bleed

 

[paulbshooting]

Night cycling - what is that about! I cycle to enjoy being in the countryside, fresh air and seeing nature etc. plus to the park with my kids. But at night with a LED lamp?!? Flipping dangerous too as often dazzle you when driving and often seen zipping along and stopping on bridleways when out with the lamp on the foxes. Each to their own.

 

[Alantoo]

This thread seems to be really callous to me. The balance between cyclists and motorists is a bit like that between a pea shooter and a centre fire. What can a cyclist do that creates such irritation apart from delay a motorist a bit?

A totally unsuitable form of transport that comes from a bygone era. If the Bicycle was invented today it would never be allowed on the roads.

Yorkie.

? last I read it was one of the most efficient mechanical devices ever invented by man.

I agree that they do not mix with cars, I gave up using mine on the road after too many near misses from self righteous drivers...I was just too vulnerable.

Country road classic, cycling to work, only about 10% of drivers seemed to think my life and right to use the road was more important than them adding a few seconds to their journey. The great majority would overtake on blind bends rather than wait until they could see...the worst they would suffer as they swerved to avoid an oncoming car was a few scratches to their paint work and a few blood spatters.

No road tax. No insurance. No license. . . . . . .

Yet a huge percentage of this type of road user seem to have the worst attitude of all when it comes to consideration, respect for other road users and common courtesy.

This is not a considerate, respectful and courteous view of vulnerable cyclists!

I have had three acquaintances / friends killed and one with a pelvis crushed who is now in a wheel chair...did they really deserve that however inconsiderate they may have been?

Alan

 

[tjm160]

Completely agree Alan and I'm frankly disgusted, both at this thread and the comments made from people who should know better. Especially participating in a sport/way of life that is equally misunderstood and also susceptible to a cretinous minority.

 

[paul o']

I always find funny how a post moved from stupid back road riding practices to the point it is now ,no one wishes to harm another road user's now do they? but the law needs to address the practice of the riders on such roads. I think that is how the post started ??? ----------------


Anyway lets move to pony n racing trap use's on main roads ??? at 5:30 pm .aahhhh 25:00 mins stuck in traffic defo not the nags fault or the trap so who was at fault ? ahh yes the bloody jocky NO INSURANCE NO LIGHTS NO thought of others hmmm this sounds very much like another post

 

[Woodsmoke]

three acquaintances / friends killed and one with a pelvis crushed who is now in a wheel chair...did they really deserve that however inconsiderate they may have been?

Of course not. But the very fact cyclists are so vulnerable should make them even more cautious, should it not? After all, as your unfortunate friends have found to their cost, any collision between a vehicle and a soft warm body will seldom end well.

I'm very 'considerate, respectful and courteous of vulnerable cyclists' for the very valid reason that were I not, the inconsiderate, disrespectful, often-idiotic and discourteous behaviour displayed by a good proportion of them could potentially result in my vehicle being damaged, me being seriously inconvenienced, out-of-pocket financially, possibly subject to investigation, and to them being seriously injured or indeed killed. Despite this, many of them insist on riding two, sometimes three abreast, swerve unpredictably without thought to what's behind or alongside them, ride too far from the kerb, fail to use cycle lanes, etc, and generally make themselves a dangerous hazard to both themselves, and other road users.