'king ignorant car drivers

[Freakcrab]

I think one or two on here may have an idea of what i'm going to post now!!!!!! But they are wrong, i have recently become a born again cyclist!!!!!!! Not one of those lycra wearing eeeejuts ( well not yet anyway, after i lose another couple of stone anything could happen) one thing i have noticed is how blissfull unaware most drivers actually are, they come tearing past only to then suddenly brake and turn across you, when filtering in traffic they block and change lannes without a second glance, and the biggest crime? Shouting abuse and honking the horn when i have done nothing wrong, i'm not the most level headed chap in the world at the best of times but the amount of times over the last couple of months that i've prayed for the moron to get out of his car to...... Er discuss the matter further is beyond belief, a saxo knocked into me on sunday, only at walking pace as i was filtering then wound down the window to hurl abuse and tell me what he was going to do to me!!! I propped my bike against his car and said" i best pop this down to make it easier for you then" window up and stared straight ahead

car drivers are a$$es

Wow, time to move!

Wherever you live, it seems society has collapsed.

If the police are wearing leather and driving black V8 muscle cars, take that as another sign.

I've been riding to work for 8 years and I've never had anyone intentionally ram me!

[Brimma]

Wow, time to move!

Wherever you live, it seems society has collapsed.

If the police are wearing leather and driving black V8 muscle cars, take that as another sign.

I've been riding to work for 8 years and I've never had anyone intentionally ram me!

I wasn't so much speechless about that, more that Gary has 'changed sides'

Good on you Gary - nice to see you on two wheels and understanding our plight

[oilburninnut]

I don't think it was intentional, he went to move lanes as i was filtering through the trafic, he didn't look and he nudged me, as for moving, i'm a long distance truck driver the bike goes with me all over the country on a rack at the back of the cab, why i never thought of doing this before is beyond me just means now when i park up for the night i have some wheels to go out for a ride i'm not stuck on some industrial estate with nothing to do :yes:

[yashicamat]

Back to the scenario with my descent; I was actually on a single-speed road bike with very powerful dual pivot brakes - I was certainly well within the limits of my abilities as a cyclist and the abilities of my bike, so I don't think I fall within the remit of 'cycling furiously' (although I'm pretty sure that this is an urban myth anyway and that the real offence is cycling dangerously). The road was an ex-trunk road so was very wide with good visibility splays on all the junctions and gradual changes of both vertical and horizontal elevation, so it was probably one of the safest roads to cycle at speed on.

Gary, yes cycling does make you aware of the frequency of ignorance of cyclists from car drivers, although it also makes one appreciate it when a driver does behave with courtesy. I cycle with the assumption that any other road user (other cyclists included as I've come across some right lunatics, usually on poorly-maintained bikes though and not what I'd call enthusiasts) could do anything at any time. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I still get the odd occasion occuring like that described at the start of this thread.

[Kandy]

I posted the 'furious' statute for interest earlier - it appears you have to hurt someone first, unless I missed something else.

[oilburninnut]

I ride like all the other cyclists that have set such a good example to me over the years, red lights now have no meaning, or one way streets,or pedestrian areas

[bryan]

on a reasonably fast downhill section of wide (old trunk) road. It's a 30mph limit, I'm the cyclist (making good progress anyway, I was doing over 25mph on the flat prior to the hill). There is a Renault Megane following me, but not overtaking me (probably because I was keeping up with the car in front). As we go down the hill, my speed accelerates to about 37mph (indicated on my calibrated cyclocomputer, so on a car speedo it's probably showing over 40mph). At this point, I'd like to just remind folks that might not be aware that speed limits don't apply to non-motorised vehicles (although obviously it is important to be in full control of the vehicle, motorised or not). I checked over my shoulder and the car following me was still behind me.

, but I'm trying to conserve momentum so I can carry some speed up the hill on the other side. I therefore remain on the carriageway (note that I have not changed my road position as the cycle lane appears from a recess rather than tapers). As I pass the silly junction and pull over into the cycle lane where it becomes a 'normal' cycle lane, I nearly fall off my bike thanks to the car standing on his horn and alarming me. Next minute, he's alongside, window down, abuse etc. "you're a cyclist, use the cycle lane" etc etc. I did try to point out that he had been breaking the law while I was well within it and that cycle lanes are not mandatory and I quote from the highway code:

Can I just check on something here, to help me (and maybe others) picture the scene more clearly. You quote speed limits and the speeds you reached on the flat and going down hill, but make no reference to how long an up hill section it is or as to what speed you may have been doing when you climbed it? I am in no way on the side of the Renault driver here, and as a kinda laid back driver myself I would just have eased off and given you the time and space needed anyway, BUT, I am wondering if by the time you reached the top of the hill you were still doing 25mph or had tailed off to maybe more like 10mph?

Bryan

Edited 27 May, 2010 by bryan

[Kandy]

Very diplomatically put. Lycra anyone?

[yashicamat]

Can I just check on something here, to help me (and maybe others) picture the scene more clearly. You quote speed limits and the speeds you reached on the flat and going down hill, but make no reference to how long an up hill section it is or as to what speed you may have been doing when you climbed it? I am in no way on the side of the Renault driver here, and as a kinda laid back driver myself I would just have eased off and given you the time and space needed anyway, BUT, I am wondering if by the time you reached the top of the hill you were still doing 25mph or had tailed off to maybe more like 10mph?

Bryan

The hill was climbed miles back when I was by myself on a country lane, the town centre is on a bit of a plateau and then drops down the hill as it heads towards the suburb, which was where the incident occured. It's a bit hard to describe, but when the Renault appeared (halfway through town), I was already at a good 20mph - 25 mph speed and keeping up with traffic (indeed having to slow down for cars occasionally).

On the hill where this all happened, the crossing is at the bottom, once I am past it I move back into the cycle lane as it's only that crossing / junction which is so dangerous, so when he pulled alongside me (which was as I was slowing down on the climb out of the other side) I was back in the cycle lane again.

[Kandy]

Without being there it is hard to judge, but it sounds like he felt held up by you, or thought he would be, and then he felt you deprived him of a safe chance to get past.

It also sounds to me like you were in 'race mode', and you took a racing line trying to conserve momentum on a bicycle that perhaps is not suitable for use in traffic where you might need to slow or stop on hills. Just as a car driver may cut over a centre line on a sweeping curve, *maybe* you should be prepared to abort your 'race mode' to take consideration of other traffic.

I don't think you were in the wrong, but not entirely considerate perhaps.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I live in Milton keyens. For those who dont know we have lots of long 60/70mph grid roads. Along the side of each of these is a redway. but yet cyclists seem to carry on pottering about at 10mph, nearly getting killed daily. Bellends.

However, by the sounds of it, you were in the right this time.

Sorry for my mini rant

Mattt

[D15VRS]

Firstly I apologise for not reading every post, but get the gist. I drive a HGV and cannot believe how STUPID and ignorant some Cyclists are. Think STUPID is the correct terminology. Instance A38 Burton on Trent, a Bloke must be in his 60s rides a Sit Down Lay Back 3 wheeler thing in the First lane. And their is a Pavement. You get 2 HGVs side by side and you come across peddling like MAD (MAD) he must be. Why would anyone with an ounce of Common sense want to put themselves in so much DANGER. He also can possibly quote the Highway Code Chapter and Verse. He might be correct but I think he should be locked up for endangering LIFE.

[Terry G]

Firstly I apologise for not reading every post, but get the gist. I drive a HGV and cannot believe how STUPID and ignorant some Cyclists are. Think STUPID is the correct terminology. Instance A38 Burton on Trent, a Bloke must be in his 60s rides a Sit Down Lay Back 3 wheeler thing in the First lane. And their is a Pavement. You get 2 HGVs side by side and you come across peddling like MAD (MAD) he must be. Why would anyone with an ounce of Common sense want to put themselves in so much DANGER. He also can possibly quote the Highway Code Chapter and Verse. He might be correct but I think he should be locked up for endangering LIFE.

I am glad you said 'some cyclists'. I drive and ride. When I ride my bike (or drive my car for that fact) I respect both my use and that of others on the road, but lets not forget that the road IS for sharing.

Still, I can only assume you don't fall under the category (I will resist from naming it) of HGV driver that likes to overtake another HGV on a dual carriageway creating that quite charming queue........

[*tim*]

Some lovely examples here:

Crap cycle lanes

Phew, glad that nothing I designed is on that website. The one in Stowmarket is a odd one.... But I'm sure there is some sort of explanation.

I haven't really got much more to add to this thread that hasn't already been said. But I believe that if car drivers who don't cycle spent some time cycling, the roads would be a much safer place for cyclists. Look at Gary and his change of view.

[Kandy]

I cycle-commuted extensively for a decade on some of the most congested roads in the country. I never felt in danger or got knocked off.

But then I did obey all the rules of the road, use lights, attempt to keep well in, look and signal before ever deviating - if I couldn't, then I stopped.

The general standards of cycling, along with the general prevalence of 'me' in society today, and the bullies tactic of exploiting perceived vulnerability....

Well perhaps a lot of cyclists do bring it on themselves.