[Aula]

Generally I have little but sympathy for cyclists. I try and make sure I give as much space as I'd give a car when overtaking, and whilst I do sometimes get annoyed, I make sure this doesn't come out in my driving.

What really does annoy me though, is when they're cycling along a quite busy national speed limit road when there's a cycle path next to it. There's a cycle path there for a reason. Use it.

[PQ]

(Original post by Aula)
What really does annoy me though, is when they're cycling along a quite busy national speed limit road when there's a cycle path next to it. There's a cycle path there for a reason. Use it.

While I don't do this on national speed limit roads I do ride on the road when there's a cycle lane for part of my commute (it's a 40mph rd with between 4 and 6 lanes - when it's 6 lanes 2 are bus lanes and that's where I ride) for a few reasons

* it's a shared with pedestrians cycle lane and it's very busy with pedestrians and cyclists and not all of them are particularly aware of their surroundings - a jogger with earphones in knocked me off my bike on it because she just cut across the path changing direction sharply without looking and ran straight into me (I was trying to give her loads of space as I overtook but she was right in the middle of the footpath and couldn't hear anything over her music - short of tapping her on the shoulder or sitting behind her (which is just creepy) I can't see how I could have avoided this)
* at one point it's used as a car park for dominos pizza
* the tarmac surface is terrible - so many massive potholes it's like a slalem course
* it crosses 3 side roads - on the path you have to give way to traffic coming out fo the side roads, on the main road you don't have to stop then start pedalling again from scratch
* in order to carry on I need to make a right hand turn - from the cycle path this means my options are cross the road walking or cross at the crossing and then carry on on the pavement when the cycle lane stops, I'd rather just watch for a gap in the traffic and filter across to the turning lane where I can wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic

That third one is a *major* pain in the arse - cycle lane surfaces are quite often absolutely awful - painting a path green is a waste of time if the tree roots and pot holes make riding along it dangerous.

I know what you mean - before I started cycling again this was my major gripe - and then I started to realise why people do it.

Now it's the grown men (often the lyra boys) riding on the pavement at high speed that wind me up (while I'm pootling along in the road in a skirt). They're more prevalent at one end of my train trip than the other though - and the end where the cyclists use the road is the end where the council have obviously put a lot more effort into providing good cycle routes. My home council seem to think publishing a map showing the back roads is a way to make the town more cycling friendly .

[laurie:)]

i'll only run a red light if it's unsafe for me/others not to do so. say, for example, if there was only one lane of traffic, either heading straight on or turning. if i end up pulling out and wanting to go straight on, but the car next to me wants to turn, thats a sure fire way of putting myself into a dangerous situation >.< sometimes if i cycle up to the lights and theres a considerable distance between me and the car behind, i'll move over onto the outside of the lane, but i really dont like doing that, and you drivers probably dont like it either.

[jordltfc]

As a young cyclist the only thing I am confused about is whether it is illegal to ride on the pavement. If there is no cycle lane then I usually use the path if it's not a busy road or there are no pedestrians but my friends tell me not to because it's illegal. Surely if, when the circumstances permits, it's safer to ride on the pavement (for me and the cars) it shouldn't be a problem?

[kpwxx]

(Original post by jordltfc)
As a young cyclist the only thing I am confused about is whether it is illegal to ride on the pavement. If there is no cycle lane then I usually use the path if it's not a busy road or there are no pedestrians but my friends tell me not to because it's illegal. Surely if, when the circumstances permits, it's safer to ride on the pavement (for me and the cars) it shouldn't be a problem?

I think it depends on your age. I was always told it was 12 but not sure if that's correct. Basically, kids can do it but not adults.

If you are caught you could be fined on the spot; whether it's safer depends really on the situation. They are tougher in some areas- usually those where there have been problems with people riding on narrow pavements and getting in the way of pedestrians. In other areas you're unlikely to have more than a warning (e.g. When a bike path technically ends for a short bit).

Xxx

posted from the TSR Android app

[Aula]

(Original post by PQ)
While I don't do this on national speed limit roads I do ride on the road when there's a cycle lane for part of my commute (it's a 40mph rd with between 4 and 6 lanes - when it's 6 lanes 2 are bus lanes and that's where I ride) for a few reasons

* it's a shared with pedestrians cycle lane and it's very busy with pedestrians and cyclists and not all of them are particularly aware of their surroundings - a jogger with earphones in knocked me off my bike on it because she just cut across the path changing direction sharply without looking and ran straight into me (I was trying to give her loads of space as I overtook but she was right in the middle of the footpath and couldn't hear anything over her music - short of tapping her on the shoulder or sitting behind her (which is just creepy) I can't see how I could have avoided this)
* at one point it's used as a car park for dominos pizza
* the tarmac surface is terrible - so many massive potholes it's like a slalem course
* it crosses 3 side roads - on the path you have to give way to traffic coming out fo the side roads, on the main road you don't have to stop then start pedalling again from scratch
* in order to carry on I need to make a right hand turn - from the cycle path this means my options are cross the road walking or cross at the crossing and then carry on on the pavement when the cycle lane stops, I'd rather just watch for a gap in the traffic and filter across to the turning lane where I can wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic

That third one is a *major* pain in the arse - cycle lane surfaces are quite often absolutely awful - painting a path green is a waste of time if the tree roots and pot holes make riding along it dangerous.

I know what you mean - before I started cycling again this was my major gripe - and then I started to realise why people do it.

Now it's the grown men (often the lyra boys) riding on the pavement at high speed that wind me up (while I'm pootling along in the road in a skirt). They're more prevalent at one end of my train trip than the other though - and the end where the cyclists use the road is the end where the council have obviously put a lot more effort into providing good cycle routes. My home council seem to think publishing a map showing the back roads is a way to make the town more cycling friendly .

This I can understand. The one I'm talking about though is just one lane each side, usually so busy you can't overtake the cyclist safely (or at least giving the cyclist as much space as a car you can't anyway), and whilst it's a shared pedestrian path, there are hardly ever pedestrians on it. I know my dad uses it a fair amount, and I've never heard him complain, so I presume the road surface must be fine. It would be so much safer for them to use the cycle path, I struggle to understand why they don't use it. The only logical reasons I can see is that either they don't know about it, or they can't be bothered to cross the road.

[KingGoonIan]

(Original post by Aula)
What really does annoy me though, is when they're cycling along a quite busy national speed limit road when there's a cycle path next to it. There's a cycle path there for a reason. Use it.

Unfortunately cycle paths are often too short or too poorly maintained to be used. Often I find it is more dangerous to use cycle lanes/paths than it is to cycle on the road. As a cyclist one thing that really annoys me is when councils decide to block cycle lanes with sign posts or make them so small that they're pointless to use.

[Ice Constricter]

You get bad cyclists and you get bad drivers. You're obviously more likely to run into a bad driver since more people drive. Drivers are more likely to kill a cyclist compared to a cyclist causing a driver to crash. But a cyclist is also more likely to get themselves killed. So, although drivers owe a certain amount of responsibility to cyclists, cyclists themselves should be responsible for themselves, because after all its their own life and once your dead, your dead. Regardless of who's at fault.

Anyway I've noticed that drivers and pedestrians are less likely to be aware of their surroundings. Pedestrian = not looking before crossing a road. Drivers = not checking their blind spots and mirrors rigorously enough. While cyclists are more likely to be aware but are more prone to doing silly stupid things, like riding the wrong way down a one way street.

Lets me just share something I witnessed last week.

As I waiting to cross at a pelican crossing, what I saw was one of those Lycra covered, Olympic wannabe cyclists riding top speed down a hill in the middle of the road going at about 25-30 mph with a boy racer in a Honda Civic tailgating him.
Its people like that, that give cyclists and drivers a bad name.

[KingGoonIan]

Just thought I'd show some proof of how you can get bad drivers too

[Michaelj]

(Original post by KingGoonIan)
Just thought I'd show some proof of how you can get bad drivers too

Was he filming more or was it a couincidence he crashed as soon as he started filming? But yeah the driver seemed a douche but the cyclist seemed a douche also.

[Agenda Suicide]

(Original post by KingGoonIan)
Just thought I'd show some proof of how you can get bad drivers too

Even if that woman didn't see him why did it take her so long to stop when she was crushing a bike?

Jesus christ.

[Michaelj]

The cyclist sounds like he has down symdrome.... "yooo hiiit me yooo hiiit mee, noooo leve iitttt" but yeah the driver was shocking... I can see why cyclists need to be wary. Which is more important on why they need to follow the rules of the road. One mistake and they can die. The woman driver would of hit any vehicle if she didn't observe.

[NewFolder]

(Original post by KingGoonIan)
Just thought I'd show some proof of how you can get bad drivers too

That's quite scary how neither of them seemed to notice

(Original post by Michaelj)
Was he filming more or was it a couincidence he crashed as soon as he started filming? But yeah the driver seemed a douche but the cyclist seemed a douche also.

I'd imagine he has the camera running all the time, and just trimmed the recording to the bit with the accident. He has 4 other videos of incidents with cars/buses, this one seems the worst though.

[KingGoonIan]

Was cycling home from work yesterday in Kightsbridge and some prick in a ferrari decided to turn left when he was driving beside me without using his mirrors. I had to break really hard, if I hadn't I woulda gone over the top of his sparkly new car and injured myself.

Motorists need to check their mirrors more!

[Slumpy]

(Original post by Foghorn Leghorn)
Agreed. I am a very concientious road cyclists, but people think because they are in their cars they can just bully others, especially cyclists. I can't even count the amount of times I've almost been hit because a drivers decides they're not going to give me enough room. I've fell off my bike in the middle of a busy road plenty of times because I've had to break hard and swerve for some idiot driver oblivious to what is around them. There are drivers that don't bother edging out a bit when they pass you and come so close they clip you with their wing mirror then they blame you for it!

Cyclists can be idiots too, but in my experience there are more ignorant drivers out there.

I've been cycling on a main road, and have a driver pull out into me because she simply didn't check for bikes. Just kept on driving without noticing the bike under the right hand side of her car too!