How to Overtake a Cyclist

[Return of the Rev]

The time has come for 7-8am becoming bike only on the b roads The uptake of bike riding would rocket

8-30-9-30 would be better!

 

[ChickenBaltiPie]

The very sad truth is, we should be able to ride together. It shouldn't be such an inconvenience but people are ********s [emoji107][emoji53]

 

[teaboy]

The time has come for 7-8am becoming bike only on the b roads The uptake of bike riding would rocket

Easier and more effective to just close many rat-runs to through motor traffic, while maintaining access. People will still be able to drive, but the journey may well be shorter and quicker by bike. It also removes the need to police it, and is a 24-7 system.

 

[perseus]

There are stats for fatalities much more recent than that, ridiculous to suggest they are the most recent unless it is that they are the most recent that present themselves in the format that suits your arguments. Also, since 2000, the trend for cycling fatalities has been downward.

You seem to have a massive persecution complex. I cycle and I wear a helmet. It's not picking on cyclists. Motorcyclists have to wear a helmet, motorists have to wear seat belts. They even have to get a test to make sure their cars are roadworthy (once a year though). Cyclists are far from being persecuted. In 2013 there were 109 deaths. Using your suggesting, almost 10% of them could've have been saved if they were wearing a helmet (of course, the stats don't state if they were wearing a helmet and they certainly don't show how many lives were saved by people that were wearing a helmet!)

Have to say your arguments seem all over the place and seem to boil down to the fact you don't like being told what to do by the government, even if it is for your own safety!

You are making up stories,

All I was saying that the risk of cycling and walking is about the same. Pedestrians are a nuisance to cyclists crossing the road without looking. And they wobble like cyclists even worse.

So there is an equal case for pedestrians to wear helmets. My front lamp (albeit bought from Latvia where it is very dark for long periods in winter) was advertised as a Walking Light with Cycle fixing attachment (an elastic band that works as well if not better than the best attachments).

Head injuries can be so dehabilitating that at first glance the cycle helmet argument seems a good one (and probably is if you cycle fast on roads in a peleton) but only when assessing the risk in comparing the risk to other activities put things in perspective. A typical trip down the shops with a half an hour walk and ten minutes cycle ride and the risk is about the same of a serious injury or accident.

Safety concscious people should wear their helmet in the supermaket because of trollies, slippery floors and the "dreaded" pedestrians.

However, if you are hit by a car from behind and go flying over the bonnet you may very well hit the top of your head. Hit by a van and it is bound to be even worse (this has never happened to me).

It is highly inconvenient to wear cycle helmets for the frequent short journeys and as it is as safe as walking, it is picking on cyclists (why not pick on walkers instead?).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They also have a huge amount of respect of cyclists in Europe! I ride there and here, the difference is UNBELIEVABLE

I would agree with this.

 

[sten_super]

Easier and more effective to just close many rat-runs to through motor traffic, while maintaining access. People will still be able to drive, but the journey may well be shorter and quicker by bike. It also removes the need to police it, and is a 24-7 system.

Absolutely this. There was a farcical consultation recently on a road near Cambridge train station (Tenison Road for any locals) asking for comment on plans to improve the feel of the road and reduce it's rat-run qualities. All schemes suggested involved pointless beautification rather than anything to actually make it more difficult for motor vehicles to use the road. Sustrans are also great at this kind of thing, which makes everything look a bit prettier but doesn't do anything to actually make it more liveable. A few plastic bollards to turn thoroughfares into access roads is a really cheap and easy way of achieving quick results.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Such a bullshit argument. The reason Dutch cyclists don't (need to) wear helmets, is that they have an absolutely fantastic network of dedicated cycle (and scooter) paths, which mean they barely ever evn come into contact with motorised vehicles.

Not bullshit at all.

I am not suggesting that our road system is as intrinsically safe as that in the Netherlands. I am pointing out that cyclists don't tend to need helmets if they are not knocked off their bikes. Throughout Europe the casualty rates are lower than they are here, and that is overwhelmingly due to the fact that other road users treat them less like an enemy, more like another road user who needs to be respected and treated with care.

The fact that some. Dutch systems have such superb cycling infrastructure is an extension of the positive attitude towards cycling that exists there.

 

[neilbard]

What about the that cycle on the pavements?

 

[Spicy]

The very sad truth is, we should be able to ride together. It shouldn't be such an inconvenience but people are ********s [emoji107]��[emoji53]

Yes that is right. I drive (I don't cycle as I have trouble walking in a straight line some days ) and am a pedestrian. My experience is that cyclists ride three or four abreast thereby blocking the whole lane so that motorists have to either wait or take a chance overtaking on busy roads. I am patient but there are some who will risk overtaking because they are hacked off following the cyclists for several miles. The video is idealistic - are there no cars coming in the opposite direction in the cycling world?? Obviously not. I give cyclists as much room as possible but why can't they co-operate by riding in single or two abreast rather in a whole bunch (think a lot of them reckon they are in a peloton in the Tour de France). I also object to them riding through red lights when people are trying to cross the road and all the other traffic has stopped. It all works both ways as you say. I am a considerate motorist but really dislike coming across cyclists in traffic.

 

[Gully Forever]

I was standing on a bus yesterday looking out the offside window, the bus was trying to pull out from the sea life centre stop going out of town!.

BOTH lanes of cars stopped to let the bus pull out, as the Bus pulled out, a cyclist came hacking alongside and started swearing at the driver,,
What a total Prick!..

There are way too many pricks on cycles!.

 

[ChickenBaltiPie]

Yes that is right. I drive (I don't cycle as I have trouble walking in a straight line some days ) and am a pedestrian. My experience is that cyclists ride three or four abreast thereby blocking the whole lane so that motorists have to either wait or take a chance overtaking on busy roads. I am patient but there are some who will risk overtaking because they are hacked off following the cyclists for several miles. The video is idealistic - are there no cars coming in the opposite direction in the cycling world?? Obviously not. I give cyclists as much room as possible but why can't they co-operate by riding in single or two abreast rather in a whole bunch (think a lot of them reckon they are in a peloton in the Tour de France). I also object to them riding through red lights when people are trying to cross the road and all the other traffic has stopped. It all works both ways as you say. I am a considerate motorist but really dislike coming across cyclists in traffic.

To be clear, when I said we should be able to ride together, but people are ********s, I meant cars and bikes should be able to use roads together, but people are ********s!

...Haha I'd wager you're not a considerate anything, let alone a considerate driver, in fact you're full of shit. It's impossible to ride three or four abreast on an open UK road, and it's basically a lie to suggest that all cyclists ride more than one abreast as a norm. Why do you feel the need to exaggerate to such a degree in order to justify your gratuitous dislike of cyclists? That is not your honest experience or anyone else's. Cyclists care about their own life, even if no one else does, and are all too familiar with how frightfully inconsiderate some motorists (yourself included) can be towards cyclists. They will never ride two abreast with a car insight for fear of being knocked down or overtaken too closely. It's simply self preservation.

You're disappointment at seeing a cyclist is simple, you're lazy, and you're selfish. You can't be arsed to slow down or safely take the time to manoeuvre around them in a selfless manner. No one with the slightest intelligence or a modicum of car handling skills will ever get stuck behind a bike for miles, and will not complete their journey a second later should they not have come across a cyclist.

A bike is not a car, so do not expect it to behave like one, simply because it would be more convenient to you. Give a cyclist the respect and consideration they deserve.

 

[ChickenBaltiPie]

I was standing on a bus yesterday looking out the offside window, the bus was trying to pull out from the sea life centre stop going out of town!.

BOTH lanes of cars stopped to let the bus pull out, as the Bus pulled out, a cyclist came hacking alongside and started swearing at the driver,,
What a total Prick!..

There are way too many pricks on cycles!.

Did the bike give way?! Did the bicycle have any choice in the manoeuvres of any of the cars or the bus? Could the bus driver kill the cyclist? Did he therefore take a reasonable amount of care and attention to make sure it was safe to pull out and that the bike was going to stop first? I'm guessing not. Hence the cyclists passionate response. Just at a guess. ...of course, that particular cyclist might just be a prick. Maybe the bus driver slept with his wife?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Yes that is right. I drive (I don't cycle as I have trouble walking in a straight line some days ) and am a pedestrian. My experience is that cyclists ride three or four abreast thereby blocking the whole lane so that motorists have to either wait or take a chance overtaking on busy roads. I am patient but there are some who will risk overtaking because they are hacked off following the cyclists for several miles. The video is idealistic - are there no cars coming in the opposite direction in the cycling world?? Obviously not. I give cyclists as much room as possible but why can't they co-operate by riding in single or two abreast rather in a whole bunch (think a lot of them reckon they are in a peloton in the Tour de France). I also object to them riding through red lights when people are trying to cross the road and all the other traffic has stopped. It all works both ways as you say. I am a considerate motorist but really dislike coming across cyclists in traffic.

More like 6 or 7 abreast. Jokers, especially up the A23!

 

[Bold Seagull]

I was standing on a bus yesterday looking out the offside window, the bus was trying to pull out from the sea life centre stop going out of town!.

BOTH lanes of cars stopped to let the bus pull out, as the Bus pulled out, a cyclist came hacking alongside and started swearing at the driver,,
What a total Prick!..

There are way too many pricks on cycles!.

Whereas the other day, I was on my bike, slowed to let a bus out, which slowly moved into the lane, only for not one car to try to bomb round, a second tried it as well, but as the bus had now come out a reasonable distance, the second car blocked both the way for oncoming traffic, and caused the bus to have to stop resulting in a bit of gridlock. Amazing. Wonder if it was the same person you saw on the bike on a different day in their car!?

 

[Wrong-Direction]

[emoji468] [emoji590] [emoji592] [emoji594] [emoji595] [emoji597] [emoji598] [emoji604] [emoji603] [emoji602] [emoji600]

 

[ChickenBaltiPie]

error

 

[The Rivet]

Cyclist v Car, always great for a lengthy thread.
Pathetic really. If all obeyed road laws and were considerate to the other you would all have nothing to bleat about!

Addendum: Perhaps a lot of the attitude comes from the me, me, me culture.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Cyclist v Car, always great for a lengthy thread.
Pathetic really. If all obeyed road laws and were considerate to the other you would all have nothing to bleat about!

Addendum: Perhaps a lot of the attitude comes from the me, me, me culture.

 

[The Rivet]

Love it but a language pedant might take issue with the ad message!

 

[Spicy]

To be clear, when I said we should be able to ride together, but people are ********s, I meant cars and bikes should be able to use roads together, but people are ********s!

...Haha I'd wager you're not a considerate anything, let alone a considerate driver, in fact you're full of shit. It's impossible to ride three or four abreast on an open UK road, and it's basically a lie to suggest that all cyclists ride more than one abreast as a norm. Why do you feel the need to exaggerate to such a degree in order to justify your gratuitous dislike of cyclists? That is not your honest experience or anyone else's. Cyclists care about their own life, even if no one else does, and are all too familiar with how frightfully inconsiderate some motorists (yourself included) can be towards cyclists. They will never ride two abreast with a car insight for fear of being knocked down or overtaken too closely. It's simply self preservation.

You're disappointment at seeing a cyclist is simple, you're lazy, and you're selfish. You can't be arsed to slow down or safely take the time to manoeuvre around them in a selfless manner. No one with the slightest intelligence or a modicum of car handling skills will ever get stuck behind a bike for miles, and will not complete their journey a second later should they not have come across a cyclist.

A bike is not a car, so do not expect it to behave like one, simply because it would be more convenient to you. Give a cyclist the respect and consideration they deserve.

Calm down dearie and we are all entitled to an opinion. I frequently drive the roads north of Hooley and every Saturday morning there is a cycling club riding three or four abreast blocking the entire half of the road. Motorists can only overtake when there is a dual carriageway. How can you say what you are saying about me - you don't know me and you are just a keyboard warrior who feels secure sitting on the computer. In addition to riding that many abreast one will also suddenly stick one hand out and move across to go down the A23 without warning causing car drivers to pull up sharply for fear of hitting one or more of them. I see you don't comment about cyclists going through red lights but of course you wouldn't as you seem to think cyclists are right and car drivers should be vilified. Wish you would get on your bike and ride off now.