cycling on the roads

[doctor-bond]

I Love cars; I love bikes. And unlike everybody else in the world I'm a brilliant driver and a fantastic cyclist.

Being the only completely superb driver/rider in the world has given me the following insghts:

Everyone who uses the road thinks that they are right.

Skill is all: crap drivers and crap cyclists are the problem.

When a car hits a bike, only the person in the car gets out to have a look what has happened.

(For those of you familliar with London town, stand outside the Perseverance on Lamb Conduit St during rush hour with your favorite tipple. There is a junction there where crap town planning, crap driving and crap cycling come together in the most entertaining way. The split is equal: cabs that know it all; students who have never ridden before; road signage straight from Babel 101 and no one - I mean no one - who has ever given the highway code more than 2 seconds conscious thought.)

 

[pinguwin]

When a car hits a bike, only the person in the car gets out to have a look what has happened.

Uh, isn't this by definition? Given that the driver is in the car and the cyclist is not, there is nothing for the cyclist to get out of.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[NickD]

Riding on open roads is generally fine, a tiny percentage of cycling related accidents happen that way.

However, anywhere near junctions is dangerous, I had a guy pull out on me today and I don't even think he thought he had done anything wrong - I just shook my head and carried on.

 

[konahed]

Once when I was driving I passed a cyclist coming up to a roundabout. I waited at the roundabout for a chance to go and then I realisded the cyclist had decided to sneak up in front of me and I nearly hit him. He said "hey!" as I dodged past him. At the next junction he passed me and was staring at me with an evil look on his face. I just shook my head and stuck a finger up at him. I dont know what he thought he was doing tbh, I had passed him well before the roundabout, how he thought he had a right to pass me on the nearside and position himself like that is beyond me.

Just shows, some cyclists think they know it all.

 

[Lysander]

Once when I was driving I passed a cyclist coming up to a roundabout. I waited at the roundabout for a chance to go and then I realisded the cyclist had decided to sneak up in front of me and I nearly hit him. He said "hey!" as I dodged past him. At the next junction he passed me and was staring at me with an evil look on his face. I just shook my head and stuck a finger up at him. I dont know what he thought he was doing tbh, I had passed him well before the roundabout, how he thought he had a right to pass me on the nearside and position himself like that is beyond me.

Just shows, some cyclists think they know it all.

S T W....................

 

[tintin40]

I know male cyclists don't like being over taken.

 

[guybe]

I would like to know what is your views on this which I nearly hit a pair of cyclists about 10 years ago while I was driving my car.

I was driving about 50/60mph in an open road and came up a long blind corner with high hedges blocking the view around the corner, there was 2 cyclists on road bikes with the fancy gears and helmets, etc, they were side by side chatting to each other, it was sheer luck that I missed them as I braked hard and use the other side of road to get by and was lucky there was no cars on the other side otherwise it will head-on crash.

I dont agree seeing cyclists using side by side riding which it's danger for them to get hit by cars behind, I dont see the point them wearing helmets if they want to ride dangerous like this. I believe it's safer for a group of cyclists to follow each other close to the side of road to make it easier for cars pass safety as they will have more of an open road to use.

Do you agree with that or not?

 

[Russell]

As previously quoted, the Highway code recommends that cyclists should " ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends".

The cyclists you encountered were probably of the 'one-eyed_jim' variety, who cycle two abreast no matter what the conditions because the Highway code just offers guidance on this matter and does not state law.

My personal view is that riding round blind corners two abreast is a stupid idea, I'd rather cycle single file and safely than two abreast and end up in a hospital bed muttering "words mean things". Cars kill things.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

The cyclists you encountered were probably of the 'one-eyed_jim' variety, who cycle two abreast no matter what the conditions because the Highway code just offers guidance on this matter and does not state law.

Now then!

I hardly ever ride two abreast - mostly because I usually ride alone, I live in a big city with busy traffic, and on those rare occasions when I do do it (on straight or quiet roads with passing space and good sight lines) I suffer pointless aggression from petrol-head jerks who don't know their highway code.

My personal view is that riding round blind corners two abreast is a stupid idea, I'd rather cycle single file and safely than two abreast and end up in a hospital bed muttering "words mean things". Cars kill things.

My personal view is that driving round blind bends at 50/60mph is moronic and dangerous. Cars kill things.

 

[Fat_Bloke]

Lethal, where I live anyway. Houston, Texas. A..holes have no idea how to deal with cyclists. Dickheads can't drive here at all actually. And adding to that I've had stuff thrown at me (fast food items, liquids) and the 'how close can I get my wing mirror to him' attempts.
And I used to ride out of the city not in it! Freekin' redneck teenage fu..whits.

Just ride my MTB on cycle-ways and around the quiet roads in my neighborhood and sold my road bike.