Cyclists

A question about : Cyclists

I'm still waiting for the Helmet Debate on the new forum section .

I'm not anti-helmet, but choose to wear one only in bad weather, and only recently gave up motorcycling after being cut up once too often, this time by a speeding lorry driver, so I know how some things can dent your confidence, but the sight of a middle-aged man in hi-vis and helmet riding on the pavement made my blood boil.

It was the combination of the three things that particularly got my goat, but it was hard to restrain myself from telling him to man up and cycle on the road or get off and walk.

It's a close call but I have slightly more respect for the Ninja cyclist (no lights, dressed in black) that cut across my path while I was out cycling.

Oh, and motorists, unless you also cycle, go and moan on your own forum, pretty please.

Rant over.

Best answers:

• I think people sometimes cycle on the pavement because of the design of the cycle network. E.g., drivers, road designers, etc., encourage people to use off-road cycle paths, but these very often end suddenly and people just keep going on the pavement.
  I cycled a short distance on the pavement yesterday, I came out of the bike shop here: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=camb...16.63,,0,-4.29 and I wanted to turn left at the lights, and rather than dropping into the road at the red light I cycled round the corner and entered the road there instead. Slightly naughty I suppose. But, whatever.
  I believe they call it the desire line, basically the principle is that people want to cycle certain journeys, and the road/cycle network ideally should reflect that. If it doesn't, you get things like people cycling the wrong way down one way streets, on pavements, etc.
  I think it's as relevant to ask WHY people are cycling on the pavement, as to ask them to stop.
• Thanks, thelawnet, for your comment. I always enjoy reading your posts. I don't have a problem with occasional pavement cycling, particularly in the circumstances you describe. If I could I'd have asked him why he felt the need to get togged up like that if he was going to ride on the pavement, he clearly had no intention of using the road as I followed him for some distance on what was a quiet road.
• I don't get annoyed by cyclists, generally. The other day I was on the pavement, sorting out my chain, which had come off, and one came past me at what seemed like some speed, which I didn't appreciate much.
  But really 99% of my annoyance is with motorists, since they often do things that could kill me, and I've never felt that about cyclists. Pedestrians probably second place, it is annoying when they walk into the road without LOOKING (just because you can't HEAR me, doesn't mean you don't need to LOOK). Other cyclists? No, not really. Some do silly things, like go through a 4-way junction into oncoming traffic, but it doesn't affect me, so I don't care.
  When I'm in London you do need to give other cyclists their own space (don't stop in front of them at a red light), but few places outside London have sufficient cyclists to really have significant interactions IME. You might see one passing the other way, or overtake one, or they overtake you, and that's it for 10 minutes.
• Ha, yes, pedestrians walking out, I'd forgotten that one. Happens to me all the time.
  My initial rant was more about the way some cyclists have allowed themselves to be be convinced by the helmet and safety lobbyists that the road really isn't a safe place to be, even with an "invincibility cloak" of hi-viz and helmet.
  But, yes, "Sorry mate I didn't see you" applies equally to pedestrians.
  It wouldn't matter if you were dressed like Mr Blobby, you'd still hear the same excuses.
  Time to discard the hi-vis, I think, and make other road users more accountable for their actions.
• Parents who insist on making their children wear helmets but not themselves. So annoying!
• Yeah I hate that. I insist my children don't wear one, and neither do I. I'm a model of consistency.
  (still waiting for the helmet debate.)
• What is the argument against wearing a helment and/or hi-vis, out of interest?
• Annoying cyclists? The one's that are nearly twice my age that pass me when I'm sweating and panting my way up a local hill with a cheery good morning. I'm almost certain they do it just to prove they aren't out of breath.
• I'm a new cyclist and I think the 2 things that annoy me most are cars, etc that overtake you and then turn the corner in front of you forcing you to slam your brakes on. The other thing is cyclists that go right through red lights without even checking. I mean, if nobody's coming the other way that's fine, but in London it's dangerous for everyone.
• Oh yes I've thought of one re using cycle lanes.
  One thing that REALLY annoys me, is when I see cyclists riding in the gutter.
  Examples: you are on a typical town-centre road, the lane a bit wider than a car, there is a queue at a traffic lights, and people line up on the inside of a car?
  WTF? No, don't do that the traffic is in YOUR way, you should be waiting directly behind the middle of the car in front. Don't allow cars to treat you as if you are not there, ok fine if they are passing you safely, but when the traffic slows, take your space in the queue.
  Again, at the front of a multi-lane junction I've seen a cyclist, apparently competent (busy road, SPD pedals, hi-vis, etc.), take his place at the front of the queue (lights just gone red) in the left lane of three, barely six inches from the kerb, leaving room for a car to pull up alongside him in the same lane (the two lanes to the right had cars in), which sure enough it did.
  When the lights changed, the car took off from alongside him like a rocket (predictable really, someone taking that spot is always likely to be a bit of a racer), putting him off, he wobbled, and had to re-try his start 5 yards along the road.
  All of this was avoidable by clearly positioning himself in the middle of the lane. No reason to allow the car space there at all. Car wants to overtake? Fine, there are two more lanes. But don't allow them to treat you like you are not there.
  I'm sure that a large number of cyclist deaths are caused in part by cycling in a way that permits drivers to ignore you. Sure, there are other deaths in part caused by over-confident cycling, e.g., cycling along 70mph dual carriageways, but just because you assert yourself in town doesn't mean you also have to cycle down the A3....
• nice thread, here is my moan.......
  Ninja cyclist. the police should give them a on the spot fine ( if they can see them ;-) )
  Parents who have a child seat on the back of the bike and neither the rider or the child have a helmet on.
  Ohh and a favorite is road bike users why do they have to be so ingnorant and not give you a nod or a hello when passing..
• Only 1 thing, other cyclists using me as a shield from he wind
  I'm a big lad,I'm sure it helps them....
  It doesn't annoy me really, I just never get to do the same back as I'm to quick enough ha ha
• What annoys me about other cyclists?
  Two things:
  Firstly:
  I am cycling along a path through the woods, as part of my commute to and from work. These woods are also used by a lot of dog walkers, ramblers and all sorts of other folk.
  I usually go at a decent speed, but I always slow right down to less than walking pace for pedestrians, especially if they have dogs or children, and get their attention with what I consider to be a polite "good morning/afternoon/evening" if they have their back to me.
  Others just tend to go screaming past them full speed, with little or no consideration. Of course then if I am a few seconds behind, I usually take a lot of flak with them assuming I am with the maniac.
  Secondly:
  I have not spent a lot of money on my bike. The way some of them look down their nose at you because you have not spent several hundred pounds on handmade spokes gets my goat. Snobbishness.
• Well I thought about it, but I was in my car two cars behind, in the middle lane, and I figured if I shouted at him he would probably assume I was saying 'get off the road' or something similar.
• I tend to cycle when the roads are fairly quiet at about 07:10, on the days when i go by car i do get annoyed by cyclists who jump in front of you from other lanes at roundabouts or cutting in and out of lanes without any looking or signalling !
  There are many drivers who just get annoyed by cyclists with the road tax comments etc... But i tend to ignore them.
  Unfortunately roads are only designed for vehicular traffic and nothing else, i do get annoyed by pavement cyclists or worse still the road and pavement cyclists who jump onto pavements to avoid red lights etc or traffic queues.