cyclists (again)

[hedge]

Back to the OP comment - I ride MTB's off-road - never been a fan on tarmac bashing.

 

Road bikes in groups can be frustrating and some certainly so seem to think they own the road. Having said that, I've also met some very pleasant and considerate riders. I do find some Club or Group riders think the road is a private race track and perhaps less agreeable with traffic.

 

I have also seen some horse riders who are very pleasant and agreeable and some who are either that arrogant or thick as **** that they don't understand the dangerous situations that they create by being on their phone, no hi-viz or not even thanking you for slowing down to a crawl to pass them.

 

When off-road on my MTB I always give way to pedestrians and horses. It's a straight forward risk assessment. Horses hate bikes (particularly if you are behind them) - if you don't know why then ask a horse owner. I always announce my presence - usually from a distance with a couple of toots on the whistle I have on my backpack. Or shout `bike behind` - give the horse rider a chance to react and check they are okay for you to pass (I see a lot of road riders do this very well BTW). Also - in a horse v bike situation I'd lose so it's a bit of self preservation.

 

Pedestrians, kids and dogs will be hurt by my bike so it is only sensible to slow down and prepare to stop. It doesn't take long and it's arguably the best course of action.

 

Only today I was going quite quick down a country lane (it's a link to my off-road track) - 2 horses (young riders), 4 dogs (off-lead), 1 child (on bike) and 2 adults (on foot) - no idea I was there. Option 1 - scream up behind them and slam on brakes or just bust on through, or option 2 - slow down, toot the whistle - they turn round, see me, gather the dogs, horses and child and let me pass, safely and slowly. They even apologised for delaying me and commented on the earlier cyclist who just rode between them with no warning at all (which could have been very messy).

 

I have had an issue with ramblers in the Peaks, who to be fair, were all 60+ and just in their own world. It's always the look of complete shock when they realise that a) they aren't the only ones within the postcode and b) they allow bikes! (I had been blowing my whistle a lot - I don't do bells because unless you're right behind someone they are actually pretty ineffective).

 

This subject has been done to death before and car drivers and bikes will never fully get on. Too many ignorant people on both sides (and I've been one of them).

[timmytree]

One day last week going to see my son in hospital with a fractured skull.

2 lanes of traffic, left lane to go left, right lane to go straight ahead. I am in the left lane to turn left, as I turn a cyclist comes up my inside and bounces off the left wing of my car, I squashed his rear wheel and narrowly missed squashing him. He wasn't turning left, merely trying to sneak to the front of the queue to go straight ahead. Yet he tried to blame me?

If it ever happens again I'll squash the cyclist.

[felly100]

Well done timmytree

Bell of the week.

[fandango]

questions:-

1) why do they wear lycra when I was a lad a pair of jeans and a cycle clip was good enough,,, was in Germany not so long ago,, few hundred kilometres from

Dusseldorf,, saw hundreds of cyclists..... not one bit of lycra all in normal every day gear.

2) why do they wear them funny shaped hats,, does it make them go faster ?? fell off my bike loads of times and never once banged the top of my head,, plenty of gravel rash on knees elbows and chins but never see any of the new style cyclists with knee,chin or elbow pads (or will these look uncool)

3) why do they wear dark glasses and were do they get them from as they seem to work in the dark as you see these guys at night wearing dark glasses ??

4) also is it just a urban myth that they have to shave the hairs on there **** if there going on a long bike trip,, to stop it from chaffing I have also heard that there is a special cream for saddle sore rusty bullet holes........ who invented it and who were the human guinea pigs they tested it on before they got the formula right.

 

personally if I aired my thoughts on the these guys they probably wont get past the moderators..........

 

cant some genetic scientist develop a strain of myximatosis that infects only lycra wearing male push bikers ............... and that's all I have to say on this subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yellow Bear]

Back to the OP comment - I ride MTB's off-road - never been a fan on tarmac bashing.

 

Road bikes in groups can be frustrating and some certainly so seem to think they own the road. Having said that, I've also met some very pleasant and considerate riders. I do find some Club or Group riders think the road is a private race track and perhaps less agreeable with traffic.

 

I have also seen some horse riders who are very pleasant and agreeable and some who are either that arrogant or thick as **** that they don't understand the dangerous situations that they create by being on their phone, no hi-viz or not even thanking you for slowing down to a crawl to pass them.

 

When off-road on my MTB I always give way to pedestrians and horses. It's a straight forward risk assessment. Horses hate bikes (particularly if you are behind them) - if you don't know why then ask a horse owner. I always announce my presence - usually from a distance with a couple of toots on the whistle I have on my backpack. Or shout `bike behind` - give the horse rider a chance to react and check they are okay for you to pass (I see a lot of road riders do this very well BTW). Also - in a horse v bike situation I'd lose so it's a bit of self preservation.

 

Pedestrians, kids and dogs will be hurt by my bike so it is only sensible to slow down and prepare to stop. It doesn't take long and it's arguably the best course of action.

 

Only today I was going quite quick down a country lane (it's a link to my off-road track) - 2 horses (young riders), 4 dogs (off-lead), 1 child (on bike) and 2 adults (on foot) - no idea I was there. Option 1 - scream up behind them and slam on brakes or just bust on through, or option 2 - slow down, toot the whistle - they turn round, see me, gather the dogs, horses and child and let me pass, safely and slowly. They even apologised for delaying me and commented on the earlier cyclist who just rode between them with no warning at all (which could have been very messy).

 

I have had an issue with ramblers in the Peaks, who to be fair, were all 60+ and just in their own world. It's always the look of complete shock when they realise that a) they aren't the only ones within the postcode and b) they allow bikes! (I had been blowing my whistle a lot - I don't do bells because unless you're right behind someone they are actually pretty ineffective).

 

This subject has been done to death before and car drivers and bikes will never fully get on. Too many ignorant people on both sides (and I've been one of them).

Fair enough I have met 1 or 2 like this - but from experience you have to admit you are in the pleasant minority. Sadly, giving cyclists the right to use rural footpaths that they do not have rights of way on currently, will result in the majority thinking they then have priority and all other users must clear the way for them or else.

 

An example of this occurred today, close to where we now live is a footpath that is currently up for consideration to be upgraded to bridle way (consultation signs are up). The path is both steep and uneven with a brook in the dip at it's lowest point. Today I was out with the dog (off lead as away from roads) when a group of about 6 "off roaders" hurtled down the path just missing an elderly gent and his old dog (on lead) and nearly hitting my dog closely followed by myself. as they passed one shouts "get out of the way and control your dog, don't you know this is a bridle way- not for footsloggers" Fortunately for both them and me they were too far past for me to push my stick through a wheel.

[felly100]

Sorry timmytree

Fandango takes top spot.

[secretagentmole]

One day last week going to see my son in hospital with a fractured skull.

2 lanes of traffic, left lane to go left, right lane to go straight ahead. I am in the left lane to turn left, as I turn a cyclist comes up my inside and bounces off the left wing of my car, I squashed his rear wheel and narrowly missed squashing him. He wasn't turning left, merely trying to sneak to the front of the queue to go straight ahead. Yet he tried to blame me?

If it ever happens again I'll squash the cyclist.

 

 

Well done timmytree

Bell of the week.

 

Felly100 unfortunately undertaking on a bicycle can lead to a meeting with undertakers in real life, it is hard enough to drive in this country without having to play spot the lycra clad illegitimate offspring of a failed Kamikaze pilot. Bicycle riders routinely ignore warnings about this and do wind up in hospital, in vegetative comas or plain dead. Why does it make timmy a bell of the week for having an unfortunate encounter with some loon on 2 wheels?

[Danger-Mouse]

 

 

 

Why does it make timmy a bell of the week for having an unfortunate encounter with some loon on 2 wheels?

 

I suspect it`s because of the last line of the quote.

[hedge]

Fair enough I have met 1 or 2 like this - but from experience you have to admit you are in the pleasant minority. Sadly, giving cyclists the right to use rural footpaths that they do not have rights of way on currently, will result in the majority thinking they then have priority and all other users must clear the way for them or else.

 

An example of this occurred today, close to where we now live is a footpath that is currently up for consideration to be upgraded to bridle way (consultation signs are up). The path is both steep and uneven with a brook in the dip at it's lowest point. Today I was out with the dog (off lead as away from roads) when a group of about 6 "off roaders" hurtled down the path just missing an elderly gent and his old dog (on lead) and nearly hitting my dog closely followed by myself. as they passed one shouts "get out of the way and control your dog, don't you know this is a bridle way- not for footsloggers" Fortunately for both them and me they were too far past for me to push my stick through a wheel.

 

Yellow Bear - you're spot on. It's about people's perception of who has priority or right of way and that's part of the problem. As soon as you think you own the road/path/track you're using then we have a problem.

 

As for the moronic (and unsafe) mountain bikers that you encountered, maybe they should read this;

 

Countryside Act 1968 (30)

 

"A bridleway is "a way over which the public has a right of way on foot and a right of way on horseback or leading a horse, with or without a right to drive animals along the way."^[7][8] Although Section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 permits the riding of bicycles on public bridleways, the act says that it "shall not create any obligation to facilitate the use of the bridleway by cyclists". Thus the right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion, especially in winter. Cyclists using a bridleway are obliged to give way to other users on foot or horseback."

 

I'd print that off and slap them in the face with it next time they use the Bridle Path as their own private raceway.

 

It's all about education as most people wrongly assume that they are in the right and that is the catalyst for all of the aggravation.

 

No-one likes confrontation and we all like our own private playground but a little common sense and respect for others would go a long way.

[Deker]

well it's official, the numbers are in, cars please stay off the roads and walkers please stay off the footpaths, you both cause too many accidents:

 

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/s960x960/13603400_10153880136087832_8472959450551244901_o.jpg

 

I'm hated by all, I drive a van, a car, a motorbike, mountain bike and road bike lol

[a303]

We call them road lice around these parts.

Can cause serious tail backs on country roads riding 3-4 abreast with absolutely not a care in the world to other road users.

Edited July 13, 2016 by a303

[Zapp]

Cool story bro