Cyclists who shoot themselves in the foot: what can we do about it?

[will golden]

As a World Naked Bike Ride organizer, I am active, even activist, in fighting for increased road safety for Britain's pedallers.

I myself am not a racer, I am an average cyclist who just happens to cover between 50 and 100 miles a week. I am forever endangered by other roadusers. Yet they are not always, nor even mainly, motorists or pedestrians.

The chief threat to my safety is, more often than not, other cyclists. What is more, it is not inexperienced trundlers like me...... it is the boy racers regular at CycleSurgery, in their expensive cycling gear, on their Orbeas or similar, thinking they own the road. I can't even WALK safely in Knightsbridge

How can I campaign for safety for cyclists when these demons are....... running lights....... lancing though crowds on the pavements....... playing tailback in and out of traffic....... and turning mainstream pedestrians and cyclists like me to panic. Maybe in a perfect world they will never hit anyone, but they make others hesitate, swerve and cause a domino effect. Maybe they play too many video games, have lost track of reality and have become the epitome of the 3rd millennium OCD case. Give them 2 wheels and they think they are on mediaeval chargers!

How do we deal with it?

I have always been an advocate of the Cycle Proficiency Test. Though this may not have a direct effect on the OCD bikers' attitude, it will at least give us all a certificate, in effect a licence, thereby making it easier to apprehend and discipline the culprits. But it would also have the negative effect of serving as a discouragement for people to just happen on to a bike one fine day.

We want more people to use bicycles, not turn it into an exclusive club.

Has anyone else any ideas that will stop us, as a social group, shooting ourselves in the feet?

Hugz Will

 

[Globalti]

Ban Lucas Brunelle videos from Youtube?

 

[MontyVeda]

the only way a certificate or licence would make it easier to 'apprehend' culprits is in conjunction with some type of licence plate... do you want a licence plate on your bike?

 

[will golden]

Well I wouldn't mind actually Monty. I have no leaning either way (except when negotiating a corner lol!)

Globalti.... maybe, but we can't ban all video games along with Big Bad Brunelle, thereby bringing two generations of Tekken cyclists back from a fantasy world, where they can die and come back to life, into the real world ....where we simply die!

Hugz

 

[400bhp]

Has anyone else any ideas that will stop us, as a social group, shooting ourselves in the feet?

Hugz Will

Yes-stop thinking of us as a social group.

"Just because I cycle doesn't mean I have to like you."

 

[Red Light]

As a World Naked Bike Ride organizer, I am active, even activist, in fighting for increased road safety for Britain's pedallers.

I myself am not a racer, I am an average cyclist who just happens to cover between 50 and 100 miles a week. I am forever endangered by other roadusers. Yet they are not always, nor even mainly, motorists or pedestrians.

The chief threat to my safety is, more often than not, other cyclists. What is more, it is not inexperienced trundlers like me...... it is the boy racers regular at CycleSurgery, in their expensive cycling gear, on their Orbeas or similar, thinking they own the road. I can't even WALK safely in Knightsbridge

How can I campaign for safety for cyclists when these demons are....... running lights....... lancing though crowds on the pavements....... playing tailback in and out of traffic....... and turning mainstream pedestrians and cyclists like me to panic. Maybe in a perfect world they will never hit anyone, but they make others hesitate, swerve and cause a domino effect. Maybe they play too many video games, have lost track of reality and have become the epitome of the 3rd millennium OCD case. Give them 2 wheels and they think they are on mediaeval chargers!

How do we deal with it?

I have always been an advocate of the Cycle Proficiency Test. Though this may not have a direct effect on the OCD bikers' attitude, it will at least give us all a certificate, in effect a licence, thereby making it easier to apprehend and discipline the culprits. But it would also have the negative effect of serving as a discouragement for people to just happen on to a bike one fine day.

We want more people to use bicycles, not turn it into an exclusive club.

Has anyone else any ideas that will stop us, as a social group, shooting ourselves in the feet?

Hugz Will

Once the police have found the time to deal with the far more dangerous speeding, running red lights, driving while on the phone etc then going for enforcement might be worth considering if they have time left over. But meanwhile I would suggest that your problem in one of perception not reality. The number of cyclists and pedestrians injured by cyclists in London is negligibly small despite perceptions of mass carnage happening.

 

[musa]

Advice then leave it. Losing a fighting battle.

 

[Ian H]

...I myself am not a racer, I am an average cyclist who just happens to cover between 50 and 100 miles a week. I am forever endangered by other roadusers. Yet they are not always, nor even mainly, motorists or pedestrians...

Funny, that. I ride in Devon, in London, around the country, and find very seldom do I feel endangered. Some people make mistakes (so do I), a few folk get aggressive - but endangered? Not really.

 

[dellzeqq]

if I felt that the chief danger to my safety was other cyclists I doubt very much that I'd be taking off my clothes and cycling with a bunch of other cyclists.

 

[Boris Bajic]

The title of the thread asks what we can do about cyclists who shoot themselves in the foot.

I think it's a good idea to stem the bleeding, clean the immediate area of the wound, get some clean dressing on it and get them to a hospital.

The last question in the text of the OP asks how, as a goup, we can prevent ourselves from self-harm through footward negligent discharges.

I think the answer here is to keep weapon and ammunition in separate pockets, or simply not to cycle while carrying a gun.

There was some stuff in the middle of the OP about an exclusive club in Knightsbridge... but I wasn't really reading it carefully.

I hope this is helpful but fear it is not.

 

[fossyant]

Can't say.

Was passed a few times this morning by a lady cyclist on a hybrid that I thought was a total idiot. She filtered past cars where she really had to shuffle past due to bars - I was waiting 3 cars back on a road bike. Passed me again on the pavement, to slot in front of a nice big coach ? - I was a car back from the coach waiting. Then again wobbled past some cars. Once the A34 dual carriageway opened up, I was OFF. Looked sort of 'serious' due to the shitty bike technique/total 'oh I'm on a dual carriageway'. Off her head she was,.

I thought about a quiet word, but FFS, this sort seem safe, it's us fast barstewards that are in danger.

 

[HovR]

The title of the thread asks what we can do about cyclists who shoot themselves in the foot.

I think it's a good idea to stem the bleeding, clean the immediate area of the wound, get some clean dressing on it and get them to a hospital.

The last question in the text of the OP asks how, as a goup, we can prevent ourselves from self-harm through footward negligent discharges.

I think the answer here is to keep weapon and ammunition in separate pockets, or simply not to cycle while carrying a gun.

There was some stuff in the middle of the OP about an exclusive club in Knightsbridge... but I wasn't really reading it carefully.

I hope this is helpful but fear it is not.

I was thinking something along the lines of appropriate training in the use of the safety catch on their firearm of choice, but what do I know?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

As a World Naked Bike Ride organizer, I am active, even activist, in fighting for increased road safety for Britain's pedallers.

I myself am not a racer, I am an average cyclist who just happens to cover between 50 and 100 miles a week. I am forever endangered by other roadusers. Yet they are not always, nor even mainly, motorists or pedestrians.

The chief threat to my safety is, more often than not, other cyclists. What is more, it is not inexperienced trundlers like me...... it is the boy racers regular at CycleSurgery, in their expensive cycling gear, on their Orbeas or similar, thinking they own the road. I can't even WALK safely in Knightsbridge

How do we deal with it?

Im the owner of expensive bikes and have expensive gear because I work damn hard and choose to spend my money on them. Im offended that you associate the cost of bike or equipment with being irresponsible, you get people jumping lights on bikes of all value, with equipment of all value.
I am the holder of a clean diving license which includes several professional licenses including PSV and the things I have seen on our highways ensured that I took my cycle training seriously, not only do I hold a cycling proficiency certificate, I have also undertaken the institute of advanced motoring (IAM) cycle training (Cycle Check, Cycle Ride and Cycle Ride+) I am a regular rider and all my bikes are passionately maintained at any cost and checked before and after rides.
Yet you come onto a forum clarifying you are an inexperienced trundler and that you organize events which encourage people to not wear cycle protection but have the nerve to make blanket judgments about others based on nothing but the value of their equipment. damn hypocrite if you ask me.

want to see a cyclist who has shot themselves in the foot and you only have to look as far as the closest mirror imho

 

[dawesome]

will golden, do you think all measures to improve road safety are doomed since so many drivers flout road traffic law and killed Diana?