Bicycles and motorcycles

[Pale Rider]

I had some abuse from a motorcyclist earlier today.

Two passed me on the road, both giving enough room.

The second one turned around, put one finger in the air and shouted something unpleasant.

I was riding close to the middle of my lane on a two lane road, so I'm guessing the motorcyclist thought I should have been nearer the gutter.

I will not ride in the gutter for anyone, but I admit some cyclists may have been closer to the nearside of the road.

Feel free to comment on that, but as a more general point, I was wondering how others get on with motorcyclists?

 

[ianrauk]

Some of them are compete arses. Buzzing too close and stopping in ASL's. But as always in life. There are good and bad.

 

[Brandane]

Yep; bikers are nobbers. Unless I happen to be riding mine; in which case cyclists are nobbers!
The same way as car drivers are all nobbers when I'm driving an HGV!

 

[Drago]

As I've said all along - ones mode of transport bears no correlation to their chump quotient. They were born that way.

 

[Red17]

I ride a motorbike, drive a white van and also cycle on and off road. Never noticed having multiple personalities.

You can't judge people just based on what their mode of transport is.

 

[Mugshot]

Some of the worst overtakes I've had have been from people on motorcycles, doesn't make them all tits by any means but always surprises me as I can't help thinking they'd have a bit empathy for other vulnerable road users.
Had one tonight actually, going up hill, it's a two lane section but the cars parked in the one lane make it too narrow for overtaking so was holding primary, car sat behind me no problems, then a motorcyclist that was behind the car decides he's had enough, flies past the car and then past me whilst sat on his horn. Hey ho.

 

[MontyVeda]

was passed by lots of motorcyclists on today's ride... no complaints, but yet again, three cars all did the risky overtake on the run up to a humpbacked bridge, exactly the same as last time i rode that route... they were today's utter nobbers.

 

[Moodyman]

Don't know if it's me but the only thing I fear on the road is the noise of an accelerating
Motorbike behind me.

Do they have to be so loud?

 

[Gravity Aided]

I ride a bicycle and drive a bus. I feel no change of personality or attitude when doing one or the other. Throughout my life, I've always had friends who were bikers. I think motorbikes are loud so they intrude on the divided attentions of automobile drivers.

 

[mustang1]

If I want to get to work, I can either use a motorbike or a pushbike

If I get a motorbike, it'll be something small to go around the traffic queues, perhaps a Honda 125 scooter. These cost about £2500.
If I get a pishbike, itll be something fast, so I can use least energy for highest speed. Something like an Allez with light wheels. Maybe that costs £1500.

Now my problem is for only a grand more, I'm getting a machine that can be used in more ways than a pushbike.

 

[sidevalve]

Don't know if it's me but the only thing I fear on the road is the noise of an accelerating
Motorbike behind me.

Do they have to be so loud?

Number of cyclists hit by bikers vs no of cyclists hit by cars / trucks - perhaps you're worrying about the wrong thing.
Second - close pass on a m/cycle - it's just a bigger bicycle really - rather that than a 4x4 driven by a myopic git.
Finally - loud ? On a forum where as a fairly regular occurrence we talk about air-zound horns on bicycles for dealing with idiot drivers. Very few are actually louder than tractors or big trucks yet we seem happy enough about them.
Would I rather share the road with m/cycles or Mr Magoo in his BMW ? Give me the bikers every time.

 

[Licramite]

Its that combination of speed and noise as they bang past your elbow at 60mph - scares the crap out of me - they must love it. -

 

[Dan B]

[QUOTE 3799494, member: 45"]Get both. I did.[/QUOTE]
I've thought about that too, but truth be told I only have time to use one of them.

 

[Red17]

[QUOTE 3799758, member: 9609"]Big bikes are a significant danger on some of the roads in the borders, .[/QUOTE]

Bikes themselves are just objects whatever the size and not a danger in themselves. Problem is with some of the people who ride them who treat the roads like racetracks - whatever the size of the bike. Even a 250 will hit 100+mph. Due to the noise and engine revs there is also often a misconception of how fast motorcycles are actually travelling - they often sound a lot faster than they are.

There are a load of weekend warriors around who ride too fast, but certainly in the South East there have been significant police crackdowns over the last few years - but I believe the difference between some other road users and motorcyclists is one lot are much more aware of their own vulnerability.

If you look at a lot of the (valid) arguments about other road users made by cyclists and turn the clock back 10-20 years they are exactly the same as those that were being made by motorcyclists - I believe there is a lot of common interest, but as motorcycling has decreased significantly in popularity cycling has grown massively during that period.

 

[Globalti]

They certainly do scare me when they whizz past fast and noisily but as I was a motorbiker for 12 years I feel OK around them.

I was on a Cycle Lab shop ride outside Johannesburg one Sunday morning and all the traffic slowed down for a biker accident. Suddenly I was surrounded by a gang of about 50 massive Harley-type bikes all chugging along at the same speed as me, quite amusing as I found myself freewheeling, being pulled along in a big moving pool of hot air smelling of oil and engine fumes, cheek-by-jowl with these huge thundering machines, some of the riders and their pillions looking at me as if I was from a different planet and I the same at them.