cyclists - the not so good

[Racing roadkill]

I've cycled in London, drove a car in London and now use a Vespa. I've done all three over the last 20 years primarily in West London and find the following:

- Cyclists take risks, NEVER look over their shoulder if they're overtaking a vehicle or another cyclist. As a motorcyclist this is drummed into you when you are doing your CBT of full bike test - it's called a lifesaver check. Why is this?

http://begin-motorcycling.co.uk/the-5-elements-of-cbt/element-c/indicating-observation-osmpsl/

It surprises me that even a few cyclists don't do this.

- Drivers of cars are completely unaware, they just follow the road and rarely check mirrors. Undertaking a car is a risk. When I'm out on my bicycle I assume the drivers are the worst and never see me, but a lot of cyclists want to ride with the rights of the law in mind and nothing else. Insane.

- On a motorcycle we are inbetween everybody.

What prompted me to sign up to this forum is a cyclist today going mental at me for going in a cycle box - it was empty apart from one other cyclist who was on the far left, and then a brompton rider comes in and stops directly infront of me. I was inbetween two vans with their wing mirrors next to me and the one on the right was edging forward, so I wanted to be able to get away in front of them as it was a squeeze there. I went forward and to the right of the brompton and he immediately started filming with his head cams- me , my girlfriend and then my number plate explaining how it was going to be a really bad day for me as he was going to report me. There was so much space in a 2 lane width cycle box. There are dicks in all walk of life but cyclists do attract them.

When you go into a cycle box, if there's space to go the side of any motorcycles so they can get past you when the lights go green, it's much appreciated.

As an aside, I hope London continues to build cycle lanes. On any two wheels you see the cars queued up for miles on end and think how on earth are we still doing this in 2017

I see you’re new here.

 

[mustang1]

Motorcyclists kill more people than cyclists. Go preach to them as they are the ones killing people.

Motorcyclists speed and take risks. Why is this?

When you approach a cycle box it's there for the safety of cyclists. If motorcyclists are so desperate to get passed, obey the law, recognise our safety is more important than 5s of your time and get over yourselves.

Last time you were in your motorbike how many times did you break the law by speeding?

There are dicks in all walks of life but motorcyclists do attract them as they think they should be telling others how ride when they kill themselves and others more frequently.

Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you in an argument.

 

[mustang1]

haha.. yeah I think he got out a clipboard at one point. I moved into the cycle box as I was crammed between two vans and didn't want to be knocked by their wing mirrors - I could have stayed stationary and let them, go but then there's the danger that cars behind would follow closely and I would be stuck in the middle of the road. the safest course of action was to move into a near empty cycle box, but this is indeed breaking rule 178 of the highway code!

I didn't say all cyclists are knobs.

I'm calm now - he did annoy me at the time. He seemed to be reveling in the situation.

anyway, serious question and not point scoring here:

Why do cyclists not to a lifesaver check - is there any reason??

Possibly for same reason drivers don't do it: they are not trained to.
As a young kid, my dad told me always donthe lifesaver check regardless of what your mode of transport is. I even end up doing this when I'm the passenger! I've also been sternly told (as a kid) that I should do this when opening car doors. Since I was trained to do this, so I train my kids to as well.

 

[mustang1]

Actually these days I see motorcyclists riding in the bike lane (not a segregated bike lane, but the one on the road).

However they do make an attempt to get out of the way if they can't get through a narrow gap but a cyclist can. Well, they try.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

my dad told me always donthe lifesaver check regardless of what your mode of transport is.

The lifesaver check is so ingrained in me that I even do it when pushing a trolley in the supermarket.

 

[derrick]

The lifesaver check is so ingrained in me that I even do it when pushing a trolley in the supermarket.

There should be a test before you drive a super market trolley,

 

[Markymark]

There should be a test before you drive a super market trolley,

The only test is "Am I in Waitrose?"

 

[jefmcg]

ok stay safe all, and Markymaprk pls remember to learn how to safety check

Judges: you have to take off points. He flubbed the dismount.

 

[J1888]

Judges: you have to take off points. He flubbed the dismount.

He was never even on the horse

 

[J1888]

Do they have one in Barking?

Absolutement non! Imagine all the free coffee and newspaper scroungers there. They'd be as well just opening it as a free newsagents!

 

[J1888]

I don't know about you lot, but I miss Fraser.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

cyclists going through red lights and on and on.

You have by your own admission in your OP gone through a red light, so clearly you seem to think it is ok. I do not. Please try and respect the law and not put yourself and others in danger through your reckless actions.

 

[J1888]

You have by your own admission in your OP gone through a red light, so clearly you seem to think it is ok. I do not. Please try and respect the law and not put yourself and others in danger through your reckless actions.

He's gone dude, let it go. I know it's hard to come to terms with, but he's gone, like, really gone

 

[jarlrmai]

aww he's gone and I missed it.

 

[smutchin]

Just so his brief time with us wasn't entirely wasted, shall we consider what we might learn from this thread?

For me, it reinforces my belief that new members should not be allowed to start new threads until they've reached a certain post count. For their own good.