Dont let abuse from motorists spoil your day.

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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Oh no :sad:
He used his powers for evil
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Just to point out that riding two abreast is perfectly legal and encouraged at times.
Indeed! Think about it ...
  1. 10 cyclists on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely, riding in single file. Driver decides to go for it anyway, gets half way past but sees oncoming vehicle, swerves back in and finds a long string of cyclists in the way, forces some of them off the road or hits them.
  2. 10 cyclists on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely, riding in single file. Driver decides to go for it anyway, forces a way through the tiny gap between the single file cyclists and oncoming traffic, risking tragedy should (s)he make contact with any of the cyclists when doing so.
  3. 10 cyclists on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely, riding 2 abreast. Driver wants to overtake but decides not to because the cyclists are in the way. Waits a couple of minutes and then overtakes when it is safe to do so.
  4. 10 cyclists on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely, riding 2 abreast. Driver decides to go for it, gets half way past but sees oncoming vehicle, manages to (just) overtake shorter remaining string of cyclists in time OR abandons overtake, brakes and cuts back in behind shorter string of cyclists.
 

apollo179

Well-Known Member
Dosnt anyone else think theres a responsibility for cyclists to cycle with some consideration to motorists.
Saying its legal to ride 2 abreast is all well and good but it is not considerate and is not going to do any good in the battle to win motorists hearts and minds and further harmonious road use by both car and bike. And ultimately it is in the cyclists interest for the relation to be harmonious cos as has been previously pointed out the cyclists power to annoy is insignificant compared to the cars power to kill.
 

Bman

Guru
Location
Herts.
You missed what really happens:

10 cyclists on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely, riding 2 abreast. Driver wants to overtake but decides not to because the cyclists are in the way. In the few minutes the driver is behind the cyclists he/she gets more and more angry until finally doing something illegal.
 

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
If said cyclists are doing 10mph then yes, if like most roadies I see they are doing closer to 30mph then no. If a motorist gets wound up so much by a slower moving vehical (as cyclists should be treated) then he or she does not deserve the privelidge of holding a driving license.
Dosnt anyone else think theres a responsibility for cyclists to cycle with some consideration to motorists.
Saying its legal to ride 2 abreast is all well and good but it is not considerate and is not going to do any good in the battle to win motorists hearts and minds and further harmonious road use by both car and bike. And ultimately it is in the cyclists interest for the relation to be harmonious cos as has been previously pointed out the cyclists power to annoy is insignificant compared to the cars power to kill.
 
OP
OP
Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
Dosnt anyone else think theres a responsibility for cyclists to cycle with some consideration to motorists.
Saying its legal to ride 2 abreast is all well and good but it is not considerate and is not going to do any good in the battle to win motorists hearts and minds and further harmonious road use by both car and bike. And ultimately it is in the cyclists interest for the relation to be harmonious cos as has been previously pointed out the cyclists power to annoy is insignificant compared to the cars power to kill.

Absolutely agree with you but condemning 2 abreast totally is a very sweeping statement.

There are times when it is perfectly appropriate but if it appears to be holding cars up i think you should single up ASAP.
 

apollo179

Well-Known Member
I didnt intend to condemn 2 abreast totally. I was just suggesting that its the tendancy of some cyclists "on racing bikes with helmet and cycle shorts" to cycle 2 abreast that contributes to the unpopularity of said cyclists compared to scruffs on mountain bikes. Ive seen it myself . Not "on a narrow, twisty stretch of road, no room to be overtaken safely" but normal road needlessly holding traffic up. In these circumstances it is inconsiderate and likely to precipitate negative emotions towards cyclists.
 

Glow worm

Legendary Member
Location
Near Newmarket
Saying its legal to ride 2 abreast is all well and good but it is not considerate and is not going to do any good in the battle to win motorists hearts and minds and further harmonious road use by both car and bike.

The only thing that will ever win a moton's heart and ''mind'' is petrol at £10 or £15 a gallon. That might just lure them out of their cages. Until then, we 'll always just be 'in their way', no matter how many abreast we are, wasting at least 3 precious seconds of their 500 yard drive to the chippy.
 

brixbrom

New Member
I stick to my wifes advice when she is driving, if someone says something you just keep moving and leave it behind you and before you know it you have forgotten about it. Its not worth getting stressed over, I think cycling should be a chilled experience
 

Stephenite

Membå
Location
OslO
Something strange happens to the mindset of a lot of people when they're driving.


To wit:-

On the way to work today I came up to a junction and stopped behind a small electricians van - the lights were red. His back door was open! I tried to attract his attention to the fact he was about to lose his bits of wire n resistors n that through his rear view mirror, but to no avail. As the lights were about to change I thought "Bugger it!" And swung the door shut. I might have closed the door with a little too much gusto as he shot off - the lights went green at the same time. He was driving 70+kmh in a 50 zone - I travel this road often both on bike and in car so i think i'm fairly accurate regards the speed. I'm thinking "Shioot, maybe i scared him." When i caught him again at a RAB i came alongside and tried to tell him through his window "Your backdoor was wide open, mate. I tried to tell you..." etc. God knows what he was thinking as he just stared straight ahead. Then i left him as i was late for work.

When one is driving his car one tends to get lost in his own little bubble innit? This tends to a passive-aggressiveness with respect to other road users. A larger vehicle (eg. HGV), or a more powerful one (fancy SUV-type thingy), generally commands more respect than a smaller engined little holiday Fiat. So the dim-witted would feign subservience to the more powerful and take out their petty, pent-up grievances on the less bulky. Fortunately, most people rise above this and treat others as they would be treated themselves. It is only the truly evil, the stupid, the absent-minded, and the drunk... and now i've missed my point. Well it is Thursday!
 

Rhythm Thief

Legendary Member
Location
Ross on Wye
In 12 years of driving I've only been annoyed by a cyclist once, and that's because he pulled a dangerous move on me which put himself at risk. I shouted 'Are you insane?' and he rode off. Nowt really.

I've never had a problem with cyclists 'holding me up' or riding two abreast, even before I became one myself. I just wait for an appropriate place and make a pass. The fact is, a lot of motorists don't seem to know how to deal with cyclists on the road, and if you can't deal with other road users, you shouldn't have a licence.

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant didn't it?

This is my experience too. Sometimes when I'm driving the lorry, cyclists annoy me. But only because I'm thinking "oh, for f**k's sake, claim your road space and stop wobbling about in the gutter. You need to be in primary here to stop me squeezing past you (not that I'm going to) ... " and so forth.:rolleyes:
 

apollo179

Well-Known Member
Did anyone say they werent.
If cyclists are considerate then it seems pretty obvious that they will be more popular and get treated better accordingly - its a win win. (wait for the next cycling supremacist to say ; its legal and were not in a popularity contest)
 

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Apart from the lorry bit I find I do the same. Nothing annoys me more (on the roads) than cyclists riding in the gutter.
This is my experience too. Sometimes when I'm driving the lorry, cyclists annoy me. But only because I'm thinking "oh, for f**k's sake, claim your road space and stop wobbling about in the gutter. You need to be in primary here to stop me squeezing past you (not that I'm going to) ... " and so forth.:rolleyes:
 
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