Holding cars up...

[400bhp]

Stress relief

There's a lot of posturing that goes on-guess in some ways they have taken the place of other societal activities to some extent.

There's probably a good book to be written on the psychology of internet forums (if it hasn't already been written).

 

[doog]

Hahaha you really do think you are better than everyone else.
Perhaps you should look at the dates of the videos uploaded and see the gaps between the uploads. Understand that he cycles everyday to work and rarely uploads a video.
You don't see everything that happens on his commute, you don't see where he is courteous to other road users. Just because the only videos you see are of situations you don't find your self in, doesn't meant that he goes around shouting at people all the time or making trouble.

Gaz. You can only comment on whats in front of you. I work with three cyclists, one part owns a cycling shop,organises and partakes in shop rides, all sensible lads who commute or have commuted extensively for many many years. Today we viewed the OP's youtube vids as a result of this thread.

These guys dont post on here and hadnt see the thread however as cyclists were shocked at what they saw. I cannot repeat what they said about the OP and his behaviour.

Im sorry but any attempts to condone his actions don't wash with me... HIS BEHAVIOUR ISNT NORMAL or indeed proportionate in many of his video's

If you think it is then we agree to disagree.

 

[hennbell]

We cyclist normally moan about the treatment we get from motorist, this thread is proof positive, that we are no better.

We see a small snippet of the posters commute by watching the video's posted. We see well less than 0.1% of his time on the road , and most of the interactions we see are when a bit of an incident has occurred.

Then we all get to take a pop at his driving position, aggressiveness, the way he goes of of the way to encourage motorist to react. We have no idea what happened for the rest of 99.9 % of the commute.

The one thing I know is that from the anonymity of the internet we are quick to announce opinions that we would never point out face to face. Really it is quite pathetic, from the comfort of our computer we act like school bullies.

HIS BEHAVIOUR ISNT NORMAL - YOUR DAMM RIGHT, HE RIDES A BICYCLE IN THE WINTER IN GLASGOW, THAT IS FAR FROM NORMAL

 

[Bicycle]

I'm reading this thread with interest.

In between some puerile comments (often mine) there is some interesting discussion.

I tend to shy away from what sound or appear extreme views, but I find that I and many of the London and rural cyclists I know are not a million miles from the approach endorsed by Doog.

I've cycled for 40 years and driven for 30. My cycling is not a billion miles from what I was taught in the early 70s through Cycling Proficiency classes at my Primary School. This approach may seem antedeluvian to many, but as Doog says, it has done me pretty well and seems to have done him OK.

I don't think I know better than others (I'm not sure Doog thinks he does either) but I certainly baulk just a little (as he does) at some of the attitudes I read on this forum

Like Doog, I think a little courtesy, lots of eye contact and the awareness of an air gunner over Schweinfurt go a long way.

I feel sometimes that this thread has allowed hard lines of difference to be carved out between cyclists whose real-world approaches are probably not dissimilar.

I've said this before, but to many road users the attitude of Magnatom is one that they would not really want their children to watch as an example of good riding. For me, that's the top line, the middle line and the bottom line.

In my hairy youth I was a motorcycle courier and I behaved slightly assertively (that's a euphemism). But I wouldn't have put tapes of myself doing so in the public arena as a model to other riders.

Quite by accident, I grew up. I still ride, but lack the courage for motorcycles in my grey middle age.

Most road users who have been subject to or have witnessed a squawko-rant from Magnatom will have moved on with every excuse to take a dimmer view of cyclists from that moment.

Just as some cyclists damn every driver when they say "Typical Moton", there are other road users out there who will see Magnatom as a typical cyclist.

Which I find slightly sad....

 

[gaz]

Im sorry but any attempts to condone his actions don't wash with me... HIS BEHAVIOUR ISNT NORMAL or indeed proportionate in many of his video's

Care to point out some videos where he is acting irrationally?
Is he just speaking up for his safety and trying to make the roads a safer place or is he swearing at random people on the road for no reason?

 

[doog]

Care to point out some videos where he is acting irrationally?
Is he just speaking up for his safety and trying to make the roads a safer place or is he swearing at random people on the road for no reason?

where did I say irrationally? I said his behaviour wasn't proportionate or normal. (is it normal to confront lone female motorists in the way he did?).

I will also argue that his cycling isn't proportionate to some of the conditions he is encountering on the road.

For example...does the 'door zone' disappear when filtering at speed between two lanes of stationary traffic?....open to debate I guess...(note I said at speed)

 

[ferret fur]

How have I survived...? I go by the old adage that if there is a vehicle behind me I will move over slightly and let it pass. It doesnt slow my journey and why should I slow or obstruct the traffic flow?

But... what if there isn't space for it to pass safely? Do you move over & allow it to overtake with insufficient room? The point is that in most of these videos there isn't the space to pass. That's why the videos are being posted. A lot of magnatom's videos are on urban dual carriageways. They are not wide enough to safely take 2 cars & a bike simultaneously. So where is the bike supposed to go. I'll give you a clue. The answer is primary. If drivers have a problem with that, they are in the wrong, It's not the cyclist ridng 'aggressively that's at fault here. You really are just victim blaming, something I find rather odd I have to say.
As for the 28.5 mph comment. Are you seriously suggesting that the main cause of cars turning into the path of push bikes is due to the cyclist speeding?

 

[400bhp]

[QUOTE 1611585"]


You have to understand that Mag has been posting vids for roughly 4 years - etc



As mentioned I've had a few barneys with Mag over the years -
[/quote]

Don't forget Lee, that some posters haven't been around that long and perhaps have only been recently introduced to his vids. So we have to understand (and take on board) their perceptions and first impressions. I'm guessing some of your barneys have been about his vids?

Rather than slagging off the "dissenters" I think it's worth listening and trying to understand why they have come to the conclusions (rightly or wrongly).

It's a shame but a lot of the time on here we (myself included) pick up on the minutae and verbatum, rather than looking at the bigger picture as to what the person is really saying-many people aren't great (well evidenced on this forum) of getting their point across in a valid way.

 

[gaz]

where did I say irrationally? I said his behaviour wasn't proportionate or normal. (is it normal to confront lone female motorists in the way he did?).

I will also argue that his cycling isn't proportionate to some of the conditions he is encountering on the road.

For example...does the 'door zone' disappear when filtering at speed between two lanes of stationary traffic?....open to debate I guess...(note I said at speed)

I wouldn't say it was normal to confront any driver, be it female or male. But that doesn't mean it is wrong to raise issues in the way that magnatom did, which was hardly fuelled by anger.

 

[Bicycle]

I wouldn't say it was normal to confront any driver, be it female or male. But that doesn't mean it is wrong to raise issues in the way that magnatom did, which was hardly fuelled by anger.

Gaz, he does seem to be fairly close to the edge of fury in a couple of clips.

He even says on this thread that the moment got to him on some occasions (or silmilar).

In the language of many, he simply lost his temper.

In my non-expert view, by engaging in dialogue (monologue) with drivers, he appears in a way to be tightening his own strings and somehow workingnhimself up.

It is not edifying and it is not a good advertisement for bicycle commuters.

 

[doog]

But... what if there isn't space for it to pass safely? Do you move over & allow it to overtake with insufficient room? The point is that in most of these videos there isn't the space to pass. That's why the videos are being posted. A lot of magnatom's videos are on urban dual carriageways. They are not wide enough to safely take 2 cars & a bike simultaneously. So where is the bike supposed to go. I'll give you a clue. The answer is primary. If drivers have a problem with that, they are in the wrong, It's not the cyclist ridng 'aggressively that's at fault here. You really are just victim blaming, something I find rather odd I have to say.
As for the 28.5 mph comment. Are you seriously suggesting that the main cause of cars turning into the path of push bikes is due to the cyclist speeding?

very good point(the 28.5 mph point was tongue in cheek however)

You say the answer is primary and it may well be but is it proportionate for a cyclist to be adopting primary on an urban dual carriageway when he is or may be incapable of keeping up with traffic flow without causing an obstruction. (should they even be on it if as you suggest there is no room for a vehicle to pass)

 

[gaz]

It is not edifying and it is not a good advertisement for bicycle commuters.

I don't think any of us that video think that our videos are a good advertisement for cycling, even if there isn't a 'confrontation' or 'conversation'. That is a major downside to it and one that is hard to change (it is possible with lots of videos about how great cycling is, but people tend not to pass them around and they don't get as many views as the bad stuff).
Any new rider that watches the videos could very well be put off.

On a separate note.
People often comment that they think video camera cyclists play up to the camera. Talking to other road users may be out of the norm, but people who are taking to video cameras to display the issues they have on the roads are clearly trying to do something against bad drivers that they encounter, so there is bound to be the odd mention to the driver that their driving standards where poor. I personally try to avoid it as there is little you can do to change a drivers mindset.

very good point(the 28.5 mph point was tongue in cheek however)

You say the answer is primary and it may well be but is it proportionate for a cyclist to be adopting primary on an urban dual carriageway when he is or may be incapable of keeping up with traffic flow without causing an obstruction. (should they even be on it if as you suggest there is no room for a vehicle to pass)

I'm not sure the 'debate' of primary vs secondary is one worth going into. People have very conflicting opinions and each has it's pro's and con's for each situation. And the situations are different for each area. Just as long as you stay safe on the road, that is the most important thing.

 

[doog]

I don't think any of us that video think that our videos are a good advertisement for cycling, even if there isn't a 'confrontation' or 'conversation'. That is a major downside to it and one that is hard to change (it is possible with lots of videos about how great cycling is, but people tend not to pass them around and they don't get as many views as the bad stuff).
Any new rider that watches the videos could very well be put off.

On a separate note.
People often comment that they think video camera cyclists play up to the camera. Talking to other road users may be out of the norm, but people who are taking to video cameras to display the issues they have on the roads are clearly trying to do something against bad drivers that they encounter, so there is bound to be the odd mention to the driver that their driving standards where poor. I personally try to avoid it as there is little you can do to change a drivers mindset.

I'm not sure the 'debate' of primary vs secondary is one worth going into. People have very conflicting opinions and each has it's pro's and con's for each situation. And the situations are different for each area. Just as long as you stay safe on the road, that is the most important thing.

fair do's

A31 at 7am tomorrow , I have 50 odd HGV's to be Mr nice guy to, nodding, waving ducking and diving (and the odd bit of cursing) ....soak it all up, repeat at 1600 hrs then give it hell on this forum after work

 

[MacB]

In my non-expert view, by engaging in dialogue (monologue) with drivers, he appears in a way to be tightening his own strings and somehow workingnhimself up.

Sadly I think that's his normal voice, I took the spaces out for you as well

 

[ferret fur]

Hmmm. Are you not slightly missing the point here? The reason why he posted the video was to show that he's not the one holding everyone up! Are you not making exactly the same mistake as the driver? It doesn't matter if the woman in the video has to pull out to overtake him, because she has been stuck in traffic for several miles & all that would have happened is that she would have got to a red light several seconds earlier. He isn't obstructing anybody, she just perceives he does, as do you. If he had been complaining in his vid that he got doored in the traffic jam then your post might have been apposite. As it is I really think you have been blinded by your own prejudice.
On a more general point. I will freely admit that there are certain roads that I am reluctant to ride down, that is my personal choice . Other people choose to cycle on them. They are entitled to be there. The fact that they are there is not an excuse for drivers to behave dangerously even if they do perceive that they are being 'held up'. It isn't the fault of the cyclist if someone chooses to endanger their safety due to impatience.