sidevalve
Über Member
Sadly I must say that the attitude of many cyclists seems to me to be one of "I'm better than you" and "it's always the other blokes fault". What I'm about to say will upset a lot of people and if I get thrown off the forum, well maybe the truth hurts.
First cyclists are NOT all perfect and car drivers always in the wrong. Second I suspect no more than 50% of cyclists have insurance so guess what if a car brakes hard [say for a child] and gets rammed by mr fixi with no brakes, who can easily do £200-300 damage or more who payes ?
No, the highway code is not law and you don't have to use cycleways BUT you do NOT have the right to use the pavement. You are classed as a vehicle and must obay traffic signals, now I have no problem with hopping off the bike and WALKING with the pedestrians but to simply dive off the road and peddle across as one dingbat did because he "didn't have time" or "didn't want to break his stride" nearly knocking my wife [who is disabled] over in the process, is just not on. Had I been closer I'm afraid he WOULD have stopped because I'd have punched him off his bike.
Lights. Sorry but the number of bikes with no form of lighting at all is amazing. One guy is lucky I missed him on a dark country lane with no street lighting, no lights on his bike [not even a reflector] wearing cammo gear ! No this doesn't affect pedestrians, guess what, they're on the PAVEMENT ! It's ok saying "it's the responsibility of the overtaker" but 1- if you'd rode into the back of a blacked out skip who's fault would that be ? and 2- we are big boys and girls, take some resposibility for your OWN safety.
Signals, ha, who needs 'em. Not most cyclists obviously. I followed one old boy in Lincoln once and his signals were brilliant, you knew EXACTLY what he was going to do but many highway hero's just don't bother.
Riding in a bunch and thus blocking a lane, why, ride in single file, is it SO hard ?
If I were to overtake a group of bikes then slow down to ten mph and delay them I'm quite sure I'd get a load of verbal abuse and gestures, so why is it not ok the other way aroud ?
The end is this, two wrongs will never make a right. Sure you can film the big bad car driver making a mistake BUT are you prepared to be filmed next time you just bob onto the pavement " only for a few yards, honest " or nip past a red light , or will you rely on the fact that with no registration it's easy to "get away with it " ?
This is not a perfect world, driving standards are poor. When I ride or drive I TRY to see the other guys point of view [sometimes I even manage it]. yes there are numptys out there and some who just shouldn't be on the road at all, but it isn't confined to one group only.
I DON'T defend stupid drivers but perhaps we need to clean up our own act AS WELL.
Sorry and no offence intended to anyone but that's how it seems to me.
First cyclists are NOT all perfect and car drivers always in the wrong. Second I suspect no more than 50% of cyclists have insurance so guess what if a car brakes hard [say for a child] and gets rammed by mr fixi with no brakes, who can easily do £200-300 damage or more who payes ?
No, the highway code is not law and you don't have to use cycleways BUT you do NOT have the right to use the pavement. You are classed as a vehicle and must obay traffic signals, now I have no problem with hopping off the bike and WALKING with the pedestrians but to simply dive off the road and peddle across as one dingbat did because he "didn't have time" or "didn't want to break his stride" nearly knocking my wife [who is disabled] over in the process, is just not on. Had I been closer I'm afraid he WOULD have stopped because I'd have punched him off his bike.
Lights. Sorry but the number of bikes with no form of lighting at all is amazing. One guy is lucky I missed him on a dark country lane with no street lighting, no lights on his bike [not even a reflector] wearing cammo gear ! No this doesn't affect pedestrians, guess what, they're on the PAVEMENT ! It's ok saying "it's the responsibility of the overtaker" but 1- if you'd rode into the back of a blacked out skip who's fault would that be ? and 2- we are big boys and girls, take some resposibility for your OWN safety.
Signals, ha, who needs 'em. Not most cyclists obviously. I followed one old boy in Lincoln once and his signals were brilliant, you knew EXACTLY what he was going to do but many highway hero's just don't bother.
Riding in a bunch and thus blocking a lane, why, ride in single file, is it SO hard ?
If I were to overtake a group of bikes then slow down to ten mph and delay them I'm quite sure I'd get a load of verbal abuse and gestures, so why is it not ok the other way aroud ?
The end is this, two wrongs will never make a right. Sure you can film the big bad car driver making a mistake BUT are you prepared to be filmed next time you just bob onto the pavement " only for a few yards, honest " or nip past a red light , or will you rely on the fact that with no registration it's easy to "get away with it " ?
This is not a perfect world, driving standards are poor. When I ride or drive I TRY to see the other guys point of view [sometimes I even manage it]. yes there are numptys out there and some who just shouldn't be on the road at all, but it isn't confined to one group only.
I DON'T defend stupid drivers but perhaps we need to clean up our own act AS WELL.
Sorry and no offence intended to anyone but that's how it seems to me.