Panorama, BBC1 tonight. 8.00pm

[mjr]

I have cycled round it and survived, but its not a route I would choose.

Quietway 1 actually crosses the west end of the junction, which makes it look rather tempting on a map for unsuspecting cyclists wanting to turn east there and head towards the City.

 

[Andy in Germany]

At a guess, perhaps it’s jealousy. They’ve bought into this mythical freedom dream, egged on by ridiculous car ads, of empty, open roads and nothing in the way, spending absurd amounts of cash on vehicles they can’t afford, only to get stuck in gridlock. Then they spot us, whistling past them, wind in our hair, barely a care in the world, and they feel (quite rightly) they’ve been had. Shame.

I think that may be a part of it, along with tribalism: in car centric cultures cyclists are generally seen as the "other". I've noticed the rants are much less common around Freiburg because cycling is more common so people at the very least actually know someone who cycles even if they don't themselves.