Safe Speed Forums

Yes but it would take too much typing for me to explain it.

oh well.

I think you probably will find a majority considerate - but as with drivers it'll depend on where you go and what time of day. I could go and stand at the end of my road and watch car after car swerve dangerously around buses trying to pull out of a bus stop. Drivers going too fast for the road. Drivers speeding up to get through the lights at the junction at the end of my street, drivers ignoring other drivers, drivers being agressive, drivers nearly crashing into other drivers etc - this will all happen if I were to do the observation at any busy period.

With regards to some of the ones you observed, yes it sounds like you saw some bad cyclists, but it also sounds like you observed some rude and ignorant people who just happened to be on bikes... it's not because they are cyclists they were doing something wrong, it's because that's the way they are... those would be

1. Cyclist on footpath nearly hits old lady, same cyclist clips a bloke. - This cyclist is just an inconsiderate and rude person... you could observe them in a car or in a group of people and you'd come to the same conclusion.

2.Cyclist (lycra clad) came on pavement to avoid red lights and rode across pedestrian crossing clipping me as he passed. ( he didnt wish to stop when I challenged him about it) - Same as above, anyone who doesn't give way to pedestrians if cycling on a pavement is a bad cyclist, anyone who does that and then isn't even polite enough to apologise and correct when something happens it simply a rude person.

4. Cyclists who continued through red lights= 3 - Were the lights necessary? Were they red for non-existant crossers? Yes yes it's the law, but we all flaunt the speed limits from time to time, as a cyclist I will flaunt red lights if it's due to some tit pressing the button then sodding off, or if some arse of a road planner decided all should be on red at some stage at all hours of the day. If they were necessary and it was dangerous, fair enough - bad cyclists

6 Cyclist pushes his bike between parked vehs out ahead of him into the road causing traffic to stop, then he crosses the road (Zebra was 5yds away) - So he was a pedestrian pushing a bike? Basically he'd have done the same without a bike. You've just observed an idiot who happened to have a bike.

7 Cyclist rides down pavement disgarding his drink bottle over his shoulder when he is about to pass a bin. - Was he riding dangerously or was it the littering that irked you? Littering is just the sign of an inconsiderate human being generally, so again you've just observed an arse who happens to have a bike.

8.Cyclist busy reading something with his bike straddled the full width of pavement fails to notice mothers with prams waiting to get by, when he finally realises he barely moves enough for a young twiggy to get through. - Again, just an inconsiderate person who happens to have a bike.

----

It sounds like i'm just jumping to defence of all cyclists, I'm not - some of those you observed do sound like they were riding badly (not stopping at Zebra's, for example) however it's important not to let a dislike and deep rooted issue with cyclists cloud your view. What you've observed is a bunch of people being inconsiderate generally who just happen to be on bikes when you saw them. As above, these people would most likely display the same behaviour in a car or out with friends etc.

The sort of things I'd look out for as sure signs of cyclists being bad, as opposed to just catching glimpses of morons who own bikes would be your other points...
1. Ignoring zebras
2. Cycling on pavements where it's unsafe and dangerous to ped's and when perfectly safe road to be on
3. Clipping wing mirrors (how can you not know how wide your handle bars are...)
4. Inability to ride in a straight line... yes that drain hole looks like it'll be a bump, but the car behind you isn't going to be able to predict you swerving 6ft around it!!
5. Not performing emergency over-the-shoulder check before rounding parked vehicles/obstacles
6. Not performing a check before slinging your arm out to signal a manouver.
7. No lights at night
8. Jumping on pavement to avoid lights/crossings etc - this doesn't make it legal... if you're going to jump it you might as well stay on the road and just check thoroughly first chaps.

Of the above I think the most common problems are
#1 - Pedestrians actually wait for me to come to a complete standstill before crossing Zebras when I'm on my bike, I can only assume this is due to large numbers of cyclists not bothering to stop, this is obviously annoying to me as it means I then have to start from standstill again. For some reason they are happy to cross when I've just slowed down and made eye contact in my car, but not when on my bike
#4 and #5 - Drivers give such a wide berth when rounding cyclists, this can only be due to the unpredictable nature of some cyclists
#7

---

Having said that, it's unfair to expect people to do all of the above, I've only learned through riding far more than most cyclists do as my job for 18 months was cycling all over London inspecting various sites. To cycle that much without crashing I obvo had to learn had to ride properly.

Cycling on the pavement is illegal, good for the goose...



Cycling through red lights is illegal, good for the gander...

_________________
Regulation without education merely creates more criminals.

Amen - and if only we had more of that then the world would be a better (and safer) place!!

By the way... is there a more sophisticated form of common sense than the basic one?

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

As is breaking the speed limit Robin... but we all know that doesnt make you a bad driver the moment it happens or forever after. The same applies to jumping a red light on a bike... Speed Limits get set badly, lights get placed badly + timed terribly - you can jump these on a bike often without being detected, much as you can often break the speed limit without being detected. I'm not trying to suggest it is always safe - that's why I asked for clarification, but just because you see a cyclist jumping a light it doesnt make them automatically dangerous, reckless or bad...

The point of my observation was not to deliberately have a go at cyclists, its simply observations and from a % point of view is very poor indication of cyclist behavior. ( yes its only one simple study but also backed by my experience of cyclists over many yrs and many many miles) I have no doubt there are many a great cyclist out there but the main reason most people get annoyed with cyclists is purely on the frequency they see bad ones. As for the comments about other road users, I agree with all the comments only when its viewed on % basis becomes less relevant. I often see 80% of cyclists riding poorly and I often see 60% of drivers driving poorly but drivers are often covered by insurance and encouraged by law and rules and the behavior of others not do it so often or risk penalty with sometimes far reaching consequences, where are the same factors affecting cyclists? err, none I think!

The reality for me is that the majority of cyclists are poor road users and sadly bring the rest down with them, its unfortunate but I believe true.

I do ask one question though.......If I drove on a pavement and clipped a pedestrian with my wing mirror would I just be 'rude' or something more serious?

Errr.. MIB .. and the chavs apparently do claim off the legal person's insurance as well

There seems to be no incentive and the changes in the law .. Laughably paltry as regards this type of chav.

We never condone the downright stupid or the downrightly deliberate illegal.


We defend those who err for a fleeting second who are completely safe and COAST led otherwise .. and we still understand those who make the mistake which leads to tragedy..

And do not condemn or seek revenge...

revenge is a waste of time and emotion when all is said and done

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.