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Without running off at tangents about speeding and drunk drivers, my comments are in relation to the interaction between cyclist and motorist. I agree there needs to be a little room and respect (to each other AND the law) given, but it is a 2 way street and the Lycra wearing mammals don't do themselves any favours IMHO. There are good and bad on both sides, but the cyclist sterotype has come from riders actions, not drivers.Quote:
Originally Posted by rick130
I'll counter that with the thought that the bulk of reaction to cyclists may come from the same agro that the average motorist feels towards 4Wders, or even bullbars.....Quote:
Originally Posted by pop058
After what I saw yesterday, I am really annoyed. I ride a bike to and from work everyday, I keep hard left on the shoulder of the road, obey all road rules and keep well alert of what is going on around me. Life is just too short as it is.
Yesterday on Old Cleveland Road, at Camp Hill a group of female cyclists (so called professionals) were in the RIGHT HAND LANE heading inbound toward the city (2 lanes inbound, 2 lanes outbound). They were just dawdling along chatting between themselves as drivers had to take evasive action and all get into the left hand lane.
I was really appalled! this kind of cyclist behaviour makes it really hard for us cyclists who do the RIGHT thing on the road.
It really is a problem.
What upsets me is when cyclists ride two abrest on a single lane road with double yellow lines up the centre. Behind them is a long queue of cars who cannot overtake without breaking the law. It seems some cyclists don't care.
I have no issues with cyclists.... Unless of course there wearing lycra. I've found just about any cyclist that wears lycra is a moron ... They really do appear to all be window lickers who's stupidity defies belief. The last 3 times I've come across lycra wearing fools has been
twice: Lane sharing on country roads in 100km/h zones.... I've come over a crest or around a corner and found these utter *******s lane sharing using an entire lane ... If there had been oncoming traffic in both cases I'd have cleaned them up .... ( Yes I can already hear all the lycra wearers on the forum yelling "WE HAVE THE RIGHT" and shaking the fist at me). Sure it maybe legal to lane share on a public road.... On a country road in 100km/h zones == utter stupidity.
Last time it was one of these lycra wearing fools using a 3gigawat LED helmet light. They shone it into my eyes when I was looking for where they were........ I could see stars for about 3seconds... There lucky I didn't take out an oncoming car or the cyclist themselves.
I have this theory.... Anyone that rides a bike a wears lycra, should infact be riding a bus..... licking it's windows as they safety travel to there destination.
It's like their brain gets switched off as soon as they buy an expensive brand name bike and a set of lycra.
seeya,
Shane L..
I wear lycra (in plain grey) because its comfortable, so please don't commit the fallacy of tarring everyone else with the stupid actions of the few.Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleChevron
I have a problem though. The only cyclists that I see doing incredibly stuipd things ............ All have a couple of things in common:Quote:
Originally Posted by bee utey
1) they rushed out and bought a fancy brand named bike
2) they purchased lycra too wear
3) they completely forget the laws of physics as soon as they get on a bike.
I've ridden a pushbike a huge amount (mostly when I was younger). Not in a million years would I have been stupid enough to lane share where it was dangerous to do so. Certainly NEVER on country roads in 100km/h zones.
I never felt the need to ride in a pack deliberately stopping traffic.... I broke all the road rules a huge amount. I did what was safe. If the footpath was the safe place to be, that's where I am. Round-a-bout? That's me in the middle of the round-a-bout, I'm not sharing the smaller round-a-bouts with middle aged women in 4wds (don't ask, been there done that ... I've had middle aged women in 3ton 4wds push me off railway crossing into the tracks too). So round-a-bouts and railway crossings, I'm the asshole on the pushbike riding in the middle of the road.
I have no need for lycra, or an expensive brand name bike. I have a brain and are looking behind me almost as much as I'm looking forward (eg: riding across said railway crossing or round-a-bout ... YOu look behind first, cars there ?? Pull off the road, let them go first.... Sure you have right of way. You can tell that too the cops while there scraping you out of a **** tanks bullbar).
What ever happened to common sense? cyclists can scream "I have the right" all they want as I come over a crest doing 100km/h and squish them all over the road. ( You have no idea how much it scared the absolute crap out of us when we crested a hill at 100km/h and found two cyclists lane sharing.... My wife was sure they were dead, I've never swerved so hard at speed before.... They sure would be very squished, very dead riders if a car had come the other way. I had my wife and kids in the car. Window lickers riders bikes that are deliberately trying to commit suicide aren't high on my list of priorities).
Usually I get yelled down "what if it was a cow" ............. Well if it was a cow, yep, I'd have squished it too. Cows generally don't ride down the lane of a road for kilometers on end. They may cross a road if they get out of the paddocks, they sure as **** wont stand blocking a lane for kilometers at a time.
Next "lycra moron" comeback.... "WHAT IF IT WAS A TRACTOR" .... Wow if it was a tractor and I come over a crest/round a corner at 100km/h ..... For starters the suckers are usually about 3meters high and have a flashing light on the top. The tractor drivers also have brain ... Just over a crest or round a corner ??? Those suckers are waaaaaayyyyy off the road, usually dodging the scenery and trees. You see people in tractors usually have a brain.
seeya,
Shane L.
I drive and ride (as do all adult cyclists I know).
I have witnessed a lot more drivers do stupid/illegal things than cyclists.
Case in point, this morning I was stopped on the side of the road waiting for space to cross the road (being extra cautious as I know perth drivers lose the plot when the first winter rains fall). A car failed to notice that the 2 cars in front had stopped waiting to turn, and in order to avoid a collision the driver crossed into the cycle lane on the side of the road then mounted the kerb. Anyone in the cycle lane would have been taken out, and so would I have been if I was waiting a few metres further along the road.
If this were a thread about banning 4x4s with bull bars from driving in cities...
Yep, car drivers do really stupid things all the time, there isn't a morning that goes by that there isn't dozens of collisions between all the commuters .... So why do bike riders think there not going to get hit too ... when there smaller and can be completely hidden by the massive pillars in modern cars. ....Quote:
Originally Posted by isuzurover
But these cars that "come together", the drivers have a fair chance of coming out of it ok. Now bike riders? They should have the brains to not ever put themselves in the situation in the first place. You'd never catch me riding in peak hour traffic. I don't care how many road rules there are saying I have the right too do so. You'll never find me lane sharing or deliberately holding up the traffic as a big group of riders.
It's simple common sense. If you ride in heavy traffic with cars, eventually you WILL get squished. The cars can't avoid hitting each other, what makes you think they wont hit something smaller and less visible.
I reckon these lycra wearers would be the same poeple that swim at a boat ramp then rave and rant about all the idiot boaters and how they should be banned.
seeya,
shane L.
I do about 6000km per year on my bike, to work.
I have noticed a lot of riders are wearing headphones now. Talk about adding even more risk.
And its funny how you legally have to have a bell or warning device for pedestrians but you very rarely see them on the lycra crew. Perhaps it stuffs their aerodynamics or add too much weight or something, or just not "cool"
I have noticed that there is a higher level of arrogance in these same type of riders (as opposed to general commuters) Because they have an expensive bike they assume you are slower, so hog the outside of the bike lane (even on the dedicated non-road bike lanes) And choosing to pass in the most dangerous congested parts to "maintain their momentum" instead of calming down a bit until they get to the safer bit, just up ahead. Or fly past you coming up to a red light (if they stop) to get in front, then faff about clipping in their pedals and slowing me up when the light goes green.
Anyway, I plenty of arrogant car action too. Especially early in the morning with all the tradies and "white van men" about.
/rant