Thread: Cyclist aware drivers... are you one?

Considering I have had people try to merge into me and pull out directly in front of me whilst driving my MX5 and Gigantic white 110 county, I'm very careful on my bike.
Like others have said, I'll take a slightly longer, safer ride any day. I do how ever have some very very bright lights on the front of my bike for after the sun goes down. (and I'm waiting for the plod to tell me they are too bright)

Riding a bike on the road makes you very considerate to cyclists. Even if you do want to give some a serve for being dickheads.

I think that truck drivers need educating when it comes to passing cyclists, how many times have you been behind a truck and then suddenly he swerves out to pass a cyclist with no indication As you are behind the truck, 9 out of ten times you don't see the cyclist until the truck pulls out.

The same goes for most car drivers too, why can't you signal that you are passing a cyclist ?? and let other road users know that there is a cyclist ahead. "THINK BIKE" and no I'm not a cyclist

As a teenager, I had two friends who didn't get a chance to live out their lives, thanks to two truck drivers.

Originally Posted by weeds

oh it will come.....they ride two abreast, they ride through red light, dont stop at stop signs, they are noisy at 5am in the morning riding past my house, they cannot maintain the posted speed limit

re: round abouts, when possible i get out into the middle of the lane when going round, this way you are in the line of vision of the person entering the round about as they normally don't look at the outer edge

It's just too quiet in Queensland.

I can get around a round about, about as quick on my bike as a P plater in a WRX and cars just don't expect that so you get to assume that they are going to hit you and so you make allowances to be able to stop in mid flight around the things for those drivers. A mate I ride with had to come to a screeching stop one day in his car as I rode around one, that cost him!

Truck drivers, nothing! Try coach drivers, they would have to be schooled in how to kill cyclists.

Two abreast, well that is legal in NSW. Suck it up.

Over the crest at 100k and nowhere to go to avoid the cyclists? What if it was a cow on the road or a great hole or your mothers car broken down or a horse and cart or tractor or roo or your child who had run onto the road to wave to the cyclists... If you are going over a crest at a speed that you can not stop in the visible road then slow down!

Well here ya go guys I'll tell ya the truth about what I think. Whilst I like the idea of being able to ride to work for the exercise and minimising pollution, etc. I think cyclists who ride on main roads especially during peak hours are generally selfish and arrogant and have some sort of inate death wish; I do sympathise with anyone who has known or lost a friend, relative, etc on the roads, I'm not a heartless bastard. And before you get up in arms, I say generally, obviously not all riders are this way. But for the life of me I can't understand why the wannabe Lance Armstrong, brightly clad lycra brigade devotees think they have every right to toddle along at 25 - 30 kmh in a 70 or 80 zone and hold up multitudes of people who have planned to get to their destination in a certain time without being held up by cyclists. Woud they like to be stuck behind a rollerskater for kms on end? What would they think or say if some clown just decided to drive a car at a speed that was well below their optimum travelling speed?; ya can get booked for that! If they're after exercise why not take the backstreets? No, it nearly always has to be the main roads doesn't it?! I'm sick to death of seeing cyclists two abreast in a car lane and ignoring the cycle lane. As for saying they already pay rego on their cars, yeah great argument; why don't we all drive an unregistered boat, motorbike or another car and claim we've already paid rego on the first car. I've personally had a car damaged (punched) by a cyclist because I blew the horn at the bastard and I'll break the mongrel's neck if I ever see him again. Because he had no ID I couldn't take it any further. In part it is the government's fault because they promote cycling and then provide dangerous avenues for cycling that die out at lights and roundabouts but the arrogance of a large number of cyclists perpetuates the hostility between drivers and cyclists. As for lights on bikes on busy roads at night; sorry guys but you generally just blend into the background although the new era of lights are much better. Also it is not always the drivers fault. We need cycleways separated from roads that actually lead places not only part of the way. Now I'll sit back and wait for the backlash.

Im CYCLIST AWARE...

Aware they are all a PACK OF *******....

I believe if they are OLD enough to drive, then its there choice to ride, and there fore PAY REGO and Follow the road rules...

How many times do we see them HOGGING the road, to come to a RED light, then they, vere off, across the PEDESTRIAN crossing(on side street) and the keep going..

Imagine I did that in my car?

They can all **** off the lot of them...

And in CANBERRA, where alot of my work is done, they think its COLL to ride these Stupid Contrapions, that have 3 or 4 wheels, lay flat on the road almost and out of my truck cannot even see them??? Who do they think they are..

And to top it off, I had one rider who obvioulsy can follow road rules, DIDN"T want to remove his Clips from pedals, so at a red light, decided to lean against my truck, to hold himself up?? I almost pushed the ****ER off his bike after an argument..

The only thing I am aware of now, is how excited I get, when during or after heavy rain, I can SPRAY the *******, from puddles of water

who probably ride to work to save the PLANET, then sit under air con all day, take numerous Plane trips a year and sleep with the lights on...not to mention the washing they do for their kids PRIVATE SCHOOL UNIFORMS, ETC... Etc.. etc...

I am one for saving the PLANET trust me, I try my best NOT TO BE A HYPOCRITE, but as pointed out by lots and lots of reasearch, if a person takes ONE plane trip per year, that poluttes back into the PLANET far more than ANY household can save, even if they uwere completey green, and used all rainwater etc...

So I hope these ******* remember that when booking the INTERNATIONAL travel, next time, after clogging OUR MAIN ROADS....

I agree with some of your points, cycleways that actually make sense would be great but unless every road had a cycleway all points will never be connected without a cyclist being on a road. I think an offroad cycleway along the highway routes would be good and used regularly say within 50km of capital cities. The only issue then is that you are building more infrastructure that needs to be maintained by our rates and taxes. You could try and get the users to pay but then you have adults, children and pensioners using the infrastructure but they can not all pay. The money always has to come from somewhere and I dont think raising rates etc. would be met with much enthusiasm.

As far as the argument on registration, my point is on why a fee should be paid by a cyclist given that they are not, while riding their bike contributing significant loads on the pavement and the effect these have on the pavements life and the roads life etc. I pay rego for my LR and that money is meant to go back into the road to pay for maintenance and so forth on the roads that I have been using and effecting with my 2.5t vehicle. A bike with rider, in my case total weight of 85 - 90kg with bike included has no impact in comparison.

Extra room on roads would be good but you still have issues with drivers that are oblivious to cyclists, not to mention pedestrians, motorcycles, small cars and generally anyone other than themselves.

I have been cut of, side swiped, had cans thrown at me (I was not in the lane or in anyones way) I can travel through a roundabout faster than most cars so dont hold them up and can travel comfortably at 35 - 40km/hr over a long commute. Being stuck behind a cyclist is negligable in peak hour traffic especially since a cyclist most times through suburbs can get to their destination quicker than a vehicle will.

Just my thoughts anyway.

[QUOTE=Chad;1277395]Im CYCLIST AWARE...

Aware they are all a PACK OF *******....

Hi Chad

Some of the chicks I ride with are pretty hot, not real sure of all of their individual habits but I can ask if it helps? As for the guys???. I guess a young bloke like you would have no problem controlling your hormonal urges.