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

I ride 20kms each way to work in Brisbane (from Gumdale to Milton) each day - 200kms per week.

The ride involves a mixture of a dedicated bike lane on the shoulder of a road (Wynnum road) and bike paths. I ride a mountain bike with nobbly tyres because I try and make my ride "interesting" as I find road riding boring. I have been riding mountain bikes for 20 years (including competitions)...and love riding in the bush.

I choose to ride to work as it only takes me 45 minutes by bike in peak hour traffic...By Car - up to 1 hour and 40 minutes (the worst) each way. Plus I don't like leaving my car at an unknown place unsecured. I have spent too much money on it.

Now, I am a very cautious rider and I know there are some idiots on bikes that should be removed from the gene pool. Same as car drivers. Each day I average at least 2 close shaves. Today I was cut off by a person turning left, then a car pulled up along side of me then moved passed me and pulled into a car park. I had to take evasive action by jumping the kerb. This car now sports a fist imprint in the drivers door.

It really ****es my off at the way some drivers treat bike riders. I also find P platers are bad as they can not judge distance and speed.

I agree that some road cyclists push the boundaries and can be really annoying/dangerous. I don't really know a solution apart from separation - dedicated bike lanes keeping bikes out of the traffic.

The other gripe I have is some bike riders who have very bright lights...in dark sections of the bike paths in Brisbane (beside the river) an oncoming bike with very bright (new type LED's) lights will blind you. An incident occured in front of me 2 weeks ago when a guy in front of me was blinded by the bright light of an oncoming cyclist and he turned into the path of that cyclist...they collided and ended up in the river. A fight then broke out and it was on for young and old. Just totally unnecessary if cyclists with bright lights had them focused down rather then straight ahead.

I guess it's just typical selfish human behaviour - not understanding the consequences/implications of your own actions.

Cheers
Andrew

Bike riders who want to use my car to hold themselves upright at the lights are just plain rude.

Originally Posted by 86mud

The other gripe I have is some bike riders who have very bright lights...

The advantage of a bright helmet mounted light is being able to be both courteous to other road users by being able to aim the light away quickly, and you can fry the retinas of peanuts who are intent on running you down. My Niterider HID light makes oncoming drivers dip their headlights, then I aim low until they go by. Some turkeys think, oh it's only a bike and go high beam again, they get another dose. With three power levels and LED's I can tailor the light output to the ride conditions quite well without being rude to innocent bystanders.

Originally Posted by seano87

Well, how many of you consider yourself to be really cyclist aware?

Anyway, coming home this arvo, going around a roundabout, a woman had even stopped and hence I assumed she'd seen me (come on, white shirt, fluoro green backpack and all!), oh no, at the worst possible moment she accelerated and managed to slam into me side on, hit fair and square the exact middle of her grill. I got thrown up the bonnet then back off again as she hit the brakes and barrel rolled 4 times along the road.

Seano

Mate - as it is an intersection are you not required to get off your bike & walk it across??

After being a fulltime motorcycler rider for 13 odd years I can tell you that most - not all push bike riders are !!!!

They do not dismount when they should to cross roads, they cause massive problems here in the city as car drivers can't drive well enough to drive past them, they ride up in my local hills where motorcycler riders go & they take up the whole lane on a mountain rd but complain if they nearly get hit - then there are the dick's who take whole lanes on 3 lane way roads & ride right across merging lanes & wonder why they nearly get hit.

Do ya self a favour - and for everyone else & use the bike pathway's where you can & dismount off your bike to cross intersections - you will live longer

I'm pretty tolerant of cyclists but I do get annoyed with riders who wear all black at night and top that off with no lights. I've nearly cleaned a few up over the years.

The you get those who do have lights that are so feeble that they aren't seen until one is upon them.

RAZzor wrote,...

Mate - as it is an intersection are you not required to get off your bike & walk it across??

The law does not require any cyclist to dismount at any intersection or round-a-bout, just as the law allows riders to take up an entire lane if they so choose to do so.

Australian drivers and especially those in Sydney are known internationally as being very negative towards cyclists, a similar sitution exists in the United States. European countries on the other hand are the complete opposite. In the Netherlands for example, cyclists have right of way over all forms of road transport. The same applies to pedestrians, they too must give way to cyclists.

Back in Australia, the reason most riders will choose when riding in groups or with just another rider to occupy an entire lane is that believe it or not,..it is safer than riding single file. On a busy road riding single file allows motorists, trucks etc to drive past often too close and with speed which is more than dangerous.

Just as a motorist has every right to drive on every road, so a cyclist has every right to ride on every road, except on an expressway where it is so marked.

With 60% or the population overweight or obese, it is a pity that more people don't get off their fat backsides and hop on a bike and start riding. You will see just how unfit you really are, not to mention getting a first hand example of what it feel like to ride not only along a quite suburban street, but to also ride across intersections and along a busy road.

I guarantee if you do, your attitude will change and change for the better, assuming of course you don't get run over for riding too close to the gutter or flattened at an interesection.

Ron.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Bike riders who want to use my car to hold themselves upright at the lights are just plain rude.

Just before the rider leans onto your car edge a bit foreward.
A fall is imminent.

I have also been ont the recieving end while cycling. Broken hand was the result.

A quaintence lost his son recently whlie he was out training.
A vehicle hit him from behind at full speed killing him instantly.
This happened on a remote road, wide with little traffic in the emergency lane where the kid was cycling and the car driving.
RIP Adam!!!

Originally Posted by RoverP6B

RAZzor wrote,...
Australian drivers and especially those in Sydney are known internationally as being very negative towards cyclists, a similar sitution exists in the United States.
The same applies to pedestrians, they too must give way to cyclists.

Ron.

South Africa beats the rest of world on this one. Come to Gauteng and see. (Pretoria and Johannesburg)
I am a cyclist and must say sometimes are ashamed to be one.
The club I belong too has some stricks rules regarding riding more than one abreast unless you are overtaking another rider.

The kids that was written about in my last post was the son of a founder member of the club.