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

Originally Posted by Xul

I have no problem with cyclists in the city (probably because I am never there!), it's the cyclists in the country that bother me.

Those who live in or near Adelaide will know the roads through the hills where cyclists tend to ride in the middle of the road/2 abreast. I've nearly cleaned them up before.

In fact once while heading home along Mt. Compass - Goolwa road, around a sharp bend there were a group of cyclists, maybe 10-15 taking up a whole lane, and part of the next one! I had to lock up the brakes and still only just missed them. They got a mouthful I can tell you that.

In my honest opinion, bikes simply shouldn't be allowed on 100k windy roads, unless they are mountain bikes who ride on the shoulder.

Exactly the problem. Just as bikes are not permitted on the SE freeway, country roads are even WORSE with no shoulder runoff or emergency stopping lane like the freeway so why would an intelligent person put themselves in that position? Worse still try to FORCE their perceived right

MY biggest gripe, when I was a kid riding my treadly on the road, and even now (very occasionally, never NEVER on roads with speeds above 60kph) I USE(D) A MIRROR SO I CAN SEE WHAT IS COMING BEHIND ME AND MOVE OVER OR GET OFF THE ROAD IF NECESSARY!! AGAIN, what intelligent person navigates a road WITHOUT A MIRROR thereby peddling along ignorantly and blissfully unaware of what is behind and ASSUMING that good manners and hyper-alertness will be displayed by all drivers.

As an ex motorcyclist, occasional cyclist, and parent teaching kids to ride....to all the wannabe Lances and Lancets - GET A MIRROR AND USE IT.

Should be law I reckon.

Personally, I think if car drivers cant drive safely with bike riders on the road, then they should remove cars from the roads. Bunch of tin wearing pansy's break a sweat just getting in to the car.

On a roundabout note though, bike riders disappear behind the A pillar. Riders should look for eye contact with drivers, not just that the vehicle has stopped.

Got no problem with riders if they obey the road rules.
I head up the hill every Sat morning where I have to contend with "packs" of riders who somehow think they are safe and their school of bikes will somehow as if by magic, protect them from cars.
They often ride 3-4 wide across the road with double white lines at 1kph.
So does that mean I a) break the law to get around them by overtaking on a white line or b) give them a horn blast and try and remind them that they are breaking the law?
As soon as you try and tell them anything you are 9 times out of 10 met with abuse and obscene gestures.
Just today a rider cut me off by turning from the left of the lane I was in, did a u turn on a double white and headed back down the hill and not once did he look over his shoulder.
I have seen other near misses too.

I think cyclists also need to be more aware of their surroundings, physics dictates that a 100kg mass moving at 25km/h should be observing what a 2700kg mass moving at 120km/h behind them is doing... Same goes for the obligatory 'slam on the brakes if there is any danger, no matter how close the B double is behind you' mob.

Everyone needs to be more aware on the road. Take a look in your mirror before dropping the anchors completely.

Cheers
Will

Originally Posted by Cliffy

Got no problem with riders if they obey the road rules.
I head up the hill every Sat morning where I have to contend with "packs" of riders who somehow think they are safe and their school of bikes will somehow as if by magic, protect them from cars.
They often ride 3-4 wide across the road with double white lines at 1kph.
So does that mean I a) break the law to get around them by overtaking on a white line or b) give them a horn blast and try and remind them that they are breaking the law?
As soon as you try and tell them anything you are 9 times out of 10 met with abuse and obscene gestures.
Just today a rider cut me off by turning from the left of the lane I was in, did a u turn on a double white and headed back down the hill and not once did he look over his shoulder.
I have seen other near misses too.

They're allowed to ride 2 abreast in a lane, this is stated in the law. Theyre not allowed to ride more than 2 abreast in a lane.

Just like a car driver expects the following people to not hit them, so does a rider.

Of course they will tell anybody that does that to because their thought process is entirely about their needs in exactly the same way as those riders who are hogging the road quite probably are thinking entirely about their own needs. The only options are listed above are blasting the horn at them or breaking the law with an illegal passing manouve and these are both entirely focussed on the driver not having to slow down. Note that the option to blast the horn is because they are riding illegally but the first option is to illegally pass then which risks the lives of the riders, the driver and oncoming drivers/riders.

Forgotten option C is to be patient and foster a safe environment by passing when suitable and legal.

I also think that nobody can throw rocks about illegal and negligent conduct on the road, it happens epidemically from both cars and riders - riders will pay the price for it though.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

They often ride 3-4 wide across the road with double white lines at 1kph.

Yep. Get that here too. When I

Originally Posted by Cliffy

give them a horn blast and try and remind them that they are breaking the law?

Then I am

Originally Posted by Cliffy

met with abuse and obscene gestures.

Funny, that.

Perhaps the title of this thread should be "Driver aware cyclists..... Are you one?"
Saw an interesting thing the other day. I stopped at a red light. It was very red. A cyclist swerved to avoid cycling into the rear of the car. What he was doing to nearly hit me in the rear, I have no idea. Then he cycled straight through the red light. The other cars gave way to him. They were probably stunned in disbelief. Then, a little ways down the road, BANG!
He rode into the back of a parked car.
Must have been blind.

Oh, on the subject of blind cyclists. We have a blind cyclist in town. Rides past my house often. A lot of people in town know him and watch out for him.
True story.

I'm so passionate about giving cyclists a metre clearance between them and my doors that I've welded a metre long 50x50 mm SHS to the left side of my bullbar, as a guide.

Originally Posted by Dave_S

The hatred some people feel for cyclists is like racism - born of sheer bloody minded ignorance and virtually incurable. It's amazing how often people refer to the colour of cyclists' skin. I believe the word used is "lycra".

Nobody was born wearing lycra.