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

Its pretty awesome..a mate of mine is cycling with them ..

anyway back to the thread

I've seen a few posts calling cyclists selfish.

That really makes my wonder about people's self awareness when they demand the rights and supporting infrastructure to drive a dangerous, polluting, congestion causing, metal box weighing a tonne or more at no less than 50kmph in high density areas yet call others selfish.

Anyway, this thread is about being cyclist aware, not self aware, or a showcase for ignorance and ITG talk.

I am a cyclist aware driver. I am also a driver aware cyclist. I commute to work by bike daily (110km a week) and know exactly how poor some people's driving is in Sydney. More than 99% of drivers I interact with are fine but it only takes 1 to not pay attention or be an idiot and it's game over.

I've been cycle aware all my driving life, both motor and pedal. I've also been road kill - result, below knee amputee left leg, mangled right foot and mangled left hand. 28 years later still need pain killers to function normally

It's simple respect for another human, not whether we are going to be a few seconds late for either slowing down or passing safely.

Yep, some of the replies on here really defy me. The anti-cyclist mentality that is raised by some of the comments is something I struggle to understand. Where does it come from? Why is it so prevalent in Australia. I say that having experienced far more courteous and friendlier driver attitude towards cyclists elsewhere in the world. For that matter – towards each and every other road user. In Australia,is the aggression aimed at cyclists just an extension of the high levels of aggression that seems to exist once perfectly nice and courteous Australians get behind the wheel of their car. Even the grannies here seem to think they’re Peter Brock! Its dog eat dog out there.

Yes - we can all quote examples of rogue individuals. And there are many examples of dumbness. The old chap that was killed by a sole "Hell Ride" rider a few years back was a tragedy. That was one rider not observing the pedestrian crossing red light and ploughing through an elderly gentleman crossing the Beach Road in Mentone. Nobody condones that behaviour and it does give cyclists a bad name - mainly because the media and cyclist intolerants love to jump on the "beatemup" of cyclists. I could quote ten times the examples ofi diotic car driving behaviour leading to harm or death to cyclists.

Has anybody ever seen a car riding along in the outside lane with a clear inside lane – never have myself (Mick – to counter yourprovocative point).

I have ridden the Hell Ride and I don't particularly like the testosterone levels in the group. As a collective group, they ride far too aggressively for open road conditions. Some of them think they are in the Tour DeFrance. And the occasional "wolf" whistles to passing females is just boorish. However, that being said, it does take place between 6:45am and 8:30am on a Saturday morning when most sane people are still in their pit.

It comes down to this. Consequence. Severity. When a cyclist or pedestrian is lying injured in the road, there is no right and wrong - only an accident that probably could have been avoided. If a car hits a motorbike, cyclist or pedestrian, it can have dire consequences. Conversely, if cyclists hits something, the consequences (usually) are not too bad – I’m not excusing poor cycling etiquette or saying cyclists don’t need to observe the rules of the road. But the consequences are vastly different when comparing the scenarios of “car hits cyclist vs cyclist hits something”. My point being, drivers need to make allowances and need to be extra cautious around cyclists (please, I beg). Bikes don’t have ABS and their footprint is extremely small - they don’t stop particularly well. Their centre of gravity, particuilarly in my case, is terrible.

Having gotten that off my chest, I will say, because of the extreme aggression I often experience from drivers (I search hard to understand what I did to prompt such behaviour), I ride like everybody is trying to kill me. Deffensive. That I hope makes me a safer rider for many years to come.

I genuinely love my commute to work on my bike, along the cycle path that runs along Gardeners Creek and then the main Yarra Trail, and in to the city. It keeps me off the road for 90% of my journey. It sure would make it interesting if the 1000’s of commuter cyclists protested and took to their cars and/or public transport.

Originally Posted by blitz

I've been cycle aware all my driving life, both motor and pedal. I've also been road kill - result, below knee amputee left leg, mangled right foot and mangled left hand. 28 years later still need pain killers to function normally

It's simple respect for another human, not whether we are going to abeafew seconds late for either slowing down or passing safely.

absolutely agree dave

S'funny the lycra hate. The tough old blokes and ladies I do occasional group rides with wear lycra because it's comfortable, not because it makes their arses look fat. (Sad fact, it does but they don't care at all ) Strangely enough I enjoy their company not because they're unfashionably shaped but because they're genuinely interesting people. They're mothers, fathers, grand parents and in some cases great grand parents. And our slow little groups tend to avoid the main roads so you can't see us and dream up stereotypes about us.

Growing old ungracefully is faaar more fun than hiding every wrinkle and being afraid of the body fashion police....

Reading these cyclists threads 2 things stand out:

When comments are being made about coming round blind corners or over hills, not knowing what is the other side and not being able to stop safely if there is an obstacle that a few people shouldn't be allowed on the road as they apparently believe it is okay to drive dangerously because the sign said 100kmh is the speed limit and they are going to do it regardless.

Defensive driving anyone????

Secondly, the wheel is turning, the more of these threads, news articles that occur the greater the voice cyclists are gaining and the knuckle draggers are losing the battle. Must be terrifying for those that are so scared of cyclists. Quite ironic considering bikes pre-date cars and modern roads as we know them were created for cyclists.

I always thought roads were created for Roman Legions and their Chariots