Thread: Cyclists.

Most of the drivers SOR in Perth are pretty good. Sometimes they don't give enough room when passing but other than that most of them are okay.

The thing about Perth is that it's still relatively small so everyone knows someone who cycles. They realise that each cyclist is someone's Mum, Dad, son, daughter, mate etc.. Helps to put a human face on it.

I find that I get better treatment on the road when riding my bike then when driving my Deefer. For some reason Montalcino red is like an invisibility cloak and everyone thinks they can just pull out in front of me.

As for the road rules there are morons no matter what form of transport. The biggest danger IMO is texting. You have no defence against someone who is simply not watching whether they be driving a truck, car, bike or walking like a drunk snake all over the path/road.

Originally Posted by loneranger

In WA the actual law is you can ride 2 abreast and a third cyclist can overtake. Note I very rarely ride 2 abreast as I don't do group rides and normally only ride with one or two riders. However when driving and I see a big group I'd rather they take the whole lane and be compact to make overtaking easier.

That is an Australia wide road rule. There is also a rule that applies to both bicycles and cars. Keep to the left. Unfortunately, on most occasions when I see MAMILs riding two abreast, the fellow on the left is riding in the centre of the lane and the fellow on the right is riding close to the crown of the road. Cyclists I have met can only rattle off the rules that apply to cyclists alone. When you ask them about the rules that apply to both cycles and motor vehicles they usually reply "That's for cars, mate."

Originally Posted by bee utey

And yet there isn't a single jurisdiction on this planet that does this.

I beg to differ. I have been told that in the UK kids were not able to park their bikes at school unless they had passed the "Cyclists' Proficiency Test".

More importantly, why can't everyone wake up to themselves and act their ages. All it takes is a bit of respect and consideration to make the roads so much safer, for all.

All the education in the world will not change selfish and inconsiderate attitudes.

I remember when that elderly man was killed by cyclists in Melbourne (was living there at the time) and it affected how I perceived cyclists. I've never really had an issue with people who ride somewhere, ie to work.

It's the weekend warriors that are riding for the sake of riding and picking the worst roads to do it on that puts me off them. It's a bit like 4 people walking side by side down a footpath so no-one can get past them, just because they can.

I am a firm believer that some roads (not all roads) are just not suitable for riding a bike on, especially in a group. Not if you respect your life and respect other road users.

The article below is an interesting read, it covers that Melbourne death but also gives an insight into what drives some cyclists (something I still don't really understand even after reading it but each to their own)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...a80b0f633e0cba

Originally Posted by debruiser

Licensing cylcists would not work... how do you license a 6yr old??



what is a couple of seconds in the grand scheme of things?

should a 6 year old be riding a bike on a main road?



a couple of seconds every minute or two.

Originally Posted by steane

I remember when that elderly man was killed by cyclists in Melbourne (was living there at the time) and it affected how I perceived cyclists. I've never really had an issue with people who ride somewhere, ie to work.

It's the weekend warriors that are riding for the sake of riding and picking the worst roads to do it on that puts me off them. It's a bit like 4 people walking side by side down a footpath so no-one can get past them, just because they can.

I am a firm believer that some roads (not all roads) are just not suitable for riding a bike on, especially in a group. Not if you respect your life and respect other road users.

The article below is an interesting read, it covers that Melbourne death but also gives an insight into what drives some cyclists (something I still don't really understand even after reading it but each to their own)

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian

From the article

There is little doubt that large groups or bunches of cyclists running pedestrian lights or red lights is a recipe for disaster,? the coroner warned. ?It is only a matter of time before we see a catastrophe when a car proceeding through an intersection with a green light strikes a group of cyclists.

God help that poor motorist who would be descended upon by a mob of angry cyclists. As we know, from mob mentality, hyped up on adrenalin, the cyclists are likely to tear the motorist to shreds.

Originally Posted by Pocket Rocket

...The biggest danger IMO is texting. You have no defence against someone who is simply not watching whether they be driving a truck, car, bike or walking like a drunk snake all over the path/road.

Last weekend I was riding in a "bunch" of 7 riders. We were on a road of two lanes in each direction with a median strip and a fairly wide cycle lane. Three riders riding 2 abreast with one single at the rear and all were within the cycle lane. 70kph speed zone and we were riding at about 40kph. I was one of the two on front (as per usual - lazy buggers sucking my wheel again).

Suddenly a car came around us pretty much straddling the dividing line between the 2 lanes and progressed to swerve in front of us, cross the cycle lane, mount the curb, drive along the garden beside the road, swerve a little spitting bark mulch and shrubs, bounce over the curb, across the cycle lane again and back into the left hand car lane with a bit of a twitch.

"Did you see that! Freaky!"

About 4 hours later, when we were all coffee'd out and back home again, one of the guy posted us all the footage from his rear facing video camera built into his rear flashing light. The car had been rapidly approaching from the rear, completely in the cycle lane having drifted across from the car lane! Swerved to avoid us (please remember the video footage clearly shows we are all riding inside the cycle lane) and what we saw while riding and looking in front was the aftermath of a very, very, very close call! Almost certainly a texting driver. Four weeks out from the Dakar Rally and I came very close to being killed by an ignorant car driver that probably thinks the laws about texting and driving is for everyone else.

Whatever your attitude and/or impatience and/or intolerance of cyclists, please, please, please do not end my life for me. I'm doing what I can to stay alive, but I need your help - put the phone down when you're driving and check for messages when you get to where you're heading.

He should be reported and, because he had a license plate, you can.