Thread: Revenge on cyclists

Back in the Seventies, when the F4 Freeway (now the bloody tolled M4) opened, cyclists were banned from. I note that the no cyclists signs have now been removed.

The M7 in Sydney has a cycleway right beside it. It must have cost millions to build it. Literally. It's paved, well lit, fenced, etc.

The cyclist don't use it, they use the motorway. The motorway is pretty flat. The cycleway has hills.

Ron

Originally Posted by Greylandy

I guess it helps being 1.9m and 90kg (or the fear of seeing a 90kg dude in lycra shorts!)

Adult cyclists are not allowed on foot paths unless riding with a child so they only place to ride is either a designated bike lane or road.
Cyclists are allowed to ride side by side on one lane (not recommended).
Most cyclists (as stated before) are drivers as well and probably know the rules better. The rest should get educated... perhaps Biking NSW association should get out and run an educational campaign aimed at drivers.

Regarding licensing: in some countries in Europe (Germany, well used to be 20 years ago) you need a cycling license which is usually obtained by kids at school after the school runs a course - good fun for the kids. It could be a good idea to license adult riders: if they do not have a drivers license they should obtain a riding license (at least they'd learn the road rules).

Riding around Europe you get a glimpse of different riding-driving cultures: in Switzerland and Germany drivers are very considerate and we had no trouble riding with a child in a trailer. France was a bit different....

And I too, being a rider, get p$$ed off with riders breaking the road rules - it gives everyone else a bad name...

Lycra shorts on a 200 pound bloke is a scary thought but not as scary as a FULL BODY LYCRA on a 200 pounder

So all you guys and girls if you see a bike on the road spare thought that it may be a Land Rover as well.

-- Irek

I also ride my bike regularly, i do think there are a minority of bike riders out there that give the rest of us a bad name, It is not possible to ride on footpaths as it is illegal. You also end up in a similar dispute with walkers as with bikes and cars. Depending on the area i will try to avoid riding too far out into the lane, but in most cases there is usually too much c#@p on the side of the road to ride against the gutter (particularly on a road bike). In most cases i have not had any problems with drivers geting pi$$ed off when i ride, but there is occasionaly some smart ass that has to give the horn a blast.
thats my 2 cents .

Originally Posted by Snapper

Someone is always going to believe that THEY and THEY ALONE own the road

Mate of mine lives in Melbourne (the poor bugger!) and that is exactly how he describes the majority of drivers there!

1113.4m

I think what Ron said about the M7 cycleway shows how much thought goes into planning cycleways - I guess it's "oh yeah, it's just like walking but faster" or something. Personally, I wasn't happy with the M2 westbound being closed to cyclists - it would have given me a 10min trip (rough calculation) to uni rather than the 20min one I do.

I've only really had one bad encounter - in the evening peak an impatient young guy wanting to do a 3 point turn to go in my direction and head out when I was going too fast to stop for him & too slow for his liking. We gave each other a bit of it, but I beat him up the next hill & across the lights

But most of the time I sit in the left lane, or where it would be if it wasn't parking spaces. I tend to ride in the middle of the lane (that's where they look for cars), and drivers then can overtake on the right. It works well enough except for roundabouts - the number of drivers who expect me to let them past in the middle of one is amazing.

Although I must get a landrover badge for my bike

I'm one of those numskull riders as well, but i do all mine 'off road', 100km races, 24hr events, 50km races, all mountain biking, Adventure races etc ( the ones Greylandy is involved in ), personly get the irits with 'pack' road riders as well, my advice, stay away from the roads and buy a mountain bike, less chance of agro drivers trying to push you off the bike as you hold them up & vice versa....

Going to work a few months ago I indicated I was turning left at the roundabout I was approaching and keeping my eyes on the cyclist coming towards me on the path my side.
"He's seen me" I thought and still indicating started turning only to have the fat ba*tard ride straight across in front of me............ head down, music playing, oblivious to all around him!
Until I gave a blast on the horn that is and he nearly fell off right in front of me.
Window down and I let him have a few choice descriptive words, got a filthy look but no other response and he cycled off on his merry way to work................into the Police Training Academy!
Alan.

Originally Posted by Rayngie

I'm one of those numskull riders as well, but i do all mine 'off road', 100km races, 24hr events, 50km races, all mountain biking, Adventure races etc ( the ones Greylandy is involved in ), personly get the irits with 'pack' road riders as well, my advice, stay away from the roads and buy a mountain bike, less chance of agro drivers trying to push you off the bike as you hold them up & vice versa....

Wise words like that deserves a coldie!!!