Inconsiderate club cyclists

[AjJay]

Hello, It's been a long time since I last posted, had to re-register to get back in.
Anyway, It's sad that my first post has to be a complaint, but it needs to be done.

Last Saturday, a friend and I were out cycling. We were passing through Steventon in South Oxfordshire shorthly before 11am.
Ahead was a pedestrian crossing and a middle-aged lady was waiting to cross, so I slowed down and came to a stop before the crossing, with my friend beside me. I was initially confused by the Lady's reluctance to cross, "No, you continue" she said, to which I replied, "Well we have stopped now". A moment later, I was most shocked to discover the reason.... Three road cyclists in close formation, shot past me (from behind) at speed and disappeared along the road in the direction we were travelling.

My friend said that they were all wearing identical club jerseys, probably Didcot Phoenix.
I quote the Highway Code:
Rule 191

You MUST NOT park on a crossing or in the area covered by the zig-zag lines. You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians.

I really hope that the three cyclists concerned, or someone who knows them, reads this post.

YOU STUPID MINDLESS SELFISH IDIOTS!!!

If that lady had stepped out into the road, you would almost certainly have hit her and possibly have killed her.
Don't you realise that there is no shortage of other road users that are not slow to have a go at these outlaw cyclists that behave recklessly. Such behaviour like this only serves to give all cyclists a bad name.

Tis a pity that my action camera was faulty at that time, otherwise I would be very happy to post the video of this shameful behaviour.

[TrevA]

If I was you, I would contact the club direct:

Clubruns@didcot-phoenix.co.uk

Or

Membership@didcot-phoenix.co.uk

[mjr]

Such behaviour like this only serves to give all cyclists a bad name.

Do you drive?
. . . . . . I'm going to blame you for the last motorist who hit me! I know that's unreasonable, but it's equivalent to what you're doing.

[gaz]

STUPID MINDLESS SELFISH IDIOTS!!!

From the description of events you have given I agree, those riders were stupid mindless selfish idiots.

Such behaviour like this only serves to give all cyclists a bad name.

It demonstrably wasn't all cyclists behaving this way. By your own account two cyclists stopped. Why should such behaviour give a bad name to anyone other than the three cyclists involved?

[Cyril Haearn]

Pedestrian crossing = zebra crossing?

I never trust cyclists or motons to stop, prefer to wait for a gap

At light-controlled crossings I always press the button of course

[feefee8]

It demonstrably wasn't all cyclists behaving this way. By your own account two cyclists stopped. Why should such behaviour give a bad name to anyone other than the three cyclists involved?

When she retells the story, do you think the emphasis will be on the law abiding cyclists or the law breaking cyclists? No-one wants to be held accountable for someone entirely unconnected with them but it’s inevitable given the strong feelings raised by dangerous actions and how easy it is to generalise.

[Cyril Haearn]

I think she will remember and describe the law-abiding cyclists too

[feefee8]

I think she will remember and describe the law-abiding cyclists too

It would be good if she did but I’d be surprised if her overriding feeling wasn’t “*&£*#£& cyclists”.

[Spinners]

Shouldn't the heading just read 'Inconsiderate Cyclists'?

Yes, you could argue that the existing heading gives a more complete description of the three twerps but I sense some prejudice here. Not all club cyclists are TDF wannabees or Strava Strivers! There is good and bad in everyone, we learn to live we learn to give each other what we need to survive... together alive.

[meic]

This sort of conduct isnt that uncommon, though mostly when I stop at a zebra crossing to let people cross it is a car which overtakes me and drives through. Even when I was driving a car myself at the time.

I agree it is disgusting conduct but it is still far more likely to be a car killing somebody on a zebra crossing than a cyclist, even a club cyclist.

[Bez]

Unless Group X actually has a coherent structure of control, Person A doesn't give Group X a bad name. What gives Group X a bad name is Person B perceiving Person A to be a member of Group X and then projecting their experiences of Person A's behaviour onto anyone else they perceive to be from Group X.

(As above, email the club. It's not in reasonable to say that these people are giving the *club* a bad name, because the club can expel people who don't behave to its standards. People Who Sometimes Ride Bicycles are not, of course, such a Group any more than are People Who Sometimes Drive Cars: I have no control over anyone who does either of these things badly.)

[feefee8]

Unless Group X actually has a coherent structure of control, Person A doesn't give Group X a bad name. What gives Group X a bad name is Person B perceiving Person A to be a member of Group X and then projecting their experiences of Person A's behaviour onto anyone else they perceive to be from Group X.

I completely agree with the theory of this. Those people who cycled through the crossing do not represent me or my cycling habits. In practice though, people mostly take the path of least resistance and will generalise (look, I just did it!) and then cyclists all become law breaking hoods, because it’s easier/lazier/agrees with someone else’s experience or opinion.

[Bez]

In practice though, people mostly take the path of least resistance and will generalise (look, I just did it!) and then cyclists all become law breaking hoods, because it’s easier/lazier/agrees with someone else’s experience or opinion.

Of course. But we have to realise that we have no more control over a random person forming their opinions irresponsibly than we do over a random person riding a bike irresponsibly. Haters gonna hate, if you want the more concise form. Trying to fix problems out of your control is a waste of time, worrying about them is a waste of energy, and paying too much attention to the way other people irresponsibly form their opinions just ends up legitimising their doing so.

[feefee8]

Believe me, I don’t really care as long as it doesn’t end up with having someone else take out their frustrations with other cyclists on me!

[eileithyia]

As others said, report to the club... I too have stopped at Zebra crossing only to have a motorist overtake and continue past me across the crossing. but don't go shouting about it on the motoring forums. Most cyclists on here(if we believe what they say) are very law abiding.

We were mending a puncture in a gateway once, when a motorist stopped and blamed us for the fact a group of 2-abreast cyclists caused a small milk float type vehicle to overtake meaning she 'nearly went into the hedge'.... was it our fault...? no I don't think so....