Cycling UK Forum

al_yrpal wrote:And when the moderators join in

utter tripe. what would you have him do, pay for a parking space to put his bike in?

Towpath was much quieter at 3:30pm, the sun being nearly down, so not many people out to be annoyed by my presence.

I might have annoyed one car, who had the misfortune to be behind me in a narrow rat run.

I think the car drivers annoyed me more than they did me though, an Audi driver decided to reverse up the middle of the road which I was coming down at 20mph+. Turns out he was trying to park his car.

Another idiot decided to do a lemming overtake (i.e. deciding that because it's safe for one to overtake, it must be ok for two). He was in the path of an oncoming van, held me up at the roundabout 150 yards ahead, then again when he turned into the car park 200 yards past that round the corner. Probably a local, driving under a mile to the car park rather than walk. Very antisocial.

karlt wrote:I'd have just used the same route as if I'd been in a car and sod the "cycle network". It already exists and is totally connected. It's commonly referred to as "the roads". I mean, if you don't want to ride on A roads don't, but you can hardly moan there isn't a route. There is. The nearest "cycle path" to here is a good two miles away.

I use the roads almost exclusively, have used some very busy A roads too.....

But around here there are lots of new cyclists encouraged by the 'cycle town' and nicely signposted off-road routes. This doesn't make them ready, or willing, to use 'the roads'.

thelawnet wrote:

al_yrpal wrote:Any motorist reading many of the posts in this thread would feel it confirmed their worst thoughts about cyclists. Some of the behavior described is the sort of thing that gets us all tarred with the same nasty brush, leading to an ongoing cycle of bad behavior from both those on four wheels and two. And when the moderators join in, well, it says it all.

I would like to see less of this whinging and moderation that sets an example.

Eh?

What exactly would you have the moderators do in this thread?

And what behaviour are you exactly objecting to here?

BTW, you should see the motoring forums, all moaning about 'scameras', catching them driving too fast and how it's all a big con. They don't seem too worried about their public image for some reason.

There you go again... its bad for the CTC and its bad for cycling. Perhaps you would like the CTC to print this stuff and put it up on their website? As for the thread, I would delete it and ask the OP to think about what they were posting on a public forum. I am all in favour of free speech, but relating instances where you are so obviously delighting in occasions where you are legally inconveniencing others, and in some instances mentioned, putting them in danger, has no place here.

Al

As for the thread, I would delete it and ask the OP to think about what they were posting on a public forum.

That'd be why you are not a moderator then.

The OP, for the most part was recounting events where motorists had become annoyed by their own impatience and abhorrence of having to share the road with a cyclist. When he says that he "annoyed" them he does not mean that he did something wrong to upset them but the mere fact that he was there and on a bike showed up their intolerance. You need to read between the lines here - I think that every one else on the thread understood perfectly where he was coming from.

Regarding the passing of the two women on the path, questioning the speed that he was doing is fair enough. However, the manner in which you do it leaves a lot to be desired. Remember that this forum represents a public face of the CTC and it would be nice if it could give the impression that we were the sort of people who could tolerate, engage with and discuss these issues with each other in a civil way rather than immediately going on the offensive and making aggressive posts. I suggest that it would be beneficial to you if you were to amend your manner before contributing further if you really want people to take your opinions seriously.

thelawnet wrote:

karlt wrote:I'd have just used the same route as if I'd been in a car and sod the "cycle network". It already exists and is totally connected. It's commonly referred to as "the roads". I mean, if you don't want to ride on A roads don't, but you can hardly moan there isn't a route. There is. The nearest "cycle path" to here is a good two miles away.

I use the roads almost exclusively, have used some very busy A roads too.....

But around here there are lots of new cyclists encouraged by the 'cycle town' and nicely signposted off-road routes. This doesn't make them ready, or willing, to use 'the roads'.

Its like that in Birmingham. Lots of newbies and lots of off-road routes. Lots of moaning the roads are too dangerous.

There are campaigners for segregation, and olduns of 40 years commuting who describe cyclists on roads as "Use it or lose it".

The point is,,, Shepherd cyclists off the road in the towns, and when the city motorist meets a cyclist on a country lane while on a holiday, he won't know what to do to.
He'll probably attempt to squeeze past and cause a nasty accident.

My advice to all cyclists is "Ride on the roads, keep within the law and teach the motorists that cyclists have equal right of thoroughfare".

hubgearfreak wrote:

al_yrpal wrote:And when the moderators join in

utter tripe. what would you have him do, pay for a parking space to put his bike in?

Please - can we desist in calling each others' views "tripe". Unless, of course you are merely demonstrating to particular others, who were the first to slap their tripe onto the table, how futile such an approach is. However, I think that if this is the case you may be being a little too subtle.

But it does make me laugh: I comment that all the road users that I met today were all getting on perfectly happily with each and I am then criticised for it because it makes us look bad. Nope, I'm not quite following that one either. Ho hum.

Don't think I annoyed anyone yesterday, was annoyed by the amount of traffic met on a single track road north of Preston, 1 was a car so could possibly have business at one of the local houses/farms and 1 was a tractor so again legitimate business, but the two larger lorries, one of which i did pull over to let pass and the other I was almost at the junction anyway, were probably just following their twitnavs.......

Did see some annoying cyclists though, who stops to have a conversation in a narrowish lane, just around a blind bend, spread across the road???
Even worse they stood right by a big puddle so had the potential to be soaked by any car that did manage to squeeze pass, but then that would be their problem.

Ayesha wrote:My advice to all cyclists is "Ride on the roads, keep within the law and teach the motorists that cyclists have equal right of thoroughfare".

Spot-on.

Guy951 wrote:

Ayesha wrote:My advice to all cyclists is "Ride on the roads, keep within the law and teach the motorists that cyclists have equal right of thoroughfare".

Spot-on.

I was going to change that statement to:-

My advice to all cyclists is "Ride on the roads, keep within the law and demonstrate to motorists that cyclists have equal right of thoroughfare."

I am very well practised in the art of being 'annoying' have been doing it for a long time, have got very good at it, can do it anywhere and don't need a bike. At least MrsD2B thinks I am annoying.

Alan D wrote:I am very well practised in the art of being 'annoying' have been doing it for a long time, have got very good at it, can do it anywhere and don't need a bike.

Me too - I'm known for it. I don't even need to be close to the person I'm annoying - I can do it from halfway across the world now!!
I don't think I'd be able to count the number of people I annoy in a single bike ride - I just assume it's everybody.

I was driving yesterday and was behind a caravan.

Now THAT's annoying!

Mick F wrote:I was driving yesterday and was behind a caravan.

Now THAT's annoying!

You are Jeremy Clarkson AICMFP!

Firstly, what's the origins of "and I claim my five pounds"? And I recently did my longest ride so far (73 miles) without a single problem with a road user. I pulled in to let a lorry past me that had been patiently waiting behind me and gave me a thumbs up for it. Yet in Bristol city centre on my daily commute, it's rare I find a day I don't annoy someone or get into an argument of some sort.