Cycling UK Forum

This is a new one on me, but probably familiar to London cyclists.

I've been cycle commuting for 1 year, and see a few other cyclists but never more than 1 or 2 at a time and we pass each other.

Now that summer is approaching, all of a sudden there's hundreds of other cyclists! I find myself in groups of 6-8. It does not make for fun, other cyclists tend to squeeze past at every opportunity giving no space, or cycle more slowly and squeeze past and go through the red lights, only to go slowly again and hold you up after...

I'm not really sure what to make of it!

fair weather cyclists, normally in a cage, still behaving as if they are?

Cant complain about it, that's what we want. More cyclists cycling to work - less cars on the road.
Imagine what it would be like if everyone cycled .....

Years ago, first time I cycle in a 'cycling-city'....terrified me - they were coming from and going in all directions, totally heedless as to what was going on around them! But, if you treat 'em like any other road user...expect them to act like homicidal maniacs until they prove otherwise, you soon get used to it and it becomes relaxing. After all, if you have to share the roads with a loon, would you rather they were on 15kg of bike or in a ton of car?

When the ‘fair weather cyclists’ come out of the woodwork, they think they are in a race and HAVE TO overtake all other cyclists riding on the same road in the same direction.
Don’t fall into the trap of chasing them. If you do, they will lead you across red traffic lights and up pavements to pass a queue of cars and catch cyclist further down the road. Let them die alone.

The most annoying thing about the fair weather riders is the way they use up all the bike parking spaces!
Don't they know I've been coming here all the time regardless of weather and have my own special space?!

One of my bugbears about serial overtakers is almost the mirror image of this. When you're at the lights waiting (often at the A.S.L.) they'll squeeze in, often ahead of the stop line. Then they'll dither about, requiring an overtake until the next set of lights, when the cycle (bad pun) is repeated.

At an average speed of around 10-11mph, pretty much everything passes me on the road. But I do have an inside chuckle when the part timers go all out to overtake and shame me, only to burn out a hundred yards up the road due to wrong saddle height and dead legs. I do enjoy overtaking them again at the same granny pace 10-11mph

I had a funny incident yesterday as I went to town to catch a train to a gig. Waiting at lights, lights go greem, start setting off and then a guy overtakes me (obviously not slowed down at light so he had more momentum which is fair enough ) so I say 'alright there mate' as I always do, but get no response (which unfortuantely seems to be the main way of responding to a friendly hello from a fellow cyclist amongst some (sometimes most) cyclists). He proceeds to hammer on the pedals trying to keep ahead of me.

Not being cocky but I can go at a fair old pace and do love going fast so just cruise at his pace as there is no point overtakign as a red light is ahead. Anyway, we get to the red light and he sails straight through them, weaving in and out of traffic, I shout 'RED LIGHT MATE' adn shake my head ( I do this often to show motorists aroudn me that not all cyclists agree with this sort of behaviour), before he disappears. Anyway, 15 seconds later I'm on my way and see him ahead going at a much slower pace, anwyay, I duly overtake him shaking my head.

I wish these people would realise that by actually learning to ride properly it not only takes you less time to get to your desintation but you don't micturate off other road users or put yourself in such danger!

But yes, more cyclists on the road can only be better! Cycling is something special to me and sometimes it can feel like it's less special as load sof other people are doing it but this is something I have learnt to get over and I feel much better for it

kwackers wrote:The most annoying thing about the fair weather riders is the way they use up all the bike parking spaces!
Don't they know I've been coming here all the time regardless of weather and have my own special space?!

Same goes for the fair weather motorcyclists....

kwackers wrote:The most annoying thing about the fair weather riders is the way they use up all the bike parking spaces!
Don't they know I've been coming here all the time regardless of weather and have my own special space?!

Yes on a 2pm start on Tuesday and suddenly only 1 of the 8 bike lockers was unused... phew, at least I got a space, but it was close.....

Don't knock it. Cycling is the best way to get around in most cities. People are just waking up to the fact.

I stayed at my son's house in London on Tuesday night, as I had a meeting in the centre on Wednesday. We all caught the tube in from Leytonstone to Chancery Lane. It was already full (standing room only), but more and more people got on at every stop and it was like being in an overcrowded sauna, fully clothed. I said to my son's girlfriend "You pay £1500 a year for this?". She said "Yes, but there's no other way to get to work". My son and I gave each other a knowing look. He cycles the 8 miles in about 25 mins most days, the tube takes the same time but costs a bomb and is not a pleasant experience.

camrob wrote:One of my bugbears about serial overtakers is almost the mirror image of this. When you're at the lights waiting (often at the A.S.L.) they'll squeeze in, often ahead of the stop line. Then they'll dither about, requiring an overtake until the next set of lights, when the cycle (bad pun) is repeated.

+1

They still have the car driver mentality (FIRST PRIORITY - get there fast as you can and pass everybody, no holds barred SECOND PRIORITY - maybe safety!).

I guess the most important thing is to try to stay in the happy/safe/satisfied cyclist zone and avoid getting sucked into it!

The problem with some cyclist running red lights is that car and lorry drivers think that all cyclist will.

Here in Belfast a cyclist was killed a year or so ago because she stopped at a red light and the lorry driver behind her wasn't expecting her to (he thought she was going to go straight through it) and he ended up running her over.