Living in North Wales - the highways dept has spent a fortune on cycle paths that often run alongside the main carriageway - why oh why do the cyclists still ride on the road. Lycra clad wollies
As a keen cyclist, mountain biker, biker and car driver (you'll be glad to know I don't ride horses as much these days), I have endured various unpleasant attitudes from pretty much all opposing sides. It would be laughable, but the self-righteousness of the aggressors can be craven and malicious, which is when it becomes dangerous. Using the road or byway without due respect to others is to risk injury or even worse fatality. I've witnessed too many broken bones, had to help stitch people together and in a couple of cases, tried to maintain C spine safety whilst holding open an airway... yes one was wearing a motorcycle helmet. He was the one who didn't make it, self inflicted, but that doesn't help the bloke he crashed into. Sometimes it's safer for a cyclist to ride "wide" or in a short fat group, because idiots push for overtaking and the cyclist hits the deck... sometimes it's just a bunch of ignorant tour wanna be's. No matter, if I was innocent of breaking social codes or traffic violations, then maybe I'd have the integrity a saint and be justified in feeling the frustration welling inside me, but I'm not, so I breathe deeply and allow the moment to pass. It not worth any other, potentially fatal outcome. Sorry for my rant.
I have nothing against cyclists - in fact I am sometimes jealous of their stamina. If you read about Guy Martin's exploits on a push bike - bloomin marvellous. I myself lost 2 friends that were killed some 10 years ago ( national news) they were in a pack one new year - there was ice on the road. Four died after a car lost control and milled them down. If they had been on a cycle path or gone to a velodrome - they would of been here today. It's the minority that take chances but give the reputation for being inconsiderate. Similar to some bikers giving us a bad rep....
No doubts about the fitness levels and stamina of keen cyclists. I bought myself a decent bike several years ago and hated it. Felt dangerous on the roads, bloody uncomfortable, and I just felt that I was wasting an hour or two of my life each time I forced myself to go out on it. Similar to running, hate that as well. Funny enough I loved both cycling and running when I was a kid.
What really grips my shit, here in Germany, is when, we, the Tax payer, ie me, build cycle paths and i mean paths that are off the frigging road, between towns and villages sometimes up to 10 km long and more, for millions of Euros and they, the (Lycra cladded, i'm faster than your normal bike rider, but slow enough to hold traffic up, Amateur bloody Eddy Merckx) doesn't use them. Any spelling mistakes are caused because i've a Brown paper bag over my head helping me breath and i can't see the Keyboard. Anybody who doesn't know who Eddy Merckx is shouldn't be on this Forum because your not old enough for a Motorbike licence
With regards to the cost of providing cycling & pedestrian infrastructure... The average economic benefit-to-cost ratio of investing in cycling & walking schemes is 13:1. Academics who studied the cost benefit analysis used by Copenhagen to decide whether to build new cycling infrastructure, concluded that cars cost individuals six times more than cycling. With regards to the choice between using a cycle lane vs. riding on the roads I'll make my own mind up thank you. In same way that I would rather use an A road over Motorway when I'm out on my bike. I wonder how long the actual hold up by a group of cyclist is... If arriving 3, 5, 15 minutes later than I would like is the biggest problem I have to deal with this week then I'm happy with that.
It's not your bloody choice. If the road signs are there telling you to use the cycle path (Germany)then bloody well use it.It's not rocket science. I and millions of other Motorbike and car riders,drivers do not make our own minds up what signs to ignore or obey
Sorry, I was referring to things here in the UK as thats where I, and most of those commenting are based. If cycle lanes in Germany are obligatory, then i agree, anyone not complying should face consequences in the same way as any other road user. As I tried to make clear in my first post, i have no issue with any type of vehicle user, my issue is with people that behave like an arse.
That is my issue too, that's why I initially posted my rant on here about a cyclist who was being an arse. Glad we agree. Just a difference on terminology that's all, arse/pr1ck.
No Problem mate, but there in lies the Problem, "I'm on a bicycle i'll choose what signs, traffic lights, laws i want to comply with".
Going to play devils advocate here, as there are not many of the lycra clad weirdo's on here. Have you ridden a bicycle on public roads recently ??? Bloody scary thing to do. There is no way I would ride on any A road around here. I feel way more threatened and in danger than I have ever done on a motorbike. To ride on the main A75 that runs in front of my house would be tantamount to suicide. No sure how you ride, but I ride very defensively and use the road how I best deem it suits my needs in keeping me safe. I will pass in a 30 zone, rather than sit behind a luton van and with an HGV up my arse totally obsuring my view and obsuring me from any cars ready to pull out. I 'bend' the rules to suit me and keep me as safe as possible. I don't see a problem in slightly breaking the speed limit to get to a safer position. Don't we all do this, or similar ? Is this not what cyclists are doing? If they run single file, lots of drivers don't give them any space and pass at full speed 6" from your right hand!!! Bloody frightening expierence, I can assure you. So to stop this they ride 2 abreast, to make you slow and to pass them safely, it's their defence mechanism. If they ride back roads, too many blind bends and more chance of being wiped out, so no win situation. The problem as usual, is the car driving retards that can't execute a simple and quick passing move, not the cyclists.
I guess i'm still not getting my point across... It's not a cyclist being an arse, its an arse that happens in this instance to be on a bike. "I'm an arse, i'll choose what signs, traffic lights, laws i want to comply with..." Whatever the situation / context, I don't like any kind of generalisations of group behaviour, whatever the group / race / sexual orientation / nationality may be. I'm one of those pesky, left leaning, Guardian readers.
The worse thing is when theyre stood up on the pedals wobbling their arse at you for 3 F****ing miles.
I guess your an accident waiting to happen then and when your riding your bicycle your the most vulnerable road user out there. Beggars belief
It is simple. 1/ Would you walk along the road ( for pleasure)? If you say yes your a nut ! Walking / running along a A road causes danger to all concerned). Cycling speeds are very much closer to walking / running speeds. If you have a right then that still does not answer the question, it opens another disscussion.
