Cyclists only break the law cos the rules are crap

[Crispy]

Interesting numbers.

On my 8000m commute, there are 33 sets of traffic lights or zebra crossings. Assuming a 50% red rate, this 'adds' 1600m on to my journey in terms of energy used for acceleration. That's about 20% Not an insignificant amount, but bearable I think.

COAB, I also try not to stop for reds, by slowing and rolling over as they change. It irritates the 'sprint up to the line and hover, wobbling back and forth on their toeclips' brigade as I accelerate past them

 

[pk]

Hmmm.

That way madness lies.

 

[Crispy]

What's your argument?

 

[Xeno]

Final's article is interesting and is a good case, but don't go thinking you can do it in London without special cycle lanes etc. Never mind not giving way to side streets, I always am ready to give way on a straight piece of road where I have the clear right of way because I assume the motorist in the side street is going to come out without looking.

I got this philosophy from having been upended on two occasions in the past, once on the cycle, once on a motorbike, and feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to learn from it. The only two-wheel rule of thumb you need when seeing a car coming out of a side-street is "assume they haven't seen you".

 

[Final]

I try to ride each day to work without stopping, like a game, by judging the lights

There's a couple of sets that I know so well that I can "jump" ie. go through as they are about to change

Yeah, I try to do that too. I've only got a 3 mile commute, however in 18mths of trying I've only managed to make it door-to-door without stopping on only one occasion*.

It's the lights letting me cross over the Euston road which are most likely to stop me, it's soooo rare that I ever catch them green (and the run up to the lights isn't favourable for doing a little coast to to a blind turn and manic traffic).

*me that day =

 

[Final]

Final's article is interesting and is a good case, but don't go thinking you can do it in London without special cycle lanes etc. Never mind not giving way to side streets, I always am ready to give way on a straight piece of road where I have the clear right of way because I assume the motorist in the side street is going to come out without looking.

I got this philosophy from having been upended on two occasions in the past, once on the cycle, once on a motorbike, and feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to learn from it. The only two-wheel rule of thumb you need when seeing a car coming out of a side-street is "assume they haven't seen you".

I don't give way to side roads because I'd be worried about some plum behind me (on bike / car / whatever) ploughing into me because they'd not thought I'd give up my right of way without serious aggression from the side road and had switched off a little.

 

[Pingu]

Hmmm.

That way madness lies.

is that someone with a cracked windscreen who can no longer see where they are going?

 

[Final]

On my 8000m commute, there are 33 sets of traffic lights or zebra crossings.

Have you counted them, or is there a handy online tool to count if for you?

Sigh, I should easily be able to work mine out in my head too, but the sun's making me too lazy.

lethargy ftw

 

[christonabike]

I try to count the number of pubs on mine (5.75 miles)

My conclusion: fucking loads

 

[Crispy]

Have you counted them, or is there a handy online tool to count if for you?

I counted them on google maps

 

[pk]

What's your argument?

My argument is that bicycles have been using London's streets for far longer than motor cars.

And in order of priorities - it's pedestrians, horses, and bicycles that have the right of way before motorised vehicles.

It's not even about the safety issue, it's the attitude that some car drivers have - I pay my road tax and cyclists don't, therefore I drive how I like.

Drivers who think like this should be aware that many cyclists carry heavy steel D-Locks which can cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage if required to.

Fuel costs? LOL!

 

[DotCommunist]

would it really kill anyone if they banned private vehicles in the City Of London? serious question, are there people in central london who couldn't operate without a private car?

 

[pk]

would it really kill anyone if they banned private vehicles in the City Of London? serious question, are there people in central london who couldn't operate without a private car?

Soon be people who can't afford it, what with the congestion charge too...

 

[stdPikachu]

Being a country bumpkin who's only recently started cycling in London, I'm finding myself walking through alot of red lights in order to get a head-start on the hyper-aggressive arseholes who can out-accelerate me from a cold start and like to do a "get the fuck out of my way" beep or flashing of lights if the road isn't wide enough for them to overtake me instantaneously. Further down the road it's usually easier to jink closer to the pavement somewhere.

Going up or down brixton hill, or indeed any narrow busy road, is a complete fucking nightmare though. Not fun to see yourself being tailgated by a double decker and know that if you brake quicker than it does you'll be under its wheels.

Hence when I drive on main roads, I drive like a damp flannel and am always swerving out of the way of traffic that's either not seen me or is convinced I can make do with 18" of road. Hence I only drive on main roads when I've taken a wrong turn. Not tried riding into work yet, and with the traffic like it is in the mornings I don't think I'll be trying any time soon. Hats off to Crispy's balls of purest unobtanium

For me, "riding like the cars are out to kill you" means giving myself plenty of space, not making unpredictable moves, signalling my intentions well in advance, planning my moves well in advance, and riding at a speed and spacing from other vehicles that it is safe to stop from.

Agree completely, my problem is maintaining the space I'd like to without being too aggressive (Mad Max style beating on cars with baseball bats, anyone?), else I tend to find myself boxed behind or in between other cars that just refuse to give way, even on dedicated cycle lanes. Granted, it's only a small minority of car drivers and most people are happy to dawdle for a few seconds until a spot arrives where I can be safely overtaken.

Not to say there aren't a large amount of asshole cyclists who see the pavement as a second road. I won't say I'm holy and haven't ridden on the pavement because I have, but always slower than on the road and always at walking pace when I see someone coming.

 

[Crispy]

You have a point
Cycling at 12mph is a completely different experience to 18mph

 

[Spymaster]

Naaa. Catch up with them at traffic lights innit - then speed off the wrong way up a one way street, cackling with laughter.

I'd find a way of catching you if you cracked my windscreen!

After several bumped mirrors and an incident involving some twat cyclist leaning against the car, I've perfected the art of driving close enough to the kerb when in city traffic to prevent cyclists from passing down the nearside.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Last week I nearly got hit by a cyclist who rode across a junction on a red light when pedestrians had right of way. Less than two minutes later I was actually hit* from behind by a cyclist riding along a narrow pavement. I am starting to fear bicycles. The worst thing for someone with limited vision is that they are practically silent.

*Luckily not badly hurt, but hurt all the same and the selfish bitch didn't even apologise, stop, look back or anything. There's no way she didn't realise she had hit me.

 

[Geri]

Depending which way I cycle to work, there is a junction I have to cross which is fairly dangerous so I usually get off and push my bike across the pedestrian crossing. The other morning, the lights were red and some idiot cyclist drove straight through, if I had started to cross he would have collided with me - luckily I anticipated that he wouldn't stop and waited for him to go past, then he had the fucking nerve to shout "Thanks!"

 

[gentlegreen]

After several bumped mirrors and an incident involving some twat cyclist leaning against the car, I've perfected the art of driving close enough to the kerb when in city traffic to prevent cyclists from passing down the nearside.

That's my approach too - as both a cyclist and occaisional driver I find I have to help the other lot get a clue.

It pays to recognise that there's been a rash of raw two-wheeled recruits lately. I don't hold back with the expletives.

 

[jusali]

I'd find a way of catching you if you cracked my windscreen!

After several bumped mirrors and an incident involving some twat cyclist leaning against the car, I've perfected the art of driving close enough to the kerb when in city traffic to prevent cyclists from passing down the nearside.

Maybe if you used them they wouldn't get bumped!

 

[Crispy]

see now, in stationary traffic, IME, the nearside is sometimes the safest place to be, if traffic is moving in the in the opposing lane. if I was driving a car in such a situation, I'd ask myself where I'd rather be, as a cyclist, and leave space there, where I could.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm getting a bit pissed off with other "cyclists" at the moment.

The smell of testosterone in the air is tangible.

I wish SUSTRANS would post signs at critical points on the (Bristol-Bath track) reminding these idiots that it's a mixed use path, not a race track.

I doubt they'd be able to read them though through their macho shades ...

 

[gentlegreen]

see now, in stationary traffic, IME, the nearside is sometimes the safest place to be, if traffic is moving in the in the opposing lane. if I was driving a car in such a situation, I'd ask myself where I'd rather be, as a cyclist, and leave space there, where I could.

The safe place for the cyclist is in front of the car in the middle of the lane

 

[Crispy]

that's all well and good if you can keep a pace that doesn't piss the drivers off to the point of violence.

 

[Boycey]

the fear of loss of no claims bonus for rear ending a cyclist usually keeps them in check. for the rest there's the courts. safest place is def the front.

 

[baldrick]

After several bumped mirrors and an incident involving some twat cyclist leaning against the car, I've perfected the art of driving close enough to the kerb when in city traffic to prevent cyclists from passing down the nearside.

thanks, really appreciated.

leaning against your car? what a crime! i'd run him over if i was you, it's all cyclists deserve.

 

[roryer]

I'd find a way of catching you if you cracked my windscreen!

After several bumped mirrors and an incident involving some twat cyclist leaning against the car, I've perfected the art of driving close enough to the kerb when in city traffic to prevent cyclists from passing down the nearside.

Yep, its w**kers like you that make cyclists want to crack window-screens. I personally don't do it, but I support those who do.

The question is why do we in the UK accept the principle of battling on the roads. I think this argument proves how badly we need segregated cycle lanes with kerbs, of course it would mean reducing the road space for cars, but we know how closely supply and demand are linked, as car drivers almost immediately find an alternative, either not driving at that time, or reducing unnecessary trips when the time it takes increases, and ideally as I'm always hearing the classic excuse, "I would cycle but its too dangerous", we might encourage a much larger number of cyclists.

 

[Spymaster]

Maybe if you used them they wouldn't get bumped!

thanks, really appreciated.

leaning against your car? what a crime! i'd run him over if i was you, it's all cyclists deserve.

Yep, its w**kers like you that make cyclists want to crack window-screens. I personally don't do it, but I support those who do.

Tough shit. All of you, seriously.

You are by far the most poorly trained and useless users of the roads, imo.

When cyclists start to give a shit about other road users I'll start to give a toss about what you think. I also close gaps between me and the car in front to prevent you weaving, fewer scratched bumpers .

 

[Crispy]

Thanks for generalising. I'll assume you're a half-doped blinkered automaton who can't see anything smaller than another car shall I?

Of course not. That would be silly.

 

[Spymaster]

Of course not. That would be silly.

It would be totally fucking stupid, honestly.