Teabelly,
If cyclists were not allowed to ride on NSL roads unless there was room enough to let a car pass then my longest cycle journey would be about 500 yards. The amount of time you lose when you come up behind a cyclist and have to wait for an overtaking opportunity does not make a gnats whisker of a difference to your journey times. I agree that riders who continue to ride two abreast when there are vehicles waiting behind are behaving selfishly, but that is a different matter. I always find horse riders are worse in that respect.
A small but significant proportion of motorists seem to develop a killer instinct when they come across a bike, and any reduction in speed it causes them seems to send them into a dangerous rage. Of all the forms of transport available, the bike is the one where the rider needs to develop the sharpest defencesive attitude.
It always amazes me when drivers who are aggressive to cyclists have childeren in the car. Every kid rides a bike at some time or other, do they ever stop to think how they would feel if a motorist gave their own kids a mouthful of abuse or tried to run them off the road?
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Such behaviour is not limited to cyclists. I made the mistake of remonstrating from my mini when carved up by a moron. Screech of brakes followed by another brick outhouse emerged from his Capri S. As he approached he announced he was going to do various unspeakable things to me so I decided I should get out of my car too. When he realised that I am the size of two brick outhouses he nipped smartly back into his car, roared off at terrific speed and drove straight into the ditch around the corner. There is a God!
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ace absolutely ace made my day.thank you. harry m.
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Cyclists don't pay road tax. They should stay on the pavements, which motorists kindly give them sometimes.
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With two cars and a motorcycle covering about 55000 miles per annum between them plus a twenty a day habit enough tax already goes out of my house.
I will only respect the opinion of those who want bikes taxed if they also agree to road tax on shoes. Why should pedestrians get away with it?
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I hope Gen's reply is tongue in cheek. Cyclists are amongst the most vulnerable people on our roads and in the whole scheme of things contribute very little to motoring accidents. As for not paying road tax - most of course do as they also own cars. Indeed why should they pay road tax when they do not damage our roads in the same way heavier vehicles do. Perhaps a cyclist tax could become an issue when town and road planning takes into account cyclists needs more.
Don't get me wrong I am a keen motorist but I never understand the macho anti-cyclist views that some motorists spew out. Cyclists have much more right to complain about the dangers they face from dangerous motorists than vice versa.
Aggressive acts from motorists to cyclists are ridiculous and people should ask how they would feel if a few minutes loss of patience ended up in the injury or death of a cyclist simpy because, for example, they dared to ride two abreast.
Rant over!
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Cyclists might command more respect if they didn't look so ridiculous in their Cyborg kit.
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About 7yrs ago I was driving down a country lane coming back from doing a job at someones house. I rounded a bend and came across 3 cyclists riding abreast, I slowed down and waited for them to pull over but they didn't. I tapped the horn and they still didn't move over so I waited untill the road widened and went past them.
As I looked in my rear veiw mirror one of the cyclists was wobling and because the road was still a bit narrow I thought I may have caused him to wobble. I stopped and got out and asked if they were o.k. and got the most fierce beating of my life from the three of them. It took 3 weeks before one of my eyes opened again because they had repeatedly kicked my head as I lay on the floor unconcious.
The three of them belonged to a cycling team that is quite big around where I live so it didn't take too long to find names and addresses etc and pay them a visit.
The unfortunate side to this is that when I see cyclists in team colours I get very agitated and actually want to throttle them.
It certainly made me think differently about cyclists.
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And how ridiculous do 4wd drivers look when they stagger out of their cage on weak little legs, surmounted by a lard mountain? Present company excepted of course.
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Is it not the case that the Highway Code states Cyclists must not ride two abreast?
If this is the case, are you not being just a tad hypocritical for suggesting the driver who passed you was in violation of the highway code?
Personally I'd like to see something done about cyclists on the road. They pay nothing to use them yet cause problems for those of us who do, and the majority of them around this area ride on the pavements when it suits them and ignore traffic signals.
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"Cyclists pay nothung to use the roads"
Micheal, as previously mentioned I pay a fortune to use the roads, much more than most as it happens. If that doesn't entitle me to an occasional blast on the Cannondale in a pathetic attempt to keep fit, I don't know what does.
Anyway, don't be too keen to get rid of cyclists. If they made all the journey's they now cycle by car instead just think of the extra congestion.
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Highway code rule 51
Among other stuff for cyclists
"you should ... not ride more than two abreast"
I don't feel hypocritical, after reading this thread, just very lucky.
As has been suggested elsewhere, surely you aren't suggesting that those who use our roads for free e.g. pedestrians, horses and cyclists have "something done" about us. As well as Tom Shaw, I pay VED for 2 cars and a motor-bike so I am contributing.
And have you never been a pedestrian, using the roads for free?
H.
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Michael R - I'm not a cyclist any more, but 40 years ago most of my journeys were by pushbike. Having read your last two bigoted sentences I am less surprised by what happened to Marcos. Your attitude is road rage waiting to happen.
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By all means encourage cycling but please ban lycra for the sake of public decency, or at least have a exam that determines who can and who can't wear the stuff. For example: Kylie Minogue = yes, Bernard Manning = no.
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Cyclists aren't required to pay road tax, or have I missed something?
H.
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Been wanting to say something on this thread ever since it started, but - well, my 2p's worth is as follows.
Cyclists are great. In theory as we all know, this is a great and eco-friendly way of both getting around and keeping fit.
BUT, there is far too much of the 'motorist v cyclist' thing going on here. I, too, have absolutely no problem at all with waiting patiently to pass a cyclist until it is safe to do so. But when they are riding 2 abreast, or more (my recent experience was 6 abreast, all in their nice shiny lycra stuff) and they just won't budge, then it becomes an issue.
I can see both sides here, but I guess as a non-cyclist I see the car driver's point better. It really does feel sometimes as if cyclists (occasional ones, not typical ones) do certain things deliberately to make a statement. Not moving over because their conversation is more important than the flow of traffic can be deeply annoying for a driver, particularly if they (the driver) hasn't got all the time in the world to stutter along at 10-20mph.
I suppose, as with drivers, there are good and bad cyclists, considerate and non-considerate ones. I really don't think the issue can be so black and white as some of the opinions here seem to suggest?
HF
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HF
I'm in your camp on this one I think, except that up here in t'frozen North all cycling clubs appear to teach their members to ride at least 3 abreast at all times and regardless of road type and traffic conditions. I've been held up on A roads, B roads and Dales single track roads. This is appalling behavoir by supposedly responsible people. I asked some at a cafe why they did it (in, I thought , a reasonable tone). I got a load of abuse in reply which boiled down to "if we don't ride like that you b-----s come too close and knock someone off"
Maybe Plod should spend some time touring the clubs as a road safety promotion??
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Cyclists aren't required to pay road tax, or have I missed something? H.
I think the "road fund" was an idea that came and went before the Second World War. Mark and others ran a thread on this in the old backroom. What we pay now is Motor Vehcle License Duty. Like tax on booze and ciggies or VAT it's simply an imposition on a pleasure/convenience/neccessity.
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No Gen, sorry. As a frequent pedestrian but never a cyclist, bikes are, quite rightly, banned from footpaths unless marked as cycle tracks too. Having once has a cycling moron hit me as I got off a bus onto the pavement I feel strongly that wheeled traffic belongs on the road.
Obviously not pushchairs, prams etc though!
Terry
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To be honest I think the idea of banning cyclists on NSL roads is - and apologies if I sound rude - arrogant. We all share the roads and all it requires is a relaxed courteous frame of mind. If anyone needs banning it is people who display aggressive and hence dangerous tendencies when behind the wheel. Not that banning them does any good.
(I was going to rant about local cyclists but I'll be told off if I do!)
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Don't knock cycling. Before the invention of the bicycle there was an awful lot of inbreeding!
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Tom Shaw etc
When I started the 'cyclists pay nothing' debate I didn't realise someone would take it seriously. I was joking!!
After I learnt to drive I stopped riding bikes since I realised how dangerous other drivers drive in england wrt cyclists. I only owned a bike and rode every day when living in n'lands, germany, china etc etc but in england cyclists are not provided with adequate room or respect (either by drivers or councils).
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