I am too slow a cyclist to ever get myself into these situations, but I usually wait for a massive gap when cycling on roundabouts. I have been known to dismount and push the bike across a big road!

I saw a cyclist last night, no lights, dark clothing, hood pulled up. We were walking along and he was cyling on the pavement and he clipped my husband with his bike. Numpty! One can only hope he doesn't get the opportunity to contribute to the gene pool.

If it's any consolation Fred, I just received a few hand gestures from a young man because he chose to cross the road as the lights turned green for vehicles, and I revved my engine at him.

I am a cyclist and a driver and as far as I am concerned you do not mix it with cars. It is a battle for survival which the car will win. There are plenty of things you should and shouldn't do when riding a bike but one of the most important is don't p**s drivers off. If you appear to be helping other motorists negotiate you, then you will get a bit more respect from them.

I was in the car this morning when a cyclist squeezed between me and the kerb at a set of lights so that he could sail through the red lights as if they didn't exist. He nearly got taken out by a right turning motor bike. No sympathy, the highway code applies to drivers and cyclists.

Jamie, ol' fella, it's nearly eleven on a Friday night, you should be out with yer mates and that girl friend of yours, driving in yer Jag - the one with all those bhp's....not sitting on HJ' forum waiting for some boring old duffer like me to reply to you

...………of writing “i” when you really mean “I”……

It's because he's using his left hand to type because his right hand is otherwise engaged getting all worked up hoping that people will respond to his postings!

Yunno having read through this I can appreciate that many will conclude that I did something to iritate said cyclist and are reading between the lines and I understand that you can't just take the word of a bloke on a forum, but I can assure you that when I overtook the cyclist I did not get too close. There was no ongoing traffic and I gave him plenty of space. I am completely on the side of the cyclist when motorists overtake when there isn't enough room and get too close. I've done it myself (haven't we all?) and hold my hand up, but its been a case of missjudgement or ongoing traffic not getting over and not deliberate.

I think the cyclist made the classic mistake of edging up the inside of the cars at the roundabout, he just happend to be next to me when I pulled on. That he drove straight across it, forcing me over was again just bad cycling. They do exist you know!

Its the cyclists who overtake the buses as its pulling out which get me. How many cyclists get squashed between the bus and whatever is on their right? Madness.

From the cyclist's perspective it's a bus pulling out as you overtake.

The last time i checked the highway code it said if the bus is indicating right then you stop behind it and give way. Does the highway code not apply to cyclists? About a year ago i was going through town, two lanes in one direction and i was in the right hand lane as i was turning right further down and this cyclist appears out of nowhere down the middle of both lanes and tries to overtake a bus pulling away from a bus stop just as a pickup truck in front of me is turning right and i had to look away at that moment. Luckily he was ok but if he'd died it wouldve been his own stupid fault.

Big vehicles and bicycles dont mix, mainly because users of both have no experience of the other so cyclists simply dont realise that the bus/HGV etc cannot react or change direction as quickly as they can and most of the time they simply cant be seen.

Thats the scary thing. People are allowed on the road on these contraptions without even reading the Highway Code, so most of them dont actually know what they're doing. Government policy of pandering to cyclists, making it politically incorrect to ever criticise them doesnt help, because that gives them the attitude of 'i can do whatever i want, everythings the motorists fault.'

When cyclists ride beside me I always put my wipers on fast and wash the windscreen! soon makes them drop back :-)

Edited by Rufus Roughcut on 25/02/2012 at 22:42

"The majority of cyclists will also be drivers."

Absolutely - not least the ones on Bromptons who take their bikes out of the back of their cars!

A thread like this is a good opportunity to discuss how to co-exist more effectively: we can comfort ourselves by bearing in mind that the great majority of both motorists and cyclists (and motorcyclists) do indeed see each other's point of view, and drive / ride with dure consideration. It's important not to tar all of a particular type of road user with the same brush.

Cyclists should have to pay insurance just like the rest of us and road tax to be on the road/cycle ways.

The most dangerous red light jumping I see in London every day is performed at 25 - 30 after amber and half a second of red. The morons concerned all have registration plates; quite a few are bright red , show route numbers and logos such as Stagecoach, RATP or Abelio.

Happy to pay same VED as other zero emission vehicles. An most cylists have insurance either through being in CTC, LCC etc or via their household policies.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 26/02/2012 at 19:48

>>Cyclists should have to pay insurance just like the rest of us and road tax to be on the road/cycle ways.

Here we go again, all the old clichés.

I've insurance through my house insurance and I pay exactly the same road tax as any other low emission vehicle.

While I'm cycling, neither of my cars is taking up space on the road or in car parks.

But the fact is they're not being traced and fined. Not even the buses. Police wait at junctions in London and book light jumping cyclists.

There's not been a road tax funding the roads in my lifetime and I'm well over 50. Emisions related VED is part of general taxation along with VAT, Income Tax and beer duty.

I'm funding the roads everytime I buy a pint!

Good to see police doing their job in London. Cyclists jumping lights in London must be a huge menace.

Menace is something of an overstatement. Never in thirteen years of commuting have I seen a collision or even a close miss. Too much risk to pedestrians though.

Biggest crime the RLJ'r commits is 'bringing the game into disrepute'.