Has anyone noticed how dreadful cyclists have become? No lights, cycling on the pavement.?

Question

As a cyclist myself I like to think I am responsible but I just cannot believe how bad some of the others are. I encountered someone on the cycle track coming down the wrong way. 2 foreign students riding side by side on the wrong side of the road, people riding on back lanes with NO lights, crossing road junctions without looking - is it me or had anyone else noticed the appalling behaviour. I truly wonder why.

Answer 1

Maybe you haven't been around for as long as I have but people have always done this!

No, it's not the way I ride!

I have got shouted at for riding correctly though!, When I am riding in towns I can keep up with the traffic flow and more than once I have been told to move over!!!! - even though I am following the car in front. So the most they could hope to gain is a bikes length!!!!

Just don't ride like the Idiots and most people will respect you for it!

EDIT:
A poster below mentions cars waiting patiently behind cyclists at only 30/40 Mph on a 60Mph road!
Could you put me in touch with those guys, 'cos there must be something lacking in my training!!!


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Answer 2

Wow. Sounds like bicycling mayhem in England! I would just love to have bicycle only lanes on the roads here in "Small Town Midwest USA". I don't think people would be complaining on the direction or lighting IF we just had those bike lanes.

Since I am a roadie, I have to share the motor vehicle lane (legal here) and I stay as far to the right side as possible. I have 2 head lights, rear flashing red LED and handle bar end flashing red LED's AND people still yell at me for being "in the way". Not to mention the sport of "see how close you can pass a bike without actually hitting it".

Give us proper riders a break -- not to mention some room!

Answer 3

Now you come to mention it I saw a weird thing this evening - I work in central London and it was the rush hour. At a pelican crossing maybe 20 pedestrians were crossing, and two cyclists rode right into the middle of them. The cyclists were making loud screaming noises (I suppose they didn't have bells) and nearly hit several pedestrians. They didn't have lights either and just carried on into the traffic! Maybe they have a death wish? My partner saw a cyclist get killed recently by a bendy bus, you'd have to be nuts to cycle in London without knowing what you are doing and having the right gear.

Answer 4

Personally I haven't seen too many cyclists do that here in Indiana. I don't mean to be an elitist, but if we're talking about people who ride the walmart bicycles, then yeah, I have seen that. Lots of them.

I guess they think that since they have the right of way they can do pretty much whatever they want. Also, maybe since they don't consider themselves cyclists, they treat that just like walking (although those are not good safety practice for pedestrians too).

Answer 5

i think of you will discover the main significant reason to be that folk using vehicles often replace into their maximum conceited while in the back of the wheel. around the place I used to stay (Watford) there's a cycle music good the way by using city, and pedestrians stroll throughout it without even questioning of finding first, which makes it often tougher to navigate than the quite pavements. individually, the place there's a cycle direction, say alongside the gutter, i will persist with it, and the place a highway is obvious and huge adequate to cycle effectively, i would be on the line, yet too many motorists are ignorant and so its no longer consistently risk-free to be on the line.

Answer 6

I see it all the time, I both cycle and drive, both drivers not lookin g out for cyclists and the cyclists just tearing up the road without any regard for their own safety.

Answer 7

There are always bad apples in a bunch. Too bad is that we often notice the bad bunch of cyclists.

Set as an example and cycle the right way on streets. Because it is hard to teach an old dog with new tricks.

Answer 8

Perhaps cycle manufacturers should be encouraged to build lights in to the bike frame and not to be classed has a cycle accessories to buy later. And providing cycle paths does not completely solve cyclist safety either, so that could be why they take such a cavalier attitude.

Answer 9

I don't know if its more or less prevalent than back in the day.

I do know that most riders of bicycles (as opposed to cyclists) are pretty clueless about the correct way to ride in public. When the opportunity presents itself, I try to inform the mopes in a non-threatening way.

The resulting blank stares of non-comprehension, and occasional incoherent outbursts suggest that a lot of them are on two wheels because they are not permitted to operate four. With any luck, the Darwin effect will claim them before they reproduce.
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Edit: I suppose I should note that I've put more miles on my bike than my car the last few years. When I'm trying to help the uninformed onto the straight and narrow, I'm generally overtaking them on two wheels.

Answer 10

as a commuter cyclist i am often confused with the poorly mannered riders with whom you are irritated. im almost as upset by them as i am by the fact that i feel i must defend my self and other law abiding cyclists from regular abuse and insult from the moterized masses.

the sad fact is (and thank you Mr.G for pointing it out) there have always been miserable riders just as there have always been miserable drivers.

i feel i must comment, however, to the posters who have advocated violence. just because you dont like or agree with us on the roads does not mean we are wrong. with the proper equipment and skills we have just as much right to the road as motorists do, the whole lane, not just the gutter area or on the opposite side of the "line" as was mentioned by others. this topic has been killed to death in this forum so i wont go on ad nauseum about it save to say to the guy with the pipe, that i was hit by a full size honda head on at speed and got up to punch the driver, your steel pipe plan will quicker land you in the hospital than i.