London Cyclists...

[BillyC]

I'm sorry, even though I've calmed down a bit now, I have to talk about this. Beware, rant alert.

Riding down Theobalds Road this morning on my way to work, it's raining and the roads are a tad wet. The lane splits into two approaching Procter Street and the Holborn one way bit. Most of the vehicles are Taxis and buses, and are occupying the right hand lane - which is a bus lane.

The left lane, which I'm heading towards, is empty, except for a lone cyclist at the side of the road. Plenty of room to get past. I slow down, mindful of the random stunts that London Taxis often pull, and aim to put myself equidistant between the cyclist and the Taxis.

This is all going well, until the cyclist swerves to the right... I brake. She then swerves to the left... she's out of my way again. Then just as I begin to draw level, she decides to swerve right again, straight into me! I struggle to control the bike, but manage to get past and stop at the traffic lights.

She then draws next to me screaming that I nearly knocked her off her bike - fair enough. I point out to her that she nearly knocked me off mine, by swerving right infront of me, and that there was little I could do about it.

"I was avoiding a pothole!" she says.

I hate london cyclists with a passion. If it didn't leave marks on the car I might well do a purging exercise on a regular basis!

...don't even get me started! you gotta love it when you've filtered all the way to the front of a queue at a red light sitting adjacent to a car and a cyclist pulls in in front of you, meaning you cant get away quickly enough to get infront of the traffic, then your stuck behind them until theres a gap in the traffic...really grinds my gears!!

And is it normal for cyclists not to wear underwear under they're stupid lycra shorts!? you can see straight through them! ergh! just what you need on the way home from a hard day at the office... Word of advice do not use full beam behind one, you may be scared for life...

I had a similar situation a while ago - pootling along at about 20 when some stupid cyclist swerves directly into me. Our bikes locked together, so luckily neither of us came off. I had a few choice words to say to the gentleman concerned. Why do cyclists find it so hard to look behind them when they change their road position?

My other regular run-in with cyclists is at a junction near my office. I think it's reasonable to expect that if I'm in a left turn only lane indicating left that I might just be turning left at that junction. However, every single day at least one cyclist will try to ride up my left hand side as the lights go green. Stoopid.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by poisonidea

...And is it normal for cyclists not to wear underwear under they're stupid lycra shorts!?

Yes, the point of the shorts is to have no bulky seams to rub on delicate bits. Girls shorts are specialised pieces of kit for this reason (blokes shorts have a seam where girls prefer not to have one) - although not many lady cyclists go without pants, nice girls do not go commando! Having pants under them defeats the point of no bulky seams to rub....
Problem you might have noticed is that after a lot of washing / in the wet / too tight lycra goes see through! Great of the girl in front has a nice bum!

Thanks for clearing that up luckypants

Yeah great if its a girl, not so great if its some hairy 50 something business man waving his crack in your face...

[lukemillar]

Originally Posted by poisonidea

...don't even get me started! you gotta love it when you've filtered all the way to the front of a queue at a red light sitting adjacent to a car and a cyclist pulls in in front of you, meaning you cant get away quickly enough to get infront of the traffic, then your stuck behind them until theres a gap in the traffic...really grinds my gears!!

That large green bay at the front of traffic lights with a 4 foot picture of a cycle in it sort of suggests that they are supposed to be there. You on the other hand shouldn't. Motorcycles are supposed to stop one car back from the front, so 'getting in front of the traffic' shouldn't be your concern.

Don't get me, wrong - I'm no big fan of cyclists, but if we are going to play 'road pedant' then the door swings both ways.

Ok, the traffic lights was a bad example, but it happens everywhere! (junctions, roundabouts...etc) someone back me up here...



How can I hate cyclists...? My mums one.

[BillyC]

I honestly couldn't believe she said it... as if a pothole presented a more significant hazard than swerving infront of traffic! As far as I'm concerned she wasn't in control of her uninsured and ill-equipped vehicle.

The lights turned green, and I headed off through the traffic.

What really astounds me is that I have the baffle removed from my Akra system at the moment, you can hear me coming from the other side of Holborn!

[BillyC]

Originally Posted by lukemillar

That large green bay at the front of traffic lights with a 4 foot picture of a cycle in it sort of suggests that they are supposed to be there.

Can someone explain why we have these? I've not seen them anywhere else in the world, and I can only conclude that they were devised by some moron! Bicycles are slower than every other form of transport... so why put them infront of everything - buses, taxis, cars, motorbikes, whatever!

Why give them this exalted priority infront of all the traffic that wants to pull away?

Why put them in a position that just begs them to jump the red light?


Yes the door swings both ways... but I had to pass a test to ride my bike, I have to buy a Road Fund Licence and I have to insure myself in case I cause damage to others. Cyclists... if cyclists want to use the roads like the rest of us, then at least get insured and pass a test - that way when you pull infront of me, I'll have something to claim from.

It would also be nice if they had to conform to minimum standards, an MOT for bicycles. I want to see lights in the dark (not little blinky LED's), rear view mirrors, proper indication, brake lights... you name it!


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