cyclists become most indignant if you hit them?

[MarillionFan]

The problem yesterday was a nervous driver that was scared to pass, no matter how far into the hedgerow at the side of the road I squeezed myself. Behind her a queue of impatient motorists was forming. When she eventually did pass, several of the others whizzed past at breakneck speed as if to 'make a point'. One chose to augment his point with verbal abuse.

You are a bit of a menace.

[tractor]

...

Had one muppet during yesterdays ride.

Country back lane, a dozen or so of us riding along 2 abreast (never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends) and a car comes up behind us. Call goes up the line and everyone starts to organise themselves onto single file (be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted). This take a minute or so to organise with that many riders going at a reasonable clip .

Apparently we took too long and he came past at speed, beeping his horn, yelling out of the window and swerving towards us.

Half a mile up the road he got to the level crossing, where the barriers were down. They stayed down for a good 5 minutes after we caught up to him and advantage was taken to politely point out the error of his ways.

The inserts above are taken from the Gov UK rules for cyclists part of the highway code.

And from the more general rules that apply to all road users (keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road)

HTH

[DaveB]

The inserts above are taken from the Gov UK rules for cyclists part of the highway code.

And from the more general rules that apply to all road users (keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road)

HTH

[BrilloPad]

it seems strange how I have managed to cycle around this country for about 30 years and never once had a problem with motorists.

mind you I take the view that they are bigger than me and likely to kill me if we tangle so maybe I take the sensible route by not thinking I have the same rights to the road.....

It's like back in the day at school - you did not go up against the 5th years cos they were bigger and harder than you and you would get hurt

nowadays we are taught that nobody will ever be violent towards us and thus we stop respecting things which can kill us

:sigh:

So you never cycle in London then?

[tractor]

...

Even though a cyclist's speed and direction are never predictable, their response always is

Which of the 3 transgressions that I pointed out makes me cretinous

[DaveB]

Even though a cyclist's speed and direction are never predictable, their response always is

Which of the 3 transgressions that I pointed out makes me cretinous

Well we were riding two abreast, no more.

The road was not busy, thats why we were riding on it rather than the busy a roads.

As the car approached we were considerate and moved into single file to make it easier for the driver and safer for us. There were no pedestrians around, blind, partially sighted or otherwise.

We were riding on the left and continued to do so for the whole duration.

The fact that the car driver took it upon himself to get irritated at being slowed slightly and temporarily in his otherwise obviously hugely important and urgent business, drive dangerously, attempt to intimidate other road users and be verbally abusive in the process was not of our doing.

Since you are going to start trying to quite the highway code:

8. General advice (144 to 158)
144
You MUST NOT

drive dangerously
drive without due care and attention
drive without reasonable consideration for other road users.
Law RTA 1988 sects 2 & 3 as amended by RTA 1991

147
Be considerate. Be careful of and considerate towards all types of road users, especially those requiring extra care (see Rule 204).

Country roads
154
Take extra care on country roads and reduce your speed at approaches to bends, which can be sharper than they appear, and at junctions and turnings, which may be partially hidden. Be prepared for pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists, slow-moving farm vehicles or mud on the road surface. Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. You should also reduce your speed where country roads enter villages.

155
Single-track roads. These are only wide enough for one vehicle. They may have special passing places. If you see a vehicle coming towards you, or the driver behind wants to overtake, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite a passing place on your right. Give way to vehicles coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass. Slow down when passing pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

tl;dr

[Eirikur]

I will yell at cyclists as long as they cycle on the main road and there is a designated cycling path next to it.

[original PM]

So you never cycle in London then?

No?

Why would I cycle around a major city when they have a pretty decent transport infrastructure?

[tractor]

...

Well we were riding two abreast, no more.

The road was not busy, thats why we were riding on it rather than the busy a roads.

As the car approached we were considerate and moved into single file to make it easier for the driver and safer for us. There were no pedestrians around, blind, partially sighted or otherwise.

We were riding on the left and continued to do so for the whole duration. All of the right hand pairs were not


The fact that the car driver took it upon himself to get irritated at being slowed slightly and temporarily in his otherwise obviously hugely important and urgent business, drive dangerously, attempt to intimidate other road users and be verbally abusive in the process was not of our doing.

Since you are going to start trying to quite the highway code:



tl;dr

[DaveB]

We were still riding on the left hand side of the road, even when two abreast. At no point did any of us cross the centre line, it was not a single track road.

Keep trying.