Driving Standards

[T & P]

I don't agree. I think that if a light is red, you should stop at it until it turns green. Unfortunately, ~85% of cyclists don't agree with me.

I actually do it myself because I also drive and ride motorcycles, and expect others to behave in the same way regardless of their mode of transport. In fact I reckon much of the hostility in this country arises from blatant disregard for the law or discourteous behaviour displayed by various kinds of road users (cars going too fast and close to cyclists, cyclists jumping red lights en masse, pedestrians ignoring red lights or neglecting to look before crossing any given stretch of road, and so on.
.

 

[Saul Goodman]

I actually do it myself because I also drive and ride motorcycles, and expect others to behave in the same way regardless of their mode of transport. In fact I reckon much of the hostility in this country arises from blatant disregard for the law or discourteous behaviour displayed by various kinds of road users (cars going too fast and close to cyclists, cyclists jumping red lights en masse, pedestrians ignoring red lights or neglecting to look before crossing any given stretch of road, and so on.
.

What I find fucking amazing, and amusing, is that I live somewhere with literally ZERO traffic lights. I don't mean it has just a few, I mean there are ZERO traffic lights within at least a 25 mile radius of where I live... yet we still, somehow, manage to survive. We have plenty of roundabouts, and a little common sense, and that seems to be enough to prevent WWIII, and camera-wielding robocunt types.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

There is massive tribalism in this country when it comes to different type of road users compared with the vibe I’ve got in various European cities with a heavy- often much heavier- cyclist presence.

I was in Berlin recently and car drivers seem on the whole to be far more cautious and considerate around cyclists than in here. But equally, most cyclists obeyed traffic laws religiously. Almost everyone (90% or more I reckon) stopped and waited at red traffic lights even if there were no peds crossing. In London you’d be happy to see 25% compliance in the same circumstances. Even pedestrians wait for the green man with completely empty roads.

Having said that, I find such rigid approach annoying as fuck so ideally we could adopt the attitude and consideration shown by our Continental neighbours without being so absurdly fastidious as to ALWAYS wait for the light to change on a completely empty road when it is virtually 100% safe to cross the road at that time. Jaywalking is one of the few instances when often Germans tut at tourists who don’t wait for the green man

What you don’t see much of is people cycling to work dressed up as if taking part in the Tour de France. That seems to be very much a London thing and instils a mentality that they must get there as quickly as possible, therefore any hindrance must be met with vengeance.

 

[T & P]

What you don’t see much of is people cycling to work dressed up as if taking part in the Tour de France. That seems to be very much a London thing and instils a mentality that they must get there as quickly as possible, therefore any hindrance must be met with vengeance.

Yes, good point. In fact I don't recall seeing a single person in Lycra in Berlin. And the overwhelming majority of bicycles were utilitarian, recrational style ones rather than four-figure carbon fibre racers.

 

[hash tag]

Dunno. For my sins I have to take my son to see Millwall.
Football "fans" seem to object to having the opposing fans video them on their phones. It is some sort of "thing" and seems to raise the tension a touch. .I have no idea if football fans drive like cunts

have to? Yeh, right

I see both motorists and cyclists breaking the law with impunity all time. I don’t get riled, I just progress in a manner that is safe for me and my passengers, should I have any, and for other road users. Plus I instruct my kids to know that a huge number of other road users are cunts and to mind how they go.

What about other road users, like pedestrians?

 

[hash tag]

What you don’t see much of is people cycling to work dressed up as if taking part in the Tour de France. That seems to be very much a London thing and instils a mentality that they must get there as quickly as possible, therefore any hindrance must be met with vengeance.

Lycra louts tend to be experienced road users, had an awareness of what's around them and an appreciation of the law unlike idiots who wobble around on hire bikes, are totally unaware of anything or anyone around them and are totally unpredictable.

 

[Spymaster]

Lycra louts tend to be experienced road users, had an awareness of what's around them and an appreciation of the law ...

Nope; they're just a different type of cunt. These are the ones who'll crash through red lights, charge between lines of traffic, and swerve in front or behind peds on crossings because they can't possibly lose any speed.

 

[Winot]

What you don’t see much of is people cycling to work dressed up as if taking part in the Tour de France. That seems to be very much a London thing and instils a mentality that they must get there as quickly as possible, therefore any hindrance must be met with vengeance.

Yes, good point. In fact I don't recall seeing a single person in Lycra in Berlin. And the overwhelming majority of bicycles were utilitarian, recrational style ones rather than four-figure carbon fibre racers.

As a (sometimes Lycra-clad) commuter cyclist of 35 years, I would love it if the UK culture was changed so that ‘ordinary’ people cycled.

For that to happen requires a positive commitment to change from political leaders including a commitment to incorporate safe cycling infrastructure into every new road scheme.

Instead what we have in the UK is a massive road building programme with no thought for cycling; indeed we are going backwards with cycle infrastructure being removed in some places. Even in London look at the kick back there has been to the few integrated cycle highways. Look at the row about closing off the Outer Circle in Regent’s Park to cars. Look at what is happening in the Olympic Park.

For anyone who wants ordinary people to feel safe to cycle, please support cycle infrastructure generally. Please recognise that it means that motor vehicles need to take a lower priority. And please hold back from the easy attacks on Lycra warriors - we are ordinary people too who just want to be able to cycle safely.

 

[Spymaster]

- we are ordinary people too who just want to be able to cycle safely.

No you’re not. You’re arseholes.

 

[Saul Goodman]

No you’re not. You’re arseholes.

Nobody needs to look like they're riding in the Tour de France unless they're actually riding in the Tour de France. The only reasons to wear lycra on a bike are to pretend you're in a bike race and ride like you are, and to show your dick and balls to like-minded cyclists. Normal people don't want to see either of those things. You rarely see women at it. It's almost always men. I wonder why that is.

 

[nick]

No you’re not. You’re arseholes.

You're better than that Spy.....

 

[nick]

Tight fitting clothes - especially round the leg area, avoid things getting caught in the mechanicals.

Anyway - I've invested enough in my beergut over the years that I want to show it off to all and sundry.

 

[editor]

Nobody needs to look like they're riding in the Tour de France unless they're actually riding in the Tour de France. The only reasons to wear lycra on a bike are to pretend you're in a bike race and ride like you are, and to show your dick and balls to like-minded cyclists. Normal people don't want to see either of those things. You rarely see women at it. It's almost always men. I wonder why that is.

When you don't know what you're talking about, it's considered wise to keep your clueless trap shut. Plenty of women wear proper cycling gear, and there's plenty of reasons why people may choose to wear appropriate clothing on their commute to work, or whatever.

 

[Spymaster]

You're better than that Spy.....

Nah. Lycra outside of sports use is for total wankers. It's the cycling equivalent of go faster stripes and aftermarket spoilers.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Nah. Lycra outside of sports use is for total wankers. It's the cycling equivalent of go faster stripes and aftermarket spoilers.

It's the equivalent of a car driver wearing a F1 Nomex racing suit to go to the shops. I can't think of anything more cringeworthy.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

When you don't know what you're talking about, it's considered wise to keep your clueless trap shut. Plenty of women wear proper cycling gear, and there's plenty of reasons why people may choose to wear appropriate clothing on their commute to work, or whatever.

Utter shite.

Stand on the Embankment at 0830 and you will see 100 mamils for every woman who chose to dress the same.
Check the videos with the wanna-be filth, how many of the Lycra adorned velocipedists were female? None, that’s how many. It’s wanky as fuck. It affects the way they view themselves and creates discord on the streets.

I like driving fast, powerful cars. I don’t don a fireproof suit and crash helmet for my commute tho.

 

[Spymaster]

Utter shite.

Indeed.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

When you don't know what you're talking about, it's considered wise to keep your clueless trap shut. Plenty of women wear proper cycling gear, and there's plenty of reasons why people may choose to wear appropriate clothing on their commute to work, or whatever.

And double utter shite; Holland and Denmark, the two European countries that are most cycle friendly, you never see anyone in Lycra commuting. Never. Appropriate clothing for the commute is your work clothes. Dutch and Danish commuters don’t need to change clothes and shower when they get to work as they cycle at a reasonable pace, exerting themselves no more than others who walk to work. Unlike these Bradly Wiggins’s you see whizzing around all over town.

 

[Spymaster]

Clueless traps anyone?

 

[blairsh]

Unlike these Bradly Wiggins’s you see whizzing around all over town.

That's the problem with your Bradley Wiggins's, always whizzing their Wiggins's tits off.

 

[Saul Goodman]

When you don't know what you're talking about, it's considered wise to keep your clueless trap shut. Plenty of women wear proper cycling gear, and there's plenty of reasons why people may choose to wear appropriate clothing on their commute to work, or whatever.

Maybe you should take your own advice, then.

 

[Saul Goodman]

And double utter shite; Holland and Denmark, the two European countries that are most cycle friendly, you never see anyone in Lycra commuting. Never.

Spot the MAMIL.
Also, notice how they're pretty much all riding sensible bikes. Not a single one of them thinks they're in the Tour de France.

Holland

Denmark

 

[Spymaster]

London. Cycle wanker capital of Europe.

 

[mauvais]

The Dutch have different words for what we would think of as utility bike cyclists vs. road bike cyclists: fietser and wielrenner, respectively. So when you look at Dutch language stuff, 'cyclist' translates to the former. Lycra exists.

But it's all about culture and infrastructure and normalisation too.

I've never worn lycra. I'm possibly even further outside the norm though, as if I ride to work, I ride a mountain bike in mountain bike kit and baggy shorts.

 

[Saul Goodman]

The Dutch have different words for what we would think of as utility bike cyclists vs. road bike cyclists: fietser and wielrenner, respectively.

wielrenner m (plural wielrenners, diminutive wielrennertje n, feminine wielrenster)

1. a sports or fitness cyclist, someone who races bicycles, as opposed to a person riding a bike for any other purpose.

There's nothing wrong with wearing Lycra if you're racing. Just as there's nothing wrong with wearing a Nomex racing suit if you're driving a Formula 1 car at Silverstone, but neither is fitting attire for a daily commute to work.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Try cycling without a padded arse, impossible. Absolute arse pain. Unless you are riding a sit up and beg but that's the cycle equivalent of a nissan micra. So then it's just a case of do you wear lycra cycling shorts with normal shorts over top, or just the lycra. I never got past the lycra shorts with normal shorts over top but really there is no point so

 

[Saul Goodman]

Try cycling without a padded arse, impossible. Absolute arse pain.

I used to cycle 16 miles to work every day when I left school, and 16 miles home, and the odd 65 mile ride to Blackpool on the weekends. I don't recall it ever being that bad.

 

[Proper Tidy]

I used to cycle 16 miles to work every day when I left school, and 16 miles home, and the odd 65 mile ride to Blackpool on the weekends. I don't recall it ever being that bad.

It is though. I cycled a fuckload as a kid/teenager in just jeans and that, had a decade odd off, took up cycling again, even with padded shorts after an hour or so it was hurting, without it was fucking agony. Also tbh 32 miles cycling isn't really very much

 

[editor]

Spot the MAMIL.
Also, notice how they're pretty much all riding sensible bikes. Not a single one of them thinks they're in the Tour de France.

Holland

Denmark

And here's pics of London cyclists, failing miserably to live up to your stupid, ignorant, cyclist-hating stereotype

Of course, in many Europeans countries, cyclists are given priority and not at the mercy of overheating, cyclist-loating, polluting gammons at the wheel.

 

[mauvais]

When I was properly fit and rode 20 miles a day I never needed padding. Once I became more casual I did. Definitely do now.