How was your cycle commute?

[jusali]

bullshit. let me know when you successfully manage to use your bike as a weapon to bully and intimidate a car-bound road user and i'll eat my hat.

You make it sound like some kinda war, which it aint. It's just everyday people trying to get from A to B. Getting violent about it just escalates the situation, we're all grown ups and physical abuse is a big no-no in our current society. The roads are dangerous places and cyclists are vunerable yet mistakes happen it's innevitable. How you react to that is with maturity and respect, this aint the fucking playground, we'se all adults and should react in an accordingly considerate and respectful way..... Hard, I know but someone's got to be the bigger man/woman....

http://road.cc/content/news/85728-g...ttack-which-motorist-hospitalised-row-cyclist
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-rage-attack-driver-opened-car-door-him.html
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Cyc...tory-16989517-detail/story.html#axzz2abtkNOUY
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/P...tory-18470133-detail/story.html#axzz2O5YCc3Jr

 

[joustmaster]

Someone ask gg what a traffic droid is as I think he is ignoring me

He is that guy off that BBC program about the war on british roads between cyclists and drivers. He was the guy with all the cameras on his bike who has a youtube channel and blog. I think he even had business cards with his site on them. Seems a bit crackers.

 

[jusali]

What's a Traffic droid? OK just seen above^^^^^

 

[pissflaps]

You're the one advocating criminal behaviour. You don't like people pointing out that your attitude is extreme and not representative of most road users. You are part of the problem.

i have, and will continue to protect myself in whatever manner i deem necessary given the circumstances. I am not suggesting anyone else does the same. This is the second time i have pointed this out to you. I am suggesting that people get righteously fucking angry about a government that seems to treat people on bicycles and the injuries some of them suffer as insignificant, as evidenced by the utter lack of provision and money being wasted on facile horseshit like the campaign mentioned above. If you fail to realise that, then you are part of the problem.

 

[Orang Utan]

He is that guy off that BBC program about the war on british roads between cyclists and drivers. He was the guy with all the cameras on his bike who has a youtube channel and blog. I think he even had business cards with his site on them. Seems a bit crackers.

I remember a guy filming everyone who passed him too closely and screaming at them their license plate. IIRC he was in London and that sort of thing happens so many times a journey, I feared for his health as his heart won't be able to cope with being in that permanent fight or flight mode he seemed to be in

 

[Orang Utan]

i have, and will continue to protect myself in whatever manner i deem necessary given the circumstances. I am not suggesting anyone else does the same. This is the second time i have pointed this out to you. I am suggesting that people get righteously fucking angry about a government that seems to treat people on bicycles and the injuries some of them suffer as insignificant, as evidenced by the utter lack of provision and money being wasted on facile horseshit like the campaign mentioned above. If you fail to realise that, then you are part of the problem.

You keep mentioning the bigger picture, but I am talking about the way we behave as road users, not policy

 

[fredfelt]

You can't easily get out out of a car if someone is stood by the door. And its clear if someone has lost the plot enough to be getting out, especially as he'd just driven me off the road.

I think you in particular will appreciate this. This happened to me over five years ago. For what ever reason someone decided to pull in front of me, block my way on the single lane road ready to get out of the car and I assume shout some abuse.

I'm nearly 6'8" - and usually very sporty. At the time I was doing weights and stacked. Anyway I positioned myself near his door ready to look down on him as he crawled out of his car. I'm a real softie and I'd be rubbish in a fight but I decided to use my stature to my advantage. It worked a treat - looking up at me he went bright red, mumbled something and then sat back in his car. I probably wished him a good day and then cycled slowly off in front of him.

I generally try to avoid confrontation but a foolhardy mix of adrenaline, pride and confidence can lead me to engage.

 

[pissflaps]

You make it sound like some kinda war...

no one has suggested it's a 'war', if it was i think we all know who'd come off second best EVERY TIME - once again, you are making accusations with zero proof. You seem to be laboring under the misaprehension that there are those of us going out on the roads with the express purpose of picking fights with people in cars. that's fucking moronic and you are silly for presuming as much.

Suggesting reacting in a justifiably hostile manner as the result of a 'mistake' is another false accusation - as has been pointed out on numerous posts, being aggro was as a result of having a fucking car INTENTIONALLY DRIVEN AT YOU WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF CAUSING INJURY OR WORSE. So by all means - continue with your sanctimonious piety, all i ask is that you exercise the intellectual honesty to justify it without a load of half arsed straw man arguments.

 

[jusali]

no one has suggested it's a 'war', if it was i think we all know who'd come off second best EVERY TIME - once again, you are making accusations with zero proof. You seem to be laboring under the misaprehension that there are those of us going out on the roads with the express purpose of picking fights with people in cars. that's fucking moronic and you are silly for presuming as much.

Suggesting reacting in a justifiably hostile manner as the result of a 'mistake' is another false accusation - as has been pointed out on numerous posts, being aggro was as a result of having a fucking car INTENTIONALLY DRIVEN AT YOU WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF CAUSING INJURY OR WORSE. So by all means - continue with your sanctimonious piety, all i ask is that you exercise the intellectual honesty to justify it without a load of half arsed straw man arguments.

Wow you read a lot into my post as a personal attack It wasn't, I had in mind my experience with that motorist posted earlier when I was writing that.
We're all on the same page here, just looking for different approaches is all.....

 

[pissflaps]

not personal - just wrong.

 

[fredfelt]

Sorry to interrupt this debate with some of yer actual cycling but...

On the way back from Edinburgh. Bloody hilly, hot, cold, rainy and sunny. We got alternately soaked and sunburned. Slept 2 hours till midnight then rode thru the night to get to Barnard Castle. Approx 550 miles completed now. A few riders with 1,000 yard stares!

That's excellent!

I enjoy cycle tours but I do them in a different style. I cycled Lands Ends to John O'Groats last summer but at a much slower rate. I went with my trusty steel flat handled touring bike, tent and cooking kit and covered around 80 miles a day, although I posted my tent and lots of kit home when I got to Scotland as the weight was doing my head in.

The mileage you are doing sounds bonkers! Although with a sack wagon, light weight bike and a pack of people to cycle with I can just about imagine it.

Good luck with the rest of the ride.

 

[pissflaps]

anyone done any routes in and around the south of France? Looking to spend a 4 day weekend at most. Flatter the better.

 

[joustmaster]

Sorry to interrupt this debate with some of yer actual cycling but...

On the way back from Edinburgh. Bloody hilly, hot, cold, rainy and sunny. We got alternately soaked and sunburned. Slept 2 hours till midnight then rode thru the night to get to Barnard Castle. Approx 550 miles completed now. A few riders with 1,000 yard stares!

What is your estimated time of arrival at the finish?

 

[DownwardDog]

Suggesting reacting in a justifiably hostile manner as the result of a 'mistake' is another false accusation - as has been pointed out on numerous posts, being aggro was as a result of having a fucking car INTENTIONALLY DRIVEN AT YOU WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF CAUSING INJURY OR WORSE. So by all means - continue with your sanctimonious piety, all i ask is that you exercise the intellectual honesty to justify it without a load of half arsed straw man arguments.

The INTENTIONALLY part almost never happens. Despite the feverish and paranoid fantasies of the cycling Begbies on this discussion.

 

[pissflaps]

that's right. we're all just making it up. you know of course, because... well you just do.

'almost never happens'

soooo it does?

 

[joustmaster]

The INTENTIONALLY part almost never happens. Despite the feverish and paranoid fantasies of the cycling Begbies on this discussion.

Shouting out of the window, honking the horn, then accidently accelerating at you, eh?

 

[pissflaps]

The SINGLE incident in which the actions you are taking issue with were resorted to has been described in graphic detail in a number of posts, to suggest it was made up is a worthless contribution.

 

[fredfelt]

The INTENTIONALLY part almost never happens. Despite the feverish and paranoid fantasies of the cycling Begbies on this discussion.

I'm not paranoid - but I know they are out to get me!

All too regularly I'm on the receiving end of people intentionally trying to scare me. I assume it's drivers trying to 'teach me a lesson' for choosing to avoid shit cycle paths and having the audacity to cycle on the road. It's still a very small minority of people that do it but it happens often enough.

Do you not experience this?

 

[Orang Utan]

It has only happened to me once and this was on the hottest day of the year.
Where are you based? Maybe it's a regional thing

 

[gentlegreen]

As I pointed out to an otherwise experienced-looking cyclist yesterday (he was hugging the doorzone) - don't even trust a parked car.

 

[fredfelt]

Oxfordshire - it doesn't happen that often though. It happens often enough on a particular stretch of road for me to generally avoid the route. The cycle path is really bad so I'd prefer to take a different route than use the cycle path.

 

[Orang Utan]

That's a bugbear: when a car that slows down in front of you comes to an almost complete halt as it has spotted you as wants to let you go past before it turns left. You hang back and try to mime to let it go on front of you while you hang back, and the driver gets annoyed cos he thinks he is doing you a favour. How do you communicate that you'd rather hang back and let the car turn in front of you as no car can be trusted to not just lurch in front of you as you try to pass? You can't, so you leave the situation with mutual annoyance and frustration festering. It's hard to ride safely without irritating others occasionally!

 

[Crispy]

That's a bugbear: when a car that slows down in front of you comes to an almost complete halt as it has spotted you as wants to let you go past before it turns left. You hang back and try to mime to let it go on front of you while you hang back, and the driver gets annoyed cos he thinks he is doing you a favour. How do you communicate that you'd rather hang back and let the car turn in front of you as no car can be trusted to not just lurch in front of you as you try to pass? You can't, so you leave the situation with mutual annoyance and frustration festering. It's hard to ride safely without irritating others occasionally!

I know that feeling. "No, seriously! I'm being considerate! I know the last ten cyclists you encountered like this didn't give a shit, but I do!"

 

[Dogsauce]

I had a private hire pull out on me this morning - he saw me as well but just assumed he'd get away with it - had to pass him on the other side of the road after braking fairly harshly (not that I was even belting along or anything), followed by some shouting and arm waving. Immediately after we're both pulled up at the lights (him in the left slip lane, me in the main carriageway about 5m to his right), me fixing him with my best withering stare for a good minute while he stared straight ahead pretending really hard that he wasn't noticing me. Found the reaction quite comical and ridiculous really, softened my anger a bit.

 

[pissflaps]

to be honest, my default reaction to most fuckwittery both on the bike and in my car is to blow kisses. riles the fuckers right up.

 

[Orang Utan]

I tend to yell, but not swear. Silly billy is a fave.
I once screamed 'I don't like you any more' to a driver who failed to signal and pulled out in front.

 

[Ted Striker]

 

[Orang Utan]

I know that feeling. "No, seriously! I'm being considerate! I know the last ten cyclists you encountered like this didn't give a shit, but I do!"

The niggling irritation you feel is related to that which you feel, as a pedestrian, usually, when a car stops to let you cross, but there is a massive lovely gap right behind them and you feel ungrateful and wish they hadn't bothered.

 

[Winot]

The niggling irritation you feel is related to that which you feel, as a pedestrian, usually, when a car stops to let you cross, but there is a massive lovely gap right behind them and you feel ungrateful and wish they hadn't bothered.

@SoVeryBritish

 

[a_chap]

What is your estimated time of arrival at the finish?

Have just finished London Edinburgh London at 1.07am so that's with four hours to spare...

Today I managed to come down with heat stroke and appear to have knackered my right Achilles tendon. Both made the final three sections a bit harder than they should have been. And I'm a bit tired - 6 hours sleep since Sunday. ZZZzzz...