Motorcyclist on Farringdon Road 9:05 06/04/11

notsoblue

This morning a real c*** of a motorcyclist tailgated and revved extremely loudly through a pack of cyclists from the Fleetstreet junction northward. Started arguing with one who took exception to it, showing incredibly threatening behaviour causing him to stop by the road. Then he came up behind and alongside me revving loudly again, and when told him to f*ck off he tried to kick me off my bike. This was all while I was doing 25mph uphill trying to turn off into Smithfield.

There must have been about 10 cyclists that saw it all, and I noticed a couple of them had stopped by the roadside. Was anyone on here witness to this?

Thoroughly unpleasant.

Headhuunter

I have to say I find motorcyclists up there in the scary road users ranking. Forget buses and HGVs, they're too slow to matter, it's motorcyclists and idiot moped riders jumping in and out of cycle lanes and trying to dodge past you just as you're pulling out yourself to get round a slower cyclist or car or whatever. Some of them are very considerate but a lot of them are utter loonies..

notsoblue

Headhuunter wrote:

I have to say I find motorcyclists up there in the scary road users ranking. Forget buses and HGVs, they're too slow to matter, it's motorcyclists and idiot moped riders jumping in and out of cycle lanes and trying to dodge past you just as you're pulling out yourself to get round a slower cyclist or car or whatever. Some of them are very considerate but a lot of them are utter loonies..

Hmmm, I don't really have a problem with motorcyclists in general. Usually in London they don't get enough of a stretch to really get up to dangerous speed. They clog up ASLs, but thats about the extent of it. This guy just went out of his way to bully and intimidate a whole group of cycle commuters, and resorted to nasty, dangerous tactics with anyone who stood up to him. It was pretty shocking how quickly it escalated, but beyond jumping out of the way to let him through when he was tailgating me, there is nothing I could have done.

Headhuunter

notsoblue wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I have to say I find motorcyclists up there in the scary road users ranking. Forget buses and HGVs, they're too slow to matter, it's motorcyclists and idiot moped riders jumping in and out of cycle lanes and trying to dodge past you just as you're pulling out yourself to get round a slower cyclist or car or whatever. Some of them are very considerate but a lot of them are utter loonies..

Hmmm, I don't really have a problem with motorcyclists in general. Usually in London they don't get enough of a stretch to really get up to dangerous speed. They clog up ASLs, but thats about the extent of it. This guy just went out of his way to bully and intimidate a whole group of cycle commuters, and resorted to nasty, dangerous tactics with anyone who stood up to him. It was pretty shocking how quickly it escalated, but beyond jumping out of the way to let him through when he was tailgating me, there is nothing I could have done.

Really? I also find that since they have been allowed into bus lanes, they tend to whizz along them at 40mph which can be a bit worrying, just skimming your right earlobe....

rjsterry

Headhuunter wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I have to say I find motorcyclists up there in the scary road users ranking. Forget buses and HGVs, they're too slow to matter, it's motorcyclists and idiot moped riders jumping in and out of cycle lanes and trying to dodge past you just as you're pulling out yourself to get round a slower cyclist or car or whatever. Some of them are very considerate but a lot of them are utter loonies..

Hmmm, I don't really have a problem with motorcyclists in general. Usually in London they don't get enough of a stretch to really get up to dangerous speed. They clog up ASLs, but thats about the extent of it. This guy just went out of his way to bully and intimidate a whole group of cycle commuters, and resorted to nasty, dangerous tactics with anyone who stood up to him. It was pretty shocking how quickly it escalated, but beyond jumping out of the way to let him through when he was tailgating me, there is nothing I could have done.

Really? I also find that since they have been allowed into bus lanes, they tend to whizz along them at 40mph which can be a bit worrying, just skimming your right earlobe....

This. Sounds like you've been lucky NSB. The other week I got buzzed by 3 m/bikes doing well north of 40mph through the BF tunnel - they obviously didn't care about the cameras or the 30mph limit.

t4tomo

I tend to come across a few in the ASL's which is mildly annoying but nor really a problem. Worst is when they filter up the middle of the road but then want to turn left, which can be quite dangerous if they make the wrong assumption of where you are heading.

If I suspect as much from the angle they are lining up at (indicators normally aren't used) I normally just ask "you heading left/ right/ straight over?" and then either keep out of their way as they set off or move in front of them so they can turn behind me.

the one in the OP sound like a right knob thou.

Aidy

I do find that motorcyclists are uniformly some of the worst road users.

The smaller engined ones tend to be driven the worst, but then that doesn't stop the odd idiot who's overcompensating from showing off and being a muppet from time to time.