Anything to stop W***** car drivers

wayne1978

Was thinking of going out for a ride totally naked then maybe these stupid idiot I rule the road arse wipe car drivers will take note of us cyclists.
Wosrt culprits - Blue rinse brigade, boy racers in there nissan sunny with oversize exhausts that touch the ground when go over bumps and the child killer range rovers.
WTF is up with them.
There I have done moaning.

Anyone else experienced the same????

mattward1979

As long as there are cars on the road, cyclists will be at risk...

but that's not to say that just because we ride bikes we are akin to Jesus =P

Personally my issue is with Vans... or more accurately, the ill educated mouth breathing chav, borderline chimpanzee passengers that van men seem so keen on employing.

Oh and French lorry drivers...

And Black cab drivers.. ( for those not in London, thats black coloured cabs.. not cabs with black drivers!)

ShutUpLegs

Statistically, the person least likely to be knocked off their bicycle is a Policeman in uniform

Bozman

Forget cars i find horses more of a problem, well the riders not the horse.
i've had a few near misses over the last month and last weekend i was told to "slow down this isn't a race track!!" At the time i was plodding along waiting for my mate to catch up, i went round a bend and was confronted by 2 horses in the middle of the road, if i'd been on one i would have hit them.

That afternoon a car hit a horse in the same area, some how the horse survived but the car was a mess.

Do horses require insurance for road use??

sungod

in london, they helpfully make some of the most dangerous vehicles display a sign in the back window

if you see "addison lee" or the tfl private hire logo, stay well clear

danlikesbikes

got knocked off my bike 2 weeks ago - thankfully no damage to bike as racing this weekend.

Had just done a 10 mile ride/5km run race/35 mile ride and was with 1 mile of home. Single lane divided by white chevron section approx 1 lane wide down the middle. Three cars pull out to pass and give me loads of room. Forth car a nice black (with blacked out windows) Golf Mk4 does not want to pull out so ploughs into the back of me clipping me with its wing mirror and sending me off the road onto the large grass verge down the side.

Thankfully no damage to the bike and the grass verge has some sizeable and soft to land on planted areas. Someone in car 5 did stop to make sure I was OK which I thought was very nice indeed, though I would have preferred them to have continued behind the offending vehicle and got the reg number.

Peddle Up!

Every time I visit London and walk its crowded streets and try to cross its busy roads I'm amazed that people have the courage to cycle there. The odds cannot be good...

iPete

I've very few issues with drivers, you need to stay on the ball be patient, ride assertively; with confidence and if possible with the pace of traffic.

There's no one way to cycle, every road and situations is different. Know your pinch points, check your shoulder, indicate, sit in the middle of the road etc. At traffic lights pushing to the front is not always best, often its better to sit a few cars back, in the primary and move with the pace of the traffic, often very useful at busy junctions to avoid being hooked etc.

Peddle Up! wrote:

Every time I visit London and walk its crowded streets and try to cross its busy roads I'm amazed that people have the courage to cycle there. The odds cannot be good...

I feel most vulnerable on the open parts of my commute. Maybe I'm mad but I can move with and control the traffic in London, something I can't do on open roads with higher speed limits.

My ride:
http://www.vimeo.com/22261964

OP, assume everyone is an idiot who can't see you, on every mode of transport, add a bit of Zen, learn how and where to take more control and you should get on much easier.

Herbsman

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Statistically, the person least likely to be knocked off their bicycle is a Policeman in uniform

Now there's an idea. Why not dress similar to a copper, and get a fluorescent gilet with a word similar to 'Police' printed on the back... I'm sure that as long as it doesn't actually say 'Police' you can't get done for impersonating a police oficer. But if it looks close enough most drivers won't realise unless they look carefully. Which in my experience they rarely do....

Peddle Up!

Herbsman wrote:

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Statistically, the person least likely to be knocked off their bicycle is a Policeman in uniform

Now there's an idea. Why not dress similar to a copper, and get a fluorescent gilet with a word similar to 'Police' printed on the back... I'm sure that as long as it doesn't actually say 'Police' you can't get done for impersonating a police oficer. But if it looks close enough most drivers won't realise unless they look carefully. Which in my experience they rarely do....

Like the old "Polite Notice - No Parking" written in a typeface favoured by the Police.

sub55

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Equisafety-POLITE-waistcoat-tabard-%2f-HYVIZ--size-medium_W0QQitemZ350454899974QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=225454600201&rvr_id=225454600201&cguid=617e918f12e0a0aa16e7c5e7fffb1329

Dmak

There are some completely thoughtless w@nkers on the road. They either don't know, don't care or just don't think.

It's like everything really, you gotta take the rough with the smooth.

I believe there should more road safety awareness stuff in the press. There used to be loads of TV ads many years ago covering a variety of issues. Too many drivers need to up their game. One of my biggest hates, given that I do a lot of driving as part of my job is people who don't know how to use slip roads, they are bloody dangerous.

ShutUpLegs

sub55 wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Equisafety-POLITE-waistcoat-tabard-%2f-HYVIZ--size-medium_W0QQitemZ350454899974QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=225454600201&rvr_id=225454600201&cguid=617e918f12e0a0aa16e7c5e7fffb1329

That's perfect

Berk Bonebonce

Riding on Saturday's is becoming a bad idea. Lots of drivers on their way home from spending Saturday afternoon in the pub ... type of thing.

Peddle Up!

I like the way they do things in The Netherlands. Seperate spaces for cars and cycles, and care on the road layout when the two are brought together.

And I'm a petrolhead as well as a cyclist. :shock:

flanners1

...........seems the football helped and tbh my community was a better place to be this afternoon with the the dross off the streets.

crumbschief

Mad Max

Tonymufc

I've just fitted two sidewinder missiles and a mini gun to my bike. Does the trick every time. Every time I get cut up I just let one of them bad boys go and BOOM! No more Mr w**k driver.

crumbschief

That's the spirit,i enjoyed the game Battlecars.

brin

The bottom line is an idiot is an idiot whether they drive a car,van,bus,motorbike, and yes, even a bike. Like most on this forum i also drive a car,and consider myself to be careful and experienced, so catergorising 'car drivers' is like every cyclist being accused for the crazy antics of the bike rider who weaves in and out of traffic and jumps red lights.
I have encountered idiots of various gender/age and size whilst cycling and they are infuriating, but as statistics show, in a collision the cyclist usually comes off worst.
Having been knocked off my bike previously,spending a week in hospital with all the usual breaks, then another 3 months before getting back on the bike i know how frustrating it can be.
In an ideal world every driver should be made more aware of other vulnerable road users, but just like using a mobile is illegal - and thousands ignore this - educating certain groups would be impossible.
It's generally down to us all as individuals, be aware, be vigilante and be careful, but most of all enjoy your riding, getting aggravated by careless idiots will only affect your concentration and spoil your day.

scoob49

The last 2 weeks I have been tryin to get my other half out on her bike.yesterday I was successful. Whilst being about a mile away from home a car decided to squeeze passed and give us a beep & waved angrily in our direction.
At this point my other half innocently sat up, waved, & asked do we know them. I suppose u had to be there but it was very funny to say the least.

squigs

Thats it just wave to them and carry on.
I rode 204 miles last weekend through 7 counties and didnt get beeped at or any anger shown what so ever.
On Friday in and around the towns of Wokingham, Bracknell and Windsor I did 36 miles and the amount of As*holes on the road was amazing, pulling out in front of me at round abouts, driving past with mms to spare, just generally nobish behaviour.

I think ill stick to the roads in Cornwall instead.

Peddle Up!

Anyone else fantasised over a bar-mounted phaser? :twisted:

Dmak

Peddle Up! wrote:

Anyone else fantasised over a bar-mounted phaser? :twisted:

Yeah, and the rest. Frame mounted AK47 would be a nice accessory! :twisted::

A fair few cyclists wear helmet cams. I've just been looking at few on youtube. The problem is that even a recording of a serious near miss or threatening behavior is regarded as insufficient evidence. Why is this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqACT1jNV0

http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/article-18969-fed-up-cyclist-takes-action-by-taping-abuse-during-journey/

nicked

Thanks to some thoughtless oaf my son is scared of now going on the roads.
While on our way up Penn y pass a blue rinse moron brushed my sons elbow with his mirror,i could understand a little if there was traffic coming the other way but the road was clear.Its a good job they did'nt stop for drinks thats all i say.

APIII

Perhaps I'm the odd one out, but I've had relatively little bother over the last 10 years or so. There is always the odd moron, like the white van man coming towards me who decided to cross over the white line into my path to try and run me over, but in general terms I've been ok. In fact, I would say the increase in cyclists on the roads in recent years has brought only positive effects. That is the only solution as far as I can see - more cyclists on the roads leads to more acceptance and awareness.

Thebigbee

My advice is; be aggressive and own the road.

Don't feel the need to ride in the yellow lines - where all the glass and crap is.

You can't do much about idiots on the road even if you ride aggressively. There will always be some pric5 that will overtake you within inches at 50mph just to get up to a traffic jam or red light!

What annoys me, when I am driving, is these idiots that are hogging the whole road and cycling next to each other - usually chatting - that is annoying and twa7ish cycling I think.

There is just no need for that - just cycle with one behind?!!

But I agree with the OP. I often wonder whether I have actually been seen by some of these old biddies and I also wonder quite how pissed some of these muppets actually are!

Like I said - own the road, and use lights, even in the day - then there is no excuse.

1littlevictory

My worry is the number of cars that go past with a driver on their mobile phone. Sometimes it's talking, sometimes it's reading/sending a text..

If they aren't giving their full attention to the road, then giving enough room for a cyclist is just not going to happen.

rick_chasey

APIII wrote:

Perhaps I'm the odd one out, but I've had relatively little bother over the last 10 years or so.

That's because you live in leighton buzzard.

Andyb10

Had a couple of good ones recently

1) Was cycling in a cycle lane and some old guy went past so close he almost clipped me. When I gesticulated he pulled in and so I stopped for a "chat". He announced that there was no way that he was going to put his wheels over the central lines whilst overtaking me as there might be something coming the other way - wtf!!!

2) Doing 25+ down hill to Corfe Castle and was passed by car with some bloke (looked pretty ratted) leaning out of the passenger window with a tw*tty leary grin on his ugly mush trying to grab me as they went past

Yes there are some right morons about, and I find that it's the older generations who tend to give the least room - to frecking decrepit to hit the brake pedal in time or move their steering wheels some of them

rake

im considering some kind of glass breaking projectile after some t****y *w**ty s***head tossed a bottle or someting out as they went past, luckily for me his aim was as good as his IQ and hit some other poor pedestrian. hopefully I can cause them similar distress by hurling some thing through their window, or leaving a dent. Any ways they better press their accelerators after such lunacy because ive got into weight lifting and boxing sparing as a sideline. im nearly up to 100kg on bench press repetitions.