Alert bicyclists

This thread's title is inaccurate. There is no such thing as an "Alert Bicyclist". It seems that for most, riding a bicycle automatically reduces one's IQ by at least 80% and often more. They are lucky that God protects the stupid but the rest of us aren't.

Phil
Nailed that one :D
 
Apart from the general amateurishness of many cyclists (and the roads are no safe place for squishy amateurs) there are two things they refuse to accept, despite how obvious they should be:
  1. Don't overtake long vehicles on the inside. Especially at/near a bend or junction. Please. Just don't. Ever. Seriously. This is how cyclists get squashed in the most horrific accidents.
  2. You do not have the right to move sideways into someone else's path. It doesn't matter that it is the only way to pass a parked car or avoid a pothole. You ... don't ... have ... the right to do it unless it is safe and you have checked it is safe. If it is not safe you should stop! The primary responsibility for your safety in this situation belongs to you, not the poor schmuck behind and to the side of you who is traveling responsibly at a steady speed, in a straight line, with clear road ahead of him.
I don't know what's worse. Those unaware of these dangers, those who are aware but do these things anyway, or those who argue against this basic common sense "because it's mah rights!!!"

If they could just master these two basic survival skills I could almost forgive all the other nonsense they do.
thing is, those rules apply to CARS too. you can't just dart to the side to avoid a parked car or pothole if there's someone else there or *surprise* you'll get crashed into! "I'm a Road User too!" well, then obey ALL the laws, not just some of them!
 
thing is, those rules apply to CARS too. you can't just dart to the side to avoid a parked car or pothole if there's someone else there or *surprise* you'll get crashed into! "I'm a Road User too!" well, then obey ALL the laws, not just some of them!
^^^^^+1
 
thing is, those rules apply to CARS too. you can't just dart to the side to avoid a parked car or pothole if there's someone else there or *surprise* you'll get crashed into! "I'm a Road User too!" well, then obey ALL the laws, not just some of them!
Of course it applies to all vehicles. Or even pedestrians IMO. Lane discipline on pavements is appalling!

But the difference is how many cyclists behave that way, and their feeling of entitlement to shift the blame for the consequences of their actions onto other people. I spend several hours a day on the road, mostly in London. And what I see is that most (and I literally mean more than 50%) of cyclists pull out to overtake parked cars without looking to see if it's safe. Often it isn't, and it's only because of motorists' reactions that accidents don't happen. This attitude of entitlement is childish and dangerous, not to mention offensive.
 
don't see very many cyclists on the road in houston. probably because it's too damn hot, but also because almost NOTHING is nearby - my closest grocery store is about 2 miles. and it's probably not a good idea carrying a week's worth of groceries for 4 people on a bike. i can't really ride my bike to the bus stop for work either - it's about 10 miles each way, and by the time i got to the front of my neighborhood, i'd be a sweaty, filthy mess - not exactly OK at the office.

anyway, the ones i do see are generally well-behaved, with proper safety and hi-viz gear, extra water, and they keep as close to the actual speed of traffic as possible - some of them can maintain 35mph for a while since their bike's made for it. Most of these folks are the ones who ride in things like the MS150.
 
well 2 miles are nothing for a Danish pedal pusher, i think many at least in and around our capitol and other "large" cities do 5 miles easy to and from work.

My last bicycle in 1989 i had a computer on, i did several 1000 km on that bike in the 7 months i owned it before it too was stolen, and really i dident do any long trips on it like when i was a kid ( 11 - 15 YO ) where 100 - 200 km in a day was no problem, at least not on weekends and in holidays, it take a while to pedal that far for a little kid so not something i did on a school day of course.

the Danes that do cycle on average only do 329,3 miles/year, the Dutch do something like 500 miles/year on average.
About 48% of Danes use a bicycle regularly/ couple of times every week at least.
 
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