Damn Cyclists

[Radar]

Right, so today I'm driving home, nothing out of the ordinary. I drive this same road every single day, never any problems. It's a 2 lane freeway that terminates into a 5 pronged roundabout. I'm coming out of the freeway, turning hard left, in a 'Left lane must turn left lane'.

About half a K before the roundabout, I pass a cyclist, it's fairly busy, but being a 2 lane freeway I give him a nice wide berth and carry into the roundabout. I get to the roundabout and have to wait, of course. So it's clear, I check the right, no oncoming, start to move through. Next second, the cyclist cuts me off as he is heading straight, and damn near ends up on my bonnet. He pulls up his bike, starts waving like a madman and shaking fists, and I take off.

I really, really, really hate cyclists. This dude was in the 'Left lane must turn left' bit, but decided to go straight, and decided it was my fault when he cut me off. For christ sake, what makes these people think they own the bloody roads? They have to abide by the same laws as us. He nearly gets creamed for breaking the road rules, and I cop the blame and abuse from other drivers.

Rediculous.

[_Mukas_]

similar thing happened to my old man, same scenario, in a round about with the "left lane must turn left"...the cyclist went inside and almost got collected and actually turned the bike around and came and started goin off, kickin the car n shit...so my old man got out, apologised to the cyclist for his(being the cyclists) stupidity, bent the blokes front wheel and said if you even think about trying to sue me or anything, it was you who pulled up on the inside, ill just say you ran into my car and then started goin nuts mate.... he started walking!

the majority of em are bendecos and just do as they please and then complain when they break a law and almost die...ha!

[Torquen]

i feal both you guys pain but i have been on the utha end of the abuse as a cyclist who did nothing wrong. i was huggin the curb and some moron P plater thought itd b funni to zoom by inches from me horn honkin and yelling and abusing me out of a window. then turning around a smoking it up near me after a yelled shit back at him. sum ppl r just plan wankers. but i do agree with you guys on the fact that a majority of cyclists think they own the place.

[EvoVIIIJDM]

and cyclists dont pay any rego so what the. Being a cyclist-- Downhill rider i cant really relate to road abuse as i just drive my car to the track with a few mates and we each take it in turns to drive down pick up the others and drive back up again.

[MikesVT]

I know this thread hasnt been used in a while, but I HATE cyclists on the road. About 1 out of every 20 i see obey the road rules. The rest think they own the roads.

I have COUNTLESS amount of stories about this problem... But one that really gets to me... Driving home one night at about 2am. In the streets on dande... I'm turning left at a give way sign, I look to me right, I look to my left. I didnt see anything so I started to move off, next thing i see in the corner of my eye, a guy on his bike with NO helmet, NO lights, NOTHING, going the WRONG WAY on the WRONG SIDE of the road, and he starts yelling abuse at me. I got out of the car and all I said was "you better get back on your bike" and he shut up and greezed me off as he kept on going down the wrong side of the road. That really got on my nerves

The other cyclists that piss me off, the ones that go along beach road and decide not to keep in single formation, but decide to block a whole lane of trafic instead.

Then there are those who seem to think its ok for them to go through red lights?!?

And THEN theres the ones that ride their bikes on the footpath

And THEN... haha ok no and then

[SweetWagon]

I had an encounter the other day. As i was approaching the left turning lane at a intersection as bicycle rider was also approaching the intersection on the kerbside next to me, he obviously wanted to go straight but i needed to turn as the lights were green, so I gently went around him, clearing indicating my intentions. next thing he starts yelling and putting his finger up as i pass him, as if I cut him off. I was like what did he expect? stop in the middle of the road in busy traffic on a green light so he could get past, he wasnt even looking to see if any cars were approaching to turn left. They just dont seem to see that if they are on the road they also have to obey the road rules.

[MikesVT]

Ahh reminds me. FIRST NIGHT I ever drove, I was turning left off a main road, I pass a guy on a bike just before I get to the street where im turning. To make sure he knew my intentions I indicated as soon as I saw him, I took the corner as wide as I could to give him as much room as possible, he didnt even need to put on his breaks and i still cleared him with room to spear and he starts swearing at me as he goes past. I told him he could go f*ck himself, my dad found it quite funny, but I was a bit pissed off.

Also seen a van turning left at a round about, guy on a bike going straight, Van starts turning, BANG the guy on the bike goes straight into his side. lol it looked kinda funny, but at the time i was worried the guy hurt himself. It was his fault and he even admitted it, but the arsehole in the van didnt even stop!!

Im fine with them using the roads, as long as they stick to the road rules. And FFS, Stay. In. Your. Bike. Lane. :|

Anyway, sorry to kinda take over the thread, just had some bad experiences with these cyclists and I get a little carried away.

[MasterOfReality]

I do a fair bit of mountain biking so sometimes I am forced to use the road to get to tracks. If there are cars coming I hop up on the footpath most of the time.

I just cant be stuffed riding on the road all of the time, its far too dangerous.

What pisses me off is the hard core roadie cyclists that think they have a higher moral ground cos they ride instead of drive, thereby making them the owners of the road. They should be made to pay rego and taxes like everyone else. Its these type of cyclists that do whatever they want, regardless of the traffic around them.

But in saying that, I have never really had a bad experience with motorists when I am riding, maybe because I try not to piss them off.

[Jecs]

my mate has minor tunnel vision plus minor colour blind (with sum colours). and he was at a + intersection and got the green light to turn left (pretty sure it was still a red light to go straight), and the bike rider decided to go straight even though he was on the left of my mate.

mate end up collecting the bike rider and his bike, demolished the front bit of the bike but no damage was done to the biker sept sum minor cuts and stuff. My mate paid to get the front of his bike fixed which cost a fair bit

[Bax]

The ones that shit me are the ones that think they're too good to ride around things. If theres a path to the left of a narrow bridge. They will still ride on the bridge. Just doesn't make sense. They think they're riding at 70km/h or something.

[calais_304]

Bikes should not be on the road, they can't even do the speed limit even if it is 60 (unless the pedeling their ass off down a hill), they should stick to the footpath, quite simply i don't have the time of day to sit behind them and if it means missing them by an inch i'll do it...beware.

just to let you all know my mode of transport for 12 years was a bike, not once did i need to ride along the road unless i wanted to (no cars around), it's not that difficult.

[J_D]

Car+Bike=Death or serious injury.
Bike+pedestrian=Minor injuries.

I know which one makes more sense.
The idiot that decided to put bikes on the road needs to be shot.

[Stressball]

I have to ride to school, and I try to avoid the roads whenever possible. Resulted in at least one head-on crash with another bike, lol. Stupid twit came flying down this hill around a blind corner too fast. I was riding up the hill at like 6km/h. He had a BMX bike, so he took no damage or anything; I had a mountain bike, ended up with loose steering. Wasn't too hard to fix at least

[Sabbath']

Cyclists really give me the shits...

Especially when they are ok to ride on the roads, then they zoom onto the FOOTPATH and continue riding there to beat the traffic lights

Or the ones who sit in front of you at the lights and then wobble away from the line causing all the traffic to slow down

The ones that zoom past you on the footpath

The ones that skate in and out of traffic in the city

I hate them all.

Dont even get me started about Beach Rd.

[calais_304]

just remembered, theres a skit movie floatin around the web of this guy drivin down this street and getting every red light with this cyclist beside him, each time he stops at the lights the rider rest's on his bonet, the guy get pissed so at the 3 set of lights he hits the brakes just before the lights and the rider goes to rest, no car and he falls on his ass

[Sabbath']

just remembered, theres a skit movie floatin around the web of this guy drivin down this street and getting every red light with this cyclist beside him, each time he stops at the lights the rider rest's on his bonet, the guy get pissed so at the 3 set of lights he hits the brakes just before the lights and the rider goes to rest, no car and he falls on his ass

This the one you're thinkin of??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9_OKin8J_w

[SweetWagon]

This the one you're thinkin of??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9_OKin8J_w

that was classic

[Cheap6]

This would appear relevant:

"From 1 December 1999, individual States
are making some changes to their road
rules so that throughout Australia, road
rules will be more consistent.
In NSW, most road rules are not changing as
they were already consistent with the new
Australian Road Rules. However, a few rules
are changing and the most important of
these changes are outlined in this brochure.
Please read this brochure carefully to be
aware of the changes to road rules in NSW
which are effective 1 December 1999.
If you require further information phone
1800 06 06 07 or visit our website at
www.rta.nsw.gov.au


"Hook turns for bicycle riders
At intersections cyclists may turn right from
the left lane using a hook turn manoeuvre.
Cyclists must obey any traffic control devices
or facilities and give way to through traffic.
The following diagram shows a cyclist making
a hook turn at an intersection, giving way at
each stage of the turn#.
At a single lane roundabout cyclists may
turn right as part of the traffic stream.
At multi-lane roundabouts cyclist have two
options. They may turn right from the right
hand lane like a motor vehicle. Or they may
circulate in the left lane of the roundabout to
turn right, but in this case they must give way
to vehicles leaving the roundabout.
If a hook turn is not permitted at an
intersection or roundabout, there will be
a No Hook Turn for Bicycles sign."

Extracted from: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregul...s/flyer_13.pdf

Lets face it though, if you are on a bike and overtake a car up the inside, you're an idiot. And rude, because you know that it is going to delay the car. It is usually faster to get off the bike and walk across an intersection with pedestrian crossing lights anyway. (And still delay the car )

For the cyclists and those motorists who think that riding on the footpath is safer (for the cyclist):

http://www.bikesarefun.org/bicyclesafe.html


As some one who regularly rides a bike (it's quicker and obviously cheaper than driving for the distance I have to travel) I get pissed off by:

a) Motorists who don't respect the rights of cyclists.

b) ****wit cyclists who ride in such a way as to cause motorists to not respect the rights of cyclists.

[LeojVS]

I really, really, really hate cyclists. This dude was in the 'Left lane must turn left' bit, but decided to go straight, and decided it was my fault when he cut me off. For christ sake, what makes these people think they own the bloody roads? They have to abide by the same laws as us. He nearly gets creamed for breaking the road rules, and I cop the blame and abuse from other drivers.

Rediculous.

"the majority of em are bendecos and just do as they please and then complain when they break a law and almost die...ha!"


As a cyclist myself (covering about 3-400kays a week + races) I must say that it is the minority that ruin it for the majority. Yeah we have to abide by the same laws, stop signs, left must turn left etc.. and we can get fined by the coppers too. cyclists will simply shun other cyclits if they break the laws and inconvinance other road users, with verbal dress downs, or to simply no longer ride with them. That guy was an idiot plain and simple, and doesnt he know how much getting hit by a car hurts??!!
For most, there is no other option but to ride on the road. On one part of my ride, there is a footpath, but I refuse to ride on it. Its covered in glass, in shit condition, and with blind driveways, so its safer to be on the road. As for tthose who will miss cyclists by an inch, as opposed to waiting for a few seconds to pass, my cycling mate was clipped by a motorist, had his arm broken, and the driver was charged with neg. driving, so it may not be the smartest thing to be doing. Heck my boss does it. We argue about it all the time. (4x4 with 5 poster)
I wont stop riding because people dont like it. F 'em. Its my sport. I obey all the road rules, and keep as left as I can, indicate, and stop at stop signs. Yeah, if I have to pay rego I will, but as the RTA do it, via weight, at 8kg, some silver coins will do it, and top whingers, well, whinging
I hope that that incdent doesnt ruin your vision of cyclists for too long.

As I said, its the minority.

Take it easy all!

[mrkotter]

Car+Bike=Death or serious injury.
Bike+pedestrian=Minor injuries.

I know which one makes more sense.
The idiot that decided to put bikes on the road needs to be shot.

Slow down there mate. Another cyclist and non car owner here.

I dont want to be the one that knocks a pregnant lady over, hit an elderly person, or hit a little child. The footpath is no place for a bicycle especially when you are doing any type of speed. Me personally I sit around 30kmh when commuting and that is too fast for the foot path.

Yes I do ride on the footpath occassionally like when I finish work at midnight and I have to ride through the bad part of town. I ride on the foothpath when I come to rail bridge in that part of town, because one night I know some nutter is gonna come screaming up over the bridge.

Again I think its a FEW that ruin it for the many not the majority that ruin it for everyone. Too many deros on the kmart special that ride on the wrong side of the road (which I hate and is extremely dangerous), no helmet and no lights. If we can get them off the road car-cyclist relations would probably be a lot better.

An explanation for you guys too. Many cyclists will not hug the shoulder because of two reasons:
1) there is too much debris on the side of the road. Flats take a while to change. Ive destroyed a $100 tyre by hitting road debris (a small sharp rock)
2) It invites cars to sneak past. Cars sneaking past me and missing me by a couple of inches scares the hell out of me. Getting hit at this angle is probably the second worst thing that can happen to you. (the worst is getting hit from behind)

Paying rego for being a cyclist concerns me. Being a cyclist there is a reduction is petrol related pollution, I am being less of a burden to the health system later in life (providing I dont get knocked down and permanetly injured) and (this can be contentious), reducing congestion.

Now I would pay rego if cycling facilities were improved like adding proper cycling lanes (not the joke ones we have now, getting smaked by a car door is no fun, and I guess getting your door destroyed is no fun either).

I dont mind discussing this stuff with you guys civilally but if this goes down the shitter Im out of here.

[J_D]

The problem I see is that a bike rider cant use their own discretion to decide whether to ride on the footpath or the road. When I used to ride a bike I would ride on the footpath if there wasnt anyone walking on it. And I would of got fined for this if the cops saw me. Fair enough if the footpath has a lot of people on it you shouldnt ride on the footpath but most of the time it would be feasable to ride on the footpath as most footpaths outside of major metropolitan areas see minimal foot traffic.

[gopher]

and cyclists dont pay any rego so what the.

i've got 2 cars i pay rego on.

we also ride bikes

[mrkotter]

but most of the time it would be feasable to ride on the footpath as most footpaths outside of major metropolitan areas see minimal foot traffic.

I get your idea of getting bikes off the road. I think that a far better solution is to build proper cycleways. By proper I mean not shared with pedestrians. (shared use lanes are dangerous and you get too many pedestrians not yielding to bikes even when you call out)
Im fine with some sort of cyclist registration to help pay for it, and hopefully more people would cycle because of better facilities.

You're right though there are certain roads that bikes should not be on (thank you RTA), and most of the time and cyclists should avoid these roads by taking alternative routes on quieter streets.

[Cheap6]

I meant to point out in my previous post that the road rules as they apply to cyclists are not exactly the same as those for motorists. For many of the incidents described in the early posts, Australian road rule 111, sub rule 7 or rule 141, sub rule 2 apply. It would appear that the cyclist was not always completely in the wrong, just stupid. Rule 245 describes the rules specific to cyclists. Non-cycling motorists need to know them as well.

I would agree that most cyclists are motorists as well and therefore pay road registration, even if they don't make the same demands on road infrastructure or parking facilities. Or, one could argue, the healthcare system.

Re riding on footpaths. I do occasionally risk a fine where I consider the risk of getting hurt riding on the road to be too great, but take it very carefully crossing driveways and sidestreets. I saw a friend go over the bonnet of a car that drove out of a driveway, unsighted by hedges, while we were riding on the footpath as kids. He wasn't hurt but would have been had the car hit him rather than the other way around. That is why riding a bike on footpaths is potentially dangerous. See the bike safe link too.

http://www.bikesarefun.org/bicyclesafe.html

[calais_304]

I get your idea of getting bikes off the road. I think that a far better solution is to build proper cycleways. By proper I mean not shared with pedestrians. (shared use lanes are dangerous and you get too many pedestrians not yielding to bikes even when you call out)
Im fine with some sort of cyclist registration to help pay for it, and hopefully more people would cycle because of better facilities.

i can't understand what your on about, till only a few years ago bikes were all i ever had and always rode on the footpath, never had any troubles at all ever with foot people they move a little to the side and so do i no problem even doin 30km, also it's not hard to give out a good ol hoy when your approachin so they defiently know your there, also never had brakes either.

i seriously think people use that just as an excuse, pedestrians on footpaths.

btw to the guy that gets a flat, run thicker tubes, double layer your tubes or double up your tires, i've had the same four tyres and two tubes on my bike for the last 6 years and that witheld glass and sharp rocks as well as bowl riding and dirt (lil more ruggerd then road) still no flat or if you got a race bike get some solids on.

in a 60km zone during peak hour traffic nobody wants to sit behind some twit peddeling his way along at 25k's it will piss off even the most patient person