I've just re-read it and see mostly people talking about incidents they've witnessed. I have no vendetta against cyclists but am regularly seeing things that make me shake my head. That's not ********, it's fact. Up to you if you believe me, I'll guess that you won't.
right point 1. are you suggesting the road network is funded by road tax? are you seriously trying to suggest that? point 2. where do you think these cyclists should be riding then? on the paths? do you think that would be safer? point 3. you have to go round a cyclist? blimey. that must take, what, 10 seconds? if this is such a massive daily hindrance, maybe set off 10 minutes earlier? point 4. actually, i don't even know where to begin, on your last sentence. you seem to want to charge people to ride a bike, in an attempt to force them off the roads? brilliant.
You've made a sweeping statement yourself. I posted and said some (not all) cyclists are a pain up the arse and I stand by that statement 100% because its true. I'm sick to ******* death of cyclists riding four or five abreast on back roads where there are very few opportunities to pass them just because they can and then they take attitude with car drivers when they get hacked off and beep them. As I said it is not all but the ones with a chip on their shoulder, those that don't observe the laws of the road and the ones with a bad attitude don't do other cyclists any favours.
Well I was mentioning a specific incident that happened today at about 6.45PM on the A1 south Notts going into Lincs. The event was causing chaos with traffic switching lanes, speeding up and slowing down. It involved a road based event of lycra wearing ****wits and one of them ended up needing a paramedic and a police officer because as fast as he thought he was, he couldn't keep up with 70mph traffic and the inevitable happened. If someone was driving a car at 25 mph along that stretch - no matter how courteously - he'd be a menace. The A1 on a Saturday afternoon is not for cyclists. It has nothing to do with fitness, the state of the planet, sport or **** all else. For the record I hope the casualty is ok, and if he has a wife and kids I feel sorry for them.
Not particularly, but it's paying to be able to use the roads, something cyclists don't do. It would be a lot safer IMO, for both the cyclists and for other road users. My point is, there isn't a safe place to pass. It's a case of go around the cyclist and hope that nobody is coming the other way, or have to sit behind them for 10 minutes, and watch other cars come around both me and the cyclist, and risk causing a much larger accident. Charge them to go on the road, so that 1. There is a record of the people registered to be cycling on the roads and 2. So that they are paying to use the roads, same as I have to in my car. The test comment was with regards to what you mentioned earlier about yourself going to learn how to ride on the roads. Not many people do this, it should be a requirement IMO.
i'm not gonna try and contest what you have and haven't seen. i've no doubt there are some bad riders out there. but just to explain a couple of things. genuinely to try and help explain. the reason why cyclists group ride, is to create a smaller target for cars to pass. it's actually to make it easier for cars, and much safer. i guess you'll find that hard to believe, but it's absolutely true. if you take those riders and have them riding one behind another, you create a much longer target to pass. that's when you get cars unable to pass. they get frustrated, and the risk of accidents goes up. they pass the first one or two, but can't get past the rest. that's when things get really dangerous. and the reason they choose back roads, is because there's less traffic. that's cyclists wanting to stay out of the way of all these cars, that are getting so upset. as for the laws of the road. i'm not aware of any law that says you can't group ride. i could be wrong. the law is the highway code. if riders aren't doing that, i absolutely agree they're out of order. every single race i do. and i mean every single one, is instant disqualification for not obeying the highway code. and the race fee includes road marshalls. their job is to ride up and down, to make sure riders are observing the rules and the law.
It works both ways, I've cycled down that path & had to almost stop several times because of people walking in the cycling lane
i pay about 20k a year in tax. i think that should cover my share of devastation that my 23mm bike wheels cause to the roads. trust me, road tax doesn't even scratch the surface of how much it costs to maintain the road network. my taxes are subsidising car use, exponentially more than bike use. actually a much more valid question is why non-drivers should subsidise the roads that cars use, through their taxes? i can't believe anyone would think paths are safer? what about pedestrians. where do they go? what about roads where there are no paths. what happens then? seriously mate, putting bikes on the paths is definitely not safer. anyhoo, i guess we'll probably continue to disagree. fairy snuff..
As a cyclist myself that does annoy me. If I'm out with a few mates on country roads & a car comes we go single file, I'll even wave the car to come through if I can see round a bend & they're behind me etc. I don't see who it benefits riding 3 or 4 side by side with a car behind you, it just makes the rider uncomfortable & winds up the driver behind
I don't go along with that theory. On virtually all roads you can comfortably fit one cyclist & 2 cars across the road with plenty of space.
that's not the point though is it? it's the distance the car has to travel to pass a group of bikes. fwiw i don't do very much group riding, and i tend to ride exactly as you do. but that's cos i'm usually only out with 3 or 4 people, or out on my own. i'm just trying to explain why group riding works how it does. it's to keep a small unit together, that's quicker to pass. it's not to pi$$ motorists off.
I've just started cycling again, and I'm all over the place. Luckily, I'm bigger than most of you lot.
Cyclists should either be on the pavement or in a cycle lane. Until they start paying tax and require insurance they shouldn't be on the roads.
They should be paying a tax for using their bicycles on the public highways, after passing an advanced cycling test and securing valid insurance for their registered bicycle.
Again, cyclists do pay tax. What they don't pay is vehicle excise duty. I'm not sure what it is about this simple fact that a certain class of motorist is unable to understand. It's not complicated: Anybody who pays income tax pays for at least their share of road upkeep.
How much Road Tax do you pay for a car? None. Road Tax was abolished 80 years ago. It's called VED and is based on engine size and emissions. Some vehicles pay none. Ambulances for example. Would you feel superior to an ambulance because it pays no VED? Road building is paid for out of general taxation and not out of VED anyway. So the average cyclist will pay the same as the average car driver.