Cyclists and car drivers

[Cress1968]

I find on my commute that a big problem is drivers don't realise how fast some bikes can go. You see them at a junction watching traffic approaching waiting for a gap and they take a moment to judge the approaching cars speed yet when they see a bike it's like "oh it's a bike I'll beat that" and out they pull whilst some poor bugger doing 20mph on his road bike ploughs into side of him.

 

[Primal Scream]

The vast majority of drivers and cyclists for that matter are decent normal people. I drive better now I am back into cycling but I was always carful around cyclists anyway.

I have had only one bad experiance from a driver who was going to "sort me out" after I gave him the finger for unjustifiably imo hooting me. Strangely when I explained to him thst he was a fat f#%@ and was unlikely to be able to sort out a deck of cards and maybe he should get out of his car and give it his best shot he drove away shouting abuse.

I may get shot down for this but I perceive that cyclists are seen as a bit geeky and/orwimpy by some of the motoring public. The advice given on here at times seems to reflect that, all very well turning the other cheek or ignoring provocation but that only encourages the veiw that cyclists are "easy meat"

There was one poster that admitted he apologised to a driver who was ranting even though he felt he had done nothing wrong and to keep the peace, well I am sorry but if you act like a doormat you will get walked over.

 

[stephen.rooke]

some people are just idiots. had a woman the otherday who pushed up the inside of me at traffice lights and when the lights changed to green she was on her phone and just sat there so what was the point of trying to push in... also plenty of close passes and being cut up. because people pay ved on there car they think they own the roads and can do what they want.

reminds me, must write an email to arriva complaining about one of there drivers passing me within an inch on a 60mph road

 

[craven2354]

I find that most car driving are sensible if you go on a 20 mile ride for example you proberbly get 100-200 cars past you of your as slow as me and it's busy if 2 or 3 of them drivers close pass or cut you up There the ones you remember I've rode for about a year now had 3-4 bad incidents but all the rest are just little things so I let them go it's the minority letting the majority down

But on the other hand all the cyclists I see rlj'ing or going onto pedestrian walkways just to get past the lights and then winge and whine when something happens to them

 

[defy-one]

I would love a driver to try and sort me out. If i'm wrong i will always say sorry. Be that in my car or on the bike.
Most drivers are only brave when sitting within there vehicle.

 

[Cress1968]

Yes I've noticed they are all big and hard whilst enclosed in their box I love it when you catch up with them at lights or a junction and they try to avoid eye contact as you knock on window and ask if they would like to step outside and repeat what they said 100 yards back
To be fair ive seen my fair share of dick head cyclists when I've been in the car too.

 

[mark st1]

Although universaly hated i drive a lorry mainly around London and the amout of friendly car drivers that take 1 look at you coming down the road and think "oh i aint getting stuck behind that im pulling out" ! Im sure if they knew how long it takes to break in a 30-40 + tonne lorry and the mess it makes against there 1-2 tonne car im sure they would re-asses the situation ! Im no expert driver or rider at all but some of the driving of anything on wheels i see on a daily basis is wose than poor.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Although universaly hated i drive a lorry mainly around London and the amout of friendly car drivers that take 1 look at you coming down the road and think "oh i aint getting stuck behind that im pulling out" ! Im sure if they knew how long it takes to break in a 30-40 + tonne lorry and the mess it makes against there 1-2 tonne car im sure they would re-asses the situation ! Im no expert driver or rider at all but some of the driving of anything on wheels i see on a daily basis is wose than poor.

I agree with you there, I used to drive Hi-Hab's, plus they have no understanding of the wasted energy it costs getting back up to speed again, something a cyclist will understand a little about, especially in the early days when things are so difficult.
This is way you are taught to read well ahead and anticipate ease off well in advance cover the brake and hopefully you will avoid the need to brake, because as soon as you touch that brake it wastes energy, thats not to say dont use your brakes, of the Daf 65's in the company I worked for I had the highest avg mpg, something approaching 14 mpg, the others were getting something like 12, i know other variables as well, but I think it does show what a difference it makes, thats like 16% more miles, I see it with the way our lass drives too, she could save some money instead of moaning about the cost, but theres no telling some folk, at least shes a safe driver.

 

[xpc316e]

I find on my commute that a big problem is drivers don't realise how fast some bikes can go. You see them at a junction watching traffic approaching waiting for a gap and they take a moment to judge the approaching cars speed yet when they see a bike it's like "oh it's a bike I'll beat that" and out they pull whilst some poor bugger doing 20mph on his road bike ploughs into side of him.

Your speed is most probably a big factor in drivers pulling out in front of you, but there are other things going on. One of them is the peculiar psychology of driving: when drivers are waiting to pull out onto a busy road, one might think that they are looking for traffic of all kinds, but research has shown that the eyes and brain are actually looking for gaps in traffic. It is easy for them to think they have seen a gap, only for there to be a bicycle in it, but by then the decision has been made, so they pull out in front of you. A small portion of drivers may deliberately pull out in front of you just to be soddish, some may make errors in judging your speed, and some may be trying to drive well but failing because of human nature.

 

[james79]

Ive experienced numerous parked cars pullout when riding past them! Us cyclists seem to be invisible to some of them! Been thinking of putting an air horn on my bike so I can create as much noise as those damn drivers do when they overtake you and honk their horns for no reason whatsoever!