As somone whom cycles and drives, I see nuclear grade stupidity from both sides. Cars running red lights, driving at murderous speeds, not indicating (ALL Manufacturers, not just BMW or Audis), pulling out of junctions without looking, hogging lanes etc... the list goes on. Similarly, I see pedestrians walking into the road without looking, not using crossings properly, mothers pushing prams into the road and into the path of cars AND cyclists, not to mention the amount of North face Ninjas who think they're tougher than the front end of a car.
Then I see cyclists running red lights, mounting the pavements where there is no cycle lane, pulling wheelies for crazy distances, riding two abreast where it would be safer to go single file for a few moments etc. I see Motorbikes accelerating at absolutely stupid speeds, riding like their organs don't matter to them or too eager to donate them and swerving across the central line on country lanes just to straighten out the road even though there's a car coming.
The common factor in ALL of this is "The Person". It doesn't matter if you're in a car, on a bike, bicycle, on foot, mobility scooter... if you're a cunt, then you're a cunt and some of these cunts are more of a cunt than others.
I ride mostly on the carriageway because here in Liverpool, there are not that many cycle lanes on the stretches of road I'm more frequently riding. Where there are cycle lanes, most of them are broken up efforts with all sorts of shite in them. Stones, broken glass, shards of metal. All of the stuff that gets pushed outwards by passing cars. On a road bike with a tyre an inch wide, that is a dangerous place to be. Where there are GOOD quality Cycle lanes, I WILL use them provided they are not constantly crossing junctions where I have to start/stop/start/stop. Secondly, dedicated cycle lanes off the carriageway seem to attract lots of pedestrians and fucking dog walkers with dogs on extended leads...or worse, loose. I will however gladly use them if they're quieter. As for shared footpath/cycle lanes, the amount of abuse you get off pedestrians is phenomonal with such gems as "use the fucking road"... and then of course there are their dogs (see above) and all manner of dog shite just left and not picked up, and of course their kids running around or weaving all over the place on their own bikes. Mind you, again, those shared paths generally tend to be nowhere near my routes.
Like I said, I'll use them where they're safe, clean, not busy, not broken or constantly crossing side roads.
Riding Two abreast. I will agree that it's in a cyclists best interest to drop in behind their riding partner if there's a couple of you. I often ride with one of my friends and we ride two abreast but one of us ALWAYS drops in behind the very moment we hear a car approach. ALWAYS! When we ride country lanes, if they're narrow and a vehicle wants to pass we always give them the opportunity at the first chance. We don't run red lights either.
With regards to costs. VED is based on emissions. Bicycles do not give off noxious gases. However if someone wishes to measure my own personal gas ommissions and my carbon footprint then I'd gladly pay the 0.01p/year or less it would likely cost. I DO have insurance. It covers my bikes and ALL my equipment. It covers me medically and it also covers me if I damage a car or injure a person through MY actions.
One thing I will say, is that whenever there seems to be a Drivers vs. Cyclist debate online somewhere, most of the hostility towards cyclists seems to be based on incidents that happen in London. Having watched quite a few videos on Youtube of London cyclists... I can actually see whey cyclists are hated so much. There does seem to be a massive portion of brain function missing from a lot of those people. Not all but a lot of them.
Finally Doughboy, the mere fact you quoted Clarkson says a lot. "Work harder so I can afford a car"?
Hmm.... I have a nice enough car. RRP £28K which I know is a lot cheaper than his GTO's, porsches, Ferraris etc but still, 28K isn't a small amount really. I also own £4000 worth of bikes and over £1000 worth of cycling related equipment. Despite owning a car, Two properties, having a mortgage on one, going on two holidays a year, I still have on average between £600 and £800 per month disposable income and over £200,000 in savings so please DO tell me where I need to work harder.....
I can be a right cunt at times... Really, I can.. just not when I'm in my car or on my bike.
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