Cycling in West Berks, cycling casualties Options

[dannyboy]

Well you need to move a little bit!!

I do - straight through the red light........!

[Biker1]

I do - straight through the red light........!

Ah!, It was you was it??

[dannyboy]

Ah!, It was you was it??

nope.

[JaneGibbs]

Hi, there are some mad cyclists out there. I was in my car the other day when a cyclist swerved in front of me. Lucky nobody was hurt. I think cyclist should have tests like other road users.

[dannyboy]

Hi, there are some mad cyclists out there. I was in my car the other day when a cyclist swerved in front of me. Lucky nobody was hurt. I think cyclist should have tests like other road users.

I cycle nearly every day & I'd say in the last week I have come close to being knocked off 4 times. It is almost a daily occurence. Drivers are particularly bad at anticipating a cycle's speed - 3 of these near misses in the last week have involved cars pulling out of drive ways / side streets areas where they have clearly seen me coming but decided 'oh hes on a bike & therefore slow' and have no patience when behind a cyclist & often overtake, only to then be turning L 10m infront....

Best one was a taxi driver who got annoyed because a car infront of me had stopped to ask me directions - I was talking to the driver of the car & the taxi squeezed past almost knocking me off with his wing mirror. Taxi driver was most surprised when I caught him up ( I can go faster in rush hour ) and tapped on his window to give his a reminder abour the highway code....

[Timbo]

Oh give over.
Every time someone posts up anything about bad cyclists someone lycra-wearing do-gooder comes on saying "OH MY GOD CARS ARE HORRIBLE".

I was out with my friend the other night and at the roundabout at the top of the link, near Newbury Retail Park, I saw 2 bicycles behaving STUPIDLY.
Firstly was an old man.
It was around 8:30pm so dark. Had NO LIGHTS on his bicycle and no reflectors neither. He rode around the roundabout from Newbury College Side and straight on (as if going to the retail park) WITHOUT ANY SIGNALLING WHATSOEVER.
An Audi driver going towards that Girls school nearly crashed into this old guy because well, it's unexpected and you couldn't see them!!
And then the same bicyclist veered across the oncoming lane, infront of a car (causing it to brake pretty hard judging from the pitch) to get onto the path.

At the next roundabout (where you either go into McDonalds or towards Tesco) another guy on a bicycle went THE WRONG WAY around the roundabout to ride across the road onto the path infront of oncomming traffic.

And the other night I nearly smashed into a bicycle. I was edging out of my drive (which backs onto a main road, it has a fence so I can't see the path admittedly until 10 meters away). I'm patient here and waited for a sec incase there was something in the 10m blind spot. Around 10 seconds after this, I SLOWLY edged out forwards (as I reverse in, in accordance with the highway code) and a maniac on a bicycle came flying down the path. (A small brown chap). Nearly into the side of my car. Now sorry but I understand sometimes you'd want to cycle on the path (hambridge road etc) but the main road in question actually has a cycle lane on the road and is perfectly wide enough for bicycles and cars to happily co-exist... ................................................................................
.............................
Nuff said really.

[Biker1]

Yes there are SOME good cyclists out there and I am sure you are one of them Dannyboy.
But I suggest they are in a minority going by my observation. Only last night I was driving home and a approached a cyclist with NO light and only JUST saw them in time to avoid a nasty accident.
And before anyone says it, yes I know there are many bad motorcyclists out there as well, but even those rarely ride without lights, ignore red lights and ride the wrong way down one way streets.

[dannyboy]

Yes there are SOME good cyclists out there and I am sure you are one of them Dannyboy.
But I suggest they are in a minority going by my observation. Only last night I was driving home and a approached a cyclist with NO light and only JUST saw them in time to avoid a nasty accident.
And before anyone says it, yes I know there are many bad motorcyclists out there as well, but even those rarely ride without lights, ignore red lights and ride the wrong way down one way streets.

It depends if I am in traffic or not. If I am a behave as if I was in a car & will sometimes use as much road as if I was in a car ( especially if approaching a roundabout & need to change lanes etc etc ). If I'm in a car free environment then I often won't wait at red lights obey road signs etc etc.

[dannyboy]

Oh give over.
Nuff said really.

A bit of a rather hypocritical post.....

[Timbo]

A bit of a rather hypocritical post.....

Not at all.
Considering that I have legal access to the path to exit my drive (hence the dropped down curb) and in addition a bicyclist should be using a cycle lane if provided. I checked down past the fence and then waited for around 10 seconds to allow any cyclists or people who were in the blind spot (10m long estimate) to emerge and this guy didn't.
When there's a cycle path on a wide road I have no compassion.
Nothing to do with failure to indicate or a lack of lights in the night.

[dannyboy]

Not at all.
Considering that I have legal access to the path to exit my drive (hence the dropped down curb) and in addition a bicyclist should be using a cycle lane if provided. I checked down past the fence and then waited for around 10 seconds to allow any cyclists or people who were in the blind spot (10m long estimate) to emerge and this guy didn't.
When there's a cycle path on a wide road I have no compassion.
Nothing to do with failure to indicate or a lack of lights in the night.

no this bit - Oh give over.
Every time someone posts up anything about bad cyclists someone lycra-wearing do-gooder comes on saying "OH MY GOD CARS ARE HORRIBLE

Followed by a reciprocal rant.

[IanB]

Roads were around before cars and bicycles. Vehicle of choice shouldn't be an issue, it is the common sense of the individual moving it.

Too many rules, not enough common sense...

[Biker1]

Too many rules, not enough common sense...

You have to have the rules due to the lack of common sense!

[Andy Capp]

And the other night I nearly smashed into a bicycle. I was edging out of my drive (which backs onto a main road, it has a fence so I can't see the path admittedly until 10 meters away). I'm patient here and waited for a sec incase there was something in the 10m blind spot. Around 10 seconds after this, I SLOWLY edged out forwards (as I reverse in, in accordance with the highway code) and a maniac on a bicycle came flying down the path. (A small brown chap). Nearly into the side of my car. Now sorry but I understand sometimes you'd want to cycle on the path (hambridge road etc) but the main road in question actually has a cycle lane on the road and is perfectly wide enough for bicycles and cars to happily co-exist... ................................................................................
.............................
Nuff said really.

If your view of the road and path is obscured, you should be using a banksman to reverse out.

[dannyboy]

If your view of the road and path is obscured, you should be using a banksman to reverse out.

BanksPERSON!!

[Andy Capp]

BanksPERSON!!

I wrote what I meant. Don't trust women with a man's job. Women should know their limits.

[dannyboy]

I wrote what I meant. Don't trust women with a man's job. Women should know their limits.

Car stuck in ditch, with irate male driver & sheepish loooking filly stood in the road....

'I meant your left, darling'

[Andy Capp]

Car stuck in ditch, with irate male driver & sheepish loooking filly stood in the road....

'I meant your left, darling'

Women with their delightful thoughts, the dear, sweet, fragile little things.

[Penelope]

Women with their delightful thoughts, the dear, sweet, fragile little things.

Women! Know your place!

[Timbo]

If your view of the road and path is obscured, you should be using a banksman to reverse out.

Sorry, I'm driving out forwards... Hence in accordance with the highway code which states you should not reverse out onto a main road.