Cyclists cause an accident :(

[beyond]

OK, if I told you that after the fifth post I tried to change the title to "Car Driver causes accident", would that make you happy? Trouble is, I can edit the post but not the title, so I am stuck with it and all the baggage that has gone with it.

I agree. The car driver should not have been overtaking on a blind corner, nor anywhere it was not safe to do so. I was angry when I wrote the post and stuffed the title by apportioning blame to the cyclists. Though they were to blame for their behaviour, the cager should not have tried to overtake them.

Hope that settles things down a bit. Going too fast?? Maybe, but the speed in the end was the only thing that actually saved us from a head on. Any slower and it would have been curtains. As I mentioned before, even if we had been going slow in a car so that we were able to stop in half the clear distance of roadway, that half clear distance does not count on a car in your lane coming at you at around at least 90kmh. In a car, driving slow, I wouldn't be typing this right now.

what the FUCK are you on about?

Ok you nearly had an off, and your mate dropped his bike. But the bloody cyclists didnt cause that clusterfuck, it was joe lunchbox in the car.

And yet your start line is "cyclists cause accident?" .

why isnt it: "I was going too fast and couldnt deal with a road hazard"

or

"motorcyclist nearly kills self, and innocent sheep, during loss of control"

Christsakes, isnt it bad enough the mainstream media that get this shit wrong all the time without perpetuating it yourself?

Much as I dislike roadies (I am a mountainbiker) they have as much right to be on the road as any other road user, and those three roadies certainly arent the villains in that scenario..

[Squeak the Rat]

Any one on this thread advocating the running over of cyclists or similar has no right to complain when a car driver closes the gap when you are lanesplitting.

At the end of the day, we ride on the road with other road users. You need to expect this shit. Road users should not be on your side of the road on a blind corner - absolutely no excuses. But sometimes they are - be prepared to deal with it.

Beyond - congrats to you and Jason for the avoidance. Good riding. And your thread title is understandable given the situation.....

[Jantar]

OK, if I told you that after the fifth post I tried to change the title to "Car Driver causes accident", would that make you happy? ......

I agree. The car driver should not have been overtaking on a blind corner, nor anywhere it was not safe to do so. ...... Though they were to blame for their behaviour, the cager should not have tried to overtake them......

Your original title was the correct one. We'll never know just why the cager chose that point to pass the cyclists. Maybe he was just ignorant, or maybe he misjudged his closing speed to the cyclists and realised that he would hit them if he stayed on his side of the road, but whatever the reason he was in the wrong.

But had the cyclists been riding legally he wouldn't have had to cross so far onto the wrong side of the road in the first place. As it was you got through, beyond, and Jason almost did. So if the car driver had been able to give you the extra room taken up by one cyclist you would have both got through safely. If the car driver had been able to give you room taken up by two cyclists then even a slow car may have got through safely.

The road rules concerning cyclists are there for this very reason. Its not just for the safety of the cyclists, its for the safety of other road users as well.

[The_Dover]

anyone who leaves the house clad in nothing but lycra is asking for trouble.

[Fishy]

Shit there are some wankers that have replied to this thread!!

Fact of the matter is that 3 cyclists shouldn't be riding 3 abreast (more so around a corner) and the stupid clown in the car shouldn't have passed the cyclists where he did.

To the muppets who have made out that Beyond and Jason where going to fast..... !, they should be able to ride at their normal pace without idiots in cars coming at them in their lane.

I agree with Winja's earlier post, hopefully next time the dick in the car decides to overtake in a place like that there is a truck coming the other way instead of a couple of mates on bikes enjoying a day out.

[Beemer]

I was driving over the Paekak Hill recently and got stuck behind a cyclist just south of the summit. On a bike I could have most likely got past him, but in the car it was impossible and the bastard rode right in the middle of the lane, preventing me from passing him for about 5kms or more. Every time there was a little bit of a straight where I may have got past him, there would be a car coming, and as for trying to pass him on blind corners, well, I value my life far too much for that. I tooted at him a couple of times in the vain hope it would make him move to the left so I could pass, but he ignored me.

A lot of people have jumped to the defence of cyclists on this thread but this kind of behaviour is why so many of us loathe them. If it had been an elderly man driving at 40-50kph on an 80kph road everyone would be calling for his licence, but it's okay for a cyclist? I don't think so.

Once again we've got the secondary school championships on the road around the corner from us next month - and once again we will be prevented from exiting our road during races. They don't get permission to close the roads, but they park on the corners to stop you getting in or out. During training days the little shits ride three and four abreast in BOTH lanes, even when it's obvious they aren't training, but just riding back to the start line. Last year three of them ended up in hospital after running into each other at high speed because they weren't looking where they were going.

So is it any wonder many of us have a hatred of cyclists? If they used some commonsense and showed a bit of courtesy to other road users, maybe we'd change our mind.

[Squeak the Rat]

So is it any wonder many of us have a hatred of cyclists?

Fuck, you need to chill.

[ManDownUnder]

Cyclists were at fault riding 3 abreast. What if it were scooters doing the same thing, same speed etc...? They need to be more considerate, and should expect to cop some abuse.

The car was also at fault. Presented with a frustrating situation the driver did something stupid.

Yeah - it's a shame no-one turned and chased the car down to get the rego. I'm willing to bet those cyclists want a piece of the idiot too.

[Fishy]

Cyclists were at fault riding 3 abreast. What if it were scooters doing the same thing, same speed etc...? They need to be more considerate, and should expect to cop some abuse.

The car was also at fault. Presented with a frustrating situation the driver did something stupid.

Yeah - it's a shame no-one turned and chased the car down to get the rego. I'm willing to bet those cyclists want a piece of the idiot too.

Finally someone who is talking sense

[ManDownUnder]

I was driving over the Paekak Hill recently and got stuck behind a cyclist just south of the summit. On a bike I could have most likely got past him, but in the car it was impossible and the bastard rode right in the middle of the lane, preventing me from passing him for about 5kms or more. Every time there was a little bit of a straight where I may have got past him, there would be a car coming, and as for trying to pass him on blind corners, well, I value my life far too much for that. I tooted at him a couple of times in the vain hope it would make him move to the left so I could pass, but he ignored me.

A lot of people have jumped to the defence of cyclists on this thread but this kind of behaviour is why so many of us loathe them. If it had been an elderly man driving at 40-50kph on an 80kph road everyone would be calling for his licence, but it's okay for a cyclist? I don't think so.

Once again we've got the secondary school championships on the road around the corner from us next month - and once again we will be prevented from exiting our road during races. They don't get permission to close the roads, but they park on the corners to stop you getting in or out. During training days the little shits ride three and four abreast in BOTH lanes, even when it's obvious they aren't training, but just riding back to the start line. Last year three of them ended up in hospital after running into each other at high speed because they weren't looking where they were going.

So is it any wonder many of us have a hatred of cyclists? If they used some commonsense and showed a bit of courtesy to other road users, maybe we'd change our mind.

Generalising isn't going to help. How many don't you have a problems with?

Based on what you just said I'd hate most forms of transport...

Re the unpermitted races. Talk to them, and if they don't/can't help ring the LTSA or someone and complain - sounds stupid to me... but then a little mutual consideration would go a long way. You might need to wait 5 mins while they race, and they might need to time their races in a manner to be least disruptive.

[Beemer]

Generalising isn't going to help. How many don't you have a problems with?

Based on what you just said I'd hate most forms of transport...

Re the unpermitted races. Talk to them, and if they don't/can't help ring the LTSA or someone and complain - sounds stupid to me... but then a little mutual consideration would go a long way. You might need to wait 5 mins while they race, and they might need to time their races in a manner to be least disruptive.

We have spoken to the race organisers and basically were told to get lost. Last year we resorted to calling the police because there were cars parked on the edge of the road - and as you can imagine, there is no wide shoulder on country roads - leaving pretty much one lane width free for vehicles travelling in both directions. If it was five minutes we could live with that -try being told you will have to wait 20 minutes because the race was about to start (it goes up and down the same stretch of road) and then when it finishes you have to wait for them to return to the start line!

As for you Squeak, this is an online forum for EVERYONE to express their opinion, not just you, so perhaps you could take your own advice and 'chill'.

[ManDownUnder]

We have spoken to the race organisers and basically were told to get lost. Last year we resorted to calling the police because there were cars parked on the edge of the road - and as you can imagine, there is no wide shoulder on country roads - leaving pretty much one lane width free for vehicles travelling in both directions. If it was five minutes we could live with that -try being told you will have to wait 20 minutes because the race was about to start (it goes up and down the same stretch of road) and then when it finishes you have to wait for them to return to the start line!

Then I understand. Sounds like they're breaking the law blocking access to public roads... might be fun to call a towtruck? (1/2 said in jest... 1/2 simply using the system as it stands... if they break the rules... you're allowed to move them)

As for you Squeak, this is an online forum for EVERYONE to express their opinion, not just you, so perhaps you could take your own advice and 'chill'.

Yup, but I can see where he's coming from, to generalise against all cyclists is a bit rich (and to be honest I don;t think it's like you to "hate 'em all" anyway... is it?!?)

[aff-man]

went riding yesterday. Cyclists riding 2 abreast. which is normally sort of fine except theae idiots were riding the first about 1 m from the edge and the other 1m from the centreline. So 2 abreast is legal and taking up a whole lane travelling +-15km/h in a 100km/h zone... hmmmmm

Car was a dickhead, cyclists should take some of the blame. But most important hope your mate gets himself and his bike sorted soon.

[Squeak the Rat]

Beemer, I am quite chilled. If I actually believed you loathed me because I sometimes ride a bicycle I may have been somewhat offended on principle.

A lot of the general public make similar comments about motorcyclists. The people who live on the coast around the coromandel do not enjoy the numbers of fast sports bikes screaming past their homes every fine weekend (doing the Coro-GP as it is named by some). I can assure you a lot of them think motorcycles should be banned from the road, and they probably have their own good reasons.

As motorcyclitsts we are a group that is often stereotyoped by the behaviour of a subset of our members. We should be the last to make the same judgments against other groups.

That's not saying I don't think some cyclists are arrogant pricks. But “hating” or “loathing” a whole group of people because of the actions of some is a principle best reserved for racists. And as motorcyclists it makes us no different to the car drivers who “hate” us.

[jrandom]

... is it any wonder many of us have a hatred of cyclists?

Try riding a bicycle sometime, lady. It's good for the soul, it makes you less fat, and it helps you to appreciate that in fact, it's pedestrians who are at the bottom of the 'situationally aware road users' pile.

Anyway, you're being a twit, and you should shut up now.