Don'tcha just hate cyclists? Poll

[DarkLord]

Excellent! Another location to set up my stall.

Pitchforks! Get your pitchforks and flaming torches here!!!
Mob discount applies for more than twenty at once. Be quick.

Roll up, roll up!!

(expectantly awaits the KB customers on this issue)

I'll take three of each. Do you take credit cards, eftpos or fuel vouchers?

Seriously though, I'd help if someone needed it. Pricks like that should get their arses kicked. When I drive a car I get annoyed with cyclists sometimes too, mainly when they don't ride single file and take up too much of the road, but I'd never lean out the window and hit one, that's just pathetic.

[Deano]

So you're some sort of Honda rider then...

Now thems fighting words.

He actually rides a suzuki.

[90s]

Perhaps this attachment as seen in central London would appease you pedal haters?

I'm able to tick off most of the list on my daily cummunt - what do I win??

Oh, 1400kms of non-contact London town communting over 7 months by the way. Touch wood.
But every journey contains a litany of near misses from inept, ignorant and oblivious drivers. And don't start me on pedestrians!
If we take the KB lynch mob mentality of passing it forward to smaller entities, maybe peds are the ultimate target?!

Covent Garden, by the look of it. Good on 'em.
I had a 200k weekly commute into Waterloo on my cycle for 5 years and had 2 incidents (and I stopped at all red lights):
1) I was pushed over in the "anti-capitalist" riots in 1999
2) I hit a stupid group of kids that ran out in front on me when I was tanking so hard it tore my beautiful Mavic 317 disc wheel in half. Gits.


Well, my poll is almost over. Thanks everyone for voting.
Reults are interesting - as many cyclists here as there are people who hate the cyclists - almost a balance. And in the middle the majority of decent folks who'll help anyone out.

If cyclists did themselves a favour and rode single-file it looks as though even more people would be less anti-cyclist.

Cheers all,

90s

[mister.koz]

Fark, i'd get the plate and follow them till they stopped and bust some teeth, wankers!

Cyclists sometimes annoy me on the road but so do car's, trucks, vans, pedestrians ( ), and sometimes other riders, its not the vehicle its the mindset or the ego that causes problems.

[90s]

Fark, i'd get the plate and follow them till they stopped and bust some teeth, wankers!

Yeah, it was my plan, but I didn't get the plate as I was attempting not to stack the bike into the ditch. And then it was still about 30k to Piha, plus getting back etc (that is one serious hill out of Piha for a high-geared bike!) and I was knackered.

So basically thats when I wondered "would any of the bikers here be likely to help me find these retards ... or do they all hate cyclists?"

If you are doing scenic drive most non-raining nights, you might either see me on the bike or on the pushbike. Either way I'll wave at you. No motorbike has ever waved back so far ...

[mister.koz]

Yeah, it was my plan, but I didn't get the plate as I was attempting not to stack the bike into the ditch. And then it was still about 30k to Piha, plus getting back etc (that is one serious hill out of Piha for a high-geared bike!) and I was knackered.

So basically thats when I wondered "would any of the bikers here be likely to help me find these retards ... or do they all hate cyclists?"

If you are doing scenic drive most non-raining nights, you might either see me on the bike or on the pushbike. Either way I'll wave at you. No motorbike has ever waved back so far ...

Yeah i was meaning if you flagged me down i'd bust their teeth for you.

Thats quite sad really, i think if someone puts enough selfless thought to wave, its a gesture that is worth of a similar response.

I've learned the bike nod lately and its a boost to have someone acknowledge you (kinda hard not to hear my zxr but still).

There's a cheezy saying that sticks in my head since i heard it:
Take the time to smile at someone, you might make their day.

I've had that myself, having a crappy day, all messed up on pointless shit and someone cheers me up with a smile or a wave.

[vtec]

Well, I think I'm qualified to post on this one. I was a bicycle courier for about 18 months in Auckland finishing at the end of last year. If I was keeping up with traffic, I would ride the same as if I was on a motorbike, and it really works. I'd assert my position on the road.

I don't fully understand why people get annoyed with bicycles, it's some weird thing that only psychologists can answer. But my dad used to blast them with his airhorns and think it was great... Bastard.

As a bike courier I never used to follow any road rules, for several reasons. To most people pedestrians and drivers alike we are invisible, and they don't follow any rules when it comes to cyclists. Secondly, the less rules I followed the faster I could go and the more money I could make. Thirdly, following the rules doesn't keep you safe. I made my own rules and they go as follows: Don't crash, and don't hit anyone. I was quite happy riding down the wrong side of the road, running reds constantly, and riding on the footpath if necessary. I managed to survive 18 months 9 hours a day all weather conditions going full tilt a lot of the time without getting or causing any severe injuries or damage apart to my own bicycle (and accidentally pulling off someones very rusted rear spoiler). I think what pisses people off so much about this is that they are jealous because they are all pent up from sticking to all the unnecessary rules put onto them, and when they see someone else with the freedom they deny themselves it makes them angry. People hate to see others having fun, same reason some people hate motorcyclists.

I used to and still do grab onto peoples vehicles for a tow when it's beneficial. Like the trays on utes, rear spoilers, wheel arches. Some people would think it was great and give you the thumbs up or big smiles, and some people would hurl abuse, it all depends on the state of mind of the person in question. I'm not doing any harm, I'm having fun, I'm saving the environment, I'm keeping the road clear of one vehicle, and I'm going fast. Some people just need to vent, and cyclists are an easy target because "they are smaller than you in your car". Some people like telling others what to do, they are the ones that toot and try to tell you to let go, to which I've yelled back "NO" with a cheeky grin on my face. And others like to vent with abuse. I always give a big cheeky grin and perhaps a thumbs up, which really riles these people up.

In my 18 months as a bike courier both motorcycle and bicycle I never got one ticket. It was the most awesome job I ever did. But it takes a toll.

A couple of sundays ago on my bicycle, I managed to do 18k's from south yarra to heidelberg (vic wreckers) in under 30 minutes in pretty solid melbourne traffic and that was waiting at most traffic lights. I don't hold cars up anywhere near as much as they hold me up. Google maps says its approx a 41min car drive

[mister.koz]

I dunno man, my only irritation with cyclists and other vehicles on the road is when they don't give a crap about other people on the road.

Grabbing onto someone's vehicle is pretty crap, how would you feel if a skateboarder was bored or lazy and grabbed the back of your push bike for a free ride.

Your closing up the spaces that people rely on for vision and judging distances, not to mention risking someone else's spoiler/paint. Not caring about a car driver on the road is the same thing you are complaining about.

[vtec]

haha, you're a sensitive one. Well, sometimes other couriers would grab onto my pack while I was trying to cycle up hill. On my little 125 farmbike taht I used for couriering I once towed one of the bike couriers out to silverdale on his way home... got him up to 70k/hr on it. I don't see why anyone should get annoyed, I thought it was great fun. 80% of the time, people in their cars had no idea I was sketching a ride. If they spotted me, I'd try to judge their reaction before deciding whether or not to let go, many think it's cool. Why would I be annoyed if a skateboarder wanted a tow, if he can hold on and not crash then why not.

But it's crap because you say so. hey if it was a stunning new porsche turbo yeah I wouldn't grab it, but most people's vehicles are far from perfect, and the worst I was going to do would leave some fingermarks on it. I've possibly taken 1000 tows, I think I've been up to about 90k/hr on a tow.

Wow, I'm making the vehicle wider by about 40 cm. If it gets dodgy too close to a kerb or a car in the lane to your left you let go and tuck in behind. I don't see how I'm affecting people's vision and ability to judge distances?

So how do these cyclists show their inability to give a crap about other road users and if you can explain how it negatively affects you and not sound like you are being pedantic I'll give you ten points. Most people are annoyed because they might have to slow to 30k/hr until they can get past which means they might be doing 20k/hr slower than their normal speed for a period of anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds, now in the scheme of things think of the massive impact of this on the poor driver of the car. And this is only when the car can't go straight past. I usually manage to travel at about 40k/hr under my own steam consistently, now cars will often try to overtake me even when I'm keeping up with the car in front, they will sort of move up next to me and squish me to the side.... so nowadays if I'm keeping up with traffic I assert myself in the lane and sit in the middle of my lane like a motorbike... people actually respect that to some degree.

Also think of the fact that by this poor bastard being out in the elements while you are all snug in your car, has freed up that piece of road for you to use or you would be one car further back which might make you miss that next set of lights. Perspective people. A cyclists impact on slowing your journey is less than that if they were all in cars by heaps.

[vtec]

with regard to cycling in san francisco check out this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR2ygFn-yR8

[MisterD]

with regard to cycling in san francisco check out this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR2ygFn-yR8

Pah. Some of them have brakes and freewheels...poofs.

[vtec]

Haha, it's not about what you ride, it's about how you ride it. I started couriering on a 1970's steel frame 10speed... took me 3 months to destroy it, but the frame was still good. But I've bought a brand new alloy bike which looked pretty solid, and snapped the frame in 3 months aswell mostly from fatigue. Auckland is the second hilliest CBD in the world, so most of us used gears. Some used singles, and a couple used fixies, and we all used brakes... the pads would only last a couple of weeks. Had to sometimes replace wheels because they'd been worn out by the brakepads.

I actually gave up on the road bikes and started using an old steel Giant boulder mountainbike weighed about 10kgs, but it was strong and had rigid forks.... but still managed to snap the rear axle

[idb]

....... Auckland is the second hilliest CBD in the world....

Is that true?

[vtec]

Yeah, second to san fran actually, but have talked to couriers who'd worked both and said auckland was more challenging. The CBD is a great big pit
Think Hobson st, nelson st.. all hills about 1 k long... same with symonds st, even Queen Street is a hill, now the streets perpendicular all go down towards queen st... wyndham, victoria, wellesley, and then you've got the likes of vincent, pitt, not to mention bloody wakefield or airedale.... the only street that isn't a hill is quay and fanshawe and K road.

[idb]

Yeah, second to san fran actually, but have talked to couriers who'd worked both and said auckland was more challenging. The CBD is a great big pit
Think Hobson st, nelson st.. all hills about 1 k long... same with symonds st, even Queen Street is a hill, now the streets perpendicular all go down towards queen st... wyndham, victoria, wellesley, and then you've got the likes of vincent, pitt, not to mention bloody wakefield or airedale.... the only street that isn't a hill is quay and fanshawe and K road.

Of course you know that there'll be hordes of KBers on Google at this moment typing in the keywords "hills" "CBD" "city"...