Bloody cyclists

[YLWDUC]

Bottom line is this: a cyclist riding solo, or in annoying bunch crashing red lights, one hit from a car and it's all over. Cyclist is always in the wrong. The only way to be in the right is not to be hit.

The only way to be right is not to be hit ?????? Sorry but my logic circuits can't figure that one out George. I know that you're going with the context of breaking the road code and copping the consequences, but shouldn't it be the other way round.

the only way to not be hit is to be in the right (and that's still no guarantee)

[Wolf]

the only way to not be hit is to be in the right (and that's still no guarantee)

Nope, no guarantee, but it increases your odds.

As does being super-vigilant and keeping a look-out for idiots then reacting appropriately when you see them.

[forkoil]

He means 'signally' - look it up....
If he meant singly, he would have said 'singularly' and that would be wrong, since you've failed multiple times to convince us that it's ok for cyclists to act like cocks

You've failed to convince many of your credibility when you threatened a cyclist with a bashing cos he leaned his bike against your car. No matter what the state of your car, I would hope that not many in here would agree with your remedy.

[Wolf]

You've failed to convince many of your credibility when you threatened a cyclist with a bashing cos he leaned his bike against your car. No matter what the state of your car, I would hope that not many in here would agree with your remedy.

What he said was that the bloke had leaned his bike against the car and when he (MSTRS) told the bloke to move it, the bloke's reply nearly earned him a clip.

That is to say, the cyclist reacted to being asked not to use a person's car as a bike park by saying/doing something that was inappropriate.

There's a world of difference to being this close to clobbering someone for reacting to a reasonable request in an unreasonable fashion and being this close to clobbering someone for leaning their bike against the car.

I used to park my bike near one of the buildings where I used to work so it would be out of the rain under the eaves. Someone told me that they felt it was too close to the exit and could obstruct egress from the building in the event of a fire.

I made a joke along the lines of "I'd hope that if the building were burning down, someone would be kind enough to move my bike away from it on the way out of the building" and then located another sheltered place to park it that was well away from any possible exit.

I did not feel that the bike was blocking the exit but the person voiced his concerns in a reasonable fashion and I obliged by moving the bike - despite my opinion that there was plenty of room to exit the building without encountering my bike.

If I had opted to say "fuck off ya wanker, I'll park it where ever I like", then it would be understandable to me if the person felt like clobbering me.

[curious george]

The only way to be right is not to be hit ?????? Sorry but my logic circuits can't figure that one out George. I know that you're going with the context of breaking the road code and copping the consequences, but shouldn't it be the other way round.

the only way to not be hit is to be in the right (and that's still no guarantee)

Nope, I mean what I say... The only way to be in the right is not to be hit.
If that means bending a few rules for safety, so be it.
By all means, don't obstruct traffic or be a prick for no good reason, but sometimes drivers need to understand I'm riding in the middle of the road for a bloody good reason, and the road is not for their sole unimpeded use.

How can I be in the right after being run over? It's poor consolation after riding along, minding my own business and hit from behind.
Ironman Taupo ring any bells?
What's the point in being in the right if you are dead?

Hate mail on the back of a postcard please

[Wolf]

If that means bending a few rules for safety, so be it.
By all means, don't obstruct traffic or be a prick for no good reason, but sometimes drivers need to understand I'm riding in the middle of the road for a bloody good reason, and the road is not for their sole unimpeded use.

What would be an example of riding in the middle of the road for safety reason? Not taking the piss, interested to know the conditions that would make that the safest option.

Hate mail on the back of a postcard please

That way at least you've got one side with something of value on it.

Unless its a postcard from Gore...

[bell]

What would be an example of riding in the middle of the road for safety reason? Not taking the piss, interested to know the conditions that would make that the safest option.

Narrow street, parked cars down one side, wanting to deter motorists from trying to squeeze past you and take away your 'bubble'. If I'd been more assertive about using the space I had on the section of road I described in my post above, I doubt the driver would have tried to pass me. I'd have effectively been in the middle of the road and he would have had to drive over the top of me to continue where he wanted to go.

Avoiding broken glass or those 'road works' signs that are frequently put on the shoulder of the road are other scenarios where I would do a quick shoulder check and then move out as far as needed into the (left) lane.

The middle of the road was an option recently when a car pulled out out of a parking space and blocked the shoulder and half of the left hand lane as they moved off. I might've stopped in time but it would not have allowed me to tap on his window as I passed him on his left and suggested "Don't forget your shoulder check mate". On this occasion I hadn't seen his head over the top of his headrest, as that's the best giveaway that you need to watch that vehicle - I'm sure lots of us do that when we ride past lines of parked cars.

I would enjoy cycling on the roads far more if motorists had this thought in mind as they approached me from behind:

Cyclists need space, give him as much room as possible as the conditions right here, right now will allow.

Only then would we have vehicles truly respecting that bikes have their place on the roads too, and that every individuals driving behaviour is critical to the safety of every cyclist.

[curious george]

What would be an example of riding in the middle of the road for safety reason? Not taking the piss, interested to know the conditions that would make that the safest option.

Eeek! Gore!
Something like what Bell has said. Potholes, glass, drain grates, narrow passages, the local golf course where sudden door opening is a valued ability, these all mean I might have to move out to the right more than I would like. A car might just drive over these without much of a problem, but can cause some pretty major problems to my bike. I know driving over that same section of road it's no big deal, but it's a f.ing goat track on a bicycle.
Best I can do is give as much warning as possible before moving to the right, and I gotta be prepared to stop in case the car following is unable to give me that room. All part of the "no touch" policy I have with vehicles

Cyclists need space, give him as much room as possible as the conditions right here, right now will allow.

I wish too. I give plenty of room to horse riders, loose stock, how about some for the deadly treadly?

[Jantar]

On the way back from Te Anau with the Birds Galore riders (Blackbird, Bikeycop et al) I noticed a cyclist near Kingston who had a short pole with a flag on the end sticking out horizontally on the right hand side of his bike to a distance of about half a meter. What a great idea, it shows just how much room that the cyclist feels comfortable with.

And for motorists and motorcyclists who are passing it shows how much room they need to give as a minimum. Great move from that cyclist. He has my respect.

[NordieBoy]

On the way back from Te Anau with the Birds Galore riders (Blackbird, Bikeycop et al) I noticed a cyclist near Kingston who had a short pole with a flag on the end sticking out horizontally on the right hand side of his bike to a distance of about half a meter. What a great idea, it shows just how much room that the cyclist feels comfortable with.

And for motorists and motorcyclists who are passing it shows how much room they need to give as a minimum. Great move from that cyclist. He has my respect.

Modern ChopperGuard Flag (man I hated mine, made it into a bow and arrow - give a kid a fiberglass pole and what do you think will happen ).

[Swoop]

Modern ChopperGuard Flag (man I hated mine, made it into a bow and arrow - give a kid a fiberglass pole and what do you think will happen ).

Buahahaha!
But... DID you have the Chopper to mount it on???(3-speed shifter and all???)

[forkoil]

What he said was that the bloke had leaned his bike against the car and when he (MSTRS) told the bloke to move it, the bloke's reply nearly earned him a clip.

That is to say, the cyclist reacted to being asked not to use a person's car as a bike park by saying/doing something that was inappropriate.

There's a world of difference to being this close to clobbering someone for reacting to a reasonable request in an unreasonable fashion and being this close to clobbering someone for leaning their bike against the car.

What MSTRS said was
"I was attending a bike meet some years ago and at the parking area afterwards, some dickwad leaned his (poxy) Cannondale against my car. On being told to move it or I would, his response was that close from earning him a smack in the mouth."

Do you regard a "move your bike or I will" a reasonable request. Sounds more like a threat to me, but then Wolf our judgement criteria do seem to be different.... I would regard a reasonable request to be something along the lines of "Thats my car your bike is leaning against, would you move it please" said in an assertive manner. Its also clear from the post that MSTRS regarded this cyclist (and maybe cyclists in general) as lycra clad dickwads. Its the generalised antipathy towards cyclists not just by their behaviour, but also because of their clothing, bikes, lack of WOF, lack of license, and "perceived" arrogance thats at the heart of the antipathy. Its analogous to hating Aucklanders because Aucklanders think they are so high and mighty. Demonise the victim, that way they are easier to dislike.

[Wolf]

What MSTRS said was
"I was attending a bike meet some years ago and at the parking area afterwards, some dickwad leaned his (poxy) Cannondale against my car. On being told to move it or I would, his response was that close from earning him a smack in the mouth."

Do you regard a "move your bike or I will" a reasonable request.

Actually, yes, "Move it or I will" is perfectly acceptable. A threat? "Oh noes, he threatened to move my bike. Lawks, however will I survive it?"

He made himself "free and easy" with MSTRS's car, using it as a cycle rack. I think it only fair that MSTRS should have equivalent licence to physically pick up the bike and move it elsewhere.

He gave the bloke fair warning and chance to move it, when he had every right to just walk over, pick it up and move it himself - the "don't touch another bloke's ride" ethic is suspended when said ride is leaning against your ride.

I had no idea that a fair warning that one's bike is going to be moved off someone else's property constitutes a threat against one's own person. If people feel that strongly "attached" to their own transport/property that they deem it an extension of themselves, perhaps they need to learn to respect other people's property/transport.

Tell you what, how would you feel if I leaned my bike against your car, house or bike? Not that I would, I've got way too much respect for other people's property than that.

But of course, the bloke was probably racing and leaning one's bike against other people's vehicles is an important race tactic that must be practised at every opportunity so he had every right to do it, huh?

Face it, the guy was an arrogant, disrespectful cock - it might surprise you to learn that some cyclists are like that (as are some motorcyclists, some cagers, some SUV drivers, some truckies etc etc). And instead of moving his bike when told to, he elected to be even more arrogant and disrespectful.

[NordieBoy]

Buahahaha!
But... DID you have the Chopper to mount it on???(3-speed shifter and all???)

Close, a Raliegh 20

[MSTRS:Me]

What MSTRS said was
"I was attending a bike meet some years ago and at the parking area afterwards, some dickwad leaned his (poxy) Cannondale against my car. On being told to move it or I would, his response was that close from earning him a smack in the mouth."

Do you regard a "move your bike or I will" a reasonable request. Sounds more like a threat to me, but then Wolf our judgement criteria do seem to be different.... I would regard a reasonable request to be something along the lines of "Thats my car your bike is leaning against, would you move it please" said in an assertive manner. Its also clear from the post that MSTRS regarded this cyclist (and maybe cyclists in general) as lycra clad dickwads. Its the generalised antipathy towards cyclists not just by their behaviour, but also because of their clothing, bikes, lack of WOF, lack of license, and "perceived" arrogance thats at the heart of the antipathy. Its analogous to hating Aucklanders because Aucklanders think they are so high and mighty. Demonise the victim, that way they are easier to dislike.

No threat - a simple request backed up with a statement of intent. As far as my opinion goes of this sort of cyclist, it was that event that caused me to form that opinion. Wouldn't surprise me if you were that complete dork. Yours is exactly the same type of attitude. Cock.