Where I live in Derbyshire my commute has much cycle lanes, they're littered with glass and branches. There is also a heck of a lot of cars parked in the cycle lanes too.
@@SpaceCadet4Jesus Yeah, but being utterly fit, I even out my heavy breathing when doing sporting activities for only 2-3 hours 6 days a week, with breathing at a twice slower rate during the rest of the day. While your average obese and unfit Brit, breathes faster all day long, as a result breathing out far more CO2 than I do. And then, what's with joggers, tennis players, football players, rugby players etc. who also breathe out more CO2 during their sporting activities than an average couch potato.
I hate this whole us and them mentality, like a lot of cyclists I'm a driver too. I started cycling again to get to the train station and also cycle more locally as it's often quicker. If I was in my car I'd be adding to congestion, on my bike I take less room 🤷🏻♂️
Everyone in the UK is either angry, in a hurry, angry, hates cyclists, angry, doesn’t no the law, angry. I’m lucky 90% of the roads I ride are country roads or quiet. Death trap out there
Like most cyclists, I'm a car driver too. I just wish drivers who don't cycle would understand how terrible the roads in the UK are, where I am in Norfolk the edges of the roads are horrendous, drains often sunk 3 or 4 inches and huge chunks of tarmac just missing altogether.
@@elliotwilliams7421 Elliot, I had hundreds of pounds worth of damage done to my car in Bristol while waiting at traffic lights by a cyclist, he then just rode away giving me the finger knowing I couldn't do anything. As a driver and a cyclist though, wouldn't it be nice if we all just respected each other?
A lot of the cycles that are used on the public roads are not suitable for road use- they are racing bikes that are designed for use in a race track that doesn't have pot holes or sunken man hole covers. If you ride an appropriate touring bike with appropriate tyres then they would cope with UK roads.
@@winnie6354 I ride a hybrid touring bike with huge tyres and adjustable suspension front and back, not a race bike. No matter what you ride your front wheel hitting a 4 inch deep hole will have you off your bike. The new highway code now puts the responsibility onto the motor vehicle to pass at a safe distance and rightly so.
Two more good reasons for cycling in the middle of the road: 1. When the road is too narrow for something to overtake safely. 2. When you're going the same speed as the vehicle in front.
Unfortunately, in some countries like my own, bicycles and mopeds are required to stay as close to the side of the road as possible. Also, cyclists are required to use the designated cycling lane if one exists.
@@dsego84 the rule in most countries will be as close to the left/right kerb as *practicable*. ALL sorts of things will make this impracticable - glass, debris, potholes, parked cars, the need to turn right/left, even the hazards of close-shaving drivers when there really is not enough room to overtake safely. Where I live and ride this rule also does not apply on roads that have multiple lanes; in that situation you may just claim the full lane. This again IS good cyclecraft.
We call those "mixed use" n the US; I don't ride them much. It's important to recognize that when we do ride them, we are no longer (necessarily) the most vulnerable users of the path. We should alter our behavior and level of alertness accordingly.
Yeah, we have 13 miles of path that is 10 to 12 feet wide. Walkers meander with their earbuds on. Leashed dogs are also allowed. We have a walking bridge and it is basically unsafe to cycle on with the dogs and all the people. I use the adjacent bridges as one has a large shoulder and the other has 4 lanes and I take the whole right one as it is too narrow for cars to pass. I don't want people to think they can pass, so that is when I take the lane.
4:40 I would add that other good reasons for riding 'in the middle of the road' might be: to make yourself more visible to vehicles waiting to pull out of side roads; to position yourself correctly for an upcoming manoevre eg a right turn, roundabout approach or diverging lanes; or to dissuade a following vehicle from overtaking at an inopportune moment eg where there is a constriction or oncoming traffic ahead. A lot of drivers don't seem to realise there is rhyme and reason behind our road positioning, we are not just getting in their way for the hell of it! Great video with a lot of good arguments!
There is no middle of the road, you're either in the correct lane positioned where you want to be or you're not, the middle of the road is usually where the white lines are painted. But agree, road position is everything, move toward centre right of the lane for a left bend and primary for a right bend, this not only dissuades dodgy/dangerous overtakes but it allows you to also see around the bend further for the left bend and those coming up behind you.
There's a road near where I live that is a straight on, but 90% of the traffic turns left. Traffic turning right into this road therefore assumes that they can cross the oncoming stream of traffic because they "must be turning left". Every single time I ride past this junction, I do so centrally positioned in the lane (after checking over my shoulder it is safe to move out) to make sure a) everyone knows I am continuing straight, and b) I don't get missed by someone with an a-pillar the size of France, because that has happened to me before.
@@elliotwilliams7421 'Loads', huh, glad you researched it so thoroughly... I can't imagine these rogue cyclists last long - even with good awareness and positioning it feels like you're taking your life in your hands. Or maybe that's the secret, maybe the only way to get drivers to notice you is to meander along no-handed in the middle of the lane, oblivious to blaring horns and verbal abuse? I might try it...
@@elliotwilliams7421 Of course poor cyclists exist but so what? A bad driver is far more dangerous than a bad cyclist. The latter is just an annoyance, rise above it...
In the USA there are combined bicycle and walking paths, kinda like a sidewalk but it is 12 feet wide. Bicycle riders can chose to ride on it and the speed limit on the path is limited to 15mph. There is nobody with a radar gun waiting around the bend to catch you riding at 15.1 mph but as a bicyclist on the bike and walking path, if you hit something or someone, you are automatically responsible, it doesn't matter who is at fault. I chose to ride the roads. Riding on the road, I have lots more people concerned about my hydration as I get more people throwing a can or bottle of something at me to make sure I stay hydrated. I shout thanks and wave as they try to show me how much fuel their car can burn a second.
How come when a motorist hits a cyclist their are not automatically responsible ? Seems like they think more about cyclists doing harm than their safety
I suggest catching the bottle one handed at the last second, pouring it over your head like the Winner at the Tour De France. but, Thank you, to the polite people concerned about your hydration level. Lol.
I love cycling, I wish more people would do it. In the UK we are heading for a much bigger killer and horrible disease, and that's Type 2 Diabetes. It's sad, even the young are getting it.
I was shouted at recently on my bike, the driver was annoyed that he couldn’t get past me. He failed to notice that there would have been room for a bus and a bike side by side, each way, if there hadn’t been cars parked on both sides of the road. If I wanted to park my bike on public property, such as in the Town Hall, people would go apeshit, but it’s seems ok for cars to be parked on roads, which isn’t what they were designed for.
@@SC-hk6ui if the person has road rage you're better off stopping and letting them pass. You're always vulnerable when cycling on the road getting out of the way to let a car pass doesn't make you more vulnerable it makes you safer.
@@SC-hk6ui did you ever stop to think what have i done that caused someone to strangle me? That's never happened to me. Also we're talking about a bike pulling over to allow a car past. You're talking about something in your car, slightly different issue.
@@timsyoutube6051 Stopping is the worst thing you could do, unless you’re packing heat, know how to use it, and are willing to use it to defend yourself from such a psychopath.
I follow a simple approach. Raise my hand and say "Sorry, my bad." Best way to diffuse any potential volatile situation. No one gains anything by getting into an argument. Just diffuse and move on.
I'm sure this works fine for you, and seems a good idea on the surface... But you're taking the blame or apologising only validates the poor attitude of the driver in question, and further reduces your own status as a legitimate road user...
@@GreenJimll like giving up your lunch money to the school bully because he's bigger than you, and arming him with the authority to do it to the next kid as well?? I'm not suggesting getting into a fight. If it's my bad on the road, yeah, I acknowledge it, but I'm not going to kowtow to someone clearly in the wrong, or clearly clueless about road rules, for sake of keeping the peace.
@@AdamEwart I have been a motorist and have close to 3,00,000 km under my belt. If I think emphatically, those motorist are already Dopamine, Serotonin etc starved individual. Traffic and delays have already pumped up the adrenaline and other stress hormone. Moreover a calm motorist will never get into a road rage with a cyclist, atleast it has never happened with me. Being on the saddle there is nothing earth shattering we can do, so it's better back away. We have to be smarter and tackle it with other means - Approaching authorities, social media campaign, awareness drives etc. Getting into an argument will only pump them up further and there are high chances that they take out the frustration on the next cyclist ahead. So let's chill out and pedal on.
Yep you cant change stupid. But you can move along faster from it. Ten years ago a car in traffic opened the door on me when I was filtering down the cycle lane. Passenger stepped over me and car then drove off leaving me lying in the gutter. These are the kind of people populating our roads. Take no chances.
You might be onto a winner there. Why not get some cycling jerseys printed up with such 'slogans' and sell them? i think you'd get a good take up. e.g. Give me 2m space. See you at the next traffic lights, If you remember road tax, you're probably too old to drive, my CO2 is produced by hard work, is your belly touching your steering wheel? My FTP is equal to your BMI, etc.
We should pay a road tax, and a health tax, and a beauty tax. That tax should be all the lazy folks in cars honoring the valuable contributions we are making to society by deciding to ride a bike. It’s just envy when a motorist gets upset.
Great video. I was cycling up a hill in Dorset over summer, on a v narrow road. A car drove past, honking madly. A pass leaned out the window and roared "get in the field, you don't pay road tax, weirdo etc". Appalling behaviour.
Tell then this one: Each kilometer driven by a car incurs external societal costs of €0.11 not just in greenhouse gas, air and noise pollution, but also infrastructure damages, collision, productivity, congestion as well a health system costs. While each kilometer cycled actually represents a net social benefit of €0.18 when looking at the categories above.
in 30 years as a professional driver i`ve never had one single problem with any cyclist, not ever, in all my driving career so far !motorcycling and other vehicles over the last 45 years,no cyclist has ever been a problem ,never, as a lifelong cyclist and a keen racing cyclist in my younger days,(up to about 55yrs young) there has been a deterioration in some elements of the attitude of the motoring fraternity towards MOST other road users, unjustifiable behaviours as such are the crux of a deeper problem within that psyche, its borderline malevolence in some individuals, while the majority of us can only step back in utter disbelief at some displays of ego driven selfishness and recklessness towards other road users, due care and attention should be paramount in any road users mind ,if its not ,,ask yourself WHY?
Yep, in the 20yrs i've been driving i'd struggle to think of an instance where a cyclist 'made me' drive dangerously. If i did, it was because I was driving too fast to properly deal with the 'hazard' of another legitmate road user travelling in the same direction as me.... Which leads me to beleive the majority of bloodpressure raising encounters that motorists like to complain about on local facebook groups - is simply that the cyclist existed and was there.
Completely agree. I wonder sometimes if it is down to the cocooned nature of a car, people think they are hidden away and safe to behave however they want.
Absolutely right, William. As a cyclist my safety has been compromised numerous times by the actions of drivers, but as a driver of even more years than yourself, I've never even been seriously inconvenienced by a cyclist. Sure I may have to slow down and pick a safe moment to pass, but that 'delay' pales into insignificance compared to the time wasted sitting in a car amongst thousands of other drivers in queues caused by the presence of so many motor vehicles, often driven with pitifully little skill. It's unbelievable that people who seem happy to contribute to to and suffer from such delays can point the finger at cyclists as being a menace on the road and accuse them of holding up the traffic.
The Road Tax argument always riles me up. Drivers always pull this one out as an easy argument. For starters: Road Tax is not actually a tax for "using the road". It's a tax for the vehicle you are driving on the road's emissions. Also, Road Tax does not go towards fixing the roads - Road Tax payments end up in the same centralised funds as income tax. From that centralised fund, money is sent out to anything and everything, from infrastructure to local councils. None of it goes directly to "fixing potholes" like everyone seems to think. And surely if you're going to pull the argument that Road Tax isn't being paid, by that logic most electric and hybrid cars shouldn't be allowed on the road either! Great video Leonard.
Loving that opening clip👍 Road craft is a skill that varies across all road users. As a cyclist it's much more scary when drivers drive badly than it is for drivers when cyclists ride badly...
Exactly. Motorists cause far more harm and damge than cyclists. Where I live (Norfolk) most motorists are pretty good towards cyclists. If I'm riding on one of Norfolk's many narrow roads and there's a car behind me I always pull over and let them pass.
Walkers are problematic too - if I use my bell I get moaned at (many assume me ringing my bell means “get out of the way” which is totally untrue). If I don’t use my bell and try and pass slowly and carefully I get moaned at for not using it. Why can’t people just learn to share and be respectful of each other?
Because as we have gotten busier as a society, we have lost our patience for others around us..........................society has forced citizens to kill or be killed mentality. Everyone is out for themselves these days as we are being stretched to our limits both financially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. When your near your limits, your vision and focus narrows to yourself only. This keeps the masses divided and easier to control and manipulate by those who pull the strings in this world.
That is a sign of the times sadly. In the U.S. driver aggression has also increased, mostly because police no longer write traffic tickets to control driver behavior.
I use my bell followed by “Good morning” or “Good afternoon”, which always gets a friendly reply and an easy pass. I also slow down when approaching walkers.
I work at a market every Sunday, on a path that allows pedestrian and cyclsts. The other week a lady cyclist, coming up behind a large group of pedestrians, rang her bell and then shouted 'are you fucking deaf' at the backs of their heads, because they didn't all move aside to open a path for her ... the entitlement was strong in that one ...
I think it’s a little bit funny how someone sitting in a car with air conditioning, a stereo, possibly some sort of refreshment and exerting no more effort than it takes to pass gas will get upset by some guy riding a bike. Cars require a litany of things before they are allowed on the road.
It happens here in Australia as well. We had one guy 3 weeks ago. After passing us so close! Phew..(double white line - nothing comming other way) then pulled over and got out of his 4x4 gas guzzler and f'ed and blinded us as we passed. Then came pass us again this time right on the other side of the road (still double white line) as he should had done the first time as we are considered like a tractor. ie: slow moving vehicle... Obviously he had issues...
The psychology of driving is horrendous! From false advertising (you rarely see a traffic jam in a car ad), to constantly upholding the 'Car-Tax' myth, the sense of entitlement in driving is huge!
Not to mention that nearly every car or truck commercial for every kind of car or truck broadcast during the last twenty five years features full throttle driving, drifting, spinning, skidding, and other race type maneuvers whilst the voiceover touts the vehicle as fun or exciting. Too many people now think that is what driving is supposed to be, even if you’re just trying to get to work or the grocery store. When consumers brainwashed by years of this exposure get behind the wheel, anything at all which causes them to have to slow down for even the briefest moment is cause for drama.
I feel sometimes it is down to jealousy because bikes can manoeuvre through tight spaces. I've had cars attempting to block me as they sit waiting in traffic and throw abuse as I pass. Also, there is a lack of control from the motorist. As humans we like to control what we can and become defensive if that control is lost. I just wished that everyone take a deep breath and let people enjoy their passions, which fir some is cycling.
Generally, I think the frustration may come from the anxiety of having to pass a bicycle - - twice. They may have spent a couple of minutes, setting up a safe/legal pass, only to have you breeze by at the next light, where they will have to repeat the manuever. In my (US) state, Georgia, a cyclist can only overtake a car if there is more than one lane of traffic, and the bike doesn't leave the road surface to perform the pass. Otherwise, cyclists are required to wait their turn in the line of traffic.
I've always thought that the best way to convince drivers that cyclists don't cause congestion is to have a "no cycling" day, once a year, perhaps on a Wednesday when traffic is at its most congested. You should all leave your bikes at home, and drive, or use Uber, or a taxi, or a train, or a bus. It would be chaos, and even the dumbest driver would understand that cyclists actually reduce congestion, rather than increase it.
Or do the inverse of that, and block some roads off for cars. If biking becomes a more attractive alternative, suddenly more people will go by bike. I live in the Netherlands, and i do my grocery shopping by bike (unless it's like 2 weeks worth of stuff). It's just faster and more convenient than going by car for me.
@@alex2143 that is true but you have been developing your bike paths for 40 years. Here in the UK, we have not done that. And now, with climate change, and war in Europe, we have run out of time. We have no money for infrastructure, so the only way we can go is to share the roads, by blocking off rat runs with bollards, reducing speed limits, and making drivers understand they must share the roads. And I think the most effective way to do that is to just all leave our bikes at home ok for the day (or a week). The chaos, both on the roads and on public transport, would be so severe, that even the most ignorant driver would get the message. Do that regularly (perhaps once every three months, and drivers would very quickly realise that cycling is essential to avoid gridlock.
@@joules531 Sure, we have a head start. But I don't think it's too late to catch up. Many of the bike paths that we have, we essentially got for free by the way. Because we made those bike paths when the road was due for repaving anyways. And it doesn't cost much extra to just keep cyclists in mind. Then when the amount of cyclists is large enough, the ROI on biking infrastructure increases, and more bike infrastructure means more cyclists. The vicious cycle does work, but it has to start somewhere.
@@alex2143 I totally agree with why you say, but, at least in the UK, the government is in the pockets of the motor industry. My gut feeling is that there is an underlying determination to prevent widespread cycling, because there is so much money to be made from drivers. I agree that there would be a good ROI, but our government is so short-termist that I don’t think I will see good cycle infrastructure in my lifetime. I envy your infrastructure.
I'm interested in classic cars, I own one, and enjoy motoring. I'm also a keen cyclist, and have been since childhood. I'm now in my seventies, and still ride. I try to be courteous and helpful to my fellow road users, whatever wheeled machine I'm using. There are idiots on the road, both in cars and on bicycles - it's as simple as that. You can't tar everyone with the same brush.
You missed, "cyclists should ride single file" if the road isn't wide enough for a cyclist, safe space to overtake, width of car plus potential oncoming HGV , then it's not wide enough to be overtaking single file cyclists unless you can see enough clear road ahead, in which case two abreast group of cyclists are a shorter obstacle so easier to overtake safely. . On the insurance thing, I don't get how people seem to think not being insured would make a cyclist immune from being sued for damages if they cause you damage or harm. If a cyclists scratches your Mercedes and you can prove it was their fault, sue them.
Could not disagree more...as a cyclist (been out today having just got back from a 2 weeks cycling holiday). Every weekend without fail when driving I find myself behind groups of cyclists in Derbyshire, seemingly many riding side by side simply because they can continue a conversation . It is just nonsense to suggest that if you can't overtake two then you can't or should not overtake one. The roads are narrow and bendy..there is often space to overtake one but two requires you to pull over completely to the opp. side of the road..and the further out you pull the more the more distance it takes to get back on the right side of the road...hence on a bendy road it is often (not rarely) the case that it's safe to overtake one but not two cyclists. What too often happens is a line of frustrated drivers queuing to get past cyclists. I consider riding two abreast should be made illegal...it is dangerous and irresponsible. Many years ago I was taught that cyclists should not ride side by side....and this remains a very sensible position
@@clivelangman8696 1) you should be pulling well over to pass a single cyclists anyway. 2) if the cyclists go single file, they they over twice as long, so you have less opportunity to overtake safely on a bendy road.
@@davemoss6976 1. Yes, but there's no need to go completely over to the opposite side of the road 2. Not a problem as long as you can see clearly ahead. and 3. The more you have to pull over tot the opp side not only does it take longer to get back into the lane , and hence it's more difficult to get pass, you end up with a queue of frustrated drivers behind you (all completely fed up with cyclists blocking the road) and at some point some idiot will take a risk on overtaking. For over 40 years I have regularly transversed Snake Pass between Sheffield and Manchester and I long ago lost count of the number of times groups .of cyclists riding side by side have caused serious issues for drivers....and ,a s a cyclist, I'm sympathetic to cyclists.
@@clivelangman8696 if you can see clearly ahead it's not a problem either way. But whatever you say on that point I don't agree, it's easier to overtake 10 cyclists 5,bikes long X 2 bikes wide than 10 bikes long X 1 wide. But do agree that cycle groups should take action to avoid too much delay for following traffic., At the same time motorists should just be glad cyclists are not on horseback
This animosity from UK drivers towards cyclists is a rather new phenomenon that has been allowed to grow over the last two decades or so. It is to a large degree due to one very tiresome and ignorant individual by the name of Jeremy Clarkson, a man possessing so much British arrogance and stupidity at its worst that you might call him the Nigel Farage of the automotive community.
@@philridley7457 pretty much. I’ve been on both sides, I’ve had idiot riders who’ve obviously never read the rules almost go under me as a driver, and idiot drivers literally knock me off my bike on purpose, without provocation, in a hit and run, and had that confirmed by drivers who witnessed
@@morgandebruler9281 No use denying 25 years of that petrol heads show, Top Gear, made an impact on the public towards cyclists, seen as a nuisance and a bit "weird". The macho road attitude advocated during those (very stupid) shows had a very large following indeed. Or perhaps is the mentioning of british arrogant stupidity (spot on in my opinion) that got your knickers in a twist.
I often get into debates with drivers about cyclists being on the road (being a cycle commuter with curious colleagues) and usually when I actually give them legitimate explanations like this they literally ignore me and say "Yeah but they're annoying and slow so I don't care". My favourite thing to do when they get dismissive like this is respond to them saying "You're right, I SHOULD drive a tractor".
Bicycles and cars have to be separated. This is something that Finland and the Netherlands have understood for a long time but Britain and the U.S. still don't. Build the infrastructure and they will come, by the millions.
This is what really pisses them off. What gets me is that a lot of these drivers live in the town and are only mere yards away from where they want to go but they still insist on taking the car. If they'd just walk or take a bike they'd be there much quicker and it'd do wonders for their health.
Unpopular opinion - A lot of cyclists deserve the grief they're given. Over the years on the streets of London pedalling around I've had much more grief from entitled 'roadies' than drivers, and it comes down to respecting of others. I've had good conversations with taxi drivers in situations where a misunderstanding could have lead to conflict; on the flip side most cyclists won't even acknowledge anyone around them and they behave like spoilt children when someone dares to enter their virtual bubble while they're out trying to do a Tour de France stage on a street that holds buses, trucks, lorries, vans etc.
Had a club ride this morning and had three or four complete idiot drivers who drove too close and gave us abuse. Always have a club member with a helmet cam. We’ve had a driver prosecuted for throwing water at us as they went passed.
@Kevin Henderson cyclist and driver here. I hope all cyclist that break the law get prosecuted. I hope you are angry about drivers speeding all day everyday. My original comment was as about some terrible drivers that endangered me peoples lives.
@Kevin Henderson So true. I am a non racer cyclist (also a car driver, van driver, tractor driver) and I don't own any lycra. All for practical everyday use. I often pull a bike trailer with up to 60kgs load so I travel considerably slower than most others. Many of the speedster's I see are disproportionately reckless or agressive in their use of the road even if they are "strictly" obeying the rules of the road. They are not riding like you see the millions of cyclists in The Netherlands to get to their destination. Although granted that the infrastructure is much more integrated and established there! And many seem to have no concept of riding defensively. The destination isn't the objective. The ride and the performance is. But of course not all by a long shot before I get hung and quartered. But there's certainly at least 20/30% who are giving everyone else a really bad reputation. Traveling on a public road, a cyclist is the most vulnerable vehicle on that road.
@Kevin Henderson I ride defensively because although I carry a bit of padding I have no chance against a motor vehicle. I live in a rural area so the roads are interesting, shall we say. If there's a car behind me on a narrow stretch of road I pull over. I'm retired so don't have to hurry to anything but that person behind me might.
Great video. Thanks for your voice of reason Leonard! Exactly the same issues here in Tasmania that I used to experience in Manchester 30+ years ago. It's the 2 percenters of both motorists and cyclists that caues 98% of the problems!
I was out for a ride recently and saw a street sweeper maybe 1/4 ahead of me in the right lane. I started checking the left lane for cars before finally moving over to go around the sweeper. I had a driver that must have turned onto the road after I'd moved over get angry and honk the their horn because I was riding in the middle of the lane instead of off to the side, which would have caused me to pass the large, noisy machine with steam coming out from under the sides much too close for my comfort. Sometimes it's too easy to spot the drivers who don't ride bicycles at all.
This is a superb video - thanks for sharing. I am getting increasingly concerned about the strength of peoples attitudes towards cyclists. Following one such conversation on a social media platform, the venom shown towards cyclists was just outrageous.. This included tips on how to physically intimidate cyclists when they are holding drivers up and included all the bollocks around road tax and them having a license all of which is just impracticable.. Arguments with these people are almost always useless and a complete waste of time in my experience... What that particular "Exchange of ideas" did get me to do is invest in an action camera for my bike to record anything that could help me in the future should I get intimidated/Knocked Off or worse. I also got one of the Garmin Varia radar things for the back of the bike. This in itself is now up there with essential kit for me. Alerting me of cars behind me when the wind is in my ears is a game-changer. Also, the number of near misses I am getting whilst riding on the road has made me rethink when I go out which means early Sunday mornings whilst the world is still waking up is when I am most likely to be out and about on 2 wheels. Where I do agree is that Cyclists having insurance is a good idea - the fact British cycling offers this along with a number of other incentives (money off vouchers etc.) has made this a no-brainer and at least gives some peace of mind as well as the ability to respond to angry motorists with "Actually I do have insurance - next argument please".. Thanks again for this well thought out piece though. Like you say I think this will be something that just rumbles on without any actual answer..
Insurance for cyclists will cost motorists more, because the cyclists' insurance company will be recovering damages from the motorist much more aggressively than an individual could do.
Cyclists are arrogant and entitled and I'd go as far to say that being one is a character flaw. Only registered vehicles belong on the road, I constantly see them riding where the speed limit is over 50km/hr.
Dear Leonardo.In my area, like a lot of places in Italy we have a lot of roads ( Two lanes ) free of traffic,so we do not have much problems with cars.In much of Italy we had roads that go back centuries.Around the 70/80 they started to replaced these roads with " Superstrada " in parallel to the old roads.Example: From my town Sora To Capistrello around 40 km,you may see at max 10 cars This road is situated in a valley called : Valle Del Liri. Tuscany like many other regions here is full of these all most empty roads.So we ride pretty safe with out need to worry about anything.Ciao From Italy
What I love about arrogant entitled cyclists is they are on the road with cars and they don't have to have any formal training as to roads rules and expectations?
I always counter the road tax argument with an explanation of how UK roads are paid for. After explaining that Council tax, income tax and VAT all go into the pot, I then point out that this means pedestrians and bicycle riders are funding roads that many are afraid to use. I also add that if their logic was followed, electric cars shouldn’t be using the road either.
Back in the 1970's I distinctly remember a discussion on Radio 4 concerning proposals in Parliament that would ban all cycling on public roads apart from those specifically designated as "cycling permitted"
4:45 I'd add another reason in there. If the cyclist feels unsafe, then they can in fact ride in the middle of the road so as to control traffic until such time that they feel they have left the unsafe area.
A cyclist injured my wrist really badly while I was walking down a canal. He banged into my wrist with his metal handlebar and just sped off. It’s not the only time I’ve had bad experiences with cyclists. At this point if someone tells me they’re a cyclist I avoid them socially
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences but in my experience, very few real cyclists would act so irresponsibly. There are idiots that just happen to ride bikes and that is perhaps what you encountered.
I live in Bracknell Forest. We have some increasingly great cycle paths (when the councils eventually put them In.). The problem is there are lots of trees and trees drop things like twigs, nuts, branches even. The drains get clogged so huge puddles form and cars speed through them, drenching pedestrians and cyclists alike. Cycle paths here are used by pedestrians too and in many cases are used by other cyclists going in the other direction. I much prefer to use cycle paths and I encourage my children to do so too. But some times the condition of the cycle path is that which can also pose a hazard to cyclists and the road can be the safer option.
A favourite in Buckinghamshire is to have popup cycle lanes that go only one way. If you happen to want to go in the opposite direction you have to share a narrowed road with pissed off motorists who can't pass you. I'd rather the roads were just wider.
I'm a Bracknell cyclist also! In addition to a cycling infrastructure that is better than many parts of the UK, there are some pretty decent trails to ride around.
I'm a mtbiker who's scared of riding on roads with other motorist. I have huge respect for all Roadies, as for me i feel safer riding in the woods or downhill 😁
It's quite easy to do around 20mph on a road bike so in a 30 zone cars are only passing you at 10mph . It's more scary when you're going slow on a mtb on the roads.
All valid points but I think some cyclists don’t care at all about being courteous to other road users and if you dare call them out on it they get very angry. Today I sat behind a cyclist who was in the middle of a country lane for miles, I was second car in the trailing queue and there was another behind me. I did a short beep to let them know there was a queue because they seemed completely oblivious. The cyclist stopped came to my window and after a short exchange of words asking me why I beeped then threaten to drag me out of my car and beat me up to teach me a lesson! Wtf! I told him to grow up and drove off. I am cyclist myself if a queue of cars forms behind me I simply pull over and let them pass. It’s the same with horses you drive past them slowly or they stop to let you past. Not some cyclists though they couldn’t care that you even exist.
just to touch on the insurance , a lot of home insurance covers you for accidental damage when cycling ,or it can be added in to you home insurance policy along with pedal cycle cover, and it hardly makes any difference in the cost of the policy, mine with Admiral insurance covers theft from home , theft from away from the house with Gold standard lock , Bike Jacking , accidental damage and liability , All in home insurance policy for only £18 per month . £150 excess
@@letsgocamping88 I did but they dont cover the bike in anyway, only the liability .thats why i didnt renew my membership with them because i would have had to get additional insurance anyway not much point when you can have it all on your home insurance policy .
Hi Leonard, great video as always. The reason for my comment is unrelated to the video though. A year ago I discovered your videos and you inspired me to improve my cycling, since then I've been riding longer and more frequently. And today I completed my first (metric!) century and I'm immensely pleased by it. So, my most heartfelt thanks to you Leonard, because you inspired me to do something I didn't think I could do, I watch GCN a lot and love it, but those guys are way younger and fitter than me so the kind of rides they do did not seem achievable to me. When I came across your channel I said to myself "if Leonard can do it, maybe I can do it too" and so it was. Again, a million thanks, be well and keep up the great work.
Hi there Max, that is fantastic! Well done on your first metric century; it’s a really big milestone for a cyclist. I always say that it is a lot harder than many people think. You should be really proud of yourself.
It’s easy telling drivers about congestion and the fact that us cyclists are not the problem. I had a bus driver beep me once because he wanted to pull in to a bus stop but I couldn’t help it. I was being held up. Sometimes I feel like swearing at them. Motorists think that people on two wheels especially bikes don’t know the Highway Code but I do actually read it , like most sensible cyclists. If you count farting and burping as emissions, that’s about as toxic as it gets.
Excellent video, thank you. It still baffles me why a motorist should yell at me from his climate-controlled, surround-sound, ergonomic, padded safety cage as he summons more propulsive power than he probably really needs by pointing his right toe. Anymore, when a motorist screams that I'm holding up traffic, I've come to shout back, "OH NO! I'M LATE FOR CHURCH!"
Thanks, Leonard! I think you might enjoy the channel ‘not just bikes’, if you don’t know about it already. It looks a lot but not exclusively at the infrastructure in the Netherlands and often compares them to North America. It is very enlightening on many levels but it is particularly interesting how through thoughtful infrastructure the potential conflict between different road users can actually be reduced.
The reason a lot of motorists hate cyclists is that they break the rules all the time. They go through red lights, they skip up onto pavements and go straight through zebra crossings - even when people are not only waiting to cross but actually on them! I am a cyclist, and I love that people cycle. But let's be honest and admit that many cyclists are either arrogant and feel that the rules don't apply to them; or they are inept, misplaced on the road and are therefore dangerous to other road users.
So be the change. Don’t do any of those things . I try my best to not run red lights but when no car is around to trip the light what am I supposed to do? Wait 3 mins for a car or safely look both ways before crossing
We HAVE to remember, any tension between cyclists and drivers is ENTIRELY the fault of the Government. The Government has abjectly failed to provide sufficient cycle lanes across the country for the last 100 years. Instead of more roads, we should build 1000s of miles of cycle lanes. If cyclists aren't on the roads, there can't be any tension.
There's been several times when I've been preparing to turn right by sticking out my arm, slowing down and moving across the road but instead of the car behind me slowing down waiting for me to turn, they have sped up and overtaken me, nearly taking me out while doing so. Why do cars do this?
@leonardmlee, I’d like to add my voice to those challenging your assumptions here. It isn’t inevitable drivers and cyclists will clash and we can stop it happening immediately. In the before times I rode regularly in other countries, and such conflict is in inverse proportion to the quality of the road infrastructure. Design it for everyone and expect everyone to drive with the safety of others in mind and the conflict almost goes away. Better to spend time working to improve the roads in the UK, than come up with sensible points to counter clearly stupid, self-justifying stories. Come and join us and use your thoughtful channel for that.
Unfortunately in Melbourne Australian we are proving this is not what happens. We massively expanded bike lanes and infrastructure over the last few years and now all the business owners and drivers have kicked up a huge fuss about to many cyclists and not enough car parking ect and have caused a stop on new infrastructure and sections to be removed meaning more danger as cyclists filter on and off bike lanes into and out of traffic. 30km ride today and nearly got doored 4 times and had one driver swerve at me in a bike plan while screaming that all cyclists should die police had zero interest.
I live in The Netherlands. Our cycling infrastructure, is second to none. Where ever possible, the cycle lanes, (fietspaden) are physically separated from the roads. They even have their own traffic light system. I use a tricycle cargo cycle, (driewieler bakfiets) I love the beast. Even so, I get irritated by the many cyclists, who feel the rules don't apply to them. I actually fully sympathize with frustrated motorists, who have to deal with light jumpers etc. I've lost count the number of times I've almost been hit by a rogue cyclist, while using a pedestrian crossing. For some reason, as soon as you step onto the crossing, you become a target. I also label these selfish, overly entitled idiots as arrogant.
I live in Surrey and a keen cyclist. However I dont like the attitude and snobbery of most lycra lout cyclists and how they look down on others for not having a 10k bike and all the kit. Actually I cannot stand these idiots becuase most of them think they are better than you and make you feel like that on the road. I've seen countless people in richmond park make fun of other cyclists and there in particular is a youtuber and his cronies who sit at the cafe and laugh at people that are not quite their level. It a part of he cycling here in he uk the apitimises everyone wrong with people and their elitist mentality and snobbery toward others. I much prefer the european approach to cycling. Inclusive for all about the enjoyment of the ride mot how fast or how far you ride obsessing over numbers on a device. It's a shame what it has become in its image.
The world's full of ''Hard men'' in cars that are in a bad mood and looking for someone to Verbaly abuse or bully from the safety of there tin box .They don't seem to be so tough once they get out of them . I can only speak for drivers in my locality, but the standard of driving in Shropshire is attrocious. I don't know how most of them passed a driveing test. Personally I stick to cycle paths as often as possable for this reason .
Living in Germany, close to the Netherlands, I always can see, that we are something like 20-30 years behind in bicycle infrastructure, usage and general behavior in traffic. But compared to the UK, it's not so bad.
I was caught and passed by some one on a fat tire e bike today while riding my road bike. Not sure what to think of that... I once had a driver complain because he could not pass on the outside and cut in front of me to merge with a right (your left) turn lane. I had moved over in my lane near an intersection that was red so he pass behind and inside of me. But he was too impatient?? People who are rushing all the time seem to get bothered when they have to wait for the next light/ queue to move again. Sometimes if you relax a bit you get there in the same time but with less effort. You can arrive as the next light changes and just carry on. This can apply on the bike or in the car equally. You are right on point again. Keep up the good work.
I totaly agree with all of your points. I'm a cyclist with an MTB, Xtrail and recumbent trike and have had my dicey moments with car drivers, including one time when I was dangerously cut up by a car coming out of a junction. When I shouted at him, he slammed his anchors on and jumped out with fists swinging. But I agree with the Highway Code point....if a cyclist has no car/bike licence, they should at least be obliged to be tested for road rules awareness. Also as a car driver and pedestrian, I can vouch that if any cyclists need their arses kicking, it's the club teams that think stopping at pedestrian crossings and red lights on smaller roads is beneath them.
I was born and raised in a moderately sized town in the US. No one really bikes there because its so car heavy. Like the main roads are 100 km/hr and you're lucky if there's a bike path running along side. So when I did get into cycling, I used the bike paths when I had the chance to. They are falling apart and have bumps every 5 seconds or so at 30km/h. After a few weeks of cycling with my new bike I was left out with a flat and had to call my mom. Being a novice cycling I didn't bring anything with me. ... Recently I moved to Vancouver in Canada. A world of difference. Not only do I ride on the road, but I feel welcomed on the road. The infrastructure supports cycling wayyyyy more than my home town. And people are much nicer to cyclists and understanding. Heck, the first thing I noticed when I landed here was the number of people using a bike. I believe infrastructure is a big solution to the cyclist vs motorist debate. I recently watched a bunch of videos about a guy who moved himself and his family from the US to Amsterdam for the city design. Very fascinating stuff. Channel is "Not Just Bikes" and definitely worth the watch. Anyway, glad to see you doing well Leo, stay safe out there
Part of the problem here is the 'categorisation' of people e.g. are you a cyclist, motorist or pedestrian. In reality, I suspect a lot of us are all three, so do we behave differently depending on what we're doing? e.g does the person who barges in front of you on the pavement do the same on a bike when faced with a red light or pass you too close when driving their car? Or do people who drive, cycle and walk respect others doing the other activities? Some people are just utterly selfish, impatient and thoughtless no matter what they are doing as long as they believe they have the right etc. whatever they're doing at the time.
Living in Brisbane the cycling infrastructure has improved enormously over the past 10 years with new dedicated, separated, cycle paths being built every year. These are generally about 3 metres wide and in many cases carry a lot of commuter traffic with the popularity of e bikes and e scooters growing. A couple of years ago the law was changed to require vehicles to give at least 1 metre passing space, and allow drivers to cross double lines to to this if safe. In general, having spent a reasonable amount of time in the UK, I think our roads are usually wider as well which helps. I also feel that driver behaviour is improving, or maybe I spend more time on the the bike path network now than I used to……of course we have our share of dickheads… 🙂
@@jollygoodvelo we recently had 6 months in Leeds, on grandparent duties. Loved the Yorkshire Dales etc, but in general I think I would have found cycling cycling on the roads around Leeds a challenge…..we were locked down for a lot of the time, but did bring a smart trainer with us which was a life saver really. I enjoy your videos and outlook on life the universe and everything, cheers .
It’s funny what a small change in location makes. I used to ride around the northern suburbs of Adelaide a lot (Low socioeconomic area). Abused and swerved at daily. Moved to the Eastern suburbs (high socioeconomic area) and in the past 12 months I’ve been abused once. Got hit but by accident and the bloke was good about it.
@@trufflemonster5399 a couple of weeks ago was out exploring west if Brisbane and found myself in an area that was just ‘creepy’. I didn’t get hassled, but I didn’t hang about either……
If every motorist owned and rode a bike on occasion, the UK would be so different. This is why The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium for example are streets ahead in terms of infrastructure, culture and attitudes. Wearing someone else's shoes is the best education to reduce divisions between motorists and cyclists. Still, having said this dangerously close passes still incense me, and if I catch up with that driver they will get a mouthful.
@@defundthebbc8110 that would come with the necessary tens of billions of pounds on a dedicated cycle infrastructure that covers over 100000 miles. So that people could cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats without even seeing a road or a car.
Well done on an informative video. A few years ago on my local cycle route a ‘motorist’ was deliberately driving towards cyclists riding in the opposite direction, this was caught on camera a few times & he was jailed. A few months ago a ‘motorist’ on the same route brake checked a group of cyclists then assaulted (punch to the head) one of the cyclists & actually knocked one of the cyclists off, all he got was a Police Caution for an assault caught on camera. Unbelievable but it’s true!
I ride my bike on the road nearly everyday , I also drive a car , but when I see cyclists riding in a bunch purposely blocking the road so cars can't go past and they are only doing 18/20 mph , It makes me want to stop them and ask them why they can't ride in single file . That's why motorists think most cyclists are assholes .
You know, I guess I never thought about it. For some unknown reason, I assumed road cyclists in the UK and Europe were in COMPLETE harmony with drivers, unlike in the States. It's probably because 1) I've never ridden in the UK or Europe 2) because I watch the pro races on TV, and for SOME reason they never have any traffic to contend with, haha. It also blows my mind about the road tax argument, as if we never drive (or even own) a car, or pay taxes, and magically appear everywhere on our bike. Unfortunately, it only took getting hit by a car once to take most of the joy out of road biking for me. It's safer facing mountain lions and rattlesnakes on my mtb....
These days I’ve started to wave thanks to cars who are patient and wait for me to pull back in. Been getting lots of waves back too so seems to work. Just have to be courteous and sensible. Some cyclists who ride two up on roads and block them that is annoying. Not in the tour mate ride single file!
One thing that would help here in the US, besides less ignorance, would be more bicycle infrastructure! Dedicated bike lanes and driver training. Speaking of which I almost got hit the other day by a student driver. Way to go!
In Canada they seem to think this, as they ride 2 or 3 wide on public roads. Now this is legal to a point. When a vehicle approaches from behind they must return to single file, as they are considered a slow moving vehicle. If cyclists want to ignore this safety law, then they should be licensed and insured like every other vehicle on the road that is NOT considered a slow moving vehicle. As a cyclist myself, I have had some close calls with vehicles on side streets passing to closely..............but they are few and far between. Generally I have found drivers to be overly cautious, considerate, and patient. But I have found some cyclists (30-40%) to be down right rude, entitled, and self-righteous. I have watched them dart out in front of cars because "I have the right of way attitude", only to see them side swiped and downright deserved it. Safety on a bicycle the same as a motorcycle is the operators #1 responsibility, and most if not all incidents can be avoided if the operator is riding carefully..............If you want to ride recklessly, you'll eventually get what's coming. You may have the right of way, but is it worth your life to prove the point?, to me it's NOT.
reality is as a born-again cyclists we are faced with so many situations we may not always be familiar and we may not anticipate thus we may make mistake thus we may be seen as rule breakers or arrogant, pardon me!
Don't disagree with what you say at all but I do think as cyclists we could do ourselves a favour by letting motorists know if we are delaying them by giving them a wave of hand when they do pass us as a gesture of thanks for their patience. I also, given I am never in a hurry , pull over when I can if I have a queue of cars behind me. I definitely meet less aggressive motorists when I am riding my Touring bike than when I am wearing Lycra on my Racing bike. Go figure 🤔
As both a cyclist as well as a motorist, In my experience the main reason for motorists 'having a go' at cyclists happens when a group of cyclists, usually a club, cycle two or three abreast and refuse to move over and allow faster traffic to pass. I am sure this is not an issue in London but where I live in West Sussex, with narrow and winding roads it can be very frustrating. motorists can sometimes be stuck behind a group of chatting three abreast cyclists for several miles. Personally I never shout abuse, mainly because I know that I will only get some thrown back at me. In my area, cycle paths are usually at the side of bye pass roads where motorised traffic speeds are higher. Many cyclists still do not use them, they ride the road and risk themselves as well as others. Single cyclists or those riding in single file are never a problem. Does this mean that its arrogant cyclists themselves that cause their problem? The issues are not limited to cyclist/motorist. horse riders moan at walkers and drivers as well as cyclists. cyclists moan at walkers, fishermen moan at boat owners, boat owners moan at fishermen. Nobody wants to be considerate to others. Britain needs to calm down.
Precisely this. Have you noticed how many people here in the comments generalise both cyclists (positively) and drivers (negatively)? The world doesn't work like that, and every individual has to be responsible for their own actions, and a lot of cyclists are hypocritical in this sense.
All pedestrians and motorists want is for you to share the road. Riding around on your over priced bike doesn’t mean that you’re wearing a yellow shirt in France.
Back in the early 80's, I used to cycle to work, about a 3 mile journey, along a couple of London's busiest roads during rush hour. I still have and use the same bike I used, then. The only thing that stopped me cycling to work was the fact that the bike was stolen. I lost it for about 5 years, then received a call from the police to come and collect it. I got it back in exactly the same condition as when it was stolen. Now, to get to the point, back when I used it every day to commute, I used to ride as close to the kerb as practical. If there were double yellow lines, I used to try to keep my wheels between the two yellow lines. Of course, there were drains to avoid, and the odd pothole cropped up, from time to time. But, whenever pulling out, I would look over my shoulder before doing so (something I rarely see cyclists doing, now). I never had an accident, never wore a helmet, never wore lycra, never weaved between queuing traffic. I treated the traffic with respect, stayed behind HGV's kept a very good look out and avoided needless risks. Traffic, back then, generally moved much faster, where it could. Most drivers back then treated 40mph as 30mph. Before the cameras, nobody drove at the speed limit. So, yes, I stayed out of the way of the motorised traffic and, yes, I think a lot (not all) cyclists, now, are arrogant and entitled. I think a lot of cyclists have forgotten the etiquette of the road, after all, cyclists are easily squashed, so it's wise for them to be mindful. I regarded myself as having a special dispensation, but not a right, to ride on the road; I was a pigeon amongst cats. But the cyclist, these days, has the attitude that "I have as much right to the road as motor man!" Maybe, but no matter how much you protest, you're still soft and squidgy, so better off staying out of their way. It worked for me.
When I started racing in the early 90s, I was taught correct cycling etiquette. Examples: If your last in paceline, let everyone know there’s a car behind, tighten up the group and be as courteous as possible to the automobile. If necessary, make a point to motorists, but at no time engage in any screaming and yelling contest, or physical altercation. They’re in an automobile and you will lose that fight. If they weren’t already, You’ve made that motorist an enemy of cyclists forever. Perhaps most importantly, you are probably wearing a jersey with a number of companies or businesses on it. They have paid good money to sponsor you or your club, and they’re not looking for this sort of advertisement value. I was also taught to say hello to as many other cyclists as practical, no matter what your category or ability or status is. I understand motorists can be extremely problematic, but I’m afraid to report that many of these simple steps that I stated are no longer followed by many cyclists. In many cases, they are as ignorant and combative as the worst motorists I’ve ever seen. This needs to change.
Fully agreed and glad that someone raised this. I have almost exclusively moved onto cycling off-road as I will not be associated with these ill-mannered self-entitled arrogant roadies that think they own it all. Over the years I've had much more grief from roadies than from drivers.
Spot on, think you absolutely nailed it ..with your video.. had a indecent a few years ago, I was on my tt bike doing some 20mins x 3 intervals..on a quiet road Saturday afternoon in Rugeley near Cannock. Some pond life bottom feeder driving past in boy racer car, 💩starts hanging his out the window shouting get in the bike lane!!!!!u should be using the bike etc.. not only was he so upset about me, he decided to turn around at the round about , and rant some more at me. First of all..😫 I shouted back saying where’s the road sign saying no bicycles allowed on this rather wide stretch of A road, then gave he a friendly hand gesture. Second of all I’m not go on a bike lane ,where there are groups of families riding 8-15 mph …when I’m doing nearly 30mph or above. Like you say if there going to hate you, there going to hate you …no matter what you say, or say or do🙈🙈🙈
Love the content! But big question is how do we get message out to motorists? In the USA, there are signs proclaiming “ watch out for motorcycles”, but I’ve yet to see a sign saying, “watch out for bicyclists!”.
That’s a good question. I think we need to realise that we are not enemies. We are sharing the roads and we all need to be a bit tolerant of each other and thankful when people do treat us with respect.
Well said Leonard I agree on all points being a cyclist and car user but i must point out that I have seen more bad cyclist in the citys braking all the road rules, Keep the videos coming mate.
Yes the rules are there for everyone to obey. As a cyclist myself I hate seeing cyclists break the rules of the road, shooting red lights etc.. This gives us all a bad name. There are of course some terrible cyclists out there also.
If cylists were licenced then red light jumpers could have their licence taken away just like dangerous car drivers. The threat of that hanging over them would make them think twice.
Cyclists jumping red lights is my pet hate but licensing is not the answer. Chances are if a cyclist is going to ride irresponsibly, they aren’t going to worry about having some meaningless piece of paper being taken away from them.
As a pedestrian (non-driver) I've had a pretty bad experience with too many cyclists, whizzing through red lights and over pedestrian crossings sometimes while shouting at pedestrians to get out of their way, riding at high speed on pavements etc. Obviously this isn't every cyclist, but I feel the cycling community needs to up it's game a bit in the courtesy game, i've never heard one cyclist tell another to behave when they see them acting irresponsibly.
Paul Elephant, I am a pedestrian and a cyclist and a driver. I've had bad experiences with too many pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Obviously this isn't all pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, but I feel that the pedestrian community needs to up its game a bit in the courtesy game. I've never heard one pedestrian tell another to behave. The same is not true of cyclists and drivers, as in both those capacities, I've had words with other cyclists and drivers about their bad behaviour. Cycling is a very community oriented activity, and people who choose to use a bicycle to express their arrogance and disregard for others do not reflect the nature of the vast majority. It is not some kind of duty incumbent on cyclists to police their fellow cyclists, but most of us hate the kind of riding you describe as much as you do.
@@venusfooltrap7371 the difference between a careless pedestrian walking into you and a careless cyclist hitting you are stark, one you might drop your shopping , the other could easily land you in hospital with broken bones. Your reply illustrates the passive aggressive attitude demonstrated by many cyclists. Yes cycling is generally a good thing, but too many cyclists ride around like entitled d%^heads.
You can identify motorists who are also cyclists because when they overtake you they actually wait the additional 15 seconds required to find a gap in oncoming traffic large enough to give you the appropriate amount of room. And if you're 100 yards away from the back of a line of vehicles stopped at traffic lights, they will even decide to hang back rather than overtake too close only to be filtered past 10 seconds later. Neurologists have recently discovered the human brain can't produce these ideas until you've actually cycled in traffic yourself, at which point the commonus senseous area of the brain becomes active.
This mental disorder common among drivers is often referred to as must-get-in-front syndrome or just MGIF for short. It's good to hear that there seems to be a cure for this.
Hi leonardmlee, thank you for doing this video, I have been a bicycle rider for most of my life and only in the last few years have I had any conflict situations with motorists!. In the mid nineteen sixties when riding through Cambridge to school there were hundreds of cyclists! there were far fewer cars and they were all much smaller than nowadays!. I do think that motorists back then had a lower level of that sense of entitlement that now seems so prevalent. There were also many more police constables out and about, I recall that usually in the city if you could not actually see one there would be one just round the corner. The main consequence of this was that mis-behaviour was far less prevalent, the foundation of all crime prevention!. At the start you suggested that a good clear rational argument is worth having when confronted by unpleasant individuals, I do agree in so far as it is one way to hold your ground, sadly however at the scene the aggressor is very unlikely to listen!. What I have developed over the years is a strategy of standing my ground and engaging in topical debate relating to the event, for example if a motorist hoots at me from behind I stop as sharply as I can right in front of them, turn from my seat and enquire as politely as I can what is the problem, and stay where I am until I get a satisfactory answer or an apology, there is in fact a road sign outside the town now warning motorist of the danger from cyclists!, I assume it is as a result of encounters with me!. Another favourite is when having a problem with an overenthusiastic bus driver is to ask them how did they pass their test!, or did they even take one!, one who claimed wrongly to have the right of way I told that that right did not include the right to endanger my life!, that shut him up!. I hope I do not give the impression that because I am always ready for it that I actually seek or provoke trouble, my principle motivation is to use my personal authority to resist the way some drivers try to bully other road users, I say I do so on behalf of others with less nerve than me!. The underlying concept for me is that the use of all public space including roads is a privilege not a God given right and the obligation to share it with others in a sensible manner is not to be ignored!.
I've noticed here in the USA a difference in attitude depending on where I'm riding. At home in Los Angeles people are pretty bike friendly. In Florida, less so. In New Jersey I found motorists tried to be polite, but clueless about bicycles (e.g. blaring their horns to alert me to their presence. I know you're there, I can hear your engine running; the horn is just annoying). In L.A., it's pedestrians on bike paths that we need to watch out for.
The cycle lanes where I live are full of broken glass, bottles of urine, fast food packaging etc.....all thrown from cars! I've even seen used condoms and syringes on the paths and on a recent ride someone driving a car on a cycle lane.
When I venture out on my bike I dress like a bike police officer. My bike's handlebars have all the police gadgets. And best of all the sirens. I dress to impress and it makes me feel good. And the police are impressed with my bike and added gadgets. The cars give me more room and lots more respect. They are polite to me. It's just a pity I cannot post a picture of me on my bike on here. Take Care. Happy cycling.
Here in Ontario, Canada we have finally enacted into law that being hit by a car door (doored) is a collision and the driver is responsible. Other places?
In Australia, drivers fault. The problem is the law goes very lightly on drivers here and even when cyclists are killed the punishment is minor. Remember Mike Hall ultra long distance cyclist. Run down and killed on the Monaro highway Canberra, doing the Indian Pacific Wheel race. The report was so bias from the coronary, basically blamed the cyclist. The driver got off very lightly. Disgrace. I did a vid on it, so reaseached it considerable
On Insurance debate: I would highly recommend having insurance, not so much as a liability for other cars and cyclists but for your own sake. A cyclist is not likely to cause much damage but IS likely to receive major damage. Having Insurance will not only cover you legally but will also sue the car drivers insurance to ensure you get compensated. Considering how expensive US healthcare is, its best to know that someone has your back. In the US and Canada, cycling insurance is often bundled with Homeowners or Renters insurance. Make sure you are covered.
Make car drivers happy to see a cyclist. I wave cheerfully a lot. I also have a robust bike maintenance kit and medical kit on my cycling commute. When I see a car or motorcycle by the side of the road, I pull over and offer assistance and food.
Where I live in Derbyshire my commute has much cycle lanes, they're littered with glass and branches. There is also a heck of a lot of cars parked in the cycle lanes too.
Because, late at night, I go out to litter the roadways with glass and branches.
organize a day with your local riders to keep your lanes clear. It works!
Is parking on cyclelanes legal in Derbyshire?
@@12Burton24 if not it should we have the same problem in morecame
Yeah especially in Little Eaton
"cyclists cause pollution" I've never heard this one before. That's laughable.
It is. Doesn’t stop the anti cycling brigade from saying it
Depends what you ate the night before 🤷🏻♂️
Motorists only seem to be concerned about pollution when they think they can blame it on a cyclist.
You heavy breathers (cyclists) are putting out too much CO2. That's the theory anyways.
@@SpaceCadet4Jesus Yeah, but being utterly fit, I even out my heavy breathing when doing sporting activities for only 2-3 hours 6 days a week, with breathing at a twice slower rate during the rest of the day. While your average obese and unfit Brit, breathes faster all day long, as a result breathing out far more CO2 than I do. And then, what's with joggers, tennis players, football players, rugby players etc. who also breathe out more CO2 during their sporting activities than an average couch potato.
I ride in Spain most of the time. The difference is remarkable. Very courteous and understanding of bikes.
Same as in France
Same as in America. Dicks are everywhere but in general people are very accommodating.
I hate this whole us and them mentality, like a lot of cyclists I'm a driver too. I started cycling again to get to the train station and also cycle more locally as it's often quicker. If I was in my car I'd be adding to congestion, on my bike I take less room 🤷🏻♂️
Everyone in the UK is either angry, in a hurry, angry, hates cyclists, angry, doesn’t no the law, angry.
I’m lucky 90% of the roads I ride are country roads or quiet. Death trap out there
💯. Same for Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, ... I even find that I get a lot less aggro when I cross the bridge from England into Wales. 🤔
Like most cyclists, I'm a car driver too. I just wish drivers who don't cycle would understand how terrible the roads in the UK are, where I am in Norfolk the edges of the roads are horrendous, drains often sunk 3 or 4 inches and huge chunks of tarmac just missing altogether.
@@elliotwilliams7421 Elliot, I had hundreds of pounds worth of damage done to my car in Bristol while waiting at traffic lights by a cyclist, he then just rode away giving me the finger knowing I couldn't do anything. As a driver and a cyclist though, wouldn't it be nice if we all just respected each other?
Some cyclists only have their bike for transport
@@steve00alt70 a tiny minority only have a bike , but will also use public transport of taxis on the many occasions bikes are not suitable.
A lot of the cycles that are used on the public roads are not suitable for road use- they are racing bikes that are designed for use in a race track that doesn't have pot holes or sunken man hole covers. If you ride an appropriate touring bike with appropriate tyres then they would cope with UK roads.
@@winnie6354 I ride a hybrid touring bike with huge tyres and adjustable suspension front and back, not a race bike. No matter what you ride your front wheel hitting a 4 inch deep hole will have you off your bike. The new highway code now puts the responsibility onto the motor vehicle to pass at a safe distance and rightly so.
Two more good reasons for cycling in the middle of the road:
1. When the road is too narrow for something to overtake safely.
2. When you're going the same speed as the vehicle in front.
That is simply great cyclecraft.
Unfortunately, in some countries like my own, bicycles and mopeds are required to stay as close to the side of the road as possible. Also, cyclists are required to use the designated cycling lane if one exists.
@@petesig93 Yep.
@@dsego84 the rule in most countries will be as close to the left/right kerb as *practicable*. ALL sorts of things will make this impracticable - glass, debris, potholes, parked cars, the need to turn right/left, even the hazards of close-shaving drivers when there really is not enough room to overtake safely. Where I live and ride this rule also does not apply on roads that have multiple lanes; in that situation you may just claim the full lane. This again IS good cyclecraft.
Ive been shouted at on the roads, and when I used the local cycling trails I’ve been shouted at by walkers for going too fast. Nobody’s happy.
Just go slow when you see walkers, be prepared to stop, then you'll be ok...
We call those "mixed use" n the US; I don't ride them much. It's important to recognize that when we do ride them, we are no longer (necessarily) the most vulnerable users of the path. We should alter our behavior and level of alertness accordingly.
@@DEAR7340 I'm installing pedestrian bumpers on my bike. When a walker gives me any lip, off into the bushes he gets tossed.
Yeah, we have 13 miles of path that is 10 to 12 feet wide. Walkers meander with their earbuds on. Leashed dogs are also allowed. We have a walking bridge and it is basically unsafe to cycle on with the dogs and all the people. I use the adjacent bridges as one has a large shoulder and the other has 4 lanes and I take the whole right one as it is too narrow for cars to pass. I don't want people to think they can pass, so that is when I take the lane.
@@theloveboxquartet oh, ok. Thanks mommy.
4:40 I would add that other good reasons for riding 'in the middle of the road' might be: to make yourself more visible to vehicles waiting to pull out of side roads; to position yourself correctly for an upcoming manoevre eg a right turn, roundabout approach or diverging lanes; or to dissuade a following vehicle from overtaking at an inopportune moment eg where there is a constriction or oncoming traffic ahead.
A lot of drivers don't seem to realise there is rhyme and reason behind our road positioning, we are not just getting in their way for the hell of it!
Great video with a lot of good arguments!
Absolutely bang on, saved me a long post! 👍
There is no middle of the road, you're either in the correct lane positioned where you want to be or you're not, the middle of the road is usually where the white lines are painted.
But agree, road position is everything, move toward centre right of the lane for a left bend and primary for a right bend, this not only dissuades dodgy/dangerous overtakes but it allows you to also see around the bend further for the left bend and those coming up behind you.
There's a road near where I live that is a straight on, but 90% of the traffic turns left. Traffic turning right into this road therefore assumes that they can cross the oncoming stream of traffic because they "must be turning left". Every single time I ride past this junction, I do so centrally positioned in the lane (after checking over my shoulder it is safe to move out) to make sure a) everyone knows I am continuing straight, and b) I don't get missed by someone with an a-pillar the size of France, because that has happened to me before.
@@elliotwilliams7421 'Loads', huh, glad you researched it so thoroughly...
I can't imagine these rogue cyclists last long - even with good awareness and positioning it feels like you're taking your life in your hands. Or maybe that's the secret, maybe the only way to get drivers to notice you is to meander along no-handed in the middle of the lane, oblivious to blaring horns and verbal abuse? I might try it...
@@elliotwilliams7421 Of course poor cyclists exist but so what? A bad driver is far more dangerous than a bad cyclist. The latter is just an annoyance, rise above it...
In the USA there are combined bicycle and walking paths, kinda like a sidewalk but it is 12 feet wide. Bicycle riders can chose to ride on it and the speed limit on the path is limited to 15mph. There is nobody with a radar gun waiting around the bend to catch you riding at 15.1 mph but as a bicyclist on the bike and walking path, if you hit something or someone, you are automatically responsible, it doesn't matter who is at fault. I chose to ride the roads. Riding on the road, I have lots more people concerned about my hydration as I get more people throwing a can or bottle of something at me to make sure I stay hydrated. I shout thanks and wave as they try to show me how much fuel their car can burn a second.
How come when a motorist hits a cyclist their are not automatically responsible ?
Seems like they think more about cyclists doing harm than their safety
I suggest catching the bottle one handed at the last second, pouring it over your head like the Winner at the Tour De France. but, Thank you, to the polite people concerned about your hydration level. Lol.
You can't generalize about the USA, 50 states each with their own rules.
Yeah, Americans are such nice people. As a cyclist in Greater Boston I have had a beer can, an egg, and a snowball thrown at me from passing vehicles.
@@richardcarlson7370 I'm waiting for someone to toss a keg out the window as that is how thirsty I get sometimes.
I love cycling, I wish more people would do it. In the UK we are heading for a much bigger killer and horrible disease, and that's Type 2 Diabetes. It's sad, even the young are getting it.
Too much Greggs eh??!🤣
@@madisondeans5566 pretty much 😂
I was shouted at recently on my bike, the driver was annoyed that he couldn’t get past me. He failed to notice that there would have been room for a bus and a bike side by side, each way, if there hadn’t been cars parked on both sides of the road. If I wanted to park my bike on public property, such as in the Town Hall, people would go apeshit, but it’s seems ok for cars to be parked on roads, which isn’t what they were designed for.
Why didn't you just pull over for a second in between some of the parked cars to let him past? How difficult would that have been for you?
@@SC-hk6ui if the person has road rage you're better off stopping and letting them pass. You're always vulnerable when cycling on the road getting out of the way to let a car pass doesn't make you more vulnerable it makes you safer.
@@SC-hk6ui did you ever stop to think what have i done that caused someone to strangle me? That's never happened to me. Also we're talking about a bike pulling over to allow a car past. You're talking about something in your car, slightly different issue.
Wear high viz let yourself be seen. Do your your bit for your safety
@@timsyoutube6051 Stopping is the worst thing you could do, unless you’re packing heat, know how to use it, and are willing to use it to defend yourself from such a psychopath.
I follow a simple approach. Raise my hand and say "Sorry, my bad." Best way to diffuse any potential volatile situation. No one gains anything by getting into an argument. Just diffuse and move on.
I'm sure this works fine for you, and seems a good idea on the surface... But you're taking the blame or apologising only validates the poor attitude of the driver in question, and further reduces your own status as a legitimate road user...
I'm with you on this one. I'd rather have my "status as a legitimate road user" reduced than get into a pointless fight with an arsehole.
@@GreenJimll like giving up your lunch money to the school bully because he's bigger than you, and arming him with the authority to do it to the next kid as well??
I'm not suggesting getting into a fight. If it's my bad on the road, yeah, I acknowledge it, but I'm not going to kowtow to someone clearly in the wrong, or clearly clueless about road rules, for sake of keeping the peace.
@@AdamEwart I have been a motorist and have close to 3,00,000 km under my belt. If I think emphatically, those motorist are already Dopamine, Serotonin etc starved individual. Traffic and delays have already pumped up the adrenaline and other stress hormone. Moreover a calm motorist will never get into a road rage with a cyclist, atleast it has never happened with me. Being on the saddle there is nothing earth shattering we can do, so it's better back away. We have to be smarter and tackle it with other means - Approaching authorities, social media campaign, awareness drives etc.
Getting into an argument will only pump them up further and there are high chances that they take out the frustration on the next cyclist ahead. So let's chill out and pedal on.
Yep you cant change stupid. But you can move along faster from it. Ten years ago a car in traffic opened the door on me when I was filtering down the cycle lane. Passenger stepped over me and car then drove off leaving me lying in the gutter. These are the kind of people populating our roads. Take no chances.
Just think, if we did pay "road tax" I'd have a cycling jersey printed with "Yes , now I do own the f...g road"
You might be onto a winner there. Why not get some cycling jerseys printed up with such 'slogans' and sell them? i think you'd get a good take up. e.g. Give me 2m space. See you at the next traffic lights, If you remember road tax, you're probably too old to drive, my CO2 is produced by hard work, is your belly touching your steering wheel? My FTP is equal to your BMI, etc.
We should pay a road tax, and a health tax, and a beauty tax. That tax should be all the lazy folks in cars honoring the valuable contributions we are making to society by deciding to ride a bike. It’s just envy when a motorist gets upset.
michael page
But as you don't..........!
Great video. I was cycling up a hill in Dorset over summer, on a v narrow road. A car drove past, honking madly. A pass leaned out the window and roared "get in the field, you don't pay road tax, weirdo etc". Appalling behaviour.
what you left out was your 10mph speed, probably on a 60mph road.
Tell then this one:
Each kilometer driven by a car incurs external societal costs of €0.11 not just in greenhouse gas, air and noise pollution, but also infrastructure damages, collision, productivity, congestion as well a health system costs. While each kilometer cycled actually represents a net social benefit of €0.18 when looking at the categories above.
in 30 years as a professional driver i`ve never had one single problem with any cyclist, not ever, in all my driving career so far !motorcycling and other vehicles over the last 45 years,no cyclist has ever been a problem ,never, as a lifelong cyclist and a keen racing cyclist in my younger days,(up to about 55yrs young) there has been a deterioration in some elements of the attitude of the motoring fraternity towards MOST other road users, unjustifiable behaviours as such are the crux of a deeper problem within that psyche, its borderline malevolence in some individuals, while the majority of us can only step back in utter disbelief at some displays of ego driven selfishness and recklessness towards other road users, due care and attention should be paramount in any road users mind ,if its not ,,ask yourself WHY?
Nailed it!
Yep, in the 20yrs i've been driving i'd struggle to think of an instance where a cyclist 'made me' drive dangerously. If i did, it was because I was driving too fast to properly deal with the 'hazard' of another legitmate road user travelling in the same direction as me....
Which leads me to beleive the majority of bloodpressure raising encounters that motorists like to complain about on local facebook groups - is simply that the cyclist existed and was there.
Completely agree. I wonder sometimes if it is down to the cocooned nature of a car, people think they are hidden away and safe to behave however they want.
Absolutely right, William. As a cyclist my safety has been compromised numerous times by the actions of drivers, but as a driver of even more years than yourself, I've never even been seriously inconvenienced by a cyclist.
Sure I may have to slow down and pick a safe moment to pass, but that 'delay' pales into insignificance compared to the time wasted sitting in a car amongst thousands of other drivers in queues caused by the presence of so many motor vehicles, often driven with pitifully little skill.
It's unbelievable that people who seem happy to contribute to to and suffer from such delays can point the finger at cyclists as being a menace on the road and accuse them of holding up the traffic.
The Road Tax argument always riles me up. Drivers always pull this one out as an easy argument.
For starters: Road Tax is not actually a tax for "using the road". It's a tax for the vehicle you are driving on the road's emissions.
Also, Road Tax does not go towards fixing the roads - Road Tax payments end up in the same centralised funds as income tax. From that centralised fund, money is sent out to anything and everything, from infrastructure to local councils. None of it goes directly to "fixing potholes" like everyone seems to think.
And surely if you're going to pull the argument that Road Tax isn't being paid, by that logic most electric and hybrid cars shouldn't be allowed on the road either!
Great video Leonard.
Loving that opening clip👍 Road craft is a skill that varies across all road users. As a cyclist it's much more scary when drivers drive badly than it is for drivers when cyclists ride badly...
Exactly. Motorists cause far more harm and damge than cyclists. Where I live (Norfolk) most motorists are pretty good towards cyclists. If I'm riding on one of Norfolk's many narrow roads and there's a car behind me I always pull over and let them pass.
No, not really. Like most guys, you have a problem thinking things through completely. Include the Ricochet Effect, and you'll be closer to the truth.
Walkers are problematic too - if I use my bell I get moaned at (many assume me ringing my bell means “get out of the way” which is totally untrue). If I don’t use my bell and try and pass slowly and carefully I get moaned at for not using it. Why can’t people just learn to share and be respectful of each other?
Because as we have gotten busier as a society, we have lost our patience for others around us..........................society has forced citizens to kill or be killed mentality.
Everyone is out for themselves these days as we are being stretched to our limits both financially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. When your near your limits, your vision and focus narrows to yourself only. This keeps the masses divided and easier to control and manipulate by those who pull the strings in this world.
That is a sign of the times sadly. In the U.S. driver aggression has also increased, mostly because police no longer write traffic tickets to control driver behavior.
I use my bell followed by “Good morning” or “Good afternoon”, which always gets a friendly reply and an easy pass. I also slow down when approaching walkers.
I work at a market every Sunday, on a path that allows pedestrian and cyclsts.
The other week a lady cyclist, coming up behind a large group of pedestrians, rang her bell and then shouted 'are you fucking deaf' at the backs of their heads, because they didn't all move aside to open a path for her ... the entitlement was strong in that one ...
I think it’s a little bit funny how someone sitting in a car with air conditioning, a stereo, possibly some sort of refreshment and exerting no more effort than it takes to pass gas will get upset by some guy riding a bike.
Cars require a litany of things before they are allowed on the road.
It’s funny but it happens a lot
It happens here in Australia as well. We had one guy 3 weeks ago. After passing us so close! Phew..(double white line - nothing comming other way) then pulled over and got out of his 4x4 gas guzzler and f'ed and blinded us as we passed. Then came pass us again this time right on the other side of the road (still double white line) as he should had done the first time as we are considered like a tractor. ie: slow moving vehicle...
Obviously he had issues...
The psychology of driving is horrendous! From false advertising (you rarely see a traffic jam in a car ad), to constantly upholding the 'Car-Tax' myth, the sense of entitlement in driving is huge!
Certainly for some
I can’t remember the last time I drove for more than a mile without another car in front of me, I don’t even live in a city!
Not to mention that nearly every car or truck commercial for every kind of car or truck broadcast during the last twenty five years features full throttle driving, drifting, spinning, skidding, and other race type maneuvers whilst the voiceover touts the vehicle as fun or exciting.
Too many people now think that is what driving is supposed to be, even if you’re just trying to get to work or the grocery store.
When consumers brainwashed by years of this exposure get behind the wheel, anything at all which causes them to have to slow down for even the briefest moment is cause for drama.
I feel sometimes it is down to jealousy because bikes can manoeuvre through tight spaces. I've had cars attempting to block me as they sit waiting in traffic and throw abuse as I pass. Also, there is a lack of control from the motorist. As humans we like to control what we can and become defensive if that control is lost. I just wished that everyone take a deep breath and let people enjoy their passions, which fir some is cycling.
There is also that.
Totally agree
Generally, I think the frustration may come from the anxiety of having to pass a bicycle - - twice. They may have spent a couple of minutes, setting up a safe/legal pass, only to have you breeze by at the next light, where they will have to repeat the manuever.
In my (US) state, Georgia, a cyclist can only overtake a car if there is more than one lane of traffic, and the bike doesn't leave the road surface to perform the pass. Otherwise, cyclists are required to wait their turn in the line of traffic.
@@DEAR7340 That law is the result of looking through the eyeglass backwards. Part of the problem, and not a solution.
Undoubtedly
I've always thought that the best way to convince drivers that cyclists don't cause congestion is to have a "no cycling" day, once a year, perhaps on a Wednesday when traffic is at its most congested.
You should all leave your bikes at home, and drive, or use Uber, or a taxi, or a train, or a bus. It would be chaos, and even the dumbest driver would understand that cyclists actually reduce congestion, rather than increase it.
Or do the inverse of that, and block some roads off for cars. If biking becomes a more attractive alternative, suddenly more people will go by bike.
I live in the Netherlands, and i do my grocery shopping by bike (unless it's like 2 weeks worth of stuff). It's just faster and more convenient than going by car for me.
@@alex2143 that is true but you have been developing your bike paths for 40 years. Here in the UK, we have not done that. And now, with climate change, and war in Europe, we have run out of time. We have no money for infrastructure, so the only way we can go is to share the roads, by blocking off rat runs with bollards, reducing speed limits, and making drivers understand they must share the roads. And I think the most effective way to do that is to just all leave our bikes at home ok for the day (or a week). The chaos, both on the roads and on public transport, would be so severe, that even the most ignorant driver would get the message. Do that regularly (perhaps once every three months, and drivers would very quickly realise that cycling is essential to avoid gridlock.
@@joules531 Sure, we have a head start. But I don't think it's too late to catch up.
Many of the bike paths that we have, we essentially got for free by the way. Because we made those bike paths when the road was due for repaving anyways. And it doesn't cost much extra to just keep cyclists in mind. Then when the amount of cyclists is large enough, the ROI on biking infrastructure increases, and more bike infrastructure means more cyclists. The vicious cycle does work, but it has to start somewhere.
@@alex2143 I totally agree with why you say, but, at least in the UK, the government is in the pockets of the motor industry. My gut feeling is that there is an underlying determination to prevent widespread cycling, because there is so much money to be made from drivers.
I agree that there would be a good ROI, but our government is so short-termist that I don’t think I will see good cycle infrastructure in my lifetime.
I envy your infrastructure.
@@joules531 i hope you get good bike infrastructure as well. It's really nice to have. Keep advocating for it.
I'm interested in classic cars, I own one, and enjoy motoring.
I'm also a keen cyclist, and have been since childhood. I'm now in my seventies, and still ride.
I try to be courteous and helpful to my fellow road users, whatever wheeled machine I'm using.
There are idiots on the road, both in cars and on bicycles - it's as simple as that.
You can't tar everyone with the same brush.
You missed, "cyclists should ride single file" if the road isn't wide enough for a cyclist, safe space to overtake, width of car plus potential oncoming HGV , then it's not wide enough to be overtaking single file cyclists unless you can see enough clear road ahead, in which case two abreast group of cyclists are a shorter obstacle so easier to overtake safely. .
On the insurance thing, I don't get how people seem to think not being insured would make a cyclist immune from being sued for damages if they cause you damage or harm. If a cyclists scratches your Mercedes and you can prove it was their fault, sue them.
I think the insurance thing is just bandied about as if it was brought in would put more people off cycling on the roads
Could not disagree more...as a cyclist (been out today having just got back from a 2 weeks cycling holiday). Every weekend without fail when driving I find myself behind groups of cyclists in Derbyshire, seemingly many riding side by side simply because they can continue a conversation . It is just nonsense to suggest that if you can't overtake two then you can't or should not overtake one. The roads are narrow and bendy..there is often space to overtake one but two requires you to pull over completely to the opp. side of the road..and the further out you pull the more the more distance it takes to get back on the right side of the road...hence on a bendy road it is often (not rarely) the case that it's safe to overtake one but not two cyclists. What too often happens is a line of frustrated drivers
queuing to get past cyclists. I consider riding two abreast should be made illegal...it is dangerous and irresponsible.
Many years ago I was taught that cyclists should not ride side by side....and this remains a very sensible position
@@clivelangman8696 1) you should be pulling well over to pass a single cyclists anyway.
2) if the cyclists go single file, they they over twice as long, so you have less opportunity to overtake safely on a bendy road.
@@davemoss6976 1. Yes, but there's no need to go completely over to the opposite side of the road 2. Not a problem as long as you can see clearly ahead. and 3. The more you have to pull over tot the opp side not only does it take longer to get back into the lane , and hence it's more difficult to get pass, you end up with a queue of frustrated drivers behind you (all completely fed up with cyclists blocking the road) and at some point some idiot will take a risk on overtaking. For over 40 years I have regularly transversed Snake Pass between Sheffield and Manchester and I long ago lost count of the number of times groups .of cyclists riding side by side have caused serious issues for drivers....and ,a s a cyclist, I'm sympathetic to cyclists.
@@clivelangman8696 if you can see clearly ahead it's not a problem either way. But whatever you say on that point I don't agree, it's easier to overtake 10 cyclists 5,bikes long X 2 bikes wide than 10 bikes long X 1 wide. But do agree that cycle groups should take action to avoid too much delay for following traffic., At the same time motorists should just be glad cyclists are not on horseback
motorists in their air conditioned cars can't be bothered to slow down or move over a few seconds to safely pass a cyclist. Sad
Half of them can't even be bothered to move their fingers a tiny bit to use the indicators before turning.
This animosity from UK drivers towards cyclists is a rather new phenomenon that has been allowed to grow over the last two decades or so. It is to a large degree due to one very tiresome and ignorant individual by the name of Jeremy Clarkson, a man possessing so much British arrogance and stupidity at its worst that you might call him the Nigel Farage of the automotive community.
I wouldn’t insult farage but likening Clarkson to him.
And the best I could wish for Farage is an embarrassing forced retirement from public life
Are you really saying there are that many idiots on the road to think that anything Clarkson says will make a difference
@@philridley7457 pretty much.
I’ve been on both sides, I’ve had idiot riders who’ve obviously never read the rules almost go under me as a driver, and idiot drivers literally knock me off my bike on purpose, without provocation, in a hit and run, and had that confirmed by drivers who witnessed
Here here! Such a knob
@@morgandebruler9281 No use denying 25 years of that petrol heads show, Top Gear, made an impact on the public towards cyclists, seen as a nuisance and a bit "weird". The macho road attitude advocated during those (very stupid) shows had a very large following indeed. Or perhaps is the mentioning of british arrogant stupidity (spot on in my opinion) that got your knickers in a twist.
Delighted to say that these arguments are a distant memory!
Cycling on the road in Italy is a delight!!
It is. Can’t believe it’s nearly a year ago we did our ride across Tuscany.
I often get into debates with drivers about cyclists being on the road (being a cycle commuter with curious colleagues) and usually when I actually give them legitimate explanations like this they literally ignore me and say "Yeah but they're annoying and slow so I don't care". My favourite thing to do when they get dismissive like this is respond to them saying "You're right, I SHOULD drive a tractor".
Bicycles and cars have to be separated. This is something that Finland and the Netherlands have understood for a long time but Britain and the U.S. still don't. Build the infrastructure and they will come, by the millions.
My favorite feeling when riding my bike; being able to pass up a bunch of cars that are stuck in traffic; the ability to keep on moving freely :)
This is what really pisses them off. What gets me is that a lot of these drivers live in the town and are only mere yards away from where they want to go but they still insist on taking the car. If they'd just walk or take a bike they'd be there much quicker and it'd do wonders for their health.
Unpopular opinion - A lot of cyclists deserve the grief they're given. Over the years on the streets of London pedalling around I've had much more grief from entitled 'roadies' than drivers, and it comes down to respecting of others. I've had good conversations with taxi drivers in situations where a misunderstanding could have lead to conflict; on the flip side most cyclists won't even acknowledge anyone around them and they behave like spoilt children when someone dares to enter their virtual bubble while they're out trying to do a Tour de France stage on a street that holds buses, trucks, lorries, vans etc.
Had a club ride this morning and had three or four complete idiot drivers who drove too close and gave us abuse.
Always have a club member with a helmet cam. We’ve had a driver prosecuted for throwing water at us as they went passed.
@Kevin Henderson dash cams or traffic cameras ?
Car drivers break the law all the time.
@Kevin Henderson cyclist and driver here.
I hope all cyclist that break the law get prosecuted.
I hope you are angry about drivers speeding all day everyday.
My original comment was as about some terrible drivers that endangered me peoples lives.
@Kevin Henderson So true.
I am a non racer cyclist (also a car driver, van driver, tractor driver) and I don't own any lycra. All for practical everyday use. I often pull a bike trailer with up to 60kgs load so I travel considerably slower than most others.
Many of the speedster's I see are disproportionately reckless or agressive in their use of the road even if they are "strictly" obeying the rules of the road.
They are not riding like you see the millions of cyclists in The Netherlands to get to their destination. Although granted that the infrastructure is much more integrated and established there!
And many seem to have no concept of riding defensively.
The destination isn't the objective.
The ride and the performance is.
But of course not all by a long shot before I get hung and quartered.
But there's certainly at least 20/30% who are giving everyone else a really bad reputation.
Traveling on a public road, a cyclist is the most vulnerable vehicle on that road.
@Kevin Henderson I ride defensively because although I carry a bit of padding I have no chance against a motor vehicle. I live in a rural area so the roads are interesting, shall we say. If there's a car behind me on a narrow stretch of road I pull over. I'm retired so don't have to hurry to anything but that person behind me might.
By club ride I take it you mean riding in a big group, three abreast at 20mph thinking your in the tour de France pelaton.
Great video. Thanks for your voice of reason Leonard!
Exactly the same issues here in Tasmania that I used to experience in Manchester 30+ years ago.
It's the 2 percenters of both motorists and cyclists that caues 98% of the problems!
I was out for a ride recently and saw a street sweeper maybe 1/4 ahead of me in the right lane. I started checking the left lane for cars before finally moving over to go around the sweeper. I had a driver that must have turned onto the road after I'd moved over get angry and honk the their horn because I was riding in the middle of the lane instead of off to the side, which would have caused me to pass the large, noisy machine with steam coming out from under the sides much too close for my comfort.
Sometimes it's too easy to spot the drivers who don't ride bicycles at all.
And are also selfish bad drivers.
Every traffic lights are only there because of motorist. So motorists hold back the traffic.
This is a superb video - thanks for sharing. I am getting increasingly concerned about the strength of peoples attitudes towards cyclists. Following one such conversation on a social media platform, the venom shown towards cyclists was just outrageous.. This included tips on how to physically intimidate cyclists when they are holding drivers up and included all the bollocks around road tax and them having a license all of which is just impracticable.. Arguments with these people are almost always useless and a complete waste of time in my experience... What that particular "Exchange of ideas" did get me to do is invest in an action camera for my bike to record anything that could help me in the future should I get intimidated/Knocked Off or worse. I also got one of the Garmin Varia radar things for the back of the bike. This in itself is now up there with essential kit for me. Alerting me of cars behind me when the wind is in my ears is a game-changer. Also, the number of near misses I am getting whilst riding on the road has made me rethink when I go out which means early Sunday mornings whilst the world is still waking up is when I am most likely to be out and about on 2 wheels. Where I do agree is that Cyclists having insurance is a good idea - the fact British cycling offers this along with a number of other incentives (money off vouchers etc.) has made this a no-brainer and at least gives some peace of mind as well as the ability to respond to angry motorists with "Actually I do have insurance - next argument please".. Thanks again for this well thought out piece though. Like you say I think this will be something that just rumbles on without any actual answer..
Insurance for cyclists will cost motorists more, because the cyclists' insurance company will be recovering damages from the motorist much more aggressively than an individual could do.
Cyclists are arrogant and entitled and I'd go as far to say that being one is a character flaw. Only registered vehicles belong on the road, I constantly see them riding where the speed limit is over 50km/hr.
Dear Leonardo.In my area, like a lot of places in Italy we have a lot of roads ( Two lanes ) free of traffic,so we do not have much problems with cars.In much of Italy we had roads that go back centuries.Around the 70/80 they started to replaced these roads with " Superstrada " in parallel to the old roads.Example: From my town Sora To Capistrello around 40 km,you may see at max 10 cars This road is situated in a valley called : Valle Del Liri. Tuscany like many other regions here is full of these all most empty roads.So we ride pretty safe with out need to worry about anything.Ciao From Italy
We have the quieter roads too. Much nicer for cycling
@@jollygoodvelo This is where i would do most of my riding.
NICE.
I rode in northern Italy in 2018 around Lake Como and Lake Iseo and loved it. I never had any issues with motorists: courtesy and respect.
@@chrisb1953 Great area to ride.
What I love about arrogant entitled cyclists is they are on the road with cars and they don't have to have any formal training as to roads rules and expectations?
I always counter the road tax argument with an explanation of how UK roads are paid for. After explaining that Council tax, income tax and VAT all go into the pot, I then point out that this means pedestrians and bicycle riders are funding roads that many are afraid to use. I also add that if their logic was followed, electric cars shouldn’t be using the road either.
I do the same, but the people spouting their road tax nonsense rarely absorb knowledge as readily as they spew opinions.
Back in the 1970's I distinctly remember a discussion on Radio 4 concerning proposals in Parliament that would ban all cycling on public roads apart from those specifically designated as "cycling permitted"
4:45 I'd add another reason in there. If the cyclist feels unsafe, then they can in fact ride in the middle of the road so as to control traffic until such time that they feel they have left the unsafe area.
A cyclist injured my wrist really badly while I was walking down a canal. He banged into my wrist with his metal handlebar and just sped off. It’s not the only time I’ve had bad experiences with cyclists. At this point if someone tells me they’re a cyclist I avoid them socially
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences but in my experience, very few real cyclists would act so irresponsibly. There are idiots that just happen to ride bikes and that is perhaps what you encountered.
I live in Bracknell Forest. We have some increasingly great cycle paths (when the councils eventually put them In.). The problem is there are lots of trees and trees drop things like twigs, nuts, branches even. The drains get clogged so huge puddles form and cars speed through them, drenching pedestrians and cyclists alike.
Cycle paths here are used by pedestrians too and in many cases are used by other cyclists going in the other direction.
I much prefer to use cycle paths and I encourage my children to do so too. But some times the condition of the cycle path is that which can also pose a hazard to cyclists and the road can be the safer option.
A favourite in Buckinghamshire is to have popup cycle lanes that go only one way. If you happen to want to go in the opposite direction you have to share a narrowed road with pissed off motorists who can't pass you. I'd rather the roads were just wider.
I'm a Bracknell cyclist also! In addition to a cycling infrastructure that is better than many parts of the UK, there are some pretty decent trails to ride around.
I'm a mtbiker who's scared of riding on roads with other motorist. I have huge respect for all Roadies, as for me i feel safer riding in the woods or downhill 😁
It's quite easy to do around 20mph on a road bike so in a 30 zone cars are only passing you at 10mph . It's more scary when you're going slow on a mtb on the roads.
All valid points but I think some cyclists don’t care at all about being courteous to other road users and if you dare call them out on it they get very angry. Today I sat behind a cyclist who was in the middle of a country lane for miles, I was second car in the trailing queue and there was another behind me. I did a short beep to let them know there was a queue because they seemed completely oblivious. The cyclist stopped came to my window and after a short exchange of words asking me why I beeped then threaten to drag me out of my car and beat me up to teach me a lesson! Wtf! I told him to grow up and drove off. I am cyclist myself if a queue of cars forms behind me I simply pull over and let them pass. It’s the same with horses you drive past them slowly or they stop to let you past. Not some cyclists though they couldn’t care that you even exist.
Sadly it’s a minority of cyclists like that that give the rest a bad name.
I'm lucky where I ride in Western Australia, you can do 40-70 km rides on good fast cycle paths...
As a cyclist, I hate other cyclists for their inability to follow simple road laws as "ride the same direction the cars do"
Yes I can second this.
just to touch on the insurance , a lot of home insurance covers you for accidental damage when cycling ,or it can be added in to you home insurance policy along with pedal cycle cover, and it hardly makes any difference in the cost of the policy, mine with Admiral insurance covers theft from home , theft from away from the house with Gold standard lock , Bike Jacking , accidental damage and liability , All in home insurance policy for only £18 per month . £150 excess
Join British cycling for about a quid a week
@@letsgocamping88 I did but they dont cover the bike in anyway, only the liability .thats why i didnt renew my membership with them because i would have had to get additional insurance anyway not much point when you can have it all on your home insurance policy .
Hi Leonard, great video as always. The reason for my comment is unrelated to the video though. A year ago I discovered your videos and you inspired me to improve my cycling, since then I've been riding longer and more frequently. And today I completed my first (metric!) century and I'm immensely pleased by it. So, my most heartfelt thanks to you Leonard, because you inspired me to do something I didn't think I could do, I watch GCN a lot and love it, but those guys are way younger and fitter than me so the kind of rides they do did not seem achievable to me. When I came across your channel I said to myself "if Leonard can do it, maybe I can do it too" and so it was. Again, a million thanks, be well and keep up the great work.
Hi there Max, that is fantastic! Well done on your first metric century; it’s a really big milestone for a cyclist. I always say that it is a lot harder than many people think. You should be really proud of yourself.
@@jollygoodvelo 👍
It’s easy telling drivers about congestion and the fact that us cyclists are not the problem. I had a bus driver beep me once because he wanted to pull in to a bus stop but I couldn’t help it. I was being held up. Sometimes I feel like swearing at them. Motorists think that people on two wheels especially bikes don’t know the Highway Code but I do actually read it , like most sensible cyclists. If you count farting and burping as emissions, that’s about as toxic as it gets.
Excellent video, thank you.
It still baffles me why a motorist should yell at me from his climate-controlled, surround-sound, ergonomic, padded safety cage as he summons more propulsive power than he probably really needs by pointing his right toe.
Anymore, when a motorist screams that I'm holding up traffic, I've come to shout back, "OH NO! I'M LATE FOR CHURCH!"
Thanks, Leonard! I think you might enjoy the channel ‘not just bikes’, if you don’t know about it already. It looks a lot but not exclusively at the infrastructure in the Netherlands and often compares them to North America. It is very enlightening on many levels but it is particularly interesting how through thoughtful infrastructure the potential conflict between different road users can actually be reduced.
Thanks for the tip
The reason a lot of motorists hate cyclists is that they break the rules all the time. They go through red lights, they skip up onto pavements and go straight through zebra crossings - even when people are not only waiting to cross but actually on them! I am a cyclist, and I love that people cycle. But let's be honest and admit that many cyclists are either arrogant and feel that the rules don't apply to them; or they are inept, misplaced on the road and are therefore dangerous to other road users.
So be the change. Don’t do any of those things . I try my best to not run red lights but when no car is around to trip the light what am I supposed to do? Wait 3 mins for a car or safely look both ways before crossing
We HAVE to remember, any tension between cyclists and drivers is ENTIRELY the fault of the Government. The Government has abjectly failed to provide sufficient cycle lanes across the country for the last 100 years. Instead of more roads, we should build 1000s of miles of cycle lanes. If cyclists aren't on the roads, there can't be any tension.
There's been several times when I've been preparing to turn right by sticking out my arm, slowing down and moving across the road but instead of the car behind me slowing down waiting for me to turn, they have sped up and overtaken me, nearly taking me out while doing so. Why do cars do this?
Because they're driven by idiots. :)
@leonardmlee, I’d like to add my voice to those challenging your assumptions here. It isn’t inevitable drivers and cyclists will clash and we can stop it happening immediately. In the before times I rode regularly in other countries, and such conflict is in inverse proportion to the quality of the road infrastructure. Design it for everyone and expect everyone to drive with the safety of others in mind and the conflict almost goes away.
Better to spend time working to improve the roads in the UK, than come up with sensible points to counter clearly stupid, self-justifying stories. Come and join us and use your thoughtful channel for that.
I sincerely hope you are right.
Unfortunately in Melbourne Australian we are proving this is not what happens. We massively expanded bike lanes and infrastructure over the last few years and now all the business owners and drivers have kicked up a huge fuss about to many cyclists and not enough car parking ect and have caused a stop on new infrastructure and sections to be removed meaning more danger as cyclists filter on and off bike lanes into and out of traffic. 30km ride today and nearly got doored 4 times and had one driver swerve at me in a bike plan while screaming that all cyclists should die police had zero interest.
I live in The Netherlands. Our cycling infrastructure, is second to none. Where ever possible, the cycle lanes, (fietspaden) are physically separated from the roads. They even have their own traffic light system. I use a tricycle cargo cycle, (driewieler bakfiets) I love the beast. Even so, I get irritated by the many cyclists, who feel the rules don't apply to them. I actually fully sympathize with frustrated motorists, who have to deal with light jumpers etc. I've lost count the number of times I've almost been hit by a rogue cyclist, while using a pedestrian crossing. For some reason, as soon as you step onto the crossing, you become a target. I also label these selfish, overly entitled idiots as arrogant.
I've had more run-ins with skateboards and electric scooters than with car drivers
There seems to be a lot of scooters on the road these days.
I live in Surrey and a keen cyclist. However I dont like the attitude and snobbery of most lycra lout cyclists and how they look down on others for not having a 10k bike and all the kit. Actually I cannot stand these idiots becuase most of them think they are better than you and make you feel like that on the road. I've seen countless people in richmond park make fun of other cyclists and there in particular is a youtuber and his cronies who sit at the cafe and laugh at people that are not quite their level. It a part of he cycling here in he uk the apitimises everyone wrong with people and their elitist mentality and snobbery toward others. I much prefer the european approach to cycling. Inclusive for all about the enjoyment of the ride mot how fast or how far you ride obsessing over numbers on a device. It's a shame what it has become in its image.
The world's full of ''Hard men'' in cars that are in a bad mood and looking for someone to Verbaly abuse or bully from the safety of there tin box .They don't seem to be so tough once they get out of them . I can only speak for drivers in my locality, but the standard of driving in Shropshire is attrocious. I don't know how most of them passed a driveing test.
Personally I stick to cycle paths as often as possable for this reason .
Living in Germany, close to the Netherlands, I always can see, that we are something like 20-30 years behind in bicycle infrastructure, usage and general behavior in traffic. But compared to the UK, it's not so bad.
I was caught and passed by some one on a fat tire e bike today while riding my road bike. Not sure what to think of that... I once had a driver complain because he could not pass on the outside and cut in front of me to merge with a right (your left) turn lane. I had moved over in my lane near an intersection that was red so he pass behind and inside of me. But he was too impatient??
People who are rushing all the time seem to get bothered when they have to wait for the next light/ queue to move again. Sometimes if you relax a bit you get there in the same time but with less effort. You can arrive as the next light changes and just carry on. This can apply on the bike or in the car equally.
You are right on point again. Keep up the good work.
More haste, less work but they still do t get it.
Hurry up and wait :)
I totaly agree with all of your points. I'm a cyclist with an MTB, Xtrail and recumbent trike and have had my dicey moments with car drivers, including one time when I was dangerously cut up by a car coming out of a junction. When I shouted at him, he slammed his anchors on and jumped out with fists swinging. But I agree with the Highway Code point....if a cyclist has no car/bike licence, they should at least be obliged to be tested for road rules awareness. Also as a car driver and pedestrian, I can vouch that if any cyclists need their arses kicking, it's the club teams that think stopping at pedestrian crossings and red lights on smaller roads is beneath them.
I ride a ebike, hated by drivers and cyclists alike😂
I like ebikes!
I was born and raised in a moderately sized town in the US. No one really bikes there because its so car heavy. Like the main roads are 100 km/hr and you're lucky if there's a bike path running along side. So when I did get into cycling, I used the bike paths when I had the chance to. They are falling apart and have bumps every 5 seconds or so at 30km/h. After a few weeks of cycling with my new bike I was left out with a flat and had to call my mom. Being a novice cycling I didn't bring anything with me.
...
Recently I moved to Vancouver in Canada. A world of difference. Not only do I ride on the road, but I feel welcomed on the road. The infrastructure supports cycling wayyyyy more than my home town. And people are much nicer to cyclists and understanding. Heck, the first thing I noticed when I landed here was the number of people using a bike. I believe infrastructure is a big solution to the cyclist vs motorist debate. I recently watched a bunch of videos about a guy who moved himself and his family from the US to Amsterdam for the city design. Very fascinating stuff. Channel is "Not Just Bikes" and definitely worth the watch.
Anyway, glad to see you doing well Leo, stay safe out there
If someone yells at me to get in the cycle lane, I normally respond with "get on the M25" (or nearest motorway/major road).
Part of the problem here is the 'categorisation' of people e.g. are you a cyclist, motorist or pedestrian. In reality, I suspect a lot of us are all three, so do we behave differently depending on what we're doing? e.g does the person who barges in front of you on the pavement do the same on a bike when faced with a red light or pass you too close when driving their car? Or do people who drive, cycle and walk respect others doing the other activities? Some people are just utterly selfish, impatient and thoughtless no matter what they are doing as long as they believe they have the right etc. whatever they're doing at the time.
Well we do produce emissions but are harmless to the environment, sometimes bad for our surroundings 😂
I get y’a!
Emission powered hill climb 🤭
Your comment at the end is what this is all about. Angry drivers cause more serious accidents than the ones their anger is directed to.
Living in Brisbane the cycling infrastructure has improved enormously over the past 10 years with new dedicated, separated, cycle paths being built every year. These are generally about 3 metres wide and in many cases carry a lot of commuter traffic with the popularity of e bikes and e scooters growing. A couple of years ago the law was changed to require vehicles to give at least 1 metre passing space, and allow drivers to cross double lines to to this if safe. In general, having spent a reasonable amount of time in the UK, I think our roads are usually wider as well which helps. I also feel that driver behaviour is improving, or maybe I spend more time on the the bike path network now than I used to……of course we have our share of dickheads… 🙂
Here in the U.K., my understanding is that drivers have to give cyclists 1.5 metres but it’s enforcing it.
@@jollygoodvelo we recently had 6 months in Leeds, on grandparent duties. Loved the Yorkshire Dales etc, but in general I think I would have found cycling cycling on the roads around Leeds a challenge…..we were locked down for a lot of the time, but did bring a smart trainer with us which was a life saver really. I enjoy your videos and outlook on life the universe and everything, cheers .
It’s funny what a small change in location makes. I used to ride around the northern suburbs of Adelaide a lot (Low socioeconomic area). Abused and swerved at daily. Moved to the Eastern suburbs (high socioeconomic area) and in the past 12 months I’ve been abused once. Got hit but by accident and the bloke was good about it.
@@trufflemonster5399 a couple of weeks ago was out exploring west if Brisbane and found myself in an area that was just ‘creepy’. I didn’t get hassled, but I didn’t hang about either……
They followed that 1 metre rule for 6 months, now they don't give a hoot, in fact i do feel more people come closer now (i am in Western Australia)
Perhaps if they didn't jump red lights and ride across zebra crossings through pedestrians they would gain more respect
Completely agree.
If every motorist owned and rode a bike on occasion, the UK would be so different. This is why The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium for example are streets ahead in terms of infrastructure, culture and attitudes. Wearing someone else's shoes is the best education to reduce divisions between motorists and cyclists. Still, having said this dangerously close passes still incense me, and if I catch up with that driver they will get a mouthful.
I think it should be law that you have to ride a bike for six months before you can get a provisional driving license.
I have a much better idea... Ban all cyclist off our roads,
@@defundthebbc8110 Good idea.
@@defundthebbc8110 that would come with the necessary tens of billions of pounds on a dedicated cycle infrastructure that covers over 100000 miles.
So that people could cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats without even seeing a road or a car.
Well done on an informative video. A few years ago on my local cycle route a ‘motorist’ was deliberately driving towards cyclists riding in the opposite direction, this was caught on camera a few times & he was jailed. A few months ago a ‘motorist’ on the same route brake checked a group of cyclists then assaulted (punch to the head) one of the cyclists & actually knocked one of the cyclists off, all he got was a Police Caution for an assault caught on camera. Unbelievable but it’s true!
Beggars belief sometimes.
I ride my bike on the road nearly everyday , I also drive a car , but when I see cyclists riding in a bunch purposely blocking the road so cars can't go past and they are only doing 18/20 mph , It makes me want to stop them and ask them why they can't ride in single file . That's why motorists think most cyclists are assholes .
That really pisses me off!
In other words: car drivers get pissed off because cyclists dare to use the same amount of space as they use themselves?
You know, I guess I never thought about it. For some unknown reason, I assumed road cyclists in the UK and Europe were in COMPLETE harmony with drivers, unlike in the States. It's probably because 1) I've never ridden in the UK or Europe 2) because I watch the pro races on TV, and for SOME reason they never have any traffic to contend with, haha. It also blows my mind about the road tax argument, as if we never drive (or even own) a car, or pay taxes, and magically appear everywhere on our bike. Unfortunately, it only took getting hit by a car once to take most of the joy out of road biking for me. It's safer facing mountain lions and rattlesnakes on my mtb....
These days I’ve started to wave thanks to cars who are patient and wait for me to pull back in. Been getting lots of waves back too so seems to work. Just have to be courteous and sensible. Some cyclists who ride two up on roads and block them that is annoying. Not in the tour mate ride single file!
One thing that would help here in the US, besides less ignorance, would be more bicycle infrastructure! Dedicated bike lanes and driver training. Speaking of which I almost got hit the other day by a student driver. Way to go!
I'd love to see a couple of bicycle related questions on the motorists' written exam.
"They're arrogant and entitled! They think they own the roads!!"
People screaming out the car window at cyclists...
O the irony.
Indeed!
In Canada they seem to think this, as they ride 2 or 3 wide on public roads.
Now this is legal to a point. When a vehicle approaches from behind they must return to single file, as they are considered a slow moving vehicle.
If cyclists want to ignore this safety law, then they should be licensed and insured like every other vehicle on the road that is NOT considered a slow moving vehicle.
As a cyclist myself, I have had some close calls with vehicles on side streets passing to closely..............but they are few and far between.
Generally I have found drivers to be overly cautious, considerate, and patient. But I have found some cyclists (30-40%) to be down right rude, entitled, and self-righteous. I have watched them dart out in front of cars because "I have the right of way attitude", only to see them side swiped and downright deserved it.
Safety on a bicycle the same as a motorcycle is the operators #1 responsibility, and most if not all incidents can be avoided if the operator is riding carefully..............If you want to ride recklessly, you'll eventually get what's coming. You may have the right of way, but is it worth your life to prove the point?, to me it's NOT.
reality is as a born-again cyclists we are faced with so many situations we may not always be familiar and we may not anticipate thus we may make mistake thus we may be seen as rule breakers or arrogant, pardon me!
We can only do our best.
6:34 Min. why not stop to the left and let traffic get away......
What traffic?
Don't disagree with what you say at all but I do think as cyclists we could do ourselves a favour by letting motorists know if we are delaying them by giving them a wave of hand when they do pass us as a gesture of thanks for their patience. I also, given I am never in a hurry , pull over when I can if I have a queue of cars behind me. I definitely meet less aggressive motorists when I am riding my Touring bike than when I am wearing Lycra on my Racing bike. Go figure 🤔
As both a cyclist as well as a motorist, In my experience the main reason for motorists 'having a go' at cyclists happens when a group of cyclists, usually a club, cycle two or three abreast and refuse to move over and allow faster traffic to pass. I am sure this is not an issue in London but where I live in West Sussex, with narrow and winding roads it can be very frustrating. motorists can sometimes be stuck behind a group of chatting three abreast cyclists for several miles. Personally I never shout abuse, mainly because I know that I will only get some thrown back at me.
In my area, cycle paths are usually at the side of bye pass roads where motorised traffic speeds are higher. Many cyclists still do not use them, they ride the road and risk themselves as well as others.
Single cyclists or those riding in single file are never a problem. Does this mean that its arrogant cyclists themselves that cause their problem?
The issues are not limited to cyclist/motorist. horse riders moan at walkers and drivers as well as cyclists. cyclists moan at walkers, fishermen moan at boat owners, boat owners moan at fishermen. Nobody wants to be considerate to others. Britain needs to calm down.
Precisely this. Have you noticed how many people here in the comments generalise both cyclists (positively) and drivers (negatively)? The world doesn't work like that, and every individual has to be responsible for their own actions, and a lot of cyclists are hypocritical in this sense.
All pedestrians and motorists want is for you to share the road. Riding around on your over priced bike doesn’t mean that you’re wearing a yellow shirt in France.
Based on that comment I’m assuming that by ‘share the road’ you actually mean stay off it and let us motorists have exclusive use of the road?
Back in the early 80's, I used to cycle to work, about a 3 mile journey, along a couple of London's busiest roads during rush hour. I still have and use the same bike I used, then. The only thing that stopped me cycling to work was the fact that the bike was stolen. I lost it for about 5 years, then received a call from the police to come and collect it. I got it back in exactly the same condition as when it was stolen. Now, to get to the point, back when I used it every day to commute, I used to ride as close to the kerb as practical. If there were double yellow lines, I used to try to keep my wheels between the two yellow lines. Of course, there were drains to avoid, and the odd pothole cropped up, from time to time. But, whenever pulling out, I would look over my shoulder before doing so (something I rarely see cyclists doing, now). I never had an accident, never wore a helmet, never wore lycra, never weaved between queuing traffic. I treated the traffic with respect, stayed behind HGV's kept a very good look out and avoided needless risks.
Traffic, back then, generally moved much faster, where it could. Most drivers back then treated 40mph as 30mph. Before the cameras, nobody drove at the speed limit. So, yes, I stayed out of the way of the motorised traffic and, yes, I think a lot (not all) cyclists, now, are arrogant and entitled. I think a lot of cyclists have forgotten the etiquette of the road, after all, cyclists are easily squashed, so it's wise for them to be mindful. I regarded myself as having a special dispensation, but not a right, to ride on the road; I was a pigeon amongst cats. But the cyclist, these days, has the attitude that "I have as much right to the road as motor man!" Maybe, but no matter how much you protest, you're still soft and squidgy, so better off staying out of their way. It worked for me.
When I started racing in the early 90s, I was taught correct cycling etiquette. Examples: If your last in paceline, let everyone know there’s a car behind, tighten up the group and be as courteous as possible to the automobile. If necessary, make a point to motorists, but at no time engage in any screaming and yelling contest, or physical altercation. They’re in an automobile and you will lose that fight. If they weren’t already, You’ve made that motorist an enemy of cyclists forever. Perhaps most importantly, you are probably wearing a jersey with a number of companies or businesses on it. They have paid good money to sponsor you or your club, and they’re not looking for this sort of advertisement value. I was also taught to say hello to as many other cyclists as practical, no matter what your category or ability or status is. I understand motorists can be extremely problematic, but I’m afraid to report that many of these simple steps that I stated are no longer followed by many cyclists. In many cases, they are as ignorant and combative as the worst motorists I’ve ever seen. This needs to change.
Fully agreed and glad that someone raised this. I have almost exclusively moved onto cycling off-road as I will not be associated with these ill-mannered self-entitled arrogant roadies that think they own it all. Over the years I've had much more grief from roadies than from drivers.
Spot on, think you absolutely nailed it ..with your video.. had a indecent a few years ago, I was on my tt bike doing some 20mins x 3 intervals..on a quiet road Saturday afternoon in Rugeley near Cannock. Some pond life bottom feeder driving past in boy racer car, 💩starts hanging his out the window shouting get in the bike lane!!!!!u should be using the bike etc.. not only was he so upset about me, he decided to turn around at the round about , and rant some more at me. First of all..😫 I shouted back saying where’s the road sign saying no bicycles allowed on this rather wide stretch of A road, then gave he a friendly hand gesture. Second of all I’m not go on a bike lane ,where there are groups of families riding 8-15 mph …when I’m doing nearly 30mph or above. Like you say if there going to hate you, there going to hate you …no matter what you say, or say or do🙈🙈🙈
Love the content! But big question is how do we get message out to motorists? In the USA, there are signs proclaiming “ watch out for motorcycles”, but I’ve yet to see a sign saying, “watch out for bicyclists!”.
That’s a good question. I think we need to realise that we are not enemies. We are sharing the roads and we all need to be a bit tolerant of each other and thankful when people do treat us with respect.
Well said Leonard I agree on all points being a cyclist and car user but i must point out that I have seen more bad cyclist in the citys braking all the road rules, Keep the videos coming mate.
Yes the rules are there for everyone to obey. As a cyclist myself I hate seeing cyclists break the rules of the road, shooting red lights etc.. This gives us all a bad name. There are of course some terrible cyclists out there also.
If cylists were licenced then red light jumpers could have their licence taken away just like dangerous car drivers.
The threat of that hanging over them would make them think twice.
Cyclists jumping red lights is my pet hate but licensing is not the answer. Chances are if a cyclist is going to ride irresponsibly, they aren’t going to worry about having some meaningless piece of paper being taken away from them.
As a pedestrian (non-driver) I've had a pretty bad experience with too many cyclists, whizzing through red lights and over pedestrian crossings sometimes while shouting at pedestrians to get out of their way, riding at high speed on pavements etc.
Obviously this isn't every cyclist, but I feel the cycling community needs to up it's game a bit in the courtesy game, i've never heard one cyclist tell another to behave when they see them acting irresponsibly.
Paul Elephant, I am a pedestrian and a cyclist and a driver. I've had bad experiences with too many pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Obviously this isn't all pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, but I feel that the pedestrian community needs to up its game a bit in the courtesy game. I've never heard one pedestrian tell another to behave. The same is not true of cyclists and drivers, as in both those capacities, I've had words with other cyclists and drivers about their bad behaviour.
Cycling is a very community oriented activity, and people who choose to use a bicycle to express their arrogance and disregard for others do not reflect the nature of the vast majority. It is not some kind of duty incumbent on cyclists to police their fellow cyclists, but most of us hate the kind of riding you describe as much as you do.
@@venusfooltrap7371 the difference between a careless pedestrian walking into you and a careless cyclist hitting you are stark, one you might drop your shopping , the other could easily land you in hospital with broken bones.
Your reply illustrates the passive aggressive attitude demonstrated by many cyclists. Yes cycling is generally a good thing, but too many cyclists ride around like entitled d%^heads.
Separated cycle paths usually have a 15mph speed limit, and a lot of fit cyclists can hold well over 20mph on the flats.
You can identify motorists who are also cyclists because when they overtake you they actually wait the additional 15 seconds required to find a gap in oncoming traffic large enough to give you the appropriate amount of room. And if you're 100 yards away from the back of a line of vehicles stopped at traffic lights, they will even decide to hang back rather than overtake too close only to be filtered past 10 seconds later. Neurologists have recently discovered the human brain can't produce these ideas until you've actually cycled in traffic yourself, at which point the commonus senseous area of the brain becomes active.
This mental disorder common among drivers is often referred to as must-get-in-front syndrome or just MGIF for short. It's good to hear that there seems to be a cure for this.
Hi leonardmlee, thank you for doing this video, I have been a bicycle rider for most of my life and only in the last few years have I had any conflict situations with motorists!. In the mid nineteen sixties when riding through Cambridge to school there were hundreds of cyclists! there were far fewer cars and they were all much smaller than nowadays!.
I do think that motorists back then had a lower level of that sense of entitlement that now seems so prevalent. There were also many more police constables out and about, I recall that usually in the city if you could not actually see one there would be one just round the corner. The main consequence of this was that mis-behaviour was far less prevalent, the foundation of all crime prevention!.
At the start you suggested that a good clear rational argument is worth having when confronted by unpleasant individuals, I do agree in so far as it is one way to hold your ground, sadly however at the scene the aggressor is very unlikely to listen!. What I have developed over the years is a strategy of standing my ground and engaging in topical debate relating to the event, for example if a motorist hoots at me from behind I stop as sharply as I can right in front of them, turn from my seat and enquire as politely as I can what is the problem, and stay where I am until I get a satisfactory answer or an apology, there is in fact a road sign outside the town now warning motorist of the danger from cyclists!, I assume it is as a result of encounters with me!. Another favourite is when having a problem with an overenthusiastic bus driver is to ask them how did they pass their test!, or did they even take one!, one who claimed wrongly to have the right of way I told that that right did not include the right to endanger my life!, that shut him up!.
I hope I do not give the impression that because I am always ready for it that I actually seek or provoke trouble, my principle motivation is to use my personal authority to resist the way some drivers try to bully other road users, I say I do so on behalf of others with less nerve than me!. The underlying concept for me is that the use of all public space including roads is a privilege not a God given right and the obligation to share it with others in a sensible manner is not to be ignored!.
I've noticed here in the USA a difference in attitude depending on where I'm riding. At home in Los Angeles people are pretty bike friendly. In Florida, less so. In New Jersey I found motorists tried to be polite, but clueless about bicycles (e.g. blaring their horns to alert me to their presence. I know you're there, I can hear your engine running; the horn is just annoying). In L.A., it's pedestrians on bike paths that we need to watch out for.
The cycle lanes where I live are full of broken glass, bottles of urine, fast food packaging etc.....all thrown from cars! I've even seen used condoms and syringes on the paths and on a recent ride someone driving a car on a cycle lane.
Did you clean it up?
They aren’t fit for purpose. I never use them.
@@defundthebbc8110 Please keep commenting. Your stupid comments are making me laugh.
@@jollygoodvelo The sad acts hiding behind pseudonyms are fun. Pissy pants cowards with no backbone.
When I venture out on my bike I dress like a bike police officer. My bike's handlebars have all the police gadgets. And best of all the sirens. I dress to impress and it makes me feel good. And the police are impressed with my bike and added gadgets. The cars give me more room and lots more respect. They are polite to me. It's just a pity I cannot post a picture of me on my bike on here. Take Care. Happy cycling.
Here in Ontario, Canada we have finally enacted into law that being hit by a car door (doored) is a collision and the driver is responsible. Other places?
That is one of my real fears while cycling
In Australia, drivers fault.
The problem is the law goes very lightly on drivers here and even when cyclists are killed the punishment is minor.
Remember Mike Hall ultra long distance cyclist. Run down and killed on the Monaro highway Canberra, doing the Indian Pacific Wheel race.
The report was so bias from the coronary, basically blamed the cyclist. The driver got off very lightly.
Disgrace. I did a vid on it, so reaseached it considerable
On Insurance debate: I would highly recommend having insurance, not so much as a liability for other cars and cyclists but for your own sake. A cyclist is not likely to cause much damage but IS likely to receive major damage. Having Insurance will not only cover you legally but will also sue the car drivers insurance to ensure you get compensated. Considering how expensive US healthcare is, its best to know that someone has your back. In the US and Canada, cycling insurance is often bundled with Homeowners or Renters insurance. Make sure you are covered.
Great article , sensible and really well thought out , covering commonly held myths
Make car drivers happy to see a cyclist. I wave cheerfully a lot. I also have a robust bike maintenance kit and medical kit on my cycling commute. When I see a car or motorcycle by the side of the road, I pull over and offer assistance and food.
That is a great strategy
I always try to give a cheery wave to car drivers who pass me courteously.