Cyclists

[max^power]

Ok, i nearly got killed today. I am getting personal training, and this involves some cycling on the road. Now the last 3 times i've been on the road ( i can't cycle in the bike lane because CARS are in there parked! ) cars get real close to me, seem like they're going to hit me. One idiot opened his car door right in front of me causing me to swerve on the road more - dangerous at 6pm! True, i should'nt be riding a bike in such a dangerous area with a broken shoulder blade, but i need to keep fit, and only do it a few days a week on the road. There's only about 4 in our group.

Look i drive too, but don't some people care?
why are the cycle lanes so damn big to make it a car park?
What legal action is available should they hit me? it's not a case of if, but when.

i didn't want to post this on here, but i want this communities thoughts on bike riders, and if you give them room, or care if you hit one.

[big_pete]

get a treadmill.........

[superpursuit83]

Always give bikes room. You dont need to get close, and if you can drive properly you dont have a problem. But there are some cyclists who think they own the road and dont have any courtesy either

[MO]

Originally Posted by superpursuit83

Always give bikes room. You dont need to get close, and if you can drive properly you dont have a problem. But there are some cyclists who think they own the road and dont have any courtesy either

Very true and as far as I'm concerned all p/bike riders/owners should pay rego fees.

[Gammaboy]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

Very true and as far as I'm concerned all p/bike riders/owners should pay rego fees.

right. and people who walk on the foot paths should pay rego etc too, because we all know the money goes into maintaing the road network. :

[Feathers]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

Very true and as far as I'm concerned all p/bike riders/owners should pay rego fees.

There was a talkback radio program on that very subject a few months ago. People got stuck into the host for suggesting the same thing.

[sfr rob]

i cant stand cyclists on the road, it is hard when you drive a truck, you have about 3 inches of spare lane on wither side of you and the last thing you need is some moron on a bike, not riding in a straight like infront of you whenyou cant change lanes!

Maybe you should ride around some back streets or something, i would love to ride a bike some nights but its just way to dangerous!

[MITCHAY]

What I don't understand is that car owners pay rego fees, licence fees, and insurance and have to give way to cyclists when, A) they don't pay rego etc and B) it is way easier for a person on a bike to stop and give way than a car (I'm talking about these BS green cyclist lanes we have here in the ACT in relation to on/off ramps.)

I have no problem with cyclists in general but some of them are just so damn irresponsible it's not funny like riding in the middle of the road. Really the shoulder of the road should be enough.

All I can say au^ute is be very careful because both parties can equally cause an accident.

[MO]

Originally Posted by Gammaboy

right. and people who walk on the foot paths should pay rego etc too, because we all know the money goes into maintaing the road network. :

Bish..Bish..Bish....think about...If I have a scooter of 50 cc I pay rego..I am sick and tired of all these bleeding heart cyclists who think they own the the road in their packs of twenty plus riding two by two and causing traffic probs.

[phillyc]

Cyclists are often drivers and motorbike riders too. So asking them to pay rego is carp. I already pay two car and one motorbike rego's plus my CTP and comprehensive insurance (in total about $3500 a year.)

I'm looking forward to getting on the racer again within the next month or so actually.

I try to give cars room when i'm on the bike as i don't want to be hit and vice versa.

What needs to be changed is peoples perceptions. Think of the bike as one less car that is in your road creating congestion at the lights. Think of the rider as someone who is keeping fit so is not going to cost you heaps by being obese (soon to be australia's biggest killer) down the track. They are saving you/us money. Unless of course you hit them and it cost's a packet in hospital and insurance bills...

Lobby councils and the government to provide cycleways if you feel that strongly.

PS good luck with the fitness schedule.

[MO]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Cyclists are often drivers and motorbike riders too. So asking them to pay rego is carp. I already pay two car and one motorbike rego's plus my CTP and comprehensive insurance (in total about $3500 a year.)

I'm looking forward to getting on the racer again within the next month or so actually.

I try to give cars room when i'm on the bike as i don't want to be hit and vice versa.

What needs to be changed is peoples perceptions. Think of the bike as one less car that is in your road creating congestion at the lights. Think of the rider as someone who is keeping fit so is not going to cost you heaps by being obese (soon to be australia's biggest killer) down the track. They are saving you/us money. Unless of course you hit them and it cost's a packet in hospital and insurance bills...

Lobby councils and the government to provide cycleways if you feel that strongly.

PS good luck with the fitness schedule.

GET REAL......

[the_scotsman]

Yea and also lets start charging 4 year olds a fee to ride their bike that they just got from santa!

:

[max^power]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

Very true and as far as I'm concerned all p/bike riders/owners should pay rego fees.

I pay rego on my car, which covers the expenses for roads, my bike can't weigh more than 10kg's, so it's not causing damage to the road, or wearing it out. Should we have seperate speed limits too? Perhaps the A holes parked in the bike lane can pay parking fees or fines? or better still park in their freaking drive ways!! isn't that what they are for?

Didn't realise this was such a sore subject for so many. People think because i ride a bike, i dont drive a vehicle too, that's just crazy! Sure, there are your massive packs of riders, but its still within the law. At least you only have to pass one group, and not stay on the rhs all the way up the highway, which you would if they were strung out. While its inconvenient, i've been there too, theres no reason to nearly hit us!!

We never ride side by side, we only ride single file on those roads. We can't take the back streets, because they're too short, and hoons tend to be worse than the highway.

They are saving you/us money. Unless of course you hit them and it cost's a packet in hospital and insurance bills...

in a way, i'm waiting for the day, so i wont have to work again, and some poor bastard will be paying my wages for not giving me 30cm of room. :

[Quicklier]

Wow, I was impressed with the first post... then I read them all.
C'mon guys, surely you've spent some time on the pushy?

I ride to work each day in Edinburgh. It's damn cold (normally just a whisker above 0) and I have to use all the same roads as the commuters in their cars. We have quite a few cycle lanes and they're great when they're empty. When it's icy, it's safer for me to cycle with the traffic, I'm allowed to use as much room as I want according to the law. There are people that get ИИИИed off, but I always seem to pass them at the next set of lights.

Cyclists can be big victims of Road Rage, but I agree with phillyc in that every guy on a bike is one less guy in a car. One less guy that has to get through on the green arrow, one less guy to get stuck behind turning right.

Some cyclists do have the wrong attitued, but I've driver aggresively before (not the correct attitude to have behind the wheel). At least the bike uses zero fuel, unlike the car/bus/tram/train.

Good luck with the fitness, get a decent bike computer and ensure it has average speed as a function. I've got my around the 13.5 mph mark (about 21.6km/h), the hills around here are killing my performance! It's great to see it improve though!

[rag top]

Not all cyclists use the road... I use the bike path network that we have here in the ACT.

Some of the above comments played with my sick sense of humor:
If a pedestrian crosses the road, should they pay rego for the privelidge!?!?
If a pedestrian uses traffic lights to cross the road, and they hold up traffic, should they pay rego or nusience tax??? They would be contributing to the pollution in the environment, as engines put out more emmissions in stop start traffic...

[Kapn_Kiwi]

Originally Posted by big_pete

get a treadmill.........

It's really hard to ride a bike on a treadmill, trust me...

Jeez, some of you really seem to hate cyclists. Ride to work some day, so long as drivers give you due courtesy, you might enjoy it.

[merlin]

Originally Posted by phillyc

What needs to be changed is peoples perceptions. Think of the bike as one less car that is in your road creating congestion at the lights. Think of the rider as someone who is keeping fit so is not going to cost you heaps by being obese (soon to be australia's biggest killer) down the track. They are saving you/us money. Unless of course you hit them and it cost's a packet in hospital and insurance bills...
.

Too true mate. Im not a cyclist but I can see the benefits clear as day, and I can see how some motorists treat them.

Why make cyclists pay rego - they are reducing YOUR traffic congestion, keeping people fit and healthy, reducong greenhouse emissions ect. Just give them room and go round them - what is with people being such impatient a$$holes nowdays...oh no you may get held up for 15 seconds.....geessh!

[Yellow Fire]

I don't live in a major city, so city drivers may disagree, but around me cyclists do nothing but increase congestion. The traffic will be flowing along fine at 60-80km/h depending on the speed limit until we come to a cyclist doing 20km/h then it all goes to hell.

[parawolf]

I cycle to work now. I don't own a car directly either anymore because it was costing me an average of $8.50 per kilometre to drive it (payments, insurance, rego, petrol, etc).

I ride on the bike paths where available, and within the provided bike lanes on the roads where provided. If there is no bike lane I stay within my 1 metre of the gutter so as not to cause problems. Coming from a long term drive-to-work person I know how annoying a cyclist can be.

However just this morning there was this IDIOT female driver. 4 individual cyclists come up to a red light and we all 'prop' up in the bike lane in the fair left of the road. While waiting for the light to turn green (I was 3rd out of the 4) I looked behind me and there was this green subaru with its left hand indicator on. Fair enough, she is going to turn left at the lights. So I get going and once the front 3 out of 4 of us had gotten through the intersection we were doing about 30km/h.

This lady in the Subuaru accelerated past us and 5 metres in front of the leading cyclist (we were in single file) she stops in the bicycle lane. All three lead cyclists had to stop and wait, for her to move because of passing traffic in the driving lane prevented us to overtake her safely. She then had the nerve to abuse us as she wound down her window without any provocation from any of the cyclists.

So drivers, a little respect and calm while driving makes everything easier. Also, treat that cycle lane where it is provisioned as an additional lane of traffic, if you have to wait for a cyclist, do it. May only put you out 10 seconds - which is not life or death situation.

Just so i'm not coming off all high and mighty, I know there are cyclists that run red lights, don't signal turns, and generally swerve in and out of traffic, however I am not one of these. I stick to my lane where provisioned, I stop in traffic if I cannot clear it rather than weave through, and I stop at every red light, including pedistrian crossings. The cyclists that run these lights do no-one favours, they give us all issues because we WANT to be treated like vehicles, however running red lights just doesn't get any respect from anyone, including other cyclists.

[parawolf]

Just an an extra to my previous statement drivers might like to know some things that VicRoads are considering to trial.

These things are called "Copenhangen Lanes". What are these I hear you ask? They are a fixed bicycle lane from the road edge out approximately 2 metres into the road with a hard concrete barrier on the right hand edge. From there you will have car parking, and then car traffic lane and where appropriate, car traffic lane to be shared with trams. So obviously during peak out, the parking lane becomes extra traffic lane.

However what is the problem with this? People, including kids, that have NEVER had to look out of cyclists before (car left hand side passengers) now could be opening the door onto 30+km/h cyclists (I have reached 50.5km/h maximum on the way to work, and regularly hit 48km/h). This leaves cyclists with no-where to go with either into the parked car, or into the footpath and into pedistrians or potential cafe/restaurant goers.

To me these are a bad idea for competant cyclists that obey the road rules like myself. However it is a good idea for those 'Sunday' cyclists that just potter around at under 20km/h.

Oh and as a final comment on this, I would be happy to pay rego for cycling, however I figure as rego goes on the physical size/weight/capacity on the vehicle and if it is going to be pro-rata to be fair on the cyclist. Then the ~$600 a year for a 1600kg falcon in Victoria, my 12kg bike is going to cost about $4 a year in rego.

[Casper]

Jeez, nothing like MORE rego for the govt coffers. Dont forget skateboarders and rollerbladers... oh, better charge extra for kids on trainer wheels as they are a huge risk.
Listen to yourselves. You all ИИИИИ and whine when the government raises taxes and fees, TAC and rego, petrol tax, tax on grog etc. Everyone calls it revenue raising (which it is) and how its wasted and never put where its needed. Then you go and give them a free hand to create NEW, more idiotic taxes that will have zero impact on the actual problem. You think a 15 yo kid paying $100 a year in treadly tax is going to give a crap how he rides more than he does now? Hell no. Infact, as he is paying, he is going to get that "I pay, I'll ride where I want" additude that is already bad enough.
STOP....think...do you REALLY want to accept the idea that tax = solution?

As for cyclists.. used to be one... watch out for them.. never had a problem with any of them (ever) and I hope they have never had a problem with me.

[TheSneakiness]

Actually, speaking of bike lanes, in Noosa recently they put in a heap of cyclist lanes for safety reasons for cyclists. Painted green with bicycle pictures up and down it.

I think it's made it a hell of alot more dangerous. One spot in particular has a bicycle lane between a left hand turning lane and a right hand turning lane. Cars turning left have to cross over the cycling lane to turn.

As for my experience with cyclists, I give them room, don't get any trouble. There have been times when I've been highly frustrated at them, but bite my tongue and get on with it.

[Valknutr]

i dont mind cyclists being on the road just when they do stupid stuff they annoy me. like this:
I was waiting to turn right at a set of traffic lights, i was first in line had just started to turn right when this bike rider cuts me off, i mean we had about 30 cms in between us at most. All i have to say is some bike riders have a death wish, and a cyclist vs a car i wonder who would win.... :

[LTDHO]

Ok different angle.

I don't think that bike riders need rego, but they need some form of licence. For no other reason but to teach road safety and common sense.
Unfortunally both these are lacking by alot of road users and these complain. I can't remember the last time I saw a cyclist look over their sholder before pulling out infront of you! Then they crack it when ya hit the horn.... :

[mad machs]

Used to really enjoy cycling but our roads over here are just too dangerous so switched to Motorcycles & then cars.

Don't know if this news story reached you guys-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/4592412.stm

very sad.

[bathurst77]

Driving up Sydney's new M7 tollway last week (for one of the last times..too expensive from monday).
One of the things the govt and builders crowed about wat thsi multimillion buck cycle path that runs parallel to teh raon (40km cycleway blah blah)

As im admiring the new road i spot a slow traffic problem ahead, and when i reach it I find two cyclists intehri lurid lycra riding along the road istelf in a car lane, which people are rushign along at 110 etc.

Made my blood boil! i mean they have this beautiful specially designed bikepath only 3 metres away, and these two idiots (and going by the bikes and outfits they looked liek they ride a lot) are on the expressway! I almost wanted them to get cleaned up.

Every time i hear cyclist whinge that "cars dont give us a go" i wil think of these idiots

[parawolf]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

Driving up Sydney's new M7 tollway last week (for one of the last times..too expensive from monday).
One of the things the govt and builders crowed about wat thsi multimillion buck cycle path that runs parallel to teh raon (40km cycleway blah blah)

As im admiring the new road i spot a slow traffic problem ahead, and when i reach it I find two cyclists intehri lurid lycra riding along the road istelf in a car lane, which people are rushign along at 110 etc.

Made my blood boil! i mean they have this beautiful specially designed bikepath only 3 metres away, and these two idiots (and going by the bikes and outfits they looked liek they ride a lot) are on the expressway! I almost wanted them to get cleaned up.

Every time i hear cyclist whinge that "cars dont give us a go" i wil think of these idiots

In victoria that is a $50 traffic fine for the cyclist for not using a bikepath/bikelane where provided except in the case of overtaking another bikepath/bikelane user. But then there would be the fine for riding on a freeway where i'm sure bikes are not meant to be. That is likely to be a $200 fine in Victoria.

However when have you seen Police enforcing fines against a cyclist? I know I don't carry my drivers licence when I ride.

Also did you know that according to Vicroads website there is no penalty unit (one penalty unit = $50) for exceeding the speed limit on a bicycle? The infringement is not described and therefore cannot be enforced as the cyclist has no registration.

[xe351]

Obviously there needs to be more cyclists lanes provided, and if someone parks in the lane, a parking fine for them, but at the same time if a cyclist rides on the road where theres a lane available, fine them too. Mixing cars and bikes can be dangerous, take up swimming i reckon, you might drown, but you wont get hit by a car

[merlin]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

Driving up Sydney's new M7 tollway last week (for one of the last times..too expensive from monday).
One of the things the govt and builders crowed about wat thsi multimillion buck cycle path that runs parallel to teh raon (40km cycleway blah blah)

As im admiring the new road i spot a slow traffic problem ahead, and when i reach it I find two cyclists intehri lurid lycra riding along the road istelf in a car lane, which people are rushign along at 110 etc.

Made my blood boil! i mean they have this beautiful specially designed bikepath only 3 metres away, and these two idiots (and going by the bikes and outfits they looked liek they ride a lot) are on the expressway! I almost wanted them to get cleaned up.

Every time i hear cyclist whinge that "cars dont give us a go" i wil think of these idiots

I was speaking to a mate of mine who is an avid cyclist about the M7 and he was raving on about how terrific the new M7 bike paths are. In the conversation he told me that whilst the M7 is dead flat the bike path follows the curve of the land with some steep hills ect. Personally he enjoys the hills (nutcase) but he said alot of other riders just ride in the breakdown lane on the freeway (its about 2 metres wide) to avoid the steep bits of the bike path...not excusing it just stating why.

[parawolf]

Originally Posted by merlin

I was speaking to a mate of mine who is an avid cyclist about the M7 and he was raving on about how terrific the new M7 bike paths are. In the conversation he told me that whilst the M7 is dead flat the bike path follows the curve of the land with some steep hills ect. Personally he enjoys the hills (nutcase) but he said alot of other riders just ride in the breakdown lane on the freeway (its about 2 metres wide) to avoid the steep bits of the bike path...not excusing it just stating why.

See I love the hills - great exercise. I find the Melbourne bike path that goes along the yarra next to the Monash Freeway an absolute bore because it is two narrow at turn points to take fast (above 35km/h) carries pedistrians, and has people fishing off it. If it was just a bit wider, with a spot for people to stop and look at the yarra off the trail then it would be at least 'good' because you could maintain some decent speed and travel a good distance easily.