Cyclists

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by parawolf

face it, you secretly love it...

Ah, my secret shame...

Actually, I've been running over as many cyclists as I can, ever since Lance Armstrong stole Sheryl Crow from me...

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by parawolf

GM, I know you are joking (partially) however i'm now glad that I picked up a 'travelsmart' map from Bicycle Victoria this afternoon, which shows all the bike paths, bike lanes in the greater melbourne area (Yarraville in the west to Brunswick in the North, Abbotsford and St Kilda). I've now found a bike patch which takes me from Collins St, to Docklands to the St Georges Road bike path and all I have to do on the road is about 600 metres in total.

So thanks for some of the attitude around here, i'm getting off the road, getting clearer air and getting more exercise as the ride distance will add about 3 - 4km to my ride home.

I get to wear my budgie smuggling lycra pants with others that want to as well, and we can do it in private.

And the best part, is that for about the 600 metres of road i'm on, I could easily walk that pushing my bike as a pedistrian, not worry about your valuable rego or other junk because I am not on the road.

You will say good riddance, but i've said it first.

And in peak hour? i'll still do my ~13km commute faster than a car or public transport will do my original path of 9.4km.

Good luck, although I doubt you will be much safer on bike paths. My mum had a pretty bad accident when she hit an unleashed dog on a bike path. Little chance of getting money out of a dog owners insurance company.

When I lived in Melbourne it was always far quicker to cycle than to drive or catch public transport.

The attitude of some people on this thread is truly appalling. They really should hop on a bike and see what it's like from a cyclist perspective. Perhaps when they have the living daylight scared out of them by someone passing too close, or a mate gets killed or seriously injured they may change their views. Most cyclist also drive so they see things from both a cyclist and drivers perspective.

How some drivers have come up with the idea that the roads belong to cars is also beyond me. Roads have been around for thousands of years before the advent of the motor vehicle and bicycles have been around far longer than motor vehicles.

[Sourbastard]

Must be some sort of connection between lycra and being mangled in a fatal way. Christopher Reeve started this trend.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

The attitude of some people on this thread is truly appalling. They really should hop on a bike and see what it's like from a cyclist perspective. Perhaps when they have the living daylight scared out of them by someone passing too close, or a mate gets killed or seriously injured they may change their views. Most cyclist also drive so they see things from both a cyclist and drivers perspective.

Ever since I got creamed on my motorbike in '01, I've been saying that all cagers should have to spend 3 months on two wheels before they get a drivers licence - I reckon you'd easily halve accidents caused by errors of perception (i.e. "Sorry mate, I just didn't see you!")

An uncharacteristic on-topic post...

[xbgs351]

As dangerous as cycling is it's still far safer than sitting on ones ИИИИ and dieing of heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc.

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Ever since I got creamed on my motorbike in '01, I've been saying that all cagers should have to spend 3 months on two wheels before they get a drivers licence - I reckon you'd easily halve accidents caused by errors of perception (i.e. "Sorry mate, I just didn't see you!")

An uncharacteristic on-topic post...

That's not a bad idea. The "Sorry mate, I just didn't see you!" doesn't ease the pain.

[Sourbastard]

Originally Posted by xbgs351

That's not a bad idea. The "Sorry mate, I just didn't see you!" doesn't ease the pain.

How about "Sorry mate, I didnt see you, here have some vodka."

[snypereb]

Sometimes its really hard to give some room and when the cyclists are in there groups they hang over the road its hard to give room when there is lots of traffic!!!

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

How about "Sorry mate, I didnt see you, here have some vodka."

The worst thing is when they offer to drive you to the doctor or the emergency department. For a start you are in a heated mood and secondly you don't trust their driving and think they may have another accident.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by snypereb

Sometimes its really hard to give some room and when the cyclists are in there groups they hang over the road its hard to give room when there is lots of traffic!!!

Yeah, I dunno what riding ettiquite is for cyclists, but I started out with motorbikes on a gay little 110cc Postie Bike and used to ride over to the left-hand side of the road to let faster cars past me in the same lane. The guy who was teaching me to ride tore me a new ******** for it, and told me a bike should always stay to the right of the lane to prevent cars trying to squeeze past you, even if you are doing 55 in an 80 zone.

However, cyclists seem to always hang to the left hand edge of the road and let people past, kinda. Whilst this is considerate, I think they're putting themselves at risk. Yeah, they're slower, but they're also road users. If they actually took a whole lane, you'd be less tempted to squeeze past them - you'd need to pull out in to the next lane to overtake, giving the cyclist a better safety margin...

Opinions from cyclists?

[max^power]

well i certainly wont stay off the road, because we have bike tracks around here, and CARS are parking in it. so im forced on the road for 30 mins or so of my ride.

WHEN i get hit, ill (or a family rep. in the case of a bad hit) be in court filing for compo. The great thing about rush hour is the mass of witnesses!

For the record i dont wear the fancy gear, and do not own any lycra clothing.

[xbgs351]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Yeah, I dunno what riding ettiquite is for cyclists, but I started out with motorbikes on a gay little 110cc Postie Bike and used to ride over to the left-hand side of the road to let faster cars past me in the same lane. The guy who was teaching me to ride tore me a new ******** for it, and told me a bike should always stay to the right of the lane to prevent cars trying to squeeze past you, even if you are doing 55 in an 80 zone.

However, cyclists seem to always hang to the left hand edge of the road and let people past, kinda. Whilst this is considerate, I think they're putting themselves at risk. Yeah, they're slower, but they're also road users. If they actually took a whole lane, you'd be less tempted to squeeze past them - you'd need to pull out in to the next lane to overtake, giving the cyclist a better safety margin...

Opinions from cyclists?

As I said before that is why I like to sit about a metre off the curb and preferably ride two abreast. If you ride too close to the curb, cars just act like you are not there. The only time that we will take up a full lane is when we are riding in a bunch. When in a bunch there will usually be two lines of riders, with the front riders peeling off when they have had enough. This means that there will be four riders wide in that lane. This practice is legal.

Although cyclist are allowed to ride in the centre or right hand side of a lane, with only a handful of riders it is probably not safe due to the bigger speed difference between bicycles and cars compared to motorbikes and cars. The risk of road rage would also be far greater.

[parawolf]

According to VicRoads, Cyclists are 'recommended' to stay approximately 1 metre out from the gutter, or 1 metre out from a parked car. If riding in groups, cyclists are not to be more than 2 abreast and not to be seperated by more than 1 metre. Cyclists are allowed to only ride 3 abreast when one cyclist is overtaking a pair. Cyclists are allowed to occupy an entire lane, they are also recommended to overtake parked cars in that occupied lane in single file only.

[rodderz]

Originally Posted by parawolf

oh and:

e) the girls love it

f) the boys might too!!

I did a few great victorian bike rides when i was younger (also known as great victorian pub crawl- using a bike). The bike shorts give ya bum a bit of cushoning and the blokey bits that sit on the seat dont sweat as much with the chamois inner...lol

I used to wear boardies over them anyway incase a few freddy mercuries were racing behind me...lol

[rodderz]

On a sad note however I heard on the news tonight that someone was killed in Frankston last night on his bike, by someone driving a Prado and didnt stop

Who was at fault I'm not sure...but a hit and run is very low

[MO]

Originally Posted by BAUTE

well today is a sad day, I have been a member here almost since the boards inception and am ashamed to be if most of the people posting in this thread a representitive cross section of the rest of the member base.

I never had much time for John McMaster with his union stooge rants but suggesting bikes arent allowed on the road because they dont pay rego is just funny. Like a lot of cyclists I pay rego, twice, once for the ute and once for the motorbike, I am the sole users of these vehicles sp when Im on the pushy nobody else is using them but wouldn't say that that money is going in to roads because Im not that big an optimist.

To all those (charliewool and others) who advocate violence or property destruction you should a. take a good long hard look at yourselves and b. be given a holiday from this forum if nothing else to raise the sum total of IQ points around here.


As I said at the start today I am ashamed to be member here today

And one day you might grow up and learn how to use your brain.....but I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[max^power]

Originally Posted by rodderz

On a sad note however I heard on the news tonight that someone was killed in Frankston last night on his bike, by someone driving a Prado and didnt stop

Who was at fault I'm not sure...but a hit and run is very low

If that happened wouldn't you feel bad

[Bucknaked]

Bikes a better on the environment. So maybe we should be paying the cyclists for doing something good for the environment. Instead of making them pay rego fees, we could reimburse them for keeping emissions out of the ozone layer. Of course they have to hug a tree first.

[Captain Stubing]

Well, as far as I can see, bicycles are permitted to use the roads by law, so car, truck, bus and motorcyclist's have to make allowances for them.

By the same token, bicycles are bound by the same road rules (bar a few, I guess) as cars and other motorised vehicles, so riders SHOULD obey the rules.

I've seen cyclists doing the right thing, and others the wrong thing. I've seen the same with cars. I've seen both categories hit with traffic tickets for breaking the law.

It all comes down to the mentality of the cyclist and the driver, being aware and considerate of each other would help, but we seem to be in a society where it's a case of "It's all about me!!!". That's a guaranteed 'friction-generator'.

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

And one day you might grow up and learn how to use your brain.....but I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow so constructive. Perhaps you need to grow up and see the other side of the fence. Or do you enjoy sitting there stereotyping by what you see of the minority?

Give me ONE good reason why cyclists should have to pay rego. Last time I checked 90 odd kilos will do stuff all damage to the road. More to the point how the hell are you going to enforce it? I looked, but I can't find a serial number on my bike.

I'm sorry it's so much effort to change lanes for a second to get out of a cyclist's way. I did it once today, god it was so bad. All that effort, putting the indicator on, putting a bit of speed on to get infront of the car in the right hand lane, merging, indicating again and going back to the left lane. Jesus that was hard. Is there a support group out there for me?

I've got a bit of a problem here. I searched your posts in this thread so I could rebute your views with logic. But alas, not a constructive post from you yet! A few posts of utter tripe, NOTHING to back your views up. Perhaps you've just seen one too many sets of testicles through lycra. Or perhaps you're just another whinging old gas bag who will do anything to have it your way.

Cyclists have every right to be on the road. Yes, some are dangerous and don't obey road rules. ИИИИ, so do half the people driving cars, taxis, buses, trucks and god knows what. The way I see it, an idiot cyclist 99 times out of 100 is only going to hurt himself. Steel usually beats flesh. Perhaps if you gave them some courtesy on the road they wouldn't be riding like idiots. Wait, that'd involve some effort on your part, let's just ban them instead, that's easier.

For the record, I'm not some lycra wearing bike rider. I've got a mountain bike. I ride it to keep fit. When I ride on the road (which is hardly ever) I observe all road laws and use my brain. You have never seen me ride, so what the hell gives you the right to tell me what sort of rider I am?

I realise this post (or perhaps thread) won't be here in 24 hours as I posted it, but I don't give a toss. Hopefully you read it before it's gone; you're a tool. ИИИИ off, get your bloody valium off the nurse (yeah we're getting a little sick of that) and come back when you've had your head removed from your ИИИИ.

To everyone else, sorry if I'm getting this locked, but surely anyone with half a brain (there might be a few here I spose) will see how idiotic this has become.

[LUXO_8]

here here !! :king:

[Quicklier]

here here x 2

I think the majority have the right idea. Respect is all it takes.
Great post by the way!

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Originally Posted by Quicklier

here here x 2

I think the majority have the right idea. Respect is all it takes.
Great post by the way!

Agreed, make that x3

Respect is something so few people have in general these days :(

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

IT just reallty is stupid and dangerous for cyclists to demand bike roads and then when they are built, not to use them cos "They aernt smooth or flat enough", so instead they use the car lanes.

Maybe if the powers that be actually got some ideas from appropriate groups the money on bike paths would be better spent. Most of the bike paths cater for the Sunday rider and you can't ride at any decent speed safely due to too many bumps and blind bends and overgrowth and dawdling wayward pedestrians. Any half decent cyclist can manage 30km/h consistently on the flat - something alot of paths couldn't safely support. So for cycling on bike paths to be a viable commuting alternative, proper paths are needed. A straighter, flatter path would be shorter and therefore CHEAPER to make.

[MO]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

Wow so constructive. Perhaps you need to grow up and see the other side of the fence. Or do you enjoy sitting there stereotyping by what you see of the minority?

Give me ONE good reason why cyclists should have to pay rego. Last time I checked 90 odd kilos will do stuff all damage to the road. More to the point how the hell are you going to enforce it? I looked, but I can't find a serial number on my bike.

I'm sorry it's so much effort to change lanes for a second to get out of a cyclist's way. I did it once today, god it was so bad. All that effort, putting the indicator on, putting a bit of speed on to get infront of the car in the right hand lane, merging, indicating again and going back to the left lane. Jesus that was hard. Is there a support group out there for me?

I've got a bit of a problem here. I searched your posts in this thread so I could rebute your views with logic. But alas, not a constructive post from you yet! A few posts of utter tripe, NOTHING to back your views up. Perhaps you've just seen one too many sets of testicles through lycra. Or perhaps you're just another whinging old gas bag who will do anything to have it your way.

Cyclists have every right to be on the road. Yes, some are dangerous and don't obey road rules. ИИИИ, so do half the people driving cars, taxis, buses, trucks and god knows what. The way I see it, an idiot cyclist 99 times out of 100 is only going to hurt himself. Steel usually beats flesh. Perhaps if you gave them some courtesy on the road they wouldn't be riding like idiots. Wait, that'd involve some effort on your part, let's just ban them instead, that's easier.

For the record, I'm not some lycra wearing bike rider. I've got a mountain bike. I ride it to keep fit. When I ride on the road (which is hardly ever) I observe all road laws and use my brain. You have never seen me ride, so what the hell gives you the right to tell me what sort of rider I am?

I realise this post (or perhaps thread) won't be here in 24 hours as I posted it, but I don't give a toss. Hopefully you read it before it's gone; you're a tool. ИИИИ off, get your bloody valium off the nurse (yeah we're getting a little sick of that) and come back when you've had your head removed from your ИИИИ.

To everyone else, sorry if I'm getting this locked, but surely anyone with half a brain (there might be a few here I spose) will see how idiotic this has become.

My work here is done.

[rob_liss_lms10]

I have come to the conclusion after reading this thread that some of you are purely insane.I dont ride a bike on the road,or any where else for that matter,I do how-ever give riders of bikes(and motor bikes)the up-most respect when I come across them on the road.Nothing is that important that slowing down or even stopping is going to matter that much.They are people on bikes,not just bikes.Some have talked about ploughing down the bikes,bikes carry people,so comments like that indicate that you have no respect for your fellow man,very sad indeed.My mind boggles on how some of your thought patterns work.The same people that you may cheer for and are over come with national pride at olympic/commonwealth games after they do well in cycling events are the very same people that you are advocating violence toward in this thread,as they are the ones that train on the road.If you didnt ride on the roads when you were kids,then more than likely your kids probably will,I hope that when drivers come up behind your kid on the way to school/park/mates house that they have more concern for the safety and well being of your child than is displayed by the I'm in a car and they only have a bike attitude I have witnessed here.

[Quadcams]

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

Agree mate as my father rides a bike on the road and he knows to show alot of respect to to cars kinda obvious whos going to win in a collision but alot of bikes can cause havic with there arrogance.
Myself give them plenty of room as you dont want a dead person in your conscious. I noticed alot of people bikes or cars seem to have blinkers on not having any consideration whos around them.

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

My work here is done.

Like I thought, nothing, yet again. Ah well, was worth a try.

[BAUTE]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

And one day you might grow up and learn how to use your brain.....but I doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok exercise your brain then, show me the link between car registrations and road funding. you arguement was that bike should have to be registered to be on the road so prove that registration money goes in to roads.

Originally Posted by charliewool

More cyclist lanes???.... F+**ing kidding aren't you?
I pay $550 odd per year x 3 for car regos... they pay zilch...Clean em up I say... Bowl them! And the pric*ks think they own the road... Grrrrrrrrrr Talk about blood boiling....

I have been reading through this thread and it seems that MOST people are actually in agreeance....there are some clowns in all forms of transport, including cars AND bicycles. I don't mind if not everyone likes me in lycra, or even likes me being on a bike. Just please respect me and try not to kill me. That is all I ask of everyone - drivers, OTHER RIDERS, pedestrians, dog walkers, or canoeists who have lost their way! A few other points I'd like to make on various topics that have been raised here;

I don't agree with the actions of Critical Mass, what they seem to do is make people hate cyclists even more than they do.

charliewool, just like the twat that speaks on behalf of Critical Smash, you have made a pre mediated threat that should you ever take out, will hopefully rob you of the bravado that internet anonmyity provides when the law takes full toll against your actions. Grow up pal, or if this is really your attitiude hand in your licence as everyone on the road will be safer as if all it takes for you to want to do me in is for me to get on my bike, you are a menace to everyone on the road.

Regarding rego, I own an XR8 ute, plus a trailer, plus my fiance's car, three lot's of rego I would like to think entitle me to do 200 odd km's a week on my 10 odd kg bike (most of which is actually done bike paths or in bike lanes).

This is the other thing that has has bugged me throughout this thread. Again, I own and drive (about 800kms a week) an XR8 ute, race dirt track speedway, and have been to the Daytona 500 last year while in the USA for work. I also go to the gym 5 times a week, So, when is it exactly that I go from being a human being to a 'damn motorist' to a 'musclehead', to a 'bloody cyclist' that charliewool wants to harm. I don't know who you are charliewool, but you may oe day be admiring the ute, yet tomorrow if I'm on the bike you want to run me down? Does that mean if you get out of your car and walk across the road to the shop and I happen to be in the ute, you're fair game as your now a pedestrian?

The other point someone made was two abreast groups of cyclists. The bulk of training rides that cyclists undertake in groups are on Saturday and Sunday mornings, not exactly peak times for motorists.....it's the weekend everyone, let's relax!

Finally (sorry for such a long first post rant) something drivers may not understand about why cyclists do some of the things they do at intersections etc (and I am NOT advocating running lights and the like) is the damn shoes we wear. Stopping quickly can be a pain as most 'serious cyclists' wear shoes that see them clipped to the bike and not able to quickly put a foot down like we did when we were kids on our deady treadlies. You may have seen a cyclist fall off for no apparent reason when pulling up at an intersection (looks funny as hell watching an apparently fair dinkum cyclist fall off when coming to a stop - well it must, the car behind ИИИИed themselves when it happened to me). The shoes do create the odd limitation on cyclists and create situations a driver may not understand, I sure as hell didn't until I started using them.