Inconsiderate cycling

ROK ON

I was out this morning in the car. I happened upon a sportif/charity cycle.
I witnessed some of the most abysmal and inconsiderate cycling that I have witnessed in a long time.

The principle issue was cyclists pootling along at 16kmph in the middle of the road. I rolled down the window and asked several groups to simply tighten up and move in from the centre of the road. I was met with a torrent of abuse.

I was polite and I never demanded single breast or cycling in the gutter. I only wanted that the groups would simply tighten and very occasionally use some common sense to single out to allow large volumes of cars to get by.

This is not a lot to ask. At one stop a Garda was trying to move traffic but the cycle marshal was standing in the way of cars and preventing them from moving.

I can totally understand why many non cyclists consider large cycling events to be a pest.

As a member of a cycling club and regular cyclist I fully support free use of roads for racing and leisure events. The more cyclists the better IMHO. The right to use the road requires responsibility and consideration. Cyclists have a part to play here also. I didn't see too much of it.

I am unsure what the event was but many of the riders were wearing corporate kit - MorganMcKinley sponsored by roleur.

nak

I've seen more of it recently too; last week at Blessington saw a guy sitting up eating a banana in the middle of the lane blocking 3 cars behind him. Not a care in the world.

Couple of close calls on bends with people on the wrong side of the road (me descending, them riding 3 abreast uphill having a chat). Ended up in the middle of a charity sportive a few weeks back on the bike and the standard of riding was very poor unfortunately, no awareness of other cyclists. Don't get me started on their attire; every Euro rule broken (in one case neoprene overshoes on a 20C sunny day!)

The thing that annoys me most about is that these people most likely drive themselves.

Ole Rodrigo

Agree. I think CI has a role to play along with the sportive organisers.

Beasty

ror_74 wrote: »

Agree. I think CI has a role to play along with the sportive organisers.

If it's a CI affiliated club that put the event on then CI already has a role. I suspect the club in this case may not have been paying heed to all the CI requirements.

CI simply does not have the resource to actively police events that are put on under its auspices. Basically it relies on people making their initial complaints to the relevant club. If complainants believe their complaints have not been adequately dealt with then they should approach CI. I am sure the club and CI would prefer that approach over getting a knock on the door from the Gardai when something has already gone horribly wrong.

Tenzor07

ror_74 wrote: »

Agree. I think CI has a role to play along with the sportive organisers.

Especially seeing as the by far largest growth in CI membership in recent years has been from the Leisure section of the cycling community...

ROK ON

I have since checked out online.
It was an independent charity cycle - ie not affiliated to CI or IVCA.
No issue with the event per se just the sheer amount of abysmal and inconsiderate cycling. The folks on hybrids in gaa shorts were in general cycling at the left hand side of the road. It was the guys and girls on decent bikes with a kit (work club) that we're poor, exceedingly poor.

Just to be clear I live in an area with stunning cycling and has many many events - this is the first time that an event has infuriated me.

Gavlor

Witnessed the same thing today only it was a club spin. They were 2 abreast and also in single file but the majority of them where just inside the white line. It's happening more and more with inexperienced groups

Tenzor07

Cycling is the new Golf after all! :eek: :pac:

papu

There was some cycle against suicide event on there today in Kilkenny which was making absolute shambles of the roundabouts on the ring roads .No gardai presence but cyclists parking in front of traffic and acting as marshals as the whole group went by which took quite bit of time and caused chaos

Nothing against these events but they are not gaining themselves any fans.

Ole Rodrigo

Beasty wrote: »

If it's a CI affiliated club that put the event on then CI already has a role. I suspect the club in this case may not have been paying heed to all the CI requirements.

CI simply does not have the resource to actively police events that are put on under its auspices. Basically it relies on people making their initial complaints to the relevant club. If complainants believe their complaints have not been adequately dealt with then they should approach CI. I am sure the club and CI would prefer that approach over getting a knock on the door from the Gardai when something has already gone horribly wrong.

What I really meant was a proactive enagement from CI with the sportive organisers on etiquette. CI have a de facto responsibility here, it seems to me, because not all sportive riders are club members. If clubs have a responsibility for etiquette for their members, the rest should fall under CI rather than through the cracks. A leaflet with a some dos and donts should be enough. Putting it together and having organisers distribute it with any sportive packs shouldn't take a lot of resources, and if it does - jack up the cost of the sportive licenses. Unless Ive missed something ?

And in big bold letters on that leaflet is ' no ray bans with yellow rain jackets on a summers day ' :pac:

Junior

ror_74 wrote: »

What I really meant was a proactive enagement from CI with the sportive organisers on etiquette. CI have a de facto responsibility here, it seems to me, because not all sportive riders are club members. If clubs have a responsibility for etiquette for their members, the rest should fall under CI rather than through the cracks. A leaflet with a some dos and donts should be enough. Putting it together and having organisers distribute it with any sportive packs shouldn't take a lot of resources, and if it does - jack up the cost of the sportive licenses. Unless Ive missed something ?

And in big bold letters on that leaflet is ' no ray bans with yellow rain jackets on a summers day ' :pac:

A "charity" cycle is the one of the easiest thing now to organise to raise money for your club/event/cause - how is CI suppose to mandate Gaa Clubs (not picking on the Gaa - just using them as illustrative purposes) to comply with it's rules - when the irish attitude is yarra sure it's grand ..

onimpulse

I came across something similar in February when one of the better known charity cycles were out training along the route of their cycle a few weeks before the main event.

They were an absolute disgrace, they completely held up the N4. They were cycling in some cases two abreast, behind them maybe 4 abreast, after that maybe a single rider... And no one holding a wheel so large gaps between all these riders. They had "marshals" with them but when one of these looked back over his shoulder he swung out right across the white line & was nearly hit by an oncoming car!

I know one of the people involved with this event - he has marshaled it the last few years. I brought this up with him & asked why don't they cycle in twos in tight groups & in groups of a manageable size for traffic to pass? His answer was that the organisers don't want to do that so I asked how they get away with blocking the N4 for several weeks in the lead up to this event & the answer I got was "who's going to stop us?"

The organisers felt that because they were raising a lot of money for charity they had a right to inconvenience people. My friend & others apparently have brought this up with the organisers & tried to change how it's run on safety grounds but the organisers have thus far resisted change saying that that's how it started & that's how it'll continue (regardless of the fact that it's a much bigger event now than when it started).

No one organising it has any links to Cycling Ireland.

tonyka

They are obviously under the illusion that there is safety in numbers. .. not so when a road rage meets up with them. I'll stick with single line to be on the safe side. .. hopefully

No Pants

Spent a good part of today walking with the missus in Glendalough. On the way there this morning, I came across a small group, maybe six or seven cyclists, just outside Roundwood. They were all in full gear (can't recall what it was now), but the first clue I had that something was off was that they were all freewheeling downhill. They were all over the lane, but well spread out, so I overtook them in three manoeuvres. The guy at the front was tricky. Dressed in blue, he seemed to have difficulty in staying to the left side of the white line. I thought about having a quiet word, but then decided not to bother.

Harrybelafonte

Summer = Fairweathers

The funniest part of all this is that the majority of them are probably drivers as well... So the "cycle" continues.

Eamonnator

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Cycling is the new Golf after all! :eek: :pac:

And it's a lovely car it's much nicer than the old model.

cython

onimpulse wrote: »

I came across something similar in February when one of the better known charity cycles were out training along the route of their cycle a few weeks before the main event.

They were an absolute disgrace, they completely held up the N4. They were cycling in some cases two abreast, behind them maybe 4 abreast, after that maybe a single rider... And no one holding a wheel so large gaps between all these riders. They had "marshals" with them but when one of these looked back over his shoulder he swung out right across the white line & was nearly hit by an oncoming car!

I know one of the people involved with this event - he has marshaled it the last few years. I brought this up with him & asked why don't they cycle in twos in tight groups & in groups of a manageable size for traffic to pass? His answer was that the organisers don't want to do that so I asked how they get away with blocking the N4 for several weeks in the lead up to this event & the answer I got was "who's going to stop us?"

The organisers felt that because they were raising a lot of money for charity they had a right to inconvenience people. My friend & others apparently have brought this up with the organisers & tried to change how it's run on safety grounds but the organisers have thus far resisted change saying that that's how it started & that's how it'll continue (regardless of the fact that it's a much bigger event now than when it started).

No one organising it has any links to Cycling Ireland.

Out of interest, do you mind me asking what cycle this was (even over PM, since I can appreciate not wanting to name names in a public forum)? Up until the last line I was pretty confident I knew the one you were talking about (especially based on the schedule and training route, etc.), but the one I was thinking of is operated as a club under CI.