Meanwhile on the Roads...

magicbastarder · 04-06-2026 11:10AM

i had that very conversation with my wife about that. yes, from the perspective of a cyclist, or the sort of people who frequent this forum, it's quite easy for us to say that they're not cyclists, but it does sound like a 'no true scotsman' argument to joe soap who sees them on a BSO and thinks 'of course they're a cyclist'.

but like you said, that's what i think should happen. stop a bunch of them with a message 'from next month forward, if we see you misbehaving, we will prosecute you on the basis you're on a motorbike'. word would spread.

cletus · 04-06-2026 11:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523273#Comment_124523273

That exactly. We don't get to say "but they're not real cyclists" just like we wouldn't say "They're not real drivers" about an asshole in a car.

Riding a bike=cyclist

Driving a car=driver

Macy0161 · 04-06-2026 11:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523256#Comment_124523256

They are on bikes, they're cyclists. Notwithstanding that, the Gardai could just issue the tickets as they take in their food orders*….

I will again raise I think that it's failure of the legislation that an ebike has to be a pedelec, but it's ok to have every other ppt with a throttle. It was unnecessary to have a distinction, when more fundamental restrictions should be speed and power. I regularly see what must be chipped pedelecs that go way faster than the BSO's the delivery guys use.

*I'm not being smart, I see Gardai taking in orders at least once a week!

BP_RS3813 · 04-06-2026 01:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523226#Comment_124523226

Make no mistake, I am very much still anti-car and pro active travel however I do believe in segregation of modes of traffic and infrastructure.

Paddigol · 04-06-2026 02:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523723#Comment_124523723

That's fair enough. Its a conversation that should be had in good faith and without agendas - I'm certainly not saying I have all the answers. By the sounds of it I'd just come at the question from a different angle. It's an easily solved 'problem' if the will is there, but as I'm blue in face from pointing out, the will is really, really not there at all. So here we are.

As an aside, I'd like to see the regulation of the gig economy tightened up. Far too much exploitation of, I'd confidently guess, pretty poor economic migrants. I'd also be confident that most of the vehemently anti-eBike anti-immigration folk are regular users of the likes of Deliveroo/ Uber Eats etc. - they want their food quickly, hot and cheap. But don't want to consider the pay offs.

Macy0161 · 04-06-2026 04:46PM

I would also say there's a lot of "nearly" an accident or hit in the commentary on ebikes.

Paddigol · 04-06-2026 05:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124524304#Comment_124524304

There was "nearly" and accident today on Lower Pembroke St. as a taxi driver decided to drive the wrong way down a one-way street around an almost blind corner to Baggot St. A surprisingly regular occurrence there.

Tony EH · 04-06-2026 06:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523273#Comment_124523273

As far as I'm concerned anyone operating an e-bike is in charge of a motor vehicle and should be treated accordingly.

I don't consider something like this to be the same as a pushbike.

In addition, anyone I've seen on these things have been an absolute menace, including doing wheelies down the wrong side of the road in the middle of the Phoenix Park.

magicbastarder · 04-06-2026 08:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124524304#Comment_124524304

well, given that we have a megathread for 'nearlys' here ourselves (which is on its second iteration), yeah, it'd make sense that there would be similar for pedestrians?

Scrabbel · 05-06-2026 12:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124520167#Comment_124520167

Yes, I agreed with you earlier that moving as far as possible (safely) to the left isn't the only way to fulfil the obligation to cycle in a way that allows somebody to overtake safely to the right. As you rightly pointed out, if the road is wide enough you may not have to move much to the left (or even move at all if there's plenty of space to the right) to allow a safe overtake.

Scrabbel · 05-06-2026 12:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124520559#Comment_124520559

So how do you define a cyclist? I think if you own a bike and use it fairly regularly it's not unreasonable to use the word cyclist. Your once-off farming analogy isn't particularly helpful or pertinent to the discussion. I take it you're not just referring to professional cyclists or members of cycling clubs, occasional amateur racers, mountain bikers etc? If so, I'll just switch to saying I'm a bike owner who cycles reasonably regularly ( because I'm way too creaky and slow to be any of the above!)

Scrabbel · 05-06-2026 01:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523723#Comment_124523723

I think bikes sharing space with pedestrians should be fine if the bike isn't going more than say twice walking speed (lower maybe?) and obviously cycling safely. Could never say the same for a car or even motorbike.

Seth Brundle · 05-06-2026 07:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124525393#Comment_124525393

to fulfil the obligation to cycle in a way that allows somebody to overtake safely to the right

...except that there is no such obligation written into our laws despite your ongoing nonsense!

Paddigol · 05-06-2026 10:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124525399#Comment_124525399

I was in cranky form yesterday. But it is a fair question.

Anyone who gets on a bike is a cyclist. If they do so regularly they tend to refer to themselves as 'cyclists'. Nobody should be gatekeeping who is/ is not a cyclist, and personally I don't care in the slightest how anyone describes themselves (I drive more than I cycle due to commuting needs, but I'd never call myself a motorist and would probably see myself as a cyclist). But we do get a lot of disingenuous "as a cyclist" posts on this forum from new posters with questionable agendas. Hence my post, but nobody gets to tell you whether you are/ are not a cyclist IMO.

People with a passion for cars tend to call themselves motorists generally.

People who use cars in a utilitarian manner tend only identify as motorists in specific circumstances (e.g. the price of fuel, car insurance etc).

People with a passion for bikes and recreational cycling tend to call themselves cyclists generally.

People who commute solely by bike might call themselves cyclists generally.

People who throw their leg over a top tube once/ twice a year probably tend only to identify as cyclists in specific circumstances (e.g. in the context of an interaction on the road where they were on their bike, or a hypothetical event that they can identify with from past cycling experience).

But yeah, I really don't lose any sleep whatsoever over who calls themselves what, when or why.

Thelonious Monk · 05-06-2026 11:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124523252#Comment_124523252

And cyclists are careful, people don't seem to realise that the person on the bike gets f**ked up too if they crash into someone. I'm on Capel and Parliament street all the time and there are no issues. A bike going past you doesn't mean you were nearly hit by a bike as many seem to think.

Macy0161 · 05-06-2026 11:31AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124524806#Comment_124524806

I guess, but we also have stats to back up people driving killing people. Not so for ebikes and escooters (even escramblers), even illegal ones and illegal use. The commentary on them is disproportionate imo.

Bar the throttle, my anecdotal evidence is the BSO's the delivery guys use aren't outrageous in terms of speeds. The fastest things I've seen on my commute are chipped pedelecs.

magicbastarder · 05-06-2026 11:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124525968#Comment_124525968

you've been lucky; one of the near misses my wife had involved the 'cyclist' shouting at her because she was in his way.

and she's not anti-cyclist, she has to put up with me.

Thelonious Monk · 05-06-2026 12:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526080#Comment_124526080

Maybe she secretly hates cyclists because the angry cyclist on a footpath nearly hitting you while screaming at you to get out of the way is the biggest trope there is!

khamilton · 05-06-2026 12:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526210#Comment_124526210

I was cycling along the quays toward Heuston to catch a train recently enough. Was behind a cyclist in a wanded cycle lane for a while but then we hit part that was just a bus lane. I overtook leaving at least 2m width between us (genuinely, it's why I was so surprised) but she glanced over her shoulder, unexpectedly saw me there, and started screaming at me for cycling dangerously and almost hitting her. I replied with a 'what the **** is wrong with you' and cycled on, but I'm sure she told everyone about her negative interaction with a stereotypical cyclist.

Yesterday evening, waiting three bikes back at Terenure Cross, the front cyclist was on a typical deliveroo pedelec. He dawdled for a bit after the light went green then took off straight. Plenty of space so the cyclist between us came alongside the deliveroo cyclist on the left because he was turning left. The pedelec then swayed 1m to the left and hit him because the cyclist was looking at his delivery app and cycling one-handed - the deliveroo cyclist then kept going straight with not even a 'sorry' and then nearly caused another incident with a car because they realised they wanted to take a right turn here at the last second: https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.309766,-6.2838591,3a,75y,243.71h,91.02t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sEw7nkABcUQEsqI6nB_uY5Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-1.015286773670141%26panoid%3DEw7nkABcUQEsqI6nB_uY5Q%26yaw%3D243.70752960133424!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDYwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Idk what my point is other than I don't think we should draw factual inference from anecdotal stories, though we absolutely should draw inference about attitudes and beliefs from them. Which are important, just not as important.

BP_RS3813 · 05-06-2026 01:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526287#Comment_124526287

I find thats a common issue with less experienced cyclists.

Especially on the fairview cycle path up to Connelly - due to how tight it is Its always hard to pass.

Generally I'll be going along at 20 miles per Hour and the amount of people who get scared at me passing is nuts. I ring my bell all the time but since most have earphones/headphones its no use. "On your right" never works either.

If they think thats bad I don't know how they deal with cars on the road.

Also maybe its a steriotype but I find its always the women who get startled by people going by faster on the bike in my experience.

I encounter this issue at least 4 times on my commute yet its never with a lad.

Granted nearly all the people I pass regardless of gender have sh*t spacial awareness and never check over their shoulder but the lads never panic/swerve when you pull up beside them for the brief second or two whilst passing.

Unsure why this is.

Yeah Right · 05-06-2026 01:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526334#Comment_124526334

Some people just don't like being overtaken. Some people just don't like cyclists, even if they are on a bike themselves. Some people are just cnuts.

I was cycling to the Astro park in Coolock on the Tonlegee Road once, and a car came up alongside me, matching my speed. Woman in the driver's seat was mouthing off about something but I couldn't hear with the traffic and her window still being up. She moved off and then slowly pulled in to the path, gradually squeezing me until I was forced to come to a complete stop or crash.

Window comes down and she starts off on a diatribe about not being able to see me and how dark it is out at night and blah blah blah. I stood there, waited til she finished and said "have a think about what you've just said to me………I'm on a bike with a hi-viz, two back lights, a flashing light on the front…….if you can't see me (which you can, because you just squeezed me into the path), then that's on you. That's your issue."

"well, it's just very dangerous, is all I'm saying"

"what about running people off the road?……How dangerous is that?"

smacl · 05-06-2026 01:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526287#Comment_124526287

I go through that junction very regularly. The railings are currently adorned with flowers mourning a recent pedestrian fatality (hit by a car). This comes just a couple of weeks after there was a major crash involving a bus which had the junction closed for some time. Yet I still see multiple cars breaking the lights here and other cars being beeped for not illegally occupying the yellow box when they can't cross it. Definitely one that needs a camera automatically handing out fines and points. A truly crap junction and not that easy to avoid without taking quite a detour.

magicbastarder · 05-06-2026 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526334#Comment_124526334

Generally I'll be going along at 20 miles per Hour

have you considered taking the road instead, or going a little slower? that's over 30km/h, which is an impressive speed to maintain. you're not giving slower cyclists much time to react to a call or a bell.

if it happens you at least 4 times each commute, might be worth considering a way of mitigating that.

Scrabbel · 05-06-2026 02:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124525502#Comment_124525502

OK, I can't ignore a description of "nonsense". Can you tell me then how you interpret the obligation that arises from this part of the law? because it's clear from the words "shall be driven … in such a manner so as to allow" that there is an obligation imposed by this wording, especially taking account of the section in bold. The sentence doesn't end at "roadway".

9. Save where otherwise required by these Regulations, a vehicle shall be driven on the left hand side of the roadway in such a manner so as to allow, without danger or inconvenience to traffic or pedestrians, approaching traffic to pass on the right and overtaking traffic to overtake on the right."

RobertFoster · 05-06-2026 02:32PM

Try reading back the last 5 pages. I'm sure you'll get it eventually.

Scrabbel · 05-06-2026 02:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124525897#Comment_124525897

Very fair, thanks. I suppose I'd meet your description of someone who says they're a motorist when motoring and a cyclist when cycling, both regularly but neither as a passion/hobby etc

CoffeeImpala · 05-06-2026 02:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526548#Comment_124526548

Don't drive on the right hand side of the road where you would be a danger or inconvenience to approaching or overtaking road users.

magicbastarder · 05-06-2026 02:52PM

again, the only time i can see that particular clause/obligation having any relevance is when the road is narrower than a two lane road.

but then that raises the question, what constitutes a safe overtake on a road which is too narrow to allow a motorist to pass with a safe margin?

Paddigol · 05-06-2026 03:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526435#Comment_124526435

Jesus wept. That story perfectly sums up the problem with car brain. Anger? check. Rational thinking out the window? check. Very brave inside your steel box? check. Assured until challenged? check. Lack of any remorse/ apology? check.

Nobody (well 90% of people) behaves like that IRL outside the car. But behind the wheel?? Welcome to the jungle (where everyone else is the problem and needs to be taken down)

Seth Brundle · 05-06-2026 03:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124526548#Comment_124526548

It is absolute nonsense and it is why you've have to recently pretend that you've just discovered the legislation you are selectively quoting from (although I take it that your posts have been intentionally ill-informed).

The Act you are quoting from defines "roadway" as the following…

"roadway" has the meaning assigned to it by section 2(1) of the Act of 1993;

The 1993 Roads act defines this as…

“roadway” means that portion of a road which is provided primarily for the use of vehicles;

So there you have it - roadway is not the same as a traffic lane. But you already knew this because you've been told it multiple times.

Going back to the 1997 Act, it also defines a lane or carriageway as…

"carriageway" means that part of a roadway on which traffic proceeds in a single direction;

…so this clarifies that roadway is not the same as carriageway or lane again showing that you've been posting ill-informed crap for the last few days!

So in short, if you are going to pretend to show knowledge of the laws, it would help if you actually bothered your ass doing a basic bit of research on what you're claiming in your disingenuous posts!

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1997/si/182/made/en/print
Roads Act, 1993, Section 2

Meanwhile on the Roads...

Comments