Cyclists mega-thread (WARNING: Before posting you must read post #1)

Pat Custard · 25-05-2014 10:07PM

bigar wrote: »

So you and your girlfriend had more right to use the road? Cycling two abreast means you can talk to your friend just as you would be doing with your girlfriend. Your car was also undoubtedly taking more space than the 2 cyclists so next time maybe walk or cycle as well.

I wonder if you would be commenting if you were stuck behind another car going very slow in front of you.

also a slow-moving car would be driving a lot faster still than a cyclist

John_C · 25-05-2014 10:27PM

Here's your problem; the cycle lane ends on a footpath up ahead, leaving cyclists to jump down before crossing a left filter lane:
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.452962,-6.199175,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sHXNaVMY4fX1xwXGxklfqqQ!2e0

Cookie_Monster · 25-05-2014 10:28PM

Pat Custard wrote: »

I was driving home earlier today and was stuck behind two cyclists cycling two abreast.

This is safer than single file as cars are less likely to just pass by unthinkingly. You need to leave at least 1.5m when overtaking so should pretty much be giving a single cyclist the same space as two wide.

It was only my girlfriend and I in the one car stuck behind them.

You weren't stuck behind them, you were in traffic

Why wouldn't they cycle one abreast?

Because it's not as safe

And there was a perfectly adequate cycle lane. If one is available and in good condition, why don't they use it? I understand some are in bad condition, but why cycle on the road and hold up others.

how do you decide its perfectly adequate? For a start it's not even on road which means lack of priority at junctions, it may not even follow the road after a point and just meters up the road from your link there is a bus stop right in the middle of it.

Just because you are not obliged to use it, doesn't mean you have to exercise that right. A bit of consideration, please.

Or you could should those cyclists a bit of consideration. they are just another road user after all.

25-05-2014 10:42PM

After I started in a new job which required a commute I decided to give cycling a go. I made sure to obey lights and junctions. But I only lasted three months because I found it way too dangerous. I genuinely felt like I could have been seriously injured and felt more comfortable cycling on rural roads in Kerry than I did in Dublin city, and I have done both. Car driver behaviour certainly didn't help me either. I'm quite an anxious person anyway, so make of that what you will.

One thing which I will say is this, though. I do agree that some cyclist behaviour is terrible too. A few weeks ago I was crossing O'Connell Street at the old Carlton cinema. I had a green light and walked out, next thing I heard a cyclist ring their bell at me and tell me to get out of the way. I had the green, he didn't! :mad:

Mrs OBumble · 25-05-2014 11:34PM

We let them be on the road's 'cos it's safer having them there than on the footpath! And they'll come off worse hitting a car than hitting a pedestrian.

Living in a one-way street, my pet hate is the way they don't see to understand the words "One way" and "No Entry". These days I always look both ways before stepping out, just in case.

endacl · 26-05-2014 01:38AM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

These days I always look both ways before stepping out, just in case.

Surely that's just common sense, no matter what sort of road you live on...?

paddyland · 26-05-2014 03:00AM

The Giro d'Italia comes to Ireland. The barriers are laid out, the Gardai close off the roads, the crowds come, and the race is held. Everyone has a great time. It is all properly organised and marshalled, and safety is paramount.

Why then, do these cycling maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads, and recreate the Giro d'Italia with no barriers, no Gardai, no control, and no safety?

I had a three hundred mile drive last Saturday. A large part of that was spent trying to avoid packs of these moronic cyclists going far too fast through built up areas, and not fast enough on busy country roads. They cycled in packs four and five wide, or strung out in long unovertakeable lines maybe a hundred metres long. They flung themselves into blind bends, and created enormous hazards for every other road user. Many of them were just pleasure cyclists, out for the day, with no idea of the hassle they were creating for everyone else. But I am quite sure a small but significant number knew well the danger they were causing, and were quite happily and deliberately doing so.

The public road is no place for racing, whether it be cars or bicycles, unless it is a properly organised and policed affair. The public road cannot cope with those volume of cyclists. Other people are trying to get on with a day's work. These cycling ringleaders who take over public roads to run enormous cycling events without prior arrangement need to be rounded up and arrested.

Go find an official track somewhere to have your fun, and leave the public road to people trying to get on with a day's work. You do realise you are screwing it up for the ordinary cyclist who just wants to use the road for the purpose it was designed for?

endacl · 26-05-2014 03:05AM

paddyland wrote: »

The Giro d'Italia comes to Ireland. The barriers are laid out, the Gardai close off the roads, the crowds come, and the race is held. Everyone has a great time. It is all properly organised and marshalled, and safety is paramount.

Why then, do these cycling maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads, and recreate the Giro d'Italia with no barriers, no Gardai, no control, and no safety?

I had a three hundred mile drive last Saturday. A large part of that was spent trying to avoid packs of these moronic cyclists going far too fast through built up areas, and not fast enough on busy country roads. They cycled in packs four and five wide, or strung out in long unovertakeable lines maybe a hundred metres long. They flung themselves into blind bends, and created enormous hazards for every other road user. Many of them were just pleasure cyclists, out for the day, with no idea of the hassle they were creating for everyone else. But I am quite sure a small but significant number knew well the danger they were causing, and were quite happily and deliberately doing so.

The public road is no place for racing, whether it be cars or bicycles, unless it is a properly organised and policed affair. The public road cannot cope with those volume of cyclists. Other people are trying to get on with a day's work. These cycling ringleaders who take over public roads to run enormous cycling events without prior arrangement need to be rounded up and arrested.

Go find an official track somewhere to have your fun, and leave the public road to people trying to get on with a day's work. You do realise you are screwing it up for the ordinary cyclist who just wants to use the road for the purpose it was designed for?

Bummer.

desertcircus · 26-05-2014 07:50AM

paddyland wrote: »

The Giro d'Italia comes to Ireland. The barriers are laid out, the Gardai close off the roads, the crowds come, and the race is held. Everyone has a great time. It is all properly organised and marshalled, and safety is paramount.

Why then, do these cycling maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads, and recreate the Giro d'Italia with no barriers, no Gardai, no control, and no safety?

I had a three hundred mile drive last Saturday. A large part of that was spent trying to avoid packs of these moronic cyclists going far too fast through built up areas, and not fast enough on busy country roads. They cycled in packs four and five wide, or strung out in long unovertakeable lines maybe a hundred metres long. They flung themselves into blind bends, and created enormous hazards for every other road user. Many of them were just pleasure cyclists, out for the day, with no idea of the hassle they were creating for everyone else. But I am quite sure a small but significant number knew well the danger they were causing, and were quite happily and deliberately doing so.

The public road is no place for racing, whether it be cars or bicycles, unless it is a properly organised and policed affair. The public road cannot cope with those volume of cyclists. Other people are trying to get on with a day's work. These cycling ringleaders who take over public roads to run enormous cycling events without prior arrangement need to be rounded up and arrested.

Go find an official track somewhere to have your fun, and leave the public road to people trying to get on with a day's work. You do realise you are screwing it up for the ordinary cyclist who just wants to use the road for the purpose it was designed for?

Yawn. Still very predictable and unimaginative. Can you not at least make your ill-informed, point-missing rant original?

desertcircus · 26-05-2014 08:22AM

Also: there are no races on Irish roads without prior arrangement. I'm not even sure there are cycling events on Irish roads without prior arrangement - maybe Critical Mass, but then the whole point of that is that there are no organisers.

smalltalk · 26-05-2014 08:42AM

paddyland wrote: »

The Giro d'Italia comes to Ireland. The barriers are laid out, the Gardai close off the roads, the crowds come, and the race is held. Everyone has a great time. It is all properly organised and marshalled, and safety is paramount.

Why then, do these cycling maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads, and recreate the Giro d'Italia with no barriers, no Gardai, no control, and no safety?

I had a three hundred mile drive last Saturday. A large part of that was spent trying to avoid packs of these moronic cyclists going far too fast through built up areas, and not fast enough on busy country roads. They cycled in packs four and five wide, or strung out in long unovertakeable lines maybe a hundred metres long. They flung themselves into blind bends, and created enormous hazards for every other road user. Many of them were just pleasure cyclists, out for the day, with no idea of the hassle they were creating for everyone else. But I am quite sure a small but significant number knew well the danger they were causing, and were quite happily and deliberately doing so.

The public road is no place for racing, whether it be cars or bicycles, unless it is a properly organised and policed affair. The public road cannot cope with those volume of cyclists. Other people are trying to get on with a day's work. These cycling ringleaders who take over public roads to run enormous cycling events without prior arrangement need to be rounded up and arrested.

Go find an official track somewhere to have your fun, and leave the public road to people trying to get on with a day's work. You do realise you are screwing it up for the ordinary cyclist who just wants to use the road for the purpose it was designed for?

Ah you got caught behind the 300 mile moronic 3 or 4 abreast hazardous unavoidable cyclist spin ,bad luck and you on your way to the G8 summit;)

corktina · 26-05-2014 09:34AM

desertcircus wrote: »

Also: there are no races on Irish roads without prior arrangement. I'm not even sure there are cycling events on Irish roads without prior arrangement - maybe Critical Mass, but then the whole point of that is that there are no organisers.

That's not so. A Club local to me has events now and again on a flat section of the N72,,there is no advance warning, no marshalls and people wandering all over a main road ,children included. They are their own worst enemies. They could at least police their own events, show a bit of responsibility (and don't get me started on road-bowling...) If I started a Car Race on the public road, I'd soon get shut down if it wasn't done properly

No Pants · 26-05-2014 09:47AM

Pat Custard wrote: »

http://goo.gl/4pjYmE

I suppose that while you were performing your critical evaluation of the cycle path you missed (a) the bus stop in the middle of it and (b) the fact that it comes to an abrupt end just before a junction, leaving the cyclist on a footpath.

No Pants · 26-05-2014 09:54AM

paddyland wrote: »

Why then, do these cycling maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads, and recreate the Giro d'Italia with no barriers, no Gardai, no control, and no safety?

Where was this and can anyone go?

furiousox · 26-05-2014 10:02AM

paddyland wrote: »

The Giro d'Italia comes to Ireland. The barriers are laid out, the Gardai close off the roads, the crowds come, and the race is held. Everyone has a great time. It is all properly organised and marshalled, and safety is paramount.

Why then, do these motoring maniacs think that it is perfectly acceptable to go out on Saturdays and Sundays, and take over entire public roads?

I had a three hundred km cycle last Saturday. A large part of that was spent trying to avoid packs of these moronic motorists going far too fast through built up areas, and not fast enough on busy country roads. They drove in packs. They flung themselves into blind bends, and created enormous hazards for every other road user. Many of them were just pleasure motorists, out for the day, with no idea of the hassle they were creating for everyone else. But I am quite sure a small but significant number knew well the danger they were causing, and were quite happily and deliberately doing so.

The public road cannot cope with those volume of motorists. Other people are trying to get on with a day's cycling. These motoring ringleaders who take over public roads need to be rounded up and arrested.

Go find somewhere else to have your fun, and leave the public road to people trying to get on with a day's cycling. You do realise you are screwing it up for the ordinary cyclist who just wants to use the road?

FYP

desertcircus · 26-05-2014 10:07AM

corktina wrote: »

That's not so. A Club local to me has events now and again on a flat section of the N72,,there is no advance warning, no marshalls and people wandering all over a main road ,children included. They are their own worst enemies. They could at least police their own events, show a bit of responsibility (and don't get me started on road-bowling...) If I started a Car Race on the public road, I'd soon get shut down if it wasn't done properly

Are they racing in a pack?

DHFrame · 26-05-2014 10:07AM

Mycroft H wrote: »

Anything new in that argument there? It's also motor tax not road tax; a tax for having a polluting internal combustion engine in your car.

So why we are charged for EV's in this country is beyond me.

No Pants · 26-05-2014 10:14AM

DHFrame wrote: »

So why we are charged for EV's in this country is beyond me.

No idea, but it's the lowest rate and there's no VRT, so you should still be ahead of the game.

Maximus Alexander · 26-05-2014 10:29AM

DHFrame wrote: »

So why we are charged for EV's in this country is beyond me.

It's motor tax. EVs have motors.

corktina · 26-05-2014 10:44AM

desertcircus wrote: »

Are they racing in a pack?

What difference does that make? It's the support crews and onlookers causing problems (No is the answer)

Pat_McGroyne · 26-05-2014 10:50AM

In fairness, any self-respecting cyclist will have third party insurance from Cycling Ireland. Also I don't understand how you can argue that cyclists should pay a tax for cycle lanes when the majority of the country is cycle lane-less?

Thargor · 26-05-2014 10:56AM

Pat_McGroyne wrote: »

In fairness, any self-respecting cyclist will have third party insurance from Cycling Ireland.

Errrr... no.

ThisRegard · 26-05-2014 10:56AM

The thing is, I would guess most cyclists do pay road tax.

Zebra3 · 26-05-2014 11:19AM

paddyland wrote: »

The public road cannot cope with those volume of cyclists.

Many a public road can not cope with huge volumes of motorists.

Roads bumper to bumper, nobody moving for ages.

All the while these stationery vehicles pump out killer emissions.

Any thoughts on that? :rolleyes:

Tenzor07 · 26-05-2014 11:36AM

madra dubh wrote: »

Why do we tolerate them on our roads. I have been a cyclist, motorcyclist, car driver, van driver & minibus driver and by far the worst are cyclists. Colour blind (don't recognise traffic lights). They moan continually about other road users not being considerate yet a large amount make no effort to keep themselves seen and safe. Pay no road tax yet are allocated cycle lanes. Need no insurance yet can cause damage (ever tried to claim off one that is at fault). Motorcyclists tend to get a bad rap mainly due to speed but I have found them to be the best on the road for consideration and road awareness. There can of worms opened.

Ah what a thread, "the two wheeled menace" on our roads yet again...:pac:

I really had to LOL here at some of the posts.. Hilarious!!

Motortax doesn't entitle exclusive use of the roadways, so get that one out of your heads...Nor does it cover the costs of maintaining the roads network.
After the total income from Motortax is spent, the rest of the costs for road building and maintenance are made up from public/private partnership, General taxation such as PAYE, USC, and from other forms taxation such as household charges and VAT, which we all pay regardless.

Insurance claims from any incidents caused by a bicycle user will be extremely minor in comparison to a potential accident caused by a careless driver, which can run into the €100's of thousands or indeed millions. Hence the insurance requirement.

Anyways.. it's ignorant close minded attitudes which are displayed on this thread which prevent a more general/utilitarian use of the bicycle from happening, and leave us with a cycle infrastructure which is 30 years behind the Dutch.

I'd do anything to avoid having to drive a car around Dublin at the weekends, it's not worth it due to the sheer volumes of motorised traffic, getting out on the roads just turns into stress and increased blood pressure. And some of the posters want to see more people in cars?

Get your heads checked! :rolleyes:

Danjamin1 · 26-05-2014 11:37AM

You have to love the mentality of "It's my road" from some road users

whisky_galore · 26-05-2014 12:32PM

corktina wrote: »

That's not so. A Club local to me has events now and again on a flat section of the N72,,there is no advance warning, no marshalls and people wandering all over a main road ,children included. They are their own worst enemies. They could at least police their own events, show a bit of responsibility (and don't get me started on road-bowling...) If I started a Car Race on the public road, I'd soon get shut down if it wasn't done properly

The locals must love you so! :pac:

As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of adult cyclists pay 'road tax' (sic.)
Nothing raises so much venom as cyclists, not tractors/white van men/micra drivers/bmw drivers. It's highly amusing.

corktina · 26-05-2014 12:38PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

The locals must love you so! :pac:

As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of adult cyclists pay 'road tax' (sic.)
Nothing raises so much venom as cyclists, not tractors/white van men/micra drivers/bmw drivers. It's highly amusing.

All they need do is be responsible and post Marshalls and signs. Not rocket science. I once followed two English MG drivers in near concours cars and both of them got hit by a bowl...they were not amused and nor would I be.

whisky_galore · 26-05-2014 12:43PM

Ah shure it's their culture, a share of them have warning signs up.
I don't usually see marshalls. Prob the marshalls are following the game. Played on a lot of minor roads, I'd say the cops aren't bothered that much about the legality or otherwise of it.

Tenzor07 · 26-05-2014 12:50PM

corktina wrote: »

All they need do is be responsible and post Marshalls and signs. Not rocket science. I once followed two English MG drivers in near concours cars and both of them got hit by a bowl...they were not amused and nor would I be.

What's your viewpoint on "Sulky racing" on the motorways so?

Cyclists mega-thread (WARNING: Before posting you must read post #1)

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