Cyclists

Ally Dick wrote: »

You have to watch yourself like a hawk in Dublin city centre. There are cycling maniacs everywhere. It gets worse every year. I have never seen anything like it. The cycle lanes along the canal are very generous, yet many cycles ignore them and cycle on the other side of the road, causing buses etc to have to go around them. Completely inconsiderate lunatics

Have you seen the people driving vehicles. They're even worse and they had to have lessons and pass a test before being let loose on the roads..

You can point to every group of road users for inappropriate behaviour. Cyclists breaking reds, motorists breaking reds etc. However the muppets who think the amber light means speed up and fly through a junction should get an immediate suspension of their license.

Green light. Go
Red light. Stop
Amber light. Boot to the floor

Everyone should be able to insure themselves like children can in schools.

They give out forms where you can insure the child for school hours for €6 or 24hours every day for €9.

Motorists should be lynched. Can't park, can't accelerate, can't not block a yellow box, blame everyone but themselves for their own inefficiency and general uselessness. But because they pay road tax they are entitled to cripple traffic in the City for their own convenience.

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I break lights when safe to do so when cycling. I dont believe the same rules of the road should apply to cyclists as cars as we are harmless. Dont wear helmet or high viz. I can never understand why motorists are so concerned about cyclists wearing helmets given they are far more likely to die.

The helmet hi viz thing is just another crutch for crap drivers.

It always starts with "I saw a cyclist no wearing hi viz yesterday". So they SAW the cyclist, and everything else thereafter is their inability to navigate the road properly.

They want everybody to be taxed up to their eyeballs and make moving in public a privilege for pedestrians and cyclists despite the fact that people were doing that in dublin long before everybody decided the only way to get around is to make no effort at all.

The usual school yard arguments. It's a thread about cyclists, but a certain militant group of cyclists start pointing the finger at motorists being the route of all evil on the rounds.

Same rule applies as it does on boards, don't be a dick, whether a cyclist or motorist.

I use a bicycle, car and motorcycle, not wearing a helmet or blasting through red lights is retarded not matter your mode of transport.

Depending on what mode of transport I'm using, I adjust my driving style accordingly to offer me the best chance of making my destination safe and sound.

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A lot of MAMILs are frustrated men in sexless marriages who take out their anger and sense of privilege by being absolute knobs on the road.

I think cyclists seem to wind up more motorists rather than vice versa though. I mean, it's rare enough see a thread in AH with "motorists" in the title and people cribbing about safety gear for motorists or their lack of adherance to road signs/traffic lights.

One More Toy wrote: »

Then why do the rsa shove ads down our throats about how much space we need to give them eh?

Because car/trucks kill cyclists

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A lot of MAMILs are frustrated men in sexless marriages who take out their anger and sense of privilege by being absolute knobs on the road.

A lot of posters on here are single fat men, sweating over their keyboard eating take aways and feeling outraged, and their other open tab is P0rnhub ….

What is non cyclists obsession with cycle helmets?

How would wearing them prevent accidents or disregard for rules of the road that annoys drivers so much?

prinzeugen wrote: »

The city centre would become concrete wasteland. Shops etc gone. ...........

Nope

Oh, also, the law on cycling:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/cycling/cycling_offences.html

Some of the main points:

If you are using a bike on a public road in Ireland it must be fitted with reflectors and lights to ensure that you are visible. All bikes on public roads must comply with the Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations 1963 as amended. This law sets down the type of reflectors and lights that your bike must have and when you must use your bike lights. See our document on Bicycle lights for more information.

In addition to lights, your bike must also have:

- A bell, which can be heard from a reasonable distance
- Front and rear brakes
- A rear reflector that can be seen from a reasonable distance

What other rules of the road apply to cyclists?
The Road Traffic Acts 1961-2014 set out the main provisions for motoring and legislate for bikes. There is also secondary legislation, Road Traffic Acts and Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations 1997-2014, which regulate the behaviour of motorists and cyclists.

When cycling you must:

- Stop at traffic lights when required
- Stop at pedestrian crossings and zebra crossings
- Stop at cycle traffic lights
- Stop at stop signs and yield right of way at yield signs.
- Avoid cycling on motorways (which is illegal)

Section 100 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 makes it an offence to ride a bicycle while holding on to another moving vehicle (other than another bicycle which no one is riding).

Is it legal to cycle two abreast in Ireland?
Cyclists can cycle two abreast but under Article 47 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) 1997 Regulations (as substituted by the 2012 Regulations), you must not cycle more than two abreast, except when overtaking and it does not endanger or obstruct other traffic.

Am I legally obliged to use cycle lanes?
You do not have to use a cycle lane unless the cycle lane is a contra-flow cycle lane allowing cyclists to go in the opposite direction to the traffic on a one-way street. If the cycle lane is a contra-flow cycle lane you must use it to navigate the street and you can only cycle in the contra-flow direction.

Penalties:

Since 2015 Gardaí have the power to stop cyclists and fine them for specific fixed charge cycling offences. Gardaí can fine cyclists for the following offences:

- No front or rear light during lighting-up hours
- Riding a bicycle without reasonable consideration
- Failing to stop for a school warden sign
- Failing to stop at traffic lights when the red lamp is lit
- Failing to stop at cycle traffic lights when the red lamp is lit
- Failing to stop at a stop line, barrier or half barrier at a railway level crossing, swing bridge or lifting bridge, when the red lamps are flashing
- Cycling in a pedestrianised street or area

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

If motorists took the same approach, they could kill or injure people. A cyclist breaking a red light is more likely to kill or injure themselves. With the exception of pedestrian crossings, it should be legal for cyclists to proceed with caution through red lights. As a motorist, I'd prefer if cyclists could be clear of the traffic lights and out of my way before I move off, rather than having to move off at the same time as me. It means there's less chance that I'll have to overtake them.

I think we're going to disagree on this one. A red light is a red light, and should not be broken under any circumstance. While you may think it's safer for a cyclist to move on if they believe the way is clear, and while they may only injure themselves, they could also cause a motorist to swerve and possibly crash, while the cyclist continues away never to be caught, because bicycles don't have visible identification plates. Or they could get hit by that car, possibly die, and the motorist who was driving legally is left with that death on them for the rest of their lives. Now, that wouldn't really bother me, I don't feel like that when I'm in the right, but there are plenty out there who would be affected by it.

I am 100% ok with cycle lanes having their own lights, and the green light for the cyclist going on 10 seconds before the motorists' green light.

Chiparus wrote:

Why do people who crash in motorsport not get whiplash while drivers of normal cars seem to be terribly debilitated often taking months off work following the most minor of collisions??

Who d marshal the roads?

Ally Dick wrote: »

Dublin city centre is too crowded for cyclists. They should get the f#ck out

It's always funny to see people who drive around with an empty couch and an empty armchair all day complaining about cyclists taking up the all the space. Car occupancy rates in Dublin are around 1.2 people.

Have you given much thought to what happens to traffic when the 56k commuting cyclists switch back to their cars instead?

Chiparus wrote: »

Why do people who crash in motorsport not get whiplash while drivers of normal cars seem to be terribly debilitated often taking months off work following the most minor of collisions??

Why dont drivers wear helmets like they do in motor sports? Maybe that would help the poor craturs?

It's not the helmet that prevents whiplash, it's the 4 point harness, bucket seats and that thing that gets fastened around their neck (neck brace?). I would be up for that in my daily, but I would also expect to be able to drive like it's a race then.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It's always funny to see people who drive around with an empty couch and an empty armchair all day complaining about cyclists taking up the all the space. Car occupancy rates in Dublin are around 1.2 people.

Have you given much thought to what happens to traffic when the 56k commuting cyclists switch back to their cars instead?

And what would happen if all 650,453 drivers turned into cyclists, it would be utter mayhem! And I'll have you know, I only have 3 empty armchairs, only 2 seats in the back of mine, so I'm doing my bit!

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Who d marshal the roads?

Robotic marshals or "traffic lights" were introduced for motor vehicles - but many drivers seem to ignore these , so much they need robotic police officers ( traffic cameras) to police them.
https://blogs.bmj.com/injury-prevention/2015/08/05/traffic-lights-robots-robocops/
Motorists get upset when cyclists ignore the robotic marshalls.

StinkyMunkey wrote: »

The usual school yard arguments. It's a thread about cyclists, but a certain militant group of cyclists start pointing the finger at motorists being the route of all evil on the rounds.

Same rule applies as it does on boards, don't be a dick, whether a cyclist or motorist.

I use a bicycle, car and motorcycle, not wearing a helmet or blasting through red lights is retarded not matter your mode of transport.

Depending on what mode of transport I'm using, I adjust my driving style accordingly to offer me the best chance of making my destination safe and sound.

The main difference would be that the dicks on bikes don't kill two or three people each week on the roads. It's the dicks in cars than does that - mostly other drivers and passengers, a bunch of pedestrians and a few cyclists.

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

And the problem is?

A small price to pay to save your life, right?

In that vein, why don't all cyclists use the Babel bike? Designed to bounce off of vehicles rather than get dragged under them. Not sure how much it will be, probably not cheap, but shur a small price to pay no?