Inconsidererate, aggressive, but not necessarily dangerous. Report?

tight_scotsman

brat wrote: »

I rode for 25 miles yesterday, the same on Sunday, on a hilly rural circuit where I'm normally only passed by about 10 cars. I feel very safe on these roads because the vehicular approach speed is slow and I control the overtakes when I need to. I'm always illuminated front and rear with top quality LED flashers.

The routes I choose are not the kind of route that families would use on a leisure ride, because they're undulating, with several steep ascents.

I see little or no need to incorporate them into any holistic cycling plan, but I'm happy to accommodate any ideas which would improve my safety without destroying the appeal of the routes I use.

What are your views on routes such as these Marco? Would you leave them as they are, or do you know of a 'light touch' fix to improve roads such as these? (other than to improve road surfaces). Or does the holistic directive towards segregation have more radical plans for my precious rural minor roads?

When you say you control the "OVERTAKES" What exactly do you mean.?

" I'm an arrogant cyclist and you will overtake when I allow it " ?

It's attitudes such as your that turn other road users against cyclists.

So a wee bit of advice from a driver with over 30 yrs HGV/PSV experience.

Drop the arrogance and you might find drivers will be more considerate towards your plight as vulnerable road user.

Continue with such an attitude and one day you will meet your match.

Like I have said I mean no harm to anyone I share the road with. But when I come across idiots like you there is not much I can do to help keep you safe, other than let you continue to be an idiot.

Your demise will be put down to natural selection. I'm sure of that

JP08

Tight_Scotsman.

It generally means - "I think I'm in personal danger if you overtake me here, so I will position myself so you don't."

I hope you'd agree that the more vulnerable road user in such a manoeuvre should be the one that makes the call - whether that is a cyclist being overtaken by a car or a car being overtaken by a truck ...

tight_scotsman

JP08 wrote: »

Tight_Scotsman.

It generally means - "I think I'm in personal danger if you overtake me here, so I will position myself so you don't."

I hope you'd agree that the more vulnerable road user in such a manoeuvre should be the one that makes the call - whether that is a cyclist being overtaken by a car or a car being overtaken by a truck ...

Yes I agree with you to an extent. It was more the arrogance of some road users I was more getting at.
Put an arrogant cyclist up against an arrogant lorry driver. We all know who is going to come off worse.
The cyclist may be in the right and he can shout about it all he wants. But no one is going to hear him when he is 6 feet under.
The lorry driver may end up in prison but he will get out in a few years ready to move on with his life.

But the cyclist will still be DEAD.

Me old grandad used to tell me he would rather be a live coward than a dead hero

You see where I'm coming from.?

brat

tight_scotsman wrote: »

When you say you control the "OVERTAKES" What exactly do you mean.?

I'm sure you'll make an assumption about what I mean, rather than wait for me to reply. Oh yes, here we are. You think...

tight_scotsman wrote: »

" I'm an arrogant cyclist and you will overtake when I allow it "?

No that's not what I mean.

The rest of your rant is a little embarrassing. I haven't copied it if you wish to delete it.

tight_scotsman

brat wrote: »

I'm sure you'll make an assumption about what I mean, rather than wait for me to reply. Oh yes, here we are. You think...

No that's not what I mean.

The rest of your rant is a little embarrassing. I haven't copied it if you wish to delete it.

If the truth embarrasses you then there is nothing I can do to help I'm afraid.

Having followed this thread from the beginning and had some contribution early in the thread my stance has always been to take responsibility for my actions as a road user.
Reading your contributions you have many many valid points and some not so valid

You leave me with the opinion that you are an example of an arrogant selfish cyclist. As I said before you may be in the right but some day you will come upon an equally arrogant driver and we all know how that is going to end.

Tobster86

Primary position indicates to following road users that it is not safe to overtake and they will have to wait.

Much in the same way that a vehicle signalling right before a right-hand side road, with insufficient space to pass on the left, indicates to following road users that they will also have to wait until he completes his manoeuvre.

There's nothing arrogant about it unless it's misused; although if it were being misused the following vehicles would generally be able to overtake using the opposite carriageway anyway.

Correct use of primary position does not signify arrogance and is in fact helpful to following drivers, because hugging the gutter can be unhelpfully interpreted as "I'm scared. Please squeeze past me as soon as possible".

brat

tight_scotsman wrote:

Having followed this thread from the beginning and had some contribution early in the thread my stance has always been to take responsibility for my actions as a road user.
Reading your contributions you have many many valid points and some not so valid

You leave me with the opinion that you are an example of an arrogant selfish cyclist. As I said before you may be in the right but some day you will come upon an equally arrogant driver and we all know how that is going to end.

I know I won't change your opinion of me, because you're already probably too entrenched down that path to change your view ...

...but please take time to learn what cyclists mean by taking the lane, primary positions, secondary position, and the safety advantage gained by the proper use of those positions.

Then you may gradually realise that what you term as 'arrogant' is what cyclecraft and bikeability would describe as the correct use of the road.

Now I'm off out to wind up a few more HGV drivers...

JP08

TS

Do see where you're coming from - in the specific. However in the general, those of the "might is right" mindset need to be tackled (and not just on the roads), not appeased, for the sake of society in general.

TBH when I'm out and about on the bike (generally in the more rural location) prefer to pull into the nearest gate rather than have a truck growling along behind me - even if the driver is being considerate and hanging back patiently it doesn't enhance the pleasure of the ride.

Cars, generally are only back there 30 seconds or so, tops, before a safe opportunity presents itself, so only minimal patience is required.

armyknife

tight_scotsman wrote: »

When you say you control the "OVERTAKES" What exactly do you mean.?

" I'm an arrogant cyclist and you will overtake when I allow it " ?

It's attitudes such as your that turn other road users against cyclists.

So a wee bit of advice from a driver with over 30 yrs HGV/PSV experience.

Drop the arrogance and you might find drivers will be more considerate towards your plight as vulnerable road user.

Continue with such an attitude and one day you will meet your match.

Like I have said I mean no harm to anyone I share the road with. But when I come across idiots like you there is not much I can do to help keep you safe, other than let you continue to be an idiot.

Your demise will be put down to natural selection. I'm sure of that

Wow, what a bile filled post.

armyknife

JP08 wrote: »

TS

Do see where you're coming from - in the specific. However in the general, those of the "might is right" mindset need to be tackled (and not just on the roads), not appeased, for the sake of society in general.

TBH when I'm out and about on the bike (generally in the more rural location) prefer to pull into the nearest gate rather than have a truck growling along behind me - even if the driver is being considerate and hanging back patiently it doesn't enhance the pleasure of the ride.

Cars, generally are only back there 30 seconds or so, tops, before a safe opportunity presents itself, so only minimal patience is required.

Yes, this tends toward my way of conducting myself on quiet and rural roads.