[CloudHound]

I have an enamel Cycling Proficiency badge awarded to me at school.

Do they still have those courses?

[kanga]

.. roads seem to be getting narrower, with parking that already narrows them to slightly less than is comfortable for 2 way traffic. ...

ISTR reading that cars have also been getting wider because of standard fitting of side impact air bags. Another result may be that the 'standard' internal dimensions of a domestic garage, and of the space marked out per vehicle in parking lots, are both now 'inadequate'.

Meanwhile, I observe that the edges of roads are where their surfaces start to crumble after lack of maintenance and then ice and rain; presumably this is unsurprising, because any camber will lead water and abrasive debris to pool there (although I have no relevant engineering qualification ). It is these damaged areas, including potholes, which cyclists are likely to encounter, and observe sooner than a faster car's driver seated on the offside may, and have a greater incentive (to avoid damage to their bicycles and injury to themselves) to swerve out to avoid.

[JAFO]

If you chose to taxy your aeroplane in front of me on the public road and refused to make way then I would criticise your lack of courtesy if nothing else.

Damn me by all means, but don't then go on to damn everyone else who ever had the effrontery to taxy an aeroplane.

Eh?

[TopCat]

It is these damaged areas, including potholes, which cyclists are likely to encounter .... and have a greater incentive (to avoid damage to their bicycles and injury to themselves) to swerve out to avoid.

Dear god, yes. I was somewhere in Surrey a few years ago when a Range Rover towing a horse box came round a bend quite quickly, largely on the wrong side of the road, forcing me into the gutter, where I hit the mother of all potholes.

Remarkably, somehow I didn't come off, but it pretty much trashed the tyre and inner tube, and the jolt damaged a wrist and left me with a stiff neck. Which fortunately recovered quickly with no lasting ill effects.

Of course the driver just carried on, oblivious.

Still, at least he was paying his 'road tax'.

[Sooty25]

Come on girls, put yer handbags down and go and relax with a nice cold G & T.

Sod G&T's, went flying instead! Beautiful evening for getting permit renewal flight done.

[Cessna571]

I did come across a cyclist weaving all over the road and generally being a wally the other day.

“What’s this all about”, I thought.

Then I noticed the plethora of GoPro cameras adorning him and his bike.

(I’m not kidding, there were 3 on his bike and 2 on his helmet).

I kept well, well, well clear.

When he pulled up at the traffic lights in mid position, I kept a good 6 feet back.
He’d been doing “emergency stops” on his roll to the lights.

I’m pretty sure he was making YouTube videos, and his aim was to goad drivers into annoyed actions.

I was a bit annoyed he thought it acceptable, but what can you do?

Not a lot.

Some fantastic “Vigilante Cyclist” videos on YouTube.


(I wasted some time watching a kid on a scooter YouTube channel once, where he admits his actions are to create drama for hits. It’s quite funny, as his first words to the irate drivers are “I’m making a YouTube video, this is just for YouTube” he thinks that’s justification, he gets millions of hits and doesn’t care how often his scooter gets trashed. 30 mins of my life I won’t get back)

[Miscellaneous]

I came across many cyclists (and pedestrians) yesterday, each one of them holding me up for more than a few seconds. Can't say I gave it much thought, it's just part and parcel of driving on the roads.

[Mike Tango]

Eh?

If only someone hadn’t kicked off this stereotypical whinge fest about cyclists, and further fed it with inaccurate understanding.

These cycle / car threads are so predictable. They get repeated every now and again on lots of different fora. Including, if I recall correctly, this one in the past.

They generate a lot of heat. They generate no light. They recycle the same old arguments every time.

If every thread had to be unpredictable and unique to all that had gone before whilst generating only defined light, this would be a pretty quiet place.

[Miscellaneous]

If only someone hadn’t kicked off this stereotypical whinge fest about cyclists, and further fed it with inaccurate understanding.

You mean like the cyclists asserting drivers take unnecessary and dangerous risks at the thought of being held up for a few seconds to accommodate cyclists?

I agree, it's a ridiculous assertion.

[Cessna571]

I came across many cyclists (and pedestrians) yesterday, each one of them holding me up for more than a few seconds. Can't say I gave it much thought, it's just part and parcel of driving on the roads.

It is isn’t it, just part of being on the road.

You get inconsiderate/weird people in all forms of transport, it’s only the cyclists that people defend though.

No one defends a dodgy car driver do they?

“We’ll, he has to drive like that, because….”

Yesterday I came across a BMW on the motorway that sat 1 car length off my bumper and moved in out of the traffic with me, switching lanes/overtaking as I did. Always sitting in a position that looked like they wanted to overtake, but never doing it.

At one point I was going to overtake a lorry, then slow down and pull in, not giving him space between me and the lorry, so he’d HAVE to overtake me.
I’m not sure what his game was.
Anyway, just as I was about to do that, he left the motorway.

Also,

What is it with Audi drivers at the mo?
Man alive, you know that certain “demographic”, they are all driving Audi’s at the minute.

[Rob P]

What is it with Audi drivers at the mo?
Man alive, you know that certain “demographic”, they are all driving Audi’s at the minute.

I'll mention this to Mrs P.

They certainly seem to have grabbed the mantle once worn by drivers of the 'Beemer Free Series'

Rob P

[Cessna571]

What is it with Audi drivers at the mo?
Man alive, you know that certain “demographic”, they are all driving Audi’s at the minute.

I'll mention this to Mrs P.

They certainly seem to have grabbed the mantle once worn by drivers of the 'Beemer Free Series'

Rob P

I must point out that just because lots of pollocks* drive Audi’s, not every Audi driver is a Pollock.

Same as cyclists I suppose.


*auto correct, changed this and I thought “why not.. go on then”

[PeteSpencer]

Cyclists are a way of life: deal with it:

Living in the country I don't blow my top every time I'm reduced to a crawl behind a tractor towing hay bales or sugar beet or a 'kin great combine the size of Marble Arch: I deal with it.

Peter

[Miscellaneous]

Living in the country I don't blow my top every time I'm reduced to a crawl behind a tractor towing hay bales or sugar beet or a 'kin great combine the size of Marble Arch: I deal with it.

Is that because the tractor and combine drivers are queued up behind you blowing their tops?

[Paultheparaglider]

I'll mention this to Mrs P.

Any particular preference for flowers?