Before I start this part of my story about cycling, I wanted to mention a couple of things. One part concerned my bike ride last week when I was on my way home, and cycling down a single track road; I saw a lady ahead of me walking her dog off its lead.
As I approached her and slowed, she stepped into the middle of the road and started waving me down, or what looked like a wave to slow me down. My initial reaction was ‘what is she doing, some cheek as I’m not going fast’ as I don’t in such situations.
How wrong we can be, as I came to a halt to find out what was wrong, she started to tell me about the fly-tipping that had taken place around the corner, and she said ‘I didn’t want you to cycle around the corner and hit it.’ I thanked her and cycled on my way.
And when I got around the corner, this is what I was confronted with, and I thought how kind she had been, and also how wrong my initial reaction had been. It shows if we all care, we can all get on fine and how wrong our first impressions can be!
It is another sad aspect of today’s society; people will not make an effort to go to their local tips to get rid of rubbish for a small nominal fee. But rather dump it down a country lane for someone else to tidy up at taxpayers and so other people’s expense – more selfishness, inconsideration and ignorance.
The second thing I want to mention is that there is a part of the Highway Code that specifically applies to cyclists; some people may not know this. I remember once reading an article that was on a Government website and was more like guidelines for cycling and cyclists, but I can’t find it these days. My problem with the Highway Code, it uses the word ‘should,’ in places instead of the word ‘must’. Even if that is for helmets and bright clothing, both, in my opinion, should be mandatory when cycling. But as always – that’s me!
However, one thing that stood out was where it said’ always cycle with consideration for others.’ And to me, that should be the first rule of the Highway Code for cyclists, and the first rule in life – ‘always consider others.’
As a driver, I see many cyclists behaving both badly and irresponsibly, but then we see that in all walks of life. I think one of the worst aspects is when cyclists won’t give way to cars. Cars don’t have the right of way, they need to be patient like everyone else, but sometimes a little consideration would help. I wonder how often these cyclists will be driving their car behind a slow-moving road vehicle and swearing as they can’t get past it and it doesn’t give way – it works both ways!
I was working close to home one day, an area of quite narrow roads and lanes. As I got close to the place of work, I came up behind two cyclists. One standard road style two-wheeled bike, their companion in an adaptive low-level tricycle, and in my car I was doing around twenty MPH on a road with a national speed limit, and to a little annoyance on my part they would not pull over to let me pass, and they had ample opportunities to do so.
I was in a patient mood, I didn’t have too far to go, but they didn’t know this, and so there was no pipping of horns, no windows wound down and shouting. I did all this deliberately to see their reactions, knowing one day I would be writing about this subject, but in my opinion, they weren’t very good reactions to a car that was entitled to be driving at forty MPH more than they were. Why couldn’t they pull over for ten seconds, or less, and just let me go my way and my quicker way, why did they have to hold me up?
Some might say here that if they stopped to let every car pass, they would never get anywhere, but I was the only car on the road with them, I know the roads are quiet, and so it wouldn’t happen very often, nor do I don’t think it’s too much to ask, for me it also falls into the ‘considerate’ category. Unfortunately on this occasion, it didn’t, and I soon turned off to get to my place of work. But I wonder how long they would have held me up for had I stayed on the road, I sometimes wish I had done just to find out their reaction.
But we as drivers come across many situations involving cyclists that are frustrating and even frightening. The frightening one for me was one dark morning driving to work and coming off a roundabout, and as I did so, I was confronted with a cyclist coming towards me on my side of the road with no lights on and going at quite a speed.
Having just come off a roundabout, there wasn’t a great deal of time to react, but somehow we both did, and somehow we managed to avoid each other, and I say thankfully because if he had hit me, he would have been hurt, and again with no helmet on, probably quite badly too. But that comes from a man who was knocked unconscious pottering up a Welsh hillside doing about four or five miles an hour whilst wearing a helmet, and that is why I understand the for and against arguments.
That was frightening, one of those moments in a car where your heart skips a beat, and that was created by a complete and utter idiot on a bike, or a cyclist as we know them.
I once mentioned on Twitter about a Deliveroo cyclist flying past people dangerously on a pavement, and I got a reply stating ‘he’s not a cyclist.’ Unfortunately, he was and is. We can’t say some people on bikes are cyclists and some are not. There is no difference in cycling classes or types, and if we started to try to do that, where do we start and stop?
Is it the wearing of clothes, or the style and price of a bike, well not in my opinion as this photo shows? All very professional looking in attire and by machine, yet cycling illegally on the pavement. And my opinion is if you get on a bike you’re a cyclist. I have seen too many cyclists with their fancy bikes and clothes, even those wearing cycling club apparel and colours, and they have been cycling where they shouldn’t, the wrong way up one-way streets (with no signs stating they can) or cycling in pedestrian zones and more.
If you get on a bike, you are a cyclist, the same as if you get in a car you are a driver. So you may be one of those conscious and considerate cyclists that comply with every law and are generally thoughtful at any given situation. But you will be classed as a cyclist the same as these inconsiderate delivery cyclists on pavements, and lazy people on bikes and the people cycling who don’t care and aren’t bothered. In my world, you are all cyclists, just as I am when I get on my bike. It is the person in the designer clothing and on the expensive bike that matters, not what people perceive us to be because of our looks or equipment.
As a driver and as previously mentioned, it can be frustrating being held up by cyclists for sure, and again if we are all considerate, then we can all get along fine. As an example roads are often wide enough to overtake a single cyclist safely enough, even at times if there is a car coming in the opposite direction, but not when cyclists are cycling in large groups or even in pairs, side by side, and it can be annoying.
We all know cyclists like to cycle as part of their social life and cycle whilst having a good chat with each other too, and I am fine with that. However, they should surely consider other faster road users and let them pass when they can, and they could if they cycled in smaller groups or single file, but often they won’t do it as they don’t have to.
I appreciate that cyclists often cycle two abreast for safety purposes; they are bigger and more easily seen. Vehicles will probably give them a wider berth when overtaking; my opinion though is if a driver doesn’t want to provide you with the room because they are in a hurry, they may not even if you cycle two abreast. Either way, with consideration and a bit of care, there is room for everyone, but this subject will continue.
Before I go however take a look at the link below, and see just what the cyclists are up against, and often people in a hurry. I feel for the cyclist as how big do you need to be before you are seen? However dark clothing, no hi-vis, no lights and I do believe if you see the still before the video starts he also has something covering his ears. It could be anything but being a betting man I’m saying it’s headphones for listening to music. And of course no helmet, and from that height, I’d say they are more important!
But what if from the van drivers view which included the cyclist, was that of dark buildings and backgrounds, the cyclist would have pretty much blended in. Trust me; as a driver, I know, and will follow in another post!
Either way, however you look at this the van driver is to blame – one hundred per cent, but as there is in all walks of life, there is still room to criticise others, and you know some of my opinions on cycling and being seen?
Stay safe, and thank you for reading.