Some cyclists seem to be more aggressive nowadays, especially the Bradley Wiggins wannabes but I put that down to the clothes they wear being too tight around the crotch area.

In general, I'd say it isn't the cycle that's to blame, more the person using it and perhaps Dave and co could enact laws that mirror legislation brought in to control aggressive animals such as the dangerous dog act.

If you ride your cycle like a pit-bull, you get put down but if someone is daft enough to enter your property unbidden, you have the right to batter them with the bike pump, spare wheel, or even the bike frame for as long as you like and this whilst wearing your cycling gear. It's a win, win for the responsible cyclist.

Don't you know, they are saving the planet.

You can even get the tax man to assist your purchase if you CHOOSE to cycle to work, but if you HAVE to drive to work, you get nowt.

Saftey standards managers in the industry i work in will never deem any accident between a car driver and a bus driver as 50/50 for disciplinary purposes, the reason being that the bus driver is trained to a higher standard and therefore is 'more' culpable than the car driver.
It's been that way for as long as i've worked in the industry. Accident are deemed blameworthy or not blameworthy there is rarely, if ever, shared blame.

...so a fairly bog standard response then, "jumping red lights", "wrong way down a street" and one that I haven't seen before "using pedestrian lights to cross the road".

Did anyone read the article linked to on the original post ?

Have you read how different things are in Holland and how things could be here if cycling was treated as "the norm" for short journeys (lets say up to ten miles) rather than cars be treated as "the norm" and cycling a bit of a weird thing to do ?

And why does jumping red lights get under so many peoples skin, is it jealousy - lets face it, any cyclist who decides to take on a motor vehicle in a head to head (or sideways swipe as the case will be), is going to die, so why are so many motorised drivers so bitter about seeing cyclists gamble with their own lives so recklessly ?

Do you feel the same about motorbike riders who drive down the outside of traffic queues too, do you suddenly realise that the problem with the queue of traffic that you are sitting stationary in is actually YOU and your chosen form of single user transport and that if you'd all used two wheels instead then probably everyone would get to their destination twice as quickly ?

Pedestrians will only get my respect when they obey traffic lights.

Because until the cycle community address the quite sizeable minority of cyclists who think they are perfectly entitled to jump lights, use pavements and ride like loonies, you are always going to get this brought up.



Because there is always some poor bugger in a car who has to live with the consequences of these idiots actions through no fault of their own. The questions, the breath tests, the ramp up in insurance and the thoughts of "what if".

Read the article on the first page & if you ever have the chance compare to what happens in a country where the majority of the population would ride a bike to a nearby appointment, there is a tipping point where the sizeable minority becomes a tiny minority, where, as the article says, most cyclists don't dress up in special clothes to ride a bike and don't wear helmets because they feel safe in their separation from motorised transport.



See above, it wouldn't happen if the situation were handled properly - and why would you have a ramp up in insurance if its not your fault ?

Possibly because insurance companies operate a no CLAIM bonus and not a no BLAME bonus?

They also offer a protected no claims bonus do they not, and if you are the sort of motorist that drives around without that or without doing a price and features comparison on your insurance at least once a year, then frankly sir, you are a fool.

But to get back to the original point - why the bitterness and predictable jibes about something that can be fixed by a bit of imagination and simple road markings and which might even lead to an increase in citizen health - why not follow the lead set by other european countries and recognise that the pedal cyclist has a legitimate right to use the road system without the ever present danger of being crushed by someone who's line of defence is always "sorry mate, didn't see you" ?

Just to clarify, when driving down narrow country lanes I usually stop and pull in for cyclists approaching (same for horses, dog walkers and people with children). Mind you, the di[ic[/ikhead Eddy Merckx wannabe that I nearly cleaned out on Wednesday ain't going to be cycling for too much longer. On a single track, narrow lane in Wiltshire, I was driving uphill when this clown came careering round a blind bend, in the middle of the road. He just managed to avoid my van and went scooting down the hill, gesticulating like a loon.

Its OK, he'll probably kill himself soon enough, Darwins Law is invoked far quicker on such cyclists than on motor vehicle drivers.

It should be permitted for any car driver to mow down pairs of cyclists riding side by side chatting, rather than in single file.

They're allowed to ride side by side, I'll be honest i think a lot of car drivers need to grow up when it comes to cyclists, in London it strikes of jealousy that they can get through traffic easy, while mr rich and unfit sits in his stationary BMW.
Another is they get held up from doing 40mph briefly on the b road to work because they can't overtake.

As to the original question - they sensible ones don't bother me. The idiots on the other hand do! At the Saints game at Headingley earlier this year I was waiting to cross the road outside the Original Oak and when the traffic stopped for the lights I was nearly mowed down by some beardy-weirdy on a bike who decided the lights didn't apply to him. I'm still regretting that I didn't clothes-line the 2@! As a keen walker I encounter cyclists on mountain bikes churning up the trails as they seem to like riding through muddy puddles and on canal towpaths they can be a danger often going way too fast. I move away from the canal in such cases so they have to skirt the waters edge rather than me. We have a few ultra-keen cyclists at work who spend literally thousands on their bikes and equipment and a couple of them are basically at war with motorists. Every morning there's some tale about a run-in with a motorist which seems utterly stupid to me as there is only going to be one "winner" in a coming together. One of them is still involved in legal proceedings trying to recoup damages to his equipment after being knocked down which left him requiring lengthy physio but the main thing is he was in the right! It is down to attitude but on both sides! The ones listening to music whilst cycling should be made to carry a donor card!

I have but it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.
I am heartily in favour of better infrastructure for cycling, it could reduce congestion (as in London, where cycling uptake has been huge since the introduction of the congestion charge), reduce emissions and make people fitter and healthier ... all good things.
Not that it's possible everywhere in Britain but we have to start somewhere and, I suggest, cities are the place to begin because most bike journeys are going to be short ones (as with most car journeys).
Painting a cycle lane on an existing road is, to my mind, insufficient, at least a kerb is required to separate the lane from the road to keep motorists from parking on the cycle lane or driving along it.
I'd also like to see, in conjunction with anti-congestion charging, park and ride car parks on major roads into cities, where lockable bike racks/lockers for overnight storage of privately-owned bikes, plus bikes-for-hire, as well as buses into town are available.

On the other hand, the A64 eastbound towards York has had a cycle path, separated from the main road by a generously wide grass verge, ever since it was upgraded to dual carriageway (either just before or shortly post-WWII) and, whilst it might well get used, I have personally never seen a cyclist on it.
Ditto regarding the beautifully-smooth and brand new cycle track alongside the Calderdale Way (aka Elland Bypass) ... not a soul to be seen on it.

At the other end of the scale, Hull, Norwich, Oxford and urban York strike me as places that are already bike-keen.

Sweeping generalisation but in Leeds the rule is " I'm a cyclist why don't you f off the pavement when I'm speeding along them and allow me to cause chaos and go down 1 way streets the wrong way as well as through pedestrian crossings and lights at red."

That just about sums it up.

To be honest all that is needed is a painted lane for the morning (or evening) commute to be a much more pleasant affair, I used to use the cycle lane from Headingley up to Cookridge every night at around 5.30pm, it just a three foot red stripe down the left hand side of the A660, one of the busiest commuter roads into and out of Leeds but the lane provides enough separation from cars as to take away the ever present fear that some distracted idiot is going to pass to close or even hit you from behind and it also takes away any guesswork on your part, "how far out from the kerb can I ride to avoid drain covers and potholes etc".

Kerbs and special traffic control lights would be fantastic but not absolutely necessary, even when the A660 crosses the ring road at Weetwood roundabout (as busy a roundabout that you'll see at 5.30pm) you have a cycle lane at the white line and even if the lane doesn't go across the roundabout it still gives you space to set yourself up to dive into the flow and it prevents you from holding up a car behind you while waiting for a bike speed sort of gap.

Conversely going back down into Leeds on the same road the bike lane is shared with the bus lane which seems to me to be the sort of suicidal planning decision that could only have been made by someone who has never traveled in anything but a council limousine.

Well again, that sort of attitude diminishes when even simple segregation of bikes is applied, there is no excuse for pavement riding when you have a cycle lane and there is every reason then for proper policing.

Like an earlier poster I just don't understand the attitude of some cyclists who take on the job of urban warrior and film their commutes while looking for similar tools in cars to pick a fight with - there are hundreds of them on YouTube - you need to be defensive in heavy traffic not offensive and as in all walks of life if you go looking for a fight you'll always find one, its just that you versus a car is not a fair fight even if you are recording it on a helmet cam.

At least your relatives won't have to try and imagine your last moments in the funeral home.

People rarely cycle side by side, it's a bit of a myth that gets massively overused by cyclist haters. My local PCSO always comes up next to me on his plod pedaller if I'm biking into town as he likes my bike and always wants to chat but that's it.

Help me! I agree with Dally!

May I also add:

5. Cycling on the pavement
6. Hurtling along the canal bank as fast as they can yelling at anglers, boaters and walkers "Get out of the f*@!ing way!"

The canal towpath from Leeds City Centre out to Saltaire is an ongoing project between British Waterways and Sustrans (the national cycle route people - excellent long distance routes), hard to believe in some places but it will eventually be a properly surfaced cycle and walking path.

Its a mistake in my opinion and I've used it as both a cyclist and a walker, and a dog walker who can't let his dog off the lead to wander free because of the risk to cyclists - pedestrians and cyclists don't mix on the same pavement especially when they are both heading in the same direction, people like to walk in groups, side by side and chat as they walk along, ignoring anything coming up quicker behind them, it just doesn't work.

The tow path along the Leeds - Liverpool Canal that passes through the Wigan Flashes has been paved really nicely and is excellent for walking along to view the birdlife on the flashes and is also a nice strech of water to fish. It is blighted by mountain bikers. I have long since given up fishing canals close to urban locations due to inconsiderate cyclists and dog walkers, despite the fact that I have to pay to fish them whereas the mountain bikers don't. I don't mind the boats because they were the reason the canals were built and they also pay for the right to use the water.

As an angler I avoid blocking the towpath with my gear, placing my tackle parallel to the bank. I use a standard rod and reel so don't need to occasionally block the path with a long pole. Next year the Div 2 National Championships are on the Wigan DAA section of the Leeds - Liverpool canal. Can see there being some conflict of interest then as the vast majority of the several hundred anglers taking part will be pole fishing.

I wonder how many of those cyclists have a canal permit? It doesn't cost anything but is still a legal requirement to cycle along a towpath

I've got one, its a useless piece of bureaucracy that I'm not even sure anyone in authority even knows exists, you can download them from the BW web site and fill it in yourself leaving only your name and address behind - and never in a million years will you ever get asked to produce it anywhere, in fact I probably threw mine in the bin so I might run another unnecessary copy off.

On the subject of fishing the canals, I agree with the previous poster, canals+fishing+walking=good, mix in cyclists and its not good and I've approached the problem from both ends, but it will get worse because as I mentioned before, Sustrans are part-managing some of the Leeds/Liverpool towpath now in return for listing as a route, a canal towpath can be an excellent place to cycle (its generally flat) and great to take the kids on their bikes and get the whole family cycling in a traffic free environment but some days its like the walking equivalent of the M1 on the Leeds-Shipley stretch.

A570 Rainford bypass, large dual carriageway with wide cyclepaths seperated from the main carriageway on either side yet the lycra brigade (including Sir Brad himself) are usually found on the main road with the lorries and busses. I just don't get it.