The new bicycle add

Gary sti

Gary sti

Well-known member
ISDC Club Member
So was out today in car and this advert that I seen the other week came into my head

When I was going along there was two bikes up the road taking up one lane on a narrow road I was behind another car the lads on bikes chatting away obviously to what was trying to get past safely. So I seen the car in front making a couple of attempts to get past and was getting pissed off with them as they start waving there arms still not willing to move in. Anyway in the add it says to leave 1.5m when passing bike but that was going to mean you would have to cross a continuous white line hence breaking the law effectively now I know it’s stubborn on bikes as they could have pulled in. or are we all supposed to stay behind while we get to there destination it never used to be this way a bit of curiosity from both sides would be no harm.
This on week on from when a drunk cyclist hit a bus the back side of van taking a nice sc**** out of it then tried to go again only to fall again bust his face off ground which left him in bits after I dragged him to path. Now if I hit him I would be in serious sh*t this guy got treated in ambulance and let go for me to chase him I know it’s an extreme case but still happens thoughts below
 
Going into work, there's a cycle lane that ends but goes onto the side of a footpath but a cyclist stayed on the road and chose not to stay on cycle path. They play with cars and then wonder why people get annoyed and they get hurt. I then watched him at the lights. He broke them and then continued on the road again instead of the cycle lane on the footpath.
 
i try and treat them the way they decide to treat me when our paths cross .


they have a choice
 
To say that Irish cyclists are a discourteous lot would be an understatement ("kamikaze ASBOs comes to mind as a description).
They think they own the road... and what they don't seem to think about is that when in an accident they will be flattened, or that even a bit of common courtesy goes a long way.

For years I had to content with the f@$"%s going up the hill at Kilmacanogue at about 3kph without any place to over take on my way home from work. You'd be stuck behind them for 30 minutes to get to the top. The odd car that would attempt to overtake would be sworn at, kicked at, spit at... etc. And that seems to be the general attitude of all these "new generation" cyclists. By that I mean that folks who grew up cycling are aware and see themselves as just another road user... whereas these chaps, that suddenly took up biking at a later age "to be fit", are seeing themselves not as another road user... but as "entitled".

The laws are not clear enough, or at least not clear enough in people's minds.

A few weeks ago I read a little piece in the paper.
Cyclist sued motorist who was coming out of his driveway for hitting him (cyclist fell and broke his arm and wrecked his bike).
In this case the driveway crosses a pedestrian footpath before the car gets to the road.
The cyclist was on the footpath, going against traffic as he didn't feel like crossing the road to go with the flow of traffic.
His excuse was that he was only going a few hundred meters before he was going to turn onto another road.
The judge awarded legal fees AND damages to the car driver instead of the cyclist who was the plaintiff.
He said that cyclist had no right to be on the footpath, was going way too fast, and that the driver could not be held accountable given that he had only "inched out" (a neighbour witnessed it as did the driver's daughter) and that when he checked it was free, but due to the speed of the cyclist and direction of travel it would be unreasonable for the driver to expect the cyclist to be there. The cyclist was very annoyed and surprised at the verdict as he was convinced he was in the right.

Abroad cycling is a lot more commonplace as a mode of transport than here.
For example in the Netherlands / Belgium / Denmark / Sweden kids are taught to cycle by parents, but... in school they are taught the rules of the road as they apply to cyclists and pedestrians from 6 years of age until 12 (primary school years). This is a mandatory subject that you get tested in. You learn the theory and you get brought out in groups for practical lessons too. It teaches the law, as well as how to be courteous in traffic and how to read situations where another road user might be in the wrong but you as a cyclist would come out worst for wear (how to be safe and not assume that when you have the right of way that other road users will automatically yield etc).

The RSA focuses on messaging that resonates well with politicians and other middle-aged stakeholders like road traffic victim's action groups. "Slow down young men - you are killing us" is a peach that plays well with what the RSA envisions is their target audience. They clearly feel their "target audience" are the middle-aged stakeholders who can give them a pat on the back for telling off "those young men who are killing everyone". They seem oblivious to the fact that their mandate is to make our roads safer and that every road user is their target audience.
If we collectively want our roads to be safer then we should look at: 1. fixing bad roads and dangerous junctions etc, 2. ensure we have sufficiently funded Gardai who can enforce drink driving / speed infringements / unaccompanied learner drivers (and none of these money making privatized speed vans in relatively safe areas where they know people might go a few kph faster than allowed even though there's minimal risk compared to other road situations that are much unsafer, but less revenue generating) so there's a much higher chance of catching offenders in situations that actually put them and others at real risk, 3. Start proper traffic education in primary schools. 4. A much better and balanced media campaign to teach all drivers of all ages about common traffic situations and what the correct actions / behaviours are in a particular scenario.
 
Last edited:
In the interest of transparency the ambulance lad who tidied up the lads face and hand who hit van said it would average around 10/12 cyclist a week on a day shift around Dublin that each unit is called to saying its a big problem. Don’t get me wrong as you say Charles it’s the new wave of lads with toe clips a 1 meter of edge of road are they told to stay out for a reason other than to have a better chance of being taken out cars are one thing but hgv struggle with them from what they tell me odd time. Plus every cyclist and person walking or anyone on the public road should by law have to wear high viz jacket that would make a big difference
 
I think Wicklow county seems to suffer worse than most other counties with these lycra wearing power ranger gimps.
It's like they pick the worst road possible to cycle 2 a breast . No consideration . I've even seen them on the main m11. They have a death wish I think . The rsa campaign should also focus on the cyclist groups and try encourage the cycle clubs to promote a bit of cop on when taking to the roads .
 
Kilkenny and the Nore/Barrow valleys are riddled with them at the weekend and there are a few stretches near me where, due to the lack of safe overtaking spaces, you regularly get stuck behind them for 10-15kms

If they would even pull in from time to time to let traffic pass I wouldn’t mind it but, no, not a hope

I’m goi g to make it my point to walk in cycle lanes constantly when I’m in Dublin, I’ll walk two abreast with a friend, waggling away and I’ll refuse to move and let any cyclist pass. I’m also going to wear a ‘share the space’ t-shirt and stick a meter stick out of my hip.

See how into sharing they are then!!!!
 
It seems it’s a bigger thing than I thought i must pen a letter to whom it may concern [emoji848]
We need to start a campaign post dodgy middle road cycling to high light the madness
 
Was a thread like this on backroads recently.

I think the us and them approach isn’t helpful. Most cyclists who are old enough usually drive as well. There are lots of s*it drivers as well sh*t cyclists and I’d guess a lot of sh*t drivers are sh*t cyclists as well. I get to work by car and bike. A lot of cycle lanes are shite too, you’re safer staying out of them. I agree a bit of cop on goes a long way though . I cycle up a steep narrow hill on the way home and move in to let people pass.

When I’m driving home up the same hill I often end up behind some cyclist in the middle of the road with their earphones on so they cant hear me. I’d say they’re just as oblivious to other road users when they’re driving too
 
Good point Paul didn’t look at it like that I used to cycle a good bit even when I did drive aswell haven’t been on a bike in years due to a back problem but you wouldn’t have got away with what’s going on nowadays be blown off the road by cars I brought this point up in the interest of safety too our roads aren’t set up for cycling so both sides need a bit of care. If two joggers ran down the road side by side you wouldn’t expect them to last to long same with bikes in my view.
My dad says to me when I started to drive with an old saying from his day “always look out for the other fool on the road “
And yes earphones a big problem to
 
I can't stand them. Most of them are ignorant and cycle next to each other so they can chat making overtaking lot harder. Said this l've been cycling all my life and still do but l bring it to the mountain where l bother only sheep and squirrels. Not even talking about that once a year there is race that goes near my house and we are prisoners in our house for the day. No warning from the organizers or anything. Last year the little one was sick and had to carry her to the care-doc on my hands as we weren't allowed to drive out with our car.
 
The N81 upto Blessington on a Sunday morning is a nightmare. There is always one driver who is afraid to overtake the 2 a breast cyclists which causes huge tailbacks

I've also seen these cycle races that Tommy refers to on this road too and there would be loads of them with a jeep with flashing amber lights at the front and back of the group of cyclists which effectively shuts the road down as you cant overtake so are stuck behind a convoy of cyclists from Tallaght to Blessington, which should not happen on a national primary road IMO.
 
Last edited:
The N81 is my main road to Dublin... and I live south of Baltinglass... so one of those races means a one hour journey turns into two hours :icon_cry:.

Hate it when it happens and it is inconvenient... but... I can live with it from the point of view that I love tarmac rallies and roads are closed for those too. Hence, from a "fairness" point of view, I suppose the cyclists are entitled to their day out just as us rally petrol heads are.

A race is a different thing from individual or groups of "ASBO, Lycra-clad, Power Rangers" (thanks for that description Tommy lol) blocking the roads in ones, twos or tens... when the road is normally open. It is the attitude and stupid behaviour of those type of cyclists as normal road users (as opposed to organised races) who cause dangerous situations and road rage etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top