as a cyclist, do you feel like a target on the road, to say, a 2 ton motorized killing machine?
do you feel like a victim, waiting for a road crime to be inflicted upon you?
or are you just a cyclist, who happens to ride on very busy roads at probably the busiest 2 periods of the day.

i feel that i’m at risk, but i certainly don’t feel like a target or a victim.

Neither. Despite doing several thousand miles on the roads, it’s rare that I ever experience anything to really trouble me.

Personally I don’t think about it. If it happens it happens. Just enjoy the ride before some bellend on a phone mows you down!

Sorry but this reads like a Daily Mail poll.

seavers, sorry I should have added ‘Because i am sick to the back teeth of reading about how cyclist are at risk, and are always the victim’.

I feel like the hunted quarry of a pack of four ringed murderous machines, which is why I don’t ride on the road. Should I have to ride my mountain bike between trails I wait until the coast is clear and pedal like fury. 😀

Coming up next:

Do you feel like a **** or a ****.

You must pick one 8)

No, not really.

I’ve been riding on the road so long I suppose I don’t think about it in that way.
I don’t think I ever have, tbh.

Read ‘Richards Bicycle Book’ when I was very young and took it as Gospel, so I suppose that taught me a lot about confidence and road positioning.

I don’t really think about commuting when I’m doing it, it just happens.
I’m mostly thinking about work, or food, or boobs.
Mostly boobs, tbh. 🙂

I have changed the way I ride based on near misses and life experience, but I don’t think it’s a conscious thing.

Considering how much I learned from an off road skills course, I reckon I’d benefit from a road course, if there is such a thing.
Amazing how much easier things became off road when my lifelong bad habits were pointed out.

Not really, but I will act like a victim if I think it will help me convince Mrs SR that I need to buy some new gear.

Sorry…I see what you are saying. I feel vulnerable sometimes and as a fleshy mass with no protection against idiots I may at some point be a victim. However, most car drivers, like myself give cyclists consideration. When I am on the bike I am super aware and try my best not to get into a position where I might get flattened.

Yep I do feel like a target and a victim on the road.

Read ‘Richards Bicycle Book’ when I was very young and took it as Gospel, so I suppose that taught me a lot about confidence and road positioning.

Would that be the book where he advocates knocking off wing mirrors and rolling over bonnets? Cos I read that book and thought “what a grade A bellend”.

Never really felt like either a victim or target to be honest. I know I’m vulnerable but I ride accordingly and generally experience very little in the way of direct abuse. A few muppets and stupid manouevres yes but generally you can spot them in advance if you know what to look for.

Think I’m a combination of rossi and rusty up there – I refuse to have a victim attitude, I will not let them stop me riding on the road. But I’ve ridden enough to be sensible and not make myself a target either. I just ride.

I do sometimes ride along thinking about boobs though. Especially in the summer. Commuting by the university….. 8)

I feel like a Christmas tree.

All lights, bright colours and shiny things.

Neither. Despite doing several thousand miles on the roads, it’s rare that I ever experience anything to really trouble me.

+1

I drive a car maybe 2-3 times a month at the minute,’and do a 30 mile round trip to work either by scooter or bicycle. I don’t differentiate between the two, they’re both bikes.
It’s all about personal confidence. Some people feel like victims. They thrive on it. I just get on with it and do what I like. I’ve ridden bikes as transport all my life and I’ll never stop. 🙂

this is the worst time of year for commuting.
dark nights, wet, miserable.
all road users take a while to adjust to the changed conditions after the pleasant warmth and lightness of summer.

I feel like a victim of the weather, a target for the dark.

I wouldn’t say I feel like a target or a victim. The vast majority of people are very considerate. But I do feel vulnerable and uncomfortable amongst traffic, and avoid it wherever possible. I’d like to enjoy cycling more, and not have it in the back of my mind that I might not make it home, and so I would like to see road safety improved in terms of cycling.

I’m of a nervous disposition though, and have equally haunting thoughts riding off-road 🙂

It’s actually when I’m driving that I feel most vulnerable as a cyclist.

Nope, I gave up riding in traffic.

I venture rarely onto the road as I only own the one bike and its of the bouncy mountain variety, however one particular ride involves possibly half a mile on the a6. I dread it because you can guarantee ill get gobby with someone who pulls out of the one and only junction I pass. I wouldn’t relish riding on the road everyday…

It’s actually when I’m driving that I feel most vulnerable as a cyclist.

Interesting point and probably the reason I avoid road cycling, seen too many near misses for me to feel comfortable taking the risk.

not a target or a victim but at risk and that it requires a lot of mental alertness to stay safe – same for any road user though

crazy-legs – Member

Would that be the book where he advocates knocking off wing mirrors and rolling over bonnets? Cos I read that book and thought “what a grade A bellend”.

That’s the one. 😀

It taught me that I was just as valid a road user as anyone else, but far more vulnerable than most.

Proper road positioning, eye contact with other road users, the lifesaver, taking control of your own space etc etc.
Pretty radical stuff at the time.

Man was a hero to me when I was 9, still is.

RIP Mr Ballantine.

Neither my daily commute is quite short . I sort of know the danger points for me and accommodate them. My main fear is becoming some students involuntary assassin. One would think they would have covered how to cross a road in freshers week.

While I don’t necessarily feel like either all the time, there is no doubt that as a cyclist you are on the receiving end of stuff that you wouldn’t get in a car. While some people seem to shrug their shoulders as if that is all part of cycling, I can understand why others feel threatened.

It taught me that I was just as valid a road user as anyone else, but far more vulnerable than most.

and this is the statement that stays with me the most through life on a bike

do any of you feel there is a need for the cycling media to push the victim/target shyte so much.
some of the fb blogs from the hipster/trendy folk, are total tripe.

anyone else feel theyre a target to young women driving small cars, and rarely a victim to proffesional drivers of LGV,S and Buses, but that some coach drivers,seem to have very poor driving skills in towns,compared to Bus drivers.

ton – Member

do any of you feel there is a need for the cycling media to push the victim/target shyte so much.

I’m not sure the cycling media does this, do they?
It’s more the mainstream media that seems to imply we’re all stupid to ride, so deserve whatever happens to us.

Neither. I think there’s a few nasty people out there and a lot of really bad drivers. I don’t think the vast majorityare a danger to other people because they choose to, tthey’re just shit.

What can we do about it?
Make the infrastructure better and that won’t happen unless we bleat and complain and raise awareness to the point of irritation.
If that means sounding like a victim then so be it. I just want the roads to be safer.

I feel like a victim of targets

ton – Member
do any of you feel there is a need for the cycling media to push the victim/target shyte so much.
some of the fb blogs from the hipster/trendy folk, are total tripe.

You seem to be confusing a bunch of attention whores with the media.

The actual media needs to report honestly whats going on, making it all sound like roses is great but may send people out unprepared. Looking at most of the bike riders & cyclists round our way a lot could do with some training and instruction on how to use the roads safely same as car drivers get.

You seem to be confusing a bunch of attention whores with the media.

possibly.

yunki – you’ve posted on the wrong thread. GPs is down the page a bit

Will be interesting to see how it feels when I get back on the road. Must clock over 4000 miles a year on the road and apart from a few close instances not given it that much thought.
However 4 weeks ago I was the lead cyclist of a group of 12. Approaching a blind bend a car overtook only to find a car coming towards us. Car overtaking us decided to pull in and took me out. Over the car and missed oncoming traffic by a few inches.
For me the “scary ” bit is that he’d seen us just chose to drive into me.

Indifferent really I reckon there’s been a handful of times where I’ve felt threatened one being early this year where a guy decided to give me abuse from his car, he got some back and the idiot drove on.

Yesterday travelling to work I came around a blind bend to find 3 cyclists stopped in the road having a nice conversation, the road was vey icy but fortunately I was doing about 25mph so was able to stop easily. They seemed to be peeved when they realised they were going to have to move.

Once at work travelling to an emergency there was some cyclists on a pavement out for their Sunday ride, as I came along side them one of them decided to drop down off the pavement alongside my car, lucky for him I had seen what he was about to do so moved across as he dropped down.

Finally a third cyclist was riding down the slip road towards me with his hoody up, which was bizarre as there was a cycle path right next to him.

It’s people like these that give cyclists a bad name, the first 2 examples could have lead to a nasty accident which would have mean me trying to defend myself through their stupidity.

Of course I seen a far way more examples of bad driving too.

Neither really but I’ve noted on several occasions on here that I don’t ever get harrassed or shouted at when I’m walking, driving or on public transport, but I get it all the time when I’m riding – at least once a ride in the lanes around Kent. Got screamed at last weekend for ‘not pulling over’… pretty mentally unstable if you ask me…

I would say there’s a lot of people out there trying to take out their own issues on a minority group they think they can victimise. But it’s up to us to choose to feel or behave like victims or not.

That said, if the ‘great’ British public were more mature about their attitude to cyclists I’d be enjoying my riding more, it does get rather tiresome hearing the same old ill-informed crap all the time…

I’ve never been a target. I have been a victim but not of anything intentional.

do any of you feel there is a need for the cycling media to push the victim/target shyte so much.

I think it is fairly obvious to anyone that rides on the road regularly that cyclists are victim to a certain amount of targeted abuse. (“Get off the road”, “Pay road tax”, “Think you own the road”, “Lycra lout” “Get off the path” blah blah.. You can read examples of this bile and hatred on CycleHatred or in any local newspaper comments section). So in that regard we are all “victims” and “targets”.

I think there is a difference between being a victim of targeted abuse, which isn’t really a choice, and the notion of “being a victim” (e.g. feeling sorrow for ourselves).

brooess for example just described constant abuse that he only receives whilst on a bike, but yet says he is not a victim/target.

(For the record, even we I get abuse I never regret taking the bike)