After a break of over ten years i’ve done a couple of road rides in the last week and can’t believe how little room most drivers leave you when they overtake and how buses just pull out on you and cars just turn right across you like they never saw you… its seems far worse out there than it used to be and it was pretty crap back then.
Maybe its the area i live or is this representative of what its like on the roads now?

I ride in the countryside mostly and make a point of planning routes that avoid traffic as much as possible.
When I do have to use main roads then my experience is pretty similar to yours, it definitely feels as if drivers are giving less and less thought to other road users these days. Gits.

It’s just bloody mental on the roads, there are so many more cars now than 10 years ago it’s crazy, and so much less consideration for ‘others’ it makes me sad 🙁

edit- I’m not a road rider as such, just someone who sometimes has to use roads to get to where I’m going on my bike.

This time of year is particularly bad, low sun, wet slippy roads. Some drivers DGAS but some are ok.

I know my area well enough that I can plan rides from 50 to 100 miles on very quiet roads (well, lanes mostly)- that was one of the main reasons I moved there (from London). If I had to live in another, busier part of the southeast I’m not sure what I’d do. I sympathise with cyclists who have to ride out of large towns and cities to get somewhere safe.

I wouldn’t necessarily choose this time of year to start road riding again as the frenzy of Christmas shopping adds to the low sun, wet roads and general crap weather conditions. I’d wait until things improve in the spring before getting back into it if the conditions bother you.

You get use to it. Mostly I try and plan routes that avoid the traffic.

i took up MTBing

I’d say standards are better now than they were 10 years ago here round Derby. Fewer idiots, still too many though. Tend to avoid the busiest routes, but even commuting into Shottingham isn’t as fraught as it used to be.

I think I get less wound up than other people I ride with. Maybe I expect bad driving so i don’t get upset by it unless they are desperately stupid.

Go out mostly on my own – club rides with large groups or through busy areas are a nightmare for winding drivers up and prompting unsafe & dangerous behaviour.

Plot routes that avoid busy/fast/dangerous roads.

Ride predictably, safely and (mostly) legally so the driver sees what they are expecting to see from a cyclist.

And never, ever get involved in anything.

In spite of that I’m reasonably assertive on the road and will happily take primary position or indicate that it’s unsafe to pass. The vast majority of drivers are actually fairly understanding, there seems to be a tacit acceptance at least.

And never, ever get involved in anything.

I there a Jedi mind trick that enables you to do this? Can you teach me?

Not to mention being dazzled by car headlights at night and having idiots shout at you through the car window as they’re passing because it’s so hilarious.

Avoid busy roads where possible. Actually I do think that drivers are getting better. There are some idiots out there but most people are ok. I think that assertive riding coupled with knowing when to back off helps.

I ride in that London a couple of times a week – you get used to it, and I can only remember a couple of truly dangerous passes in the last 6 months.

So long as they have passed, thats the main thing. Hitting you is another matter.

Most drivers are actually ok, its just you remember the bad ones so it seems like theres more of them.

Dont give up else we’ll all eventually be banished to dedicated cycle lanes.

Route choice is key, was out for over 6 hrs today and if 50 cars overtook me i’d be suprised, but I stick to quiet lanes. I particulary avoid major routes where I can as drivers seem to be less considerate, it feels to me some are annoyed as i’m invading ‘their’ space.

I find winter better than summer, and the worse the weather the safer people drive. Was very foggy this morning and everyone gave me lots of space.

To give balance to above two vans pulled out in front of me today, nothing too close though

Go out mostly on my own – club rides with large groups or through busy areas are a nightmare for winding drivers up and prompting unsafe & dangerous behaviour.

Plot routes that avoid busy/fast/dangerous roads.

Ride predictably, safely and (mostly) legally so the driver sees what they are expecting to see from a cyclist.

In spite of that I’m reasonably assertive on the road and will happily take primary position or indicate that it’s unsafe to pass. The vast majority of drivers are actually fairly understanding, there seems to be a tacit acceptance at least.

That’s the approach. And try living in another country with much worse standards of driving for a few years; helps with getting some perspective.

What they said.

Choose your roads carefully, and don’t ride around rush hour because people are arseholes then. During the day or after say 7pm it’s a completely different experience.

I ride in various locations all over the country. I was in Farnborough for a while. Head East from there, it’s a total nightmare; West, and it’s miles of beautiful almost traffic-free country riding.

What @ajantom said

as above early sunday mornings, midweek after 10am, country roads away from towns (and rat runs which are the worst).

Mostly it’s planning.

http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2015/05/bez-receding-hare-lines/

Although occasionally that still doesn’t work out.

http://beyondthekerb.org.uk/2015/05/17/that-friday-feeling/

I there a Jedi mind trick that enables you to do this? Can you teach me?

I think he means avoid turning things into confrontations that risk getting out of control. I normally ride alone or with just one or two people but I’ve been on some larger rides where people seem unable to let things go. Not much point turning a brief brown trouser moment into a fist fight or a deliberate assault with a car.

Got a cx bike and do as much of my comute off road as i can and steering clear of the crazier spots and times.

I think he means avoid turning things into confrontations that risk getting out of control.

I know

The reason I stopped riding on the road was after being knocked off by a hit & run driver, loss of confidence followed so stuck to mountain bike afterwards. That happened at 8am on a sunny summer sunday morning so the timing of going for a ride seems a bit arbitrary… but it was a mid afternoon ride, suburb/countryside ride that made me start this thread.

Montgomery Wick…theres a blast from the past!

By staying indoors on the turbo

I know

Oh. Well, it doesn’t exactly require a Jedi mind trick, does it?

Exactly what crazy legs said.
I prefer off road , but sometimes needs must.
Riding into London this morning only two drivers tried to kill me.
I’ve taught myself to shrug my shoulders… Getting upset only spoils the ride.

Like others I ride when and where traffic is quiet. Generally country roads either weekday lunch or early Saturday mornings. Never on busy routes or city.

East Lothian is pretty good but there are a lot of cyclists

All the roads around me (Hindley near Wigan) that go anywhere are all very hostile which has left me with no option but to continue with Mountain Biking, and Mountain Biking only.

All the roads around me (Hindley near Wigan) that go anywhere are all very hostile

No, they’re not.

Not riding in rush hour is great, unless you commute then you don’t have a lot of choice. Make yourself as visible as possible, take a defensive line in the road and as others have said, avoid really busy roads if you can.

Well, i complain about the never ending cold overcast weather here in Fife, but the one thing i do have going in my favour is there’s loads of quiet roads, and outside rush hour even the main roads arent that busy. I really do feel sorry for people that have to ride in cities – i’d hate it.

My only tip as mentioned by others is to avoid the busier routes at rush hour as it instantly turns 90% of drivers in psychopaths.

I only ride on the road for commute on weekdays and only during peak traffic hours.

Any other time I feel bloody dangerous to ride.

Peak time you get the bus lane and also no car can park on single yellow so it is actually the safest time to ride not to mention during rush hour most cars are grid locked so you are even safer.

But come weekend or after peak hours it is plane dangerous and as you said they just cut you off even when they know you will have to hard breaking, they will over take you with little room and all those things you’ve mentioned.

So I just do mountain biking on weekends. Road is for commute and I happy with that setup.

I commute and ride around the city a lot. I don’t road ride for pleasure. How do I cope? I am on it at all times concentrating hard, I look behind me every 20 seconds or so, I ride assertively and defensively, I have learnt not to let the buggers wind me up, I have wide sticky tyres and disc brakes and cover the brakes at all times. I jump the odd red light where it gets me out of the way of traffic. I mock and laugh at the numpties – I try not to get angry. I try to use creative insults. ” hope year next crap is a pineapple” ” thrombus” ( medical term for a bloody clot) I laugh at all the car drivers stuck in traffic s I ride past smiling

I now train on my turbo instead of my 25mile commute

I did a 50km loop today and, once away from the village, saw no more than 7-8 cars. Any that overtook me left plenty of room.

I must be lucky as I don’t seem to have much hassle. Get the odd car that overtakes a bit close but most give plenty of room.