[Closed] How do you road riders deal/cope with ******** drivers?

Call the police?

I stick to quiet country lanes.

Were you riding in a large-ish group? I've stopped riding in groups of more than about 4 riders as cars take stupid risks to pass.

Yes- it was a largish group. The thing is the overtakes weren't 'hang back' then go (we created pockets for any to pull in if needed)- they literally rocked up- then went for it. The most bizarre one was turn in from the right across traffic- he just pulled out and onto the wrong side of the road straight into a car who had to stop and wait for him to go round him.

mrblobby - Member
I stick to quiet country lanes.

+1

As a new roadie, I'm going to guess that you probably stick to roads you know which are good in a car but not so nice on a bike.

Get out the maps and find quiet roads to link together areas that you want to ride on.

I've been lucky enough to spend most of my life in either rural Dumfries and Galloway or Fife. Both of which (D&G more so) have loads of brilliant little roads with very little traffic. It means that the number of bad drivers I encounter are pretty few. Usually unless they've actively endangered me I just let me them get on with it and try not to let them ruin my ride. Its just easier that way.

Somebody posted a quote on here that always help me out - something along the lines of "we will not allow their anger to poison our minds".

I avoid main roads and town centres and ride mainly on roads with little traffic.
I'm not a proper roadie, only had a road bike since last autumn and I can't say I really enjoy riding it.

Some days it's easier than others.

I get more stressed if the missus is with me. Simpler to accept and get on with it if I'm on my own.

It's strange. In London I felt safer though there was more traffic. In Berkshire, there's less traffic, but it's faster and people overtake like arseholes, hence I feel less safe. There's a sweet spot when traffic is low and the light is still good, but I really hope I'll find it soon.

Every ride I don't get clipped, or ploughed into by a car is a win for me.

In answer to Hora's question, I very rarely encounter them so I've never felt the need for a strategy to cope with them. Staying off the main roads always helps of course.

I tell myself that if it happens no more than once an hour, it must be a good day out.

due to the rain and a lack of time I was on road for most of last weeks commuting, strangely I think I only shook my head at someone [i]once[/i], thta's pretty good going. Unfortunately I'm guessing it was a fluke rather than a change of driver behaviour/my temperament.

<edit>whoops, just remembered I slapped someone's rear quarter panel when they cut the corner (into a mandatory cycle lane) entering a roundabout, I forgot about it pretty quick tho.

Not riding with a big group is the key for me. I don't normally have any trouble, if I did I can't see how I'd bother with the road bike. Once in a while you come across an idiot, but I meet them when I'm in my car as well 🙁

I'm gonna argue a counter position here! 😈

My commute is 10 miles along dual carriageway. Most drivers are actually courteous. The bellends in order (I've thought about this for years.....) 1. Old 'exec cars', 2. Flatbed trucks, 3. Whitevan man, 4. Woman in MPV.

I find that in my neck of the woods people drive at the same speeds on b roads but there is far less room for driver error. I actually feel safer at speeds over 20mph or so on a dual carriage way.

For leisure I'll ride mtb, off road. For commuting, mainline it!

some real idiots out there

I just ignore it. I just hope they are not being d1cks deliberately and get on with my ride. Little/nothing I can do about it.

I think its normal, rarely go a ride of any distance without seeing "punishment passes or somekind or aggresion from drivers.

What would you expect when the media portrays "cyclist" as a plaque on modern society?

It was kind of busy yesterday. Sunny Sunday - Mother's Day as well - guaranteed to get pretty much everybody out on the roads

All part of life's rich tapestry eh

Hang on a minute. Never mind all this nonsense. We need an answer to a pretty fundamental question here….

Hora… were you wearing lycra?

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I remind myself of the many cars that pass safely, courteously and carefully, and deduce that it can't be my riding that is the problem.

Hora… were you wearing lycra?

Years ago I bought some Raceface leggings. I got 1/2mile down the road from my house, looked down, turned round and rode back. A grown man in lycra is hideous. Only young, fit professionals can wear lycra. Middle-aged men in lycra is similar to a 40yr old woman with pig-tails.

A different kind of wrong, but wrong all the same.

Lycra isn't for the older man.

Rules:

#1 Keep off A roads
#2 Keep off B roads unless linking a loop together
#3 Ride in lanes only
#4 Give yourself enough room to ride, don't be intimidated by car drivers
#5 Wear Pink
#6 Shave your legs

HTH

I rant impotently about it on cycling forums on the internet

Historically my solutions have been:
stop riding road and go back to MTB
build up a cx style/drop bar hybrid/gravel racer and link dirt stuff to minor roads
go back to riding road because training for something mates want to do and realise that most road cyclists tolerate bad driving to get their fix and I'm crap at getting up early*
*actually not bad but its a family priority issue
repeat

Standards of driving seem to be falling dramatically at the moment. I nearly t-boned a Beetle which drove straight out of a side street on Saturday... how the 'lady' driver failed to see a Ford Focus from about 50 yards away is beyond me...

And have you tried driving at 30 in a 30 limit for any length of time without silly overtakes or tailgating?

As a cyclist 2 things:
1. Get your Bikeability training - however long you've been riding it will teach you useful stuff. The basic premise of the training is that driving standards are lousy so you need to ride accordingly...
2. Angry people are angry, you're just their target at that moment - they're essentially having a tantrum just like your average toddler... so ignoring their abuse/hand signals etc rather than getting infected by their anger is one way of dealing with it... or a friendly wave can be quite fun... you never get a friendly wave back, but it definitely helps you deal with the situation 🙂

I admire roadies for their determination, but I just can't see the fun road cycling in the South East of England. Way too much traffic, bad driving, potholes, and simply too many people!

i hate riding on the road mainly due to issues in the OP - sold my road bike a while ago in favour of a CX bike which i ride on mix of off/on road routes, sticking to very quite roads, gravel paths and ncn routes (plenty round here). in fact its quite enjoyable! 😀

As above, I avoid busy roads, busy times of day, large groups and I make sure I wear bright clothing and ride defensively.

TBH prett much all of my road miles are with just the one mate or solo, we've both tried bigger groups and clubs but not gotten on with it, in large part due to the way drivers deal with it when faced with more than two cyclists.

We tend to try and plan interesting routes on quieter roads, but it is sort of sad that avoiding dickish driving has to be such a consideration when choosing a route. And you are right I think roadies sort of do accept inconsiderate and dounright dangerous driving as "The Norm" and hence don't challenge it.

We did a Charity ride last Sunday which was pretty well planned, executed and routed IMO, but where it did have to take in busier road sections there were still issues, mainly due to impatient and stupid drivers, perhaps also partly due to the mix of cyclists you get on a Charity ride, Big groups that vary in speed (and control), with lots of gaps inbetween do sort of serve to tempt bad drivers into sketchy overtakes, only to then sit in the gap revving or just hang it out and try to take the lot on a bend, I did see some interesting displays...

Ultimately it is down to driver education and temprament, as a cyclist you can [I]"choose to make yourself less of a target"[/I] by riding solo or in small groups, taking the quietest routes and picking less busy times, but then you really shouldn't have to do that.
Cycling is a legitimate use of the roads, if a driver can't read the road ahead, spot that an overtake isn't safe, and in that split second accept that they are going to have to wait a little bit, rather than dip their right toe and hope for the best, then then they really shouldn't have a licence.

I refuse to ride a bike on UK roads. The driving is just too dangerous.

Luckily I enjoy Spanish roads where drivers are courteous and safe.

What the hell is wrong with the UK I've no idea.

It's not just driving. I won't go out in a provincial town in the UK on a Saturday night for all the drunken violence.

The more time I spend away from the UK the more weird it becomes.

I refuse to ride a bike on UK roads. The driving is just too dangerous.

Luckily I enjoy Spanish roads where drivers are courteous and safe.

You do know a fair portion of UK drivers like to holiday in Spain? if anything it should be worse...

You can never be entirely safe from lairy Chris in his [B]Meriva of Doom![/B] especially when abroad as that's when they go [I]"Rental Mental!"[/I]...

The Steering wheels on the wrong side, The signs are in Kilometres and all the locals talk funny, Normal [I]rules[/I] just don't apply anymore...

hora I'm going to dig out my tightest of tight lycra just for you the next time we meet. There are only a few way out of Manchester for us but once out there are loads of decent quiet lanes to have fun in 😉

I live in a village surrounded by quiet country lanes and avoid them like the plague.
Apart from these lanes There is one two lane well lit road out the village leading to far more busy built up areas which is where I head for.

Because the country lanes are very tight and twisty with plenty of blind corners a equally blind peaks and troughs.
And a lot of motorist suddenly seem to think they are Colin McRae.
And the one closest to my house is closed at least a couple of times a year due to a big car tree interface.

I would much rather take my chances on a busy high road any day of the week.
And I don't bother to react to bad driving mostly, unless It's a genuinely life threatening situation.

chip you live in Wales?

mrcrispy

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I stick to quiet country lanes.

I'm fortunate enough to live not far from miles and miles of quiet lanes in the rolling Lancashire countryside.

I only ride on A/B 'trunk' roads out of necessity.

Wear white gloves. Then they can see your "wet anchor" gesture more easily.

I'm eternally grateful that, when I go out on my road bike, I don't have to face these horror-roads that you lot have to put up with. It's not like I even live in the middle of nowhere. If my road-riding experiences were half as bad as some of you lot make out, I'm sure I would have given up long ago.

chip you live in Wales?

Does any one ride on the wrong side of the road on tight country lanes.
As drivers expect to come across oncoming traffic and tend to hug the left tree line when going around blind bends.
So on the wrong side of the road I would have a chance to ditch.

When I used to road run I always ran these lanes on the wrong side as it amazed me how close people passed at speed, literally inches when I ran on the left.

I don't let it get to me. If they pass close, well at least they passed and I'm still here. There's no point remonstrating with them in their rear view mirror because they wont even realise what they have done, so wont learn from it.

On the few occasions where an accident has occurred/enough of a close shave for them to brake and realise what they did wrong, I've found most drivers to be apologetic.

I'm going to guess that a lot of the animosity towards cyclists outside London has increased due to the popularity and coverage on TV/internet of GoPro commuters careering through gaps that aren't there putting themselves in harms way just to make a point, screaming at the top of their voices and pontificating at anyone who they think will listen/can hear over the sound of the car radio. These people mostly have done 2 years on a C2W scheme and are the reason cyclists who can remember cycling proficiency tests at school are being harassed by car drivers.

If the car came THAT close, you wouldn't have time to take your hands off the bars and wave your disapproval, you'd be taking evasive action as self preservation kicks in.

Dont ride in the gutter but don't take the p1ss, the 2ft of space to your left is your escape lane.

Wear white gloves. Then they can see your "wet anchor" gesture more easily.

A driver of a large Merc did a really inconsiderate move on me in the Peaks (tried cutting across my path causing me to brake hard) so I did the shaking beans movement with my hand in my rear view mirror- he turned round and roared passed me, slammed on at an angle blocking the road and jumped out. So I got out and told him to get back in his car. He was in his late 60's. I'd say 5mins away from a stroke/heart attack. I don't care if your ex Special forces or a small Accountant- getting THAT angry at his age is a trip in an Ambulance.

Doing those sort of symbols to anyone is just lighting the paper to their already simmering anger of the day. So I agree with all of the above- don't rise.

Does any one ride on the wrong side of the road on tight country lanes

You are Philip Gilbert and I want to race you 😀

99% of my road riding is north of where I live, in the open country of the Ribble Valley and Bowland Fells and I never have any issues with drivers; local drivers seem to be quite accustomed to cyclists - there are a lot of them - and in less of a hurry. Even on a mass ride of about 40 riders from Whalley to Glasson Dock and back organised through Cycle Chat last Saturday we had no hassle, as far as I know.

However as soon as I head south into the formerly industrial conurbations of Blackburn, Burnley and further south towards Manchester I get hassled, abused and harrassed, usually by scroats in economy hatchbacks or idiots in vans.

Says a lot about country living, doesn't it?

I've decided not to let idiot drivers ruin my rides. Don't try and rush everywhere and tend to ride in a defensive manner. Assume every car and/or bend is possibly going to kill you and approach accordingly.

I do still get wound up by complete morons though. Their actions and my behaviour both deteriorate the larger the group I'm with though.

Private cars(I always have a polite word) if I can .. Company vehicles(liveried) if dangerous to me I always always report it to company concerned.. It may be a friend/fellow cyclist that doesn't get off as lightly 🙁

Been to police few times as well to report private cars if I got reg.. The dangerous driving won't stop unless we report/educate drivers...

@globalti

That's my riding area too 🙂 Might see you out and about one day.

Based in Fulwood, Preston and usually head out north or north east towards Bowland/Slaidburn.

I try to just ignore the traffic. Easier than getting worked up or scared off by it.

Often see young dickheads in cars showing off to their mates sat by side of them. Some will swerve car in your direction, alot more will shout something at you as they pass .. alot of those types are too thick to wind window down too .. that makes me giggle 😆

Last week an old fella pulled along side me as I rode and went off on one about distance I should be from kerb .. he not noticing there was an island coming up in road, he had to slam on his brakes when he decided to look where he was driving.
I guess some dickheads never grow up.

Hora, where did you go? I ride round the Cheshire lanes and most are fine.

Get some level 3 National standards training. If your near Manchester or a Birmingham, Bikeright! are very good.

Regardless of how many years you've been riding you might be surprised what you pick up from a couple of hours with an instructor. It's less about the Highway Code and procedures for taking junctions and more about negotiating road space, riding as part of the traffic and route planning.

I refuse to ride a bike on UK roads. The driving is just too dangerous.

Luckily I enjoy Spanish roads where drivers are courteous and safe.

I also have stopped road cycling in the UK, as in going for a big ride on a road bike. I ride into town, and down the pub, and to and from cannock Chase, that's different somehow. But the last time i was really nervous on a road was in Spain. The E5 or N340 out of Tarifa towards Cadiz. Flipping heck - even with a wide bike lane it was terrifying.

As per my earlier reply I have fairly low expectations from motorised road users and they live up to them. Yes, most are extremely courteous and careful but with the 35 million vehicles on the road even a tiny proportion being dangerous puts a fair amount of loons on the road.

One option is night riding, Im lucky living East of the A12 in Suffolk which is pretty quiet anyway but ride those roads at night and you can do 50 miles and see less than a dozen cars.

I ride in the North East. No one around most of the time and the majority of people I do see are good drivers and friendly. Biggest concern at the minute is lambs, little things have no road sense.

I cycle almost 100% in Wales and I rarely have a problem. I use A and B roads as they are the best to train on and still quiet over there. Almost as soon as I cross back over the bridge back to Bristol I see a lot of poor driving. It has got to the point where I won't use a lot of roads at busy times because people think it is ok to risk killing me to save a few seconds. Im unsure why it is, maybe just the volume of traffic or angry people caught in the rat race?

Full water bottle at rear window usually wakes them up

Cycle around the roads of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire and rarely have any issues. The occasional close pass and that's about it. I do pick my roads carefully though and have training routes where i know the roads to to be quiet or nice and wide. I have more bother from cars on the 5 minute commute to and from work than I do on long road rides.

I'm going to guess that a lot of the animosity towards cyclists outside London has increased due to the popularity and coverage on TV/internet of GoPro commuters careering through gaps that aren't there putting themselves in harms way just to make a point, screaming at the top of their voices and pontificating at anyone who they think will listen/can hear over the sound of the car radio.

I guessed that at some point somebody would pop up to blame cyclists for the poor behaviour of some drivers. I'm glad I wasn't disappointed...

I'm going to guess that a lot of the animosity towards cyclists outside London has increased due to the popularity and coverage on TV/internet of GoPro commuters careering through gaps that aren't there putting themselves in harms way just to make a point, screaming at the top of their voices and pontificating at anyone who they think will listen/can hear over the sound of the car radio.

So how do you explain the harrassment of those cyclists riding legally, legitimally and according to Bikeability principles?

I'm pretty certain I'm going to be killed by a pink princess airhead driving a Fiat 500/Mini, who is updating her Facebook page instead of looking at me.

She might tweet about how annoying it was afterwards.

I came very close to being taken out last week by a knob in a black Mercedes CLS.

I was riding on a short section of dual carraigeway on my way home from some local trails and he overtook me while undertaking a learner driver in the outside lane.

I swear his wing mirror was under my bars. It was a windy evening as well so a gust could have easily pushed me into his path.

Some people are just knobs

I think I'm going to buy a couple of video cameras, front & rear-facing.

No intention of becoming a youtube legend but I would definitely try to use them as evidence if I got hit.

...Hora 40 year pld women with pigtails you say....mmm. Nothing wrong there

^^^^ that (not tymbians post the one above) maybe. One of the issues is I believe the admissibility of the footage in criminal prosecutions. There was a case reported by CTC of a barrister who made a claim of assault against an abusive and threatening driver but the Police and CPS said the video evidence wasn't allowable for a criminal charge to be brought.

Civil liability is I expect different.

On a wider note I think there are two issues with driving standards:

1 roads policing - there really isn't enough of it to cope with anything but the worst cases

2 the societal ill that is the perceived right to drive (however the **** you want)

Problem 2 is constantly reinforced by problem 1.

@[b]mrblobby[/b]

Where are these routes in Berkshire you speak of? I have a 30km loop mostly on B roads that starts near Swinley Forest, up to Windsor Park and back. I have a short bit on an NSL B road which is a nightmare. If you have any quieter routes you'd like to share then I'd be very grateful.

My e-mail address is mailtocuriousyellow at gmail dot com if you'd like to help me out. Advice gratefully received!

I find controlling the lane if it gets narrow or approaching a bend help, signalling my intensions early, you still get the odd idiot but you just have to let it go, I refuse to let bad driving and cycling anger me now.
Motorist are like cyclists, it is the 1 bad one that leaves the impression not the 100 good ones.

Curiousyellow, I'm further west in Newbury. On your side loads of the roads either side of the A4 in the M4/M3 corridor between newbury and reading are all pretty quiet, just steer clear of the busier A and B roads. A lot west of newbury too but guessing that's a bit far.

If I want to try something different I'll plot a route using [url= http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php ]Bikehike[/url] and pick some roads that look like they aren't obviously busy then download it to my Garmin 810 and just follow that. Pretty quickly get to know the roads that are quiet and have a decent surface.

Cheers. Just put a little 45km loop together. I will have a go tomorrow morning.

Do you find a specific window during the day to be better to go out? In London I'd be fine if I got out for 0800, or right after noon for a couple of hours at the weekend. In Berkshire it seems quite changeable.

[quote=brooess ]2. Angry people are angry, you're just their target at that moment - they're essentially having a tantrum just like your average toddler... so ignoring their abuse/hand signals etc rather than getting infected by their anger is one way of dealing with it... or a friendly wave can be quite fun... you never get a friendly wave back, but it definitely helps you deal with the situation

This +1000. I don't always manage to control myself well enough, but a friendly wave at somebody who is being an arse [b]always[/b] leaves me feeling better than if I get angry and make rude gestures - the chances are it's also more likely to leave them feeling more confused and possibly worse if they stop to think, as they're undoubtedly expecting the rude gestures. Of course there has also been the occasion where somebody hooted me, I gave them a wave and it turned out they were hooting me because they were being friendly anyway!

The point of the thread was after all supposed to be about how you cope with bad driving, and this is certainly a better way of coping than most suggestions involving getting angry.

I think of this