Friends with anti-cyclist bigotry

How do you all deal with it?
Ive tried the educational approach, doesn’t work & I’m at the point of ending my friendships with these people, which would be a shame as ive known some for over 30yrs.

It’s always amusing when they say “I hate cyclists! Not you, I mean other cyclists”

Ask them how they would react if you were killed, while riding, by a fellow anti-cyclist bigot?

Point and laugh at their fat belly.

That’s a good point! – made by the Captain, although the fat belly is apt too..

Put on my helmet, glasses and my most lurid lycra top and unexpectedly leap out of a bush in front of them , whilst screaming “GO! GO! POWER RANGERS!” in their face.

That’ll learn ’em.

‘s not much admittedly but you need to work with what you have.

I always start by asking
‘Do you know how much of a gap a motorist is meant to give a cyclist when overtaking?’

They never know……but it always starts the old cogs going for them.

Then, it’s easy to explain riding in the primary and two or more abreast, as the Highway Code says you are allowed to do ‘ …if you consider it unsafe not to’.

This normally confuses them enough to make them need a cake, or their head melts.

Then a swift kick in the whiskers, to use some positive reinforcement.

I just tell them how I ride and why and that it’s great and keeps me from getting morbidly obese, or accuse them of being repressed homosexuals who can’t resist men in lycra.

Of course all this would be a moot point if we had adequate cycling infrastructure (wide well surfaced well maintained segregated pedestrian free lanes). Maybe you could try that approach?

Of course it is difficult convincing someone that their prejudices are incorrect, as anything they perceive to be supporting it will have far more importance than actual facts. If it was a fr

I tend to make my excuses and leave. It’s not even the issue of being bigoted about cycling, any bigot just demonstrates a total lack of depth of thought which is never good company and never makes for interesting conversation. Move on.

Friends who turn out to be insufferable bigots tend not to be friends for too long. It’s the bigotry itself, not the target/s. If they are very close long-standing friends like family, then it’s all part of the we all have ‘foibles’ that we tolerate in each other for greater good?

I join in. Bloody sweaty hippies…

At work years ago someone was anti-cyclist (always going on about them jumping red-lights and riding on pavements); so I just asked them how many cyclists had killed anyone this year, while pointing out how many pedestrians/cyclists had died in RTA’s.

Not sure if they became pro-cycling, but they stopped saying it to me.

I join in. Bloody sweaty hippies…

Best response! Along with ‘can’t stand ’em meself!’ (Dons helmet rides off to fetch the haterzzzz some beer and pizza)

My soon to be brother in law has slowly been getting worse. Especially posting rubbish on facebook. I’ve tried challenging him but have given up, life’s to short to waste time with idiots !!
https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154465558154486&id=602994485&set=a.75625679485.72309.602994485&source=57&refid=52&__tn__=E

I usually go with the ‘you know, cyclists aren’t all one group. I’m just a bloke out for a bike ride/trying to get to work just like you’.

If that doens’t work, then they’re arseholes and I’d rather have no friends than arseholes for frieds.

Or what Jef said.

my friends tend to know better.

@taxi25, your bil, I assume, is the owner of the motorbike, no? EDIT: this might not be correct as it is dangerously parked (rule 239) and he hates that sort of thing.
He posted this in reply to a comment:

I am against events like Velothon Wales where we are confined to our street for up to 12 hours without any consideration to the residents. Our rights are infringed by a minority.

I wonder whether he enjoys the delights of the TT or the Northwest 200 or any of the other numerous closed road motorbike races that occur throughout the UK.
He does seem very confused about what he is raging against though.

My soon to be brother in law has slowly been getting worse.

“I’m aware that some of my friends are cyclists, my comments aren’t aimed at them.” Sums the mentality up right there. I hate cyclists, but you’re all right, you’re like a person what I know and everything, it’s that other lot, you know, cyclists.

None of my friends are anti cycling or anti cyclist. Kind of a self selecting Venn diagram between bigots and friends.

where we are confined to our street for up to 12 hours

Bloody Velo organisers, coming up our street and breaking everyone’s legs.

I hate cyclists! Not you, I mean other cyclists

Can you use this to challenge (if you can be bothered)? We get something similar on immigration from the “I’m not racist but..” types who will happily rant about immigration on facebook, forgetting that my partner, included in the conversations, is an immigrant herself. It can be fun challenging the “oh no, we don’t mean you” brigade when they try and wriggle out of admitting the reality, which is generally that they mean darker skinned immigrants..

In a cycling context, a resonse that they don’t mean all cyclists, just the red-light-jumping pavement-riding ones, gives the opportunity to respond with “me too, they give the majority of law-abiding cyclists a bad name” which might plant a seed in their thick skulls that cyclists are individuals?

If you don’t let some “friends” out of your life, you may not have enough room for new friends.

I’d tell them that a real friend wouldn’t go on like that, and see what happens.

“I hate cyclists”
“What, even me?”
“No not you, you’re ok”
“There are other decent cyclists who obey the rules”
“Well clearly not them either..”
“So you hate cyclists who behave like dicks and flout the rules?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah me too. Arseholes.”

@ captain. Yup thats his bike, loves going on mass rides T/T and all that. Thing is I think it’s great he’s out enjoying the roads in his way and it’s a real shame he doesn’t feel the same about a different group 🙁

@ captain. Yup thats his bike, loves going on mass rides T/T and all that. Thing is I think it’s great he’s out enjoying the roads in his way and it’s a real shame he doesn’t feel the same about a different group

Has this been pointed out to him?
Etape Cymru lost closed road status ue to idiots like this.
We should embrace these activities. I love when the RAC Rally (or whatever it’s called now) comes to town.
Love the half marathon and marathon that closes roads.
Triathlons that do the same.
It brings people to town and out of their houses, it’s brilliant.

Yup thats his bike, loves going on mass rides T/T and all that.

That’s your answer then, isn’t it.

“Bloody motorcyclists, dressed up like power rangers and riding around at a million RPM on one wheel!” – *gets defensive, not all bikers etc* – “there you go, then.”

The Velothon came past my kid’s school, so a lot of the parents had to deal with the organisers. Much as I am in favour of closed road cycling events, the Velothon organiesrs were apparently a right bunch of arseholes even amongst those who are reasonable people and would generally be in favour of such sporting events.

Biggest anti cycling bigot i know had an epiphany about 3 years ago, now rides a 10 thousand euro super record equipped bianchi everywhere. Has lost about 4 stone and posts endless inane cycling shit all over his facebook page.

So i’ve stopped following him and rarely speak to him anymore.

“I hate cyclists”
“What, even me?”
“No not you, you’re ok”
“There are other decent cyclists who obey the rules”
“Well clearly not them either..”
“So you hate cyclists who behave like dicks and flout the rules?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah me too. Arseholes.”

exactly this ^^^^ some cyclists drive cars too and when your driving your car you see some cyclists just being complete tossers, it is literally amazing the way some of them don’t have an accident without the involvement of others.

Just ask them what we should do about motorists killing 5 people every day and causing 98% of pedestrian death and injury in the UK. You can also throw in the fact that motorists are responsible for the overwhelming majority of red light jumping.

Then ask why they are choosing to complain about cyclists instead of dangerous motorists. Only the genuinely prejudiced and unthinking can get past that question, and unfortunately there’s nothing you can do with them

I think I drunkenly squared up to a large fireman who was spouting off around a lot of cyclists at a party and asked how late he would have to be for it to be worth murdering me with his car… His missus told him he was a knob

Get a grip man!

Just because you’re friends they don’t have to like everything you do and vice versa!

Relax.

Very true, but I’d refrain from saying surfers shouldn’t be allowed on public beaches, or motorcyclists banned from public roads for example yet those are the comments I’m expected to roll with .

There was a bloke I used to chat to at the gym. Once he saw me arriving on my bike.

Him: I hate cyclists.
Me: Right. Well **** off then.

And that was the end of that.

OP…

Just tell them to Chuff Off.

Then don’t get in contact ever again.

Life, life is too short to be surrounded by narrow minded morons.

Take control.

My soon to be brother in law

Seems to be a racist according to his comment regarding his drive home last Sunday as well!! Nice bloke……

As for how to deal with cycling bigot mates, get them really worked up and just as they start a rant, just get up and walk away leaving them to seethe on their own.

Or just constantly refer to him as motorist ****.

I was in the back of a car driven by my girlfriends friends when they overtook a cyclist at roughly 50mph into a blind bend. Another car came around the corner, and they slammed the brakes on but still had to drive between cyclist and oncoming car, missing him by inches. They both swore at the cyclist as if it’s somehow his fault…. “what a stupid place to cycle!!” “yeah, road is far too dangerous” etc..

Neither of them could drive properly. The entire journey was a pretty stressful experience.

I’m slightly ashamed to say i said nothing for fear of losing my temper at these idiots and ruining our weekend away with her friends.

How do you all deal with it?

challenge and educate and then offer to do a ride during commuting hours
TBH I dont know any anti cyclists as none of my mates are idiots

Sometimes have to explain why two abreast and the like and most folk go ah as they understand why it is done- unlike STW 😉

Some folk just dont care – like overtaking on a blind bend as if anyone made you do it

cycle past and punch off their wing mirror.

Sometimes have to explain why two abreast

With a straight face?