That’s shocking. Every cyclist should see that video.
After I learnt a few years ago that most cyclist deaths in London were left turning lorries I stay behind them, go nowhere near.
If they overtake me I keep a very close eye and ready to brake or get off the road

I struggle with long sentences but here’s my tuppence-worth

I wear a helmet
I wear fleuro when commuting
I have 6 lights when it’s dark/low light (4 on bike, 2 on helmet)
I don’t wear headphones
I don’t run red lights
I don’t ride on the pavement
I ride primary position as recommended
I filter on the right rather than the left (most times)

But I’m still routinely beeped at, cut up, squeezed.

I don’t buy the ‘cyclists have to behave properly first and then we can get car drivers to do the same’ argument. I do ride properly but I’m still close to getting injured every time I ride… so riding properly is NOT keeping me 100% safe.
Car drivers have a tonne of metal killing machine under their control and loads of protection. I do not.

There’s plenty of appalling and poor cycling going on. But blaming the bad cyclists for car driver’s bullying will instigate no change IMO.

Car drivers (me included) have been sold the dream of personal freedom. So many people believed it that it’s not living up to the promise. They see cyclists riding freely through the city and along the roads and are resentful.

When I drive i find it a pain to have to slow up and give a cyclist room. But I understand that’s my responsibility as a driver and so I do. Many people choose otherwise but let’s be clear, it’s a choice that drivers consciously make, nothing else…

It’s simple prejudice and envy. Punish bad behaviour. End of

Condolences to his friends and family.

However, glad to see it getting coverage on the news this evening too. Cyclists deaths need to be driven up the news agenda. Drivers need to understand the consequences of not looking out for cyclists properly.

I love my Soul. Not over hyped at all.
And the service is top notch

It’s great to see someone so successful be so mature about it.
Great role model, great for cycling

oh yeah 🙂

STW’s sense of humour is too cheesy for me

A few thoughts:
20 is still pretty young and plenty of people are immature at that age.
Whilst I think what they did was poor behaviour, they may well not have thought through the implications to you or anyone else, and if it was a group, maybe one person led it and the others went along cos they didn’t want to be seen to be too serious/not up for a laugh.
Being values-led and wanting to do stuff for other people can make other people feel inadequate so you may find you get little attacks from other people as a result…

I wouldn’t expect them to know how you feel about it by mind reading tho. Talk to them individually and see what response you get. Those who show understanding and apologise, they’re probably your friends. Some you;ll realise from their reaction are maybe people you want to see less of..

I had a few friends from university who I stayed friends with for nearly 20 years after, but I always had issues about just how good their friendship was. I walked away eventually, and it was one of the best things I ever did. You don’t want immature, uncaring, selfish people in your life…

I’ve been avoiding my usual London Bridge route to work because of the warnings and going in via Victoria instead. Generally pretty chilled, doesn’t seem any worse than usual. If anything it seems less frantic.
May get busier as we get closer to the finals and big events of course

IME helps to ride FS and HT alternately and often
FS has better grip and you can rag the rocky stuff. But you can get lazy (and on easy trails can be boring)

HT forces you to learn how to read the trail and flow better as there’s less suspension to do the work for you.

After a while you ride your FS like a HT – flowy and smartly and you ride the HT like the FS – go straight at stuff and hang on…

pretty rude IMO. At least come and ask if you mind…
And not that smart, how do they know you’re a decent rider who will point out all the holes and gravel…

I’m lucky I ride in Surrey Hills and Hurtwood a very organised about trail maintenance. You learn a lot.
Very satisfying to tidy a trail up and over time see the benefit of the work
Amazing what a small group of well-organised volunteers can do too

how inconsiderate of them. should’ve shoved them into the yoghurt and run away laughing

the argument that it’s ‘nicer’ and ‘more courteous’ for cyclists to pull over is utterly misleading.

It suggests cyclists are somehow second-class citizens
It’s less safe for the cyclist, driver and the driver or cyclist coming the other way.

And as i’ve said numerous times ^^, those who are arguing that point, go and ride the road a few times and experience for yourself what happens when drivers pass you.

There’s a reason I ride primary position and it’s entirely about safety and bitter, bitter experience. If I stop doing this as you suggest, there’s a strong risk my family and friends will be standing around in anguish at my funeral. Please go and get some road riding experience instead of circulating the myth that primary position or two abreast are somehow morally wrong or selfish. It’s not middle aged men playing games, it’s a matter of life and death (no exaggeration)

For cyclists to be taking such a position shows how deeply ingrained these dangerous beliefs are.

And OP, seriously, you’ve wound a few of us up on here, I wouldn’t do this face to face – it’s a very emotive issue amongst regular commuters and road riders and you need to have some empathy for that.

Someone in that group may well know someone injured or killed by a car driver and may not take too kindly to your points.

Strikes me that those who say cyclists shouldn’t ride two abreast have never actually ridden on a club ride and don’t actually understand the basic reasons for it and reality of group road riding…
just the selfishness of it

Argh! How many times does this need saying? Cyclists were doing it before cars were about! Where’s the logic which says it’s now selfish just because there are more cars?

And how many times do we have to point out that on a narrow road it’s also safer for cyclists, the driver behind and also the driver coming the other way?

Really, there’s a lot of opinion on this thread based on zero experience of actually riding in a group. Go and ride in a group a few times, experience it and then come back and give your views…

And in the meantime, remember that the ‘cars first, cyclists second’ attitude is killing an maiming people…

Oh, and without club riding there’d be no Armistead, Cooke, Wiggins, Cav, Froome, Hoy, Pendleton. The whole lot, they’d never have got into riding bikes and competing…

Seems there’s a signal for ‘slow down’ – perfectly applicable for pulling into an area to allow drivers to pass, perhaps?

not at all! The signal means slow down (for traffic lights, t-junction, stationary traffic, zebra crossing etc)

It does not mean ‘pull in’

You can’t have one signal meaning two different things. Clear communication of risks is the whole point of them!

Strikes me that those who say cyclists shouldn’t ride two abreast have never actually ridden on a club ride and don’t actually understand the basic reasons for it and reality of group road riding…

Group riding technique[/url]

Those of you who think riding 2 abreast is selfish – read this…

How many good reasons do you need?

Where as some grumpy old men who didn’t rebel enough in their youth believe that we should stand up for our right to block the carriageway regardless of the negative outcome..

How do you legitimise that opinion when cycling 2 abreast in groups was common practice for 50 years before cars came into mass usage?

The first Tour de France was 1903 – so group cycling must have been in place before then (my own road club was formed in 1935) but cars didn’t start being owned by the masses till after WW2 – early 50’s

So there are more cars now, yes, and fewer cyclists. But what’s the logical link there which says cyclists should be compelled to ride differently now?

Don’t forget that 2 abreast is because it’s more efficient to ride like that – there’s a very good functional reason for it. And more cars on the road does not change the functional reasons & benefits for group riding…

This belief that cyclists riding 2 abreast when in a group is selfish because it takes up space on the road…

1. It’s legal
2. It’s frequently safer for both cyclists and drivers because it helps stop drivers overtaking inappropriately
3. It’s how group cycling has been for over 100 years, including at least 50 years before cars came into mass ownership!!!!

Where does this idea come from that this has to change because car drivers don’t like it?

Riding ‘through and off’ is, and has been, standard group riding procedure for decades. And I mean decades. Since early 1900’s if not earlier. It’s effective for riding efficiently against the wind.

Are we saying that cycling practice which takes place for good reasons and has done so for c 50-60 years before cars came into mass ownership, has to change now because car drivers (and I am one) don’t like it?

Not sure I can see a good rationale for that.

And if the French, Italians, Spanish, Dutch, Danish can STILL manage to respect cyclists, why can’t Brits?

You’ve got 2 arguments here based around consideration for others:
1. Car drivers should be more considerate to cyclists, ease up and sit behind until there’s space
2. Cyclists should be more considerate to car drivers and get out of the way if they’re holding things up

I agree in part with both arguments, and the Highway Code can support both too. I suspect that, depending on the scenario, both behaviours can be most appropriate.

Which is the nub of the issue. No-one argues against greater consideration for others. But which action delivers that consideration? Depends entirely on the circumstances…

We need clearer law and clearer priorities. As it’s impossible for car driver and cyclist to communicate their points of view and needs whilst both travelling along a country lane, confusion and conflict will continue…

Oh and riding in the gutter suggests that cyclists are somehow secondary citizens and as cycling numbers increase, this is likely to lead to more injuries and deaths (cyclists and drivers), not fewer

To be fair brooes, it sounds (from him) like the OP behaved quite reasonably.

I’ve edited with exactly that point. Not enough people on this thread recognising that and giving the OP due credit

OP you need to go out on a few road rides to understand how it feels cycling in traffic. At times it feels like open season on cyclists – close passing, abuse, sometimes psychotic behaviour. I had a guy nearly crash on a country lane – he was so busy giving me the finger after he close overtook me, that he stopped looking where he was going.
Is someone like that psychologically fit to be driving? I don’t think so… but my life is in their hands and I don’t like that…

So this kind of experience becoming too often the norm, we learn to ride defensively so we don’t get killed or injured. Not just for our own convenience or selfishness but also because my friends and family would be in pieces standing around at my funeral and I don’t want to do that to them.

So to avoid that appalling scenario, on a narrow country road where I feel tucking into the gutter would invite a driver to make a dangerous overtake, I take primary position – as taught by Bikeability – ie: in the middle of my side of the road. It’s safer for me, safer for anyone trying to overtake, safer for the car driver coming the other way. Sadly this is often interpreted as selfish cycling…

Driver education is what is needed here so they can understand why we ride defensively and to respect our desire to stay alive. Cyclists have been group riding since before today’s drivers were born. My club was formed in 1938… cars don’t have a magic priority.

As for the ‘it makes drivers angry’ if they can’t get past. An individual’s response to a situation is entirely their choice. If they choose to get angry because they can’t get past a cyclist or group of cyclists I suggest they need to see a therapist. It’s probably the most unhelpful mental state to be in when driving 1 tonne + of metal.

Try some road riding – it’ll help you understand how to drive more safely around cyclists, and hopefully help you to understand being angry isn’t a terribly helpful response for you or anyone. I do however give you full credit for the fact that, unlike many drivers, you did have the patience and maturity to sit behind them for 4 miles. When that happens to me, I always give a thank you wave. Win win for everyone!

More cyclists hopefully means better provision (e.g. bike parking, spaces on trains, road space).It would also be nice to think that other road users would be more used to bikes on the road and learn how to accommodate them better.

Sadly, I think more bikes on the road is part of the problem. It’s giving us more presence as a group. Which means for any given journey a car driver is more likely to have to ease up to give space to a cyclist.

Because we’re so often seen as ‘smug lycra louts’ and there’s a generalised culture of entitlement in the UK, this is leading to more negativity towards us rather than less…

I think the ‘more cyclists = safer’ argument probably holds true but only once you’ve hit a certain critical mass, and we’re not there yet.

But maybe some good weather and more success over the next few weeks will provide that tipping point?

By the look on Wiggo’s face yesterday in Putney he was giving it all he had…

We’ve had silver in the ladies, let’s hope Lizzie gets as much +ve coverage as there’s been debate about the men’s loss.

And focus on the time trial and track. I doubt Team GB cycling are going to have a failure games… we’ll forget all about yesterday in a couple of weeks

And in the meantime, cycling is getting positive press across the UK. Long may that last

Hard to be 100% sure quite what I saw on that video but a lone individual seemed to be being attacked by more than one other, surrounded by a shouting mob.
That video doesn’t put cyclists in a good light tbh…

IME there are some people who think a policeman/woman is a legitimate target because they are ‘authority’ even if it’s just a lone copper on his/her own being surrounded by an intimidating group.
Says more about individuals’ issues with authority figures than their basic humanity…
Sadly in this video these people are on bikes, which is just bad PR for cyclists as a community.

If you get the opportunity Rubbish, change your username. You are more likely to succeed if you have self-belief, self-respect, and self-worth. Contrary to what you might think of yourself right now, you are not rubbish, you are a human being.

+1

Why not call yourself ‘Mr Turnaround’ or ‘Mr Success?’

And this might come in useful to keep an eye on your mood each day…

Moodscope

I’d like to see more people on bikes and cycling becoming a more ‘normal’ thing for people to do in the UK.

But primarily I’d like idiot/lazy or psychotic drivers to either give me some space or be caught and punished when they don’t. As a regular commuter and road rider it feels like a matter of time before I’m taken out.

Sadly I don’t think the former will lead to the latter. I think part of the issue is more cyclists = change of the balance of power on the roads and too many drivers can’t handle that…

I have a carbon roadbike but I won’t be getting a carbon mtb if they can’t take a slow speed topple onto a rock. I’d be buying a new bike every year!

Tessa Sanderson was on C4 news saying Cav shouldn’t complain about the other teams’ behaviour, it’s sport and that’s the way things are…

In principle I would agree but I’m not sure she understood cycling teams generally work together in those kind of circumstances…

So I was left wondering why they asked her for her opinion… I think the OP’s unhappiness with people knowing nothing about a sport complaining about a non-result is fair. It’s a bit like someone who’s never done your job coming up and telling you you’re doing it wrong… yes, everyone’s entitled to an opinion but if you’re going to criticise at least know something about your subject!

Reminds me of the overweight kid who heckled me as I rode through Wandsworth about an hour after the peleton had passed… clearly didn’t ride a bike much but still felt entitled to offer a negative opinion!

Wiggo was giving it everything when he came past us in Putney…
Shame we’ve started on a non-result but I think Brit team is mature and competitive enough to use it to spur them on for the rest of the cycling events…

Good luck to Wiggo in the Contre La Montre

Dropping an MTB like that is not an unlikely occurrence – easily done in the carpark if not propped up correctly.

Whilst breaking it in such circumstances may not be a warranty claim (no manufacturing fault as such) if a mountain bike can’t take that kind of impact it’s not really a very good mountain bike is it… I mean, it’s a sport which involves fast riding in the outdoors amongst rocks and trees where unintended dismounts are part of the sport. A rock strike could have the same level of impact for instance…

So I don’t think yr unreasonable for thinking it’s not saying much for the quality (or service) of Yeti but I don’t think it’s a warranty claim.

Personally I wouldn’t buy a Yeti if it can’t take that kind of impact – they’re priced as premium products. And if their customer service is to make you pay full whack for a replacement I’d never ride it outside my lounge in case it ever touched anything solid!!

and why does he even bother with a helmet?

Holds the camera + helps to keep his goggles on

better going like that than under a bus

Dunno, Costa Rica!!

wrong choice of Pistols tune for maximum controversy!

My sympathy you’re in such an unhappy place but…
You also know what the problem is and it’s 100% in your gift to resolve it…
You have your motivation to solve it (wife and daughter) so go and get some help if you need it, dig in and good luck!

the comments on the bbc site are hilarious. Olympian whinging!

betty to light the flame!

it does remind you how GB has been at the forefront of most of the western world’s developments over the years
but maybe that’s a bit too highbrow for this occasion?