martinj_77

I am a cyclist. I saw the same cyclist as doom jump 3 red lights that morning. He clearly chose to jump the red lights. As a good cyclist , i will not defend the bad cyclists, as a motorist i will not defend bad motorists... because IT IS NOT CYCLIST vs MOTORISTS, IT'S BAD ROAD USERS Vs GOOD! (last time i type that in caps and bold) Call out the bad, distance yourself from the them. Make it clear to motorists who don't cycle that not all cyclists are the bad ones...because the bad ones are getting all the attention and building the negative image of cycling in the eyes of motorists, making it dangerous for everyone, even the good cyclists. ...Unless...it was a fairy on a bike?

Hold on, Doom is raising a valid point. There are some terribly bad cyclist out there. There are also millions of good ones. I raised the point previously that BAD cyclists who jump red light etc are only doing it because they don't want to stop at red lights, and they think they'll get away with it. Chancers... thats it, just like BAD motorists are just chancers. But Doom raises a very valid point that SOME people are possibly going through red lights on bikes because they THINK its ok, they don't know any different. Some bad motorists will be messing up because they've forgotten everything from their driving test or just really not that good for what ever reason. Some BAD people chose the break rules, put people at risk, some are just clueless/just plain rubbish at it for what ever reason. The blond guy on the pale blue/black kinesis-crosslight-fivet obviously knew his cycling, but chose to chance the reds lights that morning. Education probably isnt going to stop those BAD cyclists, just like education doesn't seem to stop BAD motorists from drink driving, using their mobile phones, bullying cyclists of the road. Thats why we have traffic police (wish they could be a little more active on the roads though). But for the new people who just don't know different, yes, i think there should be compulsory training. I'm not talking about 8 weeks of lessons followed by 3 tests costing a thousand pounds like the DAS motorbike licence, just one off 30 mins/£15 or so with a police cyclists or such. thats it. Really not that big an issue. Yes, it will reduce the amount of cyclists, but also possibly accidents, deaths. Of course its very possible i may be completely wrong, so please suggest an alternative. But also I could imagine the amount of motorists on the road being reduced by re-testing every few years. Some people just don't take the roads seriously. The GOOD people do, the BAD ones don't. may be we could reduce the amount of bad people on the road...by turning the bad good. but some are plain rubbish. The wifes car was crashed in to by some one on a roundabout who just replied 'sorry, wasnt looking'. OK fair enough, they admitted fault but...'wasn't looking' as an explanation? I'm trying to destroy the myth that its cyclists Vs motorists. It isn't. its BAD and CLUELESS people Vs GOOD people. Why not suggest ways to fix the problems rather than tarring the good from each camp with the same brush as the bad and firing abuse at them. Like the subject of post is trying to discuss... There will be more and more cyclists and motorists on the roads, so best try to get along.

Are you accusing me of running defective/un safe vehicles on public roads? Probably best ignore that trolling post.

Right 2 issues here. Firstly… You see the bad cyclists posting on here…THEY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE GOOD ONES! to the BAD CYCLISTS: Don't jump red lights, it's never safer. Just rubbish that its safer. GOOD CYCLISTS SAY: THEY ARE WRONG! ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Only go through to help in an emergency, such as letting emergency vehicle go past. Second point: PERCEPTION, IMAGE TO OTHER ROAD USERS! By your blatant disregard for the rules EVERYONE is expected to follow, you're building hatred/anger and a complete lack of respect to us GOOD CYCLISTS! YOU are putting MY life at risk, not just yours, despite the fact i obey the highway at all times. Do you see how that works? If not, watch Top Gear, the BBC recently declared open-season on cyclists with their horrifically derogatory 'cyclist jump red lights' 'safety videos', never mind the anti-cycling cyclephobic posts on this thread. Dont suppose your in the city centre and will commute out down the a61 tonight? Fascinated to see these 'near death' situation you avoid by ignoring the basic rules of the road.

You see the bad cyclists posting on here…THEY DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE GOOD ONES! to the BAD CYCLISTS: Don't jump red lights, it's never safer. Just rubbish that its safer. GOOD CYCLISTS SAY: THEY ARE WRONG! ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Only go through to help in an emergency, such as letting emergency vehicle go past.

That's a very fair point. It does to be honest. It does have an effect. I think thats whats behind the perception of cyclist being angry all the time. It could be a genuinely life threatening, or even life destroying situation, yet we just get abuse back from bad motorists, or the comment of "sorry mate, didn't see you" when it goes wrong. So it's not a dangerous sport like rock climbing, paragliding yet…other people 'bad road users' make it dangerous, if you see what i mean, hence the frustration. Again this aimed at bad road users, there are lots of good ones.(feel like i need to keep saying that) This made me absolutely sick to my core… Just horrific. Basically if i turn left to go in the the city for work it'll be 'unpleasant' at best, life threatening at worse, turn right on an early sunday morning to go in to the peaks it can absolutely glorious. Gliding along, early sun turing the mist on the reservoirs orange, cheery wave to farmer as i stop to let his sheep pass. Check me out, getting all poetic. Also i commute by bike so i can afford to run my other passions, my car and my motorbike, they're not built with 'economy as their first priority'. I'm not giving them up so i have to get dull commuter car/bike for 20mins to get to work. So i bike so I can drive something special, as well as fitness and such. But then, if i love a good machine then logic follows that i would choose a good machine as my sport/exercise. Car manufacturers have along history of sponsoring cycling teams/event. Jaguar sponsor the british cycling team currently. Hence another frustration of mine, CARS Vs CYCLISTS…its just not the case. Feel like we're making progress here…? and Doom, I was the that cyclist that stopped this morning...

I can understand the straight forward logic of this, it's just not the issue or feasible though. I've been taken off by BAD motorists 3 times. Every time that happened i was on a cycle lane. Facility was put in place, the BAD motorist chose to chance it, fly out in front of me etc.. There are limits to how/where you could separate cyclists from motorists given the width of the vast majority of British roads. Break the 'Chancer mentality'…that's the issue.

Don't need to. I'm allowed to use the roads. The reason its "not safe" is because of idiots. Idiot cyclists jumping red lights building anger, idiot motorists pulling out on cyclists... etc. If everyone obeyed the highway code the current system would be safe. Very simple. A lot of people do obey the highway code, thats why the system hasn't completely imploded. We need to destroy the 'Chancer mentality' of BAD road users. BAD cyclist chance it because they think they're less likely to get caught. BAD motorists chance it because of the distorted sense of power and speed they have over cyclists. Cars just flying out in front forcing me to take dramatic evasive action, crash to the ground as it tries to accelerate away . It was this that put Bradley wiggins in hospital, and causes near death experience for me on weekly basis. The facilities aren't the problem BAD ROAD USERS ARE THE PROBLEM! Cyclist could take theory test before being alowed to buy/use a bike for the road. Motorists could take a theory test every 5 years. The police should carry out spot checks several days a year just like they did in london after the spate of cycling deaths, where they foccus on road users and dishing out tickets. I would pay for that to happen, but then, everyone should. Cheers, man. Theres not enough positive energy on here sometimes.

I cycle/commute 100 miles a week. ALWAYS OBEY THE HIGHWAY CODE! And… • Pay council tax • national insurance • 40% income tax • have 17 years no-cliams (never had an accident), yet still pay over £1000 on insurance • pay higher-end VED tax on 2 motor vehicles. I put it to you, that as a cyclists i'm subsidising the average non-cycling motorist to use the roads. ALL MY BIKES/LIGHTS FUNCTION AS THEY SHOULD. How do you feel about freeloading pedestrians using the pavements? Shoe Tax?

I commute down penistone road each morning and i have put all this in to perspective, and say a massive thank you to all the decent, skilled courteous, law abiding road users out there. I pass or come across hundreds of road users, both on bike and in car without incident each day, the vast majority of the time, but there are a small group of clueless, skill-less ignorant and therefore dangerous idiots out there. Why do you think your car insurance is so high and climbing each year? It's absolutely terrifying to see people just on this forum alone happily admitting to not knowing the highway code, then whining that its not fair when the error of thier ways are explained to them and then... Why do think its funny, lacking commons sense or unfair to not put other peoples live in danger? I watch the insults and threats against me, as a cyclists, on just this thread alone pile up, all without facts or evidence. I ride, and drive for that matter, perfectly within the law and common sense, if your now thinking "yeah, sure" and getting ready your next fact-less insult and false accusation against me, then i set this challenge in attempt to put an end to all this hatred of innocent law abiding members of the public as this...PROVE IT OR SHUT UP! ...Yeah, i know its a long shot, but why don't you actually do something about it apart from whining and firing insults at the good cyclists on this forum? Imagine if the effort that's gone in to 17 pages of abuse and cut'n'pasting in the highway code went in to a campaign of Highway code awareness? Of course I don't know if it'll work, you may never see those idiots again but its something. I can also back this up by saying I'm also sick of those idiots on bikes who jump red lights, ride on the pavement as well motorist who don't respect cyclists . I can assure you all the good cyclists hate those idiot cyclists far more than any motorist ever could as we're far, far more likely to get injured by them and we have to deal with all the hatred they build. Please, Please put forward your suggestions on how we can actually deal with problem, that's logical and within the law... How about getting a little video camera and fitting it to your windscreen/helmet safely and fully within the law. If your accusing me of being a PROVE IT!, build a case against all those dangerous road users, submit it to the police, get these dangerous road users off the road, prosecuted. Get the police to take note and watch Penistone Road or other trouble areas! Also if you see a cyclist with a camera on his helmet he has to be obeying the Highway code in case of an incident to prove it wasn't cyclist fault. Its a win, win for both motorists and cyclists if you see a cyclist with a helmet camera. I've just ordered mine. I assure you, I will be reporting both cyclists and motorist who are reckless on the roads. No idea what response i'll get from the police but i found that helmet camera footage has resulted in prosecution. Anyone got any experience of this? Or possibly get the council to put up those temporary plastic boards/signs on posts at junctions and such to explain the basic points of the Highway code for those who've 'forgotten'? I've waffled on far too much already but i just thought i'd put one of the many wrong stereo types/insults to bed that's really bugging me. Why I'm being accused of being a hippy and attempting to force car users of the road because i ride a bike? Again, another clueless statement. I love cars and i love my bikes. Because i love machines and speed (always within the law and common sense). I throw that insult straight back in your face! Have you/do you own car that's been in the Topgears top 20 cars, Evo magazines top 20 drivers cars of all time, a car capable of getting to 60 in less than 6 secs ( never on public roads, always within the law). Have you shown a car at a show, taken it on a track, mastered heal-toe and left foot braking? I have, have you...Hippy? (Petty, i know, but that ones been getting at me) Oh and a perfectly clean driving license, 15 years full no-claims? I take it you didn't see Sir Chris Hoy's recent documentary on his hero, Colin Mcrae? It's possible for people to like/use both cars and bikes. All of this can be answered by two things , You see a road user on Penistone road, or any other acting reckless , film them, report them, and...OBEY THE HIGHWAY CODE. If you don't know the highway code GET OF THE ROAD UNTIL YOU DO, BEFORE YOU KILL SOME ONES SON, DAUGHTER, MOTHER, FATHER, FRIEND OR ...YOURSELF. It's idiot road users versus good road users, never, ever bikes versus cars...ever! ....and relax...

We've just sold our house and we noticed that when we bought the house the previous owner didnt have the lease details, so just wondered if anyone on Myrtle Road has their lease details info they could pass on? Thanks Martin