BBC Gets Skewered by The Social

[magomago]

In my experience as a biker (and pretty much all the fellow bikers I've talked to) it's much safer to ride in the middle of the lane. One, riding to the side of the road invites unsafe passes, people are much more likely to make unsafe pass thinking what's the big deal if you bike as far to the side as possible. Two, paradoxically, I've found people give me much more space when passing me when I ride in the middle of the lane, if I ride in the middle of the lane they are much more likely to completely move over when passing me giving me good 3-5 feet of space, when I ride to the side of the road, they will often give me only 1-2 feet of space when passing me with throttle wide open.

So yeah, all it takes is one dickhead, but dickheads aside I'm much safer riding in the middle of the lane.

Agreed - far safe in the middle.

I ride on the right side (~20% of width) of the road. If there is a bike line, I definitely do that. The only time I take the full center is if there are many cars parked on the side - crashing into an opening door is something I want to avoid. The other instance is if the side of the road is poor road surface that is full of pot holes and debris that might lead to a flat tire.

Its amazing how angry and irrational someone can get when there is a cyclist doing completely the legal thing. Most times, if I'm in the middle, and its clear, i'll move over to let cars easily - sometimes they give a light tap on the horn because I may not hear them, and then I move to the side when it is safe. My issue is a car comes up, gives about 0.5 seconds and starts honking like mad or pulls in within a foot to intimidate me. I wish cops were around.

For everyone complaining - get all legal codes changes that prevents bicycles from cycling on the road. Until then, stop inventing claims that rules regarding cyclists somehow don't apply.

 

[clamum]

It doesn't matter if the cyclist gets over or not.

If there's no one coming the van would have space to overtake if it's safe.
If there is someone coming it's not going to be safe for the van to squeeze past the cyclist whilst staying in his own lane.

The cyclist riding closer to the edge is still being more considerate of others and allowing them to more easily get around you than if he's riding in the middle of the lane. But yes, you're right about the van not being able to safely get around if there's traffic in the opposing lane.

fleshmakes a good point about riding in the middle from the viewpoint of a biker, though. I ain't a biker so I can't comment from that perspective.

 

[fleshconsumed]

The cyclist riding closer to the edge is still being more considerate of others and allowing them to more easily get around you than if he's riding in the middle of the lane. But yes, you're right about the van not being able to safely get around if there's traffic in the opposing lane.

fleshmakes a good point about riding in the middle from the viewpoint of a biker, though. I ain't a biker so I can't comment from that perspective.

As has been explained numerous times in numerous threads by numerous people "riding closer to the edge allowing cars to more easily get around cyclists" is a myth. If there is no oncoming traffic getting around cyclist riding in the middle of the lane is just as easy as if the cyclist was riding at the side of the road - it makes no difference where the cyclist rides. If there is oncoming traffic most of the roads are not wide enough to safely accommodate two cars plus a cyclist at the same time, what happens most of the time is the car driver (accidental dickhead as I called them earlier) gets impatient and tries to squeeze in between the cyclist and the oncoming traffic which is inherently unsafe and dangerous to the cyclist. It is far safe for the cyclist to ride in the middle of the lane to completely avoid situations like that.

 

[slayer202]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/gopro-video-captures-moment-educator-clips-cyclist-hit/story?id=48534427

another case of "yeah, cycling legally but probably wouldn't have gotten hit if you were on the side of the road"

hope that guy goes to prison, though

 

[WelshBloke]

another case of "yeah, cycling legally but probably wouldn't have gotten hit if you were on the side of the road"

Not sure. That guy had loads of room to go around the cyclists as it was and still deliberately ran into him.

 

[slayer202]

eh, they were taking up the whole lane and drivers had to go completely into the oncoming lane. and of course it was coming up on a bend

 

[highland145]

Not sure. That guy had loads of room to go around the cyclists as it was and still deliberately ran into him.

This and he wasn't on the side of the road. And +1 for prison.

 

[WelshBloke]

eh, they were taking up the whole lane and drivers had to go completely into the oncoming lane. and of course it was coming up on a bend

Either it's safe to overtake or it's not. You don't "make space" by running over another road user.

 

[slayer202]

Either it's safe to overtake or it's not. You don't "make space" by running over another road user.

where in the hell did I say that? sigh

 

[Thebobo]

If the cyclist hadn't been a road hog asshole than the Van would not have been a plain old asshole.

Asshole scale

Cyclist 10
Van 8

 

[WelshBloke]

where in the hell did I say that? sigh

So what were you saying wrt my post?

 

[slayer202]

So what were you saying wrt my post?

I was saying that even if drivers had room to go around, which yes they did, they would have have more room if the cyclists were on the side of the road. and just like the first incident, assholes are going to get angry at cyclists for various reasons even if they aren't doing something illegal. And on a bend there is clearly more danger for everyone involved; just an observation, no point there. Don't you think there would have been less of a chance of an incident if they were on the side of the road?

 

[Darwin333]

Because that invites people to overtake in an area where it isn't safe to do so.

But as we see in the video people are still going to overtake them, the overtaking vehicle just has to go much further into the oncoming lane in order to do so. It would have been a safer situation if the overtaking vehicle didn't have to go so far into the oncoming lane. It's one of those situations that one can be right as far as the letter of the law but knowing that the majority of drivers are idiots and will ignore the law to get there 2 minutes quicker common sense says to stay as close to the left as safely possible. Just my .02 at least, the day you can force drivers to not be assholes is the day you are made a saint for performing the biggest miracle of all history.

 

[Darwin333]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/gopro-video-captures-moment-educator-clips-cyclist-hit/story?id=48534427

another case of "yeah, cycling legally but probably wouldn't have gotten hit if you were on the side of the road"

hope that guy goes to prison, though

I agree with both points, almost surely wouldn't have gotten hit if he was on the side of the road but the driver should still go to prison. For what it's worth, I don't think the driver intentionally hit the cyclist he just fucked up and compounded that fuck up by not stopping. He probably wouldn't be in very much trouble at all had he stopped.

 

[slayer202]

I agree with both points, almost surely wouldn't have gotten hit if he was on the side of the road but the driver should still go to prison. For what it's worth, I don't think the driver intentionally hit the cyclist he just fucked up and compounded that fuck up by not stopping. He probably wouldn't be in very much trouble at all had he stopped.

agreed x2

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Don't understand the hate on for cyclists. Reminder to share the road. Cyclists want to get home too.

If you don't understand why people don't like cyclists then you clearly haven't driven near any before. If you did, you would understand that they are conniving fucking retards with no real sense of logic. They preach sharing the road and that they are entitled to use the roads as-if they are a vehicle - while at the same time they don't obey all the laws go along with it such as stopping at stop signs/red lights and generally being assholes.

Now don't get me wrong - there are some that know how to not be a dick, but there seems just be a larger abundance of the douchebags than the half-decent ones.

 

[rh71]

If you don't understand why people don't like cyclists then you clearly haven't driven near any before. If you did, you would understand that they are conniving fucking retards with no real sense of logic. They preach sharing the road and that they are entitled to use the roads as-if they are a vehicle - while at the same time they don't obey all the laws go along with it such as stopping at stop signs/red lights and generally being assholes.

Now don't get me wrong - there are some that know how to not be a dick, but there seems just be a larger abundance of the douchebags than the half-decent ones.

Agreed. Frankly speaking, get off the roads and onto bike paths... or get a bike with a motor if you NEED to be on the roads. We have enough hazards to deal with on the roads (including other drivers) and you guys are just adding to it. I can't understand why cyclists can't understand the hate...

Yes I ride a bicycle too.