Which not everybody qualifies for, as far as I'm aware.

So what is it that irritates you so much about seeing someone else break a road traffic law when its has no effect on you at all, why is this issue ALWAYS raised whenever the subject of cyclists is brought up as if everyone on a bike has no regard for their own life at all ?

Scenario going home from work last night.
Single road with line of traffic waiting at a red light.
Bradley Mamil cycles up on the ouside, and goes through the lights which are still on red. Chance of traffic joining from the right, which he ignores.
The road ahead then inclines upwards to another set of lights at the top of the hill.
Our lycra freind then pounds up the hill and the lights turn to green behind him, and the traffic then follows.
Now instead of keeping to the left, and allowing traffic to re-overtake, he hogs the centre of the road, slowing all the time as the slope increases. The queue of traffic follows behind at his pace.
The lights at the top of the hill are on green, but 20 or 30 metres before he reaches them, they turn to red.
He again ignores the danger aspect and goes straight through, leaving the traffic behind stopped at the lights.
If he had shown due consideration to other road users and moved over to the left when ascending at least half a dozen cars would have got through the second junction before the lights turned red.

Before anyone says that he was cycling in the centre of the road for his own safety, why was he also ignoring his own safety (and that of others) by cycling through 2 sets of red lights?

It's this apparent disregard for other road users that annoys me.

1. I don't for one minute think that it's all cyclists. My mother has been a responsible cyclist nearly all of her life, despite never even trying to learn to drive and therefore lacking a full knowledge of the road traffic laws (which I don't really think should be allowed, but is another argument). She has, however, grasped that red means stop.
2. I don't subscribe to the idea that I shouldn't care about something if it doesn't directly affect me.
3. It's dangerous road use and as such a danger to others. It doesn't get me raging, but it does irritate me, as does seeing drivers overtaking dangerously, tailgating, carving people up, and all manner of other things. These people put the possible health (and in extreme cases lives) of others at risk, I simply don't see why the fact that a cyclist will probably come off worse means that we should be less bothered about the damage they could cause to others by breaking the law.

To me, one of the few responsibilities we all have in life is to try and behave in such a way that considers how we affect others and minimise our 'negative' output. It's an extensions of the 'do unto others' mentality, I suppose. Certain cyclists' behaviour is contrary to that spirit, as are a great many other things in life, and I'll complain about any and all them if the subject is brought up. I'm not singling cyclists out, that's just what the thread is about. Start one about motorists and I'll chime in there, too.

Trouble with them cyclepaths is that they are covered in debris and glass all the way along. I rode down there once, and ended up with 2 punctures.

I just avoid that bypass now as its more trouble than its worth.

Agreed.

He'll be dead soon though, don't worry about him too much.

What get's me, everyone here appears to be talking about grown men, not kids. (including my example).
All that I can say is they should know better. ffs.

Quite ironic that I've just been out in the car, Overtook a cyclist then got to a junction and stopped for a red light. Needless to say the cyclist caught up and went straight through the red light having a quick glance to his left and deciding that nothing was coming.

I don't think I've seen it mentioned on this thread yet but a programme on the BBC a few months ago was really interesting. Basically they followed cyclists and motorists in London showing the idiotic stuff both sets of people got upto.

I remember it mainly for a young lad who rode his Bike with a camera on his helmet who came across as one of the most arrogrant people I've ever seen. Who basically thought that because he had the camera he could do what he liked and if anyone gave him any jip then the little camera on his helmet made him invincible...

I know, and its nearly always males too - its an aggression thing.

Having cycled in heavy commuter traffic I know that there is conflict from time to time, not the sort of gesticulating stand-up fight sort of conflict but a definite flavour of "Fook me that was too close" or "I don't think that person waiting to pull out of that junction has actually seen me yet", and there is definitely a heightened sense of speed as cars zip past you (even within the speed limits) and of personal risk - not only have you got the motorised road users to contend with but you've also got the road surface waiting to pitch you off into the road, and it can be terrible near the kerb.

All of this adds to a "them and us" attitude and in certain males it becomes aggressive and competitive, for no real need, not many cyclists actually want to physically take on a motor vehicle and not many vehicle drivers actually want to run over a cyclist, but you'd be excused for not thinking this was the case when you see some of them.

All of which could be massively avoided with the judicious separation of the two types of road users with the ultimate aim of making the routes safer for children to use - how many kids cycle to school these days ?

Theres loads of them on Youtube and without fail nearly all of them put themselves into danger by their manner of riding, and their arrogance.

There is one who takes a route into Leeds that I have used and just from the video I can tell that he is riding aggressively in heavy traffic and also too fast to avoid any problems, I take my hat off to his fitness because he is pelting along and easily keeping up with the motor traffic, but when stuff happens (as it invariably does to him) then he is very vulnerable and usually sh#ts himself and then starts bawling out the drivers - when its not always their fault.

Have you ever been to or seen one of the Sky Rides? I've done a couple now in Leeds and Bradford and there are thousands of young families out on a loop of closed roads. They walk their bikes there and walk their bikes home again though, which I think is telling. There's so much demand for segregated bike paths out there but it's completely hidden, because for many it's all or nothing.

Only noticed it in Leeds this year when it was too late to re-organise stuff, looked good though, and you're right, there's a huge family demand but bikes. kids, and A roads just don't mix well, which is a great shame.

One I saw once on youtube once was a cyclist who crashed into a car that pulled out on him. Even from the video I could tell the car was going to pull out on him from a good way away. Cyclist proceeds to crash into him, seemingly just to prove a point that he had right of way.

Graveyards are full of 'em

Last month I witnessed a small group of cyclists turning right at a junction. They all looked behind them, signaled right and slowly moved into the middle of the road just before the junction and waited for the traffic in the opposite direction to cease before making their maneuver.

Approaching them from behind was a woman in a slick Audi who wound her window down and screamed bloody murder and abuse at them, because she had been held up for all of 10-15 seconds.

Aggression works both ways.