Friday, September 01, 2006
Now I'm a Proper Cyclist
Friday, 1st September 2006
What is it with god-damned motorists?
Now I feel like a proper cyclist. I'm complaining about motorists already. I've been a motorist for over 19 years now, I even admit to driving a little fast in my RX-8 sometimes, but I like to feel I'm always considerate to cyclists.
Having ridden a horse on the roads before, I'm certainly curteous to anyone trying to control the giant beast whilst a rasping exhaust flies by. I'm the same with cyclists. I give them a wide birth and bide my time before passing them if the road's too narrow or there's something coming the other way.
Why is it then that some numpty drivers (the van drivers are the worse offenders) insist on hurtling past me at 5omph plus, within inches of my handlebars. Don't they realise I may need to swerve slightly to avoid a pothole or protruding drain cover? Don't they realise that the wind they cause makes my light-as-a-feather aluminium framed bike wobble alarmingly?
Most importantly, don't they realise that if my bike catches the side of thier £20,000 motor, I may get knocked off and die, but worse still, their pride-and-joy metallic paintwork will inherit a ruddy great, deep scratch down the side...?
Motorists. If you're reading this, next time you have to pass someone on a bike, take it easy and give them a wide birth. I know you pay your road tax, and there's not tax for bikes, but remember most cyclists also have cars and so pay as much tax as you...
Cheers
Simon
What is it with god-damned motorists?
Now I feel like a proper cyclist. I'm complaining about motorists already. I've been a motorist for over 19 years now, I even admit to driving a little fast in my RX-8 sometimes, but I like to feel I'm always considerate to cyclists.
Having ridden a horse on the roads before, I'm certainly curteous to anyone trying to control the giant beast whilst a rasping exhaust flies by. I'm the same with cyclists. I give them a wide birth and bide my time before passing them if the road's too narrow or there's something coming the other way.
Why is it then that some numpty drivers (the van drivers are the worse offenders) insist on hurtling past me at 5omph plus, within inches of my handlebars. Don't they realise I may need to swerve slightly to avoid a pothole or protruding drain cover? Don't they realise that the wind they cause makes my light-as-a-feather aluminium framed bike wobble alarmingly?
Most importantly, don't they realise that if my bike catches the side of thier £20,000 motor, I may get knocked off and die, but worse still, their pride-and-joy metallic paintwork will inherit a ruddy great, deep scratch down the side...?
Motorists. If you're reading this, next time you have to pass someone on a bike, take it easy and give them a wide birth. I know you pay your road tax, and there's not tax for bikes, but remember most cyclists also have cars and so pay as much tax as you...
Cheers
Simon
