4 ms·

This is a cartoonishly bad take on cyclists. They aren't doing calisthenics in a spandex uniform in a fucking supermarket. They're commuting, same as you, only

This is a cartoonishly bad take on cyclists. They aren't doing calisthenics in a spandex uniform in a fucking supermarket. They're commuting, same as you, only they take up much less space and emit no pollution. If more people were cycling then your drive would be much better, since you wouldn't be sitting around in traffic all day. Share the goddamn road.

xpe 4y ago
I am a cyclist. We shouldn't pretend like all ire against cyclists is just about commuting. Some do ride purely for fun. On back roads, the impatience probably has something to do with "they don't need to be here". I don't endorse that, but, well, people can be less than great. And yes, many cyclists rock the spandex. And they should be, because no one wants an angry nether region.
- Tade0 4y ago
  For the reason stated in your last paragraph I think it's a shame that the default shape of a bicycle is what it is. Recumbent bikes are just so much better in every aspect, yet the market for them is so small that they often cost as much as a used car. I'd rather zip around in a Milan(velomobile) than something that gives as much seating space as two palms of my hands put together.
- Ntrails 4y ago
  > On back roads, the impatience probably has something to do with "they don't need to be here" The classic country lanes in the UK are 1.5 cars wide at most. Far too narrow to overtake a cyclist without their help and good visibility (which you typically do not have). I am trying to go from a village to a town to buy some groceries, and instead of doing a comfortable 40 up the hill, I'm doing 5. Because three cyclists are in the way and have no interest in allowing anyone to get past. These will not be the last set I encounter. Turns out the Saturday I have off to go food shopping etc is when all the cyclists like to go out and enjoy themselves. Side note: Horses have a similar impact, but always ensure people are blocked for the minimal amount of time possible. Similar with walkers. Cyclists rarely do anything at all to allow people past in my experience. Anyway, I don't get angry or aggressive. But it is frustrating especially when the cyclists using these roads are not local and act like the cars who have to use them to get around in their local area are the baddies.
  - Doctor_Fegg 4y ago
    FWIW, the pattern in our village (technically a very small town) on a Saturday morning is that the recreational cyclists are the ones supporting the village businesses like the cafe/deli, while the locals drive off to an enormo-supermarket. I have a hard time casting the cyclists as the bad guys in this scenario.
sagarm 4y ago
Drivers use the roads for purposes other than commuting as well; it's not selfish to cycle for transportation even if you're not going to work. The real issue is the complete lack of infrastructure available.

xpe 4y ago

I am a cyclist. We shouldn't pretend like all ire against cyclists is just about commuting. Some do ride purely for fun. On back roads, the impatience probably has something to do with "they don't need to be here". I don't endorse that, but, well, people can be less than great. And yes, many cyclists rock the spandex. And they should be, because no one wants an angry nether region.

Tade0 4y ago
For the reason stated in your last paragraph I think it's a shame that the default shape of a bicycle is what it is. Recumbent bikes are just so much better in every aspect, yet the market for them is so small that they often cost as much as a used car. I'd rather zip around in a Milan(velomobile) than something that gives as much seating space as two palms of my hands put together.
Ntrails 4y ago
> On back roads, the impatience probably has something to do with "they don't need to be here" The classic country lanes in the UK are 1.5 cars wide at most. Far too narrow to overtake a cyclist without their help and good visibility (which you typically do not have). I am trying to go from a village to a town to buy some groceries, and instead of doing a comfortable 40 up the hill, I'm doing 5. Because three cyclists are in the way and have no interest in allowing anyone to get past. These will not be the last set I encounter. Turns out the Saturday I have off to go food shopping etc is when all the cyclists like to go out and enjoy themselves. Side note: Horses have a similar impact, but always ensure people are blocked for the minimal amount of time possible. Similar with walkers. Cyclists rarely do anything at all to allow people past in my experience. Anyway, I don't get angry or aggressive. But it is frustrating especially when the cyclists using these roads are not local and act like the cars who have to use them to get around in their local area are the baddies.
- Doctor_Fegg 4y ago
  FWIW, the pattern in our village (technically a very small town) on a Saturday morning is that the recreational cyclists are the ones supporting the village businesses like the cafe/deli, while the locals drive off to an enormo-supermarket. I have a hard time casting the cyclists as the bad guys in this scenario.

sagarm 4y ago

Drivers use the roads for purposes other than commuting as well; it's not selfish to cycle for transportation even if you're not going to work. The real issue is the complete lack of infrastructure available.