Nice Cycling #13 | Might Not Give Way

Just past my driving test after years of cycling on the road both for commuting and leisure and we'll people just need to slow their lives down and not be so impatient

6:23. That’s par for the course in London, if traffic waits for the large gap before pulling out they will never move from the junction.
Pedestrians step out in front of cyclist and bikes,
cyclist and bikes pull out in front of cars,
and Lorries and busses pull out and block the road so you have to stop and let them clear the junction.
And people in little hot hatches pull out in front of everyone.

The only time I’ll give way to a pedestrian when exiting a roundabout is when Highway Code rule H2 says is mandatory, which is when they’re already in the road. There’s no requirement to stop unless they are in the road, and doing so at a roundabout exit is risking being rear-ended (as you point out in the video at one point). In a car it’s an inconvenience, on a bike it’s life-threatening.

One of those things that I did on my Category A test because there was a DVSA examiner in a fluorescent jump suit behind me.

The moment they make is a “must” and not a “should”, I’ll pay attention.

Failing to give way can be easy to spot but not always, especially when someone is rolling up to the roundabout. The hardest though is it's impossible to tell, if someone starts to move before you're past, if they plan on trucking behind or they're going now.

6:29 You're right they're just awful. One of those driving instructors has a YT channel where he blames and points the finger at cyclists all day never admitting his own mistakes! 😂

Thank you for featuring more of my clips, it’s always a pleasure to support your channel and community.

🚲👍

The clip around 6:25 was probably not a great example, and it was pretty clear what was probably going to happen. The car in front had stopped and given priority to the emerging car when the cyclist decided to continue past the waiting vehicles. If this example had been reversed and a cyclist had stopped to allow a car or bike out and a car had decided to take back priority that the cyclist had given to the emerging vehicle, we would probably be criticising the car that went through and took back priority. I think knowing what was probably about to happen, it would have been better to also hold back with the car rather than push through. Had this been my on my motorcycle I would have been on the right of the car and I hope that I would have seen what was going and held back rather than demanding my right of way. But that is looking back at the situation after the fact.

Finally, very impressed with the quality of the footage from the Techalogic cameras, if my old Contour camera ever dies I may need to look these up.

can you even call yourself a liverpudlian if you don't abuse the learner?

It's amazing how much cycling has made me such a better driver. People who just drive tend to be horrible drivers.

Towards the end of my cycling days, I used to get off to turn right off and onto a main road, and every roundabout. I became a pedestrian wheeling his cycle.

As close passing at speed became worse during Covid, I lost confidence, and after two years of waking not cycling I finally gave my beautiful 1984 Carlton road bike to someone who will cherish it.

I admire cyclists with the necessary bravery to continue to ride on the road!

Best wishes from George.

PS: Having a major knee operation in December to remove metalwork in preparation for a replacement knee next year, due to osteoporosis-arthritis cause by being crashed into by a SMIDSY driver emerging from a roundabout twelve years ago. That is when I gave up roundabouts.

Amazing that when a bikey actually cycles normally on the road, it is classed as 'nice'. It just shows how 99.999% of bikeys are a lawless bunch, showing no roadcraft or consideration for other road users.

Even then, it cannot be described as perfect. 6.22 for example, undertaking on a zig-zag, which is 3 points for a car doing so, so should also apply to bikeys.

Then continuing to undertake the stationary traffic and refusing to stop, as the other traffic had done, to allow safe passage for an emerging vehicle. Instead, riding into it as some form of arrogance or entitlement, somehow thinking they are above other road users.

Do these bikeys do not understand that it is this arrogant entitled riding that causes others to hate them so much on the road?

I took up cycling as a community carer, going between houses to give medicine, hygiene care, food, socialising etc. It's not paid well enough to afford a car and in busy times bikes can be quicker too.

I learned pretty early that being safe and being consistent, slowing early to let other traffic flow, and taking primary position was the best way to get between houses quickly.

Other carers would only cycle on the footpath because they were scared of the road, or would cycle on the road but run reds and go headfirst into danger. None of them consistently got between jobs as quickly as I could, and they were all really stressed.

Meanwhile cycling seemed quite pleasant to myself. I still got daily honks from impatient drivers and drivers shouting at me from their windows, but you learn to filter out the white noise of entitled drivers and just get on with your day. Too many drivers think taking primary position means I'm "in the middle of the road" and I should "get off the road!"

Ashley Neal, the anti cyclist, tells people to ride in the gutter, where the broken glass, and other crap is.
Riding in the gutter, encourages close passes, too.
Always take the lane.

Clip starting at 2:08. The cyclist appears to have a front light that alternates between bright and dazzlingly bright. These aught to be illegal as they take attention away from other road users. Also, with the other nighttime clips canwe be sure that the cyclists actually have lights?

One of my life philosophies is "plan on how things are likely to be not how you'd like them do be". I apply this most to my cycling activity. Accept there's human error in the drivers of the vehicles and be prepared to take mitigating actions.

What is not such good practice in that first clip is wearing black. I never, ever do that when out cycling. It is much better to wear something highly visible. Not just for motorists, but also for pedestrians. These days, it seems to becoming the norm to wear black, even in conditions of poor visibility. Yes, you can use a light during the day, but often those that do it during the day do not use one on the front, which can be as important. Even on a sunny day, if you are moving in and out of shadows, such as cast be trees, it's a good idea to be highly visible. It costs nothing, so why not?

Nb. Rule 169 of the Highway Code also specifically says that slower users of the Highway should try and avoid holding up traffic, and should look for somewhere safe to pull over from time to time to let the queue pass. It specifically reference very large and slow moving vehicles, but is not limited to those. I did once have to follow a cyclist here in the Cotswold for about 5 miles on a very narrow road, who could have obliged at a passing place but didn't. Being a bit considerate costs little and avoids unnecessary friction.

Brilliant riding in these clips – thanks for sharing. I also appreciate how you also post clips of yourself cycling: it really helps promote good cycling. Keep it up! Regards, Cycling Twitter (not the deluded ones)