I think more people should be tolerant of cyclists. Not everyone rides like dicks. Sure some do, but they are probably the same ones that drive like dicks in their cars.
It's like windsurfing on the river. Sure, boats think they own the place, but they should be willing to share the water with windsurfers and kiters. Ultimately it should come down to keeping everyone safe and let people enjoy themselves without trying to kill each other.
Was it a few years ago that someone here got run over by a boat on the river? Makes you wonder if the guy in charge of the boat was just not paying attention or if he was one of those people that thinks he owns the place? Any situation where someone thinks he has right of way and puts someone else's safety at risk is doing the wrong thing.
Select to expand quoteFormulaNova said..
I think more people should be tolerant of cyclists. Not everyone rides like dicks. Sure some do, but they are probably the same ones that drive like dicks in their cars.
It's like windsurfing on the river. Sure, boats think they own the place, but they should be willing to share the water with windsurfers and kiters. Ultimately it should come down to keeping everyone safe and let people enjoy themselves without trying to kill each other.
Was it a few years ago that someone here got run over by a boat on the river? Makes you wonder if the guy in charge of the boat was just not paying attention or if he was one of those people that thinks he owns the place? Any situation where someone thinks he has right of way and puts someone else's safety at risk is doing the wrong thing.
I think more people should be intolerant of cyclists that exhibit privileged and selfish behaviour. After being stuck behind two of these idiots for over a kilometer yesterday because they insisted on riding two abreast, knowing full well I was stuck behind them doing 25km/hr when they could easily have gone single file and let me pass, I totally concur with the cop. Actions like this should be heavily policed and equally heavily fined, including loss of drivers licence points. A good start would be to pull every cyclist over at every opportunity to give them a fine for not having a bell on their bike - let them realise that if they want to exert their 'road rights' then they equally have responsibilities to meet.
Yeah, you're right, I am freaking sick of it. I live in a suburb where all the bike riders in southern Sydney converge to cross a river on a pedestrian bridge, so we live with this all day, every day. And yeah, I used to do a lot of riding when I was training for triathlons, so I know just what it's like, but I didn't act like an arse like too many of them do.
Select to expand quoteFormulaNova said..
I think more people should be tolerant of cyclists. Not everyone rides like dicks. Sure some do, but they are probably the same ones that drive like dicks in their cars.
It's like windsurfing on the river. Sure, boats think they own the place, but they should be willing to share the water with windsurfers and kiters. Ultimately it should come down to keeping everyone safe and let people enjoy themselves without trying to kill each other.
Was it a few years ago that someone here got run over by a boat on the river? Makes you wonder if the guy in charge of the boat was just not paying attention or if he was one of those people that thinks he owns the place? Any situation where someone thinks he has right of way and puts someone else's safety at risk is doing the wrong thing.
I love your online presence Mr Nova. Video clearly showing middle aged men in lycra being told off for doing the wrong thing and here you are backing them up like it's completely fine. 
When you visit a country like the Netherlands and see how other countries have provided for and treat people on bikes it's laughable. There are cyclists in lycra that are dicks however it doesn't help when you're in an environment where you're discriminated against. Ever seen a car driver be an idiot? Ever heard of a car killing someone? I'm not hearing too many people on bikes killing people.
Hating cyclists in Australia is a national sport and shows we are very immature on this issue. Any one read the history of transport in this country? If you were living in the early 1900s do you think mummy would've dropped you off to school in a car? In Australia back then, just about every kid either walked or rode a bicycle to school, it was good for them. We're now so sloth like in Australia that 2/3 of society is over weight and 1/3 are obese.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
When you visit a country like the Netherlands and see how other countries have provided for and treat people on bikes it's laughable. There are cyclists in lycra that are dicks however it doesn't help when you're in an environment where you're discriminated against. Ever seen a car driver be an idiot? Ever heard of a car killing someone? I'm not hearing too many people on bikes killing people.
Hating cyclists in Australia is a national sport and shows we are very immature on this issue. Any one read the history of transport in this country? If you were living in the early 1900s do you think mummy would've dropped you off to school in a car? In Australia back then, just about every kid either walked or rode a bicycle to school, it was good for them. We're now so sloth like in Australia that 2/3 of society is over weight and 1/3 are obese.
A bicycle is easily 100x more efficient than a car. If someone decides to ride a bike rather than drive a death machine we should be handing out awards. Any country that's serious about tackling congestion, road safety, obesity, population health, energy efficiency, noise, etc that doesn't invest heavily in bicycle infrastructure is just paying lip service.
Here's a video I made a few years ago comparing how people get to their local supermarket in the Netherlands versus Australia.
A bunch of ordinary people wearing ordinary clothes riding an ordinary bike for everyday transport. Totally support this. Unfortunately we have a constant stream of the lycra fools on $10K bikes that feel the need to block the road and give a stare to anyone that suggests they show some politeness and consideration to others. After all, they've paid for the privilege and need everyone to see just how 'pro' they are. 
Those same guys aren't riding to the corner store to get some groceries,
Select to expand quoteHarrow said..
A bunch of ordinary people wearing ordinary clothes riding an ordinary bike for everyday transport. Totally support this. Unfortunately we have a constant stream of the lycra fools on $10K bikes that feel the need to block the road and give a stare to anyone that suggests they show some politeness and consideration to others. After all, they've paid for the privilege and need everyone to see just how 'pro' they are. Those same guys aren't riding to the corner store to get some groceries,
Yeah I get that but are people who ride sport bikes in lycra really a huge problem in your life? They hold you up in a car for what, 20 seconds every few months? What holds you up in traffic more? Bikes or cars? There's plenty of knobheads in sports cars that act like dicks as well.
Improve the environment for all forms of transport and you'll have less dicks in Lycra as they will feel less threatened by cars trying to run them over.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
Yeah I get that but are people who ride sport bikes in lycra really a huge problem in your life? They hold you up in a car for what, 20 seconds every few months? What holds you up in traffic more? Bikes or cars? There's plenty of knobheads in sports cars that act like dicks as well.
Improve the environment for all forms of transport and you'll have less dicks in Lycra as they will feel less threatened by cars trying to run them over.
Where I live, it happens more often than not since the flow of the lycra crowd is constant every morning. All they seem to talk about when they stop for their latte is bragging how much money they've spent on their bikes. As if having Dura-ace or Ultegra instead of 105 makes any difference in your morning pack ride. Then they drive to the train station in their gleaming, dirt-free 4WD that's never left the bitumen. Yeah, I hate them. 
Select to expand quoteHarrow said..
Where I live, it happens more often than not since the flow of the lycra crowd is constant every morning. All they seem to talk about when they stop for their latte is bragging how much money they've spent on their bikes. As if having Dura-ace or Ultegra instead of 105 is makes any difference in your morning pack ride. Yeah, I hate them.
You know the difference between Dura-ace and 105? I'm impressed Harrow haha
Select to expand quoteHarrow said..FormulaNova said..
I think more people should be tolerant of cyclists. Not everyone rides like dicks. Sure some do, but they are probably the same ones that drive like dicks in their cars.
It's like windsurfing on the river. Sure, boats think they own the place, but they should be willing to share the water with windsurfers and kiters. Ultimately it should come down to keeping everyone safe and let people enjoy themselves without trying to kill each other.
Was it a few years ago that someone here got run over by a boat on the river? Makes you wonder if the guy in charge of the boat was just not paying attention or if he was one of those people that thinks he owns the place? Any situation where someone thinks he has right of way and puts someone else's safety at risk is doing the wrong thing.
I think more people should be intolerant of cyclists that exhibit privileged and selfish behaviour. After being stuck behind two of these idiots for over a kilometer yesterday because they insisted on riding two abreast, knowing full well I was stuck behind them doing 25km/hr when they could easily have gone single file and let me pass, I totally concur with the cop. Actions like this should be heavily policed and equally heavily fined, including loss of drivers licence points. A good start would be to pull every cyclist over at every opportunity to give them a fine for not having a bell on their bike - let them realise that if they want to exert their 'road rights' then they equally have responsibilities to meet.
Yeah, you're right, I am freaking sick of it. I live in a suburb where all the bike riders in southern Sydney converge to cross a river on a pedestrian bridge, so we live with this all day, every day. And yeah, I used to do a lot of riding when I was training for triathlons, so I know just what it's like, but I didn't act like an arse like too many of them do.
I can understand this. I remember one particular idiot years ago. I was commuting (driving) into the city, through somewhere on the way towards St Peters. Some idiot on a bike decided that instead of waiting with all the traffic as he is supposed to, would overtake everybody on the left up until the traffic lights. When they went green, all the people now behind him would have to then overtake him as he rode slowly. He would do this at every traffic lights. This is stupid behaviour and showing complete lack of understanding of people around him. Because he could do it, he did do it.
Are you talking about the iron bridge across from Oatley? I thought that was wide enough that it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but I can accept that some people are poor at ringing their bell or calling out to pedestrians. A lot of cyclists also seem to forget that you need to do this early as you need to give time for the pedestrians to hear it and then process it, and then move if they need to.
With the groups I ride with there is good etiquette. People call out obstructions, ring their bells, and behave properly... mostly. There are some that will ride two abreast and completely not notice traffic around them, and others that are aware and move over to let cars through.
But at the end of the day, if I drive carelessly I could kill a cyclist. If I ride carelessly I will probably only injure myself.
Over here in Perth there seem to be a surge of people riding electric "bikes" on the bike paths. It's okay, but I saw one guy riding one the other day, pure electric, not pedal assist, doing about 60kph down the cycleway with full on gear. Similarly you are seeing scooters now with no restrictions where the riders have no helmets and don't seem to understand what happens if you go from 60kph to zero in a short distance.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
Hating cyclists in Australia is a national sport and shows we are very immature on this issue. Any one read the history of transport in this country? If you were living in the early 1900s do you think mummy would've dropped you off to school in a car? In Australia back then, just about every kid either walked or rode a bicycle to school, it was good for them. We're now so sloth like in Australia that 2/3 of society is over weight and 1/3 are obese.
I can sort of understand this. In Sydney the congestion and roads are not easy for cyclists. In Perth it is far far better and safer for everyone. You even see a lot of kids riding to school, especially as its relatively flat in most places.
But you do get idiots. I swear that the same people that will sit in the right hand lane of a two lane road will deliberately change to drive in the left when they see a cyclists to try and intimidate them. More often than not in 4wds. I think some people want to be angry at someone and cyclists can be an easy target for delaying someone for 30 seconds.
Select to expand quoteHarrow said..
Where I live, it happens more often than not since the flow of the lycra crowd is constant every morning. All they seem to talk about when they stop for their latte is bragging how much money they've spent on their bikes. As if having Dura-ace or Ultegra instead of 105 makes any difference in your morning pack ride. Then they drive to the train station in their gleaming, dirt-free 4WD that's never left the bitumen. Yeah, I hate them.
Yes, you do get that, but it's just chit-chat. There is even one guy that turns up heavily overweight, and brags about his e-bike. It's like he thinks that everyone doesn't know he is unfit and the bike is doing most of the work.
If you want to be a smug bastard, turn up on an old bike and outride people on good carbon bikes. Harder, but somehow very rewarding 
I find it a bit funny that someone will tell me that I am carrying too many spares and a heavy backpack and then I point out to them that I could lose a few extra kgs before I should consider ditching most of my riding spares or pump.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
You know the difference between Dura-ace and 105? I'm impressed Harrow haha
The standing joke was always that the difference could be made up with an extra push when you're doing your morning ****e before the ride.
Select to expand quoteFormulaNova said..Harrow said..
Where I live, it happens more often than not since the flow of the lycra crowd is constant every morning. All they seem to talk about when they stop for their latte is bragging how much money they've spent on their bikes. As if having Dura-ace or Ultegra instead of 105 makes any difference in your morning pack ride. Then they drive to the train station in their gleaming, dirt-free 4WD that's never left the bitumen. Yeah, I hate them.
Yes, you do get that, but it's just chit-chat. There is even one guy that turns up heavily overweight, and brags about his e-bike. It's like he thinks that everyone doesn't know he is unfit and the bike is doing most of the work.
If you want to be a smug bastard, turn up on an old bike and outride people on good carbon bikes. Harder, but somehow very rewarding
I find it a bit funny that someone will tell me that I am carrying too many spares and a heavy backpack and then I point out to them that I could lose a few extra kgs before I should consider ditching most of my riding spares or pump.
Nice to know you use a penis pump cycling. I thought you'd be an old fashion organic sock stuffer tbh
Select to expand quoteFormulaNova said..
I can understand this. I remember one particular idiot years ago. I was commuting (driving) into the city, through somewhere on the way towards St Peters. Some idiot on a bike decided that instead of waiting with all the traffic as he is supposed to, would overtake everybody on the left up until the traffic lights. When they went green, all the people now behind him would have to then overtake him as he rode slowly. He would do this at every traffic lights. This is stupid behaviour and showing complete lack of understanding of people around him. Because he could do it, he did do it.
i tend to drift slowly over towards the curb at a set of traffic lights (where theres no bike lane) to stop them riding up the side of the traffic thats already had to pass them again. It doesn't help anyone for them to filter down the side of traffic, it just puts them back in more harms way, and frustrates the car drivers who've already had to make manoeuvres to pass them.
I really enjoy MTB and now EMTB is so much fun.
I don't ride a lot on the road but when I do, be really aware of traffic and stay off busy roads.
Here in NZ our e bikes have pedal assist to 32kmh, and a lot of local trips can be faster on bike and easy to park. If you use turbo can accelerate pretty fast from traffic lights. The biggest issue is passing parked cars!
Interesting the videos from other countries on how bikes can be so useful, except when it's raining.
Some roadies can be arrogant but as said before you're up against vehicles that can kill you and some drivers hate bikes. Recently we have had a youth crime wave and reported young kids driving cars have been knocking bike riders down.
Let's face it if you want to reduce a 'big killer of people' then cars would be banned but then how would we get to the water with our gear
Select to expand quoteSubsonic said..FormulaNova said..
I can understand this. I remember one particular idiot years ago. I was commuting (driving) into the city, through somewhere on the way towards St Peters. Some idiot on a bike decided that instead of waiting with all the traffic as he is supposed to, would overtake everybody on the left up until the traffic lights. When they went green, all the people now behind him would have to then overtake him as he rode slowly. He would do this at every traffic lights. This is stupid behaviour and showing complete lack of understanding of people around him. Because he could do it, he did do it.
i tend to drift slowly over towards the curb at a set of traffic lights (where theres no bike lane) to stop them riding up the side of the traffic thats already had to pass them again. It doesn't help anyone for them to filter down the side of traffic, it just puts them back in more harms way, and frustrates the car drivers who've already had to make manoeuvres to pass them.
People are funny on bikes, the same way that they are funny in cars. Some people are considerate and others are unaware of anything around them. I have ridden a few times where I or others have called out that cars are behind us, but some just keep riding two-abreast and not even notice. I am sure they are the same people that also can't have a conversation and drive well at the same time.
What are you riding FN? A beast? Sram Red, Force or Rival?
Harrow - you have cycled - you know that you need enough of a presence to not get splattered. There are f tard drivers everywhere. Yes, riding two abreast and not leaving space, poor form - 1km, speed diff between a car and bikes, 30 second delay, meh!
It must also be said that we also hear same all day, every day on here about kites, poles, shorts, longs, lids, kooks, groms, ponies and whatever else.
Yeah, but.....but...
That original video appears to be about a group who didn't stop at a stop signal.
Kinda agree with comments about cars to bikes behavior tends to be generally, on the whole, worse than bike to car behavior and that bikes should have right of way by default and if you have to slow your car down for 30 seconds it is slightly less of an issue than being run over.... etc...etc......
..but not sure if that then gives cyclists a right or excuse to not stop at a stop signal....
Replace each of these bikes with a car and wonder why our cities get overrun with cars that are the actual cause of you being held up in traffic.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
Replace each of these bikes with a car and wonder why our cities get overrun with cars that are the actual cause of you being held up in traffic.
And in case you're wondering how this is possible that a city can move on a bicycle, it all comes down to town planning and the Dutch are the best at it in the world. We've adopted the urban sprawl method in Australia generally and hence we are now at a place where a few guys in lycra can set us off.
Surely, the flat land in the Netherlands is a contributing factor too?
Select to expand quoteHarrow said..
Surely the flat land in the Netherlands is a contributing factor too?
You're right, if you live in a very hilly area then cycling is not as easy. However, Adelaide is flat. It's no bike utopia. Melbourne? Generally flat. Sydney urban sprawl? Generally flat. Huge amounts of Australian suburbia is flat. Many American cities are as flat as a pancake. It's not the terrain that's the issue it's the town planning. The south of Holland is hilly and they have much higher rates of people using bikes than flatter parts of Australia. Dutch kids cycle 20km to school in 30kt headwinds in the rain. That's worse than a hill. The reason people cycle there and not here is because the authorities made first class infrastructure for them. A bike with 21 gears is easy on a hill as long as you have a nice relaxed bicycle path and don't have a car up your arse trying to run you over. Anyway, we have ebikes now so the hill excuse is no longer relevant. It's all about the bicycle infrastructure!
You'll own nothing and be happy.
Can't have the commoners running around in cars now.
Might contribute to man made climate change lol. And while we are at it may as well close their farms down too to stop their farting cows from producing another global warming gas
Not going to be able to cycle very long on your new diet of mostly insects.
Going to love eating their fake meat too after most of the farm closures.
All in the name of climate change lol.
PC, it's not about hating cars. I love them as much the next person. It's about being smarter with transport options and improving the quality of life for everyone. If you think the Australian model of urban transport is the pinnacle you need to get your head out of the rabbit hole.
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
Replace each of these bikes with a car and wonder why our cities get overrun with cars that are the actual cause of you being held up in traffic.
And in case you're wondering how this is possible that a city can move on a bicycle, it all comes down to active transport planning and the Dutch are the best at it in the world. We've adopted the urban sprawl method in Australia generally and hence we are now at a place where a few guys in lycra can set us off.
N + 1. Guy at 35 seconds riding two bikes 
There is not nearly enough material to build all the electric batteries - another excuse to reduce car usage.
FD - yes i agree cycling is a much healthier option but to have our cars taken away by stealth is not right.
I can see the media pushing for climate lockdowns soon.
And those cows....off with their heads.
One only has to visit their nearest waterway to see the extent they have contributed to the rise in sea level
I ride an e-scooter down some inner-suburban back streets for 3km to work most days. It's better than being stuck in, and contributing to, the traffic. As far as I can tell, the moment you step on an e-scooter you are completely invisible to all other road users, so it's safest to ride with that assumption in mind and stay well clear of / give way to everyone and everything.
That's how I've survived after some early close calls, including having a pedestrian stare straight at me and then proceed to step directly into my path with two german shepherds trailing behind. SCREEEEECH!
"Look - there's an e-scooter! Well they don't exist so it must be perfectly safe to cross the road right now".
Select to expand quoteAUS1111 said..
I ride an e-scooter down some inner-suburban back streets for 3km to work most days. It's better than being stuck in, and contributing to, the traffic. As far as I can tell, the moment you step on an e-scooter you are completely invisible to all other road users, so it's safest to ride with that assumption in mind and stay well clear of / give way to everyone and everything.
That's how I've survived after some early close calls, including having a pedestrian stare straight at me and then proceed to step directly into my path with two german shepherds trailing behind. SCREEEEECH!
"Look - there's an e-scooter! Well they don't exist so it must be perfectly safe to cross the road right now".
There is a reason why drivers don't "see" motor bikes, or cyclists, and why a pedestrian can look at you and not register you as scooter.
Something to do with the way our brain works in seeing what we are looking for and filtering out anything else.
The excuse " l didn't see you" is often truer than you think.
There's some thing in that for sure I've been on a nice Japanese motorcycle looking the part and have had to fend them cars off, I've also piloted an old school triumph with an exhaust tone that made your presence known, an open face lid, wrap around sunnies, and the vehicle drivers were soo polite. Maybe push bike riders could get some street credit by starting an outlaw gang !
On the topic of cyclists riding 2 abreast... when the Dutch design their bicycle paths they generally try and make it wide enough so 2 people can cycle side by side because it's a lot more enjoyable to cycle and chat with your friend than just follow them.
My interest in all this stems from a former business I had importing dutch bicycles and leading a dutch cycle study tour for 30 Australian town planners, politicians and academics back in 2011.
www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2011/05/aussies-are-coming-aussies-are-coming.html
Select to expand quoteFlying Dutchman said..
On the topic of cyclists riding 2 abreast... when the Dutch design their bicycle paths they generally try and make it wide enough so 2 people can cycle side by side because it's a lot more enjoyable to cycle and chat with your friend than just follow them.
Perth is lucky as it has a lot of cycleways where you can ride two-abreast and be safe from car traffic as well. Someone put some thought into this.
Unfortunately Sydney has been left behind as they seem to take on cycling infrastructure as an after-thought if at all.
I never realised Perth was so great for cycling till I got here and I think its something only other cyclists can appreciate if they have lived in other Aussie capitals.
