Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

hence why you should ride in primary position and not the cycle lanes

Cycle training will help you make your own risk assessment on what the best position to ride on.

Unfortunately the best position tend not to be on the bicycle lane as pictured above.

james, bit difficult when primary postion is full of cars, its bumper to bumper in the mornings but yes you are right

When you want to filter through the traffic, it's generally advisable to filter on the outside instead of the inside like a motorcyclist.

what scoble said, filter on the outside

cycling always needs a dynamic risk assessment, so even if filtering on the outside you will need to be cautious when passing side roads as cars may pull out without considering that someone may be filtering.

generally best to not filter at an excessive speed differential to other traffic

Or anticipate that someone might pull that manoeuvre and adjust speed accordingly/look. It's hardly a mental challenge...

Edit: What he said ^^^^^

http://www.markthompsonlaw.com/motorcycle-filtering-through-traffic/accident-and-personal-injury-case-examples/

Good link about filtering and the law. It's about motorcycles but also applies to cyclists.

The general rule of thumb is that don't filter at more than 10-15mph above stationary or slow moving traffic.

Also, you shouldn't be filtering on zig-zag lines which so many cyclists and motorcyclists are guilty of. Learn what road markings mean and heed them.

Longer white lines mean there is a hazard/junction, if there is a junction obscured from view, it could be the notice that saves your life.

Zig-zag lines mean no overtaking - this is for the safety of more vulnerable road users and are used on the run up to zebra and ped crossings.

Probably the worst and bravest cycling I've ever encountered this morning - chap on a battered MTB cycling the wrong way down Park Lane into three lanes of traffic for a good 500-600 meters (using the white line as protection!), when I called him out on this got told to fuck off - it was the 4x4 that nearly killed him that finally enforced what he was doing was fucking crazy...

http://www.markthompsonlaw.com/motorcycle-filtering-through-traffic/accident-and-personal-injury-case-examples/

Good link about filtering and the law. It's about motorcycles but also applies to cyclists.

The general rule of thumb is that don't filter at more than 10-15mph above stationary or slow moving traffic.

Also, you shouldn't be filtering on zig-zag lines which so many cyclists and motorcyclists are guilty of. Learn what road markings mean and heed them.

Longer white lines mean there is a hazard/junction, if there is a junction obscured from view, it could be the notice that saves your life.

Zig-zag lines mean no overtaking - this is for the safety of more vulnerable road users and are used on the run up to zebra and ped crossings.

The line stuff is good to know.

I'd say 10-15 mph on a push bike while filtering is probably too fast. 10 would be my max, probably mostly slower. Remembering that a lot of people ride push bikes with brakes that are not as effective as those on motorbikes.

The link really makes me think the laws an ass! It seems that precedent overrules what is suggested by the highway code and the law! Particularly the case where a lorry driver waved a car out which collided with a bike... Would have thought the lorry driver was most at fault for directing traffic?

james, bit difficult when primary postion is full of cars, its bumper to bumper in the mornings but yes you are right

When they put in the CS along that stretch it changed the traffic dynamic. Previously, the majority of mopeds/motorcycles would filter on the right, as I generally would, but the introduction of the 1.5m cycle lane meant that this moved cars/vans/buses further to the right, making filtering more difficult due to the volume of oncoming traffic. Now, far more motorcyclists/mopeds filter on the left as I generally do (albeit, not usually in the CS). The Jeffry's Road junction highlighted in the photograph is a problem, but I'd also be careful of the garage a hundred metres further back as vehicles occasionally turn into the forecourt.

Film here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NDeSByYcmo&list=UUPEGfOwkeEBLDRDNVGc-mIQ&index=5&feature=plcp
-mIQ&v=5NDeSByYcmo

When you want to filter through the traffic, it's generally advisable to filter on the outside instead of the inside like a motorcyclist.

what scoble said, filter on the outside

cycling always needs a dynamic risk assessment, so even if filtering on the outside you will need to be cautious when passing side roads as cars may pull out without considering that someone may be filtering.

generally best to not filter at an excessive speed differential to other traffic

And, indeed, exercise patience when necessary. Waiting is OK. You don't always have to filter, especially not with short queues. I appreciate that the queues at Stockwell are probably rather long, but patience is a much under-rated virtue when manoeuvring in traffic. It can often be the best strategy for defusing potential for conflict.

Tall lad on a nice black Bob Jackson this morning. If you want to jump red lights or switch lanes without looking then go for it but please try and read the road a bit better.

Any sensible reading of the road would have told you that the big yellow dumper truck was about to turn left. Don't give me a heart attack by undertaking it on the left (at which point he thought it was a good idean to indicate) and then you dawdling by its side as you tried to get up to speed (durign which time you must have seen his front indicator).

Luckily he spotted you and stopped.

Middle aged lady on the middle aged sit up and beg riding in the cycle path alongside West Carriage Drive (as in - in the road itself, rather than the cycle paths on the pavement beside it). If you are going to cycle on the wrong side of the road at least do it with consideration to the cyclists riding on the correct side of the road rather than deliberately aiming yourself straight at them causing them all to take evasive action.

Also, get the fuck off the road.

Wonder what would have happened if they painted a blue CSx stripe down the road approximately along primary position instead of against the curb?

That would certainly have been better. We are going to suggest this for the A10 CSH (scheduled for 2015). The best thing would be carriageway markings similar to 'sharrows':

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking[/ame]

We have cycle symbols in the carriageway in London, too, but they are usually in the wrong position.

And, indeed, exercise patience when necessary. Waiting is OK. You don't always have to filter, especially not with short queues. I appreciate that the queues at Stockwell are probably rather long, but patience is a much under-rated virtue when manoeuvring in traffic. It can often be the best strategy for defusing potential for conflict.

I'll often wait patiently a few cars back and roll past all the nodders who scooted to the very front, especially if you only have to slow down earlier rather than stop and can then use gaps in traffic to move up. Of course, my aura of awesome also helps my travel through spacetime.

Bizarre interaction 1: Pulled up to a T-junction near the King's Road and stopped at the dashed lines to let a car and a bloke on a huge-framed MTB go past, when the cyclist suddenly stopped and called me a wanker. Somewhat surprised, I asked him to justify his bold claim (he's right, I am, but I've no idea how he knew). His shout of 'You weren't going to stop, you twat' did nothing to clear up my confusion since, by the time he saw me, I had already done so. Then he left.

Bizarre interaction 2: Riding across a roundabout in Tooting, I was sideswiped by a youngish lad on a silver singlespeed and only saved from tarmac rash by my ninja reflexes. I forced the guy to stop and explain his actions (he'd pulled out in front of me at my right of way). Apparently I had 'just appeared out of nowhere'. In fact, I had cycled along a straight piece of road leading up to the roundabout, wearing a bright red nodder jacket and without using any kind of teleportation device. Still, as I left to continue my journey he was still continuing to insist that I hadn't been there when he looked and that I must have been 'some kind of nutter to just appear like that'.

Possibly what I'm doing here is calling out people with mental illnesses rather than bad cyclists, in which case I apologise to them; if, however, they are of sound mind then I'd like to tell them to fuck off and confuse some other people for a change.

... if filtering on the outside you will need to be cautious when passing side roads as cars may pull out without considering that someone may be filtering...

the only accident I have seen with my own eyes was exactly this. rider flew over the bonnet of a car which took a right turn right into her path. she was not knocked unconcious but bleeding from road rashes and in shock.

That would certainly have been better. We are going to suggest this for the A10 CSH (scheduled for 2015). The best thing would be carriageway markings similar to 'sharrows':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_lane_marking

We have cycle symbols in the carriageway in London, too, but they are usually in the wrong position.

I personally find these to be the best compromise, the other problem is merely the fact TfL decided it be a good idea to put all the transport from cars, buses, HGV, bicycle etc. on one tiny road (CS7).

Some sections is the cs7 are like this (where there is no room for a separate bike lane) with a blue bike symbol in the middle of the road.

Still the vast majority of the cyclists on that road ride in the gutter.

I think they should put the blue highway in the middle of the road, it's the only way to stop people riding in the gutter.

That's what I was wondering.. would commuters actually use it if it were in the middle of the left lane or would they still huddle in the gutter. Would be magical if they properly claimed the space.

This isn't on topic or probably even relevant, but the talk about cycle lanes and junctions reminded me of some cycle lanes I don't really understand in Worthing, and since I'm visiting today I took a picture:

It's like this all down this road (which is busy in rush hour), little cycle lanes just across the end of side roads. There's even one further down the road that is narrower than my 42cm handlebars.

Wow, just saw the most dangerous piece of cycling I have ever seen.

I come out of BLB, and pull into traffic going east, just behind a guy on a white fixie. I overtake him just before Noodle King. At the pedestrian crossing I see a white van coming the other way starting a 3 point turn ahead about 100m down the road.

It probably wasn't the most sensible maneuver, on a usually busy road, with cars parked both sides, but it was clear, and he did look like he was doing it safely.

I start to slow, and white fixie guy is now right on my arse, I've basically got no breaking zone behind me. At this time white van man has managed the first point. and is reversing back to the second point.

It's fairly obvious to me he might start on the final part of the maneuver before we get past, so I slow more and more, gently so fixie guy doesn't rear-end me, and sure enough the van goes for it, again perfectly safely in my mind, considering the speed I'm now going he can easily make it before I get there, and there is no other traffic around.

When we get to about 10 metres away, the van still has about a metre gap between it and the cars parked on our side of the road. I've got my speed down so that I should just slot in behind him, when fixie guys dives out from my slipstream like Cavendish at a sprint finish, and races for the ever closing gap. White van man doesn't expect this, and has no time to react, white fixie guy gets through just as the gap closes completey, I have no idea how he didn't get splatted against the parked cars.

Techically, while making a 3-point-turn you should give way to other traffic, but this was just such a crazy move to pull.

You, mr white fixie, are a cunt.

WARNING! Daily Mail linky - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152645/No-minister-Jeremy-Hunt-cycles-trouble-risks-3-000-fine-running-red-light-ignoring-TWO-entry-signs-bikes-home-didnt-bother-helmet.html

I'm looking at you Mr Hunt...

RLJ'ing...

Running one stop sign no entry sign...

and then another!

Bad Minister!

One witness told the Mirror: 'He didn't seem to care about the rules, but it's not fair on other people. He could have caused an accident.'

Not stop sign, one way street, depending on where it is it could be permeable for cyclists.