Cyclists

[strawy]

This is a walking forum is it not ??
Its not a cyclists forum,my rant is,i think,justified..
I have no agenda against any-one who enjoys exercise & the countryside..
Ive met & chatted to lots of cyclists on my walks..
My opening post is aimed at those who have suddenly decided to get on their bikes & sod the rest..
Maybe its because ive had to walk in an urban environment lately,but i still think everyone should stick to social distancing & that means riding a little bit wider..
Riding a bike with a fosters in one hand & a phone in the other does not make you a cyclist..
You wanted drivers to go wide & yet you still push walkers into bushes 

[Glyno]

My own feeling on it is that all cyclists should be made to purchase third party insurance and also pay road tax at the same rate as motorcyclists.

this old fkn chestnut.


I'm a cyclist and am more than happy to pay 'road tax' (as you call it). I'll pay at the same rate as a Car Driver (or Motorcyclist) would, and seeing as it's based on emissions where do I send my £0 payment please?


...actually I, like most cyclists, do pay road tax (or Vehicle Excise Duty as it's correctly known) as I'm also a car owner.

[sussamb]

Send it to me Glyn please, bit short of cash at the mo 

[Glyno]

Send it to me Glynn please, but short of cash at the mo 

you could ask over half a million motorists who are driving around uninsured and untaxed currently in the UK.

[SteamyTea]

this old fkn chestnut.


I'm a cyclist and am more than happy to pay 'road tax' (as you call it). I'll pay at the same rate as a Car Driver (or Motorcyclist) would, and seeing as it's based on emissions where do I send my £0 payment please?

People produce carbon dioxide, so be careful what you wish for.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/08/carbon-footprint-cycling

[Glyno]

In Carlisle a lot of the pavements are for shared use by pedestrians and cyclists. I was always courteous to any pedestrians and I never had any issues to be honest, walking or cycling. Cycling on some of the fast roads was terrifying and I never really got on with cycling to work.

Ignorant and selfish people are the same if they are on foot, on a bike or in a car. I don't think you can tar all cyclists with the same brush and the vast majority of cyclists I encounter are well behaved.

Nice to see there's someone here still posting well-balanced, unopinionated views. :-)

[tonyk]

I'm a cyclist and am more than happy to pay 'road tax' (as you call it). I'll pay at the same rate as a Car Driver (or Motorcyclist) would, and seeing as it's based on emissions where do I send my £0 payment please?

  Emissions would be based on methane produced.A good formula would be based on BMI so the higher the BMI the higher the rate of tax.

[SteamyTea]

  Emissions would be based on methane produced.A good formula would be based on BMI so the higher the BMI the higher the rate of tax.

Could just tax on the brightness of the clothing.

[WhitstableDave]

this old fkn chestnut.


I'm a cyclist and am more than happy to pay 'road tax' (as you call it). I'll pay at the same rate as a Car Driver (or Motorcyclist) would, and seeing as it's based on emissions where do I send my £0 payment please?


...actually I, like most cyclists, do pay road tax (or Vehicle Excise Duty as it's correctly known) as I'm also a car owner.

You'd send your payment to the same place as everyone else of course: "You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay anything... (Gov.uk)"

And if you own two vehicles, they would both need to be taxed. Paying tax on one does not cover the other!

[Glyno]

And if you own two vehicles, they would both need to be taxed. Paying tax on one does not cover the other!

yes I know, a bit like putting fuel in one wouldn't work in the other.


Thanks anyway 

[WhitstableDave]

...actually I, like most cyclists, do pay road tax (or Vehicle Excise Duty as it's correctly known) as I'm also a car owner.

You pay road tax for your car, not your bike. Are you suggesting the tax you pay for one vehicle covers the other (at the hypothetical 0% rate that is!)?

(You wouldn't be the first cyclist to use that old chestnut - I used to say that too!  )

[April]

Nice to see there's someone here still posting well-balanced, unopinionated views. :-)

  

[WhitstableDave]

I'm not sure why those who cycle sometimes come across as a bit touchy. Surely even they get irritated by cyclists sometimes.

I've considered myself a cyclist almost all my life. I used to cycle to work all year round and at weekends for pleasure too.

There's always been a car in the family, but registered to my wife (I've mostly owned motorbikes) so, like many, I've been stuck for what seems like ages in a car behind a couple of dozen cyclists riding two or three abreast at about 15mph (or less). I was a cyclist driving a car and swearing at cyclists... is that so unusual?

As a walker I sometimes get irritated by cyclists. I hate the silly 'ding', which means what exactly? You're behind me? You're going to pass me? You want me to get out of your way? I don't think I've had a bell on a bike since I was riding three-wheelers as a child. I've never needed one. I call out "Good morning!" or "Excuse me please" or similar, which I think is much more polite than the meaningless 'ding'.

But I would also make a plea for tolerance for cyclists. I cycled on paths through woods and across fields well before I called myself a walker. Stiles and gates could be a pain, especially if the family was with me and I was the one having to lift four bikes over a fence. My point is... I knew nothing about rights of way and I would ride my mountain bike along any path that looked promising. I've been shouted at by farmers, got off my bike and pushed it, and got back on when I was out of sight. Nowadays, of course, I'm as quick to judge as anyone - if a cyclist is on a path that I know is a footpath, then I'm likely to point that out in a somewhat self-righteous and entirely hypocritical way.   

[SteamyTea]

I am personally not bothered by people cycling on footpaths, or anywhere really.  To be perfectly honest I would not mind seeing vehicle sometimes.  Quite fun to watch a well ridden trails bike.  Or a dune buggy trying to get up a steep climb.


I just dislike inconsiderate [censored].  But that is a problem that we all suffer really.

[strawy]

And i quote.."Oh its very difficult getting this thru that gap"
So i waited,and waited and then mentioned that its not really made for bikes to get thru
"I know,they shudda thought about that" ??
Case closed..