I'm a reformed cyclist, i don't do that any more....
I don't get that stuff man, its the reason why people on bikes should be licensed to carry firearms, it's just not on.
But with that, also be required to pass a test every 3 years to show that they dont ride like complete mongs.
Some cyclists I hate for doing purely stupid stuff. A good example I think is riding along busy but narrow national-limit commuter routes during rush hour. Sure, I know you're trying to get to work more healthily, but for the love of pete
choose a different road!!! (of which i know there are several). You're putting your own life in danger and pissing off a lot of people who have to sit behind you at 10mph looking for a rare overtaking gap.
(addendums to this are that such folk rarely have lights... on an unlit road, at 8am/5pm, in winter, without a helmet or reflective vest! - if they do have the above, then the lights will usually be the retarded flashing LED things WITHOUT "proper" lamps beside them - and none of them ever seem to be putting any effort into the ride, i.e. could be going SO much more faster but instead are setting a pace where they could quite safely stick to the sodding pavement)
Others I feel a lot of pity for, e.g. trying to get through city traffic. Might be a student, might be trying to keep fit, or just saving time by not getting stuck in queues. They're just weaving along, or sticking well out of the way at the side of a fairly broad road, not causing anyone any harm, but still get so much stick and have to cope with idiocy from other road users.
(as such i havent voted because i need a third, or possibly fourth option)
I think the time will come when there's a full scale war gets waged between cyclists and motorists before each one learns to properly respect the other and know when they're doing things that cause danger or irritation to the other, and to try and avoid it.
FYI when driving, I always afford cyclists the maximum of regard and personal space, even if it means compromising a full-speed charge or ending up with lights flashing behind me. Rather that, than to knock someone down. It's best to imagine them as a milk float instead. EG no zipping past and then cutting left down a side street, leaving plenty of space when overtaking, etc etc. No more than I'd expect others to give me when I'm (rarely) on my bike.
When cycling, always helmet, light coloured shirt/coat, and lights if needed. Proper ones with a white halogen bulb at the front (angled downwards slightly, of course) and a bright, constantly lit red light at the rear, with a sizable battery complement and built-in "low" warning lights. Not worth taking the risk. Always keeping good stock of what the traffic around is doing, pedalling as hard as possible if holding people up (on a decent flat road with reasonable gearing i can manage 25mph... well, i used to) --- hell doing it most the time, as i'm rarely out for a cruise but trying to get somewhere sans polo --- and choosing the "keep out of the way" side of the coin rather than "be a precocious git", as one will lose you a couple seconds off the journey, the other is likely to get you killed.
mkay?
ps with the picasso, this is part of the "being fully aware" thing ---- i dunno if the kid was hanging out beforehand, but if you saw him coming... just raise right arm out at about his head height, as if to make a slighlty odd "turning right" signal
he'd get what he deserved. no seat belt after all. lets see them report THAT one to the police.
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We are cool (thats cyclists) apart from old guys who shouldnt be out and wear crap kit, ride crap bikes that are worth less than then car (bike should always cost more than car in cycling culture), dont have a good tan, have hairy legs with no definition and make stupid manouvers which p*** car drivers off. Apart from that we are cool! and women love the leg thing.
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