How do you deal with aggressive cyclists?

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Replies

  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    This actually depends on the laws of your area, in some places assault is the physical action. I can't find battery in our penal law.
    True.

    In Texas a threat of physical action is a lower level of offense than a physical action which is still assault.
  • Where I live, if you happen to see a car with a wing mirror on the passenger side dangling down or missing, chances are he pissed of a cyclist, lol.

    Clearly this is not in the USA. I can assure you that if a cyclist purposefully damaged my vehicle, they had better be able to pedal faster than my car can accelerate. The primary reason people destroy the property of others is they do not fear the consequences of their actions, and people in this country understand that a 20 pound bike is on the losing side of a battle with a 2000 pound vehicle.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Maybe I'm talking crazy here, by why not just get out of the way? Why do you have to "deal" with them? They are on a bike moving with a ton of velocity. In a collision you will both look like you were in a motorcycle accident. If you get out of their way, are you moving backwards? Will you lose all your gainz? Will it throw off the reading on your HRM?
    No, you're right, I will get out of the way/avoid in future. It was the intimidating attitude of the cyclist that angered me more than the actual yielding and wondered if anyone else had had similar experiences. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have tried to run a rugby player off the road....

    So we're talking about one aggressive cyclist.....it sounded like it was a daily occurrence.

    I'm both a runner and avid cyclist and I can say, without reservation, that the vast majority of cyclists are considerate. The only real exception I can think of are bike couriers who seem to think riding aggressively on the sidewalk is acceptable. (My experience may differ from yours, I weigh 200lbs and have a bad attitude)
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
    In the UK you are not allowed to cycle on paths unless it is a designated cycle and pedestrian path...and then you have to give way to pedestrians...pavements are meant for walking only and you can get fined here if found cycling on them. If however you are on the road, then cars and cycles and other vehicles have the right of way there.
  • nick1109
    nick1109 Posts: 174 Member
    I find the 'clothes line' wrestling move works even better on a cyclist

    Simple physics say that both that and an elbow are a good way to end up with a broken arm...

    Lets say you are 175lbs, moving at 6 mph (80 kg @ 2.75 m/s). The bicycle is 200 lbs moving at 20 mph (90 kg @ 9 m/s). You've got 220 kg m/s momentum. They have 810 kg m/s momentum. You are going to take most of the impact. Assume you take ALL the impact, going from +2.75 to -9 m/s. Your arm would be absorbing about 2000 N of force.
    That made me smile, but it IS very interesting, thank you :)

    Pretty lucky my arm is both big enough and strong enough to take this then. It would be like a workout really
  • plarcade
    plarcade Posts: 125 Member
    Maybe I'm talking crazy here, by why not just get out of the way? Why do you have to "deal" with them? They are on a bike moving with a ton of velocity. In a collision you will both look like you were in a motorcycle accident. If you get out of their way, are you moving backwards? Will you lose all your gainz? Will it throw off the reading on your HRM?
    No, you're right, I will get out of the way/avoid in future. It was the intimidating attitude of the cyclist that angered me more than the actual yielding and wondered if anyone else had had similar experiences. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have tried to run a rugby player off the road....

    So we're talking about one aggressive cyclist.....it sounded like it was a daily occurrence.

    I'm both a runner and avid cyclist and I can say, without reservation, that the vast majority of cyclists are considerate. The only real exception I can think of are bike couriers who seem to think riding aggressively on the sidewalk is acceptable. (My experience may differ from yours, I weigh 200lbs and have a bad attitude)
    Sorry ONE cyclist really ticked me off by riding directly at me. Others have been very close, but not that bad. I found this irritating because there was bags of room to avoid shaving my legs. HOWEVER, I now understand the cyclists POV better and will a) exercise more tolerance and b) endeavour to get out of the way.
  • plarcade
    plarcade Posts: 125 Member
    I find the 'clothes line' wrestling move works even better on a cyclist

    Simple physics say that both that and an elbow are a good way to end up with a broken arm...

    Lets say you are 175lbs, moving at 6 mph (80 kg @ 2.75 m/s). The bicycle is 200 lbs moving at 20 mph (90 kg @ 9 m/s). You've got 220 kg m/s momentum. They have 810 kg m/s momentum. You are going to take most of the impact. Assume you take ALL the impact, going from +2.75 to -9 m/s. Your arm would be absorbing about 2000 N of force.
    That made me smile, but it IS very interesting, thank you :)

    Pretty lucky my arm is both big enough and strong enough to take this then. It would be like a workout really
    Hahahaha, wonder if you can log it on MFP? :p
  • wmagoo27
    wmagoo27 Posts: 201 Member
    My favourite running route is a long, straight stretch of road with very little traffic. It's also very popular with cyclists who seem to think that they have more rights than I do. On more than on occasion I've been sworn at or been aimed at with their bikes and had to jump out of the way.
    I run against the traffic, so at least I can see the idiots coming, and keep to the side of the road; it's not like I'm dancing all over the shop disrupting their way sooo... How do you handle them? Ignore?

    If someone aimed their bike at me, I'd clothesline them.
  • CentralCaliCycling
    CentralCaliCycling Posts: 453 Member
    As runners you have a lot less to worry about than cyclists. About 40 miles north of my city a cyclist (and off duty deputy) was shot in the back by people in an SUV

    http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Off-Duty-Deputy-Shot-177586041.html
  • nick1109
    nick1109 Posts: 174 Member
    I find the 'clothes line' wrestling move works even better on a cyclist

    Simple physics say that both that and an elbow are a good way to end up with a broken arm...

    Lets say you are 175lbs, moving at 6 mph (80 kg @ 2.75 m/s). The bicycle is 200 lbs moving at 20 mph (90 kg @ 9 m/s). You've got 220 kg m/s momentum. They have 810 kg m/s momentum. You are going to take most of the impact. Assume you take ALL the impact, going from +2.75 to -9 m/s. Your arm would be absorbing about 2000 N of force.
    That made me smile, but it IS very interesting, thank you :)

    Pretty lucky my arm is both big enough and strong enough to take this then. It would be like a workout really
    Hahahaha, wonder if you can log it on MFP? :p

    Pretty sure clotheslining is in the MFP database?
  • plarcade
    plarcade Posts: 125 Member
    I find the 'clothes line' wrestling move works even better on a cyclist

    Simple physics say that both that and an elbow are a good way to end up with a broken arm...

    Lets say you are 175lbs, moving at 6 mph (80 kg @ 2.75 m/s). The bicycle is 200 lbs moving at 20 mph (90 kg @ 9 m/s). You've got 220 kg m/s momentum. They have 810 kg m/s momentum. You are going to take most of the impact. Assume you take ALL the impact, going from +2.75 to -9 m/s. Your arm would be absorbing about 2000 N of force.
    That made me smile, but it IS very interesting, thank you :)

    Pretty lucky my arm is both big enough and strong enough to take this then. It would be like a workout really
    Hahahaha, wonder if you can log it on MFP? :p

    Pretty sure clotheslining is in the MFP database?
    *Respect!*
  • Aggressive cyclists can be very dangerous to walkers/joggers. A while back, a lady was killed by a cyclist. She was running in the shared park, and the cyclist hit her. I don't know the details, but I am sure she hit her head.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Somehow I doubt that the cyclists are "aiming for you" as you stated they are. Perhaps it's the fact that they're riding towards you and you're refusing to get out of the way? Or did you think that maybe they know there's a car behind them and if they were to swerve they'd get hit?

    I am friends with many cyclists and they are far from rude and would never "aim" for someone who is walking or running. I've been running on bike paths and have had cyclists come up behind me and give a friendly "On your left" heads up. I've been running down the road, on the correct side and have had cyclists come towards me and I move myself out of the way.

    I have also been on the flip side of that, on a bike myself coming up on someone who was walking or running and as long as there are no cars coming behind me I'll swerve out of the way.

    That's not to say there aren't arrogant cyclists or even runners out there because I've seen them: They're riding three or four abreast and glare at the car as they are driving by or the runners who are halfway in the road and refuse to move when a car is coming by.

    I honestly can not believe people would tell someone to throw something at the cyclist, stick something in their spokes or pepper spray them. That's sickening.
  • HurricaneElaine
    HurricaneElaine Posts: 984 Member
    <snip>
    I honestly can not believe people would tell someone to throw something at the cyclist, stick something in their spokes or pepper spray them. That's sickening.

    I was kidding. Sorry about that.
  • plarcade
    plarcade Posts: 125 Member
    Somehow I doubt that the cyclists are "aiming for you" as you stated they are. Perhaps it's the fact that they're riding towards you and you're refusing to get out of the way? Or did you think that maybe they know there's a car behind them and if they were to swerve they'd get hit?
    Fine. Call me a liar.
    I know what happened.
    I am friends with many cyclists and they are far from rude and would never "aim" for someone who is walking or running. I've been running on bike paths and have had cyclists come up behind me and give a friendly "On your left" heads up. I've been running down the road, on the correct side and have had cyclists come towards me and I move myself out of the way.
    Have you ever been to Argentina? Hmm? Not ONCE has a cyclist called out to me. Not once.
    I have also been on the flip side of that, on a bike myself coming up on someone who was walking or running and as long as there are no cars coming behind me I'll swerve out of the way.
    So what's the problem in this case?
    That's not to say there aren't arrogant cyclists or even runners out there because I've seen them: They're riding three or four abreast and glare at the car as they are driving by or the runners who are halfway in the road and refuse to move when a car is coming by.
    So am I a liar or what? Please read the entire thread. I have taken on board what people (cyclists and runners have said)
    I honestly can not believe people would tell someone to throw something at the cyclist, stick something in their spokes or pepper spray them. That's sickening.
    TBH I think aiming your bike/car at anyone is inexcusable whether they have right or way or not. Same goes for the spokes thing, but I think most people meant it in jest.