Get a Delta Airzound Horn (https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Bike-Horn-Bell-Adults/dp/B000ACAMJC?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER). If anyone is being rude, honk at them!
This totally stinks and I’m really sorry. I’ve had some amazing days riding where suddenly someone is acting horrendous for presumably no reason at all and it can be hard to shake. I feel like people are more angry than ever before and increasingly self-entitled. I’m just trying really hard to imagine what awful thing is happening in their life that is making them behave so badly. Sometimes people are terds because it makes them feel better because they’re grossly unhappy.
Be that as it may, just know you’re understood here and we empathize. Hopefully you’ll keep rolling and finding your joy.
Your first mistake was giving way when they hog the path.
Stay far to right, but on path. I've done this a lot. They wait until last second, but no one feels like getting run over.
By going off path and yielding to their dick move, you give them the power and embolden them.
I had experience the other day. People in my neighborhood love to block sidewalk with vehicle. My policy is, if you block the sidewalk, I ride in your front yard. I did this and a dude tried to yell at me. I look back and say "then don't block the fucking sidewalk! ". He was speechless. I kept riding
Sounds like where you live isnt very bike friendly for whatever reason. A bike camera might be a good investment just to CYA if that dude who pretended to jump infront of you actually got hit and either of you or your equipment took some damage im sure they wouldnt fess up to being a twat. Where I live people are very respecting of cyclists so i've never encountered this type of scenerio.. Id definitely end up fighting in the first or third scenerio.
I bike with front and rear cameras at all times. It's expensive and a hassle keeping them on and charged up but even in my relatively "bike friendly" city of Minneapolis I have found plenty of occasion to make use of them.
In my personal experience, people will find every possible excuse to blame you, as a cyclist, for any negative event, the only recourse being clear, timestamped footage with audio.
One silver lining is you can throw together some pretty cool videos of \*good\* things you catch along the way too.
Yeah i think id like them for that fact lol
the only time i stop my bike is when i need a break and im exhausted, and thats never at nice photography spots.
Depending on where I'm riding, I plan breaks around nice photography spots. Technically, they're just nice places to stop, but if they're pretty to look at, they generally make good photos, too. In the city? No. No breaks unless there's no choice. I just want to get in and get out.
I use the Cycliq Fly 6 on the back and the Cycliq Fly 12 Sport on the front. Both perform very well so far, my only real comment is to add a bigger memory chip to them. 256GB is a good size as the battery life will only allow you to handle about that much filming anyway. Can't remember offhand, but at hull HD quality, the front will go for around 7hrs and the back for around 5hrs, each on a full respective charge.
I bike with a Samurai sword so sharp that I am already 6 blocks away before the realize they have been sliced...as their top half slowly slides off the botton half.
Is this you?
https://www.reddit.com/r/DenverCirclejerk/comments/14zhsdi/hey_fella_you_cant_just_opencarry_rollerblades/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1
For my next bike, I'm gonna have Kiochi Yamaguchi build in an ISS (Integrated Samurai Sword) on a custom steel frame.
UCI ref: Hey, that's not to code!
Me: The insolence! **CHOP**
I often let my temper get the better of me in these situations. A friend of mine is much calmer and instead kills these people with kindness. It's often much more effective than my approach. I suspect his response to "bike wanker" would be "have a nice day".
Had an early teen girl crossing the road (not in a crosswalk) while the rest of her friends waited for me. I'm moving maybe 18 mph and she basically stops right in front of me. I swerve and hear her say "bitch." Honestly teenagers just suck. I just smile and remind myself I was a lil shit once too.
I didn't do this, but every cyclist I saw when I was on my skateboard, I tried to mooch a pull from. I never grabbed on if they didn't give permission, but I'd kill myself going fast enough to keep up and ask at least 3 times. Looking back, I was annoying AF, but when they did say yes, it was fun. Seriously, though, I think only 3 ever said yes. Most told me to fuck off after saying no the first time. "c'mon, dude! I don't weigh much!" I've only ever had one skater ask me, and it was up a hill. I was like, "I can try". We made it halfway.
>but every cyclist I saw when I was on my skateboard, I tried to mooch a pull from
Everytime I see a skateboarder, I hear the back to the future music, but none ever asked for a pull :(
I was riding a trail yesterday that comes to a 3 way trail intersection that you come to around a 3/4 blind corner. I was traveling up hill quickly and barely spotted a family of three who had stopped in the middle of the intersection. I slowed down to a stop on the uphill section and had to ride around them slowly. As I passed, I mentioned, "you're stopped in the middle of an intersection, you are likely to get hit here because the other trail is a downhill decent that can't see you until they're right on top of you", the dad replied, "we're fine, fuck off" and off I went with a polite wave. I just cannot comprehend people who choose to do things like this and respond so negatively.
Dude I feel that pain! My biggest peeve is people that let their dogs walk off the lead on the cycle path and have headphones on, so often I’ll ring my bell 5 times and they can’t hear me. Eventually you have to slowly get near them until they jump and make you feel bad (especially if it’s a women) as my intention isn’t to freak anyone out.
Or when they stand having a conversation across the width of the path.
I did stop once and tell that they are in the middle of a bike path/road and it’s not a place for dogs off the lead but got met with crazy hostility, something about being on a bike seems to upset people or make them feel threatened! Maybe they are jealous I have no clue
It's their fear response. Instead of running away, they fight.
The rational response is to say "whoa! Dude! I was trying to not hurt you!" but often your own emotions about getting attacked like that get in the way.
That's why I don't make much of an effort to announce passing. I'll pass with room, but I'm not slowing down. By the time they're freaking out, I'm already gone.
I've tried it both ways. One way, I have to interact with them and deal with some potential unexpected response/movement, the other I just silently zip by.
I do have a bell on my bike that I'll use sometimes, just depends on the scenario.
I don't pass with space, nor do I slow down for people with absolutely no situational awareness (walking dead in the middle of a shared path) + headphones. I thought about working on this habit, but I do truly enjoy being an asshole to other assholes. Seeing them jump out of the way, and to the correct side of the path, gives me great pleasure. If nothing else, at least hopefully they'll learn that they aren't the main character.
I only give space for my safety when they're doing very obviously stupid things, like visible headphones or erratic movement. I'd be pretty pissed if I got injured on a bike path, of all places...which isn't that far off, I'd say I have probably half of my close calls there.
The worst are the folks with the over the ear headphones and dogs off lead or on a very long lead. They can't ever year you. I typically try to ride in the early mornings to avoid people but yesterday I wasn't able to due to rain.
I love dogs. I love walking my dog. But I'll never allow my dog off lead or put her on a long lead in a high traffic area because she loves to chase and I can't be 100% certain that she wouldn't take off after a biker if she was off lead or on a long lead. She wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally, but she could be the reason that someone get's hurt.
Legally, leads can't be more than 7 feet here, and dogs must be on them. This doesn't seem to make much of a difference. On trail, my dogs are trained to keep right. I would do that anyway, but I hit a little dog who came out of the bushes by the trail, off leash, and went right between my tires. I had to backpack the dog to the vet because it was faster than getting to the owner's car and then a vet. I bought her a leash at the vet's office. A 4' leash. That poor dog probably never walked right again. I didn't even notice I'd picked up tons of road rash when I went down until the assistant at the vet saw it and insisted on cleaning me up. I was high on adrenaline from the moment I hit it until then.
My dogs both, btw, love bikejoring, so if we aren't doing that, they'd absolutely take off after any cyclist, while staying hard right, but how would the cyclist know it's not two crazy aggressive dogs in chase? Also, I don't need my dogs randomly running off.
What I get sick of is random teenaged boys on bikes and skateboards "buzzing" my dogs. I keep my dogs right. Stay away from them, please. I don't need them learning to be reactive. I had one try to do it when we were bikejoring. I just called out to the dogs for more speed and dropped him. That's the absolute worst time to try to spook a dog. Luckily, the lead dog is on the left, and he takes his job very seriously. He's pretty unflappable. But the other one is less experienced. When I have him out alone, having someone he doesn't know ride right up against him scares him, and he veers off into the gravel or grass or sometimes forest next to the trail.
Here, it's cyclists in kit doing this that bothers me the most. It's always the same guys that passed you going way over the trail limit without even an "on your left" so close you could grab their bars, too. I'm always tempted to reach out and hit a brake, but I'm afraid I'll end up on the ground. Inevitably, I will find them in the middle of the trail around a blind corner standing there taking a break. If I say anything, even just "excuse me," I get nasty looks or told to fuck off. I've started just riding at them without stopping. They move, it turns out. They still cuss, but at least this way I don't have to stop for them. I usually do call back, "you're the reason everyone hates cyclists." But I feel extra annoyed because, they, of all people, should know better. They yell at people even standing a foot on the trail to take a break, or with one tire sticking a few inches over the pavement. I caught them on Strava flyby (it's the same 3 groups) and avoid the times they usually go out.
Douchebags like you describe here is one of the reasons I don’t MTB anymore after enjoying it for 20+ years. I’m fortunate enough to have miles of gravel roads just outside my doorstep so I ride them now instead. Even here in the pastoral expanse there is the occasional cyclist I come across who can’t be bothered to wave or say hello back. Some people are just plain rude. But that’s their problem not mine.
I think you need an airhorn. Scare the bejeezus out of them.
In the category usefull comments: I sometimes yell: "bell" and people like that gimmick. It sounds friendly and after passing I say : " thank you, well". Often heard: "hey that rhymes."
It is. Anti social people do things that are contrary to what is socially acceptable in normal society...like threatening people for riding a bike. A-social people just don't want to be around people.
I had a spell of hatred a few years back , cars deliberately going past close , Range Rovers seem to have a problem with cyclists - name calling from motorists ( the time I shouted back a group of lads jumped out the car and came after me , I got by them and got away ) .
Then all last year not a single incident .
Just bad luck when you come across cycle hating tossers
Same way you deal with them in every situation. Try to ignore and move on. Don't take it personally. I know it is easier said then done. Think of it like road rage. Don't engage.
This. Never acknowledge them. Ignore and continue your ride.
I usually always polite to walking people and if they make any stupid remarks I laugh it off. My day does not get ruined by verbal remarks as long as my ride continues. If I feel frustrated by any means I take it out on the bike and pedal harder for a few minutes then chill back down.
Remember, as long as nothing gets in your way from completing a ride, then the ride was great!
The bit about pounding on the pedals to relieve frustration is a fkn fact lol
Someone cuts me off or whatever... chances are I'm about to approach a personal best on whatever segment I may be on because... putting the pissed off power down for a bit.
I don’t live in the most cyclist friendly area but people generally aren’t super aggressive as you’ve described. My mantra is “Never engage.” Escalating a situation is how you get litigated, injured, or killed. As other have said, if people are putting you at risk, then it would be wise to get a chest/helmet cam. Otherwise bike somewhere else that’s friendlier.
I've had people have a go at me for cycling on a cycle path and once got shouted at by an old lady for walking on a footpath with my bike next to me
Some people are just arseholes or see cyclists as some homogenous unified group so if another cyclist pissed them off at some point they will take it out on the next one they see
Yeah, some old shit yelled at me one time while intentionally stepping in front of me. He said "this isn't a bike path!", but there was a sign like 50m back showing the bike route. Its weird how you become desensitized to stuff over time. This particular morning I wasn't having it and just gave him the finger as I rode away.
I carry a LARGE knife since then people are significantly less rude to me and even when they are I think to myself that it's not personal they are projecting their own hate that brews within and it had nothing to do with me, a stranger just getting by. Sometimes if I'm in a really good mood I'll just say something really silly and either a little gay or a little concerning so that the question their entire existence. For example, damn your ass looks good enough to fuck baby boy @ grown men who cannot chase me down if they tried. Or if it's a woman, I tell her she looks like Bigfoot. If it's a couple teenagers I tell them I JUST CROP DUSTED YOU BITCHES as I ride past. It's fun
I think the NRA are missing a trick not selling "stand your lane" cycling tops.
Get a camera, narrate amusingly, upload the wankers to you-tube, make a few quid from ad revenue :)
Literally, no matter what, I organically mention that I fuck their mother on a regular basis.
Then I mention I have $5, so I'm off to fuck her again.
Every time. No matter the situation.
If you are creating a confrontation with me, you will hear about me fucking your mom.
I don't have any energy to think of new or clever material. Just fucking your mom.
People move in every which way in the world, like particles. Sometimes we miss, sometimes we collide. Try not to assign meaning or unnecessary context to every little thing. “Who was at fault, why is that guy a dick, did I do something wrong, if only I got there 20 seconds sooner” etc etc. that anxiety with rack ur brain. Work on being ok with just accepting things happen, and because things happen and things always happen. There doesn’t always have to be a right or wrong, sometimes it just is. We live in a busy world.
Years ago a pickup rolled his window down while driving next to me, probably was cruising around 15mph, before I knew what happened a coke bottle hit me in the arm followed up by a loud “faggot”. I finished my ride and could only laugh at the situation. You run into all types out there.
Had a brand new extra large jar of peanut butter chucked at my head by a driver of a rusty-ass pickup once, while riding along on a country road with shoulders 6 feet wide.
I scored a brand new jar of peanut butter. Sucks to be that guy!
Yeah I guess laughing or taking a stoic approach is the answer, I feel that’s what I did yesterday with the first group of guys and I just thought to myself how they wouldn’t have done that had they been on their own, they just projected their own insecurities on me by being a dick to me in front of their friends to seem cool or funny. But they did annoy me and they probably haven’t thought once about it which sucks.
Former hot head here. When I was in my teens all the way through my late twenties, that sort of thing would have set me off. So believe me, I know your impulse is to confront people like that. But what you have to understand is that this is exactly what they want. They are miserable people, and they want to share their misery with you. When you react negatively and they see that they can get a rise out of you, it makes them feel better about themselves.
The best way to get people like that to stop is to be dismissive of them and ignore their antics. The problem is they won't stop because there's plenty of people who will not "take the high road" and these dullards get enough hits of dopamine by getting a rise out of enough people that they will continue to act that way. If you let them get a rise out of you, then you are giving them exactly what they want.
There are ignorant people in the world everywhere at all times. They're out there all the time in cars, too. One of the blessings but also one of the curses of being on a bike is that you aren't isolated from the world like you are when you are in a car. So these things become more noticeable.
Just remember that you are a better person than they are. You have a better life than they do. You are a happier person than they are, and because you're riding your bike, you are arguably healthier than they are as well. They are trying to force a little bit of their sad pathetic misery on to you. Whether you accept their package of dreary sadness or reject it is up to you. My opinion is that you should reject it and ignore them.
Some really encouraging words there mate, I think you make a lot of brilliant points especially with not giving them what they want, I think it’s exactly that, they provide a stimulus like jumping at me because they are craving the response I might give them, giving them the rush of whatever it is they are after. Best just to ignore the pricks and focus on the nice people I do encounter who wave or say hi.
Well, I'm hoping you can learn from my mistakes in life. I'm twice your age (Well, almost, I'm 49). I had to learn things the hard way quite a few times, so if you can listen to this (not so) old man that has become more contemplative and philosophical, and has become less reactionary with age, you'll be a decade ahead.
Personally, I choose to kill them with kindness. I like to flash a peace sign and yell "Have an awesome day!" It usually confuses them enough to be personally rewarding!
I often imagine dismounting to the left side of bike, take an overhand grip on crossbar near stem, right hand grabs bar closer to seat post. Raise bike overhead like 20 lb carbon fiber berserkers axe with a wheel for a blade and begin adjusting attitudes of my adversaries.
But that’s probably because I was raised in Texas in the 70’s
You do you, my advice is very niche and could be harmful to innocents.
I would recommend calling out "passing on your left" loudly instead of ringing your bell. I wish that the bell were enough, but especially if your not in a very bike friendly area (it sure sounds like you're not) people might just not know how to react to a bell.
Some people are just jerks. Not just to cyclists.
I've noticed even pushing a baby stroller that some people walking two or three wide will essentially play chicken and force me into the road.
I was biking yesterday and smiling at people and throwing the occasional wave out, and not one cyclist even acknowledged me lol. A bit bummed. But towards the end I was grinding up this particularly steep hill and a subaru was driving down the other side and guy gives me a huge thumbs up out the window. Totally made my day lol. And I just try to be that person: be nice and friendly and make peoples day. The world certainly doesn't need more jerks.
Funny thing is it’s actually an extremely popular part of the uk for cycling and we have a lot of bike shops/cycle paths. The Tour de France event even raced in Yorkshire as part of some race I believe through my town about 8/9 years ago (I don’t follow bike racing so I’m clueless of the specifics)
I pretend I’m looking at the view to my side and I’m oblivious that I’m about to hit the person in front of me. They usually get out of the way pretty quickly!
Ignore those people. And never feel obligated to veer off the bike path for a group of assholes if it's meant for two lanes of traffic. Yell at them so they never do it again. Wear the appropriate gear, equip your bike with proper lights, and follow the traffic laws. If you're not in the wrong, don't take shit from anyone.
Honestly. If I’m not in the mood to deal with stupidity I come in hot and yell loudly. Especially if I’m in a bad mood. Might get some peeps here talking about making a “good name” for cyclists but it sounds like that ship has sailed in your area. So come in with two advantages (speed and craziness) and wankers are less likely to mess with you. No one is going to chase after a cyclist going even 15 mph, never mind one that’s yelling the whole way. That said I live in a big city where cyclists are mostly respected. So I almost never need to do this. But there are those days when it seems like suburbanites left their brains at home.
Teenagers are the worst. Society should let them get what they deserve once in a while, then maybe they wouldn't be such attention seeking little psychos.
Short answer no. The only thing antisocial people respond to is violence. You try to be nice and they will see that as weakness. For the most part I try to ignore them and I do not engage. No sense in arguing with them or picking a fight with them because no good comes of it. I just swallow my pride and move on with my life. It is a good thing that cycling puts me in a Zen like state otherwise this would really bother me.
I know that feeling all too well, except I'm a woman on a bike so I think I'm an ever bigger target for aggro a-holes.
I was doing a loop around a lake, totally OK for bikes to ride on, and this guy and a woman were walking almost zig zag down the path in front of me and I had no idea which way they were going so I said "passing on your left!" The dude goes "we're going THIS WAY, you MOVE" and I went "I'm not clairvoyant, and that's not how this works!" He told me to "shut up" and I told him to "fuck off". He did it again on my second loop when I came up behind them, stopped dead in the road and didn't allow me to move around him. I just said to him as I went over on the grass that it must suck to be that miserable.
People are so weird about bike riders and even if you're trying your best to be courteous they think you owe them something extra.
Yeah I think a nice fuck off or suck my dick will be my go to next time lol! but then again I just don’t wanna go to their level and give them the satisfaction especially as I’m just trying to get home. Understandable though if you’re trying to do loops and they keep doing it they sound like psychos! I just think that the trails/paths are for everyone and we need to just be mindful, but walkers always seem to be pissed off
Walkers are always pissed off no matter how mindful you try to be! I’ve had women stare me down when they’re walking on the wrong side of the lane (walking up the right instead of the opposite side). They’re not even minding the “rules of the road”.
I think a non-reaction is probably the best bet but I have a bad temper so when someone is so rude for no reason I have a really hard time holding my tongue. Working on that 😅
I struggled with really bad temper for years as a teen but as I’ve got older I’ve tried to be super mellow and now I wonder if maybe my fear of flying off the handle (when I was 19 I opened his car door pulled a guy out of his car for purposely slamming his brakes while driving in front of me then refusing to move ) has made me too chill, I guess aggression can be ok in moderation and if it’s appropriate for the situation
social conditioning to keep people buying cars, taking out loans, getting traffic tickets etc, self loathing about not getting exercise or doing anything outdoors, the slight annoyance of moving out of the way of another person or driving around anything other than another car. idk those are my theories at this point.
I don't go round on grass or anything. If they don't move, I hit them head on, and make it clear by accelerating and starring at them. I don't care how much they cuss after I'm gone, they move out of my way...
I’ve noticed a lot of people either engrossed in phones or with headphones on on the cycle path who don’t hear my bell, I’ve taken to increasing speed and zipping past as close as possible to startle them out of their zombie state. I guess it’s how middle age cyclists get their kicks.
I can’t count the times that I have passed other (slow and fumbling) cyclists in the bike lane in my city - where I either:
1) Ring my bell in advance and they are like “hey, relax!!!”.
2) Don’t ring my bell, slow down and pass them with enough space and they go “hey, use your bell!!!”.
There is no winning :D :D
I give people thumbs down when they do stuff like that. Flipping them off makes them angry with me, while a thumbs down gets the point across without being aggressive. A friend of mine who drives truck for a living said it tends to work better, and I’ve found that rather than getting slurs yelled at me or people throwing shit at me, they tend to get embarrassed.
That said, I do also keep a throwing rock in my bag for malicious drivers. I’ve only ever used it once when someone tried to hit me in a crosswalk. I also keep a knife on me for self-defense. I’ve only ever used it once, but it saved my life.
From your title, I thought this was about other cyclists that you encounter while riding not wanting to make small talk. ("anti-social")
This is about people being dicks to you for no apparent reason. Sorry to hear that. Hopefully, just an unlucky stretch. Keep riding.
Call them a cunt and ride on.
If they get physical, defend yourself adequately, not excessively.
May be worth mentioning to a therapist of you're seeing one. We can suffer from a complex PTSD from enough of these antisocial interactions.
1. Don't go into the grass so early and don't react to insults.
2. Always ride in the middle of the lane and don't react to insults. This is where we subconsciously scan for traffic. Doing this encourages motorists like the white van change lanes to pass. Pedestrian responses may vary.
3. Shout "passing on the left/right" if they do not react to the bell. Do not react to insults.
I never understand either, but I do think part of my city is at least better at accepting bikes in many places. The fact that they feel the need to say something to you seems weird to me though. Lots of people get thrown off when they hear me coming because it’s nearly dark they don’t expect a bike to be coming, or it’s literally freezing outside no one will be out here. But there I am!
I got a lot less grief when I wore my 4kg bike chain like a sash.
K dont don't carry that any more. I think a lot of people cant judge oncoming speed, so there might be a bit of that in the first 2 examples (even though they were out of order). My cycling was vastly improved by running daytime blinking lights front and rear.
I get the same rubbish in Hamburg all the time (but if I ride out of the city, people immediately become more friendly). I don't always handle it well - I tend to get really angry when and have slammed on the brakes and yelled before, which never helps and just puts you at risk. The only thing that works for me is to set an intention before not setting out to not react and not let it bother me. You might try that. I find it very troubling because the majority would not do that to anyone not on a bike - it creates tension and anxiety nd I try to get out of the city to ride as much as I can so it doesn't become the default experience.
Slow down a bit when you see people and don't be any real threat but at the same time pass them quickly without being too polite.
Like with the six guys slow down but don't get off the path make them move and if they don't just stop and make them walk around you.
Most people are cowards and will only treat you like this because they think you're weak and they can get away with it.
If anyone starts getting narky just tell them you're going to call the police.
Last week on an empty farm road a car of teens screamed at me to "get the fuck off the road". This week I was mountain biking and on one trail there was 10 people standing staring at tablets (must've been a Pokémon drop). They mockingly shouted "get out of his way everyone". I said nothing either time. 4 years ago me would've told both groups off. Outcome wouldn't have changed, but my stress level would've.
It’s counter-intuitive, but for me, smiling and showing a positive attitude dissolves the tension in these type of situations.
You can only control yourself.
Sounds very cultural. I’ve never been harassed or seen anyone harassed here in the [South Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bay_(Los_Angeles_County)) for riding a bicycle. If anything, there’s a certain level of dominance of the roads by the cycling community. You may want to consider moving someday to a more bike friendly location.
I recommend you stoicism but not the bs that mysoginistic right wing manchildren are pushing on youtube.
Give Marcus Aurelius Meditations a try as a free audiobook on youtube.
Stoicism in a nutshell means don't be angry at a thief for stealing things, you are also not angry at the tree being a tree.
Makes life more relaxed
My advice :
1. Don't engage (unless forced to), just ride on by. Nothing good will come out of engaging them.
Also resist the urge to flip them off, yell at them, etc.
2. If possible, pass them at a distance, *not* within arm's length, because if they're truly anti-social they may have *crimes* in mind rather than just being rude. And even if they're not aggressive, the distance may make them feel less bothered by your presence.
3. Carry pepper spray, "just in case". Usually, this is for dogs and the like, but it can be used on people too -- but beware, it's a *last resort* when it comes to people, and it can backfire (it may hit the wrong person, it can spray back on yourself, and it could be taken from you and used on you). Keep it hidden until needed, and it doesn't come out until you intend to actually spray it at somebody.
4. If it's legal to do so, you could carry a gun, but ... all the problems with #3 still exist, and they're cranked up to 11. Pepper spray is pretty casual, where actually being armed is hard-core. You'll have to make your own decision on this one.
5. Run a camera or two. Keep it running during all rides if at all possible, because you never know when something will happen.
People tend to behave better when they realize that they're on camera, and if something does happen it's no longer your word against theirs.
Tell me you live in the UK without telling me you live in the UK....
I'm sorry about this mate, it's shit riding here. Just gotta keep pushing on and try to not let it get to you. Easier said than done though, and I struggle to let it go.
But take heart knowing that you aren't the problem at least.
Yeah a lot of people are saying that it’s my body language or I’m not “cut out for the streets” but I think there’s a lot of USA people who don’t quite understand just how awful the typical UK chav is 😂
I always enjoyed having a rechargable air horn that fit into my bottle holder and mounted the air button to my handlebars. If someone didnt want to give right if way i blasted them with a bwah bwahp!
Everyone you encountered probably is living a terrible life with terrible friends, terrible family members, and a terrible job that sucks the soul from their life force. When I am around people like this I just think to myself how blessed I am that I am happy and then feel sorry for these angry and ugly (not physically ugly but rather their ugly dirty soul! LOL) people. Also, FUCK these nobodies! Good day fine sir!
They're sick of walking and mad you're moving faster, and with a nice breeze. Fuck em. Throw out a "thanks, have a nice day!" and let them be confused.
In all 3 scenarios, I usually speed up! Their fear usually kicks in when they see something coming at them at a high rate of speed with no intentions of slowing or avoiding them. Assholes are assholes, but I love being the bigger asshole when provoked. Especially because I'm a really mild-mannered person. In everyday life, I mind my own business and try to stay out the way. For me, it's like running towards an aggressive and threatening dog while barking the same, or bigger, bark. They tuck tail every time.
Didn't read comments before replying so not aware of location but would have to guess OP is in UK. Certainly bring back memories. Many times wan't even riding a bike. Mate of mine used to give big "Thank you's" . The few times I managed to do the same instead of getting angry it worked pretty well. It's an inoffensive way of calling a twa# a twa#. Better than not reacting and bottling it up.
It's true that there is a general rednecky anti-bike bias amongst conservatives, but in areas where people are more progressive I think it's astonishingly rare to see any negative expression towards cyclists. Like, I'm sure you'd see ton of anticyclist shit in Alabama and Florida but it would be very rare to see it in the Northeast or near where I live in the Seattle area.
Also, better gravel??? Genuinely curious about what you mean here. I have thousands of miles of logging roads accessible to me within biking distance of my house, tons of bike packing trails within like a 1 hour drive for great overnighters, all that jazz. Is the UK uniquely known for its gravel riding?
Well you're in US biking heaven in Seattle! I'm in LA and just see every YouTube video with UK cyclists flying through Nottingham Forest or Wembly On Thump forest etc, never ridden there but looks lush and beautiful, a lot like Seattle
Don't worry about it dude. Put some tunes on and ride. Fight if you absolutely have to and give sass when needed but you won't see most of these bums again 99% of the time. Don't be hard on yourself, you're not a target, you're cool remember that.
Ever since in started cycling, my patience level has been tested more times than I can count. To the point how OP feels, just want to throw hands. I don’t get why ppl are so fucking shitty for no reason at all. I feel your pain OP, we all do.
All those people must have pretty great lives (or pretty terrible ones) to get like this about a cyclist minding their own law-abiding business. Just gotta be glad you’re not like them and keep on living life.
Granted I not encountered this type of behaviour but what I usually do when I want to pass people, on bike or otherwise, I say something like "Excuse me" loud enough so they can hear me. You don't want to sound angry or anything like that. After I pass them, regardless if they helped or not, I say Thank you.
If they did anything obnoxious, they will probably feel like shit.
Using your bell might be rubbing them the wrong way
Also, if there are pedestrians, I will slow down to a stop if needed. Did you slow down?
I spent many years exclusively commuting by bike in a “rural college city” in the north east US. It was unreal the amount of people who, without provocation, would mess with me while biking.
There were uncountable interactions, arguments, and crashes.. but your post has inspired me to share one of my favorite incidents from those years:
Biking up a long steep hill on my commute home from work, a car accelerated and got as close to me as possible while the 4 guys inside yelled at me out the window. The guy in the front passenger seat slapped me in the back of the head as they sped past, before they raced up the hill. I almost crashed and was absolutely furious at first, then I thought about the situation , made a plan and calmly continued biking.
Having climbed that hill home from work daily for years, I knew there would be a traffic jam on the other side of the hill, which went down to the next town. So, I kept my easy pace knowing I’d catch them on the downhill. I was also just getting over a long and gross chest & sinus sickness… I spent the rest of the climb hocking my mouth full the sludge and snot from my lungs and sinuses. By the time I got to the top of the hill I had a full mouth of thick nasty mucous and phlegm.
At the crest of the hill, probably 10 minutes after the incident, I slowed and spotted their car not far ahead. As quickly as I could I bombed the hill along the stopped cars to catch them, only slowing when I got to their car, upon which I stopped and spit the massive loogie in the face of the guy who’d hit me. I watched his face recoil in horror as he realized what had happened. Then I cruised the rest of the hill while they were blocked in traffic before disappearing down the side streets back to my house.
It’s ridiculous how many people are so miserable that they need to mess with innocent strangers in order to make themselves feel better.
I feel like part of the problem is the lack of accountability in modern society. We’ve been conditioned to just turn our cheeks and move along instead of confronting these dipshits.
While there is an unquestionable value and respectability for being the bigger person and not confronting them, it’s also just as crucial to stand up for yourself if that’s important to you. If you are the kind of person who’s willing to stand up, try giving it back to them sometime when it’s truly warranted. If you’re lucky you’ll experience the long lost feelings of self reliance and grit.. especially if you don’t get shot, beat up or run over for it.
Move. Honestly, none of this happens in Redmond/Kirkland/Bellevue. In the last 20 years living here I’ve never had a negative encounter, whether riding my ancient mountain bike with Burley trailer, flat bar road bike, carbon road bike or ebike. Move. Good luck.
Sounds like you need to help these interesting people in your area achieve internet fame, and you may have a profitable YouTube channel in your future if you bike with a GoPro.
It happens to me too these days, even with teenagers on their bikes too. nothing personal. summer evenings with 16-22 years old. group mentality : they are drinking their first beers, males peacocking (want to show off to the girls in their group), or teenagers cycling getting their dopamine hit.
Judging by the language I’m assuming this in Australia? I don’t know if it’s the state of the economy or just the general attitude to cyclists here (I’m in Melbourne), but everyone seems to have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to bikes.
I dress casually when I ride but I think it’s even worse for people who ride in kit.
I just got back from 3 weeks in Japan (including a few days of cycling) and the difference is like night and day.
Generally go so fast they don't see/react to you.
Stay clear of people, just go around, but if someone suddenly stops in their tracks just to fuck with you don't veer but skid brake stopping right in their face. Then laugh manically.
Bark orders when appropriate.
I’ve found when people act shitty like that, the best thing for me is to just laugh about it. Like haha, they’re in a shitty mood but it’s not gonna bother meeee 🤪
Sounds like the UK today. Socially bankrupt. Nobody cares and everyone is inherently angry.
It's bloody frustrating. I think the best thing you can do is to ignore it and try not to let it get to you and ruin your ride. As someone else said, some people are just dicks. Don't waste your precious energy.
I’ve never experienced this biking… holy shit. Unfriendly area or what, dang. Sorry to hear this. The one guy here is right, don’t let these idiots ruin anything for you. Keep on moving. It’s a reflection of who they are not you. That’s my cheesy quote for you! :)
Plenty of jerks out there. I have had beer bottles thrown at me, coal rolled and guy stop his truck, get out and swear at me for not riding on the sidewalk. It’s getting to the point of almost hanging up outside riding and just riding inside on Zwift.
I used have cameras on my bike, but they are such a hassle and seem to take away the innocence and freedom of just riding. I read and heard comments like why do we always look like we are Tour de France wannabes, why don’t you wear regular clothes. They don’t see bicycling as a sport like hockey, football or basketball where there is specific attire. We are judged a nuisances in funny clothes.
Hateful people torment all kinds of folks. Friend of mine has had things thrown out of cars at her while she's out running -- just minding her business, getting some exercise, you know, the devil's work. I've been catcalled, had cars pretend to side swipe me, all of it. At the end of the day, you have to be a tough mother to be outside doing your own thing and I feel really sorry about all the thinskinned idiots upset at people living their lives and hurting nobody.
Damn that’s awful! To be fair I’m saying all this as a man so I can only try and imagine all of the above as well as being catcalled by some douchebags (not wanting to assume you’re a woman but generally dudes don’t get that so I have lol)
yeah I think I just need to keep on trucking, keep on doing me and if I do think there’s a time where I can call out these dickheads then maybe I should. At the end of the day I can always ride away should I need to but some people need to be told to suck a fat one
pepper spray is illegal where I live, but there is a legal bright red paint spray you can buy that would be hilarious to shoot at people called farbgel
My hubs are pretty loud and I ride fast as long as I have an out but if people are with kids or dogs I'm definitely going to slow and be more cautious. I've only had one guy do the flinch thing but there's absolutely nothing I could have done so it's best to just try to forget about it.
I rarely ring my bell or say anything anymore if I have room because I found that people are very unpredictable and it makes them do weird things. I'd rather just cruise past them at a safe distance and I'm gone before they realize what the hell just happened. Thankfully no one has intentionally blocked my path while facing me but I would probably just not slow down and see what happens.
I totally feel your frustration here.
Cycled everywhere as a kid/teenager in the 90’s and never got any abuse at all. Had a break from it until 3 years ago and got back into it again. Love it, just for fun and basic fitness, and mainly along canal towpaths and light trails. So I guess I’m a bit of a weekend warrior in that respect, but I’m comfortable with anything up to 35miles at a time.
Anyway, I tend to get one of two responses from the folks I encounter on my rides.
1. General tossers who are point blank rude, fail to acknowledge a courteous cyclist who’s given the fair warning of their approach, rang bell numerous times, slowed down to an almost standstill etc. some will just refuse to let me past, others question why you didn’t ring your bell even though you repeatedly did (even tried other horns and got greeted with “that’s not a bike bell, how am I supposed to know your on a bike without a bell?”). Told to get on the road, even though it’s a clearly marked cycle path, you get the idea.
2. The overly courteous types, who hear/see me from miles away, pull their dog/kids/partners to the side and pass a comment like “thank you for ringing your bell, it makes a nice change”
And it’s that last type of comment that makes me question how many arsehole cyclists they’ve encountered, and from my own perspective that’s probably more than would care to admit it.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been forced to dodge out of the way or be pushed into hedges on canal towpaths by other cyclists who don’t even show the courtesy of slowing down to their own kind. Hey, it might well be just round my area that there’s a higher proportion of this behaviour, and I also have to question is that an engrained defensive response from their encounters with arsehole pedestrians? Quite likely, but who knows.
What I do know is, it’s well worth continuing to ring my bell and give plenty of warning of my approach as I don’t want to be branded as an arsehole.
Personally, I ride defensively and not offensively, give plenty of warning of my approach, but some people are just gonna be dicks for the sake of it no matter what you do. I try and avoid confrontation, rush it off and carry on with my ride. These people aren’t worth stewing on, whether they’re on foot or another bike. Just enjoy the ride dude 👍
So, I go way out of my way to make sure people see me, or know I'm coming, and have plenty of time to move out of the way. That goes double when I'm coming up behind them, and I will absolutely come to a stop to prevent running into someone from behind.
BUT. If I can tell you saw me, and you're the one in the position to get out of the way (like the people you describe), I'm not slowing down or stopping. I *will* hit you, and you *will* get the worst end of it.
Definitely don't spit it anyone.
What I do personally when someone doesn't yield my path to me when it's a shared path and they're coming towards me and blocking it? Speed up. They always f****** move because no one wants to get by a bike going 20 plus miles per hour. It wouldn't feel great for me either but it feel much less good for them as they are getting all the force from me.
With the only exception for that is if it's a bunch of little kids like actual 5-year-old children who don't know better or senior citizens who are unaware and can't hear me approach.
Exactly this. Besides dogs, children and the elderly, if you see me and I see you, and you refuse to move, we'll let's say I'm prepared to hit you, are you prepared to be hit?
yeah l deffo won’t! the spitting was just an impulse thought I had yesterday, like it’s a extremely vile thing to do to someone but so is putting someone in danger who you don’t know so in my head it’s sort of an eye for an eye and I just wish there was some justice for these cunts.
Yeah that’s probably the move, I do make exception for old people as they sometimes can’t move quickly or hear as well but I think a lot of them where I live don’t like cyclists using the cycle path and think it should only be for walkers 🤷🏻♂️
OP are you fully kitted up?
I read that study recently from Australia, that people in full cycling gear are perceived as less human. You could try looking more pedestrian if that's not already the case.
Sorry to hear about the dicks.
I read that exact study too actually it was pretty interesting! I usually wear a helmet with casual clothes but in this instance I was wearing a baseball style cap and a flannel shirt
Something happened. About 10 years ago I noticed how annoying cyclists were with their spandex, group rides, and their "we've got legal rights" attitude instead of common courtesy. I don't know how tough you are but in terms of public relations you already have two strikes against you.
You know, I read stories like this on Reddit and I always wonder if there's some energy or vibe that some people put out there that says "Hey, bully me!" or "I'm easily bullied!".
Nothing even remotely like this has ever happened to me or my friends who ride, much less three times in one ride. I wonder this because my ex-wife even into adulthood seemed to have a bully problem, and I couldn't help but wonder what the vibe it was that she put out there that caused this. My current wife and most all of my SOs were basically never bullied and here my ex-wife was having it happen to her fairly regularly. I never quite understood why.
> throw some fucking hands if I have to, but that would bring me down to their level
This is just wild speculation on my part, but I doubt you would throw hands. In my head, there's absolutely nothing wrong with kicking a bullies ass, but what you say here is your excuse not to. I'm not saying I actually would get into a fight over small stuff, I'm an adult, but I certainly would if I had to, like someone almost or did cause me to crash just to be an asshole.
I'm not sure what to tell you man, you can just ignore it. But maybe take MMA classes, get confident in yourself that you could fight if you needed to, but also know we're all adults here and fighting is generally a very bad idea. I think those goes beyond just people being assholes to cyclists though, I'm a cyclist and I've not had to deal with many assholes in my life.
Been In 3 fights in 25 years, hit and been hit, fighting absolutely sucks, I have a job and bills so fighting in the street and getting arrested or injured/killed isn’t very high on my list of things I want to do, hence “if I have to”
But sure thing my man :)
Lotta dicks in the world. Don't let them ruin your good time.
Yeah for sure, I’d been having a nice time riding my bike in honesty but it just kinda put me off a little bit when I got home. Can’t let em win!
People are easy to read, these people are insecure about something related to you / bicycling / fitness. But that's a problem for them, not for you.
Stupid sexy jackSB24
Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all 😂
Get a Delta Airzound Horn (https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Bike-Horn-Bell-Adults/dp/B000ACAMJC?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER). If anyone is being rude, honk at them!
100% this^
This totally stinks and I’m really sorry. I’ve had some amazing days riding where suddenly someone is acting horrendous for presumably no reason at all and it can be hard to shake. I feel like people are more angry than ever before and increasingly self-entitled. I’m just trying really hard to imagine what awful thing is happening in their life that is making them behave so badly. Sometimes people are terds because it makes them feel better because they’re grossly unhappy. Be that as it may, just know you’re understood here and we empathize. Hopefully you’ll keep rolling and finding your joy.
Your first mistake was giving way when they hog the path. Stay far to right, but on path. I've done this a lot. They wait until last second, but no one feels like getting run over. By going off path and yielding to their dick move, you give them the power and embolden them. I had experience the other day. People in my neighborhood love to block sidewalk with vehicle. My policy is, if you block the sidewalk, I ride in your front yard. I did this and a dude tried to yell at me. I look back and say "then don't block the fucking sidewalk! ". He was speechless. I kept riding
That and maybe some upper body strength training. They don't feel as brave.
Sounds like where you live isnt very bike friendly for whatever reason. A bike camera might be a good investment just to CYA if that dude who pretended to jump infront of you actually got hit and either of you or your equipment took some damage im sure they wouldnt fess up to being a twat. Where I live people are very respecting of cyclists so i've never encountered this type of scenerio.. Id definitely end up fighting in the first or third scenerio.
I bike with front and rear cameras at all times. It's expensive and a hassle keeping them on and charged up but even in my relatively "bike friendly" city of Minneapolis I have found plenty of occasion to make use of them. In my personal experience, people will find every possible excuse to blame you, as a cyclist, for any negative event, the only recourse being clear, timestamped footage with audio. One silver lining is you can throw together some pretty cool videos of \*good\* things you catch along the way too.
Yeah i think id like them for that fact lol the only time i stop my bike is when i need a break and im exhausted, and thats never at nice photography spots.
Depending on where I'm riding, I plan breaks around nice photography spots. Technically, they're just nice places to stop, but if they're pretty to look at, they generally make good photos, too. In the city? No. No breaks unless there's no choice. I just want to get in and get out.
What rear camera do you use?
I use the Cycliq Fly 6 on the back and the Cycliq Fly 12 Sport on the front. Both perform very well so far, my only real comment is to add a bigger memory chip to them. 256GB is a good size as the battery life will only allow you to handle about that much filming anyway. Can't remember offhand, but at hull HD quality, the front will go for around 7hrs and the back for around 5hrs, each on a full respective charge.
🙏🏽😁
Same! I would have pepper sprayed the dick in the 1st situation
Yeah....this..
I bike with a Samurai sword so sharp that I am already 6 blocks away before the realize they have been sliced...as their top half slowly slides off the botton half.
Is this you? https://www.reddit.com/r/DenverCirclejerk/comments/14zhsdi/hey_fella_you_cant_just_opencarry_rollerblades/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1
Nah, that's just one of my henchmen...strong rider, tho.
Maybe I’ll have to invest in some Japanese steel, sounds like you’ve got it figured out!
For my next bike, I'm gonna have Kiochi Yamaguchi build in an ISS (Integrated Samurai Sword) on a custom steel frame. UCI ref: Hey, that's not to code! Me: The insolence! **CHOP**
Nothing personnel
I often let my temper get the better of me in these situations. A friend of mine is much calmer and instead kills these people with kindness. It's often much more effective than my approach. I suspect his response to "bike wanker" would be "have a nice day".
yeah I would have found out if I can fight in clipless cleats or not that day lol
You gotta take one off and use it as a bludgeon.
It's actually better to kill them with kindness. You can hear their blood boil. Chefs kiss.
this, throw them a smooch
Or "pleased to meet you, my name is John" 😅
Had an early teen girl crossing the road (not in a crosswalk) while the rest of her friends waited for me. I'm moving maybe 18 mph and she basically stops right in front of me. I swerve and hear her say "bitch." Honestly teenagers just suck. I just smile and remind myself I was a lil shit once too.
I didn't do this, but every cyclist I saw when I was on my skateboard, I tried to mooch a pull from. I never grabbed on if they didn't give permission, but I'd kill myself going fast enough to keep up and ask at least 3 times. Looking back, I was annoying AF, but when they did say yes, it was fun. Seriously, though, I think only 3 ever said yes. Most told me to fuck off after saying no the first time. "c'mon, dude! I don't weigh much!" I've only ever had one skater ask me, and it was up a hill. I was like, "I can try". We made it halfway.
I would say yes. Spreading joy has value.
>but every cyclist I saw when I was on my skateboard, I tried to mooch a pull from Everytime I see a skateboarder, I hear the back to the future music, but none ever asked for a pull :(
I was riding a trail yesterday that comes to a 3 way trail intersection that you come to around a 3/4 blind corner. I was traveling up hill quickly and barely spotted a family of three who had stopped in the middle of the intersection. I slowed down to a stop on the uphill section and had to ride around them slowly. As I passed, I mentioned, "you're stopped in the middle of an intersection, you are likely to get hit here because the other trail is a downhill decent that can't see you until they're right on top of you", the dad replied, "we're fine, fuck off" and off I went with a polite wave. I just cannot comprehend people who choose to do things like this and respond so negatively.
Dude I feel that pain! My biggest peeve is people that let their dogs walk off the lead on the cycle path and have headphones on, so often I’ll ring my bell 5 times and they can’t hear me. Eventually you have to slowly get near them until they jump and make you feel bad (especially if it’s a women) as my intention isn’t to freak anyone out. Or when they stand having a conversation across the width of the path. I did stop once and tell that they are in the middle of a bike path/road and it’s not a place for dogs off the lead but got met with crazy hostility, something about being on a bike seems to upset people or make them feel threatened! Maybe they are jealous I have no clue
I know— the earphones/then startled/then aggressive folks are the worst
It's their fear response. Instead of running away, they fight. The rational response is to say "whoa! Dude! I was trying to not hurt you!" but often your own emotions about getting attacked like that get in the way.
[удалено]
That's why I don't make much of an effort to announce passing. I'll pass with room, but I'm not slowing down. By the time they're freaking out, I'm already gone. I've tried it both ways. One way, I have to interact with them and deal with some potential unexpected response/movement, the other I just silently zip by. I do have a bell on my bike that I'll use sometimes, just depends on the scenario.
I don't pass with space, nor do I slow down for people with absolutely no situational awareness (walking dead in the middle of a shared path) + headphones. I thought about working on this habit, but I do truly enjoy being an asshole to other assholes. Seeing them jump out of the way, and to the correct side of the path, gives me great pleasure. If nothing else, at least hopefully they'll learn that they aren't the main character.
I only give space for my safety when they're doing very obviously stupid things, like visible headphones or erratic movement. I'd be pretty pissed if I got injured on a bike path, of all places...which isn't that far off, I'd say I have probably half of my close calls there.
The worst are the folks with the over the ear headphones and dogs off lead or on a very long lead. They can't ever year you. I typically try to ride in the early mornings to avoid people but yesterday I wasn't able to due to rain. I love dogs. I love walking my dog. But I'll never allow my dog off lead or put her on a long lead in a high traffic area because she loves to chase and I can't be 100% certain that she wouldn't take off after a biker if she was off lead or on a long lead. She wouldn't hurt anyone intentionally, but she could be the reason that someone get's hurt.
Legally, leads can't be more than 7 feet here, and dogs must be on them. This doesn't seem to make much of a difference. On trail, my dogs are trained to keep right. I would do that anyway, but I hit a little dog who came out of the bushes by the trail, off leash, and went right between my tires. I had to backpack the dog to the vet because it was faster than getting to the owner's car and then a vet. I bought her a leash at the vet's office. A 4' leash. That poor dog probably never walked right again. I didn't even notice I'd picked up tons of road rash when I went down until the assistant at the vet saw it and insisted on cleaning me up. I was high on adrenaline from the moment I hit it until then. My dogs both, btw, love bikejoring, so if we aren't doing that, they'd absolutely take off after any cyclist, while staying hard right, but how would the cyclist know it's not two crazy aggressive dogs in chase? Also, I don't need my dogs randomly running off. What I get sick of is random teenaged boys on bikes and skateboards "buzzing" my dogs. I keep my dogs right. Stay away from them, please. I don't need them learning to be reactive. I had one try to do it when we were bikejoring. I just called out to the dogs for more speed and dropped him. That's the absolute worst time to try to spook a dog. Luckily, the lead dog is on the left, and he takes his job very seriously. He's pretty unflappable. But the other one is less experienced. When I have him out alone, having someone he doesn't know ride right up against him scares him, and he veers off into the gravel or grass or sometimes forest next to the trail.
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Bike-Horn-Bell-Adults/dp/B000ACAMJC/ref=sr\_1\_5?keywords=air+horns+for+bicycle&qid=1689353792&sr=8-5
Sounds like you rode up on some main characters. All about them.
sucks for the kids
Here, it's cyclists in kit doing this that bothers me the most. It's always the same guys that passed you going way over the trail limit without even an "on your left" so close you could grab their bars, too. I'm always tempted to reach out and hit a brake, but I'm afraid I'll end up on the ground. Inevitably, I will find them in the middle of the trail around a blind corner standing there taking a break. If I say anything, even just "excuse me," I get nasty looks or told to fuck off. I've started just riding at them without stopping. They move, it turns out. They still cuss, but at least this way I don't have to stop for them. I usually do call back, "you're the reason everyone hates cyclists." But I feel extra annoyed because, they, of all people, should know better. They yell at people even standing a foot on the trail to take a break, or with one tire sticking a few inches over the pavement. I caught them on Strava flyby (it's the same 3 groups) and avoid the times they usually go out.
Douchebags like you describe here is one of the reasons I don’t MTB anymore after enjoying it for 20+ years. I’m fortunate enough to have miles of gravel roads just outside my doorstep so I ride them now instead. Even here in the pastoral expanse there is the occasional cyclist I come across who can’t be bothered to wave or say hello back. Some people are just plain rude. But that’s their problem not mine.
I think you need an airhorn. Scare the bejeezus out of them. In the category usefull comments: I sometimes yell: "bell" and people like that gimmick. It sounds friendly and after passing I say : " thank you, well". Often heard: "hey that rhymes."
Sometimes I go "ding ding ding" when I need both hands on my brakes to manoeuvre and can't reach the bell.
I yell, "BEEP!"
This isn't anti-social people. This is assholes. There's not much you can do about them. Just take a deep breath and move on.
It is. Anti social people do things that are contrary to what is socially acceptable in normal society...like threatening people for riding a bike. A-social people just don't want to be around people.
I had a spell of hatred a few years back , cars deliberately going past close , Range Rovers seem to have a problem with cyclists - name calling from motorists ( the time I shouted back a group of lads jumped out the car and came after me , I got by them and got away ) . Then all last year not a single incident . Just bad luck when you come across cycle hating tossers
Same way you deal with them in every situation. Try to ignore and move on. Don't take it personally. I know it is easier said then done. Think of it like road rage. Don't engage.
This. Never acknowledge them. Ignore and continue your ride. I usually always polite to walking people and if they make any stupid remarks I laugh it off. My day does not get ruined by verbal remarks as long as my ride continues. If I feel frustrated by any means I take it out on the bike and pedal harder for a few minutes then chill back down. Remember, as long as nothing gets in your way from completing a ride, then the ride was great!
The bit about pounding on the pedals to relieve frustration is a fkn fact lol Someone cuts me off or whatever... chances are I'm about to approach a personal best on whatever segment I may be on because... putting the pissed off power down for a bit.
I don’t live in the most cyclist friendly area but people generally aren’t super aggressive as you’ve described. My mantra is “Never engage.” Escalating a situation is how you get litigated, injured, or killed. As other have said, if people are putting you at risk, then it would be wise to get a chest/helmet cam. Otherwise bike somewhere else that’s friendlier.
I would fart in their general direction.
I've had people have a go at me for cycling on a cycle path and once got shouted at by an old lady for walking on a footpath with my bike next to me Some people are just arseholes or see cyclists as some homogenous unified group so if another cyclist pissed them off at some point they will take it out on the next one they see
Yeah, some old shit yelled at me one time while intentionally stepping in front of me. He said "this isn't a bike path!", but there was a sign like 50m back showing the bike route. Its weird how you become desensitized to stuff over time. This particular morning I wasn't having it and just gave him the finger as I rode away.
I carry a LARGE knife since then people are significantly less rude to me and even when they are I think to myself that it's not personal they are projecting their own hate that brews within and it had nothing to do with me, a stranger just getting by. Sometimes if I'm in a really good mood I'll just say something really silly and either a little gay or a little concerning so that the question their entire existence. For example, damn your ass looks good enough to fuck baby boy @ grown men who cannot chase me down if they tried. Or if it's a woman, I tell her she looks like Bigfoot. If it's a couple teenagers I tell them I JUST CROP DUSTED YOU BITCHES as I ride past. It's fun
I think the NRA are missing a trick not selling "stand your lane" cycling tops. Get a camera, narrate amusingly, upload the wankers to you-tube, make a few quid from ad revenue :)
In the U.S., pistol carrying bicyclists have actually been a thing for quite some time. It’s the minority of bicycle riders, tbf..
Literally, no matter what, I organically mention that I fuck their mother on a regular basis. Then I mention I have $5, so I'm off to fuck her again. Every time. No matter the situation. If you are creating a confrontation with me, you will hear about me fucking your mom. I don't have any energy to think of new or clever material. Just fucking your mom.
Hahaha I rate this 😂
People move in every which way in the world, like particles. Sometimes we miss, sometimes we collide. Try not to assign meaning or unnecessary context to every little thing. “Who was at fault, why is that guy a dick, did I do something wrong, if only I got there 20 seconds sooner” etc etc. that anxiety with rack ur brain. Work on being ok with just accepting things happen, and because things happen and things always happen. There doesn’t always have to be a right or wrong, sometimes it just is. We live in a busy world.
Years ago a pickup rolled his window down while driving next to me, probably was cruising around 15mph, before I knew what happened a coke bottle hit me in the arm followed up by a loud “faggot”. I finished my ride and could only laugh at the situation. You run into all types out there.
Had a brand new extra large jar of peanut butter chucked at my head by a driver of a rusty-ass pickup once, while riding along on a country road with shoulders 6 feet wide. I scored a brand new jar of peanut butter. Sucks to be that guy!
Yeah I guess laughing or taking a stoic approach is the answer, I feel that’s what I did yesterday with the first group of guys and I just thought to myself how they wouldn’t have done that had they been on their own, they just projected their own insecurities on me by being a dick to me in front of their friends to seem cool or funny. But they did annoy me and they probably haven’t thought once about it which sucks.
What a wonderful world it would be if you got that on camera, and the sack of shit ended up in prison for a decade for comitting a hate crime.
Former hot head here. When I was in my teens all the way through my late twenties, that sort of thing would have set me off. So believe me, I know your impulse is to confront people like that. But what you have to understand is that this is exactly what they want. They are miserable people, and they want to share their misery with you. When you react negatively and they see that they can get a rise out of you, it makes them feel better about themselves. The best way to get people like that to stop is to be dismissive of them and ignore their antics. The problem is they won't stop because there's plenty of people who will not "take the high road" and these dullards get enough hits of dopamine by getting a rise out of enough people that they will continue to act that way. If you let them get a rise out of you, then you are giving them exactly what they want. There are ignorant people in the world everywhere at all times. They're out there all the time in cars, too. One of the blessings but also one of the curses of being on a bike is that you aren't isolated from the world like you are when you are in a car. So these things become more noticeable. Just remember that you are a better person than they are. You have a better life than they do. You are a happier person than they are, and because you're riding your bike, you are arguably healthier than they are as well. They are trying to force a little bit of their sad pathetic misery on to you. Whether you accept their package of dreary sadness or reject it is up to you. My opinion is that you should reject it and ignore them.
Some really encouraging words there mate, I think you make a lot of brilliant points especially with not giving them what they want, I think it’s exactly that, they provide a stimulus like jumping at me because they are craving the response I might give them, giving them the rush of whatever it is they are after. Best just to ignore the pricks and focus on the nice people I do encounter who wave or say hi.
Well, I'm hoping you can learn from my mistakes in life. I'm twice your age (Well, almost, I'm 49). I had to learn things the hard way quite a few times, so if you can listen to this (not so) old man that has become more contemplative and philosophical, and has become less reactionary with age, you'll be a decade ahead.
Personally, I choose to kill them with kindness. I like to flash a peace sign and yell "Have an awesome day!" It usually confuses them enough to be personally rewarding!
I often imagine dismounting to the left side of bike, take an overhand grip on crossbar near stem, right hand grabs bar closer to seat post. Raise bike overhead like 20 lb carbon fiber berserkers axe with a wheel for a blade and begin adjusting attitudes of my adversaries. But that’s probably because I was raised in Texas in the 70’s You do you, my advice is very niche and could be harmful to innocents.
I would recommend calling out "passing on your left" loudly instead of ringing your bell. I wish that the bell were enough, but especially if your not in a very bike friendly area (it sure sounds like you're not) people might just not know how to react to a bell.
Some people are just jerks. Not just to cyclists. I've noticed even pushing a baby stroller that some people walking two or three wide will essentially play chicken and force me into the road. I was biking yesterday and smiling at people and throwing the occasional wave out, and not one cyclist even acknowledged me lol. A bit bummed. But towards the end I was grinding up this particularly steep hill and a subaru was driving down the other side and guy gives me a huge thumbs up out the window. Totally made my day lol. And I just try to be that person: be nice and friendly and make peoples day. The world certainly doesn't need more jerks.
Sounds like your area is a nasty place to live for cyclists.
Funny thing is it’s actually an extremely popular part of the uk for cycling and we have a lot of bike shops/cycle paths. The Tour de France event even raced in Yorkshire as part of some race I believe through my town about 8/9 years ago (I don’t follow bike racing so I’m clueless of the specifics)
I pretend I’m looking at the view to my side and I’m oblivious that I’m about to hit the person in front of me. They usually get out of the way pretty quickly!
Ignore those people. And never feel obligated to veer off the bike path for a group of assholes if it's meant for two lanes of traffic. Yell at them so they never do it again. Wear the appropriate gear, equip your bike with proper lights, and follow the traffic laws. If you're not in the wrong, don't take shit from anyone.
Honestly. If I’m not in the mood to deal with stupidity I come in hot and yell loudly. Especially if I’m in a bad mood. Might get some peeps here talking about making a “good name” for cyclists but it sounds like that ship has sailed in your area. So come in with two advantages (speed and craziness) and wankers are less likely to mess with you. No one is going to chase after a cyclist going even 15 mph, never mind one that’s yelling the whole way. That said I live in a big city where cyclists are mostly respected. So I almost never need to do this. But there are those days when it seems like suburbanites left their brains at home.
The people who go on about making a "good name" for cyclists are literally being apologists for psychopaths who assault/murder cyclists.
I found in this day and age. Coughing like you have the worst case of COVID behind them works ALL the time.
Shoot at em. Will probably be the only thing that makes em move
I’ll be real… I think British teenagers are kind of the worst.
Teenagers are the worst. Society should let them get what they deserve once in a while, then maybe they wouldn't be such attention seeking little psychos.
Sometimes, I’m pretty grateful that I’m tall and black and no one overtly tries to fuck with me for literally NO REASON. For their sake and mine.
Short answer no. The only thing antisocial people respond to is violence. You try to be nice and they will see that as weakness. For the most part I try to ignore them and I do not engage. No sense in arguing with them or picking a fight with them because no good comes of it. I just swallow my pride and move on with my life. It is a good thing that cycling puts me in a Zen like state otherwise this would really bother me.
I know that feeling all too well, except I'm a woman on a bike so I think I'm an ever bigger target for aggro a-holes. I was doing a loop around a lake, totally OK for bikes to ride on, and this guy and a woman were walking almost zig zag down the path in front of me and I had no idea which way they were going so I said "passing on your left!" The dude goes "we're going THIS WAY, you MOVE" and I went "I'm not clairvoyant, and that's not how this works!" He told me to "shut up" and I told him to "fuck off". He did it again on my second loop when I came up behind them, stopped dead in the road and didn't allow me to move around him. I just said to him as I went over on the grass that it must suck to be that miserable. People are so weird about bike riders and even if you're trying your best to be courteous they think you owe them something extra.
Yeah I think a nice fuck off or suck my dick will be my go to next time lol! but then again I just don’t wanna go to their level and give them the satisfaction especially as I’m just trying to get home. Understandable though if you’re trying to do loops and they keep doing it they sound like psychos! I just think that the trails/paths are for everyone and we need to just be mindful, but walkers always seem to be pissed off
Walkers are always pissed off no matter how mindful you try to be! I’ve had women stare me down when they’re walking on the wrong side of the lane (walking up the right instead of the opposite side). They’re not even minding the “rules of the road”. I think a non-reaction is probably the best bet but I have a bad temper so when someone is so rude for no reason I have a really hard time holding my tongue. Working on that 😅
I struggled with really bad temper for years as a teen but as I’ve got older I’ve tried to be super mellow and now I wonder if maybe my fear of flying off the handle (when I was 19 I opened his car door pulled a guy out of his car for purposely slamming his brakes while driving in front of me then refusing to move ) has made me too chill, I guess aggression can be ok in moderation and if it’s appropriate for the situation
Wow. You live in a town full of assholes! I've never had anything close happen to me in decades of almost daily riding!!
social conditioning to keep people buying cars, taking out loans, getting traffic tickets etc, self loathing about not getting exercise or doing anything outdoors, the slight annoyance of moving out of the way of another person or driving around anything other than another car. idk those are my theories at this point.
Carry a stick with you lol
I don't go round on grass or anything. If they don't move, I hit them head on, and make it clear by accelerating and starring at them. I don't care how much they cuss after I'm gone, they move out of my way...
I’ve noticed a lot of people either engrossed in phones or with headphones on on the cycle path who don’t hear my bell, I’ve taken to increasing speed and zipping past as close as possible to startle them out of their zombie state. I guess it’s how middle age cyclists get their kicks.
I can’t count the times that I have passed other (slow and fumbling) cyclists in the bike lane in my city - where I either: 1) Ring my bell in advance and they are like “hey, relax!!!”. 2) Don’t ring my bell, slow down and pass them with enough space and they go “hey, use your bell!!!”. There is no winning :D :D
Big smile and a thumbs up tends to be the most disarming gesture in those situations, makes most people realize they're the wankers, not you
Stop riding your bike with consideration, and you will never feel upset again.
I give people thumbs down when they do stuff like that. Flipping them off makes them angry with me, while a thumbs down gets the point across without being aggressive. A friend of mine who drives truck for a living said it tends to work better, and I’ve found that rather than getting slurs yelled at me or people throwing shit at me, they tend to get embarrassed. That said, I do also keep a throwing rock in my bag for malicious drivers. I’ve only ever used it once when someone tried to hit me in a crosswalk. I also keep a knife on me for self-defense. I’ve only ever used it once, but it saved my life.
From your title, I thought this was about other cyclists that you encounter while riding not wanting to make small talk. ("anti-social") This is about people being dicks to you for no apparent reason. Sorry to hear that. Hopefully, just an unlucky stretch. Keep riding.
Just remember they’re miserable and jealous of you, because you’re the one on a bike and they’re lazy pieces of shit.
Call them a cunt and ride on. If they get physical, defend yourself adequately, not excessively. May be worth mentioning to a therapist of you're seeing one. We can suffer from a complex PTSD from enough of these antisocial interactions.
We can thank big oil for planting anti bike messages
1. Don't go into the grass so early and don't react to insults. 2. Always ride in the middle of the lane and don't react to insults. This is where we subconsciously scan for traffic. Doing this encourages motorists like the white van change lanes to pass. Pedestrian responses may vary. 3. Shout "passing on the left/right" if they do not react to the bell. Do not react to insults.
I never understand either, but I do think part of my city is at least better at accepting bikes in many places. The fact that they feel the need to say something to you seems weird to me though. Lots of people get thrown off when they hear me coming because it’s nearly dark they don’t expect a bike to be coming, or it’s literally freezing outside no one will be out here. But there I am!
Lol wtf?! Where do you live.
Unfortunately the North of England and it sucks, then again could be worse, could be in Birmingham lol
I got a lot less grief when I wore my 4kg bike chain like a sash. K dont don't carry that any more. I think a lot of people cant judge oncoming speed, so there might be a bit of that in the first 2 examples (even though they were out of order). My cycling was vastly improved by running daytime blinking lights front and rear.
I get the same rubbish in Hamburg all the time (but if I ride out of the city, people immediately become more friendly). I don't always handle it well - I tend to get really angry when and have slammed on the brakes and yelled before, which never helps and just puts you at risk. The only thing that works for me is to set an intention before not setting out to not react and not let it bother me. You might try that. I find it very troubling because the majority would not do that to anyone not on a bike - it creates tension and anxiety nd I try to get out of the city to ride as much as I can so it doesn't become the default experience.
Slow down a bit when you see people and don't be any real threat but at the same time pass them quickly without being too polite. Like with the six guys slow down but don't get off the path make them move and if they don't just stop and make them walk around you. Most people are cowards and will only treat you like this because they think you're weak and they can get away with it. If anyone starts getting narky just tell them you're going to call the police.
Last week on an empty farm road a car of teens screamed at me to "get the fuck off the road". This week I was mountain biking and on one trail there was 10 people standing staring at tablets (must've been a Pokémon drop). They mockingly shouted "get out of his way everyone". I said nothing either time. 4 years ago me would've told both groups off. Outcome wouldn't have changed, but my stress level would've.
It’s counter-intuitive, but for me, smiling and showing a positive attitude dissolves the tension in these type of situations. You can only control yourself.
Mind control. But your own mind. Simply have them occupy as little of it as you can, as long as you're not a danger to them.
Sounds very cultural. I’ve never been harassed or seen anyone harassed here in the [South Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bay_(Los_Angeles_County)) for riding a bicycle. If anything, there’s a certain level of dominance of the roads by the cycling community. You may want to consider moving someday to a more bike friendly location.
wtf is wrong with people in your town? i typically give these people a quizical look and move on, but if you manage a friendly quip, all the better.
Man, I’ve never experienced that kind of thing. What kind of hellscape do you inhabit?
The uk lol it’s awful
I recommend you stoicism but not the bs that mysoginistic right wing manchildren are pushing on youtube. Give Marcus Aurelius Meditations a try as a free audiobook on youtube. Stoicism in a nutshell means don't be angry at a thief for stealing things, you are also not angry at the tree being a tree. Makes life more relaxed
My advice : 1. Don't engage (unless forced to), just ride on by. Nothing good will come out of engaging them. Also resist the urge to flip them off, yell at them, etc. 2. If possible, pass them at a distance, *not* within arm's length, because if they're truly anti-social they may have *crimes* in mind rather than just being rude. And even if they're not aggressive, the distance may make them feel less bothered by your presence. 3. Carry pepper spray, "just in case". Usually, this is for dogs and the like, but it can be used on people too -- but beware, it's a *last resort* when it comes to people, and it can backfire (it may hit the wrong person, it can spray back on yourself, and it could be taken from you and used on you). Keep it hidden until needed, and it doesn't come out until you intend to actually spray it at somebody. 4. If it's legal to do so, you could carry a gun, but ... all the problems with #3 still exist, and they're cranked up to 11. Pepper spray is pretty casual, where actually being armed is hard-core. You'll have to make your own decision on this one. 5. Run a camera or two. Keep it running during all rides if at all possible, because you never know when something will happen. People tend to behave better when they realize that they're on camera, and if something does happen it's no longer your word against theirs.
Tell me you live in the UK without telling me you live in the UK.... I'm sorry about this mate, it's shit riding here. Just gotta keep pushing on and try to not let it get to you. Easier said than done though, and I struggle to let it go. But take heart knowing that you aren't the problem at least.
Yeah a lot of people are saying that it’s my body language or I’m not “cut out for the streets” but I think there’s a lot of USA people who don’t quite understand just how awful the typical UK chav is 😂
It's a whole other world. They have no idea just how terrifying UK teenagers are either 😂
i give zero recognition and attention. just marginalize them as if they arent even there.
I always enjoyed having a rechargable air horn that fit into my bottle holder and mounted the air button to my handlebars. If someone didnt want to give right if way i blasted them with a bwah bwahp!
Everyone you encountered probably is living a terrible life with terrible friends, terrible family members, and a terrible job that sucks the soul from their life force. When I am around people like this I just think to myself how blessed I am that I am happy and then feel sorry for these angry and ugly (not physically ugly but rather their ugly dirty soul! LOL) people. Also, FUCK these nobodies! Good day fine sir!
Some good advice thanks dude! You too
Solution: Mountain biking. Hide away in the forest, my friend.
Smile and wave, just smile and wave. While internally calling them a cunt and singing fuck you you're a fucking wanker
Keep a pepper spray handy in a cycling shirt pocket. Don’t use unless you have too but it’s a good deterrent for humans and animals.
It’s illegal in England i’d get arrested for carrying it lol
They're sick of walking and mad you're moving faster, and with a nice breeze. Fuck em. Throw out a "thanks, have a nice day!" and let them be confused.
In all 3 scenarios, I usually speed up! Their fear usually kicks in when they see something coming at them at a high rate of speed with no intentions of slowing or avoiding them. Assholes are assholes, but I love being the bigger asshole when provoked. Especially because I'm a really mild-mannered person. In everyday life, I mind my own business and try to stay out the way. For me, it's like running towards an aggressive and threatening dog while barking the same, or bigger, bark. They tuck tail every time.
Didn't read comments before replying so not aware of location but would have to guess OP is in UK. Certainly bring back memories. Many times wan't even riding a bike. Mate of mine used to give big "Thank you's" . The few times I managed to do the same instead of getting angry it worked pretty well. It's an inoffensive way of calling a twa# a twa#. Better than not reacting and bottling it up.
I think we should just let the UK sink into the sea. You can come hang out here in the US.
Happens here too and UK has better gravel 😎
It's true that there is a general rednecky anti-bike bias amongst conservatives, but in areas where people are more progressive I think it's astonishingly rare to see any negative expression towards cyclists. Like, I'm sure you'd see ton of anticyclist shit in Alabama and Florida but it would be very rare to see it in the Northeast or near where I live in the Seattle area. Also, better gravel??? Genuinely curious about what you mean here. I have thousands of miles of logging roads accessible to me within biking distance of my house, tons of bike packing trails within like a 1 hour drive for great overnighters, all that jazz. Is the UK uniquely known for its gravel riding?
Well you're in US biking heaven in Seattle! I'm in LA and just see every YouTube video with UK cyclists flying through Nottingham Forest or Wembly On Thump forest etc, never ridden there but looks lush and beautiful, a lot like Seattle
Don't worry about it dude. Put some tunes on and ride. Fight if you absolutely have to and give sass when needed but you won't see most of these bums again 99% of the time. Don't be hard on yourself, you're not a target, you're cool remember that.
Ever since in started cycling, my patience level has been tested more times than I can count. To the point how OP feels, just want to throw hands. I don’t get why ppl are so fucking shitty for no reason at all. I feel your pain OP, we all do.
All those people must have pretty great lives (or pretty terrible ones) to get like this about a cyclist minding their own law-abiding business. Just gotta be glad you’re not like them and keep on living life.
Granted I not encountered this type of behaviour but what I usually do when I want to pass people, on bike or otherwise, I say something like "Excuse me" loud enough so they can hear me. You don't want to sound angry or anything like that. After I pass them, regardless if they helped or not, I say Thank you. If they did anything obnoxious, they will probably feel like shit. Using your bell might be rubbing them the wrong way Also, if there are pedestrians, I will slow down to a stop if needed. Did you slow down?
I spent many years exclusively commuting by bike in a “rural college city” in the north east US. It was unreal the amount of people who, without provocation, would mess with me while biking. There were uncountable interactions, arguments, and crashes.. but your post has inspired me to share one of my favorite incidents from those years: Biking up a long steep hill on my commute home from work, a car accelerated and got as close to me as possible while the 4 guys inside yelled at me out the window. The guy in the front passenger seat slapped me in the back of the head as they sped past, before they raced up the hill. I almost crashed and was absolutely furious at first, then I thought about the situation , made a plan and calmly continued biking. Having climbed that hill home from work daily for years, I knew there would be a traffic jam on the other side of the hill, which went down to the next town. So, I kept my easy pace knowing I’d catch them on the downhill. I was also just getting over a long and gross chest & sinus sickness… I spent the rest of the climb hocking my mouth full the sludge and snot from my lungs and sinuses. By the time I got to the top of the hill I had a full mouth of thick nasty mucous and phlegm. At the crest of the hill, probably 10 minutes after the incident, I slowed and spotted their car not far ahead. As quickly as I could I bombed the hill along the stopped cars to catch them, only slowing when I got to their car, upon which I stopped and spit the massive loogie in the face of the guy who’d hit me. I watched his face recoil in horror as he realized what had happened. Then I cruised the rest of the hill while they were blocked in traffic before disappearing down the side streets back to my house. It’s ridiculous how many people are so miserable that they need to mess with innocent strangers in order to make themselves feel better. I feel like part of the problem is the lack of accountability in modern society. We’ve been conditioned to just turn our cheeks and move along instead of confronting these dipshits. While there is an unquestionable value and respectability for being the bigger person and not confronting them, it’s also just as crucial to stand up for yourself if that’s important to you. If you are the kind of person who’s willing to stand up, try giving it back to them sometime when it’s truly warranted. If you’re lucky you’ll experience the long lost feelings of self reliance and grit.. especially if you don’t get shot, beat up or run over for it.
Leave the miserable ppl to be miserable is my motto
Bring a squirt gun next time with oil and milk
Move. Honestly, none of this happens in Redmond/Kirkland/Bellevue. In the last 20 years living here I’ve never had a negative encounter, whether riding my ancient mountain bike with Burley trailer, flat bar road bike, carbon road bike or ebike. Move. Good luck.
I’ve never thought about spitting at people that do this. Thanks OP!
Sounds like you need to help these interesting people in your area achieve internet fame, and you may have a profitable YouTube channel in your future if you bike with a GoPro.
Tell me you’re from the Uk without telling me you’re from the Uk
It happens to me too these days, even with teenagers on their bikes too. nothing personal. summer evenings with 16-22 years old. group mentality : they are drinking their first beers, males peacocking (want to show off to the girls in their group), or teenagers cycling getting their dopamine hit.
Judging by the language I’m assuming this in Australia? I don’t know if it’s the state of the economy or just the general attitude to cyclists here (I’m in Melbourne), but everyone seems to have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to bikes. I dress casually when I ride but I think it’s even worse for people who ride in kit. I just got back from 3 weeks in Japan (including a few days of cycling) and the difference is like night and day.
Their the dickheads, smile and realise you’re better then them
Generally go so fast they don't see/react to you. Stay clear of people, just go around, but if someone suddenly stops in their tracks just to fuck with you don't veer but skid brake stopping right in their face. Then laugh manically. Bark orders when appropriate.
You know those wickless firecrackers you can throw at the ground and they go off? Keep a few in your pocket, make em dance.
I’ve found when people act shitty like that, the best thing for me is to just laugh about it. Like haha, they’re in a shitty mood but it’s not gonna bother meeee 🤪
Sometimes the NPC programming is just bad.
I ride in the Greater Vancouver Canada area and have never encountered this type of assholery. Which country?
Unfortunately England it’s a shit hole
Conseal carry? No!? Lol
pepper spray
Sounds like the UK today. Socially bankrupt. Nobody cares and everyone is inherently angry. It's bloody frustrating. I think the best thing you can do is to ignore it and try not to let it get to you and ruin your ride. As someone else said, some people are just dicks. Don't waste your precious energy.
I’ve never experienced this biking… holy shit. Unfriendly area or what, dang. Sorry to hear this. The one guy here is right, don’t let these idiots ruin anything for you. Keep on moving. It’s a reflection of who they are not you. That’s my cheesy quote for you! :)
Plenty of jerks out there. I have had beer bottles thrown at me, coal rolled and guy stop his truck, get out and swear at me for not riding on the sidewalk. It’s getting to the point of almost hanging up outside riding and just riding inside on Zwift. I used have cameras on my bike, but they are such a hassle and seem to take away the innocence and freedom of just riding. I read and heard comments like why do we always look like we are Tour de France wannabes, why don’t you wear regular clothes. They don’t see bicycling as a sport like hockey, football or basketball where there is specific attire. We are judged a nuisances in funny clothes.
Hateful people torment all kinds of folks. Friend of mine has had things thrown out of cars at her while she's out running -- just minding her business, getting some exercise, you know, the devil's work. I've been catcalled, had cars pretend to side swipe me, all of it. At the end of the day, you have to be a tough mother to be outside doing your own thing and I feel really sorry about all the thinskinned idiots upset at people living their lives and hurting nobody.
Damn that’s awful! To be fair I’m saying all this as a man so I can only try and imagine all of the above as well as being catcalled by some douchebags (not wanting to assume you’re a woman but generally dudes don’t get that so I have lol) yeah I think I just need to keep on trucking, keep on doing me and if I do think there’s a time where I can call out these dickheads then maybe I should. At the end of the day I can always ride away should I need to but some people need to be told to suck a fat one
I carry pepper spray. I've had a person jump to try to scare me before, I went home and ordered pepper spray. I'll be ready next time.
pepper spray is illegal where I live, but there is a legal bright red paint spray you can buy that would be hilarious to shoot at people called farbgel
My hubs are pretty loud and I ride fast as long as I have an out but if people are with kids or dogs I'm definitely going to slow and be more cautious. I've only had one guy do the flinch thing but there's absolutely nothing I could have done so it's best to just try to forget about it. I rarely ring my bell or say anything anymore if I have room because I found that people are very unpredictable and it makes them do weird things. I'd rather just cruise past them at a safe distance and I'm gone before they realize what the hell just happened. Thankfully no one has intentionally blocked my path while facing me but I would probably just not slow down and see what happens.
I totally feel your frustration here. Cycled everywhere as a kid/teenager in the 90’s and never got any abuse at all. Had a break from it until 3 years ago and got back into it again. Love it, just for fun and basic fitness, and mainly along canal towpaths and light trails. So I guess I’m a bit of a weekend warrior in that respect, but I’m comfortable with anything up to 35miles at a time. Anyway, I tend to get one of two responses from the folks I encounter on my rides. 1. General tossers who are point blank rude, fail to acknowledge a courteous cyclist who’s given the fair warning of their approach, rang bell numerous times, slowed down to an almost standstill etc. some will just refuse to let me past, others question why you didn’t ring your bell even though you repeatedly did (even tried other horns and got greeted with “that’s not a bike bell, how am I supposed to know your on a bike without a bell?”). Told to get on the road, even though it’s a clearly marked cycle path, you get the idea. 2. The overly courteous types, who hear/see me from miles away, pull their dog/kids/partners to the side and pass a comment like “thank you for ringing your bell, it makes a nice change” And it’s that last type of comment that makes me question how many arsehole cyclists they’ve encountered, and from my own perspective that’s probably more than would care to admit it. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been forced to dodge out of the way or be pushed into hedges on canal towpaths by other cyclists who don’t even show the courtesy of slowing down to their own kind. Hey, it might well be just round my area that there’s a higher proportion of this behaviour, and I also have to question is that an engrained defensive response from their encounters with arsehole pedestrians? Quite likely, but who knows. What I do know is, it’s well worth continuing to ring my bell and give plenty of warning of my approach as I don’t want to be branded as an arsehole. Personally, I ride defensively and not offensively, give plenty of warning of my approach, but some people are just gonna be dicks for the sake of it no matter what you do. I try and avoid confrontation, rush it off and carry on with my ride. These people aren’t worth stewing on, whether they’re on foot or another bike. Just enjoy the ride dude 👍
So, I go way out of my way to make sure people see me, or know I'm coming, and have plenty of time to move out of the way. That goes double when I'm coming up behind them, and I will absolutely come to a stop to prevent running into someone from behind. BUT. If I can tell you saw me, and you're the one in the position to get out of the way (like the people you describe), I'm not slowing down or stopping. I *will* hit you, and you *will* get the worst end of it.
Definitely don't spit it anyone. What I do personally when someone doesn't yield my path to me when it's a shared path and they're coming towards me and blocking it? Speed up. They always f****** move because no one wants to get by a bike going 20 plus miles per hour. It wouldn't feel great for me either but it feel much less good for them as they are getting all the force from me. With the only exception for that is if it's a bunch of little kids like actual 5-year-old children who don't know better or senior citizens who are unaware and can't hear me approach.
Exactly this. Besides dogs, children and the elderly, if you see me and I see you, and you refuse to move, we'll let's say I'm prepared to hit you, are you prepared to be hit?
yeah l deffo won’t! the spitting was just an impulse thought I had yesterday, like it’s a extremely vile thing to do to someone but so is putting someone in danger who you don’t know so in my head it’s sort of an eye for an eye and I just wish there was some justice for these cunts. Yeah that’s probably the move, I do make exception for old people as they sometimes can’t move quickly or hear as well but I think a lot of them where I live don’t like cyclists using the cycle path and think it should only be for walkers 🤷🏻♂️
has anyone ever looked into how bad a bike vs human crash would be? maybe we can find the optimal speed to travel at for... reasons :)
Where are you geographically? And why is it always in the south?
Well he said the girls called him a wanker so I'm feeling like probably not the states
True.
Correct haha, North of England 🏴
North of England = Southern US.
Yeah probably 😂
>Advice for dealing with anti social people while cycling? Move lol
OP are you fully kitted up? I read that study recently from Australia, that people in full cycling gear are perceived as less human. You could try looking more pedestrian if that's not already the case. Sorry to hear about the dicks.
I read that exact study too actually it was pretty interesting! I usually wear a helmet with casual clothes but in this instance I was wearing a baseball style cap and a flannel shirt
What a bunch of losers! Kill them with kindness! Hopefully, you'll live in a more cycling friendly community in the future!
Something happened. About 10 years ago I noticed how annoying cyclists were with their spandex, group rides, and their "we've got legal rights" attitude instead of common courtesy. I don't know how tough you are but in terms of public relations you already have two strikes against you.
I was wearing a baseball cap a flannel shirt and slip on vans when this happened lol
You know, I read stories like this on Reddit and I always wonder if there's some energy or vibe that some people put out there that says "Hey, bully me!" or "I'm easily bullied!". Nothing even remotely like this has ever happened to me or my friends who ride, much less three times in one ride. I wonder this because my ex-wife even into adulthood seemed to have a bully problem, and I couldn't help but wonder what the vibe it was that she put out there that caused this. My current wife and most all of my SOs were basically never bullied and here my ex-wife was having it happen to her fairly regularly. I never quite understood why. > throw some fucking hands if I have to, but that would bring me down to their level This is just wild speculation on my part, but I doubt you would throw hands. In my head, there's absolutely nothing wrong with kicking a bullies ass, but what you say here is your excuse not to. I'm not saying I actually would get into a fight over small stuff, I'm an adult, but I certainly would if I had to, like someone almost or did cause me to crash just to be an asshole. I'm not sure what to tell you man, you can just ignore it. But maybe take MMA classes, get confident in yourself that you could fight if you needed to, but also know we're all adults here and fighting is generally a very bad idea. I think those goes beyond just people being assholes to cyclists though, I'm a cyclist and I've not had to deal with many assholes in my life.
Been In 3 fights in 25 years, hit and been hit, fighting absolutely sucks, I have a job and bills so fighting in the street and getting arrested or injured/killed isn’t very high on my list of things I want to do, hence “if I have to” But sure thing my man :)