I'm beginning to hate (some) cyclists

[Phil the drill]

Yesterday as I rode up my first long hill (3.5 mile 650' climb on a narrow lane) on my way home from work I passed a cyclist on a road bike about halfway up the hill. I have only seen him once before (over a year ago). The route is one I use twice daily, at regular times, so I'm guessing he's unlikely to be a regular commuter - which may be lucky for him - read on......
As I came up to overtake him, I slowed down and gave him a friendly nod and greeting. At first it was responded to with a smile, but then as he realised I was on an ebike his mood changed. 'You're cheating' he yelled followed by a succession of comments such as 'w**ker, cheating, lousy ba**ard' and a few other riper ones I won't bother with here. I couldn't believe I was hearing it. I had the sudden urge to stop the bike and deck the miserable sod, but by an effort of supreme will power managed to just turn my back on him and cycle on. I reckon he was at least 20yrs younger than me, but ironically judging by his pace up the hill on his road bike, I could still have trounced him on my non-electric hybrid, so I think his bluster was a triumph of style over substance. Whatever, if I had passed him on my motorbike, or in a people carrier, Land Rover etc. it would not have drawn such an attack of verbal abuse. It was totally inexcusable. I have encountered this sort of thing before, but never so severe or in response to an attempt at being friendly and conciliatory.
What is up with these 'lycra snobs?' - some of the most offensive people on the planet. They do the environmental lobby the sort of favours Pol Pot, Stalin and Mao's wife did for communism.
All I can say is if he does it again, I'll do the time for my actions and smile all the way through it .

Phil

 

[flecc]

That's really weird Phil, I'm surprised you'd get that in Cornwall. Here in a South London borough or in Surrey I've never had any of this except once from a couple of little kids. Most cyclists including the club types are friendly, interested in the e-bikes and supportive, so hopefully with time those attitudes will spread.

I'm inclined to say just ignore the abuse and revel in the fact that you are doing the passing. He's the idiot, not you.
.

 

[Mussels]

Oh dear did diddums have a hangover or was he late for work? Some people will find any excuse to be abusive.

 

[Phil the drill]

I've no idea what his problem was, but when he first started I thought it was just banter and that he was 'joshing' with me - it quickly became apparent that wasn't the case.
In reality apart from holidaymakers on the Camel Trail, who descend on us in the hundreds over the holiday periods, local regular cyclists are pretty thin on the ground in my area and even then are usually only seen on warmer sunny days. I probably pass about half a dozen a year on my daily commute. I think this is probably due to the nature of the routes in our area and frankly I wouldn't blame them for that. If I didn't have my Wisper no way would I try to do my daily commute on an unassisted bike all year round (I do use my hybrid some of the time on reasonable days though). Most of the cyclists I see are evening and weekend only types on recreational trips, or trying to kid everyone they are Chris Boardman in disguise.....They are easily spotted as there are only one or two quiet flat roads around - and that's exactly where you'll find them I only know a few regular cyclists most of whom will talk interestedly about pedelecs to me when on their own, but in front of other cyclists will always follow the herd and poke fun. That's OK. I can take it (and give it back) and I'm happy to take a friendly barracking occasionally, but when out (and yes most definitely in Cornwall) I have had more than my fair share of this sort of unfriendly stuff and I'm getting thoroughly cheesed off with it.

Phil

 

[stranger]

How odd. I'm surprised he had the breath for all that shouting if he was climbing.

Most 'real cyclists can overtake me and the PB though, without even trying, up hill or down dale. Most of them just 'smirk' at me.

I 'e-biked' down to the local store early last evening. Just the time (when the weather is clement) that the teens begin to 'gather'. Some come on foot, some bring their dogs and some cycle there. They send their most senior (or oldest looking member) into the Co-op, to try to get booze and/or cigarettes, and pool all the rest of their dosh to get something from the Chinese--and then they sit on the grass or the benches outside and make a great deal of fairly harmless noise for an hour or so.

When I pulled in on the e-bike they all cat-called and waved and shouted--so I waved and shouted back (they seem to like that) and then when one of them noticed that it WAS an e-bike, they all came surging over to take a look at it.

'Uh-oh!' thought I--but they seemed quite genuinely interested in the thing and some quite intelligent questions were posed.

Then they all drifted away back to their benches--and waved and shouted when I drove (drove?) away again.

I HOPE Sammy Miller doesn't suffer by an invasion of teens all wanting to take a look at the Wisper.

 

[Barnowl]

but then as he realised I was on an ebike his mood changed. 'You're cheating' he yelled followed by a succession of comments such as 'w**ker, cheating, lousy ba**ard' and a few other riper ones I won't bother with here. .

Phil

It's not that surprising. There's a small minority of these characters out on the road everywhere. Most of them are driving BMWs or white vans. They're aggresive and totally unreasonable. Maybe their brains are wired up wrong.
Anyway bad luck. I'd have been tempted to let him overtake and then kick the git off his bike as he was passing.

 

[Alex728]

many of the lycra crowd are the type who thrive on competition and conflict -and are sore losers!

in the days I used to read cycling weekly (actually only because I got given a load of back copies by a former work colleague) it seemed that real acts of violence (such as fisticuffs at the bit where everyone is grouped together, I forget the "corect" name for it) and sabotage (including people being shoved off bikes at high speed) were depressingly common at competitive races - but I suppose it goes with all sport these days.

Add to this the fact that steroids are readily available and used amongst even the amateur athletes and types who love gym etc and many men what would never take a pill or snort coke see these things more as "supplements" than drugs. One well known side-effect of these drugs is irrational agression..

 

[Footie]

It’s road rage gone mad.
In truth I bet he swears and curses at everything and anybody - perhaps he can't help himself and suffers from Tourette Syndrome
You probably really pissed him off beating him up that hill – well done you
.

 

[Barnowl]

It’s road rage gone mad.
You probably really pissed him off beating him up that hill – well done you
.

You're right there Footie.

Thinking about this there been a couple of occassions where I could have overtaken what looked to be quite strong cyclists (moderate uphill of course). I held back and in one case braked a couple of times to slow down. I just don't have the killer instinct!
Yeah well done Phil.

 

[Phil the drill]

There's something in all of your comments I'm sure. I suppose one thing that I've noticed, and that does tie in with your comments, is that I have never had any real problem along these lines from youngsters on their bikes. The worst offenders seem to those in their late twenties / early thirties and specifically the 'serious' looking (I stress 'looking' because I think in real terms I'm actually a more serious cyclist than most of them and have been for the last 45 years).
It is a fact though that such a seemingly small incident can cause huge irritation - completely out of context with its actual seriousness and I'm sure it's cumulative! I couldn't help but keep thinking about for hours afterwards, even though in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't amount to much.

I really am turning into Victor Meldrew.

Phil

(Kid over shoulder is muttering something along the lines of knowing that for years.... )

 

[Phil the drill]

I would just add that in some ways I'm quite a competitive person ( - just haven't got the talent to match unfortunately ). Despite this, I have no problem with losing gracefully after the event. It's just good manners, nothing more or less than that. Surely it's not that difficult - I haven't seen any of these characters on tele. or in the press, so surely they must have plenty of practice at losing too !

Phil

 

[JohnInStockie]

Its not you, I feel that way too over nothings, they get under your skin like splinters. The guy was a knob, plain and simple. You should have laughed out loudly and sung as you rode away, that might have encouraged him to improve his fitness levels

Where I am, 90% of the other 'commuters' I see are the 'road bike n purse' types. I can see the look in their eyes when I overtake some of them, some others just smile, I always shout 'Morning!' as I go past. None would be seen dead with a rack and panniers, touring bikes being the spawn of the devil even!

I think if they spoke to me that way I would be tempted to slow to their speed and point out that I was " ..a commuter, going to work, whats the problem, do they prefer me to be in a car?"

I only have issue with one guy now on my commute, who is so fit its incredible. He dresses in normal 'scally style' clothes, and rides a mountain bike, and I cant catch him, ever, and neither can any of the lycras. The reason he annoys me though is the way he cuts up cars, jumps light, onto pavements with kids on.......another knob, grrrrr.

John

 

[Phil the drill]

Thanks guys.
It's nice to know you're not alone...

Phil

 

[winterdog]

i felt a little dissapointed the other day when i mentond the i was getting a new e-bike to a chap i some times chat to on the train (hardend lycra) "well thats just not realy in the spirt now is it" well it stops me swetting on him.

 

[tenderbehind]

It's happened to me several times Phil in the two or so years I've owned and loved e bikes. The last time was about 2 weeks ago down in Topsham in South Devon when I easily overtook a gent while riding the 905se, but his mood was friendly, as have all the others comments of ''that's cheating''. It used to happen more on the Pbike as the motor is noisier than the Wisper, with the Wisper I just sail on by and they don't know what's hit 'em until it's too late and I've gone past.
I reckon your guy was either a bit worse the wear drink wise or a bit brain challenged to spew forth such a tirade of abuse, really not natural surely.
I wonder what the vote would be for the best put down for ''that's cheating.'' Perhaps we all ought to adopt the best one as a standard reply.
To their comment of ''TC'', mine would be something like: ''Explain why'', they would then say, ''Well it's got a battery and a motor'', to which I might say, ''a motor cycle has got an engine, would that be cheating''?

 

[watkin5]

It is a fact though that such a seemingly small incident can cause huge irritation -

I've been taught that there are three types of behaviour on the road.
1) Childish - which in this case I think would be to time your journey to try to over take this guy every chance you get.
2) Parental - stop and explain clearly why he is behaving in an unacceptable manner.
3) Adult - ignore it. He will grow out of it. Like we all do eventually.

In this case I vote for 1.

I personally am very comfortable with cheating gravity up an 8% hill every day.
I've fallen out of an aircraft a few times. I cheated gravity then by using a parachute.

 

[wibble]

As I came up to overtake him, I slowed down and gave him a friendly nod and greeting. At first it was responded to with a smile, but then as he realised I was on an ebike his mood changed. 'You're cheating' he yelled followed by a succession of comments such as 'w**ker, cheating, lousy ba**ard' and a few other riper ones I won't bother with here.

Sounds like the guy was a little shortsighted.

But I think slowing down and giving a "friendly" nod to somebody that's struggling up a hill could be misinterpreted too. After all, people on mopeds don't slow down and give cyclists a nod.

When overtaking it may be best we just keep on going and be careful not to look like we're showing off. But I know, it's definitely a little awkward riding past a cyclist. I think this is because we just know they're going to be looking at the back of us with thoughts like "Ugh?" "What just happened?" "Where did he come from?"

Maybe when ebikes are more common then being overtaken by an ebike wont be such a shock.

 

[Alex728]

interestingly I've always had a friendly response from cyclists across Ipswich and Mid Suffolk - both on my normal hybrid and my ebike. That includes the lycras, who have never commented on it.

That said the Salisbury does not make that much motor noise and I usually always ride with panniers which hide the hub motor to an extent. Also e-bikes are actually not that rare in Ipswich, before I got mine I saw at least two others and some work colleagues from the Philippines had already got one.

 

[alsmith]

Isn't this a small part of a larger malaise? To expand a bit beyond cyclists only-
cyclists can be bullied by car drivers
then don't car drivers get treated in this way by some others? White Van Man?

I haven't been riding my ebike for very long and have yet to come across this negative behaviour- but I have seen cyclists on paths (and some places called cyclepaths which are a couple of whitelines) behaving in this way to pedestrians. OK, it seems maybe a small sub-category of the whole picture.

Slowing down and waiting for pedestrians to notice or waiting for a place that allows a wide passing berth seems to get a smile or thank you out of most- others look scared very probably from experience of other cyclists- Most of us probably have seen (and been victims of) bad mannered cyclists. You can say it is mainly teens but all is really seen is a cyclist. So the problem *is* cyclists, or whatever group you can easily identify.

Kind of like the various animal behaviour by hierachy- Richard Attenborough- bigger/faster belittles (eats/attacks) slower/smaller.

 

[Mussels]

Perhaps we all ought to adopt the best one as a standard reply.
To their comment of ''TC'', mine would be something like: ''Explain why'', they would then say, ''Well it's got a battery and a motor'', to which I might say, ''a motor cycle has got an engine, would that be cheating''?

That takes far too long, after someone I pass says "That's cheating" I have about 1.5 seconds before I'm too far away to be heard. I think I'll just have to adopt the simple and easily understood rasberry.