Stop Cycling up Ditchling Beacon!!!!

DumLum said:

Cyclists up the beacon are the definition of selfish. I was patiently waiting to overtake a crawler the other day when a cyclist I had already spent time overtaking decided to overtake me back!

As a driver I would be very happy to have the road closed to drivers a couple of hours a day so these cyclists can complete their challenge or make it one way? It's often the idiot drivers speeding down the hill who cause the problems with safe overtaking.

I am an experienced driver but find it a challenge to drive so slowly up such a steep climb. Not used to driving in low gears for so long. For a new driver to get stuck behind a cyclist must be very nerve racking.

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Bold Seagull said:

Perfect example of a driver (something you've obviously not noticed having watched it) not indicating when passing a hazard, or slowing down accordingly. Bad driving, but not uncommon in so many motorists. I drive and cycle, and find it staggering how difficult people find flicking a lever. I tell you what, people are turning into horrible twats in their cars these days. I saw a poor women with bags of shopping, pushchair, 3 yr old crying all trying to cross the road. Do any cars approaching the T junction just stop for 20secs to let her cross? No. It's incredible. The problem isn't cyclists, many drivers are so obsessed with getting somewhere in the quickest possible time, that all social politeness, manners, curtesy go out of the window. This obsession is driving their hatred of cyclists, because anything that has the potential to slow them down is the enemy. Road rage is everywhere, aimed at vans, lorries, someone changing lanes in queuing traffic, not letting anyone out. You say 'gets drivers backs up' - bloodyhell, what doesn't get a lot drivers backs up!?

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bashlsdir said:

I will quote you something you said "I tell you what, people are turning into horrible twats in their cars these days"
You are so right. Last month I was cycling along the main road and some **** in his car starting shouting abuse at me for no reason. I could have told him to FOFF but where does it get you.

What it does do though is put people off cycling. I wish some drivers would **** right off. Stop moaning about cyclists and look at the real reasons why you can't get anywhere these days, it's because of the amount of people we have here now, which means we have more cars.

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bashlsdir said:

Stop moaning about cyclists and look at the real reasons why you can't get anywhere these days, it's because of the amount of people we have here now, which means we have more cars.

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rouseytastic said:

As opposed to all the lovely well natured cyclists of courses. Who strictly obey the laws of the road.......and NEVER go through red lights!!!!
Put someone in a pair of Lycra shorts bed stick them on an ugly tangle of metal and wire and they turn in to angry self righteous idiots.

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Bold Seagull said:

You missed out road tax

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Bold Seagull said:

Perfect example of a driver (something you've obviously not noticed having watched it) not indicating when passing a hazard, or slowing down accordingly. Bad driving, but not uncommon in so many motorists. I drive and cycle, and find it staggering how difficult people find flicking a lever. I tell you what, people are turning into horrible twats in their cars these days. I saw a poor women with bags of shopping, pushchair, 3 yr old crying all trying to cross the road. Do any cars approaching the T junction just stop for 20secs to let her cross? No. It's incredible. The problem isn't cyclists, many drivers are so obsessed with getting somewhere in the quickest possible time, that all social politeness, manners, curtesy go out of the window. This obsession is driving their hatred of cyclists, because anything that has the potential to slow them down is the enemy. Road rage is everywhere, aimed at vans, lorries, someone changing lanes in queuing traffic, not letting anyone out. You say 'gets drivers backs up' - bloodyhell, what doesn't get a lot drivers backs up!?

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Billy the Fish said:

This is a perfect example of a bolshie cyclist and the sort of thing that gets drivers' backs up. There's no need for him to be in the middle of the road like that, there is ample space for both of them to get through that gap but he can't help himself and has to prove that it's his right of way.

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rouseytastic said:

A very sensible post. Basically this is what I was trying to get across 2 years ago.
Although every day is excessive. Close it to cars from 07:00 until 10:00 on a Sunday morning so any cyclist who fancies wobbling and swerving up it can do so. Other than that it's for cars.

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sten_super said:

I'm completely mystified as to how you think that incident is in any way the cyclists fault. There seems to be an assumption from a number of drivers that cars have priority over other traffic (whether that's cyclists, tractors, whatever), and in the worst cases that their car has priority over all other road users. That video is a great example of that. If both users were in a car would the bloke in the red car have bothered reversing after him to challenge him over not giving him room?



...and this is a great example of precisely that attitude. Thanks. The roads are for all users - not just those in cars.

To those that wonder why cyclists can often be rather bolshy when challenged - I suggest you attempt a bit of cycling. Once you've got adrenalin pumping around your body and are frequently endangered by people in 2 tonne lumps of metal you'll start to understand why other cyclists get quite so defensive.

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rouseytastic said:

As had been triumphantly posted by the Lycra mob on here countless times, road tax doesn't exist it's a pollution tax blah blah and car drivers are all such bad people because we are destroying the environment etc etc and we should all take to bikes and cuddle each other.
It would be interesting to see how they feel about all the 'pollution tax' being put to good use when all of the thousands of bikes are transported back to their Eco garages after the London to Brighton strapped to the back of thousands of 4x4's.......Pot. Kettle. Black.

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sten_super said:

I'm completely mystified as to how you think that incident is in any way the cyclists fault. There seems to be an assumption from a number of drivers that cars have priority over other traffic (whether that's cyclists, tractors, whatever), and in the worst cases that their car has priority over all other road users. That video is a great example of that. If both users were in a car would the bloke in the red car have bothered reversing after him to challenge him over not giving him room?



...and this is a great example of precisely that attitude. Thanks. The roads are for all users - not just those in cars.

To those that wonder why cyclists can often be rather bolshy when challenged - I suggest you attempt a bit of cycling. Once you've got adrenalin pumping around your body and are frequently endangered by people in 2 tonne lumps of metal you'll start to understand why other cyclists get quite so defensive.

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Wrong-Direction said:

You>[emoji468][emoji217][emoji609][emoji598][emoji590][emoji602][emoji603][emoji600][emoji597][emoji604][emoji595][emoji592][emoji594]<me!

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sten_super said:

Yes, and? I understand that having to sit behind a cyclist might slow you down. That still doesn't give you any kind of priority as a road user.

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Bold Seagull said:

Perfect example of a driver (something you've obviously not noticed having watched it) not indicating when passing a hazard, or slowing down accordingly. Bad driving, but not uncommon in so many motorists. I drive and cycle, and find it staggering how difficult people find flicking a lever. I tell you what, people are turning into horrible twats in their cars these days. I saw a poor women with bags of shopping, pushchair, 3 yr old crying all trying to cross the road. Do any cars approaching the T junction just stop for 20secs to let her cross? No. It's incredible. The problem isn't cyclists, many drivers are so obsessed with getting somewhere in the quickest possible time, that all social politeness, manners, curtesy go out of the window. This obsession is driving their hatred of cyclists, because anything that has the potential to slow them down is the enemy. Road rage is everywhere, aimed at vans, lorries, someone changing lanes in queuing traffic, not letting anyone out. You say 'gets drivers backs up' - bloodyhell, what doesn't get a lot drivers backs up!?

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Wrong-Direction said:

Er yes it does!

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Hamilton said:

Bold is right. It's not the vehicle, it's the people. We all just need to slow down, get on and respect one another.

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Wrong-Direction said:

Neeever gonna happen

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Gregory2 said:

we're a brave lot us cyclists,I do all my riding on little back roads as I live in the country

but it's traditional for motorists to drive very quickly on them,as they are normally empty

only last week I was attacked by a dog,narrowly missed running over a snake and a car passed me,at a guess doing around 80-100kms,that was all on the same ride!

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