Bloody cyclists

Well, I thought, what should I write for Christmas? There is so much that has happened this year to so many that deserves a moments silence and respect. There is as always much hope for the New Year as well, and frankly I have got a bit sick of writing about finance.

Over the Xmas break here is a challenge for all of you who are able. Get on a bike and enjoy it. If you are travelling on country roads be cycle wise.

Most cyclists are motorists as well but most motorists are not cyclists. When uttered from the mouths of a motorist "bloody cyclist" is a profanity. When uttered from the mouth of a cyclist it is a description of an injury or body.

Both cyclists and motorists must understand that the stakes are thus much higher for cyclists on roads. Out of human decency in the case of motorists, and out of fear and caution on the part of cyclists, act differently.

I have been a commuting cyclist on Auckland's roads for over 30 years on and off, and continuously more or less for the last 15 years. Each day I travel between 25 and 50 kilometres and would encounter 10,000 interactions with cars, buses and trucks over taking me driving towards me, turning right or left in front of me, or me turning right or left in front of them. Or me, believe it or not, overtaking them (usually while they are stationary).

My guess is 50 million possible accident opportunities. I think I am qualified to comment on recent trends in the driving and cycling habits of Auckland road users, and my guess is what is true for Auckland is true for the country.

Now the first myth, although I should say some prayers when I say this as often such comments become famous last words. The roads are actually quite safe! In all that time I have had three mildly serious spills. One of my own idiocy and it didn't involve a car, two involving cars, one which was clearly the fault of the car and the other and the most serious, the fault of the car contributed to by my lack of caution.

Frightening near misses, however, are becoming more frequent and ones that break you out in a cold sweat would be around once every three months. Say, 50 over the last 15 years. So that makes 53 frights or hurts out of 50 million. Do the maths on this and you might work out that your chance is just about one in a million of having a fright or a pain from an encounter with a car, bus or truck. It is just that when you do the stakes are very high.

A well seasoned older cyclist and bike shop owner, Bruce O'Halloran from Adventure Cycles, is an interesting character. As an advocate for cyclists he is enduring and persistent and he runs an interesting business repairing and hiring cycles. He gave me a dissertation on cycling risks a number of years ago. He said if you are a commuter you have to expect to have one serious accident (hospitalisation) every 7 years.

But most likely if you cycle every day you will make it to old age with 8 or 10 battle scares but your basic frame and health will be better than your non cycling compatriots.

After my worst spill, I had a number of months of physio to my neck and shoulder. The shoulder still looks deformed and the physio, when looking at my injury, said: "Ahh rugby player, typical rugby injury." I said: "No, cycling, pavement not grass, and I hit the concrete at around 60 kilometres per hour." S

She said: "Shit, it is a wonder you don't have a whole lot of broken bones." But she also said in her long experience (she too was a cyclist) research has shown hose who consistently exercise and cyclists in particular have stronger bones. Don't take too much from this though as they are not steel framed like cars.

The second myth, drivers are discourteous and hate cyclists. While this may well be true, in the main motorists are both courteous and careful around lone cyclists, where motorists get grumpy is around bunches.

Now to observations of trends in the last 5 years.

There are considerably more commuting cyclists now than 5 years ago, and there are considerably more pleasure and competing cyclists too and they are all using the road and motorists are now encountering more cyclists. A lot of these participants are middle aged relatively wealthy men and they have attitudes to go with their socio economic position.

Pleasure cycling is growing exponentially and clubs and large groups of cyclists are now frequent in early morning, evening and weekends. Road users are now sharing with cyclists and this is not isolated to just the waterfront road. The fringe rural areas of Clevedon, Silverdale, Riverhead and I am sure elsewhere are now frequently populated by large groups of cyclists.

There are more and more fun rides, what started with Taupo has now burgeoned into the opportunity to do a 100 to 200k fun cycle almost very weekend somewhere in the country for the 6 month warm season. These large packs of cyclists use county roads for fun. Back packing tourist cyclists are also more common.

There are also more trucks and cars on the road every year and congestion on city roads is increasing.

There are considerably more dirty, belching cars and buses on the road, mostly trucks run clean but public transport buses appear less well maintained.

There are more cycling and bus lanes in the city and the combination of buses and cyclists is not a comfortable mix, but mostly it works. The resultant restriction of a number of arterial roads to one lane for cars and one for buses and bikes has considerably increased congestion and motorist resentment of cyclists. Grafton Road is another "fine" trap annoying motorists at the expense of cyclists.

Motorists have become more impatient and have a greater sense of wanting to get where they are going on a timetable than ever before, but the life of those who are working has also got more pressured, faster and more urgent in the last 5 years and this unfortunate pressure is directly correlated with driving habits.

Cyclists have become less cautious and less considerate. Perhaps the global warming nonsense has in their minds convinced them that they are saving the planet and can be more arrogant road users, with some god given prior right out of some greater good.

Motorists have also become considerably more belligerent to cyclists. Not so much in a dangerous manner, just in an obnoxious manner. This trend will eventually move into road rage, and cyclists will die.

There is more evidence of stupid and impaired drivers. Drivers reading newspapers, texting, and using cell phones are common, and yes they are very dangerous.  As a cyclist you have to assume every single motorist on the road is distracted or stoned. Unfortunately the ones coming up behind you, you can't see, so your best strategy is to get out of their way as fast as possible especially at traffic lights.

Drivers, and particularly truck drivers, are frequently and demonstrably smashed on some substance or other and it surprises me that they can still function and that there are not more road deaths. Trucking companies should be allowed to drug test all drivers on demand. With the spread of drugs, innocent deaths are just a matter of time.

Now to the most annoying habits of cyclists and drivers and my experiences of the most infuriating and dangerous drivers.

When in a group cyclists take up too much room and restrict traffic flows thus infuriating motorists. Worse, when they are in a social group they socially interact, that is part of the fun. I.e. they get distracted, and in effect this is no different to the use of cell phones while driving. Pack riding is more efficient than solo riding, the speed with which you can travel for the energy input is enhanced. In races pack riding is common, must annoy the hell out of rural NZ. So the first lesson for cyclists using the road outside of organised races or fun rides: Do not ride in packs. If you do, group up and stick to single file.

Cyclists also ride in the middle of lanes, on roads this too restricts cars overtaking, Ride as close to the left as you can while avoiding drains and broken glass. Councils sweep the roads. Since you put in your recycling bins and since beer got served in glass bottles again broken glass on the road has increased considerably.

Cyclists keep going when traffic is stationary riding between lanes of traffic, they jump up onto the footpath and run red lights and cross with pedestrians. It annoys the hell out of motorists, they are jealous. Keep doing it team. I do it, and I do it to get away from the cars stationary at the traffic lights.

The impatience of drivers means that they really want to take off fast from the traffic lights and if you are in their way it annoys them.  Motorists, believe it or not, we are bring considerate. In my view by breaking the law and being a jay walker - or red light runner - we are actually riding safer. (I have been tail gated out of traffic lights).

Now to motorists. Truck drivers. There is a 1.5 metre overtaking rule. For trucks it should be 2.5 metres, especially ones with a trailer. The sway can be 1.5m and I have had truck drivers over take me with less than 600mm clearance and it is as scary as hell. I usually just pull into the gutter or try and jump the curb.

I have had truck drivers make eye contact with me from a side street, then accelerate straight at me, stoned I guess. Advice to cyclists: When approaching an intersection make eye contact with the drivers of cars and tucks that might turn, despite the "high society" in which we now live, it mostly works.

In terms of belligerence it is interesting that the beer bottle throwers, the abusive motorists and the overtly aggressive, are confined to the more affluent areas. I cycle though Glen Innes and Panmure and the motorists in those areas and the pedestrians and locals are polite and friendly. Through Remuera and Bucklands Beach they are ignorant pigs.

In my home suburb I have been driven off the road by young hoons, had beer bottles and fags thrown at me. Had cars drive up and passenger doors opened in an attempt to knock me off my bike, had 4 wheel drive motorists open their windows and bellow: "Get off the f**king road c**t"

This conduct is the conduct of male drivers in big dick cars mostly.

The most infuriatingly stupid drivers are Asian. They pull out on intersections and driveways without looking, sometimes they look and just think they have got enough room and don't consider the speed or stopping capacity of cyclists. The thing that is most infuriating about them is their stupid cheesy grin and wave, as if to say: "Excuse me I own the road and you are okay."

So how about this as some rules for safer roads for cyclists?

If there is a cycle lane, cyclists should use it. This excludes footpath based cycle lanes as these are impractical, pedestrians are in danger and this is unacceptable and if they are on residential roads, footpaths are more dangerous than roads (cars pulling out of drive ways).

Cyclists without a race permit should not travel in bunches and when in groups should always be in single file.

Drug testing for employers of drivers should be legalised. And employers should be equipped to actually do the testing.

Councils should sweep the roads more frequently and glass beer bottles should be substituted back to plastic.

For trucks 2.5 metres should be the minimum passing clearance and cars 1.5 metres, and this should be enforced. Although I'm not sure how.

Motorists should understand that considerate cyclists are entitled to be on the road too, and rather than using your phone to report other motorists stupidity to motorists, be vigilant for cyclists as well. If you see a car dangerously overtaking a cyclist who is ridding carefully, report the incident.

And when you think of making a cyclists life more dangerous and unpleasant than it already is, don't forget you have or will have kids, they will ride bikes on roads before they drive cars. And if the roads are not safe for the cyclists today the extrapolation of the road rage that is becoming evident now will kill your kids.

The number of cyclist incidents is too high relative to the number of cyclists on the road and the consequences for cyclists too dramatic for us to allow this to continue. But cyclists must also accept that might is right, we are fragile and small in number so cyclists must learn to live with other road users more effectively.

To do this assume every motorist is stoned and dangerous and be overly cautious and always leave yourself and motorists plenty of manoeuvring room.