Attacks by cyclists on runners

This morning on my long run round Windsor park a clyclist deliberately rode his bike at me then rode off at speed to avoid my response.  He was not some young teenager but looked like an experienced cyclist of around 30.  Fortuneatly it was only a glancing blow.  This is not the first time around Windsor that a cyclist has rode their bike at me though it is the first time where there has been contact.  There seems to be a minority among cyclists who think it is good sport to buzz runners.

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Comments

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Never heard anything like that.

    Quite silly though, a cyclists aren't exactly invincible on those little bikes...and I expect they're quite easy to remember, so that next time you can come armed with a nice stick for those spokes!

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    Not experienced anything like that but I do find road cyclists quite rude when I meet them on the roads (while I'm running).  If we have the same line they almost always stick to it making me to run into the middle of the road to avoid getting hit by them.  Or they whizz past very close and very fast.  And they rarely acknowledge a hello. 

  • My issue with cyclists is them approaching at speed from behind and not dinging the bell to let me know. Annoying when done by single commuter cyclists, downright intimidating when done by a pack of mountain bikers or roadies.

    Although, conversely, when I'm cycling and I ding a runner up ahead, half the time I find the silly sod is zoned out with the iPod and can't hear me anyway ... and then moans at being startled as I pass. You can't win sometimes.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Muttley, don't make this another ipod thread!

    But since you have, does anyone else find it remarkable how close you can get to someone wearing an Ipod without them noticing your presence?

    I swear I'm more aware than them when I wear one. Most seem to have zero idea anything is close to them until you zoom by.

  • MinniMinni ✭✭✭

    I am more aware when wearing one (an iPod not a cyclist).  I think. image

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    I always hold mine so i can mute it for any dodgy road settings etc.

    The people I see with them strapped to arms and no control to hand seem unwise.

    Even more so (linking slightly back to the actual thread!), thencyclists you see with headfones in! Travelling at speed with the hearing sense dulled has to be pure deathwise territory.

  • I often wonder when I see balls out cyclists on our shared "greenway" that allows runners walkers cyclists and horse riders onto the same 10ft wide path why they think they can ride like that and expect everyone else to get out of their way.

    I was out in Knutsford last week at the same time as a 100k ride was taking place, I went to a great deal of trouble to let the cyclists have space and time, but when two smartarses tried to pass me on the inside between my car and a high hedge while I was dawdling behind a group of 10 or so bikes on a blind bend, I really did wonder why I was bothering.

    I guess as usual it's a minority giving everyone a bad name.

     

  • Stevie G . wrote (see)
     does anyone else find it remarkable how close you can get to someone wearing an Ipod without them noticing your presence?

    I swear I'm more aware than them when I wear one. Most seem to have zero idea anything is close to them until you zoom by.

    I wonder if they think that about you Stevie!

     

  • I do a lot of running along a towpath that is shared by pedestrians and cyclists. When a cyclist is approaching me from ahead I'll move to the left. If he does the same, we're okay. But I get the odd tit who moves to the right and keeps going straight at me. My tactic is to occupy my ground and slightly extend my right arm, palm forwards: move over you dick or your handlebars are going to take a quick swivel. Not a good idea when you're right next to the Thames. Had several very close misses and brushes of my arm against the cyclist's but no actual collision yet. They do eventually get the message.

    (No such thing as too many threads about iPod zombies image)

  • I've only ever had issues with cyclists riding on the pavement when there's a perfectly good road to use. If they are kids or unconfident riders I'll make an exception and run around them. Anyone else I will nod for them to move or I'll run straight at them which usually results in them pulling up sharply. This is only if there is a road for them to use though. It"s a completely different scenario if I'm on trails. Mountain bikers will bomb around and you've got to move or get smoked, they just can't break quick enough.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Forbes Browne wrote (see)

    I've only ever had issues with cyclists riding on the pavement when there's a perfectly good road to use. If they are kids or unconfident riders I'll make an exception and run around them. Anyone else I will nod for them to move or I'll run straight at them which usually results in them pulling up sharply. This is only if there is a road for them to use though. It"s a completely different scenario if I'm on trails. Mountain bikers will bomb around and you've got to move or get smoked, they just can't break quick enough.

    +1

    🙂

  • One crazy cyclists has a go at you and thats a weird one off occurence where you have done nothing wrong and the cyclist needs anger management. If this happens more than once, then you are a crazy runner whose totally oblivion towards others make you a menace and sooner or later another cyclist is going to get pissed off by your behaviour.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Mr Puffy wrote (see)
    Stevie G . wrote (see)
     does anyone else find it remarkable how close you can get to someone wearing an Ipod without them noticing your presence?

    I swear I'm more aware than them when I wear one. Most seem to have zero idea anything is close to them until you zoom by.

    I wonder if they think that about you Stevie!

     

    Have never once been startled by someone overtaking me.  Whereas I've startled plenty, however gently I try and jog by, and however wide a berth!

  • Being someone who partakes in cycling and running, i have had runners who are oblivious to not only cyclists but all traffic, and on the other hand i have cyclists who regularly try and dump me in the river Lee. Most are casual once a week cyclists as opposed to those who cycle as a hobby. Cyclists who wear headphones are just asking to be knocked off, but anyone who uses headphones should think of 2 things, one can i hear what is going on, and two the chances of having to wear hearing aids in the future is bloody good.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Adrian, it depends what type of headfones you wear. How loud, and how frequent.

    I don't think there's much risk of those over ear head phones for an hour a day max, using an Ipod which is actually limited volume wise by the manufacturers.

    However, if you wear the "In ear" headfones , use them for 5-6hours a day, and actually unlock your ipod to remove the maximum volume safety setting, then it;s a different story completely.

  • I knocked a cyclist off his bike once when sprinting up to Uni to hand in an assignment.....

    I did apologise and help him up but he was cussing me something shocking....

    :S

  • Mr puffy i refer you to the " laugh at disability thread" not funny first time not funny now, like i said make it original.
  • You can refer me where you like Adrian, I probably still won't know what you're on about, did I miss something important?

  • Never mind, it was an oblique reference to your post
  • Ok I just looked at that thread, and I see that you're deaf. My comment was aimed at Stevie, not you, but it was thoughtless and a bit ignorant, I'm sorry.

  • It is not an issue but like i said please make it orginal. People with headphones make me cringe as losing your hearing although not one of the worst things that can happen, is in the least case scenario a bloody inconvienience.
  • I was not wearing head phones, the attack was from the front and I was as far to the side of the path as possible.  The cyclist does not just need anger management rather he could do with a night in the cells and a criminal record.

  • I run along the River Lea towpath a lot and usually it's fine.  However whilst we're moaning about bike-related snipes, can I rant quickly about some tw*t last week.  I cycled up on to the pavement with my 4 year old daughter, who's got a seat on the back of the bike. This was because the road was very busy with buses and traffic pulling over, and I'm not going to take a risk with traffic with daughter on the back.  The pavement was very wide and pedestrian free. Some old dear starting swearing at me to get back on the road and she was going to report me to the police for cycling on the pavement, even though I slowed right down and gave her a wide berth.  Wanted to go and punch her TBH but refrained as I'm the bigger person image

  • I know of an instance where a cyclist rode at and knocked over a runner during a race.  The runner was on the left hand side of a fairly narrow country road, as directed in the race instructions, and was running music free.  The cyclist was part of a sportive event coming in the opposite direction.  Said cyclist didn't stop or make any apology and when the sportive organisers were eventually identified and contacted, they seemed equally unconcerned.

  • This nob on a bike sounds like a complete idiot. I'm sure he'd come off far worse than you if there was a collision.



    I have seen runners in races on open roads running on the wrong side of the road looking down and with their iPods on. Sonits not runners or cyclists - just stupid people.
  • If you're running on the road properly (towards on-coming traffic) the cyclist would have to go around you, end of.  Hold your ground, stopping to make the point I necessary.

    I never yield to cyclists when I'm running if I'm on the pavement, but if I'm running towards one on the road I make an effort to stick close to the verge, especially if there's traffic following them.

    There are people who bevave badly because they can - they know there's no come-back, so just stand up to it and learn them a lesson good & proper!

    It would be very unwise for a cyclist to hit a pedestrian, not least a runner. Cyclists have all sorts of hard and sharp surfaces then can get tangled up in. If it happens again, just side-step and knock one end of the handlebars. That'll create an unholy mess.

    I don't know why people just don't keep to the left when on pavements, cyclepaths, shared-use routes, and so on. I do, and I stick to my path, so if anyone tries to keep to the right, they lose.

    I say all this as a keen road cyclist and mountain biker, by the way, and one who's come in to contact with runners on the Verderer's Trail in the FoD. Verderer's is a dedicated mountain bike trail, and is mostly singletrack and high-speed.. High-speed mountain bikists and low-speed runners don't mix.

  • There are bad cyclists and runners.  I do road running, cross-country, road cycling and MTB.  You come across all sorts of idiots.  The guy mentioned at the start of this thread is just someone with a problem with life in general.  Yes there are a few of them about, but not really representative of all cyclists.  Just in the same way if you look at cycling forums they will have threads about runners doing stupid things  and there are just as many runners that are idiots.

  • I cycle about 40 miles a week and run over 50.

    I have problems with other cyclists running and cycling, including on my lsr yesterday. 15 miles in and some idiot decides he wants to pull around me on the pavement (coming head on). Then when I get cross as we nearly collide and I have to stop, he shouts at me because "he was trying to move out of my way"...

    Here's a good plan mate:

    Get off the f**king pavement.

    And I told him as much image I was pretty grumpy at that point and it just wound me right up. No need to be on there at all (and there are places where I live where it is a shared path and that is fine or if people cycle nicely then thats fine too).

    Virginia Water is dangerous at times with runners, cyclists and walkers - I tend to go only very early in the morning. Its lovely running, but I find it scary with all of them weaving around at high speed and all the kids running around image

  • A cyclist out of the blue just rides for someone for no reason. And this has happened before? It just doesn't add up to me. I wish we could hear the other side of the story.

    Just for the record, the kid that comes crying and telling tales at the playground isn't neccesarily the one in the right!!
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