Are You A Proper Cyclist or Just A Bicycle Owner?

What is the real difference between a cyclist and a “Pseudo-Cyclist”?

As a passionate cyclist, I take to the roads frequently and am amazed by the amount of other people who happen to own bicycles, who ride them like idiots. I must preface this with the fact that as a teenager, I did my cycling proficiency test at school. I learnt how to ride a bike safely, how to make sure drivers don’t kill me due to my own lack of care and attention. I check behind me and indicate each and every time I make a turn, often for up to 20 metres before the actual turn and use the appropriate signals to pull out or slow down to stop at lights. I don’t hop on and off the pavement at my own convenience and I don’t run red lights. I wear high visibility clothing; I have a front and rear reflector, front and rear lights, and a helmet of course.

I say of course, but the majority of “people who ride bikes” I see are riding around aren’t even a wearing a helmet. I use the term “people who ride bikes” instead of cyclist, because I believe that these people are not cyclists. In fact, they make cyclists look bad. We who make every effort to be seen, and to ride safe are undermined by these bad examples. My personal checklist for finding out if you are a cyclist or not, is as follows:

1. Helmet: If you are not wearing a helmet on your bicycle then you are being foolish.

2. High-Visibility Clothing: If you are riding a bike on the roads, it makes a lot of sense for you to stand out to drivers, who are going to kill you if they don’t see you. Don’t let them get away with saying they didn’t see you. Not “essential” unless you enjoy being hit by cars.

3. Lights: I try to avoid riding my bike at night in the dark, but it is not always possible. I have a light set that cost very little compared to replacing a bike that has been mangled under the wheels of a car. Of course I will include front and rear reflectors, pedal reflectors and spoke reflectors here too, these many of these are LEGALLY MANDATORY!

4. Bell: By law, all new bicycles are sold fitted with a noise making device or bell. If you do not have one on your bike, get one, fit it and ring it at pedestrians who walk in the bike lane and whenever you are about to overtake a fellow cyclist out of courtesy. I have a polite ding bell, and a klaxon for when people are still in my way after their second bell.

5. Bike Lock: I have seen obnoxious bicycle owners take their bikes inside shops and even fast food places and leave them in other people’s way because they can’t be bothered buying or using a bike lock. Inconveniencing others for the sake of one’s own convenience is selfish, inconsiderate and rude. Let alone people who leave their bikes sprawled across the pavement outside shops while they go inside. If you don’t want your bike stolen, lock it up securely, don’t bring it everywhere you go.

Why Do I Care So Much?

I do care. I care too much really; because I feel like I have to explain myself to everyone I tell that I cycle to work. People immediately think I am part of the growing majority of bike owners they have seen on the roads/pavements. I just told a colleague that I bike to work and her immediate response was “You’re not one of them annoying obnoxious £#%@s are you?”.  I had to explain, that no, I am not; I am one of the good ones. I should not have to do this, I’m not saying proper cyclists should be revered or honoured in some way (medals would be cool…) but certainly not disrespected due to the bad behaviour of a few members of our peer group. I’m talking about anti-cyclist discrimination! I have heard drivers talk about the fact that we don’t pay road tax therefore should not be on the roads, and that we don’t deserve our own special lanes and why do we get so much publicity (aherm, we were on the roads first!). As if we are all a nuisance! I have encountered nuisance bicycle owners; they have nearly knocked me off my bike! Hopping from pavement to road without taking the time to look behind them and check to see if I would have to brake hard and swerve dangerously to avoid rear-ending them! That is what prompted me to consider writing this blog. Then it happened again, so I had to take to the keyboard. Then I noticed how many of the people I would have previously considered “Proper Cyclists”, run through red lights, or pavement hop to get through them. I couldn’t believe how few cyclists seem to signal and indicate properly, or even know which side of the road to ride on.

If you want to drive a car, you first must obtain a license and insurance and tax the vehicle. To ride a bike on the road, you just buy a bike and are let go on an unsuspecting public. I am not insinuating that there should be a test, there already is a test, it is called the cycling proficiency test, but there should be a better form of governance and accountability. It is clearly not just their own lives they are risking, I have experienced my own life being staked on the ignorance of these pseudo-cyclists swerving in front of me dangerously!

Other bad cycling habits I have covered in other blog entries such as wearing headphones, not using the handlebars on the road, texting/using the phone, there are plenty more I haven’t covered as I had thought they were obviously wrong. Carrying shopping on the handlebars, trying to walk a dog on a leash whilst riding a bike (illegal by the way!), or trying to have a conversation with another pseudo-cyclist, or worst still, so called “salmon” who cycle the wrong way on a roadside bike lane.

There are also people who own bikes who are beyond “pseudo-cyclists” and have earnt themselves the title of “Suicyclist”, people who are clearly trying to get themselves killed.  Wearing all black clothing at night with no lights or high visibility clothing, having no reflectors, like some sort of cycling ninja. Invisible to the naked eye, these cretins are definitely self nominated Darwin Award candidates.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *