Close call with cyclists

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Annagain

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Wig and I had a nasty close call with three cyclists last night, an adult and two teenagers, I assume a dad and kids but might not have been. We were about 1/2 a mile from home after a very chilled little hack. We were heading up quite a steep hill on a single track lane with a blind bend in the middle. I could hear voices, laughing and cheering so realised what was about to happen and tucked myself right into the side. I started to call out to let them know I was there when a child (about 13-14) on a bike came flying round the corner in the middle of the lane. He was going way too fast to stop but swerved and and went flying past us. The younger child (about 12-13) and the adult were a bit behind and did manage to stop but the child skidded almost under Wig's feet. He spun and started to leg it down the hill - understandably! Wig being Wig, he stopped after a few strides (thank god, not so much for my sake but his as he's on rehab and only walking with short bursts of trot on suitable ground) and once I'd regained my composure told the adult that he really needed to consider what could be coming the other way when flying way too fast down a steep hill with a blind bend and nowhere to go.

He started to give the whole "we were only going 20mph and we stopped" thing when I pointed at the tractor in the field alongside the lane and said "that tractor was in front of me until it turned into that gateway 30 seconds ago. Imagine you had met that. Instead of a scared horse you'd have a dead son." That shut him up!

Luckily none of us are any the worse for the experience (except for a sore little finger, I must have pulled it when Wig spun) but some people's stupidity just beggars belief.
 
Glad to hear that Wig and you are OK.

Cyclists are the reason we stay in the school on Sundays. We have a single track lane running past the field which goes up, what apparently, is a dream of a hill for cyclists. Most are lovely and will let me know they're behind, slow down and pass carefully; but when there's a peloton they seem to have some odd herd mentality and they shout to each other, pass both sides and as fast as they can. So it's just easier/safer to stay in!
 
3OldPonies said:
Glad to hear that Wig and you are OK.

Cyclists are the reason we stay in the school on Sundays. We have a single track lane running past the field which goes up, what apparently, is a dream of a hill for cyclists. Most are lovely and will let me know they're behind, slow down and pass carefully; but when there's a peloton they seem to have some odd herd mentality and they shout to each other, pass both sides and as fast as they can. So it's just easier/safer to stay in!
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I get that flying down a hill on a bike is good fun but at least pick one with good visibility and escape routes!
 
There's a couple steep hill routes I hate doing without a foot soldier about 20m in front of me. One i woman up and do anyway solo because the single track road is almost wide enough and the dodgy, blind section is short. The other one I really hate because it's on a rocky trail with a steep drop on the side, and the whole trail is on a curve, so mountain bikers hurtling down it can't see sh1t. And because it's a trail, not a road, they are not expecting anything bigger than a hiker in the middle of it.

One of the routes between us and the park that we use almost daily is also on a hill with blind bends (I call them Death Corner I and Death Corner II), but it's a two-ish lane road. My horses are very used to bikes shooting past them at who-knows-what speed but it's still tw7ttsh behaviour from the cyclists.
 
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Titchy Pony said:
Glad you're OK @Annagain.

Do you happen to sing? Perhaps very loudly when coming up to a blind bend with possible idiots on the other side? In my case, if I didn't scare them off when I started singing, it would definitely count as a dissuasive tactic to coming too close a second time.
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Wiggy is very disapproving of my singing, literally ears back and big sighs. I am the exception that proves the Welsh person rule.
 
I had a run in a few weeks ago with some cyclists, which resulted in Baggs and I parting ways in the middle of the road....

I wasn't impressed and politely said that other people use the roads and it could end very badly if they carry on riding like they were (meanwhile I was picking myself up off the floor and dusting off my riding tights).

The person at the front apologised on behalf of the entire group, and asked if Baggs and I were alright - I thanked him for asking and said that we would both be fine in a few moments once we've relaxed.

Then his gobby friend behind started running his mouth and saying how if I can't control my stupid bloody nag then I shouldn't be riding, I need to loose some weight as I'm gonna break my nags back and how horse riders are arrogant sh*ts. I took one look at him (and this was possibly annoyance and shock speaking) but I simply replied "I have more control over my nag than you bloody realise, for your information I've lost over 4 stone since I brought my nag and I continue to loose the weight, horse riders aren't arrogant sh*ts and you need to wind your bloody neck in and have some respect for other road users!".

The gobby friend simply looked at the ground and walked off with his bike - whilst all the other cyclists he was with proceeded to give me a round of applause, informed me that I was the first person to speak back to him how he speaks to others, and how they are planning on kicking him out the cycling group cause he's always causing trouble.

I wished the rest of the cyclists a lovely ride, got back on Baggs and rode a few hundred yards down the bridleway and there was an elderly couple who were stood in their garden - the gentleman just said "Geddon girl you give them the crap back - I'd much rather have horse riders coming down the lane than cyclists any day!". I couldn't help but giggle...

Glad you're alright @Annagain x
 
Annagain said:
Wig and I had a nasty close call with three cyclists last night, an adult and two teenagers, I assume a dad and kids but might not have been. We were about 1/2 a mile from home after a very chilled little hack. We were heading up quite a steep hill on a single track lane with a blind bend in the middle. I could hear voices, laughing and cheering so realised what was about to happen and tucked myself right into the side. I started to call out to let them know I was there when a child (about 13-14) on a bike came flying round the corner in the middle of the lane. He was going way too fast to stop but swerved and and went flying past us. The younger child (about 12-13) and the adult were a bit behind and did manage to stop but the child skidded almost under Wig's feet. He spun and started to leg it down the hill - understandably! Wig being Wig, he stopped after a few strides (thank god, not so much for my sake but his as he's on rehab and only walking with short bursts of trot on suitable ground) and once I'd regained my composure told the adult that he really needed to consider what could be coming the other way when flying way too fast down a steep hill with a blind bend and nowhere to go.

He started to give the whole "we were only going 20mph and we stopped" thing when I pointed at the tractor in the field alongside the lane and said "that tractor was in front of me until it turned into that gateway 30 seconds ago. Imagine you had met that. Instead of a scared horse you'd have a dead son." That shut him up!

Luckily none of us are any the worse for the experience (except for a sore little finger, I must have pulled it when Wig spun) but some people's stupidity just beggars belief.
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You were right about the tractor, although in that case it makes a lot of noise, whereas a horse does not!

I point out that a horse kick is the equivalent of being hit by a sledgehammer.
 
AppyLover1996 said:
Then his gobby friend behind started running his mouth and saying how if I can't control my stupid bloody nag then I shouldn't be riding, I need to loose some weight as I'm gonna break my nags back and how horse riders are arrogant sh*ts. I took one look at him (and this was possibly annoyance and shock speaking) but I simply replied "I have more control over my nag than you bloody realise, for your information I've lost over 4 stone since I brought my nag and I continue to loose the weight, horse riders aren't arrogant sh*ts and you need to wind your bloody neck in and have some respect for other road users!".
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I would not have been able to compose such an eloquent response. Mine would have been more like "do you intend to take your teeth home with you or leave them here by the roadside?"
 
We have 3 blind bends that I crawl around in the car due to meeting a pack of cyclists on the wrong side of the road overtaking a horse. I knew the rider & she'd heard the car and checked her horse (it's very tight there) & they all flew round her at 20mph.

Despite slamming on my brakes I got hand signals and verbal abuse.

Plenty of tractors round me too and they go far faster round those bends.

Relieved your ok OP.
 
ihatework said:
Some cyclists really do have a death wish.
I live on a narrow country lane, at the bottom of a hill immediately after a blind bend.

There will be a dead cyclist there one day, the club riders whizz round that bend in the middle of the lane
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So do I, ditto blind bend, and it's a National Cycle Route too, with national speed limit. It's notorious locally.
 
We live up a track off a bend at the bottom of a steep hill, there is also a pub opposite our turning. Being rural there are tractors and horses, sheep also get moved on the road, cyclists come thundering down the hill and very often go round the bend on the wrong side, how there hasn’t been a serious accident I don’t know….
 
Landcruiser said:
So do I, ditto blind bend, and it's a National Cycle Route too, with national speed limit. It's notorious locally.
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Yep, well, there are a few dead cyclists annually, also horses, in RTAs.
There is currently a Bill aimed at proscribing inappropriate cycling, albeit focus is more on the danger this poses to pedestrians, so now’s your chance to get onto your MP about the issue and danger to horse riders.
 
A friend and I plus our very laid back cobs,we're going up a fairly steep bridleway onto the South Downs,we got off to walk the last but when a tandem shot round the corner nearly going over the edge,male front rider proceeded to give tongue my friend gave him some back hors3s didn't panic,the his co rider a girl got off and gave him such a tongue lashing it was wonderful to hear,she apologised for him and we went on our way singing.I bike myself not in lucrative but as transport and am very mindful of riders and walkers in our narrow lanes.
 
The pelaton whizzy morons are often riding several thousands worth of bike. We had trouble with a particular club/group riding past too fast and close till one day we'd had enough. Intentionally blocked the road so they had to stop and pointed out the damage that would occur to them and their bikes if they scared our horses enough into kicking out or landing on them. We then explained the value of our horses (may have been generous in our valuations) the thousands of vets bills we would be laying at their door if anything happened.
And asked - can you afford it?

They were A LOT better about passing after that.

Sometimes if common decency wont work, pointing out the financial cost of being morons does.
 
I've often thought that we could solve the identification of law-breaking/idiot cyclists easily by making it law for every cyclist to wear a high-viz vest with a registration number on it in large black type. It could even be made from lycra so it didn't make any wind-resistance to their addiction to going suicidally fast.

Accountable cyclists and also visible cyclists from one action. Of course the 'black ninjas' wouldn't like the style but something has got to be done to identify idiots like this - and a vest instead of a number plate solves the issue with some (very rich) cyclists having half a dozen different bikes.
 
reynold said:
I've often thought that we could solve the identification of law-breaking/idiot cyclists easily by making it law for every cyclist to wear a high-viz vest with a registration number on it in large black type. It could even be made from lycra so it didn't make any wind-resistance to their addiction to going suicidally fast.

Accountable cyclists and also visible cyclists from one action. Of course the 'black ninjas' wouldn't like the style but something has got to be done to identify idiots like this - and a vest instead of a number plate solves the issue with some (very rich) cyclists having half a dozen different bikes.
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Excellent idea, compulsory 3rd party insurance too - hopefully you’ll be submitting and pushing, via your MP?
Also, compulsory 3rd party insurance on all equines, too.
 
As a cyclist, a pretty whizzy one at that, and one that is regularly part of a Pelton I am astounded at the stories on here. Complain to their Clubs. The will have the name on their jerseys. Or better still, complain to British Cycling. Complaints get handled pretty quickly and the penalty will be loss of insurance for the Club if they don't behave - in many instances.

We have to abide by the rules of the road. We are also supposed, in Groups, if part of a Club, have a ride leader and they are supposed to instruct to slow down past horses. I am a ride leader, it is part of my briefing. As an ex horse person, this is one thing I stress to extreme. It is very easy to get bogged down in chasing Strava segments but it should never be at the cost of safety.
 
We have some steep hills on tracks near us in the woods and the amount of mountain bikers who shoot out behind us and terrify my horse is insane! Luckily, most of them are polite if they see us, but when there's poor visability, it's amazing how many people forget that others might be using the tracks too!
 
I stopped in my 7.5 ton horsebox on a lane wide enough for two cars to pass and with clear visibility for half a mile in front of and behind me. A woman on a horse was approaching on the other side of the road. A bunch of cyclists overtook her at speed and only just avoided piling into the front of my lorry. They were jostling into each other and skidding. Neither the woman on the horse or I could quite believe what we had just seen.
 
Orangehorse said:
You were right about the tractor, although in that case it makes a lot of noise, whereas a horse does not!

I point out that a horse kick is the equivalent of being hit by a sledgehammer.
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When you are flying down a hill with the wind whistling in your ears don’t bank on hearing tractors round blind bends.
 
As I was turning right at traffic lights yesterday, a teenager whizzed past on my left and cut in front so close it must have been inches then rolled down the hill through the town ,10 feet in front of me waving both arms in the air and turning to laugh at me. I was still trying to get my heart rate down. How could he think it was clever, a couple of inches more and he would have been under my wheels bike and all. Would not have believed just how stupid people could be.
 
Littlest Hobo said:
As I was turning right at traffic lights yesterday, a teenager whizzed past on my left and cut in front so close it must have been inches then rolled down the hill through the town ,10 feet in front of me waving both arms in the air and turning to laugh at me. I was still trying to get my heart rate down. How could he think it was clever, a couple of inches more and he would have been under my wheels bike and all. Would not have believed just how stupid people could be.
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Oh, all too easily believable, cyclists are above the law and invincible....
 
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