Rant: Cyclists, Oz Bureaucracy ....
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<p>As an occasional rider - on my MTB with hybrid tyres, I find a few of the MAMIL crowd to be fucking idiots, but a lot of them are OK. I don't road ride because you're asking to die in Western Sydney that way, yet they still do it. So mostly I see the ones using bike paths, with varying levels of fitness.</p>
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<p>Of the percentage that shit me, the absolute worst are the ones who don't have any lights on their bikes despite riding in zones over 60km/h. Particularly when natural light isn't good. A lot of them are actually in breach of the regulations by not having reflectors or lights in those situations. But they all think they're Cadel Evans so they don't give a fuck, and I particularly hate the ones who road ride abreast in pairs or small groups which is just not fucking warranted; if you're out there for exercise, shut up and pedal!</p>
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<p>There are new regulations coming that require helmets (or a fine) and require cyclists to carry photo id. There is a LOT of tension about that.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560476" data-time="1456272884">
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<p>As an occasional rider - on my MTB with hybrid tyres, I find a few of the MAMIL crowd to be fucking idiots, but a lot of them are OK. I don't road ride because you're asking to die in Western Sydney that way, yet they still do it. So mostly I see the ones using bike paths, with varying levels of fitness.</p>
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<p>Of the percentage that shit me, the absolute worst are the ones who don't have any lights on their bikes despite riding in zones over 60km/h. Particularly when natural light isn't good. A lot of them are actually in breach of the regulations by not having reflectors or lights in those situations. But they all think they're Cadel Evans so they don't give a fuck, and I particularly hate the ones who road ride abreast in pairs or small groups which is just not fucking warranted; if you're out there for exercise, shut up and pedal!</p>
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<p><strong>There are new regulations coming that require helmets (or a fine) and require cyclists to carry photo id. There is a LOT of tension about that.</strong></p>
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<p>A couple of Oz mates have shared that on FB. Why the tension ? it's still a fucken vehicle on the road granted it's far less likely to kill you than a car.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560474" data-time="1456272117">
<p>But that's fine, those guys go on tracks off road so as far as I'm concerned they can fill their fucken boots. ( although they also have a bit of an annoying sub culture mentality about them )</p>
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<br><p>?<br>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560476" data-time="1456272884">
<p>There are new regulations coming that require helmets (or a fine) and require cyclists to carry photo id. There is a LOT of tension about that.</p>
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<br><p>So there should be; they're stupid.<br><br>
This is how I finished Capital Punishment a few years ago:<br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://i.imgur.com/7u1INqy.jpg'><img src="http://i.imgur.com/7u1INqyl.jpg" alt="7u1INqyl.jpg"></a></p> -
<p>Cyclists can afford to be sanctimonious because frankly, they are in the right.</p>
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<p>I wonder what percentage of car commuters could do the same commute on a bike (and thus increasing their fitness, reducing use of fossil fuels, reducing pollution levels, reducing future leniance on tax payers due to not being a fat fluffybunny) in a similar / shorter amount of time if there was equivalent infrastructure available for bikes as there is for cars.</p>
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<p>Oh that's right there is - it's called THE ROAD. People get so much more infuriated by cylicsts than they do by poor/arrogant/aggressive drivers and I've never understood why. Nepia, would you have posted the above if it was done by some guy on a scooter, or in a Mini? You and I both know you wouldn't have.</p>
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<p>Times they are a changing kids, either change with, or be caught in the past, permanently. Realistically, half of the roads you see are likely to be designated to non-fossil fuel modes of transports within a generation.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="560485" data-time="1456275317">
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<p>I wonder what percentage of car commuters could do the same commute on a bike (and thus increasing their fitness, reducing use of fossil fuels, reducing pollution levels, reducing future leniance on tax payers due to not being a fat XXXX) in a similar / shorter amount of time if there was equivalent infrastructure available for bikes as there is for cars.</p>
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<p>I would think more fit people drive than don't drive each day.... nitpicking. Thinking about the building I am currently working in, I am the only overweight unfit one, yet we all drive.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="560485" data-time="1456275317">
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<p>Cyclists can afford to be sanctimonious because frankly, they are in the right.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wonder what percentage of car commuters could do the same commute on a bike (and thus increasing their fitness, reducing use of fossil fuels, reducing pollution levels, reducing future leniance on tax payers due to not being a fat fluffybunny) in a similar / shorter amount of time if there was equivalent infrastructure available for bikes as there is for cars.</p>
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<p>Oh that's right there is - it's called THE ROAD. People get so much more infuriated by cylicsts than they do by poor/arrogant/aggressive drivers and I've never understood why. Nepia, would you have posted the above if it was done by some guy on a scooter, or in a Mini? You and I both know you wouldn't have.</p>
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<p>Times they are a changing kids, either change with, or be caught in the past, permanently. Realistically, half of the roads you see are likely to be designated to non-fossil fuel modes of transports within a generation.</p>
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<p>I certainly don't buy the whole "if you don't cycle you're a walking heart attack fat fluffybunny" argument. There's plenty of options for people wanting to stay in shape and diet is more of an issue than sedentary lifestyles.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="560486" data-time="1456275531">
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<p>I would think more fit people drive than don't drive each day.... nitpicking. Thinking about the building I am currently working in, I am the only overweight unfit one, yet we all drive.</p>
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<p>Fit because they sacrifice an hour of their time each day outside work/commuting/kids etc. Imagine what they could do with all their free time!</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="560487" data-time="1456275609">
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<p>I have no problem with environmentally freindly forms of transport but these roads were diesgned and built for fossil gobbling cars and not 15-30kph hippy movers!</p>
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<p>When commuting Rotorua to Matamata ... yes of course. But when commuting Remuera to Parnell (or Sydney city to Manly), I'm not so sure!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560488" data-time="1456275884">
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<p>I certainly don't buy the whole "if you don't cycle you're a walking heart attack fat fluffybunny" argument. There's plenty of options for people wanting to stay in shape and diet is more of an issue than sedentary lifestyles.</p>
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<p>I don't think a single cyclist or person ever said that. You can of course be fat and a cyclist, as well being skinny and not being a cyclist.</p>
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<p>From a fitness perspective though, its a pretty tough argument that sitting in a car is better for you than riding on a bike.</p> -
<p>I'm just being silly.</p>
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<p>I hear what you are saying but just think that being sanctimonious and dead to prove a ploint isn't worth it.</p>
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<p>I nearly cleaned up some cyclists on the hills to Kawerau. Their protests fell on deaf ears as I thought they were morons for being on tha bit of tight winding road in the morning. I'm not going to drive at 25kph hoping that there isn't a cyclist round the corner.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="560491" data-time="1456276240">
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<p><strong>I don't think a single cyclist or person ever said that.</strong> You can of course be fat and a cyclist, as well being skinny and not being a cyclist.</p>
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<p>From a fitness perspective though, its a pretty tough argument that sitting in a car is better for you than riding on a bike.</p>
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<p>You said it yourself, read what you actually wrote.</p>
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<p>You're right, aside from a brief period of doing stomach vacuums behind the wheel I really haven't gotten that fit during driving, flipside of that is that I do other things to stay in shape and none of them involve a bike. That's my prerogative.....</p>
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<p>The point I'm making along with others is the behaviour of a huge number of cyclists that makes us strongly dislike them. For right or wrong they have no leeway when it comes to bad behaviour on the road, I was driving back from the Hutt last week and two dickhead cyclists were going side by side, the right one seriously encroaching on the lane that is designed for vehicles going 100kph. I would have yelled at them but the driver in front of me beat me to it.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560494" data-time="1456276828">
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<p>You said it yourself, read what you actually wrote.</p>
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<p>You're right, aside from a brief period of doing stomach vacuums behind the wheel I really haven't gotten that fit during driving, flipside of that is that I do other things to stay in shape and none of them involve a bike. That's my prerogative.....</p>
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<p>The point I'm making along with others is the behaviour of a huge number of cyclists that makes us strongly dislike them. For right or wrong they have no leeway when it comes to bad behaviour on the road, I was driving back from the Hutt last week and two dickhead cyclists were going side by side, the right one seriously encroaching on the lane that is designed for vehicles going 100kph. I would have yelled at them but the driver in front of me beat me to it.</p>
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<p>Ha, your right! I guess I did. Although I guess was going all Gus Gould and using a bit of hyperbole to make a point...</p>
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<p>There are dickhead cyclists around for sure who give all a bad name. But there are also good ones. Just like everything else in life.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="560495" data-time="1456277062">
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<p>Ha, your right! I guess I did. Although I guess was going all Gus Gould and using a bit of hyperbole to make a point...</p>
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<p>There are dickhead cyclists around for sure who give all a bad name. But there are also good ones. Just like everything else in life.</p>
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<p>I hear ya but as we've all alluded to there is, rightly or wrongly, a real hatred of them so something pretty minor from a car driver pretty much starts WW3 if a cyclist does it.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560494" data-time="1456276828">
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<p>I was driving back from the Hutt last week and two dickhead cyclists were going side by side</p>
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<p>That's perfectly legal over here and as a cyclist on the road, you want to dominate the lane. Otherwise fuckwits in two tonnes of metal think they can push past.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="560493" data-time="1456276426">
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<p>I nearly cleaned up some cyclists on the hills to Kawerau. Their protests fell on deaf ears as I thought they were morons for being on tha bit of tight winding road in the morning. I'm not going to drive at 25kph hoping that there isn't a cyclist round the corner.</p>
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<p>True, but then riding a motorcycle between Khancoban and Thredbo is the same - you need to be able to stop within the distance you can see regardless of how much fun it should be because people towing campervans are as slow.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="560498" data-time="1456277420">
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<p>That's perfectly legal over here and as a cyclist on the road, you want to dominate the lane. Otherwise fuckwits in two tonnes of metal think they can push past.</p>
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<p>True, but then riding a motorcycle between Khancoban and Thredbo is the same - you need to be able to stop within the distance you can see regardless of how much fun it should be because people towing campervans are as slow.</p>
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<p>Yeah but he was over on the left lane of the road at one stage. Delayed my trip by a good few seconds......</p> -
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<p>True, but then riding a motorcycle between Khancoban and Thredbo is the same - you need to be able to stop within the distance you can see regardless of how much fun it should be because people towing campervans are as slow.</p>
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<p>I don't get your point?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="560485" data-time="1456275317">
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<p>Cyclists can afford to be sanctimonious because frankly, they are in the right.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wonder what percentage of car commuters could do the same commute on a bike (and thus increasing their fitness, reducing use of fossil fuels, reducing pollution levels, reducing future leniance on tax payers due to not being a fat fluffybunny) in a similar / shorter amount of time if there was equivalent infrastructure available for bikes as there is for cars.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh that's right there is - it's called THE ROAD. People get so much more infuriated by cylicsts than they do by poor/arrogant/aggressive drivers and I've never understood why. Nepia, would you have posted the above if it was done by some guy on a scooter, or in a Mini? You and I both know you wouldn't have.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Times they are a changing kids, either change with, or be caught in the past, permanently. Realistically, half of the roads you see are likely to be designated to non-fossil fuel modes of transports within a generation.</p>
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<p>Ah FFS. Did any of Nepia's examples even involve people commuting to work? As to that last paragraph. That's a pisstake surely?</p> -
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="560504" data-time="1456277878">
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<p>I don't get your point?</p>
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<p>He's saying if you're on a tight, winding road - regardless of what vehicle you're in - you need to take appropriate precautions. </p>
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<p>You may know the road like the back of your hand* but if its not a bike, it might be a truck, an animal, another accident etc around that bend, not just a cyclist.</p>
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<p>* Who the fuck studies the back of their hand?</p>