Chris Hoy hits out at “stupid” cyclists

"the reputation of the cycling population...."

Laughing a lot at the supposed pc plod trying to take the moral high ground when they are the main reason some people refuse to ride or walk anywhere...

I don't see how you could possibly disagree/be offended by Hoy's comments, cyclist or otherwise. The etiquette on the road by club riders is generally pretty good, but the amount of stupid riding I see around Leeds is pretty shocking. Riding at night with no lights, jumping red lights, hopping up on the pavement for no good reason, undertaking when it's not safe to do so...

Sure, car drivers can be dangerous but the vast majority of are courteous and safe. It's the small majority who drive too close or scream out of the window at you for riding two abreast that give motorists a bad name, same goes for moronic cyclists with a death wish.

Driver ‘pictured reading book on dual carriageway’
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/driver-pictured-rea...

1754 people killed on UK roads in 2012 by motorists. That's almost 5 people every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualties-grea...

Motorists are responsible for just under 95% of all accidents in Scotland caused by ignoring traffic lights:
http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/TablesPublicatio...

Edinburgh's road safety figures for 2004-2010 show that motorists were responsible for 72% of accidents resulting in serious injury to cyclists:
http://streetsaheadedinburgh.org.uk/info/4/pedestrians/79/road_safety_st...

For the UK, from 2008 to 2012 (inclusive), out of the total numbers of pedestrians killed in single vehicle collisions with vehicles in any location, cars
were involved in about 68% of pedestrian fatalities, and 81% of pedestrian serious injuries.
(cycles were involved in about 0.4% of fatalities and around 1.4% of serious injuries)
http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/pedestriansbrf.pdf

Like Aretha said, R.E.S.P.E.C.T, you have to earn it...

I saw a guy on an electric bike going at considerable speed on a pavement to avoid traffic. Accident waiting to happen all it takes is a kid running out of a hidden accesspoint. Some people behave idiotically whether driving a car or riding a bike. Respect to him for pulling them up on it. More people need to point out unacceptable behaviour and lead by example maybe that will lead some people to change their behaviour on the roads for the better.some people however will always be idiots.

Chris's need to earn respect!

Before people called "Chris" start giving opinions they need to put their house in order and stop beating up Rihanna. Not to mention cutting legal aid budgets. And inflicting horrors like Lady In Red on an innocent public.

Sort yourselves out, Chris's!

PS - he's perfectly entitled to chastise individuals he happens to see doing something anti-social. No problem with that. I just will never buy the 'earn respect' nonsense.

An interesting comment by Helen Blackman. Road rage against cyclists in the UK is partly due to the perception that cyclists transgress normality, meaning using a car, and therefore question consumerist lifestyle. I never saw myself as such, on the contrary my bling bike and gear betray unashamed consumerism. I do advocate cycling and electric cycling as health and life style improving habits. Which falls on deaf ears. And my friends laugh when I dress in "tights".

Attitudes will only change when motorists themselves become cyclists. When they discover the pleasure of gliding to destination under one's own traction but also the terror of having to share the road with nutters in their killing machines. UK roads will only become safer for cyclists when cycling becomes so commonplace that it loses its elitist? righteous? stigma. Like in Holland or Denmark.

In the meantime, UK roads remain lethal. Cyclists should treat them with respect, the respect reserved for a big wild cat, ready to pounce at any moment: keep your distances, have a plan B at all times, approach vigilantly. For me, that also includes cycling through red when there is no traffic in sight rather than wait for green and be bolted by a miscalculating truck.

This is the respect Hoy should be promoting, the instinct of self preservation expressed through great caution. But he cannot, can he? Next best is to get as many drivers onto bikes as he can in as short a time as possible.

He better keep his comments about an incidental rogue cyclist to himself, it only fuels stigmatization.

Reading through some of these posts, there's a theme that motorists hate cyclists because cyclists slow them down. I can't disagree more. When I'm in my car or on my motorcycle, I'm rarely slowed down by cyclists. It simply doesn't happen. However, when I'm cycling, I'm regularly slowed down by cars, vans, lorries and buses. They're constantly in my way (Strava's got a lot to answer for) but I'm not trying to kick wing mirrors off or put windows through because of it. I'm too busy trying to stay alive due to drivers of motorised vehicles driving them very very poorly. It's nothing to do with what you're driving or riding, it's all about your attitude and the ability to operate your chosen vehicle.

And FWIW, there's always a case to argue for a cyclist running certain red lights. Occasionally, it benefits everyone, but that's an argument for another time. Pavement jumping (pavement riding full stop is a pet hate of mine) is an absolute no-no though, it's simply unnecessary.

It strikes me that there is a difference in perception here. Chris Hoy seems to me to be commenting on the world as it is now, while those disagreeing with him are commenting on the world as it should be. It's true every road user has a right to be treated with respect by every other road user, but today the reality is that we don't get it always. There are a significant number of motorists who do use the poor behaviour of some cyclists to justify their own bad behaviour and what this means is that the actions of some cyclists do indirectly put the rest of us in danger.

No matter how neanderthal the views of these motorists are, if reducing the number of RLJing cyclists will make the roads safer for the rest of us (and I think it would) then I'm fully behind Chris Hoy.

Meanwhile, nothing that he has said suggests he agrees with the motorists who use this as an excuse to treat cyclists poorly. To get from where we are today to the environment we would all like to see means that some things have to change. If exchanging words with an aberrant cyclist helps us get there then I'm in. Ditto for an aberrant motorist (although I'm less convinced about our ability to change the minds of dangerous drivers).

Whilst it seems he thinks that the gist of what he was saying is reflected, Chris did comment on twitter that some of his quotes had been shortened in the interview, some points he made didn't make it in and he wasn't keen on the headline.

Whatever the case, I'm still much more narked off by the fact that the Telegraph continues to post recreational (for want of a better word - I mean other than pro stuff that would appear in the Sport section) cycling articles and features in the "Men" section of the paper. Apparently they still think it's not for the ladies. THANKS GUYS.

Depressing the number of commentators here (including the author of this article?) always need to frame these debates in terms of cars vs cyclists, as though the two groups are diametrically opposed. as though it's a war, and if you stick up for one group you 'hate', or are 'anti' the other.

Most people on here are probably both driver and cyclist so unless road cc wants to alienate most of it's readership I suggest it takes a look at how some of it's stories are phrased.

If it turns into a militant, biased site which can only ever see issues with blinkers on, it will put off the people it's trying to engage with (you know, the affluent ones who are likely to buy the products advertised on here, the revenue from which keeps the site going..)

What are these "cars" you speak of?

You mean "drivers" vs "cyclists".

“When I’m out on a bike and I see someone doing something stupid I will absolutely have a word with them at the next set of lights,”

He must be a busy man then, talking to all those drivers using mobile phones, exceeding the speed limit, driving and parking on the pavement, overtaking dangerously, obstructing dropped kerbs etc, etc etc. Not to mention the jay-walking pedestrians.

Surely it can't be worth riding a bike?

To pick on the cyclists, even the awful ones, as being somehow uniquely in need of correction is unfortunate and untrue, and it doesn't matter how well cyclists behave, it won't make drivers respect us.

Perhaps instead of the respect line, perhaps we should start promoting the line of treating others how you expect to be treated and see how far we get.
The whole not respecting others because they don't respect me, or the earn/ give respect arguments only appear to a downward and negative spiral. And a spiral that has to be broken.

I mentioned that respect should be earned as short time ago, the first reply started with the word "Bollocks", I haven't got a clue what that posters point was, I couldn't be arsed reading the rest of the post. Strange that, innit?

Is he not driving around a track at silly speeds for the amusement of others?

I've mentioned elsewhere before, this isn't a cyclist or driving issue, more an issue or consideration. Getting 15 ft further up the road at the expense of someone else doesn't make your life better, blocking a roundabout to stop ppl getting infront of you doesn't make your life any better and nor does crazy driving to get around a bicycle.
I wish I knew the answer, you only have to look at this thread to realise we can't respect each other

Having read both articles it looks like pro trolling on pro trolling.
The Telegraph Journo puts emphasis on what was probably a throw away comment and the road cc chap does a whole article on it.
Everyone else wades in with comments and clicks which is what their both paid to generate.

Meanwhile back in the real world most people are getting on quite nicely.

I wonder if Jenson Button drives around reprimanding fellow drivers who speed, jump lights, park on double yellows and pavements, text while driving, etc, for fear of motorists losing respect from other road-users such a cyclists?

I understand that his comments are meant to be helpful, but really - when will people realise that the motorists who hate cyclists do so because they slow them down! If all cyclists stuck 100% to the rules of the road, it would make absolutely no difference to how these motorists view cyclists!

Chris, please think how things will get reported in our anti-cycling press before you open your mouth.

Every cyclist in the UK could ride like a saint and it would not make a difference on the roads, for a few simple reasons. I drive 60 miles to work and back every day and come to the conclusion that there is no cyclist v driver war. It is down to the simple fact that there are just too many crap drivers out their, who seem to think they should be the only person on the road. I have driven home this evening and witness plenty of idiot driving all because people are too impatient. Including one Astra driver who couldn't wait a few more seconds and pulled out on me at a crossroads as I approached in a Freelander at 50 mph, good job one of us was alert! Now if that idiot is so impatient that he would risk a Freelander bumper through his drivers side door of his Astra, what hope does any other road user have, especially cyclists when he is around. We are living in a selfish, lazy society with a lot of people who do not care about others. Unfortunately as cyclists we bear the brunt of it. What is needed is better enforcement, yet I very rarely see the Police on the roads pulling over the idiots. I did here that in our town they were having a clampdown on cyclists on pavements, but do nothing about the idiot drivers.

"lol yeah when it comes to get getting murdered by a fucking juggernaut i do tend to be a bit 'me me me'. you don't even make sense mate."

It's a pretty simple concept, but you're obviously too busy avoiding murdering juggernauts to have time to contemplate such things.

It's OK. If I was targeted for termination I'd be busy doing something else, like running away with a man from the future or looking for a large humanoid cyborg to save me.

I think some are missing the point here. It's true that motorists are going to hate cyclists simply because we slow them down. And it's true we don't waste time policing bad mannered drivers. The point is that we have to protect ourselves. And that means behaving ourselves on the road the best we can. If you piss off a motorist, they can do you some great harm, simply by running you off the road! They don't even have to touch you! Just because many (or most) motorists disobey the laws, it does not make it right for us to do the same. We should earn the respect from motorists. Yes, I know....we may never gain the respect of many of them, but we have to make ourselves better than they are.
When I am out riding, and I come to an intersection, I may have the right of way, but a car that comes to the stop sometimes figures they can "beat me" and go ahead and pull out. Of course you have to assume that they WILL do just that. But when I come across those who do actually wait for me to pass, I give them a wave of "thanks", even though I have the right of way. It is acknowledgment on several levels. Amazingly, some of them wave back, and most of them give me a smile. Simple things can go a long way. We don't have to make it a battle. Perhaps if we behaved better on the roads, some laws regarding accidents involving cars and cyclists will become more severe, because we would be taken more seriously. As It stands now, when cyclists run lights and stop signs, when an accident happens, many automatically assume the cyclist was in the wrong. Our good behavior can help change that attitude. So if it takes "educating" fellow cyclists for their bad behavior to make things better for all of us, I'm all for it. We're all in this together. Let's help each other out.

There's an old saying, "Do as you would be done by."

In other words, all road users should treat all other road users with respect. Chris Hoy's a decent bloke and I don't think he deserves all this criticism flying his way over his comments, quite the reverse in fact.

A lot of the thick-as-shite cyclists seem to be on here.

We can not whinge about motorists breaking the law and endangering cyclists when some of us show scant regard for the law ourselves.

Why some people can not see this I do not know.

I went on a couple of Critical Masses last year but found the sactimony a bit cloying. Half of the comments on this thread put me in the same frame of mind.