Stories in national press highlight polarised opinions on cyclists

While by his own admission, Mr McGregor stepped into the bike rider’s path without having seen him, the fact is that the cyclist should not have been on the tramway -

While the cyclist shouldn't have been there, Mr McGregor by his own admission didn't look, as many pedestrians don't. He's a very lucky man it wasn't a tram that hit him.

Brad Mc Gee falls off his bike alongside the team car . Leontin Van moorsell falls off the bike in front of the Grandstand in the Athens Olympic Women's road race .
Each cannot say why this happened but you see joe public riding "no hands and talking on the mobile" regularly usually in normal clothes and then the "Holier than thou " media attack regular riders trying to ride sensibly and safely and describe them as "lycra louts" etc !
What part of their vision is impaired ? Do they really rely on feedback or re they in the land of Nod dreaming up hate inspiring items to play to the "Hate cyclists faction"?

The Daily Mail risk upsetting a proportion of their readership. Many of the comments on that story received procycling comment. Whilst I agree with the writer that the cyclist shouldn't have been there I have doubts as to how truthful he's being for two reasons.

One is that had the cyclist been travelling at those speeds they'd have been just as likely to be as injured as he.

Secondly he actually lists a couple of the laws that have been used effectively against errant cyclists.

Even in the Independent there has been polarised debate. Much of it from myopic drivers who seem to blame us and want us out of the way (have a look at the letters pages).

Great article, the only thing that annoys me more than lorries knocking me off the road is seeing cyclists who think they own it. Gives us all a bad name!

Even the Independent comments mentioned 'Lycra Louts' and 'Killer Cyclists'... lazy thinking.

Although I suspect that attention will rapidly move on elsewhere and we'll be no further forward, at least it feels like some of the issues are seeing some daylight.

@Old Ridgeback - have you ever heard of Godwin's Law? (Look it up on Wiki) Time to move on I think.

What is true though is that all major media depend heavily on advertising to break even, and a huge proportion of that advertising comes from the motor trade in one form or another. The AA with its custard pie hats, car manufacturers, parts suppliers and manufacturers, rental companies, oil companies, you name it. They have a powerful lobby, the SMMT. Newspapers which depend on them for ad revenue have to toe the line, even if some do so more enthusiastically than others.

The "motorist" is as much a myth as the "war on". All motorists are pedestrians at some time, and then they act like one. The Bile simply misrepresents their views.

The fact that the Daily Mail editorial rants against cyclists should harldy be a surprise. A significant percentage of cyclists are not from the Daily Mail's target market. The daily mail supported Hitler remember, which gives you an understanding of where the paper comes from with regard to reason and truth.

I read Hamish McGregor's article and it did have some sane paragraphs in there towards the end but I don't think the Daily Bile's readership really got the subtleties, at least judging by the comments. I'm not doubting he had an accident but the cyclist who hit him must have had a miraculous escape not have incurred any injury himself travelling at over 20mph.

It does seem that cyclists are new Al Qaeda, the bile has obviously got a bit bored with bashing immigrants, single mothers and islamic extremist and needs a new hate figure. It's a shame that they can't campaign positively for a change in attitudes on all sides rather than just fan the flames.

duly noted, and amended.

Simon, just a bit of a heads up.

The last paragraph above the final line needs altering.

It says that two cyclists have been sent to gaol after being struck by bicycles.

I think you'll find tat the ES is more related to the Daily Mail than the Independent.

The Mail group used to own the ES and the ES is still house at the Mails headquarters in Kensington although being sold on.

How ironic that the Independent's sister paper, The Evening Standard, should also print a derogatory, ill-researched and pretty one-sided article by a journalist by the name of Mr Shakespeare on the very same Friday last week. In the said article, he effectively claimed most cyclists are in fact the devil incarnate, had nothing better to do than attempt to run down any pedestrians at will and clearly believe red lights mean go like bulls in china shops ! No mention was made of pedestrians who step into the road without looking or ones incapable of recognising the difference between a green man (flashing or not) and a red man. Don't get me wrong ... some of my best friends are pedestrians, but the crux of the whole situation should be that cyclists, pedestrians, car drivers and any other road users become more TOLERANT of each other. It is not a war zone. As a regular cycle commuter in London (formerly a foot commuter), I see my fair share of incidents, but Mr Shakespeare's attempts to label all cyclists as holier-than-thou is pathetic and divisive. Perhaps he should be confined to the James Martin Asylum and subjected to perpetual tongue lashing from the Dark Lord, AKA Bradley Wiggins !!!
Finally - Peace, Love and Understanding