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Nine reasons motorists hate cyclists

Why do motorists hate cyclists? Recombu Cars investigates.

Cyclists have a bad reputation among drivers, even if most of them are responsible road users trying to get from A to B. But that small group who think they own the road really grind the gears of motorists, leading to an avalanch of resentment from drivers. Here are nine reasons that could be the case.

Then check out 5 reasons cyclists hate motorists to keep things fair.

1) They think red means go

When most motorists see a red light they know to slow down or risk getting into trouble with the boys in blue. Or worse — crashing. Many cyclists, however, must have vision like bulls because instead of stopping they charge on forwards, giving those with the right of way another obstacle to negotiate. Nothing gets up the nose of drivers quite like cyclists ignoring the highway code.

2) They zig-zag all over the road

Sometimes drivers make mistakes and realise they are in the wrong lane. Cyclists do the same, only for some the occurrence is more frequent to the point where you wonder if their water bottle is actually full of Vodka rather than Lucozade. Driving is difficult enough without having to second guess which direction a cyclist will swerve next. 

3) They get in the way

Cycling is meant to be eco-friendly, which it would be if cyclists didn’t bring cars, buses, lorries and vans down to speeds where fuel and CO2 efficiency is at its worst. Seriously, that one biker who is causing a two-mile tailback is doing anything but save the planet. You can almost see the ozone layer opening up above.

4) They block your path at traffic lights

On occasions where cyclists manage to refrain from running a red light, they feel the need to inflict annoyance on motorists in another form: blocking your path. This is particularly annoying as no cyclist can accelerate as fast as a car. Holding up traffic, in addition, means fewer motorists can go through a traffic light before it goes green again, causing huge tailbacks.

5) They use the pavement as a road

Some cyclists, for reasons unknown, have decided that it’s okay to use the pavement as a road, endangering pedestrians in the process. Just imagine if motorists did the same. It would be like Grand Theft Auto in real life. Nobody should have to check both ways when stepping out of their local newsagent.

6) They offend your eyes

OK, we get it, lycra lets you move more freely, and bright colours make you more visible to other road users. But nobody wants to follow a pair of gyrating buttocks in a pair of see-through cycling shorts for miles as the cyclist in question holds up yet another queue of traffic. The commute is hellish enough without a bottom in your face.

7) They see lights as a luxury

Sensible cyclists value their lives and so they fit front and rear lights to their bicycle so we can see them at night. There are, however, a select few who think visibility is optional and will insist on dark clothing and no lighting while cruising along a road without street lights. Much worse, certainly, than the flashing cycling lights that give everyone within a 500 metre radius an epileptic fit.

8) They’re overly smug

Cyclists would be less annoying if they weren’t so smug about being cyclists. We know your lycra shows off your athletic build and that you are much fitter than us lazy fatties who sit on our arses all day. We get you are doing your bit for mother nature. Just keep it to yourselves. Nobody cares.

9) They get angry

Believe it or not, cyclist are just as prone to road rage, perhaps even more so than motorists. Cut up a motorist and you will get a swear word or an extended beep. Cut up a cyclist and you may wind up pulling a bicycle seat out of your nether regions. Okay, maybe not that extreme but being surrounded by an angry mob of bikers is pretty frightening.

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