Two wheels good

By Paul Flower on Sep 19, 09 10:19 AM

Celebrity chef James Martin landed himself in a bit of bother last week. Writing in a motoring column he gleefully described how he drove some cyclists into a hedge. Many people were offended, I wasn't.

I don't know James Martin. I rarely watch cookery shows and never see daytime TV. I have written columns and features though and I'd imagine that his claims were most likely to be what some might call 'journalistic license'. James was trying to clamber aboard the bad-boy bus, seemingly unaware that it departed some years back with Gordon Ramsey at the helm.

He speaks a universal truth though: motorists and cyclists don't get on. Regular readers (if such a beast exists) know that I've been cycling for under a year, I'm a novice. Given this status and the fact that I know I'm learning, I tend to do my cycling early in the morning before the roads get busy. Even then - using B roads and country lanes - I occasionally get into strife with motorists.

Usually the rule of thumb is that the bigger or more expensive the vehicle, the less patient the driver. They can't wait to get past you at junctions, or take you out on blind bends. Just this morning - at around 8am - a driver had to speed past me only to pull up and park some 500 metres later. He then had to wait for me to go around him before he could get out of the car, though I'm sure he thought about throwing the door into my face anyway.

I'm 6ft 3in tall and rather big-built. You might want to call me a fat bastard, but only if you can run quickly as I know how to throw my weight around. I'm tall, and I generally wear a fluorescent hi-vi vest when cycling. So, why is it that when I get on a bicycle I seem to become invisible to motorists?

If not cutting me up then drivers seem to take a perverse pleasure in seeing how close they can get to me whilst driving at speed. They'll be unaware of the slipstream or the backdraught because they're cocooned in a few tonnes of metal.

For all the criticism James Martin has received he's also had some support. What the other columnists and broadcasters might like to consider, whilst they crack their gags about how inconsiderate cyclists are, is what it's like to be under pressure from a vehicle much heavier and faster than you. To paraphrase the old adage (and Depeche Mode song) try cycling a few miles in my shoes.

Cyclists aren't perfect; many of us do skip red lights or take the occasional pavement diversion. Most of this we do to avoid getting in your way, it's no fun to have a bus or a lorry bearing down upon you and we know that at lights and corners you'll happily crush us against the barriers without even glancing in your mirrors.

It's in our natures to think that we're better than average drivers, but look up the word average and consider who it refers to if not you. I know I'm not a good cyclist yet. I freely apologise to those motorists I've held up as I try to get up those hills in Kenilworth and Berkswell. I'm also sorry if I've given you cardiac arrest as I wobbled over a pothole - with your fantastic shock absorbers you've probably no idea what a terrible condition the roads are actually in. The fact remains that it won't kill you to wait a few minutes for me; it might kill me if you don't.

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