Cycling Fail #8 | Direction Of Flow 

Yeah, i agree. I have dark clothing and lights in town but even with my dark clothing and the best lights in the world i wouldnt ride on a NSL road w.out reflective clothing

I live in the area Chris works in, that road often has people speeding up and down it well in excess of 90mph night and day. That cyclist is lucky to be alive. I can't even comprehend how anyone can put blame on Chris for that clip.

Its considered fashionable to ride in black Lycra and Jog in black running suits particularly at night. Even in daylight wearing black in a vulnerable location like riding or jogging on the road make you less visible. Why not wear hi-vis, be safe not sorry. I have recently seen groups of joggers with red flashing lights on their backs - good idea you might say but they were jogging facing the oncoming traffic, as they should but it was dark and they didn't have any lights to the front - DOH!

"Riding with no lights and in dark clothing" is relatively common in rural areas here in Czech Republic and because it takes too long to say all of it every time we have shortened it to just "ninja cycling". I have seen potentially even worse thing than ninja cycling and that was dark clothing and red light on the front. When you meet someone like that on a narrow road or especially cyclepath your initial instinct is to move to the wrong side (left here, would be right in UK) because for at least a split second you think you are catching u to someone slower. Then you have to correct at the last moment. After some close calls like this I keep my strong front light on even when on cyclepaths no matter how much idiots with no lights or weak lights shout at me because their eyes adapted to the dark don't like it.

We need to campaign for law changes police need laws to demand identification (currently you can just be silent and do nothing) and take photo also laws enabling police to confiscate cycles that run red lights

Great job! Glad you're here to comment!!

This is why he makes these videos! Good job! Glad you're here!

I use it all the time. I did use it France when cycling, answered "yes" to myself and then the car pulled out. The passenger in the right seat could see me but I was in the left hand drivers blind spot..I did stop in time but it wasn't a non event. Note to self......take even more care when abroad.

I try to make eye contact with drivers emerging, always ride assuming they haven’t seen me. Be safe

@@tonymc90I try to make eye contact with cyclists when I'm merging, just so they know I've seen them, sometimes they'll give me a nod.

Defensive riding is fundamental for motorcyclists - I dont expect people to look out for me because I don't trust them to. I would have thought the same for cyclists. Have you seen the way some people overtake cyclists, dunno why you'd want those kinds of people to watch out for you.

I honestly don't believe many serious cyclists really think this way. In most of these clips that show actually dangerous situations (which not all of these clips do) it seems obvious the rider either lacks experience (like the kid blindly following his friends thinking he has right of way), basic traffic insight (riding against the flow on a multiple lane street), or both (the guy flying over his bike)

The only people who can look after pedestrians and cyclists is THEMSELVES

Doesn't really explain the very real risk of life-changing injury or death though. I have come to the conclusion that the types featured here are severely mentally impaired, or thick bastards in old money.

And yet Ashley will still put the onus on the people following the rules to correct the mistakes of others because they're "more vulnerable". He should be preaching actions have consequences and if someone does something stupid to unalive themselves against a car then the driver should not even think for a second it's their fault and carry that burden their heart.

Yes, this is a bit of a bugbear of mine. Some drivers approach mini-roundabouts far too quickly. If the Audi had emerged at the same speed as the cyclist and not driven over the roundel, then there wouldn't have been an issue. There are some very large roundabouts near me with 70mph dual-carriageways adjoining, that you have no hope of getting across before a car can emerge onto the roundabout carriageway.

@@shm5547 Yep - that's why Rule 206 of The Highway Code says to 'drive carefully and slowly when... turning at road junctions'. This includes roundabouts.

Wait, what? The Highway Code says to "give way to traffic approaching from the right". What other markings would you put on the entrance to indicate that?

@@jeremypnet I think you'll find the highway code says considerably more about roundabouts than that! You cannot quote that in isolation, without the rest of rule 185. It is misleading and can cause some drivers to approach roundabouts too quickly.

@@jeremypnet The legal meaning is different

It’s because they don’t care about anyone else but themselves. You can dress the question up however you wish, but that is the correct answer

So if enough people break the law it's someone elses fault? Dooohhhhhh!

Yep britains laws are pretty shitty. It’s legal to ride a bike pavement where I live in Australia. And mingle with pedestrians in crossings.

I get the impression in the Netherlands and other countries cyclists are seen more as slightly faster pedestrians, and the infrastructure seems to allow pedestrians and cyclists to be together. Whereas in the UK cyclists are treated more as slower road vehicles and must be mixed in with the road traffic and not mingle with pedestrians at all.

“But cars” is not an excuse for unsafe cycling and never will be

@@milsteadonmovies 100% yet many drivers hide behind the windscreen..and drive off, cycling needs to be got hold of in this country so a more level playing field can be enjoyed, I just don't know if the Clarksons are ready for that tho...

And yet badly ridden cycles have been involved in several fatal accidents over the years, where pedestrians have been the ones who have been killed. Yes, being hit by a car is more likely to cause a fatality, but to say that it will always have the capacity over any cycle is not a fair claim to make.

​I respect your viewpoint wholly, but I disagree ✌ - I will add, I have actually collided with a guy with I was a kid many moons ago, I didn't know what to do tho I had the respect to apologise ok the guy weren't happy i'd've not been but I still professed regret, what's needed is the cycling Libby to face upto the fact that some foot of payment by a cyclist would help matters i truly do️, and it's be incredibly responsible ​for them and the motoring fraternity to agree on this as were always gone be on the roads with each other @@mcdon2401

I doubt very few cyclists think “if that car hits me, it’s legally their fault, so I don’t care”. I think the ppl who ride dangerously just aren’t thinking.

I agree. But there’s also c) Follow existing rules because otherwise some car drivers get angry and angry drivers are dangerous. And campaign for rule changes.

I agree. Cyclist have a “Blatant disregard for the rules are in place to keep us safe”. I think the rules are to maximise space and speed for cars. Make road 10 mph, then could have it 2-way for bikes. “It happens regularly on this street”. Well there must not be a safe and practical alternative.

The spaces to pass in the clips aren’t safe.

Well then you deserve to be convicted. What you are doing is utterly wrong. It is NOT safer. It is more dangerous for you and the other road users around you.

@AshleyNeal-JustCycling they're roads no one should be moving more than about 10mph, so main reason cycling the wrong way is dangerous is drivers going too fast. Although you could argue the cyclist would see the speeder coming if facing them rather than away. So by that logic, if you've got cars driving towards you, it's safer to turn your back to them, then face them? My logic is exactly the same as why pedestrians are told to face traffic rather than their back to it.

@@davidpnewton how?

Cause the law technically says u cant overtake vehicles at a ped crossing with the zigzag lines but for the most part i agree

@@j2w1_lub You obviously don't know your Highway Code or your motoring law, and should perhaps return your driving licence for cancellation. The 'overtaking rule' on pedestrian crossings doesn't apply in this case. Laws relating to overtaking on the zig-zags relate to motor vehicles only. Motorists can also overtake cyclists in the zig-zag area IF the crossing is clear, but they can't overtake other motor vehicles. Somewhat similarly, cyclists can overtake motor vehicles in the same area and don't commit an offence because they are not using a motor vehicle. They are, however, obliged to stop for pedestians. If a cyclist overtakes a car on a crossing, and passes behind the pedestrian, then no offence has been committed. I expect you will now apologise, or let us know that you've sent your driving licence back to Swansea for cancellation.

@@horsenuts1831 driving licence? When did i say i had a driving licence?

No BS

@@AshleyNeal-JustCycling you never mention the "toxic driving community" though. Just saying

There isn't one towards me. I criticise driving clips and I don't get complaints to the DVSA saying I'm anti-motorist.

@@AshleyNeal-JustCycling I can never understand why, when there is a pile-up on the road that we don't see the 'driving community' protesting about bad driving. Surely the driving community must have something to say about bad driving by motor car drivers?

@@AshleyNeal-JustCycling if you're saying people have reported you to the DVSA for being anti-cyclist, that's definitely wrong, 100%. Toxic behaviour indeed. However, it may be worth considering that using the term 'toxic' to refer to cyclists three times in one video isn't exactly the best way to make people think you're not anti-cyclist.

They don’t. Presumably because the roads are more dangerous nowadays. Busier, move SUVs etc. Fewer kids cycle. Sad really.

@@blake-gl4wnSurely with the roads being more dangerous, it's more important to teach it? Mine was taught inside the school grounds, not on the actual road so there was no real danger.

Some frames show a rear brake cable, think the caliper is just above the chainstay. Still need 2 brakes though.

​@commiellama I stand corrected. But the guy still got a different skill set.😉

I do it. I assume it’s illegal. I often feel safer than an alternate route. I pull over/stop as soon as I see a car. Or I use the pavement- also illegal. It’s annoying and ridiculous that a residential road is about 10m wide and it’s not wide enough for a bike. I’m riding down it. Screw that law.

Even a cyclist will suffer from the what’s app gap syndrome when looking at their phone. It’s been proven that drivers take longer to refocus after looking up from the screen and in the same would apply to the cyclist. Remember cars etc are travelling faster and if we take our attention off them then results could be catastrophic.

They are, especially in many European cities, but these are normally well signed as such either on the road surface or on the no entry sign or both.

And the most pointless comment award goes to..............Please expand else your point of view is not known!

Wrong, where?

I experience just as many moronic drivers and pedestrians.

Yeah, his vids are awesome

Just imagine if there was a car oncoming... and he didn't use his full beams... scary!

Not to mention he's always assessing his own driving and even points out where he could have done better. If only more people were like that.

The car parked in dark facing wrong way illustrated nicely why it should have been parked IN DIRECTIONT OF TRAFFIC FLOW: red reflectors / red light ahs differmet wave length and is easier to spot than switched off white lights / plastic case .

Cyclists should understand that we don't have enough imported doctors and nurses .

As someone who cycles on the footpath, and uses phone whilst cycling - both legal where I live - this is a useful post. If I was near a pedestrian (or other hazards) I’m fairly sure I’d stop to use my phone. But I’ll be double aware in future, including checking dogs. It’s really tricky cycling around pedestrians, especially elderly ones. I actively campaign for better infrastructure.

Had a pedestrian brandishing a phone In front of them when I was on my bike. Walk into me. I was stood off the saddle and pedals for nearer a minute, watching them. So transfix, they were they had no peripheral vision, even at this slow walking pace.

A front light is worth it too. Especially in wet conditions. All the best

Lights , helmet and some sort of hi Viz are my minimum requirements. They are very cheap - total for me £25 and should be mandatory.

@@marcel-jt3dyyep if I was going to ride where it’s dark and wet I’d definitely upgrade my front light

Being well-lit on a bike or in a car has been a thing of mine since the 70s, before even Volvo did it - that means I've gone through a lot of bike-light batteries and people having the screaming ab-dabs over it. At least that's all stopped, but the idiot fringe, both cyclists and motorists, who haven't got a clue about being seen is still with us, in considerable numbers. Just like not wearing a seatbelt has become _de rigueur_ among many, so is creeping around as if the Luftwaffe is still shooting at random lights.

@@starbarrothschild6597 couldn't agree more, and cars without Hi Viz and lights are just as invisible as cyclists and motor cyclists. We should make it mandatory for all cars/vans/lorries to come in bright yellow with reflective strips all over the body work.

Sometimes I wonder about this country. The second law can be boiled down to "being mean is illegal"

How is there still 3 references to *he.

@Leidolfr I hear that, and I know Ashley doesn’t think all cyclists are toxic because he IS one. But it’s the only descriptor he uses for cyclists in this whole video which you’d have to say leans into a negative discourse rather than a productive one.

@@SamGrayPlus But it is a cycling fail video.

@@paulsengupta971 totally. And I watched it! It’s not a “all cyclists are toxic video” so I just think there’s no need to use language that makes it seem Ashley thinks that, when I’m pretty sure he doesn’t. I was hoping to leave constructive feedback not have a go at anyone.

@@SamGrayPlus There are always some of the "cycling crowd" who will jump to a cyclist's defence, even if the cyclist is clearly in the wrong, or clearly could have done something to make the situation a non-event rather than blindly, or worse deliberately, cycling headlong into an altercation. The "toxic cyclists" he refers to are these people who appear in the comments of videos trying to justify bad cycling rather than trying to learn what to do better.

@@paulsengupta971 yep, I get it. I think it runs the risk of alienating people along the way

A lot of cyclists are deluded though.

@@seansean9675 I would say that it is a small but extremely vocal minority who seem to have an irrationality complex.

@@seansean9675 I was being facetious

@@TheBadVideoMaker youtube video cyclists

Twitter commenters don’t represent a large percentage of ppl in the real world though.

I’ve got blue flashing lights on my bike 😂😂

One advantage of having multiple lights is you have a backup if one goes wrong. I like to have a flasher (on the front) to be seen by, and a decent beam to see with (for unlit cycle lanes), and use whichever is best. Two rear lights can be seen from different angles. I try to keep my pedal reflectors clean, but it's so muddy they need a clean each way.

Reflectors are not lights.

It still amazes me how so many drivers break the speed limit, but you never hear a peep from the driving community about it!

@@horsenuts1831 you must be watching different videos than most of us

@@ArminGrewe Yeah, you're right. I've never seen any drivers breaking the speed limit; they're all law-abiding and don't kill 1500 people a year. Unlike cyclists who seem to kill ½ a people a year on average.

@@horsenuts1831 let me guess, you're new to this channel and have newer watched Ashley's main channel? And you're a highly motivated cyclist?

​@@horsenuts1831 pathetic. A prim facie case of toxic cyclist displayed by you. Go away.

Is that a Yorkshire dialect i detect?

🤣

I was going to comment that, all the one way cyclists, they were only going one way...

he has received hate comments from cyclists, therefore they are rightfully described as 'toxic'. he is not speaking about cyclists as a whole but only those who leave malicious comments on his videos

@@Heneling The use of inflammatory language and name calling is never helpful and just makes everything worse and creates a toxic environment. Labelling someone who happen to disagree with you as toxic is itself toxic. Rather than just exchanging meaningless insults it would be better to argue the actual points. The fact is that the driver at 0:28 did needless go through an amber light which is an offence. Why does saying that make me 'toxic'? As it happens, I am not a cyclist but a driver. I guess in Ashey's eyes I am a toxic driver.

@@ditch3827 good luck arguing with someone who can only see one point of view and will simply refuse to see the other, as this is exactly how these ‘toxic cyclists’ act, arguing with them is simply a waste of time and clearly ash is sick of it, and so am I.

@@Heneling Well so am I and I think it is a shame that Ashley has chosen to join the ranks of the toxic by name calling and creating division in society. It is one thing to point out the failing of road users but it is quite another to be so prejudiced against a section of society that you use abusive and insulting language without reference to any specifics, but just because they belong to that group.

@@ditch3827 it’s not abusive it is simply descriptive.

The cyclists I know have a much better understanding of the Highway Code than the drivers I know. Of course many of the cyclists are also drivers but it seems that being a vulnerable road user encourages people to learn more about the rules.

It must be a long catch up list if you are waiting for a normal routine to return. I would say that checking both ways is a must when travelling between countries as it can be very easy to get used to checking one direction only...and in a different country that could be the wrong way (even with "Look Left" or "Look Right" written on the floor over here) Hope all is well with you

@@smilerbob Hello Bob and greetings from Bellevue in Washington State. Haa yes I was thinking what exactly is a normal routine for me. Which reminds me. Six days after my mum and I return to the Uk, we are off back up to Birmingham NEC for 5 nights. Two days at the NEC Classic Car Restoration Show (where we met Ashley and his wife Liz last year) plus to a home show and an outdoor activity show in various different halls at the NEC at the same time over the following days. And the following week we are at the Ideal Home Show. Yesterday we were at the LeMay car museum in Tacoma, about 40 mins south of here. Plus a visit to Kubota Japanese Gardens as well as Highland Botanical Garden near SeaTac Airport. Feel free to Google each of those places for more info, including here on YT. We are headed back across the border returning to Vancouver tomorrow evening. Hopefully minimal delays at the border crossing. I myself have a special pass called a NEXUS card to be able to use the trusted traveller Nexus lane at the border crossings. It's saved me a 3 hour wait in the regular lanes in the past. However, I can't use it with my mum with me and purely because she is neither Canadian nor American, she can't even apply for NEXUS. (It costs $50 for 5 years and both countries do a very thorough background check on you, including no past customs violations amongst other things). We just listen carefully to the traffic reports and cross at non peak times. Plus I know the back roads around the various border crossings quite well! And in the time I spent writing this, I might have been able to watch this latest video! Anyhow, we are doing ok but just tired. Today is another sunny day and we have various places to visit. Hope all is well with you and family.

@@smilerbob Ah yes looking both ways for myself is particularly important given the annual switch between countries. And in the UK there another reason: The fact that the UK allows motorists to pull up and park on the right hand side of the street, at least in daylight. And potentially some motorists might still do it at night.

@@smilerbob Wrote an additional long reply to you but now it's gone!

@@smilerbob Look up LeMay Car Museum Tacoma. Visited there yesterday. Been in past years.

Good attitude. Some are out to get you, most are not, but anyone can make a mistake. It is no good being injured or worse just to prove you are in the right.

That isn't a problem of cost, it's a problem of mindset. Even a student can afford lights and hi-vis, they cost what you'd pay for two day's groceries and last years. If you can't afford the lights, you can't afford the bike.

Maybe it would help them reflect on just how toxic they are.

@@paulsengupta971 what a massive generalisation. Perhaps you don't see the 'normal' reasonable people like me. It would be like judging the driving community based on the road ragers. Only an idiot would do that.

@@dmac2573 I think you misunderstand. The toxic cycling community are the ones who try to defend anything cyclists do, no matter how appalling their cycling. In their mind, cyclists can do nothing wrong, probably because they cycle the same way. They always blame motorists and are always quick to make a situation out of things, even when they themselves could have made it a non event.

@@paulsengupta971 again a massive generalisation. You may see it that way, but I’ve never seen a cyclist (anonymous twitter doesn’t count) try and say cyclists can do no wrong.

@@dmac2573 It's not about saying that cyclists can do no wrong, it's about videos where the cyclist is clearly in the wrong, or clearly made things worse rather than better, even if it's someone else who made the mistake. When people point out what the cyclist did wrong or what they could have done better, there are a bunch of, presumably militant, cyclists who rush to their defence and start abusing anyone who calls the cyclists out for their bad behaviour. There are one or two in the comments on this video. There are always some in Ashley's cycling videos.

Yeh. What’s a “toxic” driver? Heaps of morons and arseholes drive cars and have incorrect opinions. But I’ve never heard them called “toxic drivers”.

These one way streets are more like parking lots, and highlights the problems of our "car dependency"

@@frenkelh8864it’s not an addiction, why are you so dramatic ….

@@BleachDemon99it is not dramatic to look at the built environment and see car travel is prioritised above all else

@@BleachDemon99who said “addiction”? “Dependency” seems accurate.

One thing is unless you've driven at night, you don't always realise how invisible you are on a bicycle. I should add that unless you've lived in roadkill country in the US and had to return rental cars to Hertz with a dead deer on the front you don't fully appreciate why driving around country roads at night - and especially at sunset, is so dangerous. I don't trust any country road at night now

Yeah, I don't really get the point of it. A lot of comments are just drivers who already hate cyclists, it just justifies divisiveness. I agree with Ashley on all of his analysis in this video, it's just the constant mentioning of "toxic cyclists" that's tiresome. Who is it for? Jabs at "Toxic Cyclists" won't win them over to be non-toxic. And it will just empower anti-cyclist people to be more anti-cyclist.

Im probably in this video i havent even watched it yet lol

It's easy. Far easier, and probably also safer, than riding a bike on a pavement or a bike lane (I'm using the ones in Liverpool as my example, which are a disgrace). Although I don't use the latter two so it's just my opinion based on my experience.

@Chigleybus just that when I'm driving see people close pass, cut cyclists off allot, and tailgate so just don't feel comfortable. Even when they do 30 down a hill people overtake. Plus some of the bike lanes in leeds cut across the lanes with no real protection.

I wonder if there's a video of me from about 2008 barrelling down a hill in Bath, encountering a line of stopped traffic, finding my brakes are shit, going round on the right to avoid rear ending the car at the back of the queue, making a bus driver coming up the hill have to stop 😂

** Newsflash** the entire universe doesn’t pivot around a few cyclists’ desires !

@@copaloadofthis it’s one street, not the entire universe.

They usually have a sign post showing a cycling contra-flow, and these don't appear to have that.

I’m not even sure how “toxic” someone riding a 15kg zero emission vehicle can be. These “toxic cyclists” try to justify going through red lights when they feel it’s safe? I don’t go through red lights. I don’t like it when cyclists do. But there’s nothing outstandingly toxic about it, in comparison to general road use. The online abuse and death threats from drivers? Punishment passes. Throwing bottles. Rolling coal. What’s the value of banging on about “toxic cyclists”.

@@blake-gl4wn like you, I cycle responsibly, but you dont have to go far into the comments of any video to see an utter contempt for cyclists from some drivers and you feel it out on the roads. There are cyclists on twitter that fail to accept any responsbility for their own safety and Ashley has been quite critical of some of these people, I think this is what he refers to. I question anyone with a financial interest in anything, Ashleys channel has grown considerably, I would hate so think now the channel has become more about views than road safety, its dangerous to appeal to the anti vine and cyclingmikey community, thats not going to have a positive message.

No

Not expected to have an instrument to measure their speed is part of the reason.

I was doing 50kmh plus in a 20mph zone (In wales) on a bike, and an Audi A3 still overtook Me, into a blind bend, now that is what I call toxic driving!!! Cyclists - drivers - pedestrians, they are all just people, and the way they behave is very complex. Lumping all those and their choice of transport into binary groupings (all cyclists in Lycra are bad for example) is not a positive move in my opinion. @@AshleyNeal-JustCycling

nope but it can fall under another law, careless for dangerous and they have big fines careless up to £1000 and dangerous up to £2500 so if they at a speed what could be considered any those then the answers yes but not a speeding fine it fall under other rules / laws careless or dangerous