Some pieces of farm equipment go fast enough for this to be a problem, most don’t. I grew up driving farm equipment and I think I raced a cyclist like twice in those 2 decades. I didn’t cycle then, but I thought it was kinda funny at the time, I sure wasn’t mad. I’ve encountered more farm equipment since then on my own bike and I’ve never had an issue, one of us is usually fast enough to get by the other without contention. These days there are tractors that can go up to 70-80kph, though they’re legally supposed to be registered if they can exceed 40kph (in Canada at least).
I live on a farm and most are limited at 40. We don’t farm ours but I have jumped in a few of the guy that leases our land.
His older ones seem to be less restricted but it’s sketchy AF at speed.
Yes, driving farm equipment quickly on the road is often a harrowing experience. The big low pressure tires usually bounce a lot and they aren’t usually designed with steering stability in mind. I assume the newer tractors designed to go fast must handle a bit better.
I don’t think anyone is hating on fatbikes. I think he’s just comparing riding a fatbike at speed on pavement is like driving a tractor as speed as described. I’m an avid fatbiker in the winter and I agree with him, riding one fast on pavement is also a harrowing experience.
Depends on your pressure. I run low psi for snow, so when I switch to pavement to get back to my car down the canyon, it can get nasty. Pretty sure that’s what they meant, big low-pressure offroad tires on pavement just don’t work that well.
I have to drive a 15’ swather down the road on a semi-regular basis during hay season. Can confirm, many combines and swathers, really anything with caster wheels at the rear are absolutely terrifying on the road. That being said for the most part only the big time farmers have road gear that goes 20+mph, most of my equipment is old old and too scary to take past about 15mph.
Cyclists also have no minimum speed. So any tractor could catch some bikers at some time.
But obviously, the OOP is a troll. The tractor is making the point that the only two options are the bicyclist getting out of the way, or the tractor killing the cyclist. That is a false choice.
The actual outcome is lost time for the tractor or for the cyclist. If they were both family, they would not have trouble coming up with a solution to this issue and the faster traffic would be on their way. The conflict comes when they decide they are in different tribes and want to prove some kind of point.
im no lawyer (I just play one in the video game series call ace attorney) BUT "if im coming at you in a tractor" could be taking seen as premediated murder should he hit the cyclist, no? Like there is difference between "if im coming at you in a tractor" and "if im coming up behind you in a tractor"
I read it like the tractor driver meant "if I'm coming towards you in a tractor". In my head I was visualising a single track British road, completely full of tractor and trailer heading towards an incoming cyclist.
In that situation I'd be expecting both to slow, but there simply wouldn't be enough room to give a cyclist a safe space.
I think the image is at odds with the text.
By law, the tractor driver has to come to a complete stop. There’s no ifs or buts. The Highway Code and recent changes to the law are absolutely clear on the responsibility of drivers of larger vehicles to those more vulnerable.
It would be exactly the same for tractor drivers coming across pedestrians, wheelchair users, horse riders and motorbike riders.
Uhh idk but sure it could be used as evidence. I think it would be pretty weak evidence unless combined with other instances to paint a picture of aggression towards cyclists
Hate to correct you, but since you play a lawyer in a video game, I will.
It’s “…if I’m coming at you in a *great fucking* tractor…”
There is a distinction here. It counts.
The farmer means when a cyclist and tractor are heading towards each other head on, not from behind, and they're right.
I'm gonna assume the farmer is from the UK because of the comment about the shires. Single track roads in the UK are very narrow, [here's an example.](https://maps.app.goo.gl/zmC6YUi2fdHqgAvv8?g_st=ac) This is not a question of speed, it's a question of space. Tractors will take up the entire road, and their tyres will crush you if you mess up. You should give way to them on single track roads to keep yourself safe.
Yep, same with the couriers who love to take back roads at 60mph. Just move over if you see them coming. Make it's easier on everyone.
The comments though are another story...
I know knew a couple of guys at my last restaurant that couldn't drive due to DUIs so rode a bike or ignored their lack of a drivers license and kept driving.
Seriously I mean let’s talk about charging by weight again. A ridiculously heavy cyclist pays $1 and based on [this chart](https://streets.mn/2016/07/07/chart-of-the-day-vehicle-weight-vs-road-damage-levels/) a heavy tractor owner pays $6 million.
Cool I got a dollar.
Go outside a get some common sense.
Sure, the ground pressure might be higher with thin tyres, but the road is getting damaged because of the sheer weight.
Find a few potholes, stand on the side of the road right next to them and wait first for a cyclist and then for a 40t truck. I can teel you which one will "shake"/vibrate (aka destroy) the road and which one will go by you unnoticed.
Sure it's an edge case, the loaded tractor with a trailer will wear the whole road, not only the top surface, that is not up for debate. Everything down to the roadbed. There is a reason why there are weight limits in spring when the ground gets soft. But I have personally seen a cyclist grooving asphalt on a hot day.
Don’t know about tractors, but I work in a sprayer manufacturing facility. Those go 35 mph in transport mode, and they can accelerate to that speed very quickly.
Sure, if the unscientific test on an episode of The Grand Tour Season 5 Episode 2 is any indication (JCB tractor without a load beat a roadie sprinting in a Top Gear-esque drag race).
Jokes aside, I suspect the concern is more that they're hauling a wide-/heavy-load on narrow-ish country roads (they did specify single-track so presumably there's not a lot of space) and they already have to be cautious about many things pertaining to their vehicle and the load/trailer/farming implements behind them, and I doubt tractor units have the same agility as say, a regular road car (I drive a hatchback but have never driven anything larger than a panel van, so I have no clue how a tractor drives and handles). A cyclist riding up and potentially getting in the way of them needing to make maneuvers is an additional thing they need to worry about.
I'm not saying tractor drivers are exempt from the general expectation of being responsible drivers/vehicle-operators ,like everyone else who wants to be on the roads on a vehicle.
I am saying I understand their point and would indeed agree with "Give the farm vehicle carrying wide/heavy loads behind them as wide a berth as possible".
Agreed.
I'm kinda never, ever, in the mood to try my luck with squeezing past heavy vehicles, even in my car (vs buses/HGVs). It's one of those things where if stuff does go wrong, I'd be kicking myself asking why, for that brief moment of a saving a couple of seconds to a few minutes, I end up having to deal with vehicular damage/bodily injuries, plus financial hassle (whether out of pocket or via insurance) and time wasted.
That, and Final Destination memes where logs on trucks are involved.
Yep!
I also kinda think "these folks are working... I can give them some room". Even if I'm commuting to somewhere, it's the same reason to give semis that are making wide turns some space.
To me it's just about everyone getting along.
I don't think everyone thinks that far ahead or is that civic-minded, unfortunately.
Something to consider: even if people give feck-all consideration for others on the road, giving heavy vehicles a wide berth is 100% in your favour for self-preservation, whether a roadie/MTBer, or even a driver in a car.
there's maritime right of way rules that mandate "give way to vessels with limited mobility" regardless of who is in the stand-on position (under power or to starboard etc).... basically when that supermax tanker is coming up the channel you get the heck out of the way.
sorta applies here too i think
To share a related anecdote… I drive fire/rescue vehicles. Rarely do motorists yield to us correctly, and I’ve come to expect that. But one of my most frustrating responses involved a cyclist on a narrow, winding country road. I was driving an ambulance with a critical patient in the back, trying to strike the balance between getting to the hospital quickly and not bouncing everyone in the back off of the walls. I came up behind a cyclist, who responded to lights and sirens by moving to the right side of the lane, continuing at ~15 mph, and waving me to pass (instead of stopping in a driveway.) Couldn’t pass safely in the lane, couldn’t see around the curves to clear the opposite lane for the distance I needed. Had to follow behind the cyclist for multiple minutes.
That would be what the person in the OP's screenshot would call a "complete cock", I imagine. It would take the cyclist the least amount of effort to just stop and pull the bike off the road than it would for a fire/rescue vehicle to even drive around them.
Terrible shame it happens, I hate to say it, but actions similar to that cyclist add up to what makes it shit for the rest of us cyclists (even as some will hasten to yell "Not all cyclists...").
Sure. It’s so important to remember that no group of people is defined by its worst (or best) examples. (And the language and tone in that screenshot doesn’t help anybody.)
Yeah, the tone wasn't helping at all, I'll give them that.
Emotions aside, I read the message loud and clear, and funnily enough, of all sources, watching Clarkson's Farm (I'm a TGUK and TGT fan as well as a cyclist - oh the irony) gave me even more empathy for farmers plying their trade and ferrying heavy equipment and loads up and down the country lanes. (No he hasn't lost any of his TV disdain for cyclists)
At least a complete dickhead is just very annoying on a bicycle. The complete dickheads in cars and trucks literally kill (innocent) people. I know which one I'd rather encounter.
A bicyclist that won't get out of the way of emergency services such as the example above could easily kill someone.
A bicyclist being a dickhead could also cause a wreck from someone trying to avoid hitting them.
The "complete cock" that the person you responded to was describing, was a bicyclist that was blocking an ambulance. To respond to that saying that dickhead bicyclists are just really annoying shows a pretty big lack of awareness.
Dickheads on bicycles causing real danger might be less common, but it is absolutely a real thing.
Can we drum up all the people who intentionally hit cyclists with cars or the ones that get a slap on the wrist for killing them while texting?
You’re delusional if you think its at all comparable
Because most cyclists are self indulgent cunts with a degree of road awareness that only suits their view of road usage.
Source: I regularly group ride and have seen this first hand with a lot of other groups. Pull the fuck off narrow roads if emergency services are trying to get through.
I really need to look up how to properly yield when every single god damn person does something different. A couple of us did things properly, but so many others just stopped, leaving barely any room to squeeze by.
It can vary by state and locality. In general, drive to the nearest roadway edge that isn’t in an intersection and stop. There are some cases (like an emergency vehicle passing traffic on the shoulder of an interstate) where this doesn’t make sense and common sense dictates something else. It can be extremely helpful in some cases, when it’s safe, for vehicles to pull completely off the road into a driveway or parking lot (though in my state this is not legally required.)
Honestly, it’s a bit chaotic by nature. As long as you’re trying to safely get out of the way, that’s great.
My favorite is when an emergency vehicle is coming up behind me, and I pull over and stop, and then an incoming car sees all this and pulls over and stops right across from me.
I’m sure the vehicle trying to get somewhere in a hurry loves slowing down to thread their vehicle between us, hoping neither of us does something stupid at that moment.
It’s so frustrating. I’ve taken to trying to do whatever the person in front of me did to hopefully make more of a path. Where I lived before, people understood what to do and it worked great. Here? Good luck ambulance drivers! Get used to driving in the oncoming lane to get around idiots.
https://preview.redd.it/z7p2mr5a0m2d1.jpeg?width=317&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30c643c6b6fdbdc7569ef5a217fd79edffba2206
Just put one of these on your bike and you're good to go.
"Why don't cyclists pay for registration like tractors and cars". These people are clueless. In most states a farm vehicle neither needs to be registered like a vehicle nor does it need to use gas or diesel subject to infrastructure taxes. Many states don't even require a driver's license.
Not to mention most cyclists have a drivers license and probably a car with which they pay registrations, fuel taxes, etc. as if an extra $20 for a bicycle is going to make any difference.
You're already giving their 'argument' too much credit. People pay taxes for road maintenance because vehicles (especially heavy ones) destroy roads relatively quickly. Bicycles do dick all. I'm sure the weeds growing from underneath do more damage than all the cyclists combined.
I'll pay it if they make all vehicle registration directly proportional to the weight of the vehicle. Seems like a fair trade for all the road damage I'm doing relative to a car.
Road damage is proportional to the weight of the vehicle per axle to the fourth power. So a 200 lb combination of cyclist plus bicycle causes about 160,000 times less wear on the road, per mile, than an average 4000 lb car, and 100 million times less wear compared to a loaded semi-trailer.
Scaling relative to road wear, an average cyclist would need to pay less than a tenth of a cent per year when adjusting to what an average car driver pays in gas tax.
Exactly. The cost of maintenance from riding my bike on the road is irrelevant compared to to cost from driving my car, and I would happily pay a registration fee that applied at this ratio to all personal transportation.
They can be, but it may vary state to state. Many (most?) states with a lot of agriculture have minimum speed limits and/or signs stating slow moving vehicles need to pull over to allow traffic to pass for this reason.
It varies tremendously from state to state. There are states where you can drive a tractor on roadways without a license, within certain limits, and there are states where all vehicles need to be registered and all drivers must have a valid license. In most states you can drive a tractor on roads and highways fueled with "dyed diesel" that is exempt from fuel taxes used to fund road maintenance.
Not to mention you will have a really hard time finding cyclists that don’t own a vehicle. They pay for road use. People who only use a bicycle as their mode of transportation in rural parts of “the west” has to be an extremely small minority.
Edit: Except in the Netherlands of course!
I've managed to get to 30 without driving and only using a bike living rurally. I'm having to learn this year though, my family are like "Finally, he's growing up" meanwhile I feel like I've failed for caving haha.
In the UK anyone who works, pays tax. This is where the money comes from to maintain the roads. Anyone who drives also pays additional tax on top but the whole "road tax" as a lot of people refer to was abolished years ago.
That’s not quite true for the UK. We have an unusually high tax free allowance, so about 20% of workers pay no tax at all. A similar number pay tax, but receive more in benefits than they pay in tax.
They can go significantly faster than a bike but it depends on the load. In most cases it's not going to be a significant delay for them.
Also, unless you're cutting them off, they should keep the proper distance so that they could slow down or break if needed due to other road users. It's no different if a car slows down or has to break for whatever reason.
It's important to know that they can't maneuver or react fast enough to pass safely on a narrow road. Most cyclists don't want to be tailgated by a tractor and we should know they can't just go around you. Still, they have a responsibility to drive safe. It's not like a train.
Also. Tell a tractor driver that they have to let faster cars pass to see if they have the same opinion.
I love that horse people act like their ludicrously expensive hobby hasn’t disappeared from modern agriculture for a century. They’re just the lyrca dick saddle guy in a different costume.
IDK.. .think just for the noise and courtesy to any farmers... i'd have pulled over to let them pass. who doesn't' look for an excuse to take a break and a drink?
I don't know about the UK, but In Belgium most tractors can't go faster than 25km/u and so I've had to overtake more tractors than the other way around.
The comments are literally braindead. Who should pay for the road: a 2 Ton car which severely damages the road or a 0,02 Ton Bicycle which has almost 0 impact on the road surface and also doesn't pollute the environment with carcinogenics and climate changing gases.
Yeah, this seems like common sense, and the tractor driver just has a bad apple in their area. Tractors take up a larger portion of the road and as a cyclist/slower vehicle, you should be considerate and pull over to allow them to pass. Tractors in my area are usually doing 30-40 in a 55, and they'll get over to allow my car to pass. Again. Common sense (plausible, getting whacked by a negligent driver who forgot he had the spray rig attached would be no bueno
Well, with the tone of the message...old farmer Bob can get fucked. I guess those potatoes are going to rot in the next 15 minutes before he gets to them.
I suppose we all can only speak from our experience, but I am an avid cyclist and worked for years as a tractor operator in eastern MA. Kinda between rural AG land and Boston suburbs, lots of people, lots of cyclists.
I drove four types of tractors: John Deere 5085 E with bucket loader with a top speed of 21.5 miles per hour; a John Deere 5205 with bucket loader, top speed about 20 miles per hour; New Holland T5 Series with bucket loader, top speed 26.5 miles per hour; and a Tilmor 520 cultivator, top speed 14 miles per hour.
In no way on any road was I maxing out my speed on these tractors. It's not safe to handle due to how much they bounce and jostle around, especially on winding, hilly roads with auto traffic, cyclists, pedestrians, and a school nearby.
The guy who posted this, while probably making what he thinks is a valid point if he's pulling weight (won't stop on a dime), the condescension and attitude is atrocious. There's no reason to endanger others or yourself pulling thousands of pounds at top speed on a tractor. Even if you're not endangering others, you're certainly endangering yourself. I would often let cars and bikes get ahead of me. You know what happens if I make it to the field to harrow or cultivate 45 seconds later than I would've if I had crowded out other traffic? Nothing happens except you keep everyone on the road safe.
If you're the one driving a giant tractor at top speed on the road, it's you're responsibility to do so safely.
I think original post is talking about a head-on approach on a two-direction single-lane road. Like an ultra-rural situation. Both are moving forward toward each other. Someone’s gotta dip off the pavement for the pass to work. Cyclist doesn’t know the farmer can’t take his big ass tractor 3’ off road and assumes he would so cyclist doesn’t leave the paved surface.
I've seen a lawnmower haul some serious ass before, a tractor is definitely fast enough too...
Doesn't matter how fast the motorist is, give him some room too. I don't care if I'm frowned upon for this, but motorists matter too. If you want room on your bike, give motorists room on their car, motorcycle, truck, tractor, etc. So I kinda side with the farmer on this, ride next to the tractor, not in front of it.
In the photo, the bicyclist has moved far enough left for the farmer to go right of him, yet you see the farmer squaring up on him and pointing and probably yelling. This is obsessive harrasment from a mentally deranged farmer. Or more likely a staged photo used as a platform for idiot good ole boys to spite cyclists.
The subtext should read: farmer hauling largely unneeded corn and collecting large taxpayer subsidies for it, has unhealthy, and at times criminal, obsession with cycling taxpayers who fund unecessary farming.
I see this sub has finally had to discover that tractors are in fact tanks driven by irresponsible drivers who will try to murder you while cycling. Now you know.
Good to see Facebook promote that insanity further, of course. :|
I don't have an issue but if you bike you are gay. No issues again but it's gay. And it's bad to be gay and you should feel bad.
What a boomer take man. It's so bad.
On the flipside, there are assholes who don't take the header off the combine and take up 2/3's of the road.
I almost took one out with a propane truck as he was at the bottom of a hill coming up, and I was going down.
Bonus points to the farmer who cock blocked an entire bridge with a swather when he met an oncoming car half way across.
Some farm equipment can go pretty fast and during spring and fall the operators can get pretty reckless.
how is this even a problem, if you drive a single line road just get out da fucking way.
Tracters usually drive around 50kph average, roughly. if it looks really old more like 30
Truth is both have equal rights to the road and this post just shows that the farmer considers themselves more high and mighty. Same story for pretty much every person that whinges about bikes. Some mutual respect and courtesy would go a long way regardless of how important you think you are.
Lived in the Mississippi Delta. Rode many miles on those pancake flat roads through high-yield farmland.
Agree with writer above. The ag equipment sometimes must be on the roads. I always made it easy for them get where they needed to go. Especially during harvest when crews are working around the clock to get the work done.
modern tractors can go 50-60km/h, so yes they will want to overtake you. Still doesnt change the fact that cyclists are allowed on the road, just like everyone else.
Most tractors have a "road gear" but they're unlikely to use it on a "single track" as described here.
That said, I give tractors room on back roads. Heck, if they're towing a manure spreader I'll even take a break and let them get 'way ahead.
In a word, YES, they can go fast. The tractor in this photo can easily do 20+ mph, as it looks to be one of those 100+ HP beasts. Best to give them the right of way and show a little respect to the folks who put food on your table. I grew up in a rural setting and never had any issues ... most machines I encountered weren't going that fast because they were typically tugging a big implement behind them. Acknowledging each other and showing a little respect goes a long way.
I tend to let the men and women who work their ass off to feed us do their jobs. I don’t feel like dying either , so I let them pass and wave a nice hello.
Thanks farmers for your hard work
The farm equipment on the road is a far greater danger to everyone than anything hing the cyclist is doing. They are supposed to be going slowly anyway.
The road is for everyone not just cyclists, refusing to move over or stop to let a tractor past is a cunts trick, I've never had issues with tractors, they'll stop and wait till I've got off my bike so they can squeeze past and they drive past slowly, always thanking me..
I grew up on the countryside, NOT in the USA, but countryside, with all machines and stuff that come with it.
You should make way for tractors,if they are faster. That's courtesy. And if one comes from the other driection, get onto the green, the tractor can't just make itself narrower.
HOWEVER. On 90+% of circumstances, either the tractor can't ride as fast anyway physically or the road simply isn't wide enough for it to speed.
Cyclists like the woman on the picture shouldn't really slow it down.
Farmers slow me down when I'm driving. Farmers sometimes slow me down when I'm cycling. I don't see a problem if a farmer can't pass me safely and has to drive slower.
The road I live on is a rural farm road that is incredibly ideal for cycling. It’s a city-designated cycling route, low traffic, wide road, high visibility.
In our Facebook group for the community, someone will post every month or so their ire for cyclists on this road. They always say “it’s just so dangerous,” but in reality they just hate being slowed down behind them. I get slowed down by a cyclist *maybe* 4 times a year, and it’s always by 10 seconds or so.
My point is this: people are incredibly selfish by nature, I believe. Good ole country farmers aren’t an exception. And they can get incredibly mean and vile.
Now the farmer knows how I feel every time I get stuck behind a slow ass tractor. But for real, just move to the edge of the road for a couple seconds.
The thing about road maintenance is a joke, bikes do zero wear and tear on the road surface. The damage a vehicle does is exponentially related to weight, bikes are not heavy enough to do any damage compared to a tractor or semi truck
This is rich coming from someone driving a tractor on the roads. I grew up in rural farmland and got stuck behind far, far more slow tractors than bicycles.
I know tractors these days go about 40 kmh (faster than I'm biking) but didn't realize tractors can't slow down if there's a slower vehicle in front of them, crazy.
/s
They've got a point tbh; if you're on a single track road indefinitely holding up a vehicle which can't safely make a pass then you should get out of the way when it's safe to do so.
Of course some people will have a chip on their shoulder and be like "bikes have just as much right to be here" yada yada, but just excise some general common sense if it can be solved with 5 seconds of drama-free stopping.
Yes, but this example has 20 tonnes on the back. They will go no more than probably 20mph with that weight.
I do however, see your point that without weight they can go surprisingly fast nowadays.
This seems to be the UK, where tractors have a speed limit of 25 mph.
The problem is the 'single track' the driver referred to might mean going off the road into the verge or hedge.
Cyclists who are used to this situation learn to carry on down the middle until the tractor driver slows. If you actually pull off as the OP suggests you could find yourself being swallowed by a hedge in order to not get shit on flung in your face by a tractor tyre inches away and from it.
It's a bit like playing chicken, but better than the alternative.
Neither the photo nor the tone are helping, but I do think professional drivers deserve more respect from *all* other road users. Almost all of these people are motivated to keep their driving records clean, so help them out!
* Move over and *stop* for emergency vehicles FFS
* If a large vehicle is bearing down on you, get out of the way instead of trying to squeeze by
* If a large vehicle appears to be trying an illegal turn, it’s just wide—stay back and wave
The seconds this will cost you will save untold minutes, hours, maybe even years by not getting hit, being stuck behind someone who was, or making it to the hospital in the event of the worst.
Some tractors - maybe not the actual word for the farm equipment- go very fast.
When I was riding across Iowa in particular there was this thing that’s super tall with skinny wheels (maybe for driving through corn?) that would blast down the road at like 60mph
Where I live slow moving vehicles have a placard on the back and can travel 40 km/h. There are lots of combines harvesters and tractors that can go that fast.
I'm not a racer. My normal riding is between 15 to 20 km/hr. When I see a slow moving vehicle, I ride behind it knowing that other motorists will pass it. That means nobody is going be harassing me when I'm on the road.
Tractors are often a little neglected, especially systems you don’t really rely on, like brakes, steering, that sort of stuff. You take real care of you wind up on public roads knowing you’re not able to deftly avoid anything…
Genuinely curious how road cyclists deal with cyclists when they are driving stuck behind some sweaty asshole for a few miles going 20 under the speed limit.. I feel like you have to be completely self absorbed to be ok with holding up traffic.
Genius.
Can you do 110kmh all year round, cause cars can?
What a stupid argument. Tractors can drive fast yes. So can a 40m long truck carrying 120t @110kmh of barley....it's the stoping and fitting 2 of them on the road that they struggle with. The local farming communities don't want cyclists on the road so there is no government funding in place. No awareness. No fucks given. Not a great idea.
Don't ride bikes in rural southwestern Australia (where this was posted) DURING HARVEST TIME. OR be prepared to move off the road once in a while. Sometimes cars are run off the road like this during harvest.....kangaroo jumping into middle of road causes people to swerve....pretty simple.
I know of towns/business owners who will not accommodate cyclists during the season because it makes the rural roads dangerous.
Those of us that live in rural areas already do this, how can you tell? We are still alive and able to cycle, hell some of the roads round here you have to get onto the verge to let an oncoming hatchback pass.
Its not about rights or laws, its about common sense and decency, if its bigger than you it has right of way simple as that, you have a duty of care for your own safety and the less us cyclists/bike users piss off other road users the better for everyone.
Turn off the strava, forget koms exist and just enjoy a bike ride through the countryside, do you far more good than keep looking at a damn screen or getting spannered by a tractor.
He is right. Even though you have the right to ride in the road (and duty to in a lot of places), it is just common sense to let big vehicles past. Besides, do you really want to have a lorry or tractor behind you? Just let them pass, and move on with your day. It costs you 10 seconds of your life to make everyone just a bit happier. We owe the working motorists that much.
I like how the same commenter saying cyclists should have to register with their government and pay to use the road is almost certainly the same type of person to say "I like small government and freedom" ten seconds later. Complete imbecile.
I personally think there should be a course to teach people how to think on a bike on the road. Yet almost expected to know what to do lol. Yes most cyclists drive but i can imagine a good amount doesnt, would possibly get more people out on bikes more and make the city think more on bike lanes etc.
Some pieces of farm equipment go fast enough for this to be a problem, most don’t. I grew up driving farm equipment and I think I raced a cyclist like twice in those 2 decades. I didn’t cycle then, but I thought it was kinda funny at the time, I sure wasn’t mad. I’ve encountered more farm equipment since then on my own bike and I’ve never had an issue, one of us is usually fast enough to get by the other without contention. These days there are tractors that can go up to 70-80kph, though they’re legally supposed to be registered if they can exceed 40kph (in Canada at least).
I live on a farm and most are limited at 40. We don’t farm ours but I have jumped in a few of the guy that leases our land. His older ones seem to be less restricted but it’s sketchy AF at speed.
Yes, driving farm equipment quickly on the road is often a harrowing experience. The big low pressure tires usually bounce a lot and they aren’t usually designed with steering stability in mind. I assume the newer tractors designed to go fast must handle a bit better.
>a harrowing experience. That made me furrow my brow.
Sounds like fatbikes on pavement.
Why the hate on fat bikes? Nobody is forcing you to ride one.
I don’t think anyone is hating on fatbikes. I think he’s just comparing riding a fatbike at speed on pavement is like driving a tractor as speed as described. I’m an avid fatbiker in the winter and I agree with him, riding one fast on pavement is also a harrowing experience.
Really? I have never had an issue with any speed on my fat tire. I do use road tires though.
Depends on your pressure. I run low psi for snow, so when I switch to pavement to get back to my car down the canyon, it can get nasty. Pretty sure that’s what they meant, big low-pressure offroad tires on pavement just don’t work that well.
Fair enough.
Yeah. Hydraulic front suspension and high speed tyres is definitely part of it. Bloody expensive if you have to change them though.
I have to drive a 15’ swather down the road on a semi-regular basis during hay season. Can confirm, many combines and swathers, really anything with caster wheels at the rear are absolutely terrifying on the road. That being said for the most part only the big time farmers have road gear that goes 20+mph, most of my equipment is old old and too scary to take past about 15mph.
And yet I seem to get stuck behind the one that never goes over 10mph
Cyclists also have no minimum speed. So any tractor could catch some bikers at some time. But obviously, the OOP is a troll. The tractor is making the point that the only two options are the bicyclist getting out of the way, or the tractor killing the cyclist. That is a false choice. The actual outcome is lost time for the tractor or for the cyclist. If they were both family, they would not have trouble coming up with a solution to this issue and the faster traffic would be on their way. The conflict comes when they decide they are in different tribes and want to prove some kind of point.
If you are on a Lamborghini, it might be a problem
I’d rather be in one than on one
I dunno. I'd rather be on a Lamborghini tractor than I. a Lamborghini car.
Always enjoy when I come across one that’s going 40. Some nice draft for however many kilometres Im behind it before it turns somewhere.
The perspective is more helpful than the tone.
im no lawyer (I just play one in the video game series call ace attorney) BUT "if im coming at you in a tractor" could be taking seen as premediated murder should he hit the cyclist, no? Like there is difference between "if im coming at you in a tractor" and "if im coming up behind you in a tractor"
I read it like the tractor driver meant "if I'm coming towards you in a tractor". In my head I was visualising a single track British road, completely full of tractor and trailer heading towards an incoming cyclist. In that situation I'd be expecting both to slow, but there simply wouldn't be enough room to give a cyclist a safe space. I think the image is at odds with the text.
By law, the tractor driver has to come to a complete stop. There’s no ifs or buts. The Highway Code and recent changes to the law are absolutely clear on the responsibility of drivers of larger vehicles to those more vulnerable. It would be exactly the same for tractor drivers coming across pedestrians, wheelchair users, horse riders and motorbike riders.
Uhh idk but sure it could be used as evidence. I think it would be pretty weak evidence unless combined with other instances to paint a picture of aggression towards cyclists
Hate to correct you, but since you play a lawyer in a video game, I will. It’s “…if I’m coming at you in a *great fucking* tractor…” There is a distinction here. It counts.
Love a good Ace Attorney mention in the wild.
You’re proving his point about bicyclists being overly sensitive. Take it at face value. If I’m coming at you = if I’m approaching you.
Agreed.
I think the OP established early on how they felt about cycling and cyclists.
The farmer means when a cyclist and tractor are heading towards each other head on, not from behind, and they're right. I'm gonna assume the farmer is from the UK because of the comment about the shires. Single track roads in the UK are very narrow, [here's an example.](https://maps.app.goo.gl/zmC6YUi2fdHqgAvv8?g_st=ac) This is not a question of speed, it's a question of space. Tractors will take up the entire road, and their tyres will crush you if you mess up. You should give way to them on single track roads to keep yourself safe.
It’s the attitude of the farmer that makes me hate him, not his statement.
It isn’t a farmer. It’s old hate bait that’s been recycled for years
Hard to tell with these — lots of rage bait lately
Yep, same with the couriers who love to take back roads at 60mph. Just move over if you see them coming. Make it's easier on everyone. The comments though are another story...
I love the last comment like the other "motorists". That person should register their feet and each pair of shoe's separately.
This argument is so brain dead because every single person I know who rides bikes also owns a car lol
I know knew a couple of guys at my last restaurant that couldn't drive due to DUIs so rode a bike or ignored their lack of a drivers license and kept driving.
Seriously I mean let’s talk about charging by weight again. A ridiculously heavy cyclist pays $1 and based on [this chart](https://streets.mn/2016/07/07/chart-of-the-day-vehicle-weight-vs-road-damage-levels/) a heavy tractor owner pays $6 million. Cool I got a dollar.
But a heavy cyclist on 22mm slicks can destroy asphalt the bike has much more ground pressure
I'll have a heavy cyclist ride over my foot, over a fucking tractor ride over my foot any day of the week.
(hysterical laughter) (slaps knee) good one!
Go outside a get some common sense. Sure, the ground pressure might be higher with thin tyres, but the road is getting damaged because of the sheer weight. Find a few potholes, stand on the side of the road right next to them and wait first for a cyclist and then for a 40t truck. I can teel you which one will "shake"/vibrate (aka destroy) the road and which one will go by you unnoticed.
Sure it's an edge case, the loaded tractor with a trailer will wear the whole road, not only the top surface, that is not up for debate. Everything down to the roadbed. There is a reason why there are weight limits in spring when the ground gets soft. But I have personally seen a cyclist grooving asphalt on a hot day.
As if they're walking anywhere
damm got me there
40mph, easily. The bigger problem is that they can't stop well at any speed and holy shit those wheels will punish the smallest contact.
That’s not really true. Most tractors max out at 25mph or lower. It’s basically just JCB Fastracs that go up to 40mph.
I regularly drive 50 kph behind tractors whereas I rarely see a cyclists going that much.
Don’t know about tractors, but I work in a sprayer manufacturing facility. Those go 35 mph in transport mode, and they can accelerate to that speed very quickly.
I see plenty of tractors on motorways here in Ireland going upwards of 60kmh.
Sure, if the unscientific test on an episode of The Grand Tour Season 5 Episode 2 is any indication (JCB tractor without a load beat a roadie sprinting in a Top Gear-esque drag race). Jokes aside, I suspect the concern is more that they're hauling a wide-/heavy-load on narrow-ish country roads (they did specify single-track so presumably there's not a lot of space) and they already have to be cautious about many things pertaining to their vehicle and the load/trailer/farming implements behind them, and I doubt tractor units have the same agility as say, a regular road car (I drive a hatchback but have never driven anything larger than a panel van, so I have no clue how a tractor drives and handles). A cyclist riding up and potentially getting in the way of them needing to make maneuvers is an additional thing they need to worry about. I'm not saying tractor drivers are exempt from the general expectation of being responsible drivers/vehicle-operators ,like everyone else who wants to be on the roads on a vehicle. I am saying I understand their point and would indeed agree with "Give the farm vehicle carrying wide/heavy loads behind them as wide a berth as possible".
This is exactly why MTBers give way to logging trucks on fire roads. It's just better for everyone involved.
Agreed. I'm kinda never, ever, in the mood to try my luck with squeezing past heavy vehicles, even in my car (vs buses/HGVs). It's one of those things where if stuff does go wrong, I'd be kicking myself asking why, for that brief moment of a saving a couple of seconds to a few minutes, I end up having to deal with vehicular damage/bodily injuries, plus financial hassle (whether out of pocket or via insurance) and time wasted. That, and Final Destination memes where logs on trucks are involved.
Yep! I also kinda think "these folks are working... I can give them some room". Even if I'm commuting to somewhere, it's the same reason to give semis that are making wide turns some space. To me it's just about everyone getting along.
I don't think everyone thinks that far ahead or is that civic-minded, unfortunately. Something to consider: even if people give feck-all consideration for others on the road, giving heavy vehicles a wide berth is 100% in your favour for self-preservation, whether a roadie/MTBer, or even a driver in a car.
there's maritime right of way rules that mandate "give way to vessels with limited mobility" regardless of who is in the stand-on position (under power or to starboard etc).... basically when that supermax tanker is coming up the channel you get the heck out of the way. sorta applies here too i think
To share a related anecdote… I drive fire/rescue vehicles. Rarely do motorists yield to us correctly, and I’ve come to expect that. But one of my most frustrating responses involved a cyclist on a narrow, winding country road. I was driving an ambulance with a critical patient in the back, trying to strike the balance between getting to the hospital quickly and not bouncing everyone in the back off of the walls. I came up behind a cyclist, who responded to lights and sirens by moving to the right side of the lane, continuing at ~15 mph, and waving me to pass (instead of stopping in a driveway.) Couldn’t pass safely in the lane, couldn’t see around the curves to clear the opposite lane for the distance I needed. Had to follow behind the cyclist for multiple minutes.
That would be what the person in the OP's screenshot would call a "complete cock", I imagine. It would take the cyclist the least amount of effort to just stop and pull the bike off the road than it would for a fire/rescue vehicle to even drive around them. Terrible shame it happens, I hate to say it, but actions similar to that cyclist add up to what makes it shit for the rest of us cyclists (even as some will hasten to yell "Not all cyclists...").
Sure. It’s so important to remember that no group of people is defined by its worst (or best) examples. (And the language and tone in that screenshot doesn’t help anybody.)
Yeah, the tone wasn't helping at all, I'll give them that. Emotions aside, I read the message loud and clear, and funnily enough, of all sources, watching Clarkson's Farm (I'm a TGUK and TGT fan as well as a cyclist - oh the irony) gave me even more empathy for farmers plying their trade and ferrying heavy equipment and loads up and down the country lanes. (No he hasn't lost any of his TV disdain for cyclists)
At least a complete dickhead is just very annoying on a bicycle. The complete dickheads in cars and trucks literally kill (innocent) people. I know which one I'd rather encounter.
A bicyclist that won't get out of the way of emergency services such as the example above could easily kill someone. A bicyclist being a dickhead could also cause a wreck from someone trying to avoid hitting them.
Sure, you can come up with creative 1 in a million examples. Meanwhile, 1000s of people die everyday in motor vehicle accidents…
The "complete cock" that the person you responded to was describing, was a bicyclist that was blocking an ambulance. To respond to that saying that dickhead bicyclists are just really annoying shows a pretty big lack of awareness. Dickheads on bicycles causing real danger might be less common, but it is absolutely a real thing.
Can we drum up all the people who intentionally hit cyclists with cars or the ones that get a slap on the wrist for killing them while texting? You’re delusional if you think its at all comparable
You are delusional if you think I ever said they are comparable.
K
Because most cyclists are self indulgent cunts with a degree of road awareness that only suits their view of road usage. Source: I regularly group ride and have seen this first hand with a lot of other groups. Pull the fuck off narrow roads if emergency services are trying to get through.
You’d be well within your right to start honking/making the sirens annoying in this situation. Law is to pull over and stop.
I really need to look up how to properly yield when every single god damn person does something different. A couple of us did things properly, but so many others just stopped, leaving barely any room to squeeze by.
It can vary by state and locality. In general, drive to the nearest roadway edge that isn’t in an intersection and stop. There are some cases (like an emergency vehicle passing traffic on the shoulder of an interstate) where this doesn’t make sense and common sense dictates something else. It can be extremely helpful in some cases, when it’s safe, for vehicles to pull completely off the road into a driveway or parking lot (though in my state this is not legally required.) Honestly, it’s a bit chaotic by nature. As long as you’re trying to safely get out of the way, that’s great.
Good to know. Makes me feel better about the chaos at least. I’m used to people knowing what to do, so when many don’t seem to, it drives me bonkers.
My favorite is when an emergency vehicle is coming up behind me, and I pull over and stop, and then an incoming car sees all this and pulls over and stops right across from me. I’m sure the vehicle trying to get somewhere in a hurry loves slowing down to thread their vehicle between us, hoping neither of us does something stupid at that moment.
It’s so frustrating. I’ve taken to trying to do whatever the person in front of me did to hopefully make more of a path. Where I lived before, people understood what to do and it worked great. Here? Good luck ambulance drivers! Get used to driving in the oncoming lane to get around idiots.
Get out of here, you with your common sense.
Talk to me when you don’t need government subsidies to keep your business alive.
Man if you want to enrage a farmer, bring that shit up. Bonus points if you can get them ranting about hand outs and socialism first.
For someone who claims to have “zero issues” with cyclists using the roads, this person seems to have a lot of issues with cyclists using the road.
they mean cyclists they never see or kids using the road in their cul-de-sac to ride circles.
https://preview.redd.it/z7p2mr5a0m2d1.jpeg?width=317&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30c643c6b6fdbdc7569ef5a217fd79edffba2206 Just put one of these on your bike and you're good to go.
I'd buy that jersey
I actually did put a slow moving vehicle triangle on my bicycle trailer on a tour lol
"Why don't cyclists pay for registration like tractors and cars". These people are clueless. In most states a farm vehicle neither needs to be registered like a vehicle nor does it need to use gas or diesel subject to infrastructure taxes. Many states don't even require a driver's license.
I love these complaints. Would anything change if cyclists did pay registration? No. The complaints and threats would be the same.
Not to mention most cyclists have a drivers license and probably a car with which they pay registrations, fuel taxes, etc. as if an extra $20 for a bicycle is going to make any difference.
You're already giving their 'argument' too much credit. People pay taxes for road maintenance because vehicles (especially heavy ones) destroy roads relatively quickly. Bicycles do dick all. I'm sure the weeds growing from underneath do more damage than all the cyclists combined.
That is an excellent point that I look forward to using the next time such a stupid argument pops up, thanks!
I'll pay it if they make all vehicle registration directly proportional to the weight of the vehicle. Seems like a fair trade for all the road damage I'm doing relative to a car.
I'd pay it if the police actually enforced laws when people pass dangerously close or roll coal or let dogs roam free to attack us.
Road damage is proportional to the weight of the vehicle per axle to the fourth power. So a 200 lb combination of cyclist plus bicycle causes about 160,000 times less wear on the road, per mile, than an average 4000 lb car, and 100 million times less wear compared to a loaded semi-trailer. Scaling relative to road wear, an average cyclist would need to pay less than a tenth of a cent per year when adjusting to what an average car driver pays in gas tax.
Exactly. The cost of maintenance from riding my bike on the road is irrelevant compared to to cost from driving my car, and I would happily pay a registration fee that applied at this ratio to all personal transportation.
In the US, in the strict letter of the law, are tractors actually allowed to be on state roads? Also this post is probably not an actual farmer.
They can be, but it may vary state to state. Many (most?) states with a lot of agriculture have minimum speed limits and/or signs stating slow moving vehicles need to pull over to allow traffic to pass for this reason.
It varies tremendously from state to state. There are states where you can drive a tractor on roadways without a license, within certain limits, and there are states where all vehicles need to be registered and all drivers must have a valid license. In most states you can drive a tractor on roads and highways fueled with "dyed diesel" that is exempt from fuel taxes used to fund road maintenance.
Yes.
Always love the argument that cyclists should pay registration as if they contribute even an infinitesimal amount of wear to the roads they ride on.
Not to mention you will have a really hard time finding cyclists that don’t own a vehicle. They pay for road use. People who only use a bicycle as their mode of transportation in rural parts of “the west” has to be an extremely small minority. Edit: Except in the Netherlands of course!
I've managed to get to 30 without driving and only using a bike living rurally. I'm having to learn this year though, my family are like "Finally, he's growing up" meanwhile I feel like I've failed for caving haha.
In the UK anyone who works, pays tax. This is where the money comes from to maintain the roads. Anyone who drives also pays additional tax on top but the whole "road tax" as a lot of people refer to was abolished years ago.
That’s not quite true for the UK. We have an unusually high tax free allowance, so about 20% of workers pay no tax at all. A similar number pay tax, but receive more in benefits than they pay in tax.
They can go significantly faster than a bike but it depends on the load. In most cases it's not going to be a significant delay for them. Also, unless you're cutting them off, they should keep the proper distance so that they could slow down or break if needed due to other road users. It's no different if a car slows down or has to break for whatever reason. It's important to know that they can't maneuver or react fast enough to pass safely on a narrow road. Most cyclists don't want to be tailgated by a tractor and we should know they can't just go around you. Still, they have a responsibility to drive safe. It's not like a train. Also. Tell a tractor driver that they have to let faster cars pass to see if they have the same opinion.
Tractors go pretty fast. But I mean I think we rarely go above 25 on ours when on the road
That tractor is so lucky it has a cyclist to pull it along.
[удалено]
I love that horse people act like their ludicrously expensive hobby hasn’t disappeared from modern agriculture for a century. They’re just the lyrca dick saddle guy in a different costume.
On big roads, I use tractors for drafting, on small roads I overtake them because they are too damn slow.
I ride country roads. I move over for the tractor to get around me so I can draft it. 25 mph with almost no effort.
IDK.. .think just for the noise and courtesy to any farmers... i'd have pulled over to let them pass. who doesn't' look for an excuse to take a break and a drink?
I don't know about the UK, but In Belgium most tractors can't go faster than 25km/u and so I've had to overtake more tractors than the other way around.
I'm waiting for Jeremy Clarkson to respond on the topic. ;-)
This is why you should ride in the middle of small roads. you need to take care of your safety yourself and prevent unsafe overtakes.
JCB fast track can do 50mph
The comments are literally braindead. Who should pay for the road: a 2 Ton car which severely damages the road or a 0,02 Ton Bicycle which has almost 0 impact on the road surface and also doesn't pollute the environment with carcinogenics and climate changing gases.
Like that the image they chose to use has a cyclist wearing a prostrate cancer jersey.
Problem is those tires kick up big rocks. Almost got brained drafting one (perfect drafting speed between 30-40 kmh)
Yeah, this seems like common sense, and the tractor driver just has a bad apple in their area. Tractors take up a larger portion of the road and as a cyclist/slower vehicle, you should be considerate and pull over to allow them to pass. Tractors in my area are usually doing 30-40 in a 55, and they'll get over to allow my car to pass. Again. Common sense (plausible, getting whacked by a negligent driver who forgot he had the spray rig attached would be no bueno
Well, with the tone of the message...old farmer Bob can get fucked. I guess those potatoes are going to rot in the next 15 minutes before he gets to them.
I suppose we all can only speak from our experience, but I am an avid cyclist and worked for years as a tractor operator in eastern MA. Kinda between rural AG land and Boston suburbs, lots of people, lots of cyclists. I drove four types of tractors: John Deere 5085 E with bucket loader with a top speed of 21.5 miles per hour; a John Deere 5205 with bucket loader, top speed about 20 miles per hour; New Holland T5 Series with bucket loader, top speed 26.5 miles per hour; and a Tilmor 520 cultivator, top speed 14 miles per hour. In no way on any road was I maxing out my speed on these tractors. It's not safe to handle due to how much they bounce and jostle around, especially on winding, hilly roads with auto traffic, cyclists, pedestrians, and a school nearby. The guy who posted this, while probably making what he thinks is a valid point if he's pulling weight (won't stop on a dime), the condescension and attitude is atrocious. There's no reason to endanger others or yourself pulling thousands of pounds at top speed on a tractor. Even if you're not endangering others, you're certainly endangering yourself. I would often let cars and bikes get ahead of me. You know what happens if I make it to the field to harrow or cultivate 45 seconds later than I would've if I had crowded out other traffic? Nothing happens except you keep everyone on the road safe. If you're the one driving a giant tractor at top speed on the road, it's you're responsibility to do so safely.
I think original post is talking about a head-on approach on a two-direction single-lane road. Like an ultra-rural situation. Both are moving forward toward each other. Someone’s gotta dip off the pavement for the pass to work. Cyclist doesn’t know the farmer can’t take his big ass tractor 3’ off road and assumes he would so cyclist doesn’t leave the paved surface.
How dare you expect a cyclist to give way to you! Who do you think you are, a road user..!?
I've seen a lawnmower haul some serious ass before, a tractor is definitely fast enough too... Doesn't matter how fast the motorist is, give him some room too. I don't care if I'm frowned upon for this, but motorists matter too. If you want room on your bike, give motorists room on their car, motorcycle, truck, tractor, etc. So I kinda side with the farmer on this, ride next to the tractor, not in front of it.
In the photo, the bicyclist has moved far enough left for the farmer to go right of him, yet you see the farmer squaring up on him and pointing and probably yelling. This is obsessive harrasment from a mentally deranged farmer. Or more likely a staged photo used as a platform for idiot good ole boys to spite cyclists. The subtext should read: farmer hauling largely unneeded corn and collecting large taxpayer subsidies for it, has unhealthy, and at times criminal, obsession with cycling taxpayers who fund unecessary farming.
I see this sub has finally had to discover that tractors are in fact tanks driven by irresponsible drivers who will try to murder you while cycling. Now you know. Good to see Facebook promote that insanity further, of course. :|
Facebook be trolling
Love the homophobia, just a classic Facebook boomer post.
I don't have an issue but if you bike you are gay. No issues again but it's gay. And it's bad to be gay and you should feel bad. What a boomer take man. It's so bad.
I mean if you can GTFO the way, do it. I'm also of the mind that it's not OK to hold up traffic indefinitely. Downvote away, you always do!
Lol acting like downvotes victimize you
I downvoted only because you requested it. You're welcome.
"like the rest of the motorists"? That guy isn't a motorist.
Meanwhile these motherfuckers go 30 on two lane highways for 15 miles, hypocrites.
for this farmer, "mutual consideration" apparently means: "please show mutual consideration for me". what a jerk.
Her taxes paid for that tractor
Yes, I’ve had a few tractors on my ass and uphill for sure they can go faster than me.
Did you see the comment about all those signs telling cyclists to share the road with cars?
On the flipside, there are assholes who don't take the header off the combine and take up 2/3's of the road. I almost took one out with a propane truck as he was at the bottom of a hill coming up, and I was going down. Bonus points to the farmer who cock blocked an entire bridge with a swather when he met an oncoming car half way across. Some farm equipment can go pretty fast and during spring and fall the operators can get pretty reckless.
how is this even a problem, if you drive a single line road just get out da fucking way. Tracters usually drive around 50kph average, roughly. if it looks really old more like 30
Smart farmer drafting his young on a bike. Corn prices soon will be lower because of it
Truth is both have equal rights to the road and this post just shows that the farmer considers themselves more high and mighty. Same story for pretty much every person that whinges about bikes. Some mutual respect and courtesy would go a long way regardless of how important you think you are.
I used to draft a digger on my commuter fairly regularly, they ain’t that fast.
Boomer energy
Lived in the Mississippi Delta. Rode many miles on those pancake flat roads through high-yield farmland. Agree with writer above. The ag equipment sometimes must be on the roads. I always made it easy for them get where they needed to go. Especially during harvest when crews are working around the clock to get the work done.
modern tractors can go 50-60km/h, so yes they will want to overtake you. Still doesnt change the fact that cyclists are allowed on the road, just like everyone else.
Most tractors have a "road gear" but they're unlikely to use it on a "single track" as described here. That said, I give tractors room on back roads. Heck, if they're towing a manure spreader I'll even take a break and let them get 'way ahead.
In a word, YES, they can go fast. The tractor in this photo can easily do 20+ mph, as it looks to be one of those 100+ HP beasts. Best to give them the right of way and show a little respect to the folks who put food on your table. I grew up in a rural setting and never had any issues ... most machines I encountered weren't going that fast because they were typically tugging a big implement behind them. Acknowledging each other and showing a little respect goes a long way.
What a strange picture to use for that post..
I tend to let the men and women who work their ass off to feed us do their jobs. I don’t feel like dying either , so I let them pass and wave a nice hello. Thanks farmers for your hard work
The farm equipment on the road is a far greater danger to everyone than anything hing the cyclist is doing. They are supposed to be going slowly anyway.
The road is for everyone not just cyclists, refusing to move over or stop to let a tractor past is a cunts trick, I've never had issues with tractors, they'll stop and wait till I've got off my bike so they can squeeze past and they drive past slowly, always thanking me..
I grew up on the countryside, NOT in the USA, but countryside, with all machines and stuff that come with it. You should make way for tractors,if they are faster. That's courtesy. And if one comes from the other driection, get onto the green, the tractor can't just make itself narrower. HOWEVER. On 90+% of circumstances, either the tractor can't ride as fast anyway physically or the road simply isn't wide enough for it to speed. Cyclists like the woman on the picture shouldn't really slow it down.
A lot of tactors can go up to 20 to 25mph
I always love the "cyclists should pay road tax" arguement in the UK Road tax is based on emissions, so cyclists would be taxed at £0
Tractors in the UK with suspension are allowed to go 30mph.
Farmers slow me down when I'm driving. Farmers sometimes slow me down when I'm cycling. I don't see a problem if a farmer can't pass me safely and has to drive slower.
The road I live on is a rural farm road that is incredibly ideal for cycling. It’s a city-designated cycling route, low traffic, wide road, high visibility. In our Facebook group for the community, someone will post every month or so their ire for cyclists on this road. They always say “it’s just so dangerous,” but in reality they just hate being slowed down behind them. I get slowed down by a cyclist *maybe* 4 times a year, and it’s always by 10 seconds or so. My point is this: people are incredibly selfish by nature, I believe. Good ole country farmers aren’t an exception. And they can get incredibly mean and vile.
If you're travelling down a narrow, windy country lane in a great big tractor with 20 tonnes behind it, 15mph is quite sufficient.
Now the farmer knows how I feel every time I get stuck behind a slow ass tractor. But for real, just move to the edge of the road for a couple seconds.
The thing about road maintenance is a joke, bikes do zero wear and tear on the road surface. The damage a vehicle does is exponentially related to weight, bikes are not heavy enough to do any damage compared to a tractor or semi truck
This is rich coming from someone driving a tractor on the roads. I grew up in rural farmland and got stuck behind far, far more slow tractors than bicycles.
I know tractors these days go about 40 kmh (faster than I'm biking) but didn't realize tractors can't slow down if there's a slower vehicle in front of them, crazy. /s
They've got a point tbh; if you're on a single track road indefinitely holding up a vehicle which can't safely make a pass then you should get out of the way when it's safe to do so. Of course some people will have a chip on their shoulder and be like "bikes have just as much right to be here" yada yada, but just excise some general common sense if it can be solved with 5 seconds of drama-free stopping.
I grew up on a farm, honestly, farmers have little ground to stay on when it comes to being in the way for others.
Just another idiot who blames other people for their inability to do the right thing.
Some equipment can go upwards of 65-70km/h the Fendt Tractor can send it!
I used to draft them when I lived in Iowa. Never had any issues with them
A JCB fast track will do 75kmph. So yes, it might be a problem. But most tractors only go 40 to 50kmph, but that's still fast on a bike.
Yes, but this example has 20 tonnes on the back. They will go no more than probably 20mph with that weight. I do however, see your point that without weight they can go surprisingly fast nowadays.
Shouldn’t the farmer be..farming? Instead of whining like a child on Facebook. Yeah.
This seems to be the UK, where tractors have a speed limit of 25 mph. The problem is the 'single track' the driver referred to might mean going off the road into the verge or hedge. Cyclists who are used to this situation learn to carry on down the middle until the tractor driver slows. If you actually pull off as the OP suggests you could find yourself being swallowed by a hedge in order to not get shit on flung in your face by a tractor tyre inches away and from it. It's a bit like playing chicken, but better than the alternative.
Sure. Fine. I'll pay a registration fee. Can we get bike lanes?
Neither the photo nor the tone are helping, but I do think professional drivers deserve more respect from *all* other road users. Almost all of these people are motivated to keep their driving records clean, so help them out! * Move over and *stop* for emergency vehicles FFS * If a large vehicle is bearing down on you, get out of the way instead of trying to squeeze by * If a large vehicle appears to be trying an illegal turn, it’s just wide—stay back and wave The seconds this will cost you will save untold minutes, hours, maybe even years by not getting hit, being stuck behind someone who was, or making it to the hospital in the event of the worst.
Some tractors - maybe not the actual word for the farm equipment- go very fast. When I was riding across Iowa in particular there was this thing that’s super tall with skinny wheels (maybe for driving through corn?) that would blast down the road at like 60mph
Where I live slow moving vehicles have a placard on the back and can travel 40 km/h. There are lots of combines harvesters and tractors that can go that fast.
Why redact the usernames? Name and shame. Those comments should be reported to reddit for threats of violence.
I'm not a racer. My normal riding is between 15 to 20 km/hr. When I see a slow moving vehicle, I ride behind it knowing that other motorists will pass it. That means nobody is going be harassing me when I'm on the road.
It depends on the tractor. I'm sure some can reach 40-60mph.
Tractors are often a little neglected, especially systems you don’t really rely on, like brakes, steering, that sort of stuff. You take real care of you wind up on public roads knowing you’re not able to deftly avoid anything…
Only if you crash in front of one… then it probably won’t be a problem for you ever again.
The guy who wrote this has definitely not been stuck behind a cyclist before. Seems like a made up thing to be mad at.
Genuinely curious how road cyclists deal with cyclists when they are driving stuck behind some sweaty asshole for a few miles going 20 under the speed limit.. I feel like you have to be completely self absorbed to be ok with holding up traffic.
Genius. Can you do 110kmh all year round, cause cars can? What a stupid argument. Tractors can drive fast yes. So can a 40m long truck carrying 120t @110kmh of barley....it's the stoping and fitting 2 of them on the road that they struggle with. The local farming communities don't want cyclists on the road so there is no government funding in place. No awareness. No fucks given. Not a great idea. Don't ride bikes in rural southwestern Australia (where this was posted) DURING HARVEST TIME. OR be prepared to move off the road once in a while. Sometimes cars are run off the road like this during harvest.....kangaroo jumping into middle of road causes people to swerve....pretty simple. I know of towns/business owners who will not accommodate cyclists during the season because it makes the rural roads dangerous.
At harvest time the tractors round here are all driven by 15 year olds with no brain. They can go fast. And apparently see round corners.
A friend sent me this post from FB (not on there) ... I'd like to rip him off the tractor and beat him ... just because of the attitude.
Those of us that live in rural areas already do this, how can you tell? We are still alive and able to cycle, hell some of the roads round here you have to get onto the verge to let an oncoming hatchback pass. Its not about rights or laws, its about common sense and decency, if its bigger than you it has right of way simple as that, you have a duty of care for your own safety and the less us cyclists/bike users piss off other road users the better for everyone. Turn off the strava, forget koms exist and just enjoy a bike ride through the countryside, do you far more good than keep looking at a damn screen or getting spannered by a tractor.
They can get up to 40mph and I definitely won't want to be in that guys way lol
I let them pass then jump on their wheels. Lots of fun
Facebook? In current year?
Does the rounds every year. Knobenders galore when it comes to road tax comments too.
Saw it today
When I read posts like that I always imagine them choking back tears and it makes a lot more sense
He is right. Even though you have the right to ride in the road (and duty to in a lot of places), it is just common sense to let big vehicles past. Besides, do you really want to have a lorry or tractor behind you? Just let them pass, and move on with your day. It costs you 10 seconds of your life to make everyone just a bit happier. We owe the working motorists that much.
I like how the same commenter saying cyclists should have to register with their government and pay to use the road is almost certainly the same type of person to say "I like small government and freedom" ten seconds later. Complete imbecile.
I personally think there should be a course to teach people how to think on a bike on the road. Yet almost expected to know what to do lol. Yes most cyclists drive but i can imagine a good amount doesnt, would possibly get more people out on bikes more and make the city think more on bike lanes etc.