Cyclists need to stop hogging road, says gold medallist Hoy

SIR CHRIS HOY has said cyclists should stop hogging the road as he called for an end to the battle between cars and bikes.

Britain’s most successful Olympic athlete said there needed to be a change in behaviour by both cyclists and motorists.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival to promote his new book, How to Ride a Bike, Sir Chris said: “If you are cycling and thinking, ‘Well, they can sit behind me for half a mile on this single-lane road,’ it’s not about saying you should get out of the way and let them through. It’s about, when they do come past, just give them the thumbs-up and you can see the road’s clear, give them a wave through, say thanks – and that little bit of communication helps.

“Equally, when you are a motorist, to understand what it feels like to have a wing-mirror buzz past your ear is utterly terrifying.”

In heavy traffic, cyclists are often the fastest people on the roads, more agile at getting through gaps than motorbikes and are not always seen by drivers. Cyclists complain of drivers winding down their windows to hurl abuse, while motorists make similar complaints.

Sir Chris said: “At the risk of getting too political about it all, in my opinion, when it comes to urban environments, or indeed anywhere riding a bike, it shouldn’t be a cyclist hit by a motorist or a confrontation between a taxi driver and a cyclist.

“We are people trying to get around and, whether you choose to go on foot, on a bike, a taxi, a bus, we are people trying to get from A to B, and you should remember that we are all someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, brother or sister. People’s lives are at risk and it’s time to stop having a ‘them versus us’. We have to try and put ourselves in the shoes of another person.”