Originally Posted by
burnthesheep
I've ridden in Europe (not UK), and despite the bad apple or two it is lightyears better there.
Originally Posted by
indyfabz
+1. I toured southern Spain for 7 weeks back in the day. The day before I flew home I was tooling around the 'burbs outside of Sevilla.
+1. I've done a couple cycling trips in Spain and it's a real eye-opener how respectful drivers are to cyclists. I recall riding up some narrow winding hills and having a truck putter along patiently behind us until it was clear to pass then he would move to the opposite lane, pass and give a big smile and wave. Virtually unheard of over here.
They have a 1.5m passing law in Spain but I think it's mostly the culture that makes the difference. It's much more common for drivers to be cyclists there and they treat the cyclists well.
It's getting better here slowly as the number of people cycling to work gradually increases but it's a slow process with plenty of Neanderthals who will likely never change.