Grey Nomads and their vans, not giving way to cyclists
Bicyclecamper said
10:04 PM Sep 16, 2025
So I went out on a local tour, last Monday for 5 days, with my dog, on a road heading west out towards Bingara from Bundarra, to camp for 4 days on the Gwydir, with my dog in his trailer. Had no issues on the ride out, it took me a day and half to get to my spot, so camped on the way, as I left at 1pm Monday afternoon.
We, my dog and I really enjoyed the break, bit of fishing,( wasn't lucky), stayed until Thursday morning and left to come home. As I didn't want to ride up a 17% grade, 7km long hill on the return leg, I decided to go into Bingara, and ride to Delungra on a back road, then I would have to get onto the Gwydir Hwy, which I was not looking forward too. I got to Delungra at 2pm, had a very quick bite, then took off towards Inverell. I wanted to be off that road by 4 pm, due to cattle trucks dropping stock to the abbi's, just out of Inverell for the night shift.
Now this is where it get's interesting. On the hwy, I had one cattle truck only, and he gave me the whole lane when he went past, but the 14 or so, Grey Gonads, in their caravans, did not once give me the legal space of 1.5metres, that they are supposed to give a cyclist, where the speed is more then 60kmphr. Most of the time I was on the left side of the white line, but a few times their was no verge, so I had to ride on the road, now legally we are allowed to ride, within 1 metre of the white line, but you nomads don't think we should be there, you think you own the road, and cyclists should either be forced off the road, or run over. A fair few of the drivers thought even though their was no one coming in the other direction, you still decided not to give me space, and even blared your horn to give me a scare, that's why I call you Gonads today, because you are thinking with the wrong brain.
In the end, I had had enough, and decided to camp up at Inverell Lookout, a 2km 20% grade, to get off the road, and leave on Friday morning a 9am, and take the old Bundarra road, to avoid anymore dangerous vanners.
I don't know if it is worth complaining here because I am not sure, anyone actually understands the plight of cyclists, and especially cyclotourists like me, but I just want to get it off my chest, and try to drive home, that WE ARE legally allowed on the road, and NO DON"T tell me we should be registered to use the road. We were the first vehicle to be on the road 190 years ago, cars have only been on the road for 120.
Dougwe said
06:54 AM Sep 17, 2025
G'day Ric,
I understand exactly what you are saying. I'm not a cyclist, although I was many years ago, many, in fact I rode a bike to school when I was a kid Sorry Ric. I do understand though because I see it a lot myself in my travels BUT can you guarantee they were all 'Grey Nomads'? In my travels I see all ages including young families so not all towing caravans are Grey Nomads.
I have no problem with one person on a bike (including with their best mate) on the road, I give the clearance you talk about with no hesitation BUT what does annoy me is 2 or maybe 3 on bikes casually riding along side by side taking up the full lane. They must know a car is approaching or worse behind them but refuse to go into single file making a very dangerous situation for a vehicle to get around them. SOME have even given me the finger as I have gone out and around and come back into the left lane.
So, like 99% of roads it's a two-way street. Courtesy both ways.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Magnarc said
07:16 AM Sep 17, 2025
Hi Ric, understand your frustration but, as Doug has pointed out, there are a lot of younger people out there with vans these days and quite a lot of them drive as if the van does not exist!
I have been sitting on 90klms an hour and had blokes pass me as if I was stationary. Unfortunately these days the general attitude would appear to be "Bugger you Jack, I'm ok"
Well played rgren2. there is also a vid showing the new cyclist separation gauge in the form of a cricket bat protruding from the left passenger side of a vehicle, I believe it was 1.5mtrs in length.
TheHeaths said
03:52 PM Sep 17, 2025
Ric,
Its unfortunate that you had this experience on your trip.
It is also unfortunate that you appear to have made your pointed comments and directed your angst at all the grey nomads here, as if we are all involved somehow.
I wonder if anyone from here was actually involved?
Bicyclecamper said
09:36 PM Sep 17, 2025
TheHeaths wrote:
Ric,
Its unfortunate that you had this experience on your trip.
It is also unfortunate that you appear to have made your pointed comments and directed your angst at all the grey nomads here, as if we are all involved somehow.
I wonder if anyone from here was actually involved?
I was generalizing when I was pointing it to GN members here, I doubt any here would have been in the area, I was and am very angry about the issue. The first time where it really did affect me, was when I was run down near Miles in QLD, and it was a vanner in 2017, the dog trailer was destroyed but my dog Milo miraculously was not injured but the vanners Clear View mirror, hit me in the helmet, knocked me off the bike and put me in hospital, and no he didn't stop, a bloke behind the vanner stopped rescued my dog, and held my shattered head in his lap, until I was picked up and flown to Brisbane. He looked after my dog until my wife could come up and pick him up including my bike.
Second incident/accident if you may, in 2022, I had car issues for 8 weeks, so to get to town 47km away, for shopping I would take my bike and new trailer, up town to shop, so I would leave at 8am ( it was winter), and it would take me 4 hours to ride up there, then about 3-4 hours shopping and seeing my doctor/chemist for meds for both of us. I usually left town by 3pm, and knowing I would be riding in the dark, so I had 4 X 250 lumen red tail lights, on the trailer one tail light on the bike, a 6 foot reflective flag on the trailer, a 500 lumen headlight, a yellow helmet with reflectives and a yellow flouro safety vest. So getting down to the nitty gritty, I was 15km from home at approx 7.30pm just past a bridge heading south, no cars on the road and none coming from the other direction, and a caravan comes along, I am as far left as I possibly could be, and the van hits my trailer full of groceries, and spreads them all over the road, the trailer hitch is severed from my bike, and the trailer ends up wedged between hs left rear wheel of his van and body of the van, and causes the wheel to lock up.
He stops, gets out and abuses for being on the road in the dark, and I said I am lit up like a xmas tree, he said he was dazzled, by the lights and didn't realised it was a bike and trailer, and just cleaned me up unintentionally. My trailer had done some damage to his van, and he wanted me to pay for it, and I said you were the one that hit me, so he called the police, and when the Policeman turned up, the elderly driver rushed over to him to explain what happen. The policeman came over to see if I was okay. Anyhow, it ended up in court he was fined, I think it was $795, he had to pay costs and the court awarded me $500 damages for the lost of most groceries and trailer.
Hence why I am scared to be on the road cycling, why I get angry when caravanners do not give me legal space on the road. Now one would say, why do you ride on the road, if that has happened to you twice already, well it did scare me off the road until just recently, and is why I bought a motorbike, but I am entitled to be on the road and vanners have no right to force me off the road, nor do other driver's doing same.
I love cycletouring, have done it nearly all my life, I shouldn't be forced to give that up. Hence why I am currently angry about it, and lashing out.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 17th of September 2025 10:46:01 PM
smwhiskey said
07:54 AM Sep 18, 2025
As a now ex cyclist, I can tell you that ....
1. There are a lot of drivers out there who have precisely zero idea where the LHS of their car/van is in relation to things they are passing.
2. A decent percentage don't care about the 1m/1.5m road rule which is rarely enforced because its too hard for the cops to prove the distance between car and bike. Only time I've ever heard of it coming into play was when the cyclist got hit.
3. There is also a percentage of drivers who think its fun to actually get as close as they can and/or hit cyclists.
Why am I now an ex cyclist? Because too many of the people I used to ride with are now dead or permanently injured from cars and I didn't want my family to get that knock on the door.
Bicyclecamper said
12:29 PM Sep 18, 2025
Well I probably will be killed by an inattentive driver, and that driver will get off it, because I wont be around to plead my case, but I will definitely not be giving up cyclotouring. It was because of inconsiderate drivers that I mainly toured in the remote outback, but I am not doing that anymore, will only be riding within 500km of my home as, I am not as fit as I was for those long trips, and also, I havent done very much touring in the local area.
I will though, try and stay on B and C roads from here on in, keep away from A roads, as much as possible.
DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher.. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for ill*gally grown dr*gs." The rancher says, "Okay , but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location. The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me." Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. "See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land.. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? " The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores. A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis Bull... With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified. The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs... "Your badge... Show him your badge!"
So I went out on a local tour, last Monday for 5 days, with my dog, on a road heading west out towards Bingara from Bundarra, to camp for 4 days on the Gwydir, with my dog in his trailer. Had no issues on the ride out, it took me a day and half to get to my spot, so camped on the way, as I left at 1pm Monday afternoon.
We, my dog and I really enjoyed the break, bit of fishing,( wasn't lucky), stayed until Thursday morning and left to come home. As I didn't want to ride up a 17% grade, 7km long hill on the return leg, I decided to go into Bingara, and ride to Delungra on a back road, then I would have to get onto the Gwydir Hwy, which I was not looking forward too. I got to Delungra at 2pm, had a very quick bite, then took off towards Inverell. I wanted to be off that road by 4 pm, due to cattle trucks dropping stock to the abbi's, just out of Inverell for the night shift.
Now this is where it get's interesting. On the hwy, I had one cattle truck only, and he gave me the whole lane when he went past, but the 14 or so, Grey Gonads, in their caravans, did not once give me the legal space of 1.5metres, that they are supposed to give a cyclist, where the speed is more then 60kmphr. Most of the time I was on the left side of the white line, but a few times their was no verge, so I had to ride on the road, now legally we are allowed to ride, within 1 metre of the white line, but you nomads don't think we should be there, you think you own the road, and cyclists should either be forced off the road, or run over. A fair few of the drivers thought even though their was no one coming in the other direction, you still decided not to give me space, and even blared your horn to give me a scare, that's why I call you Gonads today, because you are thinking with the wrong brain.
In the end, I had had enough, and decided to camp up at Inverell Lookout, a 2km 20% grade, to get off the road, and leave on Friday morning a 9am, and take the old Bundarra road, to avoid anymore dangerous vanners.
I don't know if it is worth complaining here because I am not sure, anyone actually understands the plight of cyclists, and especially cyclotourists like me, but I just want to get it off my chest, and try to drive home, that WE ARE legally allowed on the road, and NO DON"T tell me we should be registered to use the road. We were the first vehicle to be on the road 190 years ago, cars have only been on the road for 120.
G'day Ric,
Sorry Ric. I do understand though because I see it a lot myself in my travels BUT can you guarantee they were all 'Grey Nomads'? In my travels I see all ages including young families so not all towing caravans are Grey Nomads.
I understand exactly what you are saying. I'm not a cyclist, although I was many years ago, many, in fact I rode a bike to school when I was a kid
I have no problem with one person on a bike (including with their best mate) on the road, I give the clearance you talk about with no hesitation BUT what does annoy me is 2 or maybe 3 on bikes casually riding along side by side taking up the full lane. They must know a car is approaching or worse behind them but refuse to go into single file making a very dangerous situation for a vehicle to get around them. SOME have even given me the finger as I have gone out and around and come back into the left lane.
So, like 99% of roads it's a two-way street. Courtesy both ways.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Hi Ric, understand your frustration but, as Doug has pointed out, there are a lot of younger people out there with vans these days and quite a lot of them drive as if the van does not exist!
I have been sitting on 90klms an hour and had blokes pass me as if I was stationary. Unfortunately these days the general attitude would appear to be "Bugger you Jack, I'm ok"
Stay safe Ric.
Ric,
Its unfortunate that you had this experience on your trip.
It is also unfortunate that you appear to have made your pointed comments and directed your angst at all the grey nomads here, as if we are all involved somehow.
I wonder if anyone from here was actually involved?
I was generalizing when I was pointing it to GN members here, I doubt any here would have been in the area, I was and am very angry about the issue. The first time where it really did affect me, was when I was run down near Miles in QLD, and it was a vanner in 2017, the dog trailer was destroyed but my dog Milo miraculously was not injured but the vanners Clear View mirror, hit me in the helmet, knocked me off the bike and put me in hospital, and no he didn't stop, a bloke behind the vanner stopped rescued my dog, and held my shattered head in his lap, until I was picked up and flown to Brisbane. He looked after my dog until my wife could come up and pick him up including my bike.
Second incident/accident if you may, in 2022, I had car issues for 8 weeks, so to get to town 47km away, for shopping I would take my bike and new trailer, up town to shop, so I would leave at 8am ( it was winter), and it would take me 4 hours to ride up there, then about 3-4 hours shopping and seeing my doctor/chemist for meds for both of us. I usually left town by 3pm, and knowing I would be riding in the dark, so I had 4 X 250 lumen red tail lights, on the trailer one tail light on the bike, a 6 foot reflective flag on the trailer, a 500 lumen headlight, a yellow helmet with reflectives and a yellow flouro safety vest. So getting down to the nitty gritty, I was 15km from home at approx 7.30pm just past a bridge heading south, no cars on the road and none coming from the other direction, and a caravan comes along, I am as far left as I possibly could be, and the van hits my trailer full of groceries, and spreads them all over the road, the trailer hitch is severed from my bike, and the trailer ends up wedged between hs left rear wheel of his van and body of the van, and causes the wheel to lock up.
He stops, gets out and abuses for being on the road in the dark, and I said I am lit up like a xmas tree, he said he was dazzled, by the lights and didn't realised it was a bike and trailer, and just cleaned me up unintentionally. My trailer had done some damage to his van, and he wanted me to pay for it, and I said you were the one that hit me, so he called the police, and when the Policeman turned up, the elderly driver rushed over to him to explain what happen. The policeman came over to see if I was okay. Anyhow, it ended up in court he was fined, I think it was $795, he had to pay costs and the court awarded me $500 damages for the lost of most groceries and trailer.
Hence why I am scared to be on the road cycling, why I get angry when caravanners do not give me legal space on the road. Now one would say, why do you ride on the road, if that has happened to you twice already, well it did scare me off the road until just recently, and is why I bought a motorbike, but I am entitled to be on the road and vanners have no right to force me off the road, nor do other driver's doing same.
I love cycletouring, have done it nearly all my life, I shouldn't be forced to give that up. Hence why I am currently angry about it, and lashing out.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 17th of September 2025 10:46:01 PM
1. There are a lot of drivers out there who have precisely zero idea where the LHS of their car/van is in relation to things they are passing.
2. A decent percentage don't care about the 1m/1.5m road rule which is rarely enforced because its too hard for the cops to prove the distance between car and bike. Only time I've ever heard of it coming into play was when the cyclist got hit.
3. There is also a percentage of drivers who think its fun to actually get as close as they can and/or hit cyclists.
Why am I now an ex cyclist? Because too many of the people I used to ride with are now dead or permanently injured from cars and I didn't want my family to get that knock on the door.
I will though, try and stay on B and C roads from here on in, keep away from A roads, as much as possible.
A bicycle in the Adelaide Hills features at about the 3 minute 20 second mark.
youtu.be/Sc9_uxR9_5I
Cheers,
Peter