In response to Mike Ward's rant about cyclists, "Psychopaths on cycle paths" (The Argus, April 12), he needs to relax a bit, take a holiday, do something he enjoys for a day.

He sounds so wound up and angry about cyclists I can only imagine he walks along the cycle path itself when he is out along the seafront.

In my experience, cyclists are really not the problem.

No doubt Mike drives a car without much thought for his impact

on the local environment - but cars create the noise I can hear from my bed, cars won't stop to allow me to cross the roads (while taxis drive straight at me and hoot when I am halfway across), cars stop children from playing in the streets and cars drive too fast all the time, endangering my life everyday.

Cycling in this town is an extreme sport, not undertaken lightly and needing special care.

Cyclists are sometimes forced to use pavements by car drivers who show no regard to cyclists.

There are no cycle lanes on most roads. Drivers overtake cyclists then stop suddenly in front of them and even open their doors into their path.

Cyclists are forced into the side of the road by speedy passing traffic.

As for traffic lights and one-way streets, they are simply not designed for cyclists to use, so cyclists are forced to ignore them.

For instance, traffic lights frequently change to red while a slow-moving cyclist is halfway across a junction - and all the crossing traffic starts moving, regardless of the cyclist, putting him or her in great danger.

One-way streets are hardly ever built with a contra-flow for cyclists, meaning a cyclist can sometimes have to ride an extra half-mile to get to the end of a street.

All traffic travels too fast. You take your life into your hands whenever you get on a bike.

It is stressful and hard work.

So, Mike Ward, try riding for a day and stop moaning. Cyclists have far more to be angry about than pointless, careless, moaning car drivers.

-Bob Courtney, Brighton