Aha. I'm a cyclist as well as a 4x4 driver.
Tax. Vehicle Excise Duty goes into general taxation (along with income tax and other forms of tax) roads are paid for out of general taxation. So car drivers are not "paying" for any "right" to be on the road. In fact, if that cyclist earns more than you (and lots of cyclists are professional people), he or she is paying more income tax, so contributing a higher proportion to road building and repairs. Using that argument, a cyclist could have more "right" to be there than a car driver.
Cycle lanes. We don't have to use them. In fact if we are intending to travel quickly the Highway Code recommends that we do NOT use them.
Overtaking a cyclist. Cars are supposed to give cyclists as much room as if they were overtaking another car. Not squeeze desperately past, cut in because something is coming the other way, and then brake sharply because there is a line of traffic anyway ...
Roundabouts. After one-way systems, roundabouts present a huge challenge to a cyclist. We can't go nearly as fast as cars, yet, we still have to change lanes to get to the exit we want. We can't go on the pavement because car drivers will tut and shake their heads, so into the road we go... and do you think any cars will slow down to let us manoeuvre? Not on your life. So when you think we are "riding in the middle of the road", actually we are changing lanes. If I stayed in the nearside lane on every roundabout I would only ever be able to turn left.
Oh, and I stop at red lights. Even pedestrian ones when there is no-one crossing and no-one waiting to cross.
