Lockwood Ward candidate John Cooper has described the driver of the motor vehicle as a “knobjockey”.

Mr Cooper posted his message on a popular Bendigo Facebook page after claiming the driver of a utility swerved at him while riding his bicycle on a High Street, forcing him to fend himself off against the car.

“Anyone missing a wing mirror?" the post titled 'Now serving: Instant Karma" begins.

"Some knobjockey in a grey ute didn't like my cycling style, so swerved across my path, attempting to cut me off.

“I swerved back with my hand and took out his passenger mirror.

“Oh no, it's a cyclist who fights back when you threaten his life! Better watch out! There might be more like him. Or not threaten the life of any cyclist.

“If you've got a mate with a grey ute missing a wing mirror, now you know why. I'd happily pay for the mirror, but I can't do anything about his honour of dignity.”

Mr Cooper told the Bendigo Advertiser the incident was proof of his readiness to make hard decisions. 

“I’ve talked a lot in this council campaign about transparency and openness,” he said.

“You can’t get more transparent or open than putting a post like this in one of the most vitriolic forums in Bendigo.”

The post has generated more than 50 comments – in Mr Cooper’s words, the majority of them “full of hate”.

He has responded on at least 10 occasions, including some expletive-riddled rebuttals of his critics. 

"F…ing bring it. Hope you like prison. That's what killers get," he wrote to one who said they would cut through three lanes of traffic to hit him.

But the former security guard stood by his comments. 

“I've been called a ‘knobjockey’ and a wanker, but I find it interesting that people react more to me saying the guy is an a***hole rather than to the person who says they’d cut across three lanes of traffic to cut me down,” he said. 

”So I guess it depends on what you define as offensive, when I say someone is a f***wit or when they say they’re going to kill someone. 

“For me, someone saying ‘I’m going to kill someone is a lot more offensive than name calling.” 

In other posts, Mr Cooper was more circumspect. When one asked whether his policy would be to “allow bike riders to take over the roads,” Mr Cooper responded with a “no”.

“One of my policies is to get a safe bike lane through the CBD,” he wrote. 

“If there was a track on the creek, I would have been there rather than the extremely dangerous High St.”

Despite the controversy, Mr Cooper said he stood by his actions, as well as taking them to social media. 

“I believe my actions are defendable in court – he attacked me with a vehicle, which I’m pretty sure is legally regarded as a lethal weapon,” the council candidate said. 

“I didn't mean to break off his mirror, but the fact that I was able do so says something about his proximity to me – it shows I couldn’t stop myself.

“I’m happy to defend my actions in court...I don’t know that he would be, but he's welcome to try.”

The bike-riding candidate said he took to social media to try and contact the driver of the ute and offer to replace his mirror, but had also made a point to aggressive drivers. 

“Cars don't have right to harass and threaten cyclist,” he said. 

“If two cars get ‘argy bargy’ on a road – as long as it’s not at high speeds – it’s probably just a matter of insurance and a few angry words.

“But the same thing with me on my bike – I may not be there to argue the point afterwards.

“Now I’ve sent out a message that I'm not the only cyclist that’s willing to defend themselves, and how can you criticise someone for defending themselves?”  

“I’m not sure how defending myself could be a bad thing, and I’m not trying to hide my actions.

“What alternative did I have? After he cut me off I could have just run into the side of his ute and it would have been damaged anyway. 

“And my head might have taken out his mirror on my way down.”