"London Calling"

Brock_71 · June 2007

And why the hostility towards Kent? We're the garden of england apparently!

<hr noshade size="1">A bicycle is for life, not just for Christmas.

woodford2barbican · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BentMikey

That just tells me you don't have enough riding skills to be able to appreciate how hard what they're doing is.

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Not true.

The most satisfying thing for me when commuting is to beat a faster cyclist through better traffic management and better bike skills. It is even better when they don't see you do it. It is almost possible to hear their sheepishness when they realise. The ultimate is to do it to the roadie when you are on your hybrid with rack and panniers.

I do appreciate that the riders in these videos can handle a bike. However, that does not detract from the fact that they are idiots.

In participating in the making this film, they contributed to a process which put themselves and more importantly other people at risk in order to look *cool*. This amounts to socially irresponsible behaviour. The impact of their actions could have had considerable cost to another person.

They are no different to the anti-social neighbour who plays loud music all night, your common or garden RLJ'r or the disinterested parent of an ASBO'd teenager .

In short, pathetic inconsiderate yobs, with good bike handling skills.

Rant over! [:)]

dondare · June 2007

"What we're dealing with here is a total lack of respect for the law"
cue cyclist to fall off bike.

overmars · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by woodford2barbican

Not true.

The most satisfying thing for me when commuting is to beat a faster cyclist through better traffic management and better bike skills. It is even better when they don't see you do it. It is almost possible to hear their sheepishness when they realise. The ultimate is to do it to the roadie when you are on your hybrid with rack and panniers.

I do appreciate that the riders in these videos can handle a bike. However, that does not detract from the fact that they are idiots.

In participating in the making this film, they contributed to a process which put themselves and more importantly other people at risk in order to look *cool*. This amounts to socially irresponsible behaviour. The impact of their actions could have had considerable cost to another person.

They are no different to the anti-social neighbour who plays loud music all night, your common or garden RLJ'r or the disinterested parent of an ASBO'd teenager .

In short, pathetic inconsiderate yobs, with good bike handling skills.

Rant over! [:)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Christ. It's Nick Ferrari.

________________________
The obstacle is the path

DavidTQ · June 2007

I really dont see a single maneouvre pulled off there that an everday cyclist COULDNT do, the only thing that is exceptional is the fact that they are prepared to do it through traffic theres not one pedal stroke not one corner that looks technically skillfull to me.

To me, to be skillfull and to count as good bike handling would be about controlling the physics of their bikes not about hoping the guy in the moped doesnt pull out. I dont see any cycling maneouvre pulled off that would look good in a large open space.

To understand where Im coming from, Im a Rally driver, In the past Ive led my class in national championships. In rallying risk taking and big balls will get you nowhere, you simply have to have an ability to control the physics of your vehicle you have to have a complete appreciation for what every part of the car is doing and harmonise it. That to me is skill. It took far more knowledge feel and experience than any average driver could do through blind luck.

When I was doing the BMX thing in my younger years again it was all about felling and knowing what the bike was doing and controlling it to make it do things the average person simply couldnt do.

Now these videos look as if they show cycle handling skill to me:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGdXcitOUzY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjjJWXgqWL4

What is it that you guys see as "bike handling skills", is there something technical there that im missing? anything that take away the scenery of the parked busses and curbs would look in anyway impressive?

The close calls lane changine and pulling in front of moving vehicles (and colliding with vehicles and pedestrians) I dont see as being any more skillfull that the average chav doing their boy racer routine late at night. Its all about balls and relying onluck, which anyone can do and 99 times in 100 you will come out completely ok.

This isnt about argueing I want to be able to see what you guys are seeing, understand what im missing in looking for signs of genuine skill as opposed to just balls.

Brock_71 · June 2007

I like the music [:I]

Phil Scp · June 2007

To whoever asked what happened to my mum, she was hit on a zebra crossing from New Cavendish Street into Marylebone High St by a courier who then buggered off leaving her on the floor. I may have said I'd like to wrap the tw@t's fixie around his face, I wouldn't really go that far - people say things like 'I'm gonna kill you' but it doesn't mean they actually do it.
As far as I'm concerned there is nothing admirable in the way these cretins are riding and I find glorifying such riding totally out of order.

Black Keith · June 2007

fair enough mate, it's inexcusable for something like that to happen.

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Hackbike 6 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BentMikey

That just tells me you don't have enough riding skills to be able to appreciate how hard what they're doing is.

My bikes
My skates

If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Bitchy![:X]

Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006Dawes Audax 2006 New 20/09/2006 

 Cycle Commuting since 1981 

Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977 (30 years ago)

 Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc
Ride to work part 2 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu
Ride to work part 3 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv

jakob_s · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidTQ

I really dont see a single maneouvre pulled off there that an everday cyclist COULDNT do, the only thing that is exceptional is the fact that they are prepared to do it through traffic theres not one pedal stroke not one corner that looks technically skillfull to me.
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You have never cycled in a city, I reckon...

FGG #2384

DavidTQ · June 2007

No not a city but my commute in is FAR busier than the roads shown in that video...

Black Keith · June 2007

LOL

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Sh4rkybloke · June 2007

<Life of Brian> ... Alright, apart from the ability to change direction quickly... to anticipate the road ahead and take evasive action... to judge the width of the bike precisely so as to know that a gap is rideable... and to do all the above at high speed... what have Lucas and his pals ever done for bike riding skill demonstration? </Life of Brian>

Seriously though - it was very exciting, but they are a complete bunch of muppets. How anyone didn't cream them (knowingly or unknowingly) is a miracle.

If they did get creamed I'd have no sympathy, and if they injured someone else I'd have no problem with the full weight of the law (such as it is!) coming down on them.

And the music was a bit sh*te too. Much preferred the Judas Priest (Touch of Evil) for the Manhattan underground (I think) run they did... although the actual vid for that was dull.

Nothing in life is foolproof, fools are ingenious

Black Keith · June 2007

this thread ought not to be in the "commuting" forum either!

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Unknown · June 2007

Apparently the look on the coppers face on New Oxford Street was priceless! [:D]

Theyve sure got the skillz to pay the billz

not like you and proud of it

Black Keith · June 2007

and riding through the passage at the Lamb and Flag is ridiculous

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DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Sh4rkybloke

<Life of Brian> ... Alright, apart from the ability to change direction quickly... to anticipate the road ahead and take evasive action... to judge the width of the bike precisely so as to know that a gap is rideable... and to do all the above at high speed... what have Lucas and his pals ever done for bike riding skill demonstration? </Life of Brian><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

They dont do overly well at anticipating the road ahead though, they colide with cars pedestrians and other cyclists as soon as things actually start moving and getting a little busier. Their evasive manouvres were in places only not resulting in damage because of others road users accident avoidance skills. They fall off their bikes. I see far more balls, and relying on luck and other people than skills.

Ive seen too many punk kids who counted themselves as having similiar "skills" who are buried or have buried their passengers. Yes they were in cars because I was a car person back then, but the "skill level" and attitude were the same. They drove the same way night after night and got away with it for even a few years but one by one they ALL came a cropper with varying severity of repurcussions, it wasnt skill, it was luck, you can carry out hundreds of wee poor manouvres out there on the roads without dieing as long as the other road uses are alert and doing what they should be.

SOME of the riders might be able to change direction decently, I do appreciate theres some riders I see on my commute who perhaps dont have the skill to do so... Of course some of the riders in the video also seem to be a bit wobbly when the real pressure hits as well.

jakob_s · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidTQ

They dont do overly well at anticipating the road ahead though, they colide with cars pedestrians and other cyclists as soon as things actually start moving and getting a little busier. Their evasive manouvres were in places only not resulting in damage because of others road users accident avoidance skills. They fall off their bikes. I see far more balls, and relying on luck and other people than skills.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are completely clueless.

FGG #2384

DavidTQ · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jakob_s

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidTQ

They dont do overly well at anticipating the road ahead though, they colide with cars pedestrians and other cyclists as soon as things actually start moving and getting a little busier. Their evasive manouvres were in places only not resulting in damage because of others road users accident avoidance skills. They fall off their bikes. I see far more balls, and relying on luck and other people than skills.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You are completely clueless.

FGG #2384

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Id call hitting the car park floor, a car, a bike and a pedestrian clueless myself each to their own...

Black Keith · June 2007

ok, enough now.

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Tynancp · June 2007

if you don't hit pedestrians in London you're doing something wrong, simple as that, you a bloody hero if you manage to avoid most of them, some of them want to be hit

amusing this 'dis the most daring riders in London' stance, and more than dis, say they're not good riders

PeteinSQ · June 2007

Many of the pedestrians in this video who are coming in for flack are crossing when the traffic lights are red. If they were hit by one of the couriers in the video it would be the cyclist's fault.

I enjoy these videos but I think that the riders are irresponsible in making them because of the risks to themselves and the risks to pedestrians and other cyclists. This may make me a bit of a killjoy but even people who enjoy the videos (myself included) must be able to see the truth in it.

Hackbike 6 · June 2007

if you don't hit pedestrians in London you're doing something wrong, simple as that, you a bloody hero if you manage to avoid most of them, some of them want to be hit

No they are just idiots.

Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006Dawes Audax 2006 New 20/09/2006 

 Cycle Commuting since 1981 

Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977 (30 years ago)

 Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc
Ride to work part 2 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu
Ride to work part 3 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv 

How not to lock a bike. http://i14.tinypic.com/52355zr.jpg

Tynancp · June 2007

it's funny this last week, been cycling again after a five odd year break and last week, they were strolling across the road in front of me as I crept towards them, going stacks faster today and making them skip the last few yards as they realise they've misjudged it, soon be bearing down on them with their life in my hands hopefully, must get the bell on from the old bike

the various crossings outside Liverpool Street might have been my all time favourites

anyhow, them and the NYC boys don't hit anyone, not that's not edited out anyway

Hackbike 6 · June 2007

Ten people standing by a green traffic light last week outside Waterloo.Just as I approached one stepped out without looking.

I expected that anyway.

Pedestrians are Lemmings.

Hackbike 8 Commuting Debut 09/09/2006Dawes Audax 2006 New 20/09/2006 

 Cycle Commuting since 1981 

Cycling Proficiency Test 24 May 1977 (30 years ago)

 Ride to work part 1 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/ypjapc
Ride to work part 2 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jfagu
Ride to work part 3 of 8 http://tinyurl.com/2jcldv 

How not to lock a bike. http://i14.tinypic.com/52355zr.jpg

Descp · June 2007

Can't condone it, but I often feel like riding like taht in Central London (I don't though). I wonder if the bike cop in Oxford street ever caught up? Looked like he tried to ride into the camera rider.

paultea · June 2007

I'm in agreement with DavidTQ. Couriers do not have amazing bike handling skills, they have OK handling skills. The average courier has nothing compared to the skills necessary for flatland/ramp/racing BMX, biketrials, proper northshore style freeriding and downhill racing. Nothing except the massive egos that is.

peejay78 · June 2007

they're punks, nothing more than aged grunge fans who were never quite good enough on a skateboard haven't quite got round to a getting proper job - or worked out what a shower is for, for that matter.

[:)]

winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv

overdrive · June 2007

Hey everyone.I raced in that one,sorry about that,was only having fun.Came 7th out of 50 which isn't bad for someone who knows what a shower is for.There's another alleycat on 30th june so come along and test your "handling" skills.Ta la.

peejay78 · June 2007

i was joking the way....

i secretly admire them.

winter: http://tinyurl.com/2xkbbs
summer: http://tinyurl.com/2hsagv

"London Calling"

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