Don't mind me as I overtake you for the fourth time!

andrewc3142

Nope. For some reason, I've never tried skating, either ice or roller. My wife does and the kids are quite good. Must try it some time.

And, of course, dark clothing and no helmet is the way to go ....

Gambatte

SecretSam wrote:

it's bizarre but I have this terrifying image of Darth Vader on 'blades...

& tight black lycra (a la Ned Flanders!)

:? :shock:

RC21

What does RLJ mean - Is it something along the lines of ;Running Lights and Junctions?)
Thanks
RC

squired

Its funny reading this, as it reminds me of a certain type of person you see on trains. They are desperate to be the first off at their station (normally at the front of the train, or wherever will be nearest to the exit), then walk at 1mph, holding everyone else up. Often when I am on the train with my fold-up they will push past me at all costs to be in front of me, so they can get off the train first. I even had one stick his leg out as I moved my bike towards the door (it was ever so blatant), so that I couldn't get past him until he decided to get out of his seat as we pulled into the station.

secretsam

squired wrote:

Its funny reading this, as it reminds me of a certain type of person you see on trains. They are desperate to be the first off at their station (normally at the front of the train, or wherever will be nearest to the exit), then walk at 1mph, holding everyone else up. Often when I am on the train with my fold-up they will push past me at all costs to be in front of me, so they can get off the train first. I even had one stick his leg out as I moved my bike towards the door (it was ever so blatant), so that I couldn't get past him until he decided to get out of his seat as we pulled into the station.

you should have dropped your foldie on his leg, the tw%t :twisted:

richardast

squired wrote:

I even had one stick his leg out as I moved my bike towards the door (it was ever so blatant), so that I couldn't get past him until he decided to get out of his seat as we pulled into the station.

I commute by bike and train every day. Usually, I stand by the doors with my bike during the journey so I'm out of the other commuters' way. Occasionally, I have let people know how I feel when, after 45 minutes resting their fat ar$e on a comfy chair, they decide that it makes sense for them to push their way off the train before the big bloke with the big bike standing right next to the door who's been standing up for the entire journey.
Sometimes I just content myself knowing they're going to really struggle to get the chain-oil stain out of their expensive suit trousers.

Cyclegent

I get annoyed with these queue-jumpers too, but I've noticed they tend to hug the kerb when waiting at lights. (presumably they think it's safer). If you stop in primary position (even behind a motor vehicle) it usually solves the problem. Most of them in London seem to RLJ anyway so they're out of my way by the time I start off, and it's easy to just overtake them.

BentMikey

+1 Cyclegent.

jefferee

RC21 wrote:

What does RLJ mean - Is it something along the lines of ;Running Lights and Junctions?)
Thanks
RC

RLJ=Red Light Jumper, i.e., somebody who goes through red traffic lights.

andrewc3142

A term that instantly draws flak from every direction.

The confusion is that there are various forms of RLGing. Blasting through red to a busy junction is one extreme, taking a small lead on the cars is another form, etc, etc. And then there are those (probably read the Daily Mail or something) who take the "Law Is The Law" line (they spend their leisure hours driving round in a Toyota Prius photographing people's dustbins to make sure there's no gap more than 0.7386 cm).

Of course, admitting you're actually riding a bike rather than driving a car and so do from time to time RLJ to give yourself more of a safety margin, or taking a judgement and saving some time over the cagers, instantly puts you on one side of the extreme.

Avoid such discussions like the plague. Ditto, never admit you don't wear a helmet or you'll have the thought police down on you as well. And, at least in London, the fashion police as well, now that helmets have somehow become a "must have" cycling fashion statement, despite being about as much use as a Prada bag.

Roastie

richardast wrote:

squired wrote:

I even had one stick his leg out as I moved my bike towards the door (it was ever so blatant), so that I couldn't get past him until he decided to get out of his seat as we pulled into the station.

I commute by bike and train every day. Usually, I stand by the doors with my bike during the journey so I'm out of the other commuters' way. Occasionally, I have let people know how I feel when, after 45 minutes resting their fat ar$e on a comfy chair, they decide that it makes sense for them to push their way off the train before the big bloke with the big bike standing right next to the door who's been standing up for the entire journey.
Sometimes I just content myself knowing they're going to really struggle to get the chain-oil stain out of their expensive suit trousers.

I commute by train with a full sized bike - it always annoys when some twit forces his (inevitably a dude) way up or down the stairs on the up side. By habit, I carry the bike on my right shoulder, and I do so snigger when the dude brushes his clothes on the chain. Dayum, that Finish Line wet lube can be a bt messy sometimes! :twisted:

always_tyred

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

lemmings don't run over cliffs, it's an urban legend, or whatever you want to call it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemmings

Lambs to the slaughter may be a better analogy.

No, Lemmings flock incontinently to Scottish petrol stations. 8)

I remember when I was in Uni (way back when downtube shifters with indexing were as radical and new as a digital watch with a calculator) the new term would bring a landslide of wibbly-wobbly "Welease Wodddewick"s onto the road, smiling at the new found joys of cycling in early Autumnal sunshine with their scarves blowing in the wind as they trundled through red lights and veered obliviously in a Brownian manner hither and thither to lectures on Homer or to vote for their candidate (themselves, or Wupert) at the union.

By the time it was pi$sing rain in November, I found the same people impatiently sat behind me at the lights in the newish VW golf that daddy decided they needed. (in fairness, some of them walked... which was probably faster for them anyway).

Loads and loads of rusty 3-speed bikes with handlebar baskets left lying around the place by spring.

always_tyred

SecretSam wrote:

Other than that, the slowies don't bother me too much, I'm sort of middle speed myself, and the lycra thrusty-monkeys (all carbon skinny tyres brand names and shaven) can be a little tiresome, zooming past like they own the road, coo look at me, aren't I quick.

I don't like being sneered at, frankly, so I can cope with the slow and silly better than the fast and showy.

I don't do the shaving thing, but I do have skinny tyres and therefore tend to have a speed advantage over mountain bikes. Its not my fault.

But

Do you have any idea how irritating it is when, having caught someone up, waited, passed them and carried on, you hear them latched onto your slip stream 5 minutes later going "coo, look at me, I can keep up with a racer"?

No - you can't, you are cheating. Why the hell were you going so slowly before?

I'll admit, this is largely hypothetical for me and I often have to pretend to be grappling with a mechanical problem, in order to save face.

dombo6

Clever Pun wrote:

Matteeboy wrote:

I'm so surprised if I see another cyclist that I usually just say hello!

Always overtake people of hills, not always on the flat.

yeah I love that, it's a complete decimation of their ability check your fingernails for dirt at the same time for added kudos

No hands while trying to light a Marlboro with a Zippo has a similar effect 8)

BUICK

Hahahahahahaha! Never had this happen before but it sounds genuinely funny to me. Someone keeping trying to get in front and failing over and again. I would have thought it was a nice ego boost that you would keep overtaking? Give them points for taking the punishment of getting overtaken constantly and keeping on going - some people would get discouraged.

What's with the Pashley hatred by the way? Nothing quite like seeing a pretty girl on an oldfashioned bicycle - or is that just me?

Roastie

Today some dude in a driving school car was hassling me (for overtaking him in a completely safe manner...).

He did a U-turn just after, so unfortunately I didn't get to use the line I had thought of, "Do you know you're not supposed to drive without the instructor?"

always_tyred

BUICK wrote:

What's with the Pashley hatred by the way? Nothing quite like seeing a pretty girl on an oldfashioned bicycle - or is that just me?

No such hatred of Pashley, particularly in the embodiment described. Unless, of course, she jumped red lights and I had to overtake her 8 times on my way into work. You can get too much of a good thing.

andrewc3142

Sorry, but no you can't.

Clever Pun

Always Tyred wrote:

BUICK wrote:

What's with the Pashley hatred by the way? Nothing quite like seeing a pretty girl on an oldfashioned bicycle - or is that just me?

No such hatred of Pashley, particularly in the embodiment described. Unless, of course, she jumped red lights and I had to overtake her 8 times on my way into work. You can get too much of a good thing.

not in the summer with low cut tops and bumpy roads

tardington

I saw a nice lady in full-and-also-too-small spandex today. It was wonderous 8)

The problem with Pashelies* is that they are heavy and have only 3 gears, ie = slow, if very stylish. A sort of Gola bike, if you will.

To get back to the point, sort of, last week I had a slow overtaking RLJer. Very annoying, mainly as I was being a good lad and NOT whooshing through the ped crossings.

*possibly Sp

Cyclegent

BUICK wrote:

Hahahahahahaha! Never had this happen before but it sounds genuinely funny to me. Someone keeping trying to get in front and failing over and again. I would have thought it was a nice ego boost that you would keep overtaking? Give them points for taking the punishment of getting overtaken constantly and keeping on going - some people would get discouraged.

What's with the Pashley hatred by the way? Nothing quite like seeing a pretty girl on an oldfashioned bicycle - or is that just me?

True - saw a beautiful girl on a Pashley the other day - no helmet, natural blonde, proper smart 'normal' clothes - well cut overcoat, black stockings and sensible shoes. Sort of 1930s looking. I doubt if she was English - probably Danish or something. I nearly crashed because I was rubbernecking.

dirk_van_gently

Cyclegent:
True - saw a beautiful girl on a Pashley the other day - no helmet, natural blonde,

How do you know she was a natural blonde, did you check "Collar and Cuffs" ? :P

I nearly crashed because I was rubbernecking.

I think we have all been there

el_presidente

Dirk Van Gently wrote:

I nearly crashed because I was rubbernecking.

I think we have all been there

Amen to that, with the summer months nearly upon us the native fauna can be a serious hazard to shipping

el_presidente

Oh, and back to the original topic

Hello to the rider on the slicked-up Orange who used the pavement to get round the queue at the revamped Holborn lights. When they go green and traffic moves off, next time you bunny-hop back into the carriageway try checking over your shoulder, instead of forcing me to take avoiding action and nearly riding into a motorbike on my left. And when I berate you for this ridiculous manouevre, please don't tell me "calm down, life's too short", yes I know it is hence why I don't need you trying to make mine even shorter.



rant over

robmanic1

Bike rage!

will3

Always Tyred wrote:

Do you have any idea how irritating it is when, having caught someone up, waited, passed them and carried on, you hear them latched onto your slip stream 5 minutes later going "coo, look at me, I can keep up with a racer"?

No - you can't, you are cheating. Why the hell were you going so slowly before?

I'll admit, this is largely hypothetical for me and I often have to pretend to be grappling with a mechanical problem, in order to save face.

If you overtake someone, you are what is known as 'fair game' for slipstreaming. I had someone do this for a coupla miles once, then got to a tight bend and dabbed the brakes a bit sharpish, to which squealing tyres behind 8)

I do find it amusing on commutes to go past people who then speed up and have to go faster. But then I do that too on the odd occasion I'm caught napping and get overtaken. (only if I really ought to be going faster, mind. If someone goes past really fast then good luck to them, I'm not into racing in rush hour traffic!)

WRT the OP, once I took my trailer into work and picked up two large bags of compost on the way home (¬70kgish). Some silly blighter got overtaken twice :roll: I mean it's not like you wouldn't notice bike+trailer+compost going past and 'forget' that they're faster when you get to the next red light is it?

Also amusing is cruising past fully equipped roadies on our MTB tandem. Goes at a fair lick......

meanwhile

GEPC wrote:

There will be a group of you waiting for the lights in the green area at the front and then one person will ride around the side of you and and then stop in front of you all. When the lights change they are in pole positoon but then set off at a snails pace meaning we all have to overtake them, sometime for the second or third time.

Tell them - politely - to get to the back of the queue. What's the problem?

roger_merriman

a lot of bikes do seem to have a slow take off which is i guess some do the waiting forward of the stop line, i don't find it a problem it has to be said even with the big green bike with it's paniers and basket. they serve as a nice plug for the traffic, by which time i'm long gone.

secretsam

BUICK wrote:

What's with the Pashley hatred by the way? Nothing quite like seeing a pretty girl on an oldfashioned bicycle - or is that just me?

Personally, I'd rather an old-fashioned girl on a pretty bicycle...

...no offence to the ladies, but why is it always female riders who seem to charge to the head of the queue? Opening doors is one thing, but there are limits...

SamWise72

Gussio wrote:

Most annoying aspect about this all too common scenario is that the overtaking cyclists are forced out into the flow of traffic unnecessarily. This becomes dangerous when motorbikes and cars have encroached into the green box and are itching to get away from the lights as quickly as possible.

I share your pain.

I could not agree more. It seems that in rush hour in London, 70% of cyclists absolutely ignore the road rules. This is frustrating to me in itself - it's not the minority making the majority look bad, it's MOST of them making the few of us look bad. Add to that the pitying looks that these gimps give me as they cruise through, and it hardly surprises me that drivers want to kill them. Then the fact that half these people creak along much slower than me, and have to be passed again and again, and I end up a frustrated chap.