Your rants here.

esamenoi

okay right we all know its cold yes? well right... my mum refused to let me bike to college today. So I had to get bloody bus and I HATE buses I really do. Just now my mum and then my dad go on and on for about 10 mins saying how dangerous it is to drive in this sort of weather and i don't know what its like meaning i shouldn't bike... since when did biking become the same as driving... since when did they know about bikes.... since when have they ridden a bike in the ice? so they have now both said im not to bike tomorrow, which means i need to get up an hour earlier just to get the bus, then i have to get it back... which drives me nuts cos by that time all the ice is gone or what ever.
oh and one other thing they said was that most likely i will fall off and smash my head open. if i dont do that i will get hit by a sliding car which mounts the pavement as it slides round the rounderbout...

so there you go...

blackworx

esamenoi wrote:

okay right we all know its cold yes? well right... my mum refused to let me bike to college today. So I had to get bloody bus and I HATE buses I really do. Just now my mum and then my dad go on and on for about 10 mins saying how dangerous it is to drive in this sort of weather and i don't know what its like meaning i shouldn't bike... since when did biking become the same as driving... since when did they know about bikes.... since when have they ridden a bike in the ice? so they have now both said im not to bike tomorrow, which means i need to get up an hour earlier just to get the bus, then i have to get it back... which drives me nuts cos by that time all the ice is gone or what ever.
oh and one other thing they said was that most likely i will fall off and smash my head open. if i dont do that i will get hit by a sliding car which mounts the pavement as it slides round the rounderbout...

so there you go...

MTFU - they're not the boss of you!

Seriously though, don't they use grit round your way?

always_tyred

blackworx wrote:

esamenoi wrote:

okay right we all know its cold yes? well right... my mum refused to let me bike to college today. So I had to get bloody bus and I HATE buses I really do. Just now my mum and then my dad go on and on for about 10 mins saying how dangerous it is to drive in this sort of weather and i don't know what its like meaning i shouldn't bike... since when did biking become the same as driving... since when did they know about bikes.... since when have they ridden a bike in the ice? so they have now both said im not to bike tomorrow, which means i need to get up an hour earlier just to get the bus, then i have to get it back... which drives me nuts cos by that time all the ice is gone or what ever.
oh and one other thing they said was that most likely i will fall off and smash my head open. if i dont do that i will get hit by a sliding car which mounts the pavement as it slides round the rounderbout...

so there you go...

MTFU - they're not the boss of you!

Seriously though, don't they use grit round your way?

Yes, it has been minus several here for a couple of weeks, but "Britain" has only just had a cold snap. Funny that.

esamenoi

yeh they do grit... I have tried hard to get em to let me ride. I now haven't ridden in over 2 weeks! I'm dying here!

always_tyred

the SALES

[rant]

When does a sale become a stock clearance? I usually like Edinburgh bicycle. Its a shiny slightly expensive place, which I usually hate, but its easy to park (bike or car) and they are genuinely pretty good staff in there who actually seem to ride bikes.

But

I was duped into going to the sale. I went looking for about 8 items. I came out with none, went home and ordered them all online. Why?

Every item I could find in the shop was odd - gilets, yes, but only in XXL. Shorts, yes, but only in S, XL and XXL. Jerseys? Yes, but only in red, because we ordered too many red ones. Specialized saddle? Yes, but only in the "wide bum" and "narrow bum" sizes that no one seems to want.

Come on! I'm neither 5 foot, nor 6 foot 5. I'm just someone who wants to be encouraged to come back to your shop later in the year by a "sale". As it is I came out firm in the belief that if I want to buy something for a regularly sized person or bike, I should wait at least until February.

[/rant]

blackworx

It's not just Edinburgh Bicycle - Wiggle are in the middle of doing the exact same thing - page upon page of so-called sale items that are basically discontinued lines for which they want rid of the odd sizes. I stopped after about page 33 when it dawned on me that everything I looked at would be available only in size canoe and colour puke.

biondino

It's annoying, sure, but what else can they do? And there are just enough genuine bargains in there to keep looking - well, there were anyway, I guess it'll always reach a point where it stops being worth it.

CiB

Not a rant, just a muse on how shops get away with it. I picked up some carbon aerobars in the summer, just because I fancied some. £99 they cost, and in hindsight worth every penny.

In the same shop just before Christmas, the exact same item on offer in the sale boxes [i.e piles of random kit in plastic boxes arranged in the middle of the shop] with a big sticker on announcing the price as down from £199 - save £50 now only £149.

I look at things like that and lose interest in any other goodies on display.

always_tyred

biondino wrote:

It's annoying, sure, but what else can they do? And there are just enough genuine bargains in there to keep looking - well, there were anyway, I guess it'll always reach a point where it stops being worth it.

My point was that not only couldn't I get anything at a sale price in my size, but that there wasn't anything in the shop (exaggeration) in my size, so I wasted a trip. You never expect every item in a shop to be on sale, but it struck me that the shop puts the words "sale" and "50%" everywhere to pull people in, forgetting that it pay well put them off entirely if the shop is rendered entirely useless unless you are a wide-arsed giant or a narrow hipped pigmy.

I mean, I'm not an unusual size - I'm 5'10" and 12 stone ish and I'm about as average as it is possible to get. Its totally daft to have a sale that is useless for the most average sized human.

Wiggle do this all year round, is more obviously a stock clearance, and its a few clicks of the mouse to get to what they currently stock. Plus, they do have genuine sale items from time to time (as genuine as, say, a DFS sale). So I mind an awful lot less.

iain_j

My rant: over-use of hazard flashers.

In the old days, when drivers pulled over to the left side of the road, they indicated left. If they were going to swing right, or do a u-turn, they'd indicate right. Whichever, it gave a very good clue as to what they were about to do.

Now they stick BOTH indicators on, which leaves me and others behind thinking "he's going to do SOMETHING, but we don't know what, so which way do we go to avoid him". Now i think "yeah you're using your hazard flashers cos you're a hazard to traffic".

Just as annoying is the ones parked at the side of the road with them on. Coming up behind, cos there's other cars parked behind, all i can see is the right indicator flashing which makes me think it's going to pull out so i brake and give it a wide berth, only to find the other indicator's on too and there's no driver.

blackworx

iain_j wrote:

Just as annoying is the ones parked at the side of the road with them on. Coming up behind, cos there's other cars parked behind, all i can see is the right indicator flashing which makes me think it's going to pull out so i brake and give it a wide berth, only to find the other indicator's on too and there's no driver.

Yyyyep. Some day I'm going to wait around and have a word with one of these twonks.

The Chingford Skinhead

iain_j wrote:

My rant: over-use of hazard flashers.

...

Just as annoying is the ones parked at the side of the road with them on. Coming up behind, cos there's other cars parked behind, all i can see is the right indicator flashing which makes me think it's going to pull out so i brake and give it a wide berth, only to find the other indicator's on too and there's no driver.

That's because you aren't talking about hazard flashers Iain. They're called shopping lights. As I understand it (based on observation - I don't drive) if you want to park on yellow lines, disabled bays or occassionally in the middle of the road to save you from having to walk more than 3 metres to the shop you simply pull up and put your shopping lights on.

iain_j

Ah yes, the "I can break the rules as long as I've got the flashers on". Maybe two flashing yellow lights cancel out the two yellow lines on the road?

itboffin

I've said it before but what is going on with so many website being down, timing out and generally not working anymore.

I want to buy stuff and tell people what i've bought.

That's what companies get for sacking all the good IT staff. :evil:

lost_in_thought

iain_j wrote:

My rant: over-use of hazard flashers.

In the old days, when drivers pulled over to the left side of the road, they indicated left. If they were going to swing right, or do a u-turn, they'd indicate right. Whichever, it gave a very good clue as to what they were about to do.

Now they stick BOTH indicators on, which leaves me and others behind thinking "he's going to do SOMETHING, but we don't know what, so which way do we go to avoid him". Now i think "yeah you're using your hazard flashers cos you're a hazard to traffic".

Just as annoying is the ones parked at the side of the road with them on. Coming up behind, cos there's other cars parked behind, all i can see is the right indicator flashing which makes me think it's going to pull out so i brake and give it a wide berth, only to find the other indicator's on too and there's no driver.

Buses in London seem to do this a lot when they're stopped in bus stops. It is irritating. I'd far rather they just indicated out when they wanted to pull out than do that, making me unsure what they are about to do.

Rich158

Bloody puntures :evil: :evil: :evil:

Coming down Shooters hill at high speed today, I suffered from what can only be described as a catastrophic loss of tyre preasure as I hit the brakes, not fun trying to slow down from 25mph with a completely flat front tyre. Had the tube out quick as you like and checked the tyre for debris, nothing, nadda, not a thing - a bit odd I think but fit another tube, and marvel at my new toy - a c02 canister. Up to preasure in no time and holding air I set off again. Hitting 27mph on the flat I'm feeling good , then as soon as I hit the brakes for the next set of lights, pssshhhttttttt, and again all air gone in about 2 seconds flat. Whip the tyre off again, check it again, and again no apparent debris - check the outside for anything embedded in the tyre - nothing. Check the rim tape, that's all in place, and check the spokes, they're all fine. Go to reach for the second tube I always carry, and guess what - I don't always carry a second tube. Decide to try and fix the puncture only to find my micro pump can't inflate the tube fast enough for me to find the hole, logic therefore says the hole should be easily visible - ooohhh no it isn't.

Bollocks - it's time to start walking. Decide to try the crappy discount bike shop that's slightly out of my way, they just might get me up and running again. the lazy bastards haven't bothered to open up by 9:30 - oh shit.

Finally I get into work, make my apologies and head off to the shower. I'll just let it run for a few minutes to warm up I think, and then jump in. What bastard turned the temperature down as low as it will go :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Do you ever get a day you wish you'd never got up???????

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

always_tyred

I find it elicits most sympathy from non-cycling colleagues if you turn up late carrying various oily parts of your bike and looking dishevelled and freezing cold, then make a show of filling the sink with water and looking for the hole in the tube.

Rich158

To be fair our office manager did e-mail my team telling them to be nice to me, that's obviously why someone turned the shower down to sub-zero :evil:

I'm in a happy place now choosing new tyres

biondino

Rich, did you check the position of the brake pads? If one of them has slipped and has some metal shavings embedded in it, could this be causing the puncture? Even as I type this it sounds unlikely, mind.

The only time I've got repeated punctures like this was when I had a hole in my tyre wall which caused the tube to herniate out of it and blow. But I'm sure you'd have noticed that.

always_tyred

It could have been some kids with a high powered laser. Pesky kids.

OR something to do with Pirates.

We may never know.

Rich158

Bloody pirates - no they've gone now, to be replaced by a motorcyclist making a very Tarzan like noise as he went past - no loin cloth though, wimp..........I nearly fell off the bike laughing

On the puncture front I haven't had a chance to fully inspect the tyre. I had a similar thought Biodino, I'll check the entire brake caliper etc, but I didn't notice any cut in the tyre. My theory is there's something embedded in the tyre that isn't deep enough to notice when you run your fingers arround it, but when you brake due to the extra forces is forced into the tube. I did dig a lot of debris out of the tyres over christmas so maybe I missed some.

Or it may just be a mysterious visit from the puncture fairy..........................

always_tyred

Rich158 wrote:

Bloody pirates - no they've gone now, to be replaced by a motorcyclist making a very Tarzan like noise as he went past - no loin cloth though, wimp..........I nearly fell off the bike laughing

On the puncture front I haven't had a chance to fully inspect the tyre. I had a similar thought Biodino, I'll check the entire brake caliper etc, but I didn't notice any cut in the tyre. My theory is there's something embedded in the tyre that isn't deep enough to notice when you run your fingers arround it, but when you brake due to the extra forces is forced into the tube. I did dig a lot of debris out of the tyres over christmas so maybe I missed some.

Or it may just be a mysterious visit from the puncture fairy..........................

Was the tyre inflated when you were digging debris out of it with that long, sharp needle?

Rich158

Always Tyred wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

Bloody pirates - no they've gone now, to be replaced by a motorcyclist making a very Tarzan like noise as he went past - no loin cloth though, wimp..........I nearly fell off the bike laughing

On the puncture front I haven't had a chance to fully inspect the tyre. I had a similar thought Biodino, I'll check the entire brake caliper etc, but I didn't notice any cut in the tyre. My theory is there's something embedded in the tyre that isn't deep enough to notice when you run your fingers arround it, but when you brake due to the extra forces is forced into the tube. I did dig a lot of debris out of the tyres over christmas so maybe I missed some.

Or it may just be a mysterious visit from the puncture fairy..........................

Was the tyre inflated when you were digging debris out of it with that long, sharp needle?

Don't laugh that's not far off the truth, a 1.5mm allen key to be exact :oops:

I might also check the duck tape I used in place of rim tape :roll:

Rich158

Ok, I am now the owner of a nice bright yellow front tyre. Still it doesn't look too bad.
Has anyone tried getting a Michelin Lithion on :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: I just hope I don't puncture on the way home.

Checked and double checked the old tyre and tubes, tubes won't hold any air and the tyre seems fine. Is it just possible that I've had multiple valve failures?

I just hope the puncture fairy doesn't visit on the way home tonight.

blackworx

Despite being cut up, passed with inches to spare, forced to sit behind a stinky rubbish truck for half a mile and made to try and interpret one Volvo driver's innovative freeform signalling technique, I was still feeling sufficiently charitable on the approach to work to let a woman in a BMW X5 (yes, BMW X5!) in before me.

How does the b*tch repay me? She gets ten yards down the street, puts the "shopping lights" on and lets her precious cargo of mewling children spew forth from the rear. Gnnnnnn!

Happy Monday everyone!

jopari

Doing 25/30ish down-hill when bike (looked like a regular cyclist who should know better) turns left out of side road on pavement and wobbles into the road as I bear down on him.
Glad I was being paranoid and left him plenty of room. He hadn't looked left at all, so was assuming all cars would be too far into road to hit him?!?

pigeon42

Thank you to the wally in some non-descript people carrier who overtook me too close down Greenham Hill this evening (despite the fact I was easily doing the speed limit), then jammed on their brakes just after going past me as they spotted the speed camera - and finished it off by choosing to wash their windscreen... which meant the water came flying back over their car and into my face.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

girv73

Twice tonight I had drivers coming up from behind on the right only to swing across my bows and into the lane to my left, despite the left lane being in existence for quite some distance behind me and there therefore being pleeeenty of space for them to change lanes behind me. I think there must be something about being behind a bike that makes your willy shrink or something, it's the only explanation for this dangerous behaviour.

One of the twonks even beeped me to get me to move out of his way. Did I move? Did I fcuk.

downfader

girv73 wrote:

Twice tonight I had drivers coming up from behind on the right only to swing across my bows and into the lane to my left, despite the left lane being in existence for quite some distance behind me and there therefore being pleeeenty of space for them to change lanes behind me. I think there must be something about being behind a bike that makes your willy shrink or something, it's the only explanation for this dangerous behaviour.

One of the twonks even beeped me to get me to move out of his way. Did I move? Did I fcuk.

I have often fantasised about shouting "PEADO!!!" at the top of my lungs if anyone does that to me That'd make everyone look

Not bike related as I was on the bus today but I saw some really, really bad driving and bad cyclists today.

First up, walking to the bus stop and I hear this amazing, loud, grating and popping and squeeling noise behind me. I stood still at the corner waiting to cross and saw a lady in a white perrrsho I think driving up the road. I'm sure the thing was falling the bits as she went along. She was rocking back and forth, obviously trying to will it on.

Waiting at the bus stop 5 minutes later a HGV passed me, the lights go green down the road and this silver car shot off so fast, and I would reckon about 70mph, that I didnt even catch what type of car it was. He swung around the HGV into what would have been oncoming traffic usually at that time but LUCKILY it was quiet this morning. It was single lane traffic too, so he had no right to overtake, certainly not like that. I think he (assuming he obviously) was testing the engine out for fun.

So I get on the bus and sit down. Bus moves off and turns left at the lights further on, but cant turn in because some silly woman has decided to make a right turn lane all of her own, and is sitting on the wrong side of the road. The driver of the bus just sat there when her light went green, so she had to wait until the other car at the lights had moved off, and then swing back aroud the bus. She looked most put out.

Lastly for the drivers... walking up the road into work later after the bus and there are parking lots on the left. I'm on the pavement and hear this scratching and a small pop behind me. Looked like a guy had gone to park and hit the curb and then bounced into the bumper of the car infront. No damage but he looked dead sheepish. I carried on walking and then realised he's pulled off again and is swerving on up the road, lol! Not sure if he was drunk or tired... I suppose you had to have been there to see how erratic it looked.

Walking over the itchen bridge this afternoon and I see two guys on bikes on the pavements. One of them realised I was looking and bunny hopped into the cycle lane, so atleast he did the right thing in the end. The other guy was out with his kids who were on scooters... I have no idea why he needed the bike or couldnt walk as the kids were slow enough.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh though.

The Chingford Skinhead

Twice, not once but twice this morning I've pulled up and stopped at a zebra crossing only to find that the person loitering there didn't want to cross. Two stunned / annoyed / lost for words to say anything I've simply rode off.

By the way, have I missed a change in the law? Is the use of indicators now optional or banned. Everytime I get to a junction without an ASL I have to wait behind a car or van because I have no idea which side it is safe to pass on as I have no idea if said driver is going left or right. Also the number of cars in front that suddenly swing left and then indicate... :!: