Your rants here.

Feltup

Foggy morning here, so much so that water was dripping off my eyebrows etc. I had every light on and a lot of cars had their fog lights on and for once it seemed about justified.

Here's the thing though, why were there still cars driving around with no lights on and why were they all with out exception school run mums?!

camerone

PEDESTRIANS :evil:
coming off a fast downhill roundabout circa 20mph a group of schoolkids start to amble across road. I fired a 'don't cross' very loudly to no avail. they looked genuinely surprised when I begain firing expletives at them as i swerved between them - lost all momentum and rode like a maniac rest of journey. I genuinely think they assume I have to stop for them, they looked so surprised. Whats the protocol here - i am thinking a Basil Fawlty style 'accidental' swinging elbow might be sufficient?

geekraver

simple_salmon wrote:

The Uni does have a Travel Plan - although I can't find a person responsible for it. You can see it on the Facilities Management part of the website. You could try contact through there since they may have some sway with Charnwood BC or the County Council. Campaigns to make improvements have to start somewhere.

There's a guy called Tony Kay here who you might be thinking of. Apparently Loughborough train station has been short-listed for some sort of sustainable travel scheme, the idea being to promote cycling etc. I reckon it'll be some ages before we see anything, but I don't think the train operators are involved - EMT staff have been telling me lately that they're going to start getting very strict about cycles on trains. In practice though they're a bit buggered unless they're going to start checking as passengers get on

el_presidente

1) Dear cabbie, if you want to dish out advice to me at the traffic lights on how to ride it would help your credibility if you hadn't just tried to cut me up seconds beforehand.

2) Fellow cyclists, if you really want to squeeze up the inside of a bendy bus waiting at the lights, that is your business, but please do not physically push me out of the way to achieve this.

downfader

camerone wrote:

PEDESTRIANS :evil:
coming off a fast downhill roundabout circa 20mph a group of schoolkids start to amble across road. I fired a 'don't cross' very loudly to no avail. they looked genuinely surprised when I begain firing expletives at them as i swerved between them - lost all momentum and rode like a maniac rest of journey. I genuinely think they assume I have to stop for them, they looked so surprised. Whats the protocol here - i am thinking a Basil Fawlty style 'accidental' swinging elbow might be sufficient?

I had the same problem with two young girls a long while back. Didnt even look, had I been in a car they'd be almost certainly dead or seriously injured. Its the last second stepping outs that get my goat. If they've already started to cross some way off I just slow down.

marksteven

5 mins after leavin house car passes me 25 yards from right turn cuts in front then jams on brakes ,she gets called a name & gets a finger 15 mins later im doin 20 along a28 towards canterbury nice bright front light on van pulls out from right straight in front causing me to skid . i caught him up at sturry rail crossin intending to give him both barrels ( im 6 1" 100kg getting more bad tempered by the day) pull up allong side bang on window growl my complaint & actualy get agenuine appology i was speachless 5 mins later comin to r bout on a28 silly cow in car over takes then cuts straight to curb cutting me off totaly gets the fist on the rear quarter just a normal ride to work think imgonna buy a helmet cam . if we lived in sweden we could go visit them in the middle of the night ! ( in sweden you get a number plate thats yours 4ever & they print books with plate owner adresses in) . here end my rant

downfader

marksteven wrote:

5 mins after leavin house car passes me 25 yards from right turn cuts in front then jams on brakes ,she gets called a name & gets a finger 15 mins later im doin 20 along a28 towards canterbury nice bright front light on van pulls out from right straight in front causing me to skid . i caught him up at sturry rail crossin intending to give him both barrels ( im 6 1" 100kg getting more bad tempered by the day) pull up allong side bang on window growl my complaint & actualy get agenuine appology i was speachless 5 mins later comin to r bout on a28 silly cow in car over takes then cuts straight to curb cutting me off totaly gets the fist on the rear quarter just a normal ride to work think imgonna buy a helmet cam . if we lived in sweden we could go visit them in the middle of the night ! ( in sweden you get a number plate thats yours 4ever & they print books with plate owner adresses in) . here end my rant

Theres no point banging on most of their cars tbh, they wont learn. They'll just saunter off and tell everyone "I had this bl**dy cyclist this morning, who does he think he is!" It spreads the myth.

Fair enough shouting a warning that you're there and they've put you in danger but try and keep it dignified - esp if you intend to record. You can use your video as a good campaign tool imo.

RyanB

My rant today simply is I've had a puncture every single day this week. Bloody kids smashing bottles!

Simonb256

My rant for Q1.

Bloody saxo drivers and bloody black Ice.

Was drafting a lorry for about a mile, came to island just about to exit (still behind lorry). Saxo driver overtakes and forces his way infront of me.

As i was drafting there was only a couple of meters space, less if you include the steel girders it had hanging two foot off the back.

I was forced to move over onto black ice, slid out and broke my wrist.

Walked the 10mile home and went to a&e, no cycling til nearly april.

The Chingford Skinhead

Ouch, sorry to hear that Simonb - hope it heals soon.

I put this at the end of a post in SCR but worth repeating here...

There was one bright note to my trip in today. I’m normally a mega polite rider, I follow the rules of the road and I even thank drivers who wait and give me room before passing. I do so in the hope that the next time they see a cyclist they’ll again do the right thing. However, I can have a dark side…as I entered Islington this morning some complete Tw@ in a mini tried to barge past me on a narrow chicane. He/she didn’t make it and so I stayed bang in primary position for the next five minutes, leaving just enough gap between me and the van in front so that mini-tw@ knew there was space for him/her but was never going to get to it. The engine was revving and I could feel the hate. As soon as a passing gap on the other side of the road opened up I’d adjust my primary position slightly to ensure it couldn’t be used. I wasn’t in reality holding him/her up – apart from one car space – yet to they deemed that enough to risk my life / health for it. I therefore deemed hacking them off to be worth it. If they’re in such a hurry tomorrow perhaps they’ll leave home a little earlier

whyamihere

Nearly got wiped out twice this morning.

First one: Car waiting to turn right out of a side street on my left across my lane. I'm doing about 25mph. He waits until I'm about 10m away from the junction, then steps on it, tyres screeching as he tries to pull away. I *just* managed to squeeze behind his car, with literally a centimetre or two to spare. Unfortunately I wasn't able to avoid the kerb, so I did end up on the ground. He was gone, but a nice lady did stop to make sure I was alright. No harm done, just twisted the bar slightly, so after putting it back I was back on my way.

Second one: Car waiting to turn right into my lane, from a minor road on my right this time. The traffic's fairly heavy, I'm keeping pace with the car ahead and leaving a sensible gap. The driver again waits until I'm very close to the junction, then pulls most of the way into my lane. I braked hard, but was still doing about 10mph when I came to her, and fortunately managed to squeeze between her front bumper and the kerb. At least she had the decency to apologise, and stuck behind me for the next 2 miles even when there was ample space to overtake, seemingly for fear of annoying me again.

The annoying thing is, both of these idiots had definitely seen me. I made eye contact with them both, they were both obviously waiting, then changed their minds. They must have thought I was going slower than I actually was, and decided they could make the gaps.

willum

I have a rant - first time here too!
In Exeter, the High Street is closed to cars, but not cyclists and buses. One of the routes I use takes me down there, and by hell is it dangerous, people step out without the smallest glance.
On weekends it's like a bloody ski slalom, but you can't help thinking "what if I was a bus, idiots?"
If you're a person who likes extreme sports and being inches from death, then Exeter High Street is the place to go, seriously.
Oddly enough the rest of the place is OK, apart from a few points on campus.

downfader

Simonb256 wrote:

My rant for Q1.

Bloody saxo drivers and bloody black Ice.

Was drafting a lorry for about a mile, came to island just about to exit (still behind lorry). Saxo driver overtakes and forces his way infront of me.

As i was drafting there was only a couple of meters space, less if you include the steel girders it had hanging two foot off the back.

I was forced to move over onto black ice, slid out and broke my wrist.

Walked the 10mile home and went to a&e, no cycling til nearly april.

Since the driver effectively caused your off by being aggressive/inattentive to the road have you considered going along to the police and having a chat to see what they say?

Hope you heal up soon!

Mr Sworld

Not a rant story more a revenge one! :twisted:

There is a 'roundabout/junction' in Brighton called the Vouge Gyratory and it's a bit of a nightmare for cyclists, lots of cars swaping lanes and entering/exiting. Normally I'll hop onto the pavement to avoid it.

However yesterday I used it. And got cut up and forced into a different lane by some git in a green 'chav waggon'. :x

Anyway I caught up with him at lights and after giving him my 'hardest stare' realised I could have him!

The road we were both about to go up is quite narrow and there was a line of cars on the opposite side making it impossible for a car to pass a cyclist if they were to get there first and take primary position.

However he's just realised this too and starts revving the engine and creeping over the line. Lights go to green (I'm off on amber) and he drops the cluch and stalls!

He starts the car fast but I'm already in position. Riding quite slowly, strangely enough, until I make my turning off and look behind me to give him a cheery wave. I just get a finger in return! How rude!

cjcp

SODDING CATEYE REAR LIGHT (TL-LD600) CAN'T WITHSTAND A BIT OF BRITISH RAIN AND IS NOW LIFE EXTINCT. :x :evil:

itboffin

Easton bar tape grrrr it sticks completely to the bars which is not very useful if you need to change your lever positions.

always_tyred

itboffin wrote:

Easton bar tape grrrr it sticks completely to the bars which is not very useful if you need to change your lever positions.

Where were you trying to put it when it got stuch on the bars?

I went through a phase of not bothering to remove the backing to the sticky part of tape for this reason. It seemed to work okay - cork tape, pulled quite tight, that was.

Roastie

Idiot DHL driver turning across the road. Stops to let a motorcycle and two scooters through just ahead of me (that I was gaining on) but then proceeds to move forward to cut off my path while I was approaching at a good 40km/h. Much scary braking combined with shouting, fortunately Idiot sees I'll likely hit him if he continues and slams on his brakes, I manage to swerve left and get around the front of him.

So then Idiot has the audacity/is sufficiently stupid to shout & call me a w@nker (I assume for riding my bicycle on the road). Made my blood boil.

Why some drivers don't view a bicycle as legitimate traffic ... :x

always_tyred

Roastiecp wrote:

Idiot DHL driver turning across the road. Stops to let a motorcycle and two scooters through just ahead of me (that I was gaining on) but then proceeds to move forward to cut off my path while I was approaching at a good 40km/h. Much scary braking combined with shouting, fortunately Idiot sees I'll likely hit him if he continues and slams on his brakes, I manage to swerve left and get around the front of him.

So then Idiot has the audacity/is sufficiently stupid to shout & call me a w@nker (I assume for riding my bicycle on the road). Made my blood boil.

Why some drivers don't view a bicycle as legitimate traffic ... :x

You know, in these situations, its worth bearing in mind that he has his employer's name on the side of his van.

Roastie

Always Tyred wrote:

You know, in these situations, its worth bearing in mind that he has his employer's name on the side of his van.

I thought about that 200m down the road once the initial red mist had lifted - but at that point didn't want to miss my train *again*.

But you are right - next time I will try to remain a bit calmer and gather the neccesary evidence (i.e. photo of reg plate). Think there is any point in trying to follow up now with time & location?

always_tyred

Roastiecp wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

You know, in these situations, its worth bearing in mind that he has his employer's name on the side of his van.

I thought about that 200m down the road once the initial red mist had lifted - but at that point didn't want to miss my train *again*.

But you are right - next time I will try to remain a bit calmer and gather the neccesary evidence (i.e. photo of reg plate). Think there is any point in trying to follow up now with time & location?

I doubt it. Works for busses, but delivery vans follow Brownian motion.

simple_salmon

I made the 'mistake' of shouting at a blue van driver to get off his mobile phone today as he was sat at a junction waiting to pull out.

He then chased after me down the road shouting expletives out of his window. TBH I'm now pretty scared he'll spot me on my commute again and have another go

hondafanatic

simple_salmon wrote:

I made the 'mistake' of shouting at a blue van driver to get off his mobile phone today as he was sat at a junction waiting to pull out.

He then chased after me down the road shouting expletives out of his window. TBH I'm now pretty scared he'll spot me on my commute again and have another go

The chances are pretty slim that you'll meet again, try not to worry about it. I've had something similar where it got all argie-bargie with a bloke on the cycle path who was walking to work. I've never seen him again in six months.

You'll be fine...

All the best
David

simple_salmon

Thanks; if I'm not posting on here next week though... :?

hondafanatic

simple_salmon wrote:

Thanks; if I'm not posting on here next week though... :?

Yea, you better PM me all your details including DOB, Address and bank details so that I can report your disappearance to the authorities should the situation occur.

Seriously though, don't worry about it. However, maybe take it as 'becareful who you shout at' type lesson. Don't get me wrong, I've done the same thing and found myself in the same situation, however, I prefer not to say anything unless it is having an affect on me or immediate affect on those around...

Happens to all of us. But seriously, your details?

simple_salmon

The ironic thing is that I've posted on here a 'think before you shout at someone who may be there tomorrow' type warning before.

Note to self: you can't change the world - just keep alive.

flamite

BLOODY NANNY STATE!!

Just started cycling to work in dec after getting winter blues and has cheered me up no end,

tonight I was cycling back home along the usual embankment then go down lots road in chelsea, and for those of you who know it know, its a quiet little road with building works going on at the mo (apparently) and the road is blocked off, so i usually hop on the pavement for the 100m to save going all the way round.

And tonight, bearing in mind that this is a quiet back road, there were TWO OFFICERS stood there. what a wast of time and resources... seriouslty cant they be doing anything better except stand there all night telling off cyclists for riding on the pavement...ver petty.

I am English but spent most of my childhood teen years over on the continent, now been living in London for a few years and this country is driving me mad, dont know how much longer i can stand petty things like this, on the continent they would laugh if you suggested policing the pavement...

rant over....

biondino

Why would they stop cyclists for walking their bikes on the pavement?

biondino

Also, Lots Road isn't quite a quiet back road - it's a rat run. And are you sure these weren't just beat bobbies who happened to be there at the time?

Roastie

To the RLJing idiot on the Langster who sat on my wheel all the way along the drag up Nine Elms Lane (I don't mind drafters) but then couldn't be @rsed to even return my greeting (let alone say thanks), or stop at the next traffic light: You are a toss pot.