Your rants here.
Comments
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Serves me right for thinking August was a good month for cycling due to reduced traffic :roll:
A stretch of my route - Clapham South to Clapham Common has 2 lanes each way. This morning the traffic was light so I was flying along in the middle of the left-hand lane (well, as much as my little legs can pedal
). I get close to traffic lights and I hear a horn behind me, but I pay no attention as I know my panniers are secure and I'm not causing an obstruction. The horn goes again. By this time we are at the red traffic lights so I turn round to see a van man gesticulating in way I took to mean he wanted me to gutter hug so he could have a free run. What? So why not overtake on the right and pull in? So I say this but he's not having it so I, getting annoyed now, say French Connection to you sir, raising a digit and proceed on my way (lights are now green).
He overtakes on the right and pulls in BEHIND a bus with me behind him :roll: . I safely move into the right hand lane just as the bus moves off with van man behind, so I move back into the left lane slowly with a large gap, not trusting VM to stop abruptly just to wind me up. All this kerfuffle and at about 100 yards he takes a left turn :shock:
We not talking tailbacks and major delays here, just 1/2 minutes at best - d1ckhead :x0 -
I've had two 'Must Overtake Cyclist' this week. Details irrelevant, just a mix of annoying and exasperating, when you pull alongside and do the puzzled face routine at them and it's abundantly clear that the culprit hasn't got the first clue that he's done anything wrong. It's always blokes..0
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+1 CiB
......... so far, anyway.0 -
As a cyclist, you are bound to get a minority of people who at times may be anti-cycling but from my point, you need to have respect for other motorists and pedestrians otherwise you will encounter problems.
I have been cycling for a few years now and have come across a minority when I was living up in Crewe from 2006 to 2007.
Here in Southampton, where there is an excellent cycle network people here are very respectful towards us cyclists.
I don't know if this has happened to any of you guys but one day when I was cycling along one of the city's busiest route, one or two motorists have kindly moved aside to let me through which I thought was kind of them, a bit surprised though as I wouldn't normally expect that reaction.0 -
I was on the other end this week.
Getting back to Cambridge after riding to KX, pick up the missus in the car and head home. Hills Road bridge in Cambridge has heavy road works and the lanes are two narrow to pass cyclists. This is clearly signposted.
There is a bloke, late thirties, not obese but not too fit, riding over the bridge at 6 miles and hour. The bridge is approx 80 metres to the top on either side. 6 miles an hour, putting in zero effort. At the top, he stops pedalling and freewheels. Now going at 5 miles an hour.
This always annoys me. Cars cannot and should not pass, it is too narrow, but cycles hold up the traffic. Make an effort on the hill and don't freewheel down it. If you don't you fail to appreciate the traffic around you and I can frankly, even as a somewhat militant cyclist, understand while people will force their way past. If I ride over the hill I don't drop below 20mph, straight out of the saddle.
At the lights I say to him, mate, you should make more of an effort, you are holding up the traffic. He moans about car drivers and dangerous driving. I explain I am actually still wearing my cycling gear, so I'm not talking from the perspective of just a car driver.0 -
flicksta wrote:I was on the other end this week.
Getting back to Cambridge after riding to KX, pick up the missus in the car and head home. Hills Road bridge in Cambridge has heavy road works and the lanes are two narrow to pass cyclists. This is clearly signposted.
There is a bloke, late thirties, not obese but not too fit, riding over the bridge at 6 miles and hour. The bridge is approx 80 metres to the top on either side. 6 miles an hour, putting in zero effort. At the top, he stops pedalling and freewheels. Now going at 5 miles an hour.
This always annoys me. Cars cannot and should not pass, it is too narrow, but cycles hold up the traffic. Make an effort on the hill and don't freewheel down it. If you don't you fail to appreciate the traffic around you and I can frankly, even as a somewhat militant cyclist, understand while people will force their way past. If I ride over the hill I don't drop below 20mph, straight out of the saddle.
At the lights I say to him, mate, you should make more of an effort, you are holding up the traffic. He moans about car drivers and dangerous driving. I explain I am actually still wearing my cycling gear, so I'm not talking from the perspective of just a car driver.
No. You were talking from a car driver's perspective. This is quite obvious from your impatience you've just written about. :? Tough **** if he's going 5 miles an hour, he may well have just ridden 25 or he might be new to it. Now you possibly might have made him reconsider cycling as an option with your effort remarks. Nice going. :roll:adrian1888 wrote:As a cyclist, you are bound to get a minority of people who at times may be anti-cycling but from my point, you need to have respect for other motorists and pedestrians otherwise you will encounter problems.
I have been cycling for a few years now and have come across a minority when I was living up in Crewe from 2006 to 2007.
Here in Southampton, where there is an excellent cycle network people here are very respectful towards us cyclists.
I don't know if this has happened to any of you guys but one day when I was cycling along one of the city's busiest route, one or two motorists have kindly moved aside to let me through which I thought was kind of them, a bit surprised though as I wouldn't normally expect that reaction.
The cycle network is sloowwwly improving, much to the efforts of a Mr Bostock, iirc, at SCCouncil. Some of the roads are still a state (despite my contact with Mr Denham about them, and the council.. everyone seems to shrug the problems off sadly) surface wise.
On the whole, if recent experiences were to be taken as the blueprint for how many bad drivers there are I would say around a third are giving me a PITA at the moment (close overtakes, cutting me up, left and right hooks, or just numpties giving abuse)
Some of the lorry drivers here are briliant though. One was fantastic this morning on winchester rd and it really made up for the two complete fools that nearly had me off minutes before. If he can do it I'm sure a guy in a normal car can.0 -
downfader wrote:No. You were talking from a car driver's perspective. This is quite obvious from your impatience you've just written about. :? Tough **** if he's going 5 miles an hour, he may well have just ridden 25 or he might be new to it. Now you possibly might have made him reconsider cycling as an option with your effort remarks. Nice going. :roll:
Nope. I was there. He just couldn't care less. He hadn't done 25 miles. He was wearing a work shirt and jeans. He hadn't got a debilitating muscle wasting disease. He wasn't new to cycling. He wasn't struggling with a terrible piece of news.
No excuses, he only cared about himself.0 -
Well done for restraining yourself and not pushing past. You did the right thing.flicksta wrote:I was on the other end this week.
Getting back to Cambridge after riding to KX, pick up the missus in the car and head home. Hills Road bridge in Cambridge has heavy road works and the lanes are two narrow to pass cyclists. This is clearly signposted.
There is a bloke, late thirties, not obese but not too fit, riding over the bridge at 6 miles and hour. The bridge is approx 80 metres to the top on either side. 6 miles an hour, putting in zero effort. At the top, he stops pedalling and freewheels. Now going at 5 miles an hour.
This always annoys me. Cars cannot and should not pass, it is too narrow, but cycles hold up the traffic. Make an effort on the hill and don't freewheel down it. If you don't you fail to appreciate the traffic around you and I can frankly, even as a somewhat militant cyclist, understand while people will force their way past. If I ride over the hill I don't drop below 20mph, straight out of the saddle.
At the lights I say to him, mate, you should make more of an effort, you are holding up the traffic. He moans about car drivers and dangerous driving. I explain I am actually still wearing my cycling gear, so I'm not talking from the perspective of just a car driver.
I'm not sure I agree with your later comment to the PoB, though. Admittedly, you are entitled to your view. But, if it were a slow milk float or a horse (unlikely, I suppose in that area, but possible) would you have said the same? A milk float may be limited in speed, yes, but a horserider could often get the horse to move faster.
I'm not saying I am perfect or immune to this. I do get frustrated when I am held up in the car sometimes. But I tend to take a few deep breaths and enjoy the opportunity to look around.0 -
duncedunce wrote:
Well done for restraining yourself and not pushing past. You did the right thing.flicksta wrote:I was on the other end this week.
Getting back to Cambridge after riding to KX, pick up the missus in the car and head home. Hills Road bridge in Cambridge has heavy road works and the lanes are two narrow to pass cyclists. This is clearly signposted.
There is a bloke, late thirties, not obese but not too fit, riding over the bridge at 6 miles and hour. The bridge is approx 80 metres to the top on either side. 6 miles an hour, putting in zero effort. At the top, he stops pedalling and freewheels. Now going at 5 miles an hour.
This always annoys me. Cars cannot and should not pass, it is too narrow, but cycles hold up the traffic. Make an effort on the hill and don't freewheel down it. If you don't you fail to appreciate the traffic around you and I can frankly, even as a somewhat militant cyclist, understand while people will force their way past. If I ride over the hill I don't drop below 20mph, straight out of the saddle.
At the lights I say to him, mate, you should make more of an effort, you are holding up the traffic. He moans about car drivers and dangerous driving. I explain I am actually still wearing my cycling gear, so I'm not talking from the perspective of just a car driver.
I'm not sure I agree with your later comment to the PoB, though. Admittedly, you are entitled to your view. But, if it were a slow milk float or a horse (unlikely, I suppose in that area, but possible) would you have said the same? A milk float may be limited in speed, yes, but a horserider could often get the horse to move faster.
I'm not saying I am perfect or immune to this. I do get frustrated when I am held up in the car sometimes. But I tend to take a few deep breaths and enjoy the opportunity to look around.
If a car driver had driven at 5 mph, it would have been unreasonable.
I have no issues with horses holding up traffic, it is simple to fall off a bolting horse and die. Bikes don't get scared and bolt.
If a milk float had progressed are far below its capable speed, the same would have applied. You wouldn't find a mobility scooter on that piece of road, despite them being entitled to use it, they would go on the pavement.
This is an exceptional set of circumstances, but this bloke, despite being clearly capable, did nothing exceptional to help anybody except himself. It shows a lack of roadcraft and interest in the world of others. When I ride over that hill I ride in primary at 20mph. Not secondary at 5.
I didn't shout at him, I simply said, you should try harder, it's unreasonable.0 -
Fair enough. It is the "rant" thread after all and, as I said, I am not immune to similar feelings of frustration.flicksta wrote:If a car driver had driven at 5 mph, it would have been unreasonable.
I have no issues with horses holding up traffic, it is simple to fall off a bolting horse and die. Bikes don't get scared and bolt.
If a milk float had progressed are far below its capable speed, the same would have applied. You wouldn't find a mobility scooter on that piece of road, despite them being entitled to use it, they would go on the pavement.
This is an exceptional set of circumstances, but this bloke, despite being clearly capable, did nothing exceptional to help anybody except himself. It shows a lack of roadcraft and interest in the world of others. When I ride over that hill I ride in primary at 20mph. Not secondary at 5.
I didn't shout at him, I simply said, you should try harder, it's unreasonable.
Might it have been worth asking him first whether there was a reason he was going that slow? It may have elicited embarrassment rather than the (un)righteous indignation that he appears to have displayed.0 -
flicksta wrote:downfader wrote:No. You were talking from a car driver's perspective. This is quite obvious from your impatience you've just written about. :? Tough **** if he's going 5 miles an hour, he may well have just ridden 25 or he might be new to it. Now you possibly might have made him reconsider cycling as an option with your effort remarks. Nice going. :roll:
Nope. I was there. He just couldn't care less. He hadn't done 25 miles. He was wearing a work shirt and jeans. He hadn't got a debilitating muscle wasting disease. He wasn't new to cycling. He wasn't struggling with a terrible piece of news.
No excuses, he only cared about himself.
Dont be so daft. He's entitled to use the road as he wishes as long as he's safe, and by your own description this appears to be the case. You got impatient and frankly were rude to him and I'm not surprised he bit back. Not everyone is able to ascend a hill at speed, not everyone wants to race about and we should all respect that.
He held you up for minutes, you didnt lose hours of your life. You werent deprived of anything more than frankly seconds by the sounds of it.0 -
downfader wrote:
Dont be so daft. He's entitled to use the road as he wishes as long as he's safe, and by your own description this appears to be the case. You got impatient and frankly were rude to him and I'm not surprised he bit back. Not everyone is able to ascend a hill at speed, not everyone wants to race about and we should all respect that.
He held you up for minutes, you didnt lose hours of your life. You werent deprived of anything more than frankly seconds by the sounds of it.
If you drove a car at 5pmh consistently, the law would take a dim view of it, with good reason. Plenty of precedent for that.
He was perfectly able to ascend the hill at much greater speed. It's a rise, not a hill. He didn't, not through ability or fitness, but because he cared only about himself. I was there, you are making assumptions.
You're missing the point.0 -
Skippy2309 wrote:Had a very very close call today, coming down a hill get up to speed and going at a comfortable pace, totally relaxed. pretty quiet road - car in front about 20m's ahead, catch sight of a car near the bottom of the road, all the side roads are 1 way systems (all no entry) its coming up the hill, pay it no attention as its coming up the hill.... BIG MISTAKE, indicator flicks on and the bloke swerves in front of me to try and make the turn sees its no entry and turns so he is coming right at me!!!
I was up on the front wheel i pulled the brake so bloody hard, I managed to get to the middle avoiding the head on collision, as you can guess there was plenty of swearing the bloke was completely oblivious, just floored it past on the inside going the wrong way down the road :roll:
and this exact same story happened again today.... except I didnt see the car till the very last second as it was behind a van and just pulled straight across
as for the cyclist going slow, its his choice how fast he wants to go, you wouldnt be happy about someone forcing you to go faster..... the guy might have just finished work and wanted a nice slow ride home, I have had days where I dont go over 10mph other days I will go flat out. As said before just chill and enjoy the view
FCN: 5/6 Fixed Gear (quite rapid) in normal clothes and clips
Cannondale CAAD9 / Mongoose Maurice (heavily modified)0 -
Got knocked off yesterday by a twat in an Aygo. Main road in the countryside. I was 18 inches from the roadside going round a left hand corner and he/she was right on my tail. So close she/he bumped me and sent me flying onto, thankfully, grass verge. She/he stopped, saw me move (ie not dead) and then drove off. As it was on the blind side of the bend, by the time I'd thrown my water bottle in his/her direction (anger) they'd disappeared from view. The car that did stop to see if I was ok missed it too.
GAH! Though amazingly lucky as have only got a sore back and cut knees. Bike was ok!!0 -
Miss Assister wrote:Got knocked off yesterday by a fool in an Aygo. Main road in the countryside. I was 18 inches from the roadside going round a left hand corner and he/she was right on my tail. So close she/he bumped me and sent me flying onto, thankfully, grass verge. She/he stopped, saw me move (ie not dead) and then drove off. As it was on the blind side of the bend, by the time I'd thrown my water bottle in his/her direction (anger) they'd disappeared from view. The car that did stop to see if I was ok missed it too.
GAH! Though amazingly lucky as have only got a sore back and cut knees. Bike was ok!!
Thats hit and run, even if you only have a few details such as colour and make of car, time and date, report it to the Police. It helps them deal with the national picture if anything else. This is very important to do incase the same vehicle has been involved in other incidents.
Hope you're ok and heal up well! Dont let it put you off, dont give in to the b***ards!0 -
I think we should be issued with hand grenades, job done!0
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Now that's a plan. FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Went out las t night and was sat at a set of light that had a filter light which I was obeying much to the chagrin of the cabbie right behind me and the rest of the queue of traffic. Afte much enging revving and horn tooting I was forced to run a red light :oops: the cabbie tried to cut me up but I held my position and rode across the junction at a pedestrian pace.I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0
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Gah! I've proper got the bug!
It was a gorgeous evening but my Defy is in the shop being tinkered with so I had to drive home!
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Thank goodness for the spidey sense and assuming the worst of everyone (I always think it is a shame we have do that).
I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to two people for not maiming me or killing me this evening:
Thank you to the gentleman in the silver saloon who decided that he wouldn't tax my brain with confusing indicators when he stopped behind me at the lights at Steedman St (SE17); who then crept forward until he was level with me at the ASL; who put his foot down as the lights changed and slung a left in front of me.
Thank you also to the lady in the pale blue people carrier who decided that as three cars had already turned right across my path from Loampit Vale into Jerrard Street (SE13) the way must be clear and she didn't need to look - it is nice to know that my brakes work (and for once I didn't fishtail too badly) and now I know my reflection looks silly in a convex pale blue mirror.
I don't know which of the two is worse, the intentional or the thoughtless :evil:
Now where is that nice little padded room where I can go and scream ......0 -
had a lovely ride to work, powered it all the way in, took the time down to 7 minutes, my missus takes that long to drive there in the car
way home was a slow one, heading down the hill just coasting along, didnt need to pedal as I was matching the car in front, get to the bottom and the rail crossing as I am going over (still a metre from the car infront) a prick in an Audi 4x4 tries to over take, cant go no where but still forces me to brake hard or be pinned between him and kerb, wingmirror just missed my shoulder and the car passed within centimetres of my right hand... hit the brakes hard both front and rear, rear tyre broke away and clipped the kerb, put the power down to stop myself falling while shouting multiple expletives, pedalled my nuts off to catch the bloke (up the hill), then he spins off round a corner in to oncoming traffic with out even indicating which meant more expletives from other car drivers :roll:
some people shouldnt be allowed to drive!!!!!FCN: 5/6 Fixed Gear (quite rapid) in normal clothes and clips
Cannondale CAAD9 / Mongoose Maurice (heavily modified)0 -
Why has this thread become 'unstuck'?0
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Mr Sworld wrote:Why has this thread become 'unstuck'?
Read: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=126456850 -
Silly bint in the BMW, on her phone not looking when she zoomed across the roundabout. Thank god for Hope disc brakes.
Rant over, and continue as normal.0 -
Dear Mrs School Run Mum
I really appreciate that your “Little Johnny” has done well getting a place in the Grammar School and of course he is far, far too important to walk home, or indeed take one of the many many coaches the school lays on to taken the gifted ones home but, please, be aware of what you are doing when pulling across oncoming traffic. I know for certain that my grand children would one day like to meet me.
So, next time a fat bloke on a bike is coming down a 5% hill at about 20mph, please consider:
1) Whether instead of looking at the space which has just opened up on the school drive, its worth peaking up the road to see if anyone is coming down the lane you are about to cross.
2) Whether the fat bloke on the bike who has just shouted “Wwwwwwoooooohhh!!!! “ at the top of his voice and who is now going sideways on this bike trying to control a slide is actually talking to you.
3) Whether “little Johnny” would be better off walking to school or getting one of the coaches.
I assume you would have had your excuses ready if said fat bloke had ploughed straight into the side of your car. I understand that: “Sorry Mate, I did not see you” and “you should be wearing a helmet” are acceptable in such cases.
Please consider yourself lucky that said fat bloke has much more sense than you and had seen you and worked out that you were likely to be unaware of your surroundings; locked in a grey tin box as you are and had slowed to around 10mph. He will live to see another day where as, you and “little Johnny” are in incredible danger every time you spend more than a few moments together in a car. Perhaps, next time you may not be as lucky.
Regards
Fat Bloke on a bike.0 -
Marylebone road, last night. Lady in Toyota Aygo, please note, just because the bus lane that ends in 75 yards is clear ahead, and you wish to make a left turn from the lane after the bus lane ends, this does not give you the right to drive into the bus lane. Nothing gives you the right to drive in the bus lane at all, and certainly not without a) looking and b) indicating.
Please don't be offended when I shout 'oh no you don't' and bang on your window.0 -
To one of the other cyclists on my commute i this morning:
If you're right next to me on a relatively quiet road and I say to you "bit more space please, mate" don't just say "yes yes yes" and stay exactly where you are. Move further over, overtake or drop in behind. We were approaching a line of parked cars and I don't really like the taste of door you half-wheeling ignorant tw@t!0 -
I went into the back of a Toyota Yaris this morning.
Luckily my brakes slowed me down enough that I only hit the bumper and I think both my front wheel and his car were undamaged. That was with me fully applying the brakes and hoping it would stop in time.
He wasn't a very good driver, which I should have known was the case when beforehand, he turned right across a junction long after the lights had gone red on his side and all the traffic on my side was turning across. Then he was tailgating a bus, only to then blindly pull out, realizing he can't overtake and slamming on the brakes leaving me no option but to try and stop and then hit him. Idiot!
Infact, it was a fairly perilous morning due to the number of people who were doing U-Turns in the middle of the road without really looking.0 -
Firstly: it's getting cold! Soon it will be too cold to commute in a T-shirt, which upsets me. Yes, I know: MTFU.
Secondly: pedestrians! Great bloody tides of pedestrians pouring like a biblical deluge out of the tube stations exits before flowing across and along the road, the brighter ones at the front who spot me coming and slow down being pushed onwards from behind, then the occasional Darwin Awards nominee drifting on ahead, eyes tethered to his iphone giving me an opportunity to practise my brake and swerve maneuver.
Worst of all are the women (sorry, it's always women in my experience, YMMV) who step out at the crossing just after the light changes THEN look.
I know it's early people, but the green cross code isn't that difficult!FCN 6 in the week on the shiny new single speed.
FCN 3 at the weekend - struggling to do it justice!0
