Your rants here.

Sleeptech

Ipeds ('Podestrians') involved in one in 10 road accidents:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... dents.html

Looks like Ipeds are causing all sorts of bother!

girv73

Podestrians - like it

fairweatherbiker

Glass seems to be a pet rant here. I've been using a road bike on the towpath all summer (plenty of glass, and thorns), and after the first puncture my dealer told me about kevlar puncture resistant tyres .

Does anyone have any experience of these - are they better, worth the extra?

biondino

The Telegraph wrote:

More than half of accidents involving "podestrians", as they have been called, are described as young people, teenagers or children.

Bit harsh to refer to the kids as accidents! Or am I reading this wrong?

biondino

Fairweather - there are a number of compounds like kevlar which greatly increase the puncture resistant of your tyres - browse some online shops' tyre sections and see what you come across. The sine qua non of puncture resistant tyres is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus, which many people here will heartily recommend, but a lot of sportier, lighter tyres also use the technology.

On my Focus I have the very light, racy Schwalbe Ultremos which feature a similar material called Vectran, and I quote, "this Vectran material was actually developed for use by the Mars lander tyres, to withstand the harsh Martian landscape". And in almost 1,500 miles of mostly London cycling I'm yet to have a puncture.

biondino

The beauty with bikes - tyres and any number of other parts - is that for relatively small sums you can buy top level equipment bit by bit. The Ultremos are race level but will set you back little more than £20. Obviously the downside is that such small sums are very seductive but there are so many areas you can upgrade they really can pile up after a while

girv73

There's a team kitted roadie who passes me of a morning as I heave my irn-bru (feels like it's made from gurrrders) MTB along the A2 in Belfast. I always manage a glance of acknowledgement and usually a cheery "Mornin'!" too. I'm nice like that.

But he ignores me, totally. Doesn't even look over. Every time.

Ignorant c-nut. I seriously doubt you're at full awesome to get by me, so I think you could probably spare the power for a greeting or at least a nod of the head to a fellow cyclist. Even if it was in a smug "I'm considerably faster than yewwww" style, that'd be better than completely blanking me.

MTB commuters are people too!

:roll:

biondino

girv73 wrote:

MTB commuters are people too!

I think there's still some debate in the scientific community about that.

girv73

If you scalp me, do I not bleed?

AndyManc

fairweatherbiker wrote:

Glass seems to be a pet rant here. I've been using a road bike on the towpath all summer (plenty of glass, and thorns), and after the first puncture my dealer told me about kevlar puncture resistant tyres .

Does anyone have any experience of these - are they better, worth the extra?

I love riding over glass .. it makes a nice crunchy noise like snow

I've had 1 and a half punctures in 10 months, thats riding an average of 15miles a day, my tyres are now 50% rubber 50% glass/other debris , kevlar tyres are the bees knees

always_tyred

Its an obvious question, but how can you get half a puncture?

AndyManc

Fault with the tube , tyre wasn't pierced by anything.

always_tyred

There are lots of applications for this terminology.

Such as Man U wining 1 1/2 - 1. Dodgy penalty.

Lewis Hamilton winning half a world championship - he didn't win, but he wasn't beaten by anyone.

I could go on. I shall not.

Kieran_Burns

Always Tyred wrote:

Its an obvious question, but how can you get half a puncture?

it was only flat at the bottom?



I really think i need to go home now..... :?

zanes

girv73 wrote:

There's a team kitted roadie who passes me of a morning as I heave my irn-bru (feels like it's made from gurrrders) MTB along the A2 in Belfast. I always manage a glance of acknowledgement and usually a cheery "Mornin'!" too. I'm nice like that.

But he ignores me, totally. Doesn't even look over. Every time.
*SNIIP*
:roll:

Now I'm not team kitted or anything like that (gnerically commuting on a roaide with yellow jacket+baggy shorts) but I still pass a fair few people each (good) day. I'm never sure what the right thing to do while overtaking is- "hi" seems a bit arrogant if they're struggling with knobblies, panniers etc. and just saying nothing seems a bit blanking. So generally I end up just going past, and trying to give as much space all round them. Thoughts?

Also, rant: Forgot I had a tutor session this morning, so had to get a lift in with my housemate. Stuck on campus. :roll:

girv73

@zanes I go for some sort of non-verbal acknowledgement, a nod or a smile or something just to say "hey, you're cycling, I happen to be cycling slightly faster, but it's all cool" or whatever. Sometimes I will say "mornin'" or something too. Maybe they think I'm just a crazy guy on a bike though.

s.ammo

I normally find the onomatopoetic 'neeeeeooooooooowwwwwmmm!!!!' always goes down well.

girv73

I rarely pass anyone that quickly I'd type my version here, but it'd go on for pages...

ride_whenever

the neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwmmmmmmm is brilliant. It will now be my overtaking noise...

Kieran_Burns

ride_whenever wrote:

the neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwmmmmmmm is brilliant. It will now be my overtaking noise...

I have a mate who passed a Robin Reliant down a hill in his Fiesta, but he turned his engine off as he went past. His passenger (another friend) wound the window down and shouted "neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwmmmmmmm " as they went past.

Student days..... :roll:

tailwindhome

Kieran_Burns wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

the neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwmmmmmmm is brilliant. It will now be my overtaking noise...

I have a mate who passed a Robin Reliant down a hill in his Fiesta, but he turned his engine off as he went past. His passenger (another friend) wound the window down and shouted "neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwmmmmmmm " as they went past.

Student days..... :roll:

GENIUS!

Diver-m

I would like to vent mey spleen about gangster dogs.

I unfortunately live and commute through South East London, where every young male believes himself to be a ganster. Obligatory is the nasty looking dog that is never on a lead and covered in leather and fake gold ( least I assume its fake) Its been a couple of years since I was last knocked off by a dog, it seems it was my turn again this evening.

I am not sure whether the dog was deliberately sent out in front of me, but the dog came for me, anyway me and dog impacted and down I went. Luckily I think the dog was stunned.

I was really cross, the dick head belived it was my fault. I tired to reason with him about keeping his dog undercontrol and on a lead, but he was completely stupid/ brainless and I told him this which he didn't seem to like.

We muct have looked a sight , me in lyrac and him with his trousers round his knees, he didn't look if he had mastered the art of tieing his shoelaces or brushing his hair, and cover in gold.

Anyway things were getting a bit hot, as I said I was really cross, especially as I was now covered in crap and the bike had taken a knock. It then occurred to me that he was probably carrying knife, in this areas if he wasn't he would probably be the only one, and I thought I am now going to bet stabbed.

So I beat a hasty retreat, I did get to shout another load of abuse, but unfortunately I don't think it registered one bit.

Anyway rant over, tomorrow is another day in the war zone..

don_don

girv73 wrote:

@zanes I go for some sort of non-verbal acknowledgement, a nod or a smile or something just to say "hey, you're cycling, I happen to be cycling slightly faster, but it's all cool" or whatever. Sometimes I will say "mornin'" or something too. Maybe they think I'm just a crazy guy on a bike though.

I'm not sure about the etiquette on this one either. I'll always give at least a nod / smile to anyone coming the other way, but I can't decide if its wierd to say hello to someone you're overtaking :?

Perhaps a sticker on my bag saying 'All right mate'!

biondino

Commuting in London I am always polite and courteous to other riders but I don't tend to speak to them - it seems patronising to speak to someone you're overtaking, for a start, and I think I'm probably so conditioned by the omerta' of the bus/tube that I don't speak to strangers in any public context as a result

BoardinBob

Yay, my first commuting rant.

On the way home last night, approaching a set of traffic lights which are red. There's no traffic behind or ahead of me, but there's a stationary cyclist in the middle of the green box. I start to slow and the lights turn to green and after a few seconds the cyclist still hasn't moved and I'm approaching him. I speed up slightly and move over to pass him on the right giving him plenty of room.

I'm just about to pass him when he obviously realises the lights are at green and he starts off and moves to the right, where I'm about to be in 0.5 seconds, forcing me to swerve in the direction of the oncoming traffic which I manage to swerve and avoid :x

The Chingford Skinhead

I could rant for Britain about stupid road and cycle path design. My current hatred is the number of stupid speedhumps right before turnings. It makes signalling your intention to turn impossible. You either signal half an hour early and then drop your arm so nobody is sure if you have changed your mind, or you signal after the hump - effectively giving nobody any warning at all or you signal while negotiating the hump meaning you are in real risk of hitting the deck and going under the wheels of the minicab who is trying to attach itself to your back wheel GRRRRR

People talk about making all motorists ride bikes as part of their tests - how about insisting that all town planners, engineers and workmen have to ride the roads that they design, lay etc

girv73

Stupid. Bloody. Pedestrians.

I think I need bigger front lights, maybe that will help them see me and not cross the road right across my path, requiring an impressive display of bike control under extreme braking to avoid a collision.

JackBenson59

The most annoying things in the world are ludicrously complicated gates on a trail and huge clumps of dog sh*t thaat get everywhere!

andrewjoseph

Stupid drivers who try to overtake you, going over to the other lane just before a mini roundabout, then having to brake hard and cut in front to avoid another car coming off the roundabout, nearly taking out your wife!!

Then blames me for indicating, 'I thought you were turning right!" I was, so he tries to overtake me anyway. He just couldn't see it was his fault.

Same thing has happened each time my wife and I have ridden that way.

always_tyred

I just had a run in with the sort of roadie who put me off road clubs. He was wearing his club kit. So I just left this at his club website forum:

At night, at the end of the rush hour, you followed about an inch from my back wheel for about a km.

Now, I'm not against wheel sucking per se, but you did this for a minute or two, about as close as in a pace line, without telling me you were there and that is DANGEROUS.

When I looked around I was really shocked how close you were and I think I said something along the lines of "Jesus Christ what the hell are you doing". When I tried to speak to you about it, you couldn't hear me over your music.

I tried to let you go ahead at the next lights and you wouldn't. I tried to talk to you at the next bus lane and you cycled right past because you couldn't hear that I was talking to you, or you just couldn't be bothered.

When I came back up to you and finally got your attention, beginning with "Sorry for exploding back there mate, but..." your response was, and I quote:

"Alright alright you made your point".

No sorry. No hello.

I would like to say that if you are going to conduct yourself like this, I suggest you stop wearing your club kit.

I want to reiterate that your cycling is dangerous and your attitude is arrogant and ignorant.

Once again, I apologise for beoming irritated, but your "stop bothering me" attitude really leaves the recipient in no doubt whatsover that you think you know best.

Really, you do not know best and you should be embarrased.

I am quite upset. What the hell is wrong with some people?