Your rants here.

slowbike

Chris Bass wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

What pi$$ed me off though was the lack of fellow cyclists asking if all was well. Was on a very popular cycling route up into Northumberland and out of about 20-30 people passing only 2 checked if everything was alright.

I do always ask but i'm considering not bothering anymore, i stopped to help someone last week, I asked if he was ok, he asked if i had a pump, I did, i was very late so said he'd need to get a wriggle on. first thing he says is " i have a pump like this at home" I resisted the urge to say it's not doing much good there is it. He fannied about for ages, couldn't get his valve to open/work so said he'd have to phone his wife.

If you are out on your bike and don't have what you need if you have a puncture you deserve to walk or make the call of shame!!

I see your frustration - but don't let it put you off.
Couple of years back I found I'd not got the spares I thought I had (punctured tube isn't a spare!) - no signal either and in a bit of an isolated/dangerous spot (busy country lane in the middle of nowhere) - a passing cyclist loaned me a tube - once fitted I gave him a tow up the road - and a new tube a few days later. Ok, I wasn't in any desparate difficulty and could've sorted myself out eventually - being just a tube n all that - but the kindness shown by a passing stranger sticks with me - he helped me out and I'm happy to do the same for others.

Which brings me onto a ride with a mate - he got a puncture - was faffing about trying to get the replacement tube and tyre on so I gave him the old tube and bits to pack away whilst I fitted the tube & tyre - sometimes even the most capable of people just aren't for a moment - and that's when cycling buddies comes in handy ...

Snakebite the 2nd

When I rode with a mountainbike club we had a rule, bring your own stuff.

In reality however the new people never did (at first) so everyone used to help out.
Eventually they became self sufficient, and in turn helped out the newer members coming behind them.

One thing we did that was very useful was to assist if someone had a puncture.
It's amazing how quickly it gets done with a couple of pairs of hands assisting with the rolling up and packing away of the old kit.

I used to keep all my old tubes and dish them out to the newbies, in the hope they'd pass them on when others needed them.

keyser__soze

fat daddy wrote:

no worries I'll take a couple of gp4000 tires then ..... £50 each .. WHAT ! .... £50 FFS, ok wiggle it is.

They price-match, as do Evans, very handy for getting decent prices and picking up locally.

dave35

Road rage!!!! Big run in with a "lady" driver, overtakes me so close that my right foot clipped her car-I stayed upright and carried on a little fecked off but put it down to a lucky call as she was faster than me. I then pass her in traffic and signal my way into a roundabout,she's having none of that and overtakes me turning left across my path. Red mist comes down and I follow her in the traffic,caught her up and suggested she gave me a bit of room when passing(I never swore and was quite polite) to which I get called A. Frigid Pussy !told I'm Lucky she didn't just run me down, then to cap it off infront of her children calls me a Cnut and spits at me. Utter filth, in all my years of riding I have never been so upset and angry after a ride. Need a beer!!!

Snakebite the 2nd

dave35 wrote:

Road rage!!!! Big run in with a "lady" driver, overtakes me so close that my right foot clipped her car-I stayed upright and carried on a little fecked off but put it down to a lucky call as she was faster than me. I then pass her in traffic and signal my way into a roundabout,she's having none of that and overtakes me turning left across my path. Red mist comes down and I follow her in the traffic,caught her up and suggested she gave me a bit of room when passing(I never swore and was quite polite) to which I get called A. Frigid Pussy !told I'm Lucky she didn't just run me down, then to cap it off infront of her children calls me a Cnut and spits at me. Utter filth, in all my years of riding I have never been so upset and angry after a ride. Need a beer!!!

Yes I know it was a woman, but I think I would have had a choice few words followed by knocking her wing mirror off!

davis

dave35 wrote:

Road rage!!!! Big run in with a "lady" driver, overtakes me so close that my right foot clipped her car-I stayed upright and carried on a little fecked off but put it down to a lucky call as she was faster than me. I then pass her in traffic and signal my way into a roundabout,she's having none of that and overtakes me turning left across my path. Red mist comes down and I follow her in the traffic,caught her up and suggested she gave me a bit of room when passing(I never swore and was quite polite) to which I get called A. Frigid Pussy !told I'm Lucky she didn't just run me down, then to cap it off infront of her children calls me a Cnut and spits at me. Utter filth, in all my years of riding I have never been so upset and angry after a ride. Need a beer!!!

Vehicle registration? reported? No excuse for her behaviour...

gbsahne001

Snakebite the 2nd wrote:

dave35 wrote:

Road rage!!!! Big run in with a "lady" driver, overtakes me so close that my right foot clipped her car-I stayed upright and carried on a little fecked off but put it down to a lucky call as she was faster than me. I then pass her in traffic and signal my way into a roundabout,she's having none of that and overtakes me turning left across my path. Red mist comes down and I follow her in the traffic,caught her up and suggested she gave me a bit of room when passing(I never swore and was quite polite) to which I get called A. Frigid Pussy !told I'm Lucky she didn't just run me down, then to cap it off infront of her children calls me a Cnut and spits at me. Utter filth, in all my years of riding I have never been so upset and angry after a ride. Need a beer!!!

Yes I know it was a woman, but I think I would have had a choice few words followed by knocking her wing mirror off!

I've had that before when a woman tried to run me off the road because I wasn't using a 50m section of cycle path. Much as it would have been tempting to smash the wing mirror off, I decided that the kids in the back really don't deserve to have further trauma inflicted on them.

dave35

I was too shocked by her behaviour to even think about getting a reg number and reporting her. I never thought I'd even think about getting a bike camera as I hate what some people use them for,may have to re think that now.

redvee

Keyser__Soze wrote:

fat daddy wrote:

no worries I'll take a couple of gp4000 tires then ..... £50 each .. WHAT ! .... £50 FFS, ok wiggle it is.

They price-match, as do Evans, very handy for getting decent prices and picking up locally.

Last couple of purchases from CS have been matched to Evans, nearly pricematched them with PBK on the tyres I bought from Cycle Republic but the extra 10 from Cycle Republic made the difference. I would have saved more with Cycle Surgery than at Cycle Republic if they didn't allow BC discount too but would have paid the same regardless of where I bought the tyres.

elbowloh

Not so much a rant, but an observation made over many months of commuting:

"not in service" signs on buses have magical properties. Not only do they make the drivers believe they are in a racing car, but it also makes them blind to other road users and often also traffic lights and signs.

wolfsbane2k

Bloody taxis.

itboffin

twat truck driver tried to run me off the road twice this morning which i captured on my gopro but the local police need you to call it in, no online method to report road incidents and i'm just too tired to spend my evening on the phone.

wolfsbane2k

itboffin wrote:

fool truck driver tried to run me off the road twice this morning which i captured on my gopro but the local police need you to call it in, no online method to report road incidents and i'm just too tired to spend my evening on the phone.

Hope your ok. Wasn't at mitchen junction was it, seen a bid of a cyclist staying water at a truck driver..

Yeah, unable to report crime online is a stupid bloody system, guess it makes a lot of crimes not reported as many can't be bothered to wait an hour to report it, and you can't go into front desks of cop stations as they don't exist anymore!
Took me over an hour to report my incident, yet I expect it to go nowhere:-(

Snakebite the 2nd

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

itboffin wrote:

fool truck driver tried to run me off the road twice this morning which i captured on my gopro but the local police need you to call it in, no online method to report road incidents and i'm just too tired to spend my evening on the phone.

Hope your ok. Wasn't at mitchen junction was it, seen a bid of a cyclist staying water at a truck driver..

Yeah, unable to report crime online is a stupid bloody system, guess it makes a lot of crimes not reported as many can't be bothered to wait an hour to report it, and you can't go into front desks of cop stations as they don't exist anymore!
Took me over an hour to report my incident, yet I expect it to go nowhere:-(

Even if you go in, as I did, with photos, a full written explanation and a map from Google with all the information printed on it they don't want to know.
They wrote it down and were going to pass it onto the correct team, but when I offered them a copy of the documentation and they declined I knew it was going nowhere.

True enough it didn't.

I don't suppose my sarcastic comment along the lines of "No, there's no point you having a copy of the paperwork I lovingly printed out as all it means is you might knock your coffee and donuts off the desk as you reach over to put it in the bin" helped either.

fat daddy

arrrrrgh FRICKEN busses

seriously they do my nut in, they are so freaking slow and take up soooo much room.

I was on for an epic ride in this morning, I had a favourable wind and the traffic was light and the traffic lights were on my side .... I was up for some serious Strava PRs

And then come the busses .... ones that wont get in the bus lane, ones that wont get out the bus lane. In the old days when they did 30mph I could have least drafted them, but now its all 20mph in Bristol so you come up to one and have to slow down until you find a gap to over take ...... power back on .... and another one pulls out in front of you .. GNNNNNR, I always though busses were annoying when I was a car driver, but sh1t on a stick if they don't p1ss me off majorly now.

If they floored it and put there foot down a bit (1) people would get to where they are going quicker (2) I could get to where I was going quicker.

I suppose at least they indicate

and the noise, when you are sat 4" off the back of one waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear the roar of that diesel is deafening

reformedfatty

Of late I leant the usage of my cotic soul to my other half for the rare occasions she does mountain biking. Today I decided to commute on it with the aim of doing some trails on the way home. When leant to her it was running perfectly, I ride it today and the indexing is all over the shop, the brakes sound like she's hidden some banshees in them and there is an unhealthy dying bearing feeling through the pedals...

wolfsbane2k

Lent my good tyre leavers to friend 2 week ago, who broke them.
got a visit from the PF on Monday, was left fighting using bendy levers - took ages.
Got another visit today due to catching the tube last time I put the tyre on.
Had I remembered to buy any new levers? Had I sod.

Ben6899

Chris Bass wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

What pi$$ed me off though was the lack of fellow cyclists asking if all was well. Was on a very popular cycling route up into Northumberland and out of about 20-30 people passing only 2 checked if everything was alright.

I do always ask but i'm considering not bothering anymore, i stopped to help someone last week, I asked if he was ok, he asked if i had a pump, I did, i was very late so said he'd need to get a wriggle on. first thing he says is " i have a pump like this at home" I resisted the urge to say it's not doing much good there is it. He fannied about for ages, couldn't get his valve to open/work so said he'd have to phone his wife.

If you are out on your bike and don't have what you need if you have a puncture you deserve to walk or make the call of shame!!

Oh God, this reminds me. I had a similar incident in Richmond Park a couple of months ago. Me and a mate were on our last lap and on our way to the café for a nice coffee and a piece of overpriced cake. I had just browed Dark Hill (behind my mate - he climbs better, is almost 10yrs younger etc) and spotted a bloke sat on the verge, looking despondent. Bike to his side with the front wheel out.

I ask if he's okay. He has a flat, doesn't have a pump. So I lend him mine (a little Specialized one which goes nicely in a jersey pocket). He asks "are you heading to the café?" "I am actually." I leave the pump with him and he says he'll find me in the café to return it.

[...]

I'm now in the café, my mate outside sat with the bikes. As I'm about to pay, Mr Nopump walks in and is looking for me. So I give him a wave and he walks over.

Me: "sorted mate?"

Him: "you need to invest in a new pump" [turns to his mate, sat on the table nearby] "what're you having?"

Rude c u n t.

redvee

Came to a t-junction with a van waiting to turn into the road I coming out of and a van coming the other way to the van turning lets him out so I use this gap in the traffic to turn myself and follow the car in front with a 10 foot gap. Next thing I know is the van that let the other van turn is beside me wanting to be in that 10 foot gap. I hold my ground and stay behind the car albeit a little closer with the van driver letting the world know he can rev the engine. I'm turning left in 200 yards but the van tailgating and driving aggressively turns right before I turn left. Was there any need to MGIF?

cruff

Ben6899 wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

Dinyull wrote:

What pi$$ed me off though was the lack of fellow cyclists asking if all was well. Was on a very popular cycling route up into Northumberland and out of about 20-30 people passing only 2 checked if everything was alright.

I do always ask but i'm considering not bothering anymore, i stopped to help someone last week, I asked if he was ok, he asked if i had a pump, I did, i was very late so said he'd need to get a wriggle on. first thing he says is " i have a pump like this at home" I resisted the urge to say it's not doing much good there is it. He fannied about for ages, couldn't get his valve to open/work so said he'd have to phone his wife.

If you are out on your bike and don't have what you need if you have a puncture you deserve to walk or make the call of shame!!

Oh God, this reminds me. I had a similar incident in Richmond Park a couple of months ago. Me and a mate were on our last lap and on our way to the café for a nice coffee and a piece of overpriced cake. I had just browed Dark Hill (behind my mate - he climbs better, is almost 10yrs younger etc) and spotted a bloke sat on the verge, looking despondent. Bike to his side with the front wheel out.

I ask if he's okay. He has a flat, doesn't have a pump. So I lend him mine (a little Specialized one which goes nicely in a jersey pocket). He asks "are you heading to the café?" "I am actually." I leave the pump with him and he says he'll find me in the café to return it.

[...]

I'm now in the café, my mate outside sat with the bikes. As I'm about to pay, Mr Nopump walks in and is looking for me. So I give him a wave and he walks over.

Me: "sorted mate?"

Him: "you need to invest in a new pump" [turns to his mate, sat on the table nearby] "what're you having?"

Rude c u n t.

I'd have been inclined to say 'cheers for the heads up' and drop the pump in his brew

MrSweary

Hey girl on Brompton - You had no need to try an squeeze into the non-existant gap between me and the girl on my left at the Vaux Bridge lights. Furthermore you had no need to try to stay alongside me shoulders touching as we pulled away. Unless you were pick-pocketing me. In which case, chapeau.

Next time try it with a car you idiot.

keyser__soze

MrSweary wrote:

Hey girl on Brompton... you idiot.

Was it a green Brompton? :twisted:

MrSweary

Keyser__Soze wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

Hey girl on Brompton... you idiot.

Was it a green Brompton? :twisted:

Err no. Aside from more fundamental differences I doubt she would ride like such a fool and also she'd probably be showing me a clean pair of heels!

wolfsbane2k

Still being at work 4 hours after I would normally leave due to a last minute request.
Given the commute at normal time would have been nice and warm, and it's now dark and cold, I'm not as prepared as I could have been for this - going to be cold, and on emergency "see me" lights only

adambruntlett

Right hooked by a scooter just before Battersea Park on my way home last night, saw it last minute and slammed on the brakes to no avail, front wheel hit scooter, I flipped over it and went an impressive distance up in the air (according to the jogger who stopped to help me). Scooter had been waved through by a berk in an X5 on my right and I was filtering up the cycle lane on the left. Luckily I somehow managed to roll and escaped with a few small grazes, sore shoulder and bruised finger. Bike suffered a puncture due to the impact, slightly buckled wheel, bent shifter (bent it back into place) and I think slightly bent bars but need to get it checked out. Guy on the scooter was really apologetic and stopped, gave me his number and where he works and said he'd cover repairs. Realised I'd left my phone in the office, so had to go back and get it once I'd fixed the puncture.

I then got left-hooked by a p**ck on his phone driving a white van, not indicating, didn't check his mirror until I banged on the side of his van and shouted at him to get off his bloody phone. Safe to say the adrenaline was up so i didn't have much patience for that sort of crap driving and he got an earful. Not my day!

iPete

My rant now pales into insignificance on reading the above but;

People who roll really slowly up to traffic lights, especially when they aren't going to change for ages.

bendertherobot

I'm sure it's been on here recently but overtaking in lanes. Or, rather, PASSING in lanes, i.e. coming the other way.

One foot from your mirror and speed faster than you'd overtake is unacceptable.

MrSweary

Taxi cab on Buckingham place who I came face to face with on the wrong side of the road as you pulled into your rank without looking. You have no right to be aggrieved - I didn't even react apart from braking hard and looking unsurprised.

Unless of course you're just unhappy that you're a fat, useless sack of ugly middle aged blubber with anger management issues. In which case, carry on.

Adam - bummer. hope bike and body recover quickly.

wolfsbane2k

6 rides, 6 visits from the PF, exacerbated today by a double tap.

Looks like at some point I've pinched both tubes when putting the wheel back on. And only likely to get worse as my anger with dealing with a daily PF visit means I'm less careful. Time to stick an order of new tubes on.

itboffin

new tubes and tyres i'd say and dont use levers to put tyres on if that's what you've been doing.