Your rants here.

kleinstroker

DJFish wrote:

Bit of a rant/anti-rant but here goes.

This week I've had a different commute as I've been visiting a relative in the Royal Brompton after my nightshifts so I've been going through Hyde Park which has been really lovely with sunrises & sunsets, squirrels that sort of thing... however the standard of some commuters really leaves a lot to be desired.
Every dick move by a cyclist sticks in the mind of the retarded motorist and gives them the justification (in their minds) to pull a dick move of their own, and there just seemed to be a lot of it going on.

Agreed. There are some huge feckwits commuting, they are a danger to themselves & other cyclists. Sometimes I have to slow down to make sure I am nowhere near them as they plunder through the traffic causing chaos. What gets me most is their utter disregard for other cyclists who are put into dangerous situations because of their feckwittery

tootsie323

Is nobody aware of the traffic light rules in London? Green means go, amber means go, red means go on then - just three more of you...

reformedfatty

Top work by WVM today in Bristol. I'm approaching a traffic island, ~50m after which I turn left. I hear a vehicle behind sounding like it might be about to do something stupid, so I take primary and indicate left. WVM gets right on my rear wheel revving the engine and leaning on the horn through the traffic island, then goes straight for the overtake (into an oncoming cyclist).

Total time he was delayed for.. maybe 2 seconds? He got a raised finger response, which seemed to amuse his passenger no end.

anonymousblackfg

It's apparently don't use your mirrors days, the second fvcktard negated to bother with indicators as well for a laugh. I went suitably mentalist to prove a point.

Had a really cheery hello from a chap who passed me in the park. Such a delightful change, he was clearly quicker than me but I out filtered him into Queens ride and think I beat him over a few sets of lights.

tangled_metal

froze wrote:

I'm a cyclist, been one for over 40 years, but I have to put this rant out against some cyclists, note I said some not all. This happens a lot actually but it just happened again last night while driving home from work in my car so it's fresh in my mind. I'm approaching a traffic light on a moderately busy intersection doing about 30mph, I have the green, out of the corner of my eye I see something darting through stopped traffic to my right, I slam the brakes hard as a cyclist runs the red light, this time I miss him by about 2 feet, but what about the next time? I wish cops would treat cyclists who violate traffic laws like they do with cars and write these idiots tickets, maybe if that was done more often we could reduce the rate of cyclist deaths that has been going up at an alarming rate, it's tragic enough when we read about some cyclist that was killed, but everyone forgets the torment of the person that was driving the car has to endure for the rest of their lives that they killed another person even though it wasn't their fault.

Don't get me started on that! I had green on a staggered cross roads where the two roads going into the main road get their own time in the lights sequence to pull out. Once I hesitated so it was on green for a long time before I pulled slowly out. Only for someone to come screaming down the hill straight through what is in fact two sets of red lights. Anyway, keeping calm I started to move forward to have a repeat of it.

Another time I was in the pedestrian crossing part of the lights (the second set of lights into the other road). Lights went red on the road and green man came up. I hesitated then crossed. Screaming straight through the two red lights another two people. Then setting off to cross again another two people. By that time it was close to going to amber so I ran across before amber in a bit of a shock.

Now what I never mentioned was mode of transport of those ppl. They were cars in all cases. The first case the two cars even had the cheek to "tell me off" with loud and excessive horn use.

BTW that same junction I've seen mothers dragging kids back by the arm out of what would have been life changing / ending impact when the kid crossed on green man.

This point I am not making clearly enough but for every red light jumping cyclist I've seen there's been several multiples of motorists doing it. It is all wrong and if I had the power I'd make the perps walk everywhere for the rest of their lives. No car or bike use even as a passenger ever again. Impossible to enforce it.

As far as my junction goes. Tesco, for the other side is a junction into their carpal park, if anyone gets killed by the atrocious junction design into your store I will make it my obsession to give you a hard time until you shut the store down to change the junction into a safe one. Move the bloody junction on your side it is a double set of lights, make it one straight crossroads, and on a downhill just after the crest of the hill. Cars look to the second lights and ignore the first. One set of lights and hopefully problem solved.

Rant over.

prhymeate

Prhymeate wrote:

I bought a new commuter/gravel bike from Evans because they had a good deal on. After having some issues with my Rose bike (based in Germany) I also assumed that buying from Evans would mean any replacements/repairs would be relatively quick and easy. Wrong. The bike creaked on the ride home so I took it to my local store. It either needs a replacement bb or new frame. This was on August 16th and they can't get the spare part (for one of their own brand bikes) until September 6th! I can't knock the staff at Evans, they've been as helpful as possible, but !@#~ me it's frustrating.

I was told the problem was fixed and that it was the wheel, not the bb, although they replaced the bb as well to be on the safe side. Bike seemed fine after the first few miles...now the creaking is back. Not as bad, but definitely there. If it does need a new frame...well, there aren't any in stock and they are no longer making that model. :evil: :evil:
The bike has spent more time at Evans since I bought it than it has in my posession.

MrSweary

awavey wrote:

so when people say ooh cyclists jump red lights, yes some do undoubtedly, they are idiots, they are risking their own safety by doing so, but it pales completely into insignificance vs the volume of motorists doing the exact same and no one seems to give xxxx about them doing it.

So very much this.

wolfsbane2k

Stopped at RL, in the middle of the lane, at 80degree angle across the lane to sit right on the RL sensors to ensure it detects me.
Nobody else was behind me as I pulled up. Dude in a car on the other lane , with window down, said "Well done for stopping at the red light", to which I rolled my eyes.
Cue twunt on a bike pulling who appears to have dropped off the kerb pulling around me to and RLJing

Of course, I called out said twunt, who ignored me. Driver rolled eyes and said well, 1 out of 2 stopping aint' bad.

Twunt then got overtaken at speed when the lights went green.

TWunt.

j_mcd

Rant:

My little boy decides that yesterday, rather than any time during our "summer", is a great time to get really interested in his balance bike. An hour in the driving rain while we (he) cycled around the village

Anti Rant:

He loves his bike and got up quite a bit of speed at times. Worth getting soaked for as he was so excited about it.

rick_chasey

J_MCD wrote:

Rant:

My little boy decides that yesterday, rather than any time during our "summer", is a great time to get really interested in his balance bike. An hour in the driving rain while we (he) cycled around the village

Anti Rant:

He loves his bike and got up quite a bit of speed at times. Worth getting soaked for as he was so excited about it.

He's probably the next Sean Kelly...

anonymousblackfg

As a man who's keen to bring Mini ABFG on as a potential Roubaix winner that sounds like you have a head start. My boy will waddle about on his but not much free rolling. Is it best just to chuck him down a gentle hill on it and see how he does?

slowbike

J_MCD wrote:

Rant:

My little boy decides that yesterday, rather than any time during our "summer", is a great time to get really interested in his balance bike. An hour in the driving rain while we (he) cycled around the village

Anti Rant:

He loves his bike and got up quite a bit of speed at times. Worth getting soaked for as he was so excited about it.

yup - they tend to ignore anything other than what they're doing - my little boy was off on his BB this weekend - he was oblivious to the fact that it was raining and that we were trying to go out ...

j_mcd

anonymousblackfg wrote:

As a man who's keen to bring Mini ABFG on as a potential Roubaix winner that sounds like you have a head start. My boy will waddle about on his but not much free rolling. Is it best just to chuck him down a gentle hill on it and see how he does?

I think age plays a part, he was 2 when he got it and for ages it's been "too scary" or "too wobbly". Something has just changed in his mind recently and bikes are fun.

slowbike

anonymousblackfg wrote:

As a man who's keen to bring Mini ABFG on as a potential Roubaix winner that sounds like you have a head start. My boy will waddle about on his but not much free rolling. Is it best just to chuck him down a gentle hill on it and see how he does?

There's got to be a purpose for them - eg - Fun ... I ride a 20" bike with my boy (it will be his assuming I haven't trashed it) as it gets me down closer to his level, I can throw it around and get off quickly to do the pickup when he falls off. We haven't thrown him down a hill - TBH I think it's likely to scare them as they can't control the bike well enough not to fall off.
I wouldn't change how we went about it if I had to do it again - I'd still ride around with him playing chase, bump bump (just over drain covers at first - off curbs later on) and generally just having fun ...

viewtopic.php?f=40032&t=13082863

j_mcd

Got hit in the face today by something falling off a tree today, small branch or a conker, doesn't really matter as it was still a shock!

veronese68

J_MCD wrote:

Something has just changed in his mind recently and bikes are fun.

Didn't do the balance bike thing as I didn't know about them when the boy was little, but found this to be very much the case when it came to learning to ride without stabilisers. Tried a couple of times and he just didn't get it. Then one day at my folks' place he discovered his older cousin had learnt to ride a bike. From that point it took less than 15 minutes for him to be riding a bike. Suddenly the desire was there so we were straight round to the park and off he went.
Agree with the point about sending little ABNG* down a hill might put him off more.

* Anonymousblacknogear if it's a balance bike?

MrSweary

anonymousblackfg wrote:

As a man who's keen to bring Mini ABFG on as a potential Roubaix winner that sounds like you have a head start. My boy will waddle about on his but not much free rolling. Is it best just to chuck him down a gentle hill on it and see how he does?

Just give him time and he'll get the hang of it. Eventually he'll get to that moment when he figures out that if you lift your feet up on a slope you get to go fast for zero effort and its FUN! First he needs to learn to balance which will come incrementally. After that point good luck in keeping up with him.

Then he will learn to crash which, as many of us know, is a vital skill. By the time my daughter got her pedal bike she was an expert level crasher. Of course sometimes she rides slap bang into large immovable objects just for the thrill of it. :roll: One day her legs will stop looking like they've been mauled by an escape tiger. Perhaps.

qube

Supposed rant threads that turn into something off Mumsnet.

Kids ride bikes. I get it.

MrSweary

Qube wrote:

Supposed rant threads that turn into something off Mumsnet.

Kids ride bikes. I get it.

1/10.

slowbike

bit chilly this morning ... made it hard going ... compounded by the mud & stones left on the lane by the tractors ...

wolfsbane2k

Blasted English/Italian Bottom Bracket Standards.

Friend bought 2 , what were meant to be English threaded, BB's back in Feb.
Called me over to help him replace his BB, as he couldn't get it either to fit, and was stuck.

They were ordered as British, but got delivered Italian. Being they were delivered in Feb, and only opened yesterday, the 14 day checking period had well and truly expired, so I'm now down another flipping BB.

Anyone want some Italian thread Ultegra 6800 BBR60 bottom brackets?

itboffin

i'd still send them back

timothyw

Saw a motorcyclist on the floor today, had ridden into a car pulling out of a driveway across a line of stationary traffic.

Did not look in a good way.

Stay safe.

bunter

Bike started to feel really weird on the way home today. Frame has broken where the dropout is was welded to the chainstay. Walked the last mile home as the back end was flopping all over the place. I spent a good chunk of Saturday completely recabling with nice cables and new bar tape and was really pleased with how it was running this morning on the way in...

FECK!

DrLex

Failure related to your Off last month? Might be a repairable break.

vpnikolov

TimothyW wrote:

Saw a motorcyclist on the floor today, had ridden into a car pulling out of a driveway across a line of stationary traffic.

Did not look in a good way.

Stay safe.

Ha... same happened to me about three months ago, on my bike though. Walked away with a minor bruise on my knee, luckily...

bunter

DrLex wrote:

Failure related to your Off last month? Might be a repairable break.

I don't think so. Apart from scuffed saddle and bar tape, there was no damage to the bike...

awavey

having spent the past few weeks attempting to convince colleagues at work, not all cyclists are obnoxious redlight jumping pavement riding pedestrian hitting maniacs, had to get the train this week for a day and as there was no way I was leaving my bike at the train station so I walked as the weather was still fairly nice for the time of year

and apart from Id forgotten how annoying some besuited city type commuters are on trains, which is a rant worthy in itself, Im walking along the pavement down a steepish hill and then nearly get taken out by this cyclist riding down alongside me on the pavement, and the reason shes on the pavement and not the road, because doing this on the road would be dangerous obv :roll: is because her 5-7yrold daughter is just sitting on the pannier rack holding on being taken to school, 2 up there was no way she was stopping in a hurry without them both coming off.

I get to the bottom of the hill and theres a toucan crossing to cross the road, and fair enough now the pavement is shared space, but Im walking the most direct route to the crossing which is diagonal for me, and despite there being metres of space to my right opening up and a narrowing gap on my left with the road,the next cyclist I encounter, suddenly dives from behind me past me on the left, close enough I jumped back and has to do a sharper left turn to use the crossing, and then as I cross the road, another cyclist then coming directly towards me does that "uses the crossing half way then jumps on to the road to get a jump ahead on the traffic" and I have to slam on my anchors to stop from walking into them.

and Im just thinking FFS cyclists stop being assholes

the only positive was I saw plenty more cyclists behaving totally responsibly, and just as many obnoxious car drivers jumping lights and dumping their cars where it wasnt legal to park, but I know the thing most non-cyclists, and any of my work colleagues would have taken from the same journey is, cyclists break rules and only think of themselves

nich

Lost my montane minimus jacket somehow, expensive lightweight waterproof, gutted

fat daddy

urgh ... its almost 2018 ... I missed the trend for Bullhorns by about 4 years ... always wanted them, considering sticking some on the singlespeed, but its so 2014 ... I think I would look like a bigger dick than normal