Your rants here.

AndyManc

bluecow wrote:

. I managed to glare at him (from close quarters) into his side window and simultaneously shout "C*CK!" through a foamy froth eminating from my snarling lips. So now two more unfortunate pedestrians in Manchester think im a psychopath. !

Try shouting TOSS*ER instead , it works for me.

itboffin

I'd like to thank that lady driver who this afternoon decided it would be a good idea to acknowledge my presents (quite easy in all the hi-viz and bright red bike) then still proceed to pull out in front of me, stop, go again and finally stop - that was nice, I really enjoyed that one.

That whole stop go pedal thing is a real pain.

Merry Christmas, Ho Ho Ho

jweston

itboffin wrote:

That whole stop go pedal thing is a real pain.

Non cyclist drivers fundamentally don't get that with our half horse power, (two legs, you do the math), we really don't want to give up our momentum. With hundreds of bhps available under the right foot who can blame them? No wonder they're all in such a bad mood all the time, with all that potential and no ability to use it

No holiday this yule so I'm looking forward to some quite roads for my 15 mile commute through the surrey hills...

Merry Christmas

downfader

bluecow wrote:

downfader wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

Once on the train I bump into an old mate I haven't seen in 6 months who finds my dress extremely amusing, especially as he's three sheets to the wind, and proceeds to tell me over and over that I look like a demented Smurf. Thanks mate, I know how ridiculous I look, after all I did manage to dress myself.

Just do as I have done and tell him you'll dance by his grave when he dies of heart disease and you out live him by a factor of some 10 years. :oops:

Havent you read any of this thread?! We'll all be spread over the tarmac long before he keels over with a heart attack!
This morning a bloke pulled out on me at a mini roundabout, despite my two front lights and having a car behind me. I managed to glare at him (from close quarters) into his side window and simultaneously shout "C*CK!" through a foamy froth eminating from my snarling lips. So now two more unfortunate pedestrians in Manchester think im a psychopath. Great!
Hmm i dont feel catharticised (i just made that word up) now, i just feel more annoyed! This thread is rubbish!

I've been spread on the tarmac 3 times in total. First time in my early 20s pulled into a carpark so I could get off and use a ped crossing, only after a holiday went through to find the premises had installed a kerb there: BANG!! Blood all over my arms and hands. Second time last year slipped on ice - the council hadnt sent any gritters out due to the costs. And the last time this september was the worst when a car pulled out of a junction and knocked me off, full on ambulance and police jobbie.

I'm still going to outlive the driver and many, many others.

Just take out your rage at the dead of night by vandalising as many cars as you can get away with. *

*joke

The Chingford Skinhead

iain_j wrote:

...
I hate changing brake pads. Wouldn't be so bad if I cleaned my bike every now and then, but I hate cleaning my bike too.

My rant, people who don't clean their bikes :!:

:twisted: Only joking Iain. so long as it isn't freezing out, I actually find giving my bike a bath and some TLC rather theraputic

iain_j

Problem is, if the weather's good enough to stand out in the back yard cleaning my bike, i'd rather be riding it :P

The Chingford Skinhead

iain_j wrote:

Problem is, if the weather's good enough to stand out in the back yard cleaning my bike, i'd rather be riding it :P

I do it when I've got back from a nice long weekend ride, my head is clear and I'm feeling good - and I don't want to ruin that all by reffing another mother / duaghter cat-fight. Sneak in, grab the bucket, fill (quietely) with water and back out that door! 8)

iain_j

Nice long weekend rides for me are followed by a nice long bath and then a nice evening in front of the telly with a nice beer

I've already made a new year's resolution to look after my bikes more.

el_presidente

To the person driving a Saab through Staines yesterday morning at 11.00 am

Yes me & my buddy were riding 2 abreast, however this was a one-way system with less than 100 yards to the next set of lights. At 11 am on a Sunday do you REALLY think it is appropriate to hoot your horn incessantly and rev your engine until it sounded like it might explode? Well if you were wondering I DID deliberately slow down and deliberately not return to single file, sadly you got through a gap anyway although not without coming within 6 inches of having me off. You are a Grade-A idiot and will have either dropped dead of a heart attack or wrapped your crappy car round a tree by the end of next year, let's hope you don't take any innocent person with you, you complete excuse for a human being. LEARN SOME MANNERS AND SOME CIVILISED BEHAVIOUR


*breathes*

PS apologies to any pedestrians who overheard my foul-mouthed outbursts during this episode.

c12345

I've had a new one reciently, approaching a T Junction (to the give way point) to turn left, when its clear from traffic the right hand side. On two occasions now, a car comming from the left has cut the corner, essentially right through me if it wasn't for my evasive actions. They only check that the oncomming way is clear, and not their exit.

Watch out people...

Rich158

c12345 wrote:

I've had a new one reciently, approaching a T Junction (to the give way point) to turn left, when its clear from traffic the right hand side. On two occasions now, a car comming from the left has cut the corner, essentially right through me if it wasn't for my evasive actions. They only check that the oncomming way is clear, and not their exit.

Watch out people...

That happens with monotonous regularity where I live, although it's not exclusively when I'm on a bike either. I've nearly had several head ons in my car due to this :evil: :evil: It's pure laziness from the car driver

Mr Sworld

My first nomination is the frozen pizza delivery driver who delivered to a fast food joint on Lewes Road in Brighton 4 months ago. He helpfully parked the 14 tonne lorry on the bike lane and waited for me to just pass the cab before opening the door......

I end up with my face in the door while my bike keeps going as it fitted underneath! It was almost cartoon-like I suppose.

My second nomination are the stupid pedestrians who don't know that the bike lane opposite the Dome is for cyclists going against the one-way traffic. I now have a inbuilt instinct to judge which one is going to walk straight out without look behind him/herself.

My funniest one is the lass who almost walked out on me but then was puzzled enough by the strobe-effect of my Fenix L2D to actually look round and then scream, at the top of her lungs, when it caught her full in the face (fresh batteries too!).

I just said 'evening love' as I cycled past!

iain_j

Mr Sworld wrote:

I end up with my face in the door while my bike keeps going as it fitted underneath! It was almost cartoon-like I suppose.

On the way home tonight I saw payback for all the times cyclists have been "doored" like this. It was on the other side of the road from me so I was safe. Car driver parks up and opens door without looking behind. But it's not a cyclist in the blind-spot tonight ... it's another car. Crunch

Mr Sworld

iain_j wrote:

On the way home tonight I saw payback for all the times cyclists have been "doored" like this. It was on the other side of the road from me so I was safe. Car driver parks up and opens door without looking behind. But it's not a cyclist in the blind-spot tonight ... it's another car. Crunch

Ah.... The worm turns!

blackworx

My grandad got doored in the sixties on the Perth Road in Dundee, smashed his head and got his top lip torn open in the process; he was in hospital for 3 weeks. It's my biggest accident fear bar none: getting doored whilst moving at speed. Even thinking about it makes me feel nauseous.

No doubt about it - prime position saves lives.

Rich158

Bloody RLJ's :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

I nearly got flattened by a roadie on a very nice Focus in Greenwich town centre today. The lights had gone red, the little green man appeared, and crowds of people started to cross the road. He still seemed to think he could make it :shock: and only just managed to slide to a halt some way onto the crossing :evil: :evil: narrowly avoiding me. Honestly would it kill him to wait 30 secs or so, I mean take a rest and get your breath back!!!!!!!!

cjcp

The Met Police Officer sitting in his stationary car in Richmond Park at Kingston Gate watching a bl00dy great big Mercedes (500 series? whatever) approaching him and overtake me doing close to 40mph (the speed limit is 20), go the wrong way around the roundabout because he couldn't be bothered to travel the extra five yards and slow down to go round it the way we tend to do in this country, AND NOT DO ANYTHING! :evil:

And at Christmas too! What if the drop kick in the Merc had been drinking? I thought they were supposed to be stricter on stopping speeding drivers at this time of the year. I mean, FFS!

downfader

cjcp wrote:

The Met Police Officer sitting in his stationary car in Richmond Park at Kingston Gate watching a bl00dy great big Mercedes (500 series? whatever) approaching him and overtake me doing close to 40mph (the speed limit is 20), go the wrong way around the roundabout because he couldn't be bothered to travel the extra five yards and slow down to go round it the way we tend to do in this country, AND NOT DO ANYTHING! :evil:

And at Christmas too! What if the drop kick in the Merc had been drinking? I thought they were supposed to be stricter on stopping speeding drivers at this time of the year. I mean, FFS!

If he's on the cops car cam the guy might get a knock at the door. Trouble is he might have been dealing with something else - they are bloody busy this time of year.

cjcp

downfader wrote:

If he's on the cops car cam the guy might get a knock at the door.

i certainly hope so.

Trouble is he might have been dealing with something else - they are bloody busy this time of year.

If he was, it wasn't obvious what else he was waiting for or detained by. The Park gates were closing, so the "in" gate was closed, and the Police car was the Park side of it, watching on-coming (i.e. out-going traffic). He was stationary, so he had time to flash his lights, and wave him over without causing any disruption to the flow of traffic (which was minimal anyway).

itboffin

not really cycling related but any way....

Why are so many website not working at the moment, including this forum for several days...???

Grrrr

Fat Kid

Unusually this is a rant against cyclists.

Why do some (a small minority granted and generally roadies with a superiority complex) insist on riding two abreast when they know it inconveniences other road users?

I see this frequently in Richmond Park. Why not pull back to single file letting the car overtake, then revert to two abreast once he's passed?.Surely not that difficult? Why wouldn't you do this? You must be aware you pee off every car driver with your selfishness; so what's the point? Pull in and pull out gain when they passed you.

It's just selfish arrogance.....isn't it??!

Rant over.

cjcp

FK - I know where you're coming from - I both ride and drive through the Park. The car/bike struggle has been going on for a while.

However, I think the Park is one place where cars can just wait and let cyclists have their bit of road, particularly if they've chosen to through the Park rather than round it to get to wherever they're going in the first place. If they're just going from one entrance to a car park, it's not a long time to wait. The cyclists are also permitted to ride two abreast, so they're doing nothing wrong. From one point of view, therefore, it's the driver who's the arrogant or inconsiderate one if s/he expects the outside rider to move in.

AndyManc

Fat Kid wrote:

Unusually this is a rant against cyclists.

Why do some (a small minority granted and generally roadies with a superiority complex) insist on riding two abreast when they know it inconveniences other road users?

.

Why don't motorists overtake cyclists that ride 2 abreast as they would do another motor vehicle.

Cycling 2 abreast is perfectly legal.


.

Fat Kid

I fully undertsand that it's legal, but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist. What's the point?

AndyManc

Fat Kid wrote:

but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist.

It's not ... it's done because people enjoy talking to a mate on a ride out.


.

Slow1972

Fat Kid wrote:

I fully undertsand that it's legal, but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist. What's the point?

Oh the ego of the motorist (and yes I am one) - everything revolves around him/her and all other road users' only purpose is to antagonise motorists. Do you suffer other forms of paranioa? Do you worry your work mates say nasty things about you behind your back?!

Ever thought that riding bikes through a park (or on any other road for that matter) two a breast may be more sociable than single file? That's the point. Its not done to purposefully antagonise motorists (I can do that on my own in a primary position ) but for a more enjoyable ride.

Get over yourself and chill out a bit, no doubt you caught up the next car in front when you'd overtaken them so its rare you end up having a slower journey overall anyway.

Motorists have no more rights to the road than any other road users, get used to it Fatty

whyamihere

Fat Kid wrote:

I fully undertsand that it's legal, but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist. What's the point?

Actually, it's because it's safer. If two cyclists are taking up the lane (the amount of room a car takes up) then a car can't squeeze past them in the same lane. I understand from reading posts here that the park has a 20mph limit, the drivers must be incredibly impatient if they can't wait a few seconds to get up to 20mph.

cjcp

whyamihere wrote:

I understand from reading posts here that the park has a 20mph limit, the drivers must be incredibly impatient if they can't wait a few seconds to get up to 20mph.

Oh yes, some are incredibly impatient. On the bright side, most are very considerate.

Fat Kid

Slow1972 wrote:

Fat Kid wrote:

I fully undertsand that it's legal, but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist. What's the point?

Do you suffer other forms of paranioa? Do you worry your work mates say nasty things about you behind your back?!

Why? What have they been saying?

Don't make it personal mate. I'm just making the point that some cyclists deliberately ride two abreat to annoy motorists. We all know they do it. Why put their own safety at risk? It's hardly worth it.

I understand the points you make though.

downfader

Fat Kid wrote:

Slow1972 wrote:

Fat Kid wrote:

I fully undertsand that it's legal, but most of the time it's done to antagonise the motorist. What's the point?

Do you suffer other forms of paranioa? Do you worry your work mates say nasty things about you behind your back?!

Why? What have they been saying?

Don't make it personal mate. I'm just making the point that some cyclists deliberately ride two abreat to annoy motorists. We all know they do it. Why put their own safety at risk? It's hardly worth it.

I understand the points you make though.

How did you know it was deliberately to annoy the motorist? Did they tell you? Did they have a banner? I find it hard to beleive you can sum up a situation like that from a few seconds behind a couple of cyclists.