Fair Weather Cyclists Comments in the Times

OldSkoolKona

An article from Hugo Rifkind in the Time today entitled "I'm angry - and I've waited 6 months to say this - Don't get me started on drivers and pedestrians..."

I believe (and its only my opinion, everyone is entitled to them, so don't shoot me down) that if you want to be treated like a road user on the same level as others, you need to abide by the rules of the road (ie the Highway Code). Alongside that, two wrongs don't make a right (ie don't try and justify breaking the rules because some drivers do)

An article like this, from a self prophesed 'Fair Weather Cylist" that all cyclists jump red lights and cycle on the pavements in a provocative "What are you going to do about it" type manner does no one any favours. It then devalues the valid point he makes about pedestrians stepping out in front of cyclists. He doesn't talk for me, and from views expressed on this forum, he doesn't talk for everyone on here either. Grrr, was having such a nice day off until I read it :evil:

Jay dubbleU

Certainly doesn't talk for me or anyone else I know who cycles - typical fairweather cyclist perhaps ? Needs to MTFU and use the road - that's what its for :x

pintoo

Have to admit, he certainly did cyclists no favours whatsoever. If he couldn't come up with better arguments than that after 6 months, he has no business writing for a newspaper.

OldSkoolKona

Wait for the torrent of letters in the paper tomorrow... Shame after what I thought was a really positive article in the Sunday Times on women cyclists(which Mrs OSK thought was very good as someone beginning to get into cycling morel)

lost_in_thought

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Wait for the torrent of letters in the paper tomorrow... Shame after what I thought was a really positive article in the Sunday Times on women cyclists(which Mrs OSK thought was very good as someone beginning to get into cycling morel)

Good article. One of the main reasons female friends of mine don't want to cycle to work is that 'you get all sweaty'. Actually, that's true of the men too...

The insistence on designers annoys me though! I don't care whose factory made your shirt, cycling woman.

il_principe

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Wait for the torrent of letters in the paper tomorrow... Shame after what I thought was a really positive article in the Sunday Times on women cyclists(which Mrs OSK thought was very good as someone beginning to get into cycling morel)

But what is up with one of the women's bikes:



:shock:

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Wait for the torrent of letters in the paper tomorrow... Shame after what I thought was a really positive article in the Sunday Times on women cyclists(which Mrs OSK thought was very good as someone beginning to get into cycling morel)

But what is up with one of the women's bikes:



:shock:

She's the ex-colombian-pro-rider... so she clearly knows best.

Funny-lookin' though!

ellieb

It isn't her bike. It is one supplied by evans

don_don

OldSkoolKona wrote:

He doesn't talk for me, and from views expressed on this forum, he doesn't talk for everyone on here either. Grrr, was having such a nice day off until I read it :evil:

You're on the Commuting forum on your day off??? :shock:

Serves you right, get out on yer bike man!!!

il_principe

ellieb wrote:

It isn't her bike. It is one supplied by evans

Well that makes sense 'cos she says:

I’ve had my current bike since 2004. It’s a really good one, very expensive, and weighs only 4.5kg, but I never wash it

4.5kg! Someone is telling porkies.

Should have guessed Evans were involved - look at the lack of spacers and the bar angle.

Sorry, I'm in a bitchy mood today.

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

ellieb wrote:

It isn't her bike. It is one supplied by evans

Well that makes sense 'cos she says:

I’ve had my current bike since 2004. It’s a really good one, very expensive, and weighs only 4.5kg, but I never wash it

4.5kg! Someone is telling porkies.

Should have guessed Evans were involved - look at the lack of spacers and the bar angle.

Sorry, I'm in a bitchy mood today.

Hold on a minute though, the first lady tells us she has a big basket on teh back of hers and her bike in the photo does indeed have a big basket...

Where does it say they're supplied by Evans??

Clever Pun

the comments always wind me up more than any of these articles.. some bl00dy minded fu<ktards out there, that's for sure

Soul Boy

Can't believe thats been published, what a knob. :evil:

il_principe

Clever Pun wrote:

the comments always wind me up more than any of these articles.. some bl00dy minded fu<ktards out there, that's for sure

Yeah, like this one:

Try cycling the filthy, crowded roads of SE London in the rush hour. Until London has a network of clean, continuous, fast cycle ways, I'm taking the train and walking. I don't want to arrive at work splattered in dirt, sweaty and stressed by the inconsiderate drivers of London.

Moronic comment. As if a "fast cycle way" is going to stop her from arriving at work "sweaty." It's called exercise love, tends to make you sweat.

batch78

bl00dy minded fu<ktards

I realise your making a serious point, and agree whole heartedly, but that really brightend my afternoon up, classic.

el_presidente

Hugo Rifkind - opinionated ignorant snob, quelle surprise. The entire article is breathtaking in its ignorance and is written very poorly. Like father like son I suppose.

always_tyred

jashburnham wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

the comments always wind me up more than any of these articles.. some bl00dy minded fu<ktards out there, that's for sure

Yeah, like this one:

Try cycling the filthy, crowded roads of SE London in the rush hour. Until London has a network of clean, continuous, fast cycle ways, I'm taking the train and walking. I don't want to arrive at work splattered in dirt, sweaty and stressed by the inconsiderate drivers of London.

Moronic comment. As if a "fast cycle way" is going to stop her from arriving at work "sweaty." It's called exercise love, tends to make you sweat.

No, Jash, you are getting confused. "Exercise" is sitting on an exercise bike with the resistance setting on 1 at 50 rpm, reading about Cheryl in Now magazine.

If you "exercise" in this manner for 28 hours a week, you loose weight.

il_principe

Yeah, and eating Special K.

chuckcork

An article designed to get a rise out of everyone who reads it, poor journalism really, must be a slow news day?

AndyOgy

This RLJ thing isn't as black and white as some people seem to think. There are, without doubt, certain junctions and situations where it is stupid and dangerous to run a red light. But a lot of the time, it can be the safer thing to do. I hate it when I'm at a red light and there are 40-50 cars behind me, all bunched up. They will be in such a hurry to overtake and what will usually happen is that the first impatient driver will overtake, far too close and the drivers behind seem to do the follow the leader thing and do the same. Kind of like - it was ok for that guy to squeeze past and my car is about the same size. Now, if I jump those lights, I can be 200-300 yards further up the road when the first car catches up and the rest of them are a lot more spaced out by then. And, the road is usually wider by then too.
As for it being ileagle, I'll start to care about that when I see police enforcing other aspects of the highway code. Like cars sticking their noses out at T-junctions, giving a cyclist as much room as if he/she were a car when overtaking, parking on/driving over cycle lanes, due care and attention etc. To add insult, it's often the police themselves who are guilty of such things.
And I should add, I'm not just looking at this from a cyclists point of view. Before recently being made redundant, I used to drive for a living.
And I'm not saying that I'm right and everyone else is wrong. I'm just saying that peace on the roads is going to take a lot more than cyclists stopping at every red light. Like it or not, it does seem to be a war out there.

il_principe

Lets not get into an RLJ debate.

Buy cycle craft, read it, ride primary and don't ride like a d1ck.

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/

Rich158

Can't say I read the whole article, the first couple of paragraphs were enough. Shite journalism in the Jeremy Clarkson mould, but without the humour tbh, but then what do you expect from one of Murdoch's squalid little rags :roll:

il_principe

Thing is, Rifkind can be quite amusing when he tries:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5817813.ece

Rich158

Maybe, personally I steer well clear of any of Murdoch's rags as a matter of principle, but then I am a Guardian reading marxist leftie

OldSkoolKona

jashburnham wrote:

Lets not get into an RLJ debate.

Buy cycle craft, read it, ride primary and don't ride like a d1ck.

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/

Well said that man. I've cycled for 20+ years in a serious(ish) manner, and I only read cycle craft last year. Was a complete revelation.

biondino

I contributed to the comments! What a tool. We'll never win if we're fighting on opposing sides.

_Brun_

biondino wrote:

I contributed to the comments! What a tool. We'll never win if we're fighting on opposing sides.

AJ?

biondino

Hmm, I haven't had my comment added. Maybe I shouldn't have called Hugo an idiot.

Roastie

OldSkoolKona wrote:

An article from Hugo Rifkind in the Time today entitled "I'm angry - and I've waited 6 months to say this - Don't get me started on drivers and pedestrians..."

I believe ... Grrr, was having such a nice day off until I read it :evil:

You are so right. Hugo Rifkind is a tawt.

Cycling Dave

Yeah my comment hasn't been added either. The fact I described him as a fairweather bombdodger may have been frowned upon.

I'm stunned by this man's stupidity and thoughtlessness. Aggression only begets aggression, and if he thinks that sticking the middle finger up at motorists is going to make his life as a cyclist easier then he should not be riding a bike.

It's a retrograde step in our ambitions to be respected as road users.

I hope the puncture fairy stalks him like a slightly unhinged ex-girlfriend.

OldSkoolKona

Cycling Dave wrote:

I hope the puncture fairy stalks him like a slightly unhinged ex-girlfriend.

Excellent phrase! I feel there is some pain behind it ;-)