Resting on cars...

mask of sanity

What's the etiquette(if there is any)/general opinion of resting on cars instead of unclipping at traffic lights? I don't do it myself but was just interested if anyone else does...

As someone who doesn't own a car I don't know how I'd feel having some lycra clad noob leaning on my car with their sweaty hands...

Rich.

sods_law

I love my car (I'm a bit of a petrol head and a cyclist 8) ) , and the first thing I would do is get out and check to see if you had scratched the paintwork... Not something I would even consider doing myself... :?

MrChuck

I wouldn't do it, and I'm speaking as a non car-owner. I wouldn't much like it if someone leaned on my bike for a rest!

teagar

It's uncessary and you're just asking for trouble.

Monkeypump

Surely the etiquette is to not flippin' do it! I certainly wouldn't.

I actually wouldn't mind if I was confident the car wouldn't be marked, but I would have trouble assuming that was the case so wouldn't be too happy. And in not minding, I think I'm in the minority.

And if we absolutely have to unclip, it's not the end of the world, is it...?

Surf-Matt

If someone rested on our new shiny BMW, I'd get out and hit them. Hard.

TommyEss

Not when there's anyone in it!

I found myself holding onto a parked pick up truck on the weekend whilst I waited for a couple of horses to negotiate the oncoming traffic - but the truck was empty - it's also a bit more of a utility vehicle than someone's gleaming new Porsche, for example.

(Was also at just the right height!!)

Don't do it when filtering in traffic mind...!

dodgy

You're doing well Matt, yet another mention of your shiney new car in yet another thread

mask of sanity

That's a resounding no then! Thought as much.

MrChuck

Surf-Matt wrote:

If someone rested on our new shiny BMW, I'd get out and hit them. Hard.

Yeah, that'd be a totally reasonable reaction.

Anyhoo, I think it'd be quite hard to mark a car, but that's almost beside the point- it's other people's stuff, so I leave it alone just as I'd like others to leave my stuff alone.

Simonb256

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXxDSP9SfrI

Pretty much demonstrates my feelings about it. I done it once by accident whilst having a SPD moment. That is the only circumstance I would find it ok (when you cant help it).

lastwords

thats video is funny, revenge is sweet lol.

I have never considered doing it and even though my landy is scratched really bad from driving down greenlanes i would still get very angry by the sheer cheek of someone doing it.

bompington

You're obviously riding in the wrong places. Round here there are a few trees, or if you're lucky you might get to rest on a passing sheep.

fnegroni

Not that I condone it, but it used to be the practice in Italy for many years, and I did that too. I especially remember when I was 15 and rested my arm on a brand new Toyota Supra, on the rear wing none the less.
It used to be the case that bikes would not wait in line, but on the side at traffic lights, and pedals were a lot harder to clip into. A car driver would then know a cyclist was resting on his side (usually resting with the hand on the roof/door line) and would not accelerate until the cyclist had made a move.
I wouldn't dream of doing it now, but it shows how times have changed.

gkerr4

I've done it to a bus - I figured that the driver wouldn't be @rsed really.

I won't do it again though - they fairly take off when the light changes (on amber too in this case!)

I wouldn't do it with cars although the current "road safety practice" is to remove street furniture so those handy railing etc will be disapearing soon - and then i guess cars might be an option again - I hate unclipping.

ride_whenever

I use busses... wouldn't do a car though.


Trackstanding is better. 8)

TommyEss

Yeah - it's the first time I've done it to be honest - just came up on the geegees and figured it was much more sensible to hold back and give them plenty of room.

In traffic, commuting etc. I'd never do it, and have never had the urge to - for precisely the reasons given above - namely 1) what happens when they move off and 2) it's not my car!

Need to learn proper trackstanding - I can only hold it for a few seconds at the moment - it's more like very slowly riding forwards than standing!

Bhima

I used to do it all the time, then I learned to trackstand.

Now I don't bother as i'm usually in the middle of the lane - i'd have to be beside a car to do it, which isn't practical for me.

skinson

If someone rested on our new shiny BMW, I'd get out and hit them. Hard.

Typical BMW ( Taxi) driver responce....
Dave

pickled

ride_whenever wrote:

I use busses... wouldn't do a car though.


Trackstanding is better. 8)

Watching people trackstanding at lights is hilarious. Unlesss you can do it perfectly (I can't...) I wouldn't bother.
I watched someone yesterday wobble and twisting this way and that, moving forwards all the time until he was almost in the middle of the crossroads.
He then had to put his foot down anyway!

pickled

skinson wrote:

If someone rested on our new shiny BMW, I'd get out and hit them. Hard.

Typical BMW ( Taxi) driver responce....
Dave

Where do you live?! No BMW taxi's round this way...

Monkeypump

Surf-Matt wrote:

If someone rested on our new shiny BMW, I'd get out and hit them. Hard.

Shouldn't you be out tail-gating someone whilst chatting on the mobile?

TommyEss

pickled wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

I use busses... wouldn't do a car though.


Trackstanding is better. 8)

Watching people trackstanding at lights is hilarious. Unlesss you can do it perfectly (I can't...) I wouldn't bother.
I watched someone yesterday wobble and twisting this way and that, moving forwards all the time until he was almost in the middle of the crossroads.
He then had to put his foot down anyway!

I wasn't riding yesterday...!?!?!

skinson

Err! Cologne....BMW's outsell ford mondeo's they are cl1toris cars...every tnuc has one.
Dave

sods_law

skinson wrote:

Err! Cologne....BMW's outsell ford mondeo's they are cl1toris cars...every tnuc has one.
Dave

You sound like a nice guy :roll:

pompeypoppy

Only leant on a car once when getting used to SPDs, and wouldn't do it given the chance.

Have to agree that BMW drivers (generally) are the worst breed of motorists. Most taxis my way are generally considerate, whilst the elderly still believe that a cyclist's top speed is 5mph.

ride_whenever

pickled wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

I use busses... wouldn't do a car though.


Trackstanding is better. 8)

Watching people trackstanding at lights is hilarious. Unlesss you can do it perfectly (I can't...) I wouldn't bother.
I watched someone yesterday wobble and twisting this way and that, moving forwards all the time until he was almost in the middle of the crossroads.
He then had to put his foot down anyway!

Sometimes i can do it motionlessly, but sometimes i can barely do it at all... I like getting compliments from the pretty girls when i'm doing it though, although i'm fairly sure they do it just to see if i fall off...

fishyweb

I'd never do it. But I love the utube link someone posted above!

Woodchip

Simonb256 wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXxDSP9SfrI

Pretty much demonstrates my feelings about it. I done it once by accident whilst having a SPD moment. That is the only circumstance I would find it ok (when you cant help it).

Couldn't agree more.

on the road

If it's not your car then don't do it.

redvee

When I started on the longer commute I was guilty of such a ghastly deed. Got caught in the queue for some TLs and couldn't filter cause of a scaffold wagon so leant on the side with my shoulder as the workies were unloading the lorry. One of them spotted my misdeed and nudged his mate who asked if was alright, "yeah" I replied and pedaled off as the lights changed. If I was in bikey gear then it might have been different but at the time I was wearing a hi-viz bomber jacket so looked like any other construction worker.