A Biker's Complaint?!

EmBrooke

Hi there,
My name's Emily, I'm a final year Product Design student with the biking bug... I have chosen "Urban Cycling" as the theme for my major project, so will be looking to research, design and produce a biking product.
SO, as a fellow cyclist I need you help to kick things off. What frustrates you on your daily commute? What causes you annoyance/discomfort on your bike? Do you feel safe cycling? How do you cope with the weather?
ANY observations, complaints or comments are welcome!!
Thanks in advance,
Em.

asprilla

Wet feet.

It doesn't matter if I'm wearing waterproof boots, overshoes or what; if it's raining or there are puddles out I still get wet feet. That's fine if I'm on the way home, but not so good if I'm on my way to work.

The main problem is the dirty great hole in your shoes / overshoes where you put your feet in.

The Rookie

Biggest annoyance, cycle lanes on footpaths that then force a cyclist to stop at every junction, they should add dual give way lines so the cyclist gets priority over a car approaching the give way.

Simon

gbsahne001

cold feet

biondino

Asprilla wrote:

Wet feet.

It doesn't matter if I'm wearing waterproof boots, overshoes or what; if it's raining or there are puddles out I still get wet feet. That's fine if I'm on the way home, but not so good if I'm on my way to work.

The main problem is the dirty great hole in your shoes / overshoes where you put your feet in.

Have you got a front mudguard? It makes a massive difference - I only get properly wet feet in a downpour.

What might really help urban cycling is if there was a way to flag up dangerous places, roads, crossing etc (along the lines of fillthathole.org but with junctions and the like), AND devise a way for the decision makers in councils etc. to be successfully lobbied to sort them out.

unixnerd

Cold weather clothes that make me sweat too much. Can never seem to get the balance right between putting on enough to stay warm / keep the wind out and cooking in my own juices.

shouldbeinbed

people who post the same thing in different forum areas

answered this elsewhere

deptfordmarmoset

biondino wrote

What might really help urban cycling is if there was a way to flag up dangerous places, roads, crossing etc (along the lines of fillthathole.org but with junctions and the like), AND devise a way for the decision makers in councils etc. to be successfully lobbied to sort them out

Cyclestreets have a photomap which you can flag things up onto. ( http://www.cyclestreets.net/photomap/ ) The difficulty with this is that if the uptake of the map is low (as is the case in London, for example - it's better in, say, Cambridge) then you could post up a serious accident waiting to happen but only people who regularly use the map will find out about it.

Incidentally LCC just did a ''where should there be bike parking facilities?'' survey using cyclestreets map ( www.cycleparking4london.org.uk ) and I've just noticed that these missing facilities have been included on the photomap (without photos - just comments). Getting councils to do anything about it is another matter but at least it's a place for gathering the information prior to lobbying authorities.

fastbatard

My biggest complaint when commuting is motorists passing too close, one of the few things that makes me angry. If it wasn't for the fact that I love every other apsect of commuting by bike this would spoil it for me.

Keiron Curtis

shouldbeinbed wrote:

people who post the same thing in different forum areas

answered this elsewhere

ooooh!!!!

asprilla

biondino wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Wet feet.

It doesn't matter if I'm wearing waterproof boots, overshoes or what; if it's raining or there are puddles out I still get wet feet. That's fine if I'm on the way home, but not so good if I'm on my way to work.

The main problem is the dirty great hole in your shoes / overshoes where you put your feet in.

Have you got a front mudguard? It makes a massive difference - I only get properly wet feet in a downpour.

Unfortunately not. Even Crud RR2s don't find on the good bike and I'm waiting on shipment of the guards fron the winter bike fron the US. Estimated dispatch date is currently the 1/11.

MartinGT

Biggest complaint has to be drivers attitudes in this country to cyclists.

unscarred

EmBrooke wrote:

What frustrates you on your daily commute?

My commute is bike-train-bike. I have two bikes, one I leave at the station near my house during the day, the other lives at Waterloo overnight. Therefore lights, speedo, toolkit, bags etc. have to be transferred on and off both bikes repeatedly. It takes too long, and is very fiddly when you're wearing gloves. Anything that will make this quicker and easier would be very welcome!

Consider that my two bikes are very different (one is an old MTB, the other is a racing bike) so it's not straightforward to fit the same equipment to both. Also, I need to be able to carry a change of clothes and some books everyday, and it would be a bonus if I could also carry spare shoes, a packed lunch and a laptop.

As I'm usually rushing to lock the bike and strip all the gear off in order to get the next train, speed and convenience are most important to me.

RufusA

Some annoyances for me:

Keep accessories protected form tea-leafs. I don't mind removing lights/speedo etc. but would like to secure pump and wedge with something a little more secure than a plastic cable tie, but can easily be removed/unlocked by me.

A light fixed to the front fork designed for locating potholes.

Reflectors I can easily attach permanently to the heel/back of my shoe - I can't stand ankle clips.

A water bottle that fits in the bottle carrier, is easy to open / drink from, BUT I can easily carry it / clip it on to my bag if walking away from the bike.

Rufus.

mark1964

Top annoyances on my daily commute:

1) Other cyclists on the Bristol Railway Path who ride at warp speed. It's a commute, not a stage of the Tour de France.

2)Dog poo & glass.

3) Motorcyclists who insist on barging into the ASL when I'm sat in it.

Good things:

1) Never stuck in jams.
2) Always arrive at the office at exactly the time predicted.
3) No fuel costs, keeps me fit - no beer gut!.

Kieran_Burns

My gripe? Poor road surfaces.

I can cope with most anything thrown at me on the commute (with the possible exception of the BHFH) but when you get a poorly maintained road, it robs you of all your speed and you cannot get a good rythm up - plus that blasted spray tar is like cycling over thousands of little hills and I have to drop 2 gears just to maintain headway on one section of my commute

ooermissus

Risk of theft.

SmellTheGlove

The scenery on my suburban route is dull.
I need switchable VR goggles that can transform Hampstead Garden Suburb into the Pyrenees or central Berlin at the flick of a switch.
Please.





(Now.)

joelsim

Wind. Always seems to be against.

Seriously so far I've found the majority of car drivers very good, some motorcyclists however, zoom past far too close and at Millennium Falcon speed which is very unnerving.

Zulu dawn

I am very much with Kieran, the road surface is my biggest and most unsurmountable problem. I have written several times to various councils ( I cross three on the way to work and back) with no improvements being found. Cycle lanes need to be properly designed THEN maintained and kept clear of lazy bas&!$Ds who park on them.

Most of the other problems are either new material technology to refine or train companies putting on the old style half carrage to put bikes in.