Cycling in London - You lot must be mental

veronese68

Back to the OP for a moment, nice to hear someone else still uses an AtoZ.

Headhuunter

Veronese68 wrote:

Back to the OP for a moment, nice to hear someone else still uses an AtoZ.

I always have one in my commuting rucksack, tucked in a side pocket...

jds_1981

Why not just use an android app?

ketsbaia

notsoblue wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

I must admit, I've had a few hairy moments when in an engrossing chapter on my handlebar mounted Kindle but listening to music has never been a problem.

My accident record improved markedly when The Guardian went Berliner.

Allows a much better field of vision, I've found. Having to fold the back page round to do the crossword is a bit of a bind, though. Especially in heavy traffic.

spencer-far-i

notsoblue wrote:

And another thing.... why do people think its worse to wear headphones when you're cycling than it is to wear a full motorcycle helmet (that often has audio too). Its almost as if simply using a motorised vehicle makes you safer.

Because most motorcycles have mirrors, and most bicycles do not.

Headhuunter

spencer-far-i wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

And another thing.... why do people think its worse to wear headphones when you're cycling than it is to wear a full motorcycle helmet (that often has audio too). Its almost as if simply using a motorised vehicle makes you safer.

Because most motorcycles have mirrors, and most bicycles do not.

I can see faaaar more by simply looking over my shoulder than I ever could in a little disc of a mirror. Mirrors are secondary to actually looking over your shoulder. Motorcyclists are taught to do a shoulder check before making any manoeuvre and not to rely on mirrors which have blind spots. The only reason motorbikes have mirrors is that it's difficult to get completely clear view over your shoudler with a massive motorbike helmet on. Cyclists have a far better view of the road without mirrors...

I don't ride with headphones on as I just don't see the point, I can't really enjoy the music whilst concentrating on traffic, but I don't see much problem in it, as already stated, motorcyclists wear massive helmets some with audio and most car drivers are sealed into a glass and metal bubble with the stereo going and cannot hear what's coming up behind them....

Headhuunter

jds_1981 wrote:

Why not just use an android app?

I've got a smart phone with GPS etc but sometimes I just find it simpler to stuff the A to Z in my pocket and whip it out when I need to check directions. Phones are just a bit more fiddly and I find that you just don't get a very wide view of the route ahead....

hfidgen

jds_1981 wrote:

Just this morning a driver behind me (in a queue three cars long) did the old 'lights have changed, one missisissisipi, two missisissisisipi, still not moving pip the horn' thing

2 seconds?

Is that some polite english version of the New York Minute?

"The smallest measurable amount of time in the universe. Approximately equal to the time between a traffic light turning green in New York City and the cab driver behind you honking his horn."

MonkeyMonster

Had a work colleague in the lift (american btw) go woah cycling (I was suitably attired), no chance in london - "last place I worked was pushing the bike to work scheme, my friend bought a bike and on day 3 she was in a crash and lost her leg, not touching a bike now".

Yes because it was the bikes fault...

roger_merriman

Headhuunter wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Why not just use an android app?

I've got a smart phone with GPS etc but sometimes I just find it simpler to stuff the A to Z in my pocket and whip it out when I need to check directions. Phones are just a bit more fiddly and I find that you just don't get a very wide view of the route ahead....

most you can zoom out, I use various mapping apps on the iphone to check I'm where I think I am, A-Z for myself is a problem as I don't know the alphabet so takes a wee while okay sometimes a very long time!

so a device that can show me where it thinks I am and shows me a overlay is handy for those did I miss that road?

notsoblue

hfidgen wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Just this morning a driver behind me (in a queue three cars long) did the old 'lights have changed, one missisissisipi, two missisissisisipi, still not moving pip the horn' thing

2 seconds?

Is that some polite english version of the New York Minute?

"The smallest measurable amount of time in the universe. Approximately equal to the time between a traffic light turning green in New York City and the cab driver behind you honking his horn."

When people do this to me, I stop in front of them and ask them what the problem is. I'm generally quite tolerant but if someone's just being a c*** I react. I really shouldn't but I can't help it. I'm a bad person.

jds_1981

hfidgen wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Just this morning a driver behind me (in a queue three cars long) did the old 'lights have changed, one missisissisipi, two missisissisisipi, still not moving pip the horn' thing

2 seconds?

Is that some polite english version of the New York Minute?

"The smallest measurable amount of time in the universe. Approximately equal to the time between a traffic light turning green in New York City and the cab driver behind you honking his horn."

reviewed my footage last night - it was much nearer to a New York Minute than two seconds.

veronese68

jds_1981 wrote:

Why not just use an android app?

Because my phone isn't robotic. Besides, books are lovely things of loveliness.

il_principe

notsoblue wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

somewhat counter-intuitively I find the safest way to get around town is with headphones on. If I was craning my neck around seeing if every beep and profanity was directed at me I'd be under a bus in no time. I just let Stevie Nicks get me home safely.

You've either been lucky or oblivious to the danger. Depriving yourself of one of your senses is madness. Still a least you'll have some nice easy listening as you whizz your way to an early grave.

With all due respect, thats BS I wear over ear open headphones and I can hear traffic noises just fine. I can hear a gearchange from someone coming from someone drafting me, and I can hear people muttering quiet criticisms about me wearing headphones when I'm stopped at traffic lights. :P

Same here.

Drysuitdiver

Londoners are unfriendly. those of us who are not Londoners but live there are the friendly ones. or menatl cases as we try to talk to people on the tube. #youonlydothatonce