What annoys you the most about road cycling?

Thebigbee

Hi,

I am a convert like many of you to road cycling. I have realised that we are quite a passionate bunch once we get the bug.

I am interested in what bugs you about road cycling. Please give as much info as you want.

My big bug bear is the state of the roads. Where I live literally every main road is "patched" every 10-20 metres or so. Which wouldn't be an issue if the contractors knew what a level was for!

I also hate completely pointless "cycle lane markings" - have plenty of those near me that seem to appear out of thin air for 100 metres or so - then disappear just as quick. What is the point?

Another really annoying thing is inconsiderate drivers. Maybe it is just me but sometimes people drive so close, within a couple of inches so they really can't of not seen me. We then get up to the lights and they have basically driven into any space I may of had. WTF?

Another pet hate of mine is dog walkers who have no control on their animals. Not fun cycling into a dog when the moronic owner is just letting them run around as if the whole world is theirs. Even more annoying when they are meant to be kept on a lead until they get to the beach 10 metres away where they can run free!

What are the things that piss you off?

It may be the state of the roads and motorists (and dog owners) like me!

It may be the cost of the bikes/ parts/ servicing?

It may be other cyclists? I have to admit that I get very riled by tossers that ride at night without any lights. The ones on bikes that cost over £1000 get my goat even more!

Please inform us of your annoyances on the road.

Cheers

petemadoc

Woah who got out of the bed the wrong side this morning!

My one and only real pet hate is dangerous drivers, you know, the real idiots who put your life at risk just to save themselves a few seconds or the ones who are abusive.

Oh yeah and I wish I was faster too

craker

you need to have a look at the 'Your Rants Here thread' :shock:

rick_chasey

It varies.

Usually my lack of fitness is a annoying.

Often it's the fact that I like riding, but hate any mechanical stuff. Even lubing the chain is an irritation.

Bad driving doesn't annoy me. It can rile or anger me, but it doesn't annoy me!

unixnerd

1) Councils who make nice smooth roads in the centre with huge potholes in the left 1m inside cycle lane markings.

2) Pedestrians who don't look. But the coming of nice quiet electric cars will soon kill most of them off.

I've found drivers to be generally OK.

bompington

Road cyclists

petemadoc

Rick Chasey wrote:

It varies.

Usually my lack of fitness is a annoying.

Often it's the fact that I like riding, but hate any mechanical stuff. Even lubing the chain is an irritation.

Bad driving doesn't annoy me. It can rile or anger me, but it doesn't annoy me!

Pedantic or what, annoyed, angered, riled surely these are pretty much the same thing. Or maybe very annoyed is closer to angered.

God I need get back to my work

petemadoc

unixnerd wrote:

1) Councils who make nice smooth roads in the centre with huge potholes in the left 1m inside cycle lane markings.

2) Pedestrians who don't look. But the coming of nice quiet electric cars will soon kill most of them off.

I've found drivers to be generally OK.

Drivers are generally ok. In fact most people are generally ok. Unfortunately some people are tw4ts and unfortunately some of these tw4ts can drive a car.

petemadoc

unixnerd wrote:

1) Councils who make nice smooth roads in the centre with huge potholes in the left 1m inside cycle lane markings.

2) Pedestrians who don't look. But the coming of nice quiet electric cars will soon kill most of them off.

I've found drivers to be generally OK.

The pedestrian thing can be rather amusing at times. Cycling along typically in the middle of a town, said pedestrian can't hear a car and so steps out into the road and only sees the cyclist hurtling towards them at the last second, I swerve, they sh1t their pants and look confused and angry with a kind of "how dare you creep up one me" expression on their face.

SPOODZILLA

Traffic lights. I go through 39 sets in my 13 miles commute. By the time i've picked up a decent pace I'm wearing the brake pads away having to stop again.

Gizmodo

But the coming of nice quiet electric cars will soon kill most of them off.

They are developing a European standard noise that elec cars are going to have to "play" at low speed - supposedly.

What annoys me is not having enough time to ride. Oh that and being saddle sore.

Pork Sword

Hmmm.... the weather, horse sh1t, dog sh1t ,glass, mental drivers, laughable 'cycle paths', hills, pot holes big enough to swallow a truck, dogs, peds, ignorant fellow 'roadies' the list goes on...

coman1985

A head wind that seems to stay with you no matter what direction you go in...

fly in the mouth

king_jeffers

aero helmets, bees and attractive women.

cyberknight

People who tell you to get a car when its raining or you have a puncture , had both this morning , after 2 hours overtime on nights i told them where to stick it as i was tired to the point of pissed off .

Peddle Up!

The three long thorns I've just dug out of my front tyre. :evil:

chiark

coman1985 wrote:

A head wind that seems to stay with you no matter what direction you go in...

fly in the mouth

^ +1 to both of these.

Monkeypump

Wind.

More specifically, the ratio of headwind (perversely high) to tailwind (akin to hen's teeth).

The rest I just let wash over me and try to enjoy the ride. Your (the OP) list is rather long, you might want to chill out a little...

Ringo 68

Never had any trouble with motorists. Most seem to be very considerate.

I hate the fact I cannot afford all the gear. Just got myself a decent first road bike and can't even afford a pair of shoes/new pedals. Going to take me a month to save up for them

marcusjb

King Jeffers wrote:

attractive women.

They annoy you?

You're definitely doing it all wrong!

I'm just sad the summer commuting is coming to an end now - all those pretty ladies in their summer dresses soon to be covered up by winter coats....................


For me, very little annoys me when I am on my bike - I just love riding bikes, so it takes something really bad to annoy me. I guess the only thing that would really annoy me would not being able to ride a bike for an extended period of time.

king_jeffers

marcusjb wrote:

King Jeffers wrote:

attractive women.

They annoy you?

My concentration levels, and begin accident prone

rick_chasey

PeteMadoc wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

It varies.

Usually my lack of fitness is a annoying.

Often it's the fact that I like riding, but hate any mechanical stuff. Even lubing the chain is an irritation.

Bad driving doesn't annoy me. It can rile or anger me, but it doesn't annoy me!

Pedantic or what, annoyed, angered, riled surely these are pretty much the same thing. Or maybe very annoyed is closer to angered.

God I need get back to my work

Ah, I wasn't being critical. Was just making a light-hearted point.

crescent

State of the roads is definitely an issue and can spoil a ride. However, I love pretty much everything else about it. It is definitely a hobby that can pick you up by the ankles and shake the money from your pockets so I suppose the necessary self-restraint is a bit of a pain especially when there is so much shiny new kit available to tempt us.

Ringo 68

Crescent wrote:

State of the roads is definitely an issue and can spoil a ride. However, I love pretty much everything else about it. It is definitely a hobby that can pick you up by the ankles and shake the money from your pockets so I suppose the necessary self-restraint is a bit of a pain especially when there is so much shiny new kit available to tempt us.

Tell me about it.

I have a friend who is a very keen cyclist and every time I see him he has a list of things I have got to have.

My missus will kill me if she find out half the things I am thinking of buying. :twisted:

Thebigbee

Pork Sword wrote:

Hmmm.... the weather, horse sh1t, dog sh1t ,glass, mental drivers, laughable 'cycle paths', hills, pot holes big enough to swallow a truck, dogs, peds, ignorant fellow 'roadies' the list goes on...

Pork Sword - you should of started this thread! For some reason I forgot about dog do doo and the bloody wind!

Glass I just put into the shocking state of Britains roads. I am unsure how a country like France that is twice the size of Britain manages to maintain immaculate roads?

I am also surprised that many people seem to be defending motorists in general. It might be because I live on a main road in a young town, not sure.

Interested in your answers anyway.

My biggest issue is the state of the roads. The - "you don't pay road tax" argument is utterly moot.

People driving an electric car - that weighs near on a ton - don't pay road tax. What does more damage to the roads, the environment - electricity has to be sourced somewhere, potentially to pedestrians? It's certainly not a bike.

Completely agree with the poster who mentioned that electric cars are silent, like bikes - but only cyclists seem to get abuse because they have forgotten the green cross code!

lemoncurd

Wind, rain and cold. So you'll get tired, wet or cold, it'll pass.

And most car, van and lorry drivers are OK, some of them even give you a bit of room when they overtake you.

It's the muppets in the tin boxes that annoy me.

I can deal with everything else.

jewbs

not having any decent hills near me in suffolk which means i`m crap at hill climbing , oh and not having the leg strength either

Mike67

4 and a half miles of loose chippings on my favourite route.....ahh me bike

rubertoe

King Jeffers wrote:

marcusjb wrote:

King Jeffers wrote:

attractive women.

They annoy you?

My concentration levels, and begin accident prone

This is annoying - the ammount of near misses i have had...

... Roads are terible in general no matter where you live

Thebigbee

lemoncurd wrote:

Wind, rain and cold. So you'll get tired, wet or cold, it'll pass.

And most car, van and lorry drivers are OK, some of them even give you a bit of room when they overtake you.

It's the muppets in the tin boxes that annoy me.

I can deal with everything else.

Sorry - but what ARE the tin boxes?..

Del N

State of the roads, and the rotten weather we are having at the moment,
and not enough time to get out and ride.