Communication...

James.H7

Hey guys, I'm doing my final year at University and just have a couple of question to ask for my Design Dissertation.

When commuting is there any sort of communication between fellow riders? Even other motorists?
What topics of conversations are attempted?
Bad roads? Bad driving? What you done at the weekend?
Where is the communication held on the communicate? (Junction, bike path, etc)
How do you communicate with each other?

Do you think that communication makes a more interesting journey?
Does it make safer?
Can it make safer?

If possible is there another way you would try to communicate with others? (Not telepathically, obv)

I'm just looking to create a discussion within a commuting community to gain a good understanding of communication on a commute. I'll try and pipe in with some extra questions or answers if possible!

corshamjim

Communicating with someone cycling the other way there's not enough time for much more than a wave and 'good morning' or just 'hi'. When both cyclists are going the same direction it's pretty much the same except on those rare occasions when both are cycling the same speed (or one is happy to drop to the speed of the other which rarely happens). I probably engage in maybe three conversations of more than a couple of words a year. The topic is usually the weather. Last one was about allotments & growing your piown veg. Mine is a quiet rural commute.

Long_Time_Lurker

My commute starts very early in the morning. Less traffic means it is easier/safer to cycle two abreast and talk. I also have a route which takes me along a long cyclepath, so there is no danger of running into traffic.
I find that the early mornings tend to bring out a cameraderie amongst riders. People I have never seen before tend to chat for a short while. We talk about the state of the roads, crap drivers, the weather and how tired we are.

gbsahne001

sometimes at junctions when you're both stopped but rarely happens, as there aren't a lot of cyclists on my route and the numbers seem to have dropped off, probably due to the weather.

James.H7

Long Time Lurker wrote:

My commute starts very early in the morning. Less traffic means it is easier/safer to cycle two abreast and talk. I also have a route which takes me along a long cyclepath, so there is no danger of running into traffic.
I find that the early mornings tend to bring out a cameraderie amongst riders. People I have never seen before tend to chat for a short while. We talk about the state of the roads, crap drivers, the weather and how tired we are.

Interesting. Do you go early doors on purpose due to less traffic or because it can be more pleasant? Or both?


Do any of you guys feel there should be better communication with the Road Infrastructure? Like bicycle specific signage. Maybe more interactive signage like Dot Matrix on the side of the road?

Kieran_Burns

INR

Always the INR

Long_Time_Lurker

James.H7 wrote:

Interesting. Do you go early doors on purpose due to less traffic or because it can be more pleasant? Or both?

Do any of you guys feel there should be better communication with the Road Infrastructure? Like bicycle specific signage. Maybe more interactive signage like Dot Matrix on the side of the road?

So that I am the first person in the shower...
It also means that I don't have to deal with the joggers and dog-walkers on the off-road and dual purpose paths on my commute. I find them more of an annoyance than traffic at times.

As for bike signage, I'm not really fussed. I think road signage needs to be for everyone - bike specific means that other road users may ignore it and more often than not, it affects them too.

matt@theforce

I've only seen 2 other commuters to chat to on my way to/from work (don't get many at 5am on quiet twisty peak distict roads). We had a brief chat on a cycle path (approx 1mile). Chatted mainly about what kit each other was using.

The 2nd one I kept telling to go around me as he was sitting in my slipstream but kept hitting my rear wheel, after 7miles of this I told him to p$$$ off or I'd knock him out, the next day he tried it again but as I knew where he turned off I went a different route and joined back on my normal route at his turning, passing him in the other direction

daddy0

I had a conversation the other day. At the bottom of the 13% gradient stopped at crossing lights:

Me "I hate this bit"
Other dude "Its good for you though"
Me "Not with all the traffic fumes its not"
Other dude "spose"

The other day I said "Good evening" to another cyclist too, but I think I scared them and didn't get a response.

Last night a car cut me up, so I communicated with them by knocking, very LOUDLY, on the passenger side window. The driver, wearing his iPood, jumped so violently he hit his head on the drivers side window :-)

Other than that its just hand signals to car drivers, and, of course, telepathy.