Has noddergeddon started this year?

rhodrich

OK, so I was wrong. I thought things hadn't died down over the winter. Perhaps they hadn't, but we've just been joined by throngs more. It just gets busier and busier every year.

Ladies and Gentlemen: I hereby declare the Noddergeddon Season Open for 2016. Batten down the hatches!

alan_sherman

Month late this year (compared to the first post of the thread!).

it has been a lovely week weather-wise though.

secretsam

hopkinb wrote:

shoaling

?????

PS: apologies to the bloke I cut up today, SMIDSY I'm afraid!

rhodrich

Shoaling: When you're sitting at the traffic lights waiting for them to go green, and a 'shoal' of cyclists descend all around you, by the side, at the front, on your tail, so when the lights do change, you're fighting through a load of them, just to make progress.....

adambruntlett

Rhodrich wrote:

Shoaling: When you're sitting at the traffic lights waiting for them to go green, and a 'shoal' of cyclists descend all around you, by the side, at the front, on your tail, so when the lights do change, you're fighting through a load of them, just to make progress.....

Really frigging annoying, particularly when said shoalers are a load of nodders on BSOs who you've either just overtaken or who should be able to clearly see you have greater speed than them, and therefore should know that their place is behind you. I mean, I'm all for being challenged but if you trundle up in joggers and flipflops on a rusty old mountain bike with your chain squeaking away, do you really think you'll be quicker than the guy in full lycra on a carbon road bike? Respect the bloody hierarchy and stop getting in my way.

hopkinb

Rhodrich wrote:

Shoaling: When you're sitting at the traffic lights waiting for them to go green, and a 'shoal' of cyclists descend all around you, by the side, at the front, on your tail, so when the lights do change, you're fighting through a load of them, just to make progress.....

Yep. The shoal is normally made up of cyclists you have already overtaken umpteen times, but they still come and push past you and to the side of you, and then set off in a random direction in the style of a wobbly snail, boxing one in and making your progress both slow and unnecessarily dangerous. This morning I was zen, and ignored it. Other days, I ask them why, if their journey is so important that they have to push to the front of the group at lights, they then set off so fcuking slowly and proceed at a glacial pace.

hopkinb

I have no problem with their glacial pace by the way, nor the boil in the bag hi-viz, or the @rse hanging out of the trousers, not even the squeaky chain and semi-inflated tyre - if they have arrived at the lights before me. I'll wait patiently behind them if necessary and overtake when it's safe to do so. It's when the utter b@stards push past at the next red light.

iPete

Noddergeddon takes on a whole new dimension this year. The East/West highways should open soon (?), suspect they'll be not cope with capacity when summer kicks in.

alan_sherman

Shoaling - not just nodders, roadies do it too which annoys me. I ride flat pedals and change down before stopping at lights. Roadies that jump the stop line then set off in a high gear and clip in very slowly irritate me! Luckily my commute changes a while back so there are fewer cyclists on my route (but more joggers and dogs).

cookeeemonster

My route doesn't have too many cyclists these days unless I leave late or go via cable street.

Today I did both...no complaints, behaviour was good but it's gonna get interesting this summer...loads more than usual!!

(got no problem with loads more cyclists as long as they don't ride like a d**k)

itboffin

Rhodrich wrote:

Shoaling: When you're sitting at the traffic lights waiting for them to go green, and a 'shoal' of cyclists descend all around you, by the side, at the front, on your tail, so when the lights do change, you're fighting through a load of them, just to make progress.....

this doesnt happen to me anymore because no one can get near to the front ASL due to it being full of motorbikes and scooters, buses taxis lorries cars, did i miss anyone out?

bompington

Yep, it's getting pretty bad round here, I've only commuted to work twice this week and I've already seen another cyclist.

anonymousblackfg

Arguably it started a couple of weeks ago. Saw one of my favourite shoalers today on CS7. Woman with panniers and a 'thank you for your patients' high viz. At least she's apologising for her utter lack of patients in having to get to the front at every set.

alan_sherman

Nurse?

menthel

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Arguably it started a couple of weeks ago. Saw one of my favourite shoalers today on CS7. Woman with panniers and a 'thank you for your patients' high viz. At least she's apologising for her utter lack of patients in having to get to the front at every set.

Was she driving an ambulance or just creating the patients?

prawny

No increased numbers in Brum as far as I can tell, more than there were 5 years ago, but similar to over the winter, i.e not many.

hopkinb

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Arguably it started a couple of weeks ago. Saw one of my favourite shoalers today on CS7. Woman with panniers and a 'thank you for your patients' high viz. At least she's apologising for her utter lack of patients in having to get to the front at every set.

She lives near me I think. She at least pulls off at a reasonable pace and then pulls over. A particular wankpuffin today pulled past me today then when it went green, wobbled up to 15 kph then started freewheeling. I was a placid pool of calm today and just waited until I could overtake.

anonymousblackfg

That's the one, the blue lights are a give away.

imatfaal

well motopocalypse seems to have dawned as well. I was in a group of 2 cyclists and 14 motorbikes moving along the road works westbound on Lower/Upper Thames Street this morning. Lots of the motorbikes were remarkably clean and new - I guess they were the power version of the Allez (great bike btw - just much too good for most of the people who ride them). The veteran motorcyclists were getting very angry and words were being exchanged about hi-revving, weaving, and general deficit of skill versus patience. I got shoulder bumped twice - once whilst moving; not pleasant at all

wolfsbane2k

Apparently so, according to an overtaker today I'm a "hipster nodder". Shame I didn't have any puff left to shout back at him.

itboffin

Respect the bloody hierarchy

brilliant

richk

prawny wrote:

No increased numbers in Brum as far as I can tell, more than there were 5 years ago, but similar to over the winter, i.e not many.

Agreed. Seem very thin on the ground still, but will get busier (for me) when the university term starts up

CoalTheCat

Only been commuting for 12 months (all through winter and all weather) and sorry for the silly question. Is a nodder just another person on a bike who nods to say hi?

Also what is a chopper, apart from a ballripping bike off of the 70’s..

Any other terms I should be aware of? Is there a glossary anywhere on the forum?

Ta’

Nick.

P.S on a side note, have owned a few cars (2CV and a couple of beetles) that other owners of the same cars have felt the need to wave as we pass each other. After a while I realised it was much more fun to give them the middle finger and mouth FO at them…. The expressions on their faces were priceless..

dodgy

Novice cyclists often nod as they cycle, as if their knees were connected to their head. Hence 'nodders'.

tangled_metal

Motorhome drivers do that I believe. The wave bit not middle finger. I like that so much, I wish there was a video of their faces as you did it. I'd be tempted to do the same if it had been me.

CoalTheCat

dodgy wrote:

Novice cyclists often nod as they cycle, as if their knees were connected to their head. Hence 'nodders'.

Thanks, will check my head on the way home..

hopkinb

CoalTheCat wrote:

Only been commuting for 12 months (all through winter and all weather) and sorry for the silly question. Is a nodder just another person on a bike who nods to say hi?

Also what is a chopper, apart from a ballripping bike off of the 70’s..

Any other terms I should be aware of? Is there a glossary anywhere on the forum?

Nodders just bimble along, seemingly oblivious. Usually slow, given to random changes in direction. Some nod as they pedal, some don't. Usually in civilian clothes. A benign presence on the road, although in swarms, they can hold up ones journey.

Choppers are less benign. Chopperish behaviour includes but is not limited to, riding too fast for the conditions, sitting too close to your wheel, red light jumping , overtaking on the inside, no shoulder checking, squeezing into tiny gaps between heavy vehicles, generally filtering dangerously.

secretsam

vimfuego wrote:

Nodder = just trying to get to work / wherever they're going. Not fast, but not trying to be either. Shoaling tendencies at RLs. may get spooked by close and/or fast passes.
Chopper = Delusional fool. Believes he/she is faster and more talented than he/she actually is (because they're riding an Allez which is a "racer" it means I must be quick right!?). Does not shoulder check. Prone to erratic changes in line. Will filter down the inside of a tipper truck which is turning left / down the pavement into oncoming pedestrian traffic if it leads to getting past someone....anyone.
RLJer = embarrasment. Can come from any group/tribe. Burns with (misplaced) righteous indignation if challenged on their parentage when witnessed in action. Potty mouth.

"Nodder" vs "Chopper" from earlier in the thread - in response to my question!

CoalTheCat

SecretSam wrote:

vimfuego wrote:

Nodder = just trying to get to work / wherever they're going. Not fast, but not trying to be either. Shoaling tendencies at RLs. may get spooked by close and/or fast passes.
Chopper = Delusional fool. Believes he/she is faster and more talented than he/she actually is (because they're riding an Allez which is a "racer" it means I must be quick right!?). Does not shoulder check. Prone to erratic changes in line. Will filter down the inside of a tipper truck which is turning left / down the pavement into oncoming pedestrian traffic if it leads to getting past someone....anyone.
RLJer = embarrasment. Can come from any group/tribe. Burns with (misplaced) righteous indignation if challenged on their parentage when witnessed in action. Potty mouth.

"Nodder" vs "Chopper" from earlier in the thread - in response to my question!

Oh god…. I may have chopper tendencies…

mtb-idle

Novice cyclists often nod as they cycle, as if their knees were connected to their head. Hence 'nodders'.

in that respect they are similar to the winky-wanky bird