What annoys you?

ben_250
ben_250 Posts: 22
edited October 2007 in Commuting chat
Hi Guys,

I am a final year student studying Product Design, as part of my final year i am looking into designing an aid of some kind for commuting on a bike. I commute 4 miles to uni everyday, I love doing it but also have many issues with it.

I would be greatfull if you would all list any problems that you have on your commute, or anything that annoys you.

Thanks

Ben
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Comments

  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    other road users
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Absolutely everything

    I'm a "little ball of anger", to quote a former friend

    :evil:

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • GraemeT
    GraemeT Posts: 155
    How about a device to stop motorbikes parking in the cycle racks.

    Makes me rant every day :evil:
    Just Keep Pedalling
  • tri-x
    tri-x Posts: 10
    Dog and their dozy owners - on cycle paths.

    You want to make an ultra-sonic dog exclusion zone.
    And a big horn to blast after sneaking up on the owner who's dog is aimlessly wandering across the path.
  • p.3.rider
    p.3.rider Posts: 699
    Ultra-sonic suicidal animal repeller would be good. Notonly for dogs, pidgeons, squirrels, small children, frogs...

    Oooo and pothole radar!
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    East London Riders add dangerous innuendo David to your MSN: j_bond2k@hotmail.com
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  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    How about some sort of bicycle mounted rocket launcher?
  • Anyone who overtakes, only to slam on the anchors and turn left in front of you.
    Anyone waiting to turn onto the road you are already on and proceed to roll forward, making you think that they are going to pull out causing you to sh!t yourself
    Anyone driving a car wider than a bus meaning you can't filter easily
    Anyone with blacked out windows
    Anyone who doesn't indicate or use mirrors


    Maybe I should change these to "Anyone!"

    Need any more? :oops:
  • Massimo
    Massimo Posts: 318
    I would sell one of my kidneys and/or either of my children for Self Cleaning Rims/Chain/Drivetrain/Brakepads. You can't do anything about other road users but something to keep my shiny toys clean all year round would be the bollox.

    The second you develop that - give me a call, I'll be round with my cheque book.
    Crash 'n Burn, Peel 'n Chew
    FCN: 2
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Anyone with blacked out windows

    We've got blacked out windows on our people carrier (came with them, 2nd hand)

    They're great for keeping the sun off our kids, does look a bit odd, black car with blacked out rear windows, but still...

    nothing to do with pose value (I mean, it's an MPV...)

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Here's one: something that sets off an alarm inside a car if they turn their wheel without signalling (that would be quite easy to install)

    Here's another: make blind spot detectors compulsory (little sensors that can tell when something's in a car's blind spot, same principle as used for parking sensors)

    And make all drivers do one routine journey as a pedestrian and one as a cyclist.

    Put more coppers on bikes as well.

    I could go on and on...

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • jjojjas
    jjojjas Posts: 346
    nothing really :D
    I'm usually pretty content when riding. Just when I come on here I start to get wound up :lol:
    Jas
    it looks a bit steep to me.....
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    p.3.rider wrote:
    Ultra-sonic suicidal animal repeller would be good. Notonly for dogs, pidgeons, squirrels, small children, frogs...

    Oooo and pothole radar!

    The ultra sonic animal repeller! Could you just alter one of the mega horns?

    Btw - for FROGS? I am interested!
  • SecretSam wrote:
    Anyone with blacked out windows

    We've got blacked out windows on our people carrier (came with them, 2nd hand)

    They're great for keeping the sun off our kids, does look a bit odd, black car with blacked out rear windows, but still...

    Especially if you are going to do a driveby! :lol:


    Not necessarily blacked out window in general...but those cars with blacked out driver door windows so that can use their mobile...oops I meant keep the sun out of their eyes....so that you can't see what they are doing, or looking at when sitting at junctions.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    Massimo wrote:
    I would sell one of my kidneys and/or either of my children for Self Cleaning Rims/Chain/Drivetrain/Brakepads. You can't do anything about other road users but something to keep my shiny toys clean all year round would be the bollox.

    The second you develop that - give me a call, I'll be round with my cheque book.

    How about paying your kids to clean the bike?
  • WyS
    WyS Posts: 254
    lycra.
  • Someone who overtakes and slams on the brakes and turns left in front of you or at the side of you.
  • Cyclegent
    Cyclegent Posts: 601
    Massimo wrote:
    I would sell one of my kidneys and/or either of my children for Self Cleaning Rims/Chain/Drivetrain/Brakepads. You can't do anything about other road users but something to keep my shiny toys clean all year round would be the bollox.

    The second you develop that - give me a call, I'll be round with my cheque book.

    Already done - you used to be able to get 'oilbath' chains that were totally enclosed and self lubricating on old Pashley roadsters. Don't know if they still do them, I imagine they went out of style when derailleurs became popular but I'd think they would work with hub gears.
    \'Cycling in Amsterdam.is not a movement, a cause, or a culture.It\'s a daily mode of transportation. People don\'t dress special to ride their bike any more than we dress special to drive our car... In the entire 1600 photographs that I took, there were only three people in "bike gear" and wearing helmets.\' Laura Domala, cycling photographer.
  • dondare
    dondare Posts: 2,113
    It's a long list.

    RLJers and pavement cyclists, obviously; also motorists who drive with an indicator light on and then don't turn (very common these days), motorists who use fog-lights when they're not needed (even more common, and completely illegal), motorists with one very bright headlight and one very dim one; and so on, and so on and so on.
    This post contains traces of nuts.
  • marchant
    marchant Posts: 362
    I'd just like to add black cab drivers who use the cycle path as a parking bay when they're having lunch.Or when the rank's too full of other taxis. Or are just chatting.

    Grrrr
  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    I've learnt to ignore most things, lifes to short to get wound up over things that are only in your life for a few seconds...

    Woohsah.......
  • BentMikey
    BentMikey Posts: 4,895
    LOL, especially most of the things people have written on here.
  • RLJ threads

    Dangerous walking, running, cycling, driving
    15 * 2 * 5
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  • Random Vince
    Random Vince Posts: 11,374
    dondare wrote:
    It's a long list.

    motorists who use fog-lights when they're not needed (even more common, and completely illegal), .

    most cars these days with them dont actually have fog lights, they're driving lights

    the difference being they are legal to use in any visibility (shouldnt be usign them round town tho) they are intended to give more light out to the sides aswell as the front to show the side of the road, mainly intended for use on country lanes etc

    and on a peugeot 306 its about £70 a bulb when the bulbs blow :P
    My signature was stolen by a moose

    that will be all

    trying to get GT James banned since tuesday
  • Inconsiderate morons spilling motor oil all over the cycle lanes. Nearly killed myself this morning on a Krispy Kreme mission.
  • Massimo
    Massimo Posts: 318
    mmmmmmmm Krispy Kreme
    Crash 'n Burn, Peel 'n Chew
    FCN: 2
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    C'mon! The frog story please!

    How can frogs be a cycling hazard? Unless some sort of extreme commute... through a ponds?
  • We used to make them eat bangers when we were kids - they were quite hazardous ones.
  • ChrisLS
    ChrisLS Posts: 2,749
    ...badly thought out useless cycle lanes... :evil: :?
    ...all the way...'til the wheels fall off and burn...
  • neslon
    neslon Posts: 54
    Not being able to cycle for any reason - the addiction is complete. Once I'm on the bike, nothing annoys me, the act makes me calm. Even the fact that the wind is always blowing a f***ing gale an the way to work

    AND the way home, the bas***d. Bl***y H**l, Its not like I cycle in a straight line, its north, west, south, every angle of the p*****g compass and the ratbas***d wind is always in my face, the bitch, I hate it, I.... I think its time for my medication
  • snooks
    snooks Posts: 1,521
    Getting stuck behind a refuse lorry who's just put his foot down...pooh!

    No one saying hello/alright/good morning or no one acknowledging a hello/alright/good morning

    Traffic lights on red...and no I still won't RLJ

    Busses not giving enough room when overtaking, then pulling into a stop 20 metres ahead (OK maybe that's just one bus driver) the majority I've found to be good

    Falling off! :roll:
    .
    FCN:5, 8 & 9
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    Watch out for HGVs