http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Missing the point? Commuting safety... en Thu, 21 May 2026 22:02:34 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509&page=2#post-14732 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:54:00 +0000 kaputnik 14732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>well you don't see the invisible bike, just the flag </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14731 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:52:08 +0000 Dave 14731@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>From above? &lt;confused /&gt; </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14718 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:31:14 +0000 kaputnik 14718@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Dave,</p> <p>A recumbent going right to left looksas follows;</p> <p>|&gt;<br /> |<br /> |<br /> | </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14713 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:20:40 +0000 spitfire 14713@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>this thread now reminds me of the nik naks ad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1hGAixvn9A">nik-naks advert</a>... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14711 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:19:20 +0000 Dave 14711@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>That just looks like _______. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14693 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:17:28 +0000 kaputnik 14693@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>o.O looks somewhat unbelieving</em></p> <p>or a recumbent bicycle that's fallen over </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14669 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:26:32 +0000 spitfire 14669@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>nah 0.0 looks wide eyed scared (or caffiene riddled)<br /> o.O looks somewhat unbelieving but is maybe the closest </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14637 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:47:39 +0000 steveo 14637@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>you mean o_0 for that Spock lifted eyebrow effect. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14636 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:40:34 +0000 ruggtomcat 14636@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>or 0_0 </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14612 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:47:24 +0000 spitfire 14612@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Smudge - I think it's:<br /> :S </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14609 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:37:25 +0000 Smudge 14609@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Dave,<br /> I think they're from Tesco, I bought a "front led light" from there a while ago and it was 1. rubbish (dim), 2. green!?!<br /> (looks for the smiley for "confused") </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14608 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:37:11 +0000 steveo 14608@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Flashing orange are legal for a front light, they were the first front blinkies before white led's got good enough for use.</p> <p>Put enough juice through them and drivers might think your a AA van. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14603 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:30:49 +0000 Min 14603@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Flashing orange lights on the front. That isn't confusing. Not.</p> <p>I'm even confusing myself now. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14602 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:29:35 +0000 spitfire 14602@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@kaputnik - yes, until I crash and spin round making pretty circles of light </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14596 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:02:40 +0000 Dave 14596@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I enjoy the green lights that everybody seems to be buying from somewhere. I can't tell if they are supposed to be illegal front lights or illegal back lights, since they are used as both! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14588 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:12:29 +0000 Smudge 14588@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>in that case, "and so classic" ;-D<br /> No? I'll get my coat... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14574 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:50:21 +0000 chdot 14574@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"and yet so legal"</p> <p>I was talking about Christmas trees... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14571 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:42:28 +0000 Smudge 14571@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@Gembo maybe... maybe...<br /> @chdot, "White only is so passé" and yet so legal.. ;-)<br /> ;-p </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14569 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:30:39 +0000 chdot 14569@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"white lights on one side and red lights on t'uther"</p> <p>White only is so passé. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14568 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:28:58 +0000 kaputnik 14568@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I am now lit up like a Christmas tree </em></p> <p>A christmas tree with only white lights on one side and red lights on t'uther, I take it? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14564 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:07:55 +0000 gembo 14564@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Smudge - maybe when you saw Nice Young Lady Apollo the first time she was on her way to early morning shopping to buy her new lights as her old ones had conked out? I recall my first lights - Pifco was the brand, mounted on heavy bracket took an everyready battery bigger than an i-phone, made of paper (well on the outside), found the following winter all rusted and leaked out, dried up battery chemicals. Early 1970s story.</p> <p>Spytfire - good to be lit up like a Xmas tree - I wonder if the origins of that phrase are in Brewer's Dictionary of phrase and fable yet. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14495 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:42:55 +0000 spytfire 14495@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I am now lit up like a Christmas tree </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14461 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:13:38 +0000 Smudge 14461@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Saw nice young lady with the Apollo again today, obviously she has been shopping as her bike was equipped with new front and rear lights (yay!) and some sort of gel saddle cover.<br /> Wonder if she has read this forum.... (if you do, Hello! (waves)) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14458 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:46:49 +0000 Dave 14458@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I think a big part of the reason people cycle on the pavement is that so many pavements are now officially cycle facilities.</p> <p>I've told the story before about how annoyed I was at people riding on the pavement near my old work in Dunfermline only to find out it was a designated cycle facility (it wasn't even wide enough to walk two abreast!). </p> <p>And to be honest, when the facility officially finishes, why the heck would you go back on the road? It's physically identical before and after and there are only 'shared use' markings at the start and finish - it is genuinely indistinguishable. Even I can understand why we are more and more entrenching pavement riding as time goes by.</p> <p>To be honest I don't think it's a big deal really. Once I can cross the street outside my house without having to look out for drivers jumping the lights, or "just" speeding 10-15mph over the limit, while their mates have all parked on the pavement forcing me to walk in the road, I will begin to find lesser concerns like pavement cyclists to worry about... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14421 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:01:41 +0000 Cyclingmollie 14421@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Laidback "Of course on parts of the NCN you are actively encouraged to use pavements... Once the pavements are full of bikes then 'something will have to be done'.<br /> I can hear the EEN ravers now: "don't pay road tax so they should stay off the roads; dangerous too; I nearly got knocked down by one using the pavement the other day, they should keep to the er, ahem". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14415 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:07:47 +0000 LaidBack 14415@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><strong>SRD</strong> <em>Was down in Leith Saturday and appalled by the number of (grown-up) cyclists on pavement. </em></p> <p>Sad to say that I think this trend will grow as bike use increases (for a while). These are our new generation of 'big kids' who think roads are just for cars and dangerous.</p> <p>Saw a young adult on MTB going up Victoria St on the pavement to avoid cobbles. Needless to say he had a full sus Specialized model.</p> <p>I also saw two Japanese visitors on rented bikes riding pavements on High St.</p> <p><em>Of course on parts of the NCN you are actively encouraged to use pavements...</em> Once the pavements are full of bikes then 'something will have to be done'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14384 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:17:46 +0000 SRD 14384@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was down in Leith Saturday and appalled by the number of (grown-up) cyclists on pavement. Also, on the way back up, a group of cyclists - probably new grad students from the Indian sub-continent - weaving up Princes St - going through red lights - then struggling to negotiate Lothian rd. Youngish women on bus seat behind me very appalled, but I managed to stay out of discussion. What was depressing is that the weakest of the cyclists had her helmet hanging off her handlebars...</p> <p>Also saw a couple of young blokes in a sports car decide (at the last minute) to turn left onto Leith walk from MacDonald Rd, cutting off a woman on a folder who was in the ASL (they drove around her at red light). Most egregious violation of that sort that I have seen in some time. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14382 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:09:36 +0000 wee folding bike 14382@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>While riding into Glasgow to see "A Town Called Panic" on Saturday night someone came out of the Royal Infirmary with helmet and a wee broken back light. She proceeded along the pavement until the end of the barriers and then rode onto the road. She didn't stop for any red lights. I nearly caught her a couple of times but lost her somewhere on Bath St.</p> <p>Me... no magic hat but I did have SON hub, Edelux, B&amp;M TopLicht and a couple of Blackburn flashers. It was just after 1800 hrs but the Edelux had turned itself on already.</p> <p>Ohhh and I stopped when required to do so by road traffic acts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14379 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:54:41 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 14379@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I love it when the commute gets dark, but I agree with Smudge, always seems daft the extent someone goes to 'look' safe (as Dave points out) without taking steps to actually BE completely safe (I'll give the benefit of doubt here that someone wearing a helmet and hi-viz feels they ARE actually being safe, but the lack of lights in the dark, or even the gloom, negates that).</p> <p>Saw a lady riding the other night, helmet, hi-viz AND lights... On the pavement. D'oh! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=1509#post-14377 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:34:08 +0000 Dave 14377@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A lot of people are not really interested in being safe, just in ticking the "appear safe" boxes. </p> <p>Hence, as you say, you'll sometimes see an unlit rider belting through a red light or down a one-way street on a stormy winter's night. But hey, they've got some polystyrene on their head!</p> <p>Am quite enjoying the novelty of the dark mornings (when the weather is good). Sometimes I have the good fortune to experience someone trying to tell me I'm invisible while squinting in the light beam :-) </p>