http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Communication... en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:59:41 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949&page=2#post-108340 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:25:50 +0000 cc 108340@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Beautiful :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949&page=2#post-108333 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:01:46 +0000 chdot 108333@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> Note to friends: I’m not being rude, I’m just trying to keep an eye on the road… Last time I failed to do that, I busted my nose.</p> <p>"</p> <p><a href="http://jacquiephelan.org/2013/04/22/happy-earth-day/" rel="nofollow">http://jacquiephelan.org/2013/04/22/happy-earth-day/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949&page=2#post-91737 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:55:55 +0000 Bhachgen 91737@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I always try to nod or wave to cyclists passing opposite direction unless I'm in the city centre. I always say morning/afternoon/evening to any cyclists I overtake. Where appropriate I'll call "passing on your right" if I think it's necessary to warn them.</p> <p>Motorised traffic gets a wee wave for waiting to turn, even where it's my "right of way", and a thumbs up for waiting behind me, especially where they've held back due to my signalling to turn right. Those who ignore the outstretched arm and steam on past regardless get a less friendly gesture. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949&page=2#post-91733 Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:01:11 +0000 Kenny 91733@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The most communicating I do these days is constantly saying "cheers" to the various groups of high school kids going to Trinity Academy in the morning, as they move aside when I ding my bell. In fairness, I think they are all starting to recognise me as the mental cyclist who is actually pleasant to them, because they are starting to move over even quicker than before when they see me coming. Maybe they are just surprised that someone gives them a vague portion of respect, since they likely don't get it during their school day.</p> <p>Other than that, I've tried the "nod" to other cyclists, but I invariably nod to people who don't nod back, or people nod to me too late for me to respond. I'm a total failure in that respect. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91730 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:05:29 +0000 LivM 91730@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been known to call out warnings of black ice ahead to cyclists going in the opposite direction (specifically after one particularly memorable transit through Five Ways on NEPN last winter), or glass ahead. I say thank you to dog walkers or pedestrians if they do some deliberate act to clear the path for me, and I quite often say specific thanks to dog walkers who have bright lights on the dog's collar. If a cyclist pauses or lets me through I'll say thanks or nod. I nod to a few cyclists on my regular commute that I recognise. I chat to the lollipop man at Great Junction St if the lights stop me at the right time. I swear quietly at bad drivers and I've called out "too close" or "too bright" to other cyclists if they've been particularly offensive. I sometimes get told off by friends for not spotting them (in pedestrian mode) when I'm cycling, but I really find that I rarely look at a pedestrian as anything more than risk/low risk when I'm on the road. And I shout "MOVE" at Youths who think it's funny to jump out in front of me or throw things at me (NEPN Pilton/Drylaw area...). One Youth shouted "Muslim" at me once (I was wearing a black buff that covered all but my eyes...) so I shouted back "No, Ninja" and was past. </p> <p>When on cycling holidays I'm much chattier. Going around the Hebrides a few years ago we kept bumping into the same people, usually at Ferry pinch-points. Same on Orkney. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91720 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:27:40 +0000 neddie 91720@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If I signal right to pull into the middle of the road to turn right, and a car lets me out, my signal hand goes to a 'thumbs-up'.</p> <p>If a car passes too close (or other bad behaviour) I raise my right arm and shrug my shoulders.</p> <p>Other cyclists have stopped beside me at the lights and complimented my 'gash' bike which is 25 years old but was a high end model of the time. Others have asked about my cross bike.</p> <p>The other day a car pulled into a ASL and I looked at him and muttered some insults. The driver wound down his window to ask what the problem was and the conversation goes like this:</p> <p>Me: It's a 60 pound fine and 3 penalty points for stopping in the cycle box.<br /> Him: Who's gonna enforce it like.. you?.. the police...? </p> <p>Me: Not me no.<br /> Him: I don't care if you're police, we can all share the road anyhow.</p> <p>Me thinks to myself: I just implied I wasn't the police!</p> <p>Me: It's a matter of consideration, it makes it easier for us that's all.<br /> Me: Why don't you come out and join us [cycling], you might enjoy it.</p> <p>Him: Aye, ah already go to Glentress with me son and the like ya know.<br /> Me: Excellent!</p> <p>Lights change.</p> <p>Him (amicably): See ya then<br /> Me (amicably): See ya </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91718 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:03:10 +0000 sallyhinch 91718@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As a country cyclist, I wave hello to everyone, even cars. Cyclists get a big grin. Less so in town, although I'll say hello or thanks (if they've moved aside) to people I encounter on the shared-use paths. I once nearly flipped off a 4X4 that honked at me until I realised it was a neighbour saying hello.</p> <p>If I'm cycling in the same direction as a cyclist, I'll always greet them as they/I overtake. I once got into a bit of a leapfrogging situation with a fellow cyclist and we ended up cycling alongside and chatting rather than having to keep overtaking each other. One of the great joys of properly wide paths (or very empty country roads) is being able to talk and cycle at the same time.</p> <p>I'd not want to see Dot matrix signs, but more waymarking would be brilliant. I get lost very easily, so having proper directional signage would be one really easy thing that would make my life easier as a cyclist </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91717 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:52:50 +0000 HankChief 91717@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I do quite a lot of communicating on my commute, that's one of the beauty of riding a tandem with a childseat. </p> <p>Some of it is pointing out what we can see, some nursery rhymes, some counting of lampposts.</p> <p>I may give a very slight nod to other cyclists. Wouldn't want to give too big a acknowlement in case they don't reciprocate.</p> <p>I tend to give a little wave of the hand if a vehicle has given a wide berth, or patiently waited for me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91696 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:04:51 +0000 paul.mag 91696@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When commuting is there any sort of communication between fellow riders?<br /> When going in the opposite direction will nod or raise hand (in a friendly gesture)to another cyclist. Have twice ridden 2 abreast and chatted to different cyclists on the way home from city centre out to airport.</p> <p>Even other motorists?<br /> "you nearly hit me" or thumbs up gestures </p> <p>What topics of conversations are attempted?<br /> Bad roads? Bad driving? What you done at the weekend?<br /> Usually talk about routes and outdo each other on experiences with drivers/weather/bike repair at the side of the road</p> <p>Where is the communication held on the communicate? (Junction, bike path, etc)varies<br /> How do you communicate with each other? gestures (nods, raised hand), some spoken</p> <p>Do you think that communication makes a more interesting journey? Yes and if the other cyclist is a little faster it can improve your time<br /> Does it make safer? It can do, I rode 2 abreast up the A8 from gogar to the airport and the cars all pulled out to overtake instead of buzzing my right elbow as usual. </p> <p>As has been said the further you are from "civilisation" the more friendly everyone becomes, I will always thank someone who moves out of my way and say morning/evening to people I overtake. At junctions i'll make eye contact and nod to another cyclist (which usually gets blanked)<br /> Hope that helps </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91675 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:33:30 +0000 559 91675@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Postively,<br /> Nod to cyclists going the other direction, say thanks to Peds who have moved aside and dogs with the owners<br /> under control. Sometimes via a wave acknowledge a vehicle driver who has been particularly patient.</p> <p>Negatively,<br /> if it can be called communication, have conversations with drivers on the meaning of life (mine), advise oncoming cyclists that their light is a problem.<br /> Turn around glare at vehicles as Iam passing the West Approach Road Slip on Dundee Street </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91667 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:06:31 +0000 deckard112 91667@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>When I first got the cycling bug I was pleasantly surprised by how social other people were when on two wheels. As others have commented on here I'll always nod/wave when passing other roadies when I'm on a longer ride (or any ride for that matter!).</p> <p>My favorite experience of this has to be when I was on a long distance charity ride organised by my work. A colleague of mine stopped at a red light ahead of me and leant on the shoulder of a random cyclist alongside him and started chatting away. I thought this was a really friendly approach until he conceded later that the only reason he did it was so he didnt have to unclip his shoes from the pedals at the lights!!...oh well! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91658 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:28:00 +0000 Uberuce 91658@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>City rules and country rules for waving to people.</p> <p>That said, from time to time I will give praise to lovely vintage devices. So far I've only have one gitty response. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91653 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:57:47 +0000 Dave 91653@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Brilliant concept. We could repurpose a dozen or so "men at work" triangular signs to read "DANGER! CYCLE LANE BLOCKED!" and drop them in front of offending vehicles on the QBC before taking footage of people trying to ride past. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91652 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:50:58 +0000 cc 91652@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dot matrix signs for cyclists? Not really. Maybe once the roads had been massively redesigned and rebuilt from scratch so that it was actually possible to cycle on the cycle lanes. Until then you'd need a dot matrix sign about every couple of metres all along every road saying WARNING CYCLE LANE BLOCKED beside every parked car/van/lorry/bus. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91651 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:32:38 +0000 wee folding bike 91651@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What other cyclist?</p> <p>I do ding my bell at the visually impaired guy but that's because I once stopped to tell him he was waiting to cross the road at the wrong place. It turned out that he was in just the right place to catch a bus. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91650 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:23:06 +0000 Min 91650@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yes, agree with WC. I don't see why I should have to be everyone's best mate just because I am riding a bike. No one would expect it if I was walking or driving, so why cycling?</p> <p>Having said that I exchange smiles or hellos with other cyclists on the Innocent regularly. I am hardly going to do it in busy, stressful city streets where everyone is just trying to stay alive.</p> <p>If I find myself alongside another Surly at the traffic lights I will say hello to the fellow Surlyite. I'll sometimes make a comment to another cyclist if we are both walking over yet another cycle killing roadworks and have made an occasional apology at the next set of lights if I have misread another cyclists intention and ridden past them when I should have waited. I don't think I have ever been blanked by another cyclist on these occasions. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91649 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:22:37 +0000 Arellcat 91649@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Car drivers can go mental if you pull them up, touch their cars. How dare you talk to me.</em></p> <p>This. Remember that the personal space of the driver of the car <strong>becomes</strong> the car plus a good metre or so of one's normal personal space. Touching someone's car is akin to the gleeful schoolboy who goes round pulling a girl's pigtails. The psychological reactions are probably not unrelated to the reason we have 'the war' between road users.</p> <p>Motorbikers though have long acknowledged each other in passing, with a nod that signifies the shared understanding of "it's us against them" and "stay safe, mate". Recumbent riders will also cheerfully acknowledge other deviant riders (tricycles, handcycles, and so on) for the shared enthusiasm for nonstandard transport, but won't necessarily feel the need to strike up conversation: that is more dependent on how open the individual is to casual acquaintance.</p> <p>Cyclists I see regularly on my commute I'll wave to, and they'll wave back. It's part distinctiveness and part friendly human reciprocation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91646 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:01:29 +0000 Cyclingmollie 91646@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Waving and saying hello to strangers is just a country thing. Try it with the next country person you see tending their turnip patch or seeking out a new clettering stick. They're much more likely to wave than other cyclists but I wave anyway - it's my bl**dy-minded way of convincing myself that some things haven't changed since I was young.<br /> Riding in company it helps if someone has something funny to talk about. It does make the miles pass quicker. Examples: marketing Marshall's Pasta, knocking yourself unconscious during a time-trial, knocking yourself unconscious during an Audax, bricks, railways (preferably disused), badgers, witches and my personal favourite , farms with tall chimneys. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91644 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:56:08 +0000 Baldcyclist 91644@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah Edinburgers, renowned for their friendliness ;)</p> <p>As a rule of thumb, the closer you get to town, the less 'mornin', or waves you will exchange. I always assumed the folk that do still converse in town, must be from out of town. &lt;runs for the hills&gt;</p> <p>Reminds me of a Jason Manford sketch, where he makes the same sort of comparison of 'Southerners'...<br /> Man sitting at bus stop, someone else sits next to him and says "Morning, bit nippy today eh". Man at bus stop looks as if he has just said "Morning, mind if I tickle your b***cks?".</p> <p>In fairness, I'm probably a bit reserved too when speaking to strangers. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91643 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:55:21 +0000 fimm 91643@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I quite often acknowledge cyclists, even commuters in the city, but more so outside of town - there are a couple of regulars on my "long commute" who I see quite often.</p> <p>I will also give a wave of thanks to drivers who have sat well back/waited patiently/passed with plenty of room. I expect to do this multiple times per journey, especially the long commute. I try not to make offensive gestures as a result of poor driving. However if I've been passed particularly closely, I will make a "pushing" gesture with my right hand. I'm sure it makes no difference whatsoever!</p> <p>(Driving home on the motorway yesterday, I had an idea. I would like a large illuminated sign in my rear window that I could turn on when required. It would say <strong>BACK OFF</strong> and would enable me to communicate with people who were driving too close to me.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91642 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:53:55 +0000 amir 91642@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Noticed a trend where it's more nods with fellow bikers and the "proper" cyclists turning their noses up so to speak."</p> <p>TBH as a (slow) roadie and commuter, I am not sure that there really is great discrimination as to some folk acknowledge i.e. if they don't acknowedge one person, they won't acknowledge another.</p> <p>If anyone wants a wave, I am a frequent waver (and only mutter a little when I don't get a reply). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91640 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:29:01 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 91640@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ooh, no more road clutter please!</p> <p>I'd settle for properly signed diversions if a road closure etc. is going to affect cycling as well as driving. When roads get closed that way there seems to be nothing thought of other than those in cars, where often bikes could have a much easier, better, quicker diversion.</p> <p>There's a dot matrix sign in Duddingston that I frankly don't see the point in.</p> <p>I don't think 'communication' from the infrastructure is a barrier, though one tweak I think would be useful, and has been mentioned quite often on here, is to change the cycling signs from distance, to 'time' (for an average pace) to get to places. Distance within a city is pretty irrelevant, time is a much better indicator (because it varies so little for cyclists) and while someone may think 'three miles?!?! I can't ride that far!' they're reaction to '20 minutes' would likely be somewhat different. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91637 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:24:09 +0000 heez 91637@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Interesting. Noticed a trend where it's more nods with fellow bikers and the "proper" cyclists turning their noses up so to speak. Does this happen often you find? Or does it seem to happen the closer you guys get into Edinburgh?</p> <p>What about communication within the Road Infrastructure? Could you guys see this as a hindrance, or a safety aspect that could help? Maybe dot matrix signs with interactive info about bicycle specific info? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91635 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:11:42 +0000 Dave 91635@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Anth - sounds like something I might have said, because I was just gearing up to say that I don't wave at or break into conversation with strangers when walking about town / getting the bus / driving the car.</p> <p>The hill walking comparison is good because of course, in the hills we do have conversation (if going the same way, or at summits) and at least swap greetings with people we pass.</p> <p>The only time I would converse with someone on the road here would be if I knew them, I was expressing displeasure at them, or we were sharing displeasure at someone else's dangerous behaviour. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91632 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:51:39 +0000 cc 91632@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@heez No I don't really communicate, other than muttering insults at people who selfishly block the bike lane and suchlike. Road conditions aren't remotely good enough for me to feel relaxed enough to chat to people. In more civilised places they deliberately build cycle paths which are wide enough for two people to ride side by side in comfort and safety, so they can have a conversation as they go. It's one of the things they do to make cycling more attractive.</p> <p>@SRD It's partly that it's traditional in Edinburgh not to talk to strangers much in public. Where my sister lives in Yorkshire people are far more outwardly friendly with strangers, to the extent that you can't walk down the road without saying hello to everyone you meet. But there is another side to the coin: here people accept folk from all over, whereas in that part of Yorkshire people are, deep down, quite clannish and will make sure that someone from another country always feels like a foreigner there. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91630 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:32:24 +0000 SRD 91630@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Conversation on NMW last night:</p> <p>Me: (slowing down and stopping with hand in front of eyes as bike approaches) "Please could you dip your light' </p> <p>Bike rider (no helmet, upright yellowish, moulton or brompton? coul;dn't really see as my eyes were dazzled): "It is dipped"</p> <p>Me: turning to shout after him "No it isn't" </p> <p>cue: muttering about cleverer things I should have said. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91629 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:27:38 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 91629@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There was an interesting way someone (I remember not who, nor where, it may have been here) put it to me once. If I'm walking to work, as I was today, I won't say hello or wave to every pedestrian I pass. I think this accords well with commuter cycling compared to the 'back of beyond' acknowledgement that kaputnik mentions - if I'm hillwalking or the like then I do say hello to anyone passing, and generally get a response.</p> <p>It was noticeable ealier in the year when I walked from Balerno to Leith along the Water of Leith that at the beginning of the walk everyone would respond. By the city there was a lot of shoe-gazing going on.</p> <p>You can't force people to communicate - generally I'll look about and if someone willingly makes eye contact then they may be amenable to a chat. </p> <p>That said, there's never an excuse for out and out rudeness (and there's definitely an element who see themselves as 'proper' cyclists (whatever that means) and so a folder or a bent or a tandem rider shouldn't really be speaking to them - despite the fact that rider probably knows more about cycling because they've made a very informed choice about stepping outside the 'norm' rather than slavishly following the 'rules' - I do of course say this as an exclusively upright, two-wheeled, only-weird-ish-things-are-my-moustache-bars cyclist, though the three-wheeled Noomad did actually seem to get me less eye contact than normal, whereas I thought it might spark ASL conversation on the unusualness, based primarily on the fact that I would definitely speak to someone about something like that).</p> <p>Thinking on it, even half the time I'm congratulating someone on the sweetness of their ride I'll get blanked. But like I say, you can't force people to be friendly, and as a cross-section of society not every cyclist is going to be as cheery and full of bonhomie as we are here. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91627 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:10:21 +0000 SRD 91627@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@meepmeep Some cyclists react badly to someone on a funny (ie nonracing) bike. Especially if it has a childseat on it.... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91624 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:21:52 +0000 MeepMeep 91624@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>SRD: That's a real shame. I'm surprised at the rudeness you've encountered, but then again I suppose I'm not that surprised in town.</p> <p>I don't often talk to others at lights because I'm not often sat with anyone else now I'm based out at the Gyle. When I was working in the centre of town, I was cycling in and out most days with Mr MeepMeep so we'd have a good old gossip at each set of lights. Must have looked a right pair with matching bikes and similar jackets...</p> <p>Anyway, I digress. Kaputnik is spot on about the scale of middle-of-nowhere-syndrome cycling gestures. I made an effort over the summer to at least wave to those I saw when out on longer rides and tried to say "hello" wherever possible. I even spent a good ten miles cycling with a chap I'd never met before on one excursion; we spoke about le Tour, cycling with our respective partners and commuting. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8949#post-91622 Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:58:23 +0000 chdot 91622@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"discussion about fieldmice nibbling tatties in the winter store"</p> <p>Think that's meant to be in "Wildlife lowlight of the day". </p>