Saw a guy heading west on A8 past haymarket coming down on the tramlines. He was up straight away and thankfully taxi behind him stopped no prob. An orange genesis equilibirum. He lifted his bike to roadside, Hope you and your bike are ok.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Cyclist down, Haymarket tramlines
(27 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Its a well known fact that stunt men use the orange genesis equilibrium so it must have been a deliberate fall, plus, because another cyclist saw it then it was definitely staged.
In all seriousness I hope the rider and bike are ok.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Cyclists actually laid the tram tracks in Edinburgh just so that they could stage falls on them and claim compensation. The true masters of this art make sure a following car runs over their head for maximum pay out.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'll wager it's happening multiple times every day, and most people are going to be lucky and either correct the slide or manage to get up, dust themselves off and carry on.
It's what happens when it isn't OK that's truly worrying.
I went this way last night to "inspect" the taxi rank and two cyclsits came down Dalry Road. I seriously thought both would go down as they crossed the tracks at such a shallow angle. The same pair again made my heart skip a beat as they did the same to cross the tracks for going up Torphicen Street. Fortunately again they were lucky, despite how damp it was. I think they were saved by how under-inflated their knobbly MTB tyres were.
Posted 11 years ago # -
My colleague came down at Haymarket this morning as well...
Is there somewhere in the Council / Tram Co where we should be reporting these?
Posted 11 years ago # -
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/trams
Also tell Spokes
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've decided to go with the option of not cycling through haymarket and sticking with my route along the canal or fountainbridge and out trough the Scottish Widows cycle path over past EICC and down through Conference Sq to Lothian Road. Mind you I can't avoid crossing them from there to Princes Street and no matter the angle when it is wet I still get nervous.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Just saw Chdot's video on Road.cc (I get the email). As someone who used to cycle that way daily I'm rather glad I'm not facing that any more.
Is there a safe way of handling that bend, surely the usual angle technique would put you headlong into the next lane.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I thought that when the roadworks were removed I'd just head in and out of Haymarket but, having seen the video and the actual tracks, there is just no way I'm risking it Westbound.
@Stepdoh; in my opinion; no, there isn't a safe way with the unpredictable traffic behind you. Safest not to use that part of the route, I'm afraid.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Another story on this in today's evening news.
What a vile bunch of hateful trolls they are, that inhabit the comments section. Every comment today so far has been along the lines of "What's so hard? Your own fault. Had it coming., etc."
Posted 11 years ago # -
Posted 11 years ago # -
Must be a setup, poor blighter is wearing hi-viz and a helmet, so clearly should've stayed upright in the world of EEN commentators...
Posted 11 years ago # -
"in the world of EEN commentators..."
Sadly they've moved on to twitter!!!!
(Where their stupidity is more visible)
"
Andy Slav (@theslav67)
23/10/2013 12:37
@CyclingEdin @edinburghpaper do the signs or previous media supporting not do that? Open your eyes and pay attention"
"
Aaron (@aaroncmi)
23/10/2013 12:49
@CyclingEdin @edinburghpaper "highlighting" the fact there just happened to me a camera man filming... Wear a helmet should be the msg?"
"
Evening News (@edinburghpaper)
23/10/2013 12:53
@aaroncmi @CyclingEdin The cyclist is wearing a helmet. Our photographer had only just begun filming when the accident happened."
"
Aaron (@aaroncmi)
23/10/2013 12:56
@edinburghpaper @CyclingEdin apologise; I thought it was a different video put out last wk. Shame Edin Council waiting till Dec for advice"
Posted 11 years ago # -
As I mentioned in another thread, I cycled on Princes St today for the first time in months.
After almost being sideswiped by a bus (as per my thread), I then skidded slightly on tram tracks. (No real risk of going down.)
IMO, if you have to cross them at an angle other than 90% and they're wet from the rain, they're dangerous.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Maybe if we report the tramlines as potholes to Clarence, they'll send a couple of blokes along to tamp some loose tar into the gaps.
they don't apply much intelligence the rest of the time so i reckon it's 50/50 they'd actually just do it...
Posted 11 years ago # -
I have to agree skotl, the type of comments on the EEN board are pretty spiteful. Sadly one of the comments does point out the number of times the cyclist crosses the track, the speed he is going at and that it's pretty wet. Hate that I need to agree with them but the cyclist really isn't helping himself. Secondly it's pointed out that we should go slower over the dangerous section, apologies to all cyclists behind me at about 17.05 each day as I sit primary in lane 2 crawling past haymarket. At least I know I'll get the support from all of the motorists.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Feel sorry for the guy in the EEN times video but if you watch the video you'll see he's crossing the tram lines at a very acute angle so the chances of his tyre getting caught are greatly increased.
The comments on the EEN are not called for but the rider in this occasion didnt help himself.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Yes, I have to admit that this latest video shows somebody crossing the line very poorly. there's basically no attempt to cross at an angle whatsoever. That in no way detracts from the fact that the current layout is far too dangerous though.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"Hate that I need to agree with them but the cyclist really isn't helping himself"
"the rider in this occasion didnt help himself"
"I have to admit that this latest video shows somebody crossing the line very poorly"
Again, though, this is all expecting all cyclists to be confident and knowledgable on this point. Maybe it's the first time he's crossed them, maybe it's his first time down the road since it opened up and hadn't read the papers, maybe he's on a borrowed bike with tyres narrower than he's used to. There are all sorts of factors at play that could actually explain this.
Of course, also maybe he was completely reckless, but I don't tihnk we're in a position to blame him for his own downfall.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Again, though, this is all expecting all cyclists to be confident and knowledgable on this point. Maybe it's the first time he's crossed them, maybe it's his first time down the road since it opened up and hadn't read the papers, maybe he's on a borrowed bike with tyres narrower than he's used to
What about common sense??
Probably had none of that either!Posted 11 years ago # -
For what it's worth, based on 45 minutes stationary with the camera at Haymarket last week, I'd guess around one in ten riders actually managed to ride across the tracks in the way people seem to think they should be able to do - the other 90% drifted over in one form or another (with varying success).
It's also harder than it looks, as I'd be the first to admit.
If I could find my camera I'd post up some footage!
Posted 11 years ago # -
The EEN front page photo montage makes the cyclist look like a reckless vicarious thrill seeker.
And another few thousand edinburgers decide cycling is far too dangerous and isn't for them.
We will continue to work with our road safety partners to try to enable cyclists to use Scotland's roads safety.
You try so hard Keith... you do so much for them.. but they're their own worst enemy, aren't they?
Its never going to catch on is it, this cycling lark.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@ Wilmington's Cow
Oh, I'm not trying to blame him, merely pointing out the fact that it was a poor attempt to cross the lines safely. I've come off my bike when mountain biking because I made a poor attempt to traverse an obstacle. I don't blame myself, I just accept I got it wrong, as this guy did.
I would like to know what he was thinking though, as he did that strange wiggle onto the line before trying the unsuccessful crossing. Did he think he'd judge his approach right after that or was he still experimenting when it went wrong? Either way, hopefully he knows better the next time and this is the only negative statistic he becomes.
Posted 11 years ago # -
VIDEO: Another cyclist has been captured falling on the Haymarket tram tracks with calls mounting today for the council to take action. What should be done?
Read more and watch the footage: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/video-more-cyclists-fall-on-lethal-tram-tracks-1-3152608Posted 11 years ago # -
Today's fall was me, though this should be in the rubbish cycling since I took the track at a shallower angle than I usually do and while 2" tyres don't get trapped, they don't object to sliding on wet and greasy metal causing me to lose the front.
Fortunately I was only doing about 15 mph so while there's big tears and holes in my right glove and shoulder of my jacket, it appears I've only got grazing at the contact points though I'm still working out why I'm going to get bruising under my left thumb nail.
Also fortunately there was no traffic behind while I slid a little way and a big thanks to those passers-by who stopped to check and ask me if I was okay. I was and after picking up the bits and making everything was alright for 6-7 minutes, I was on my way.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I reiterate: small claims court the bejesus out of them.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Seconded. You were very lucky this time. With the all-too-common aggressive taxi behind you it could have been a whole lot worse.
Glad you're in 0.99 pieces though.
Posted 11 years ago #
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