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Good Morning Edinburgh

(14 posts)
  • Started 11 years ago by Edinburgh Cycle Training
  • Latest reply from Edinburgh Cycle Training

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  1. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    Any analysts (1) and statisticians (2)on the forum might be interested, the rest of you can hit "back" now if you like, I won't be offended.

    (1)Have my mind set on a single speed so decided to commute today just in my highest gear on my wee'est front ring (it was in that gear anyway!)

    Commute was fine despite it starting off as my first outing in the proper dark in many many months.

    The commute took one minute longer than my average time, which surprised me I thought it would be considerably longer. My route is almost exactly 10 miles.

    (2) Feeling bad about acting like I was the tow-path police on my last commute in, I decided to be uber pleasant this morning. I said 'morning' to everyone I passed who wasn't wearing headphones. I wasn't judging btw, I just assumed they wouldn't hear me!

    I didn't keep an accurate count but passed about 20 cyclists and a similar number of pedestrians. 1 boater and one woman pushing a pram.

    100% of boaters responded
    100% of pram pushers responded
    approx 80% of cyclists responded
    Approx 30% of pedestrians responded

    Those stats mean nothing to me (copyright midge ure) but It was noticible i was getting more pedestrian responses the further out of town I went.

    Have a nice weekend y'all.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. Focus
    Member

    I find I get more response from cyclists further out of town too. Urban cyclists (unless you talk to them at traffic lights) tend to act very anti-social (especially when commuting), in my experience. Very few make eye contact as you pass them on the NEPN.

    Out of town, where it's admittedly mostly roadies I see and I'm more likely to be on my road bike, it's far more likely I'll get an acknowledgement. Roadies tend to have a reputation for being snobby about riders on "lesser" types of bike but I think it actually works both ways. That doesn't explain the NEPN type of experience when I'm on one of my MTBs.

    And no, it's not just me! I see riders ignoring each other as they pass ahead of me too. We should smile more - we're in this together :-)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. jdanielp
    Member

    I usually attempt to make eye contact when passing people on the canal tow-path and if it looks like they are showing any interest I will attempt a smile or a nod as opposed to a "good morning" - responses are mixed. There are a handful of people who I recognise who will usually get a more enthusiastic smile, nod or even a "good morning", which is usually reciprocated. Maybe I should try to be more enthusiastic and greet everyone verbally. There was a cyclist who I passed nearly every morning a few years ago who did this...

    I had an interesting incidient by Craiglockhart pond the other morning. I slowed down since I had spotted a elderly man walking this dog in the middle of the path ahead of me. He spotted me and moved to the side of the path with his dog. As I passed him I attempted a smile and said "thank you". Shortly afterwards as I continued cycling I heard a "good morning" which I assumed was addressed to someone behind me since I had cycled past. Momentarily, this was followed by a surprisingly loud and aggressive "GOOD MORNING!" and then shortly after that "I'M TALKING TO YOU!". Assuming that "YOU" must mean me I shouted back a somewhat irate "GOOD MORNING" and, for good measure, "I DID SAY THANK YOU, YOU KNOW".

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. Dave
    Member

    I didn't keep an accurate count but passed about 20 cyclists and a similar number of pedestrians.

    I'd be interested to know what time you commute. I keep a daily tally and my numbers are wildly different - today I saw 2 pedestrians and over 20 cyclists and that's not amazingly unusual.

    The average is 3-4.5x as many cyclists going one way as pedestrians going both ways, i.e. 6-9x as many cyclists as pedestrians in total.

    There were 5 peds on NEPN today but quiet for bikes, at only ~30.

    If I leave a bit later I usually get to 100 riders.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. DaveC
    Member

    I always say hello to people on my commute and have had a few longer conversations as a result of smiles/nods turning into 'Good Mornings'. I try to get peoples names so I can say hello more personally next time. I also prefer to cycle with someone and chat on the cycle, otherwise I end up humming some children's TV program theme tune, after feeding my children in the morning whilst they are glued to cbbc.

    The chap who lolly pop mans' the children on the Silverknowes path at Silverknowes Road East and Silverknowes Drive is Bill MacPherson, I know as I stopped and asked him after a few weeks of saying hello. Do say hello to Bill if you see him!

    On the way to work after the Oct PY I was chatted up by a young lady on a bike at the foot of North Bridge, who started off by commenting on the heavy traffic, and then asking/complimenting me on/about my bike and did I cycle that way often...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. steveo
    Member

    I've had Rasta Mouse running through my head all week... zuba duma duma !

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. ARobComp
    Member

    for those of you without young children:

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Plugins

    ISn't this a touch racist?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    Probably hit Lochrin basin about 8am and stayed on the towpath until Cultins Road.

    Will hit it heading east about 4:30 and expect it to be busier!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. steveo
    Member

    ISn't this a touch racist?

    I wouldn't say so, it relys very heavily on stereotypes but it does stereotype all cultures pretty evenly. For example the English (cockney) festival organiser Glaston Brie (read it out loud)

    /serious thread drift...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. Charterhall
    Member

    @DaveC sounds like you're in there ;-)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. Uberuce
    Member

    I dunno if I'm an analyst, but I do ride fixed for my daily mute and for jaunts under 50 miles. For over 50 I prefer to use the geared bike.

    I'm almost always faster on fixed than on my geared bikes, but there's some more variables in the mix:

    1) Because I ride mostly fixed, I'm better adapted to it than gears. I rode without the artifice of a derailleur for about a year, then converted one bike to gears and found I was amazingly unfit, especially going up hills. I had to get geared fit again before any improvement.

    2) If I've chosen the geared bike for a sub-50 miler in the first place it's because I'm not feeling strong.

    I will echo the advice of Uncle Sheldon and say go straight to fixed.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    Very rare Monday bike commute for me today. First of many more hopefully

    Hardy any replies until Harrison, thereafter loads!

    Dunno if that's the Monday effect of if the town just makes folk a wee bit grumpier or more nervous of random strangers saying 'morning'!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. DaveC
    Member

    There are a load of regular cyclists I see on a morning and evening. Most have got used to my greetings, but only one or two ignore my greetings of Hello, and Good Morning. Suppose some cyclists just don't like being greeted.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    To be fair, I have difficulty getting my kids to talk to me too!

    Posted 11 years ago #

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