Question 14 (1 hour)
a: Using the map beneath, correctly identify the streets indicated by the colour and route number on the SPIECN.
b: Plot a route between the points marked START and FINISH, using only the SPIECN and only using each physical street once.
c: What is the maximal slope gradient on your route?
d: What is the greatest number of steps it is possible to include in such a route?
e: What is the highest number of SPIECN lines your route follows or crosses at any point?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Confessions of a Cycle Commuter
(1669 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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Now I'm commuting by bike, I feel I really must stop emoting some of my more negative thoughts to drivers.
Although my route is through the centre of town, it's relatively quiet - no arterial roads or any of that sort of thing - so it's actually pretty relaxed.
But today I turned into Melville Street, shoulder-checked to see a white faux-by-faux behind me, and got up to cruising along at a reasonable lick. Driver decides this isn't good enough and sounds his horn. I'm pretty confident I'm doing 15 mph and have no interest in getting squeezed against parked cars at peak dooring time so I wave to acknowledge that he's there and speed up a wee bit more. Cue more horn, repeatedly. There's space at the Stafford Street junction and a 20 painted on the road, so I pull to the left and point at the 20. More honking. So he gets more sarcastic waves and, in response to another burst, an onanist wave. He clearly doesn't like this as he stops in the carriageway. Not sure what for, as he doesn't get out or wind down the window, and I give him a (normal) wave as I go past, turn up Walker Street and up the pace a little.
I’m less concerned about any future run-ins with this guy on a regular commute (although I guess that is a risk) and more that things like this just irritation levels at the start of the day and nag away at you (this post is evidence of that…). So I’ve decided I must be more zen. My aim is to stick to the wave and thumbs up, if needs be delivered them in a sarcastic manner.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Try a raised little finger (the Makaton for 'naughty'), which is easily adapted into the Australian anti-speeding-campaign for 'far from demonstrating your might and power, you're indicating that you lack such' by waggling it.
I don't always achieve it, but I try for exasperated and pitying rather than frothing and shouting. Honking back at them sometimes helps.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I'm currently working on a range of sarcastic things to say to drivers who don't meet my standards.
My current favourite for the morning sleep-drivers is "it's like driving except you don't have to look where you're going".
Posted 6 years ago # -
Wingpig Try a raised little finger (the Makaton for 'naughty'),
Are you sure that means what you think it means?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Honking back at them sometimes helps.
With airzound (or similar), or with a bell?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@Frenchy Just mouth-honking. Pretend to be a goose or a foghorn, or do one of those nasal Stephen Fry/Melchett "bngheeEEEEHHHH" things. Airzounds are evil.
@Min I think it turns more rude in other sign languages if you add other fingers.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@wingpig @Min that loosely matches what I remember for BSL for "bad". Pinky out, downward stroke, NMF.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@wingpig I like your question-setting style
Posted 6 years ago # -
My most recent deployment of a pinky waggle was as a ped at a white van driver who attempted to soak me with a puddle. I sidestepped the spray and pinky waggled. Mine was definitely not the BSL version. I have also used it at motor-revvers when I'm crossing on a green man. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do it as a cyclist at a car on the road.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I use the pinkie-winkie signal to the female passenger of any male driver who won't discuss his roadcraft with me. Pinkie-waggle, point to driver with raised eyebrows. Never fails.
Posted 6 years ago # -
That is how I understand the pinkie wiggle too!
Posted 6 years ago # -
I was trying to be decorous in case there were any children listening.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I was somewhat bewildered by talk of this "other" pinky sign until I read this. I confess it would never have occurred to me.
@davidsonsdave Iconicity is not an important feature of sign languages but that doesn't stop many simple signs from being quite iconic. Often iconicity is a false friend, though it does afford some great word substitutions - ever referred to someone not thinking straight as being totally London? Because you should.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Normally I go for positive rather than negative reinforcement - a thank-you salute (one hand raised off handlebars) for any driver who passes me nicely (obviously this only works in rural areas), nothing for the rest although if they look in the mirror and can lip read they might work out that I am not best pleased with them. In town I might resort to a one armed 'WTAF' shrug if something was really bafflingly egregious - that is if I don't need both hands at that point to control the bike.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Note to self: If you remember to take your lock with you to the supermarket, you won't have to go all the way back for it!
Posted 6 years ago # -
@frenchy, I did that today, tho realised early on. Meant I just went to decathlon and left bike inside shop where they declined to take any responsibility but let me leave it nehind some weights and basketball hoops. Meant I did not go to Tesco, which is no bad thing. Scotmid have brought their nanny state beer down to near Tesco prices at the moment so win win
Posted 6 years ago # -
More a general bike related than a commuter confession but:
Finally realised that I don't just delay - and put off, procrastinate about, avoid, rationalise doing later, etc etc for weeks and sometimes months if feeling unusually stubborn - cleaning bikes because I'm lazy, but also because it's so much more satisfying to clean a really disgustingly filthy clarty bike. Where's the fun if you can't scrape half a centimetre of sticky grass-fibre filled black gunk off your jockey wheelsand refill the chain bath three times? Yum.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt, boy you really have resolved your cognitive dissonance there. I take the opportunity to point out here the difference between cognitive dissonance e.g I am a keen cyclist but I don't clean my bike. (And this worries or niggles at me) And The resolution of cognitive dissonance e.g. Bikes run better if you either clean them all the time or never clean them, just don't be mr in-between (my way of resolving the cognitive dissonance)
You often find people saying cognitive dissonance when they mean the resolution of cognitive dissonance.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo I really like this framing! Though I might be about to avoid cleaning the mountain bike of its encrustations by reading about strategies for resolving cognitive dissonance on the internet instead...
Posted 6 years ago # -
could not fathom how the cyclists ahead wearing thick workmanlike hiviz clothing could be so fast against the wind and up hill this morning
ebike
good on ya mate!
Posted 6 years ago # -
having trouble with my chain, i assume slack
I go in to Matt at Just Bike Repairs he says not that slack but your middle ring is bent.....hold on there is a nut missing, hold on...all the nuts are loose.
Man, has somoene been trying to nick my middle ring or sabotage my bike?
Normally my nuts are welded on fnarrr
Posted 6 years ago # -
You're squirrel proof?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@unhurt, see also rather lurid news story about some waiting staff in an Italian restaurant in Edinburgh, case in court yesterday?. Seems Basil's response to Sybil in Fawlty Towers when she said to him that he knew what she would do if she found out he had been betting on horses again.....is in fact feasible
Posted 6 years ago # -
Spotted a bike that the owner had forgotten to secure to the stand. Luckily recognised whose it was and tracked them down. They claimed to have been suffering from brain freeze at 08h30.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Decided to fit studded tyres last night- had 2 fitted to spare wheels but one was punctured. Fixed that no problem then went down early to fit them this morning.
After testing - old chain on new cassette - which was a bad recipe, I decided to replace the chain. New one was a shimano 8 speed. I spent about 45 mins trying to get the quick link on (probably due to a lack of manual dexterity and patience) and eventually had to give up and WFH.
I found a Clarks one at lunch time and fitted it in about 2 minutes. Test ride and it was OK, need to do a little mudguard and brake readjustment tonight and should be right by tomorrow.
Posted 6 years ago # -
What type of quick link do you use? Shimano like or SRAM like?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@paddyirish -- was it a KMC quick link - i've found after they have been on the chain for a while they are a bit dodgy - wondering if they links are stretching a little.
SRAM have always been trustworthy :)Posted 6 years ago # -
@amir/rider73- one of these - left hand one in the top picture. Brand new out of the packet, provided with the chain.
Posted 6 years ago #
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