CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Missing the point? Commuting safety...

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  1. Smudge
    Member

    Was somewhat confused this morning, sat on the Glasgow Edinburgh train when a nice young lady got on the train (at Linlithgow iirc).
    She had an Apollo 21spd mountain bike, and had ensured she had a decent h****t and a hi-vi waistcoat.

    What I found amazing was that despite spending probably around £30 on a plastic bunnet and sourcing the waistcoat she had no lights at all! (and the rear reflector though fitted was pointing at the sky)

    I know we don't all travel in the dark, but even when we got off at Haymarket (about 0720) it was sufficiently dark I had both lights on. Surely fifteen/twenty quid on some led's would be money well spent? Or is it me that's missing the point?!?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. Dave
    Member

    A lot of people are not really interested in being safe, just in ticking the "appear safe" boxes.

    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!

    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 :-)

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    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).

    Saw a lady riding the other night, helmet, hi-viz AND lights... On the pavement. D'oh!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. wee folding bike
    Member

    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.

    Me... no magic hat but I did have SON hub, Edelux, B&M TopLicht and a couple of Blackburn flashers. It was just after 1800 hrs but the Edelux had turned itself on already.

    Ohhh and I stopped when required to do so by road traffic acts.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. SRD
    Moderator

    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...

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  6. LaidBack
    Member

    SRD Was down in Leith Saturday and appalled by the number of (grown-up) cyclists on pavement.

    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.

    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.

    I also saw two Japanese visitors on rented bikes riding pavements on High St.

    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'.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  7. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    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'.
    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".

    Posted 13 years ago #

  8. Dave
    Member

    I think a big part of the reason people cycle on the pavement is that so many pavements are now officially cycle facilities.

    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!).

    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.

    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...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  9. Smudge
    Member

    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.
    Wonder if she has read this forum.... (if you do, Hello! (waves))

    Posted 13 years ago #

  10. spytfire
    Member

    I am now lit up like a Christmas tree

    Posted 13 years ago #

  11. gembo
    Member

    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.

    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.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I am now lit up like a Christmas tree

    A christmas tree with only white lights on one side and red lights on t'uther, I take it?

    Posted 13 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    "white lights on one side and red lights on t'uther"

    White only is so passé.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  14. Smudge
    Member

    @Gembo maybe... maybe...
    @chdot, "White only is so passé" and yet so legal.. ;-)
    ;-p

    Posted 13 years ago #

  15. chdot
    Admin

    "and yet so legal"

    I was talking about Christmas trees...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  16. Smudge
    Member

    in that case, "and so classic" ;-D
    No? I'll get my coat...

    Posted 13 years ago #

  17. Dave
    Member

    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!

    Posted 13 years ago #

  18. spitfire
    Member

    @kaputnik - yes, until I crash and spin round making pretty circles of light

    Posted 13 years ago #

  19. Min
    Member

    Flashing orange lights on the front. That isn't confusing. Not.

    I'm even confusing myself now.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  20. steveo
    Member

    Flashing orange are legal for a front light, they were the first front blinkies before white led's got good enough for use.

    Put enough juice through them and drivers might think your a AA van.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  21. Smudge
    Member

    @Dave,
    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!?!
    (looks for the smiley for "confused")

    Posted 13 years ago #

  22. spitfire
    Member

    @Smudge - I think it's:
    :S

    Posted 13 years ago #

  23. ruggtomcat
    Member

    or 0_0

    Posted 13 years ago #

  24. steveo
    Member

    you mean o_0 for that Spock lifted eyebrow effect.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  25. spitfire
    Member

    nah 0.0 looks wide eyed scared (or caffiene riddled)
    o.O looks somewhat unbelieving but is maybe the closest

    Posted 13 years ago #

  26. kaputnik
    Moderator

    o.O looks somewhat unbelieving

    or a recumbent bicycle that's fallen over

    Posted 13 years ago #

  27. Dave
    Member

    That just looks like _______.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  28. spitfire
    Member

    this thread now reminds me of the nik naks ad http://www.naden.de/blog/bbvideo-bbpress-video-plugin -->

    [+] Embed the video | nik-naks advert..." target="_blank">Video DownloadGet the Flash Videos

    Posted 13 years ago #

  29. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Dave,

    A recumbent going right to left looksas follows;

    |>
    |
    |
    |

    Posted 13 years ago #

  30. Dave
    Member

    From above? <confused />

    Posted 13 years ago #

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