CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 14years old!
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It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Dewar Place. Line of cars. Halfway up the nasty sharp hill.
8:45 am
Chap in cycling gear with road bike. He is standing by small car with hazards on talking through an open window.
Meanwhile a woman pedestrian is saying to him, "Don't be so nasty. I said I was sorry."
Blocked my way uphill.
I'm trying to imagine the scenario. Woman has evidently been taking the opportunity to cross as hazards car has stopped, but hasn't looked out for cyclists. Has been sworn at.
If it was the case that the pedestrian didn't take enough care to look out for the cyclist, and then apologised, I can't think of a good reason to continue to berate...
On towpath tonight . Third guy in a line of cyclists I held up a little by going on their side to get round pedestrians wished to give me some grief. The first two were fine with me, perhaps they had seen me waiting patiently to allow a young guy who was in front of them bomb past some poor pedestrians.
I held my counsel and the karma gods rewarded me with very pleasant crossing of the aqueduct with everyone being nice to each other.
I had the pleasure of forcing a bum-tinkler to admit "it was from behind you", after I stopped under one of the bridges when he committed said offence.
Simple pleasures.
Poor bum tinkler, maybe he was trying to help anyone coming the other way? Nice coinage though of a definite phenomenon I have encountered (though I was uncertain of direction at first). And I confess I have been a bum tinkler e.g when kid in front wants to pass long queue of peds but has no bell.
When I was tweeded up the other day, the Brompton had no bell. I was saying ding ding in a comedy manner under the canal bridges. Was all very jolly.
forcing a bum-tinkler to admit
I was less confused by the wildlife pig. ¿Que?
I assume he means someone who rides right behind ringing a bell even though Dave has already rung his/made appropriate vocal warning. I can't help you with the pig though.
Is that a bad thing? I quite like the concerted gamelan effect of multiple bells. Let's the people know of multiple cycles approaching.
The pig abides, Min, the pig abides.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Kinda what I was thinking too.
"Let's the people know of multiple cycles approaching"
Yip.
Of course this is also Dave we're talking about, who does seem to like winding people up.
I often get the sarcastic comment about not using my bell when following the person ahead who rung a bell to alert pedestrians.
(Some folk expect every cyclist who's in the queue overtaking them to ring a bell, as they will immediately start to spread back across the shared path without checking behind them for a 2nd/3rd/4th cyclist overtaking along with the first one).
Ruh roh. Bell controversy incoming. I had better put on my safety helmet..
Or when you've slowed right down to make a slow pleasant pass with a conversational excuse me and the "in a hurry" guy 10m behind gets stuck in with his bell first, giving every one a fright.
There was a guy going up Leith Walk yesterday in the painted-cycle-gutter who rang his bell every time a pedestrian approached the kerb and thought about crossing.
This seems to be one of those rare damned if you do and damned if you don't instances that seems to have passed me by. It will probably happen every time I go out now.
I'm still waiting for my knee Knog Oi! bell to arrive.
Sometimes they're useful, sometimes I prefer voice. I don't take the canal simply because I don't have a bell on the bike just now. On t'other bike I relied on the incredibly loud freewheel, which seemed to work better.
Nothing works with someone who has headphones.
But yes, damned if you do/don't is very much the bell situation in any possible use.
I used to baulk at my bell but now I rather like the gentle tinkling, much nicer than a car horn, say. So it would be nice if streets and paths full of the sound of bells became the sound of Edinburgh.
Travel writing of the future:-
"I woke in my airbnb apartment in the Grassmarket to the sound of the bells as the morning cyclists pedalled past. In the distance was the first caw of the bagpipes. I sighed. I was back in Edinburgh."
I suspect Min its focused mainly on the Canal due to the poor sightliness, narrow path, heavy congestion and chance of catastrophic failure on one (both) side.
"Nothing works with someone who has headphones."
A semi-autonomous drone? Its default position could be a wee bit behind as a chase cam (unless docked and recharging on the special rack attachment), but pressing a little button on the handlebars would get it to pop forward ten metres or so and flash up a polite "look behind you" request.
That'd be the 'Lily Drone' (though looks like they are being investigated by crowdfunding bods at the mo).
@Rosie
Only a lunatic would fit bagpipes to a bicycle.
There used to be a guy cycled around Morrison street with some sort of auto-ringing bell running off the wheel. And there was a guy on the canal who rang his bell manually all the time and tried to give people orders.
"I relied on the incredibly loud freewheel"
One of my bikes has a SRAM twist grip. Really quite loud clicks, useful on bike paths with wandering pedestrians.
"Only a lunatic would fit bagpipes to a bicycle"
John Lauder?
(I decree that's not strictly a personal insult!)
"some sort of auto-ringing bell running off the wheel"
Don't know if these still exist (handlebar lever operated).
@chdot
Apologies. Intended to conjure vision of hypothetical handlebar-mounted bagpipes as bell substitute, not to address any real person.
No need for YOU to apologise.
It was me suggesting Sustrans Scotland boss might...
Do you know, IWRATS, a device that made the loud WHAAAA-HAAAW sound made by a bagpipe starting up might get the attention - but only if you were the only cyclist with such a device. If all cyclists sounded like bagpipers...
;-)
@chdot
Well I apologise anyway. It's about time, frankly.
@fimm
There's a tiny thing called a Horn-It that can play very loud, very real MP3 sound files. I met a roadie who had American fire truck and Star Trek phaser settings.
I think we have our test case?
Or when you've slowed right down to make a slow pleasant pass with a conversational excuse me and the "in a hurry" guy 10m behind gets stuck in with his bell first, giving every one a fright.
Yes it's the insinuation of "why is this guy going so slowly, he must simply not realise that he can RING RING RING HIS BELL and then he could speed up a bit" that mildly winds me up.
But I must say, when in the mood for a bit of winding up, if someone bum tinkles to try and hurry you under a bridge, just stopping (to wait for the guy coming the other way) is really a beaut.
Then, naturally, after riding under the bridge I make sure to leave said bum tinkler in the dust...
Personally I'm a fan of the loud freewheel as a socially neutral alert sound, and actually I chose my wheel build with that in mind. I almost never have to interrupt someone's day with a special "stand aside!" sound.
I used to use squeezed and released brake levers as a hint of my presence as I favour cheap Shimano freewheels.
I think I've now found a bell that has the tone of a Terry Thomas 'Oh, hello!' and that seems fine if used at a range of five meters or so.
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