CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
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.
stickyBrought to me just now by the woman who shaved past so close that for the first time I shouted at a driver, questioning whether she was, in a fornication under command of kingly way, whether she was kidding me.
When I passed her at the red light a stone's throw up the road, she was of course halfway into the ASZ, and she then did it again.
Yesterday's driving now...turned off the Old Dalkeith Road, aware of being tailgated and being followed on the turn, with the car breathing down my back mudguard, and I then do an immediate right...as I was aware of the car on my derriere stuck out my arm to show that I was going to turn right, and to stop them overtaking me, which is what I thought they might do, only to be given a loud parp...and the point of that was? One they should not have been so close in the first place, and probably due to that did not see my right hand indicating, but still had time to give me an indignant toot, and two had they tried to overtake me the consequences would have been too dreadful to contemplate because the car would have most definitely hit me.
Driver of a silver Clio on the Royal Mile. Indicating left to turn down St Mary's Street, halfway through turn the brakes bring her to a halt. Indicator still on, traffic moving, no visible reason for the stop. Of course we've just gone onto the cobbles, so my grab of the brakes sets the front wheel on an entirely separate course form that taken by the back wheel and my body. Somehow get a foot down to save the fall.
Muttering I get back on the pedal to pass her stationary backside so that I can carry on straight up the Royal Mile. Cue right indicator and correction of direction so she can head up the Royal Mile. Cutting me up in the process.
I scowled as I filtered past her at the next red lights.
I hope it was a loud scowl, anth
Deafening.
She was looking the other way (intentionally?).
Taxi #1017 ought to have left me more space, but Post Office van KS59 ROU really shouldn't try to overtake whilst actually going through a junction in order to beat the lights, especially when he's only going to end up in a big long queue for the next set of lights, allowing me to pointedly read his number plate as I pass in the almost-empty bus lane.
Riding along my estate last night, its a twenty with cars parked on one side of the road, the road is narrow enough and i'm going fast enough I don't let people pass. I become aware of a loud diesel close behind me, I give him pat the air, back off sunshine, so he starts gunning the engine and generally being a moron. I hold my line for another few meters where I peel off for my street at which point he spins his wheels going over a speed hump and accelerating towards a blind bend... I was praying a Royal Mail van was going coming the other way. Alas the universe takes its time over such matters.
Jeep Cherokee, why is it always 4x4's.
Heading west along Abbey Lane I was behind a van-and-trailer, which was taking it slowly over the speed bumps (as it should, past the school) and which then had to swing out to the right to slot left down Croft-an-Righ. Finally released from the terrible gearbox-pain he must have been suffering from going at merely twenty, wee red R737 PBP (which doesn't exist, but it was something like that) found it necessary to overtake going underneath the railway (right at the bit where the north pavement has been expanded to include the bridge support) then dart out in front of a van coming down from Abbeymount. A taxi then did his best "lalalalala I can't see anything so if I can't see it how am I supposed to not try and overtake it at a pedestrian crossing" act at the pedestrian crossing, but (despite being unable to see me) backed off after being shouted at so that I could turn right up the Canongate.
Large volumes of cars getting their patience/idiocy balance wrong along Castle Terrace, possibly due to more competition to get into the car park than usual but equally likely due to the giant artic full of amps (but with a bicycle tied up near the door) which was presumably parked right where it could block the junction with Lothian Road on Picture House business.
..courtesy of a silly wee man in his dark blue VW polo.
My homeward commute takes me out of Stenhouse Drive into Gorgie Rd, then out of the cycle lane to the right filter lane taking me up Chesser Avenue and onward.
The Gorgie Road/Chesser junction could be intimidating for the novice, but signal early enough and 99 out of 100 drivers give space, which is then rewarded with a thumbs up from me.
Not only did silly wee polo man not 'get' that I was signalling from a bus lane that he should not have been in - but he reckoned that I was fair game to toot, rev up behind as I had my hand out to change lanes, and then call me silly names as he undertook me rather too snug for my liking - all in the bus lane, natch.
...I sincerely hope he parks next to a dog poo, and drags it through his house.
Look out for this car in the polwarth area. He went past me soooo close at a speed that was waay above the limit today on gilmore place. Naturally at the lights at the kings his window was down so I asked him if he'd passed me close enough. He replied that he did think he'd passed close enough and asked me what the F**k I was gonna do about it? When I told him I was gong to hand the video footage into the police station he absolutely lost the plot big style so I ran away!! Oh and I don't have any video footage that was a wee white lie...hee hee. The only plus s that I recognized his car as the one that got towed away last week for parking on a double yellow!!
@recombodna LOL
I have been known to take a "photograph" of the driver and number plate with my ancient, camera-deficient, electronic organiser...
But perhaps that's considered assault these days (cf viral road rage woman!)
Robert
I had a wee dark blue car and a large white cooncil minibus steam past close enough to touch heading up the Canongate this morning. The car was closer but the minibus did it again on the High Street (when I was hanging back whilst a vehicle did some three-point-turning) so it'll be him who gets reported, especially as he has a fleet number and an online complaint form.
@Roibeard
I've done that and was threatened with "being charged" though I never found out what with.
Last night, the first thing was a motor-bicycle which shoaled me at the top of Dewar Place, sticking it's exhaust right under my nose. Why are motor-bicycle exhausts angled slightly upwards like that? After letting him 'make good progress' past the queue past the EICC works, I reached the SWIP ASZ just before the lights changed in front of a taxi, which beeped me as we went along past Sainsbury to get to the next lights. The fume-emitting motor-bicycle was in the left-hand lane but sped off straight ahead to Bread Street when the lights changed; we in the straight-on lane followed when the pedal cycle at the top of the queue shuffled out of the way into the left-hand right-turn lane. The taxi revved a bit going past the point but didn't bother too much trying to get past until the road constricts going past the stripperaria. The car in front of me was nice and slow and polite and very easy to keep pace with along the clogged Cowgate, but I was keeping an ear on the taxi in case it tried anything daft, though it eventually escaped up Blackfriar's Street. A wee car a few car-lengths back turning into the Canongate from St Mary's Street still tried to race ahead and cut across on the inside of the turn, but seemed to back off a bit until I came to turn right down Abbey Lane, whereupon it raced past just after I pointedly extended my arm. Due to the lights and timings it was unlikely to be them occupying most of the ASZ outside MeadowbankSainsbury, but the way they overtook me around the outside of the Lochend roundabout (after I let a bus pull out then followed it around the roundabout) makes me think it might have been the same people, especially when they did their best to go as fast as possible over all the speed bumps to the next roundabout. I want a headcam.
Heading west along MacDonald Road yesterday after 8pm, just passed the junction at Leith Walk and look round to check for left turners, as there's a potential side swipe junction popular with the 'accelerate to overtake and cut off' brigade. One car indicating, overtakes me and turns in front of me, but I'm pootling at low speed so plenty of time and space, no problem. I drift onwards, just edging across the left hand junction when a wee Micra appears on my right, indicator on and turns, at speed, right across me! I slam on the brakes for an emergency stop, cursing the driver very loudly. The car continues to turn left at speed, with only a couple of inches to spare.
I was nearly killed or seriously injured there. Furious, I give chase across the cobbles, uttering murderous threats but of course it is futile. Not even sure that the driver looked at all to see if there was a cyclist in the cycle lane. Probably not. Or maybe thought 'I'll just squeeze past if I floor the accelerator'. The latter is how it seemed to me.
Chalk up another random near death experience on MacDonald Road (had a beep and deliberate swerve towards me last month at another side street). Is it that it's a traffic-calmed straight, flat bit of road? Do the drivers (subconsciously or consciously) resent the cycle lanes, the speed bumps, the zebra crossing, the built out kerbs, and thus go out of their way to attempt murder?
I need one of those air horn things. Or a heat seeking missile to fire at offending vehicles.
"One car indicating, overtakes me and turn in front of me, but I'm pootling at low speed so plenty of time and space, no problem. I drift onwards, just edging across the left hand junction when a wee Micra appears on my right, indicator on and turns, at speed, right across me! I slam on the brakes for an emergency stop, cursing the driver very loudly."
I think this is the danger with drivers who almost-but-not-quite left hook you (I had one this morning), because the one behind will just follow blindly on (luckily for me there was no-one behind them).
MacDonald Road is another one which I must be extremely lucky with because (touch wood) I have never had a problem there.
Hope your heart rate has calmed down a bit now.
Cycling down Lothian road this am about 8:50, coming to the crossing where E.Fountainbridge crosses into Fountainbridge.
Double decker bus with moustachioed driver waiting to turn right into Fountainbridge, I was very close and travelling at a fair whack so I knew he wouldnt turn as there was no filter or anything.
The road there is REALLY pot-holey so I like to move out a bit more to the edge of the bus lane. I looked behind me to ensure there were no cars etc and moved out - looked back to see a Double decker bus turning broadside across the road.
Chap was looking right at me as he was turning and there was no hint of apology in his stupid moustache.
If I hadn't tightened my brakes up at the weekend I'd have splatted into the side of it. Guessing I had to go from full speed to track stand in <10m. Bad times.
Trying to figure out which bus it was. I think either the 35/34/1.
Smart car for a care home, didn't see the name of it.
Pretty undramatic, it was just another driver who was surprised to see a cyclist doing something as bizarre as take primary through a space she couldn't even have got her wee car through anyway. So I got a beep from a foot or two off my back wheel and a jolly good overtaking once she had marginally more space. This was at the bottom of Ashley Terrace/Shandon Thingy. Caught her up at the lights over the bridge, which isn't a boast of speed - I've got a horrible cough at the minute and hard breathing is basically impossible.
She then cut up the other driver at the lights to sort-of tear down the road. I sincerely hope there was an emergency.
This guy overtook me at speed today on Melville drive. I was in the van doing 30 and he nearly hit me trying to aviod a head on collision with the truck coming the other way.What a massive massive arse hat!!!!
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IMAG0310 by muzza!!, on Flickr
When I slowed to allow a bus to pull out going east along Marionville Road last night I also moved over to my usual heading-across-to-Lochend-Drive position, which happened to be directly behind the bus. Following the bus gently round the roundabout it was impossible to not notice the nerk behind me edging to the left with the clear intention of nipping in front if me when the bus cleared the inlet. Fortunately he was paying attention, had his eye caught and submitted to the pointedly-flourished left arm, saving me from having to wait for him to sneak past before glaring in his mirror all the way down to the next roundabout.
idiot in a (i think) new Mundaneo estate at Asda Jewel today
I was on foot with my boy in the pram
old woman i front of me
I had slowed and kept pace with her,rather than overtake
she walked out onto the long pedestrain lane/crossing and pit her hand up to this fool,who ignored her and shot thorugh
had she walked out as per her right of way,she would have been flattened
I followed up and saw Mr Mundaneo stuck in the bus stop area
alli can say is you are lucky I had my son with me and Im still recovering from my shoulder op.
As I was absolutly livid at the sheer arogance and risk to life. I was torn walking past him
NAUGHTY taxi SK08 BKJ first performed an extremely close pass (despite there being no oncoming traffic whatsoever) just underneath South Bridge heading east along the Cowgate. When I caught him up at the top of West Port he was then speaking into a non-hands-free portable telephone, but seemed to have at least noticed the other cyclist in front of him, behind whom he appeared to be waiting as she ground up and over the junction.
custard Posted 2 months ago
Also had a dairy truck this morning barge into the ASZ at the Shandon lights as I was battling fierce winds
For your, and anyone else's, future reference - I believe that Wiseman Dairy drivers are rewarded for their considerate driving.
So many months without tickets or bumps and they get a bonus. The longer this goes on for, their bonus increases up to a certain level. Said bonus also disappears rapidly on violations. If the truck involved was one of those mottled black and white ones, it was from Wiseman Dairies.
Custard, you know what to do!
SJ54 ???? - Silver Freelander overtook me in the 'reduced width' lane at tramworks central (Bankhead Drive at south gyle access).
Total prat, despite my turning round gesticulating that there was no room, roared past almost pushing me into the contraflow.
Caught him at the lights Broomhouse Drive / Saughton Road - he seemed preoccupied with his radio as I knocked on the window.
Just lost me at the next set of lights - probably a good thing as my red mist had descended good and proper.
Got home pretty swiftly though - I am always amused at the look on their face when they realise we can catch them - rather easily at peak times.
You shouldn't condone vandalism, should you. But sometimes, when the day's been stressful and you meet another inconsiderate numptie . . .
Cycling in today I came off the cycle path at Craigleith. Exiting the filling station was a silver Porsche Boxter driven by a lady with a girl in the passenger seat. The cars filling cap and flap were both open. To make matters worse the filler cap is on the drivers side Front Wing! She had driven off the forecourt and along the ~100m access road to the T junction exit where I passed it. I stopped on the road in front of the car and the driver gave me the 'what are you waiting for' hands in the air. Her irrate face changed when I pointed at the open fuel cap. Dozy [removed for sexual discrimnatory reasons] ;-s
It's still showing on Twitter.
The car which was just drawing up behind me when the lights went green to allow me to turn right into Duddingston Park from Milton Road stayed behind me whilst I passed a parked campervan but then decided to overtake just as we approached the first traffic island. Though the car beeped at the island it deigned not to give way, so the poor car had to go around to the right of the island in order to not have to slow down. I caught up at the next set of lights so they night have caught the discreet hand-cupped-to-ear gesture.
Today's rubbish cycling was the guy on a single speed bike who thought it was perfectly safe to squeeze through the 2-foot space between queueing cars and parked cars, to get from the Longstone roundabout to the Calder Road roundabout. I decided I wasn't in quite so much of a hurry, and sat in line. That bit of road is almost always chock-a-block.
Today's good driving was the white van driver who was watching his left-hand mirror like a hawk and saw said cyclist coming, and moved right to give his mirror an extra foot or so of space.
After today's good driving (in t'other thread) a but of bad driving in the same place as yesterday's good driving. Young guy in a Golf, completely oblivious to me turning right on the roundabout - entered it at speed with nary a glance in my direction. He looked (through his half open window) when I shouted though. I'd seen him coming down and noting his pace had slowed mine in anticipation - would have been rather catastrophic if I'd been likewise otherwise enagaged from actually paying attention.
Today's rubbish driving was woman in VW Polo turning from Roseburn Place into Roseburn Gardens.
I got to bottom of the Gardens and as the Polo on the Place was approaching, I waited to turn right. Polo didn't slow and just drove straight at me as if I wasn't there (must have been trying to shave vital microseconds off her day by also clipping corner). She appeared to grow some eyes at last second, hit the brakes and skidded to a halt within about a foot of me. Had a look of horror on her face as if she'd just done something unmentional in her underpants - which kind of suggests me being at the bottom of the road patiently waiting to be run over came as a bit of a surprise.
I offered some advice about the use of her eyeballs before making a maneouvre. She had to let me go first as the way she had approached the corner, I was blocking her progress by being in my lane, in the correct position.
I've noticed that cars making this turn (I assume doing a mini rat-run to try and avoid the lights at end of Roseburn Street) often clip the corner. A couple of times I've given drivers scowls who have come rather close, but this is the first time someone has near enough tried to drive straight through me.
Helmet cam just went higher up the "to buy" list
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