Crash happened when he took hand off handlebars to clear nose on a fast section.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4503 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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On the way home this evening I heard the splash but didn't see the interaction that caused the rider of one of two bikes passing on the towpath near the police station in Wester Hailes to end up in the canal.
He crawled out very quickly. His bike remained on the towpath.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Most mornings I pass a cyclist heading from East Calder (at least) somewhere along Clifton Rd. He's got a black electric bike, wearing all black cloths, black shoes, black helmet and often a black face bandana. Even I usually don't notice him until I am close.
No exactly rubbish cycling but could introduce some colour to make it easier to spot him (especially on country roads).
Posted 4 years ago # -
The cyclist who bombed around the blind corner from the zig-zag into the Telfer Underpass missing the pedestrian in front of me by a whisker who was seemingly oblivious to the potential consequences of his actions.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@bill: He's got a black electric bike, wearing all black cloths, black shoes, black helmet and often a black face bandana.
I saw a bloke dressed all in black riding an (illegal) black powered skateboard along the carriageway this morning on my way to work. In the rain, when so many drivers of enclosed motor vehicles would have struggled to see him if their view of him was not through the swept area of their windscreen. Probably thinks he's some kind of cool bandit dude.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I saw someone yesterday on an electric kick scooter. There was no kicking going on, just powered scooting. They were on carriageway directly following a police van. I couldn't decide if they were being gallus or totally ignorant as to their legal position. I've no idea if the police stopped them though.
Posted 4 years ago # -
There's a dude rides an electric skateboard with standing-height handlebars up Gilmerton Road after dropping kids at the primary.
There's no enforcement of any of this stuff.
Posted 4 years ago # -
How much do we care? I'd rather dodgy e-bikes weren't going down the Roseburn Path at 30 but I'm not too fussed about a dad dropping off kids with an electric scooter (rather than a car.)
Posted 4 years ago # -
I care about a culture of lawlessness. If people get the idea that the roads are a free-for-all cycling will not be possible. Or maybe the only way to get through the gridlock?
Posted 4 years ago # -
"I care about a culture of lawlessness"
This is where I generally come from as well. I sometimes find it hard to explain why I shout at cyclists who go through reds or ride on pavements when faced with the 'but drivers are the bigger danger' type thing.
It's not really because it 'gives us all a bad name' (I hate that thought), but more just that I don't generally like seeing people breaking the rules, cos I'm boring and law-abiding, and would rather everyone else was, no matter what their conveyance.
That said. I was going to put a lock on the gate in the Meadows the very morning a padlock appeared, and there are some thoughts going through my head for Holyrood Park, and the 20 zones around my house, which might not be illegal, but certainly are pushing some boundaries....
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lots of powered scooters and those powered single wheel things you have between you calves in the City of London this week.
By & large on the carriageway rather than pavement.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@HankChief: By & large on the carriageway rather than pavement.
Still illegal though.
I tend to agree with IWRATS. We talk about pavement parking being "normalised": these offences going un-enforced is the same thing. People come to assume that "it doesn't matter".
Over time you end up with a gradual erosion of respect for all laws which aren't enforced by an actual man with a big stick stopping you from even thinking of doing it.The law is supposed to be a 'virtual man with a big stick' but it doesn't work that way if no-one believes that the words in statute actually do mean what they say. A degree of visible enforcement is required in order to reinforce people's internal policeman. If nothing else, to adjust their perception from "it doesn't matter" to "I've got away with it (this time)".
Posted 4 years ago # -
@ejstubbs - you'll be pleased to know that last year MCC reported a school girl to the community police for riding an electric scooter through Murrayfield...
Posted 4 years ago # -
Interesting views. I think we're quite lucky in the UK in that laws - while not ideal in places - are actually quite favourable to cycling. I think this sometimes leads us to argue based on laws rather than principles. You often see people arguing that it's OK that cyclists don't cycle in cycle lanes because it's legal rather than because the cycle lane is poor, or that they cycle on dual carriageways because it's legal rather than because it's direct and there's no other provision. I sometimes wonder if that leaves us vulnerable to a hostile administration, say, making it illegal to cycle outside of cycle lanes or banning cyclists from all 40mph+ roads, suddenly making the arguments we were using fall down.
This is a big digression, but I suppose my fundamental point is this - if the government were reviewing the legality of these vehicles, I personally would support a law which restricted their speed and allowed them on roads and cycle paths, I think. This means I probably don't really care about them now - the alternative would be caring a lot right up until midnight on the day the hypothetical law came into force then suddenly not, which seems artificial and almost hypocritical. In a world where the authorities do make regular priority calls about enforcement, I'd rather have them sitting booking people in Holyrood Park for a year before they came round to Murrayfield to catch a schoolkid whizzing home.
What's your actual, fundamental, I am a dictator and I get to decide the law view on these things?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Oh I'd make electric scooters etc legal (I honestly didn't know they were illegal!).
But while it's not legal think that people souldn't do it, but (to add a further caveat) that there should be a level of proportionality to enforcement if not everything can be enforced at once.
Posted 4 years ago # -
a friend in germany was ticketed while doing 25km/hr on a pavement on his electric unicycle. i'd be happy sharing a bike lane with that object, but not a pavement.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I thought I'd take a shortcut this evening and use IWRATS's snicket between Craiglockhart Station and Myreside, imagining that it would be dry. Big mistake. It's thick with really squelchy mud that clung to my tyres and had the bike sliding all over the place. Don't go that way unless you are on a proper mountain bike.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@Greenroofer sounds like an unfortunate event.
Posted 4 years ago # -
returned to my bike this evening just to see a dog marking its territory on my back wheel.
Owner denied it, even though I'd watched it happen and then couldn't see the problem. I asked him to hold his dog still and so I could reciprocate. Apparently that's not equivalent.
Come THE PURGE, its these things that'll be settled.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@jdanielp but not lemony, unlike @iainmcr's back wheel.
Posted 4 years ago # -
If it's not on facebook then your average dog owner is probably unaware these days.
Posted 4 years ago # -
On the towpath at home time, I was cycling with a loaded tagalong. As I prepared to overtake a pedestrian I did the shoulder check and was startled to see someone about to overtake me at a fair clip without any warning. We both braked quite sharply, and I had a few hairy moments, as the tagalong is old and the pin is quite wobbly, so I got jerked a few times as I tried to regain speed and balance — unpleasant given the prospect of landing in the water. Rubbish from me because I let the hardware deteriorate (but to be fair the occupier has been given a ultimatum — this is the last week of the tagalong, from August they’re cycling to school under their own steam), but also me overtaking that pedestrian would have been utterly predictable, so the stealth overtake wasn’t great either.
Posted 4 years ago # -
which secondary school has the black blazer with red piping?
one of that lot casually leant a nice-looking Boardman against some railings, sauntered into the scotmid, was there a good 5 minutes, sauntered back--no lock. at all.
(yes, i did watch his bike, but mainly because i was luxuriating in ketchup chips. could y'all start liking dill pickle flavour too?)
Posted 4 years ago # -
@canuck sounds like Stew Mel
Posted 4 years ago # -
Tomato sauce flavoured crisps? @the Canuck. Spring Onion Flavoured Crisps would be close to dill pickle?
Posted 4 years ago # -
@thecanuck I PRAY dill pickle crisps make it to Scotland. Not the BEST thing about Canada but they're on the top ten list...
Posted 4 years ago # -
The best thing about Canada is also the worst thing: everyone being so nice.
Posted 4 years ago # -
You can get Dill crisps (not sure about the pickle) from IKEA....
Posted 4 years ago # -
One of the competitive bodybuilder people from work skipped the last two red lights before the car park this morning, then wasted the time they saved trying to squeeze their bike into their usual spot when there were plenty of other more accessible spaces around.
Posted 4 years ago #
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