CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish cycling

(4503 posts)

  1. Snowy
    Member

    Person on MTB wheelieing (sp?) most of the way from Harrison Park to Fountainbridge. Pretty wobbly though and he certainly didn't impress the hordes of pedestrians that he passed within inches of. He made several people jump off the path because it looked like he was about to topple into them. Must have seen one fringe show too many. Clown.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  2. ejstubbs
    Member

    Was the individual concerned wearing a grey hoody? If so it could be the same one I saw last week wheely-ing down Dalry Road towards the traffic lights outside Ryries, causing no little consternation to the pedestrianists crossing on a green man who weren't sure if he was going to (a) stop, or (b) miss them if not.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. gembo
    Member

    @ejstubbs, think he might change his hoodies? I have seen him and a wee pal. He does not like to have the front wheel on the ground. Why i am not sure

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. wingpig
    Member

    Heading east from Fountain Park at sevenish yester-eve, I drew up to the red lights at Gardner's Crescent just as a man (in a kilt, which made him easier to recognise later) set off, cycling across the stop line on red and through two pedestrian greens. Cycling legally, I caught up to him at the end of Morrison Street in the straight-across lane. For some reason he seemed disinclined to head across on red when there were more than just pedestrians crossing his path. When the lights changed he rattled off at quite some speed, glancing sideways frequently, but not listening to any comments about if he was so fast then why was he jumping reds and that I was not trying to race him so he should stop the glancing nonsense as I was only riding to his right as it was a much safer road position. He started to noticeably lose steam on the slope up to the West Port lights, but then did his glancing/rattling thing again down towards the Grassmarket, though then slowed and waited behind a vehicle whose driver didn't look like they knew where they were going. Once we were past it he thrashed off again but seemed to have used up his temporary booster power-up and drifted relatively backwards.

    Also, a chump skateboarding down the Canongate, wafting from side to side, with hands in his pockets for some of the time. I really hope that when he jumped off leaving his deck in the middle of the road that it was accidental and he hadn't been trying to make me crash. Fortunately he didn't have his hands in his pockets at that point.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. dessert rat
    Member

    8 cyclists pointing in various directions at the red lights on Hanover / George.

    7 of the 8 decided redlights were not for them. very poor show.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. Snowy
    Member

    @ejstubbs @gembo Yes, a grey hoodie on this occasion, black baseball cap, black rucksack, blue MTB.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. algo
    Member

    Definitely me - joining in with the excellent Sciennes bike bus this morning (kudos @Colin and @Roibeard and others) - I got asked to go fast following the leader in front of the group up to Sciennes House Place to block traffic before all the kids turned left. There were a lot of cyclists in front who we were overtaking and I made a bad error of judgment and turned in front of all of them coming quite close to the front rider (I was a couple of lengths behind the front rider), who quite justifiably voiced her annoyance. Irritatingly I then got a mouthful from a car driver who saw it and reeled out some clichés for me to enjoy.

    If that cyclist is on here - I apologise - it was an error of judgement on my part trying to get to the place to stop the cars on time.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  8. miak
    Member

    5 lycras heading downhill from the north towards sainsburys at craigleith. Two abreast in front taking up whole cycle path doing about 18mph talking about 'alpine climbs' ....forced me onto the grass verge ... total richardheads

    Posted 4 years ago #
  9. the canuck
    Member

    not so much rubbish as inattentive--two people slowing down on MMW as they approached the red light to leave the park. They'd clearly done that happy thing where you see someone you know, and have a brief chat, which is impossible on a car.

    except they continued to chat as they crossed on the green--very slowly, and then tried to say goodbyes only to discover they were going the same way.

    only the 3 of us managed to cross on the green, and they nearly left me stranded in the road as they slowed to 'goodbye', and then cut in front of several other cyclists as they blundered around that cycle junction. luckily, none of us were kids or wobbly.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. urchaidh
    Member

    Link to video on Twitter. You'll just have to go look as I can't embed it here.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  11. jdanielp
    Member

    Lots of traffic under Viewforth Bridge on the towpath this morning so I rang my bell and took a wide line close to the edge. As I emerged, I saw three bikes heading my way, the first of which was aiming for the gap which I was in the process of emerging from. Given that they were looking straight at me, I assumed that they would realise that the gap was no longer viable and move or slow down. Apparently these options were not possible so they ended up forcing me to cycle across the gap where there are missing paving slabs and nearly off the path. I shouted at them angrily.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. wingpig
    Member

    That would appear to be the students up.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Whenever a cyclist approaches you - adopt a fighting stance.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. wingpig
    Member

    The least hairy of the tall/thin couriers doing some expected but still disappointingly unwise lane-weaving between Charlotte St and Rutland Place this morning.
    Last week: someone with a strange pedalling style where their toes were at the edge of the pedals pointing inwards, making their legs bowed, moronning blithely up the Roseburn into the faces of several oncoming pedestrians and cyclists without any apparent consideration.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  15. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    "Whenever a cyclist approaches you - adopt a fighting stance."

    The irony is that it appears to have happened where CS6 switches sides on Farringdon Rd - if the cyclist had been on it, they would have had a green light...

    https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5156036,-0.1046335,3a,75y,307.14h,83.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sY22oyEOKpWSrddTZ2wDTsA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

    Posted 4 years ago #
  16. jonty
    Member

    @IWRATS: looks very pedestrian-y at the moment of impact

    Posted 4 years ago #
  17. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Actually, having watched it again, as far as I can tell, it seems the cyclist appears out of the CS6 jughandle and turns left on the main carriageway, clipping the pedestrian in doing so. Not sure of the meaning or the validity of the one-way sign on the bike lights - do they mean bikes must cross the road? The dashed lines denoting the cycleway would suggest otherwise.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  18. Arellcat
    Moderator

    I am not quite as experienced a cyclist as gembo-san, which is possibly why today's rubbish cycling was brought to you by yours truly who:

    1. ought to have known better
    2. nearly became a statistic, and
    3. felt really quite bad about the whole thing for a minute or two.

    Waiting to turn right into Kittle Yards for to visit The Bike Station, and planned to let oncoming car driver and then van driver pass before making the manoeuvre. But van driver decided to turn to his right into the timber place, leaving the nearside lane free, and flashed his lights or gestured or something to let me go first.

    Which I did.

    Straight into the path of another van, rapidly approaching, and whose path was hitherto hidden behind van no.1. With great enthusiasm did my front brake squeal as I painted the tarmac with Mr Schwalbe's finest rubber. Van driver no.2 as he passed gave me a stare that would turn Medusa to stone, while van driver no.1 sat impassively watching the proceedings.

    I stomped over to TBS and spent half an hour rummaging for pedals that weren't there.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  19. amh13
    Member

    Bins blocking the new ramp between Baird drive and Balgreen road. Literally on top of the painted bike and arrow. I assume this has been done deliberately by someone who doesn't like cyclists

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. jdanielp
    Member

    Just after I loudly rang my large ding-dong bell prior to exiting from the west end of the Slateford Aqueduct this morning, a person on a bicycle heading into town appeared without warning from around the blind corner ahead of me at a fair speed. I braked and instinctively moved towards the railings, while they somehow managed to cycle around the outside of me, followed by my angry shouts of 'slow down and ring a bell' or something along those lines.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. fimm
    Member

    Last week sometime:
    My procedure to get from Haymarket station to Dalry Road is to push the bike along the pavement in front of Ryries Bar and across the first half of the road before using the space next to the pedestrian crossing island to get on my bike and set off up the hill. Therefore I am mostly looking for traffic from my left. On this occasion a person had stood to my right and as I set off (and they probably also moved forward) I cycled into them at very low speed, bumping them with the front bag of the Brompton. No harm done and apologies were muttered.

    There was another one but I can't remember it.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. fimm
    Member

    Remembered!

    I was cycling down George Street and noted a group of pedestrians on the left. I was keeping half an eye on them but they showed no inclination of wanting to cross the road. We got to the zebra crossing at the same time and the woman at the front of the group stepped onto it without looking in my direction, so I passed close to her (I wasn't going fast, fast (I was on the Brompton) but neither had I made any attempt to slow down). I definitely gave her a fright, I heard her gasp as I went past.

    This could equally go in the "rubbish pedestrians" thread as she was obviously using her ears to look for traffic - if I'd seen any of the group look back I'd have been slowing and moving out - it is your responsibility as a pedestrian to make sure traffic has stopped before you step onto a zebra crossing. But I was cross with myself for not being a bit further out at least.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    The Highway Code is a bit of a mess on zebra crossings. It tells pedestrians "Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing" but also "Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing". Catch-22. Might as well just save the paint and say "Pedestrians, know your place and don't get in the way of the nice cars".

    But, yes, pedestrian loitering (without crossing) at the George St zebras has been at epidemic proportions for some time now.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. jdanielp
    Member

    A little me for overtaking another cyclist but forgetting about the bumpy route down from the footbridge to Colinton Dell onto the canal towpath, but mostly the person on the gravel bike who came down that route at some speed without any warning and who then had to brake heavily while taking evasive action as they emerged onto the towpath to see two people on bicycles heading towards them side-by-side. As I passed them, I automatically apologised, but I didn't hear anything in return. Everybody was fine in any case though.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. jdanielp
    Member

    Also, an entitled mountain biker who joined the Slateford Aqueduct after I had yesterday morning. They were heading into town, which is the more natural direction for giving way. Despite both of these things, they took a line right along the edge of the towpath and forced me to move in to the railing as they passed - I shouted irritably at them.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. Ed1
    Member

    the Highway Code is a bit of a mess on zebra crossings"

    I have encountered lots of rubbish cycling at the zebra crossing on research avenue north where I am cycling along normally and a cyclist cuts me up nearly causing a crash when only priority is for pedestrian’s and that priority only comes in to effect when they step on to the crossing although convention would mean I would stop if a pedestrian was waiting for the crossing as this is how normally done with crossings.

    crossing

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. jdanielp
    Member

    @Ed1 that is a poor crossing. The fact it isn't a crossing suitable for cycling across despite linking two shared use footpaths is ridiculous, which is why everyone who uses it on a bike (including myself) cycles across the crossing. I raised an arm at the driver of a faux-by-four who choose to drive over the middle of the crossing as they overtook a cyclist on the road despite the fact that I was about to cross (albeit on my bike). I don't think the driver even looked at me. I then also raised my arm at the driver of the following vehicle who revved the engine as I crossed.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. Ed1
    Member

    The trouble is if someone is cycling fast cant see a cyclist coming like a pedestrian walking which is slower. I use it sometimes on my bike but wait till its clear or if a car is slowing. I think the problem is on bike on research avenue a cyclist on the path can not hear you like a bus or car so they dont slow and the visibility means you cant see a cyclist coming to the crossing if they are going quickly until they are appear right in front. Its not the failing to dismount I would not dismount cant imagine anyone would,its the priority and lack of visibility meaning cant tell if a cyclist is going to fly out in front as think people listen for cars when get near. Its thats they dont have priority but come out to fast. I now slow when get near the crossing as happened a few times

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. jdanielp
    Member

    @Ed1 I know what you mean. The metal barriers are clearly intended to reduce speed on approach to the crossing, but are (fortunately) rarely deployed as such - I mostly take exception to the drivers who don't approach the crossing assuming that they might have to slow down and especially the ones who refuse to even look to see if anyone's there.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  30. jonty
    Member

    I would always assume that people crossing a zebra crossing have priority regardless of whether they are on a bike or not. Presumably this was the intent but tiger crossings weren't a thing when the crossing was built. Perhaps it should be converted now.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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