@davidsondave did he have white headphones in ? you asked for a description: white, over 6 feet, lean, built like a boxer/cage fighter, white earphones, dark combat like trousers with side pockets, short dark 'tufted' hair
bike: straight handlecars could have been trail or mountain wheels, he cycled with knees out so saddle probably set too low
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4503 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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@miak I don't recall about the headphones (I assume you are talking about the ear bud type?) but I will check to see whether I had the camera running.
I'm sure those of us who use the path regularly will keep an eye out for him. Sounds fairly distinctive.
Posted 4 years ago # -
like apple ones but not bluetooth ...
Posted 4 years ago # -
Me. Saturday. Glen Fincastle.
Overcooked a bend in heavy rainfall. It was hard brake and fall or go in to a ravine.
My sillyness was rewarded with plenty road rash, ripped bib longs, ripped jacket, ripped jersey and a broken shoe ratchet. Oh, and a pretty miserable 9 mile ride back to base.
Luckily the bikes paintwork seems unscathed, and there was plenty anesthetic and tonic in the lodge.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lord of Turnip between Queen St and Laurie Street yestereve. I had gone along the back of the gallery then left along the stupid paint-divided footway. Turnip was waiting to cross at the crossing, but ON the actual tram rails. When traffic from the east ceased, he carried on along the actual tram rails until he remembered he needed to be in the straight-on lane past Elder Street, whereupon he dived between two cars without looking to check that I wasn't on the other side of them. He then skipped reds at Broughto St, Picardy Place, Annandale St, Macdonald Road, Pilrig Stand Crown Place, as well as whooshing through the many pedestrians between Macdonald Road and Pilrig Street on the relatively busy footway whilst the bus lane and roadway were almost empty of vehicles. He did seem to wait at the Duke St/foot junction, though he didn't react to any speech. He then actually signalled before turning into Laurie St, presumably not realising that he had effectively gained zero time from being a moron since the crossing over Queen St.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Partner driving home late Monday evening after sunset, Maybury road, noticed the car in front swerve, so prepared to also swerve--which was good, because the cyclist in jeans and black hoodie had no lights at all, but had elected to ride in a 40mph zone anyway.
serious question, is it legal to cycle on the footpath there? it seems like a logical place to do so.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@canuck, No unfortunately it is not legal. However given the choice between extreme danger and raising a very occasional eyebrow I and most others choose the pavement, at least when climbing the hill.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I always cycle on the road at Maybury. It's a really wide carriageway with clear sightlines. Much better than struggling through the stones, twigs and litter along the pavement.
Posted 4 years ago # -
EDIT: Err, wrong thread!
Posted 4 years ago # -
On the way out of town on the towpath this morning and working hard into a strong headwind, I eventually got fed up with the chap hanging on my tail and sheltering from the wind. I stopped, to force him to pass.
I'm not sure if it was to his credit that he then sped up and disappeared into the distance considerably faster than I was going.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@greenroofer, you helped him do that
Posted 4 years ago # -
@Greenroofer - why so angry at someone taking shelter? Would it not be better to share the load with a wind like that than suffer on your lonesome?
Posted 4 years ago # -
@Greenroofer @CC.CC I don't like strangers hanging out at my back either. I think I dislike more just the fact that I can feel and hear someone behind rather than them taking a shelter.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I am on the Man With No Name wing of the cycling world. I ride on my own. If you want company join a club.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Or he might have been looking for a safe opportunity to overtake?
Unless he was dangerously close I wouldn't let it bother me...A while ago I got accused of "wheelsucking" by a grumpy middle-aged roadie despite keeping a gap of about 20-30 feet. He was going at roughly the same speed as I so overtaking would have required firing up the afterburners so I maintained my course after pointing out that I was leaving a gap you could fit a double-decker bus in because of braking distances and that we were travelling downhill with a tailwind anyway.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I once towed a guy on an MTB up Liberton Brae and out as far as Straiton into a strong southwesterly, at which point he flew past me on the approach to the Straiton deathzone/roundabout system. Turned out it was an e-MTB so why he didn't use it on the brae remains a mystery. Wasn't best pleased for a minute or two, but quickly forgotten until today!
Posted 4 years ago # -
@mcairney was that me? :)
I don't like unauthorised close drafting. I never feel safe when I don't know them. Also it would be nice if some that do that overtook and give you the chance to tuck in. Often they just seem to be taking advantage.
Ultimately some of the annoyance is internal. You get drawn into making more of effort if someone is behind you. A couple of weekends ago I overtook someone on the coast road out east, they then sheltered behind me. And it was stonking easterly. And cool. Every now and then I' d up the effort to try to edge away but never did. The result was that I got a big thank you from the drafter, an higher than normal average speed despite the wind and being on my winter bike, and achilles tendon problems that are still niggling.
Posted 4 years ago # -
One of the issues is that we middle age folk often feel even older but behave much younger
Posted 4 years ago # -
@amir it wasn't you- I'd have said hello if it was ;)
I should add that I'm generally an overly-competitive type so I tend to push harder if I hear the buzz of someone behind me.
I actually gave up running and took up cycling because of achilles issues (and found out years later after finally getting an ultrasound that I have managed to rupture both achilles at separate occasions) so I feel your pain!
Posted 4 years ago # -
@cyclecommute I think the problem with wheel-sucking done without permission by a stranger is that it's not risk-free for the person being sucked (so to speak) and it's not clear to them that the person doing the sucking (so to speak) intends to repay the favour.
I'd be happy to share the work. I'd also, in fact, be happy to do all the work if the person I was leading looked as if they needed help, and if I'd decided to lend it by overtaking them and then offering them a wheel.
It's the feeling of being taken advantage of by a stranger without my express consent that I don't like (plus all the things that @amir and @bill said!)
Posted 4 years ago # -
@amir @Greenroofer mcairney Speaking of competitiveness and internal annoyance...
Me this morning getting out of the door: I can see lights of a bike in a distance approaching and heading the same way as me. For some reason my mind stays "Quick, get ahead of them" and I do so. Then after 5 metres there is a red light, so he catches up and we both wait at the light, he waits behind me. We both turn left and for the next 3km (with headwind) I get annoyed that he sits behind me until our routes diverge. Surely I got what I asked for. Overall I should be more annoyed with myself.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Ultimately it boils down to the fact people can’t read minds. We’re all mostly just trying to get from a to b .
It does raise an interesting question as to how best to deal with the situation? My guess is if your fed up acting as someone else’s windbreaker probably slowing down a little and /or beckoning them to pass. This would have an adverse effect on segment times thoughPosted 4 years ago # -
(Not today) After a good few mins of someone right behind me on the virtually empty, wind-free canal path:
"Sorry, do you want past?"
"No, I'm happy with your speed."I slowed and tucked in and forced a pass. I'm not even certain why it annoyed me.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I'm not a fan of having someone I don't know too close behind me either. Although they may be benefiting most remember that leading someone else can give you a 3-5% boost too.
Given the propensity for unknown riders to take a rest period behind you then blast past and up the road I generally ease off the power when I'm unhappy with how someone is following me.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I am never racing, never want to take a turn behind someone else (I leave a good braking distance until I can safely pass) and do not believe in segments. Anyone persistently maintaining insufficient braking distance behind me is asked to get past or get back.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Guy i was drafting tonight was smashing it at various times on towpath, no bell.
I could catch him as quite stiff breeze. He waited for many people on the aqueduct and then pulled over abruptly to my right to take a phone call. But it was all cool.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Big lad came past me this morning, so i caught him up. This displeased him. We chatted about destination he said Carnwath, I thought my luck was in. Alas he went down on his tri-bars and left me for dead. He was however just coming out of Carnwath as I was going in. I gave him the thumbs jump. He looked miserable. I had nice time in apple pie (seven loyalty stamps meant free espresso, saved £1.30).
Dozen or so bikes/cyclists at or outside the bakery. Very jolly
Posted 4 years ago # -
One of the nicest and most powerful things about Amsterdam (Utrecht, Delft, ...) is the experience of sharing trust and space with strangers - unspoken - conventions apply - can be very very close to another bike and everyone knows what's expected.
One of my missions is to understand how we can ensure that the same conditions arise here. It's striking that on the busier London cycle tracks it kind of applies, but with a very much higher degree of stress and aggravation.
All of which is my way of saying that unless actively dangerous I welcome people cycling with me. And the highest risk is definitely taken by the person behind in any case... and anyway, in this world of aggression I'm generally going to forgive the inevitable errors of those around me.
I make mistakes. I see others make them. In the last couple of weeks I made one which caused someone to run into the back of me - I was a little upset that my 'sorry' wasn't really acknowledged (given that the road conditions, door openings, people pulling out suddenly, simply overwhelmed my ability to cope at one of the junctions often discussed here - and that my own stopping suddenly caused the issue because someone was close behind). My mistake, but 'get over it' because I'm doing my best and the one thing we need there is solidarity and forgiveness (ok, that's two things).
Posted 4 years ago # -
@rbtwtmn, yeah but two good things
Posted 4 years ago # -
@rbrtwtmn I'm with you on this.
I do wonder how some members of this forum would cope with cycling in the Netherlands...Posted 4 years ago #
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