"Some members" indeed. Large groups are fine - clusters of people heading the same way, PoP and Pedal for Scotland and so on - but having someone come up right behind you, without asking, when there are plenty of empty bits of bike path both in front and behind, when they're doing it deliberately to reduce their drag at the expense of your safety, is irksome.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4503 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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just spent Saturday pedalling around Munich. Initially terrifying as there's bikes everywhere in every direction, but soon got the hang of it and only managed to cause one near pile-up.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@wingpig fair enough. I wasn't just thinking of you.
I guess part of the problem is that we are used to having plenty of space, so when unexpectedly there is less, it can be irritating. I nearly took a cyclist out last week when they passed me close just as I was starting to move out to pass a parked car. If a car had been that close I would have been very cross.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@fimm "I do wonder how some members of this forum would cope with cycling in the Netherlands..."
As @wingpig says. Even when cycling in Edinburgh centre (which isn't that busy with cyclists compared to said Netherlands) I don't mind other cyclists around at all.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Feckinell, just watched a very close shave at the old Kings Theatre Junction of Doom.
Cyclist, one red Ortlieb pannier jumps the red going south up the road towards Edinburgh Bike Co-op. Young lad steaming out of Tarvit Street as he hAD THE GREEN LIGHT just managed to avoid smashing in to him. Would have been nasty bike on bike action
I tracked the red Ortlieb towards the university. Mulling over whether to mention his narrow escape but lost him
Posted 4 years ago # -
I sped up to overtake a slower person on a bike as I was approaching the canal bridge over Polwarth Crescent and decided to stay to the right of the path in anticipation of the metal chicane despite having time and space to move back to the left briefly... I then heard the sound of a bell from under the bridge but decided to hold my line. gembo emerged from under the bridge and was forced to slow down to let me (and also the person behind?) by whilst comedically, but correctly, admonishing me for my presumptiveness as I apologised.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Cycling home in the dark, I caught up with another cyclist on the Broomhouse Drive path. Despite a bright flashing front light, he didn't seem to have any light at the rear. I did wonder if it was his shoulder bag covering it, but he was pretty much invisible and it wasn't that his batteries had gone. It was 7:30 and pitch black. He mumbled something about 'yeah I know' and I passed him before Stenhouse Cross. He reappeared on my left at the foot of Robertson Ave as I was turning right, and as the lights changed he dashed forward and without indicating crossed Gorgie Road to get to the other side, with astonished drivers behind him, just missing him. Death wish idiot, confirming the prejudices of drivers everywhere, that we'll have to put up with.
Posted 4 years ago # -
And another one; coming up out of Marchmont Road and turning right into Strathearn Road he not only jumped a red light (it was green for me turning left) but had a red flasher on the front.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Red flasher on front means you can jump lights?
Posted 4 years ago # -
maybe you can obey the lights for the way it looks like you're going
Posted 4 years ago # -
on a scale of white knuckle to suicidal, how is the A8 going from Haymarket to the Zoo, around 6pm?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Once you're out of Haymarket its fine.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Not too bad. You have the bus lane for most of the distance. Just hold a strong primary to prevent taxi drivers attempting to squeeze past.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Should be ok, the junction at roseburn splits into two lanes, you should be in the right hand lane to go straight ahead.
Posted 4 years ago # -
"@fimm "I do wonder how some members of this forum would cope with cycling in the Netherlands..."
I've been twice this year touring around the Netherlands. I found the towns terrifying. Most cyclists were overtaking us at speed with little distance given (all on uprights). Loads of cyclists coming from all directions (Cambridge is the nearest here for me). And here you can easily dismount - in some places there it is extremely tricky due to the number of cyclists. You need to anticpate much more. I guess the pedestrians anticpate more as well there (unlike here where peds look a la Tufty much less). Some cycleways left very little space for pedestrians there as well.
Cycling in the countryside there can be bliss. Some of the polders are bliss. Lots of water-oriented birds.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Not too bad. You have the bus lane for most of the distance. Just hold a strong primary to prevent taxi drivers attempting to squeeze past.
^ This. Also, if you're on the outer edge of the bus lane between Haymarket and Roseburn, you can avoid the terribly-patched road surface.I'm always unsure if I should bother merging into the outside lane at Roseburn, or if I should risk going straight on from the left-hand lane. I've seen plenty of cyclists doing that, but I always merge before the lights (often resulting in close passes / must-get-in-fronts from drivers).
Posted 4 years ago # -
Thanks for the tips, especially about the lane splitting--that's always a scary moment. I noticed that the road paint has a straight arrow, shortly followed by a left turn arrow--why do they do that??
two cyclists were ahead of me at that point, one shot up the left lane and got in front just before the light went green, the other changed to the right hand lane (proper bad ass, later saw her pointing firmly at a jeep trying to get too close, the way one might point at a dog about to crap on the carpet).
Posted 4 years ago # -
Fisticuffs on the Roseburn path this pm. Big angry man attempting to lamp a callow youth whose apologies he wouldn't accept. The latter was apparently cycling dangerously.
It's getting worse than the roads at commuting time :-(Posted 4 years ago # -
no fisticuffs as I was Zen and I have made the same mistake (but held my hands up)
I was moseying along past the former Petit Mort restaurant after Hell of Kings Theatre junction en route to meadows.
All of a sudden I was undertaken on the left by cyclist who was easy to catch without changing speed.
Gembo-[Politely] Please do not undertake me on the left
Cyclist - I shouted - |On the left
Gembo - I heard no shout - anyway please do not undertake on the left
Cyclist - I would have overtaken on the right but you moved outLights changed I went my way and the undertaker the other, at which point I noticed the large child seat on their bike
Posted 4 years ago # -
'twas me this morning after taking the section with the roadworks on St Leonards land either too quickly or not at the right angle I ended up on my backside cursing my bike.
Just a couple of smalls cuts/scratches but to add insult to injury I had to complete my journey with a seat at about 45 degrees and a front mudguard that was rubbing to the point of making comedy motorbike noises. At least people can hear me coming although I had to endure the shame of being overtaken by a Carrera road bike going up middle Meadow walk.Posted 4 years ago # -
As I was about to turn right from MMW onto NMW I witnessed a fairly nasty bicycle crash this morning, although I only really noticed the crash itself so I'm not quite sure what led up to it. One cyclist went right over their handlebars and the other appeared to have come off fairly gracefully as the riders collided head on where the east part of NMW joins onto the junction area. A couple of pedestrians and a jogger stopped immediately to help, and I pulled over as the nearest cyclist but the others were helping well. Both parties told us that they were ok after the initial shock.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lady in helmet and high vis cycling through every red light she could find this morning in the west end from Lothian road to Princes Street. Seemed to be more about being in a rush than positioning or trying to ride safely. Main issue I have with this was she was riding through pedestrians crossing the road which I think is a bit naff.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I did ask a woman yesterday fitting that very broad description if she was aware that she had cycled through the pedestrian crossing at Tollcross Primary, upsetting the lollipop person (though you have to know her well to clock the slight changes in her demeanour).
Cyclist said she had not noticed. American accent.
Lollipop person replaced by new lollipop person today. Apparently the regular person is off sick.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Black ice along the quiet route 8 today. I was going slowly and a dog jumped out in front of me, applied the brakes lightly but the wheels instantly locked and off the bike I flew. The whole path was a sheet of ice from Murrayfield park to Edinburgh park. Surprised I didn't fall off more than once (I was close a few times)
Really think this route needs salting. The north Edinburgh path network was absolutely fine, the ice started as soon as I joined the qr8
Posted 4 years ago # -
@amh13, I hope you are OK. If you are on twitter you could contact @edinhelp with your story and ask for gritting.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I'm absolutely fine thanks! I was going very slowly as I could see how dangerous it was. Unfortunately the fall completely snapped off my rear brake lever... and as you probably know, cycling on black ice with just the front brakes is not ideal.
This route has never been salted, and generally I have always been fine cycling slowly and braking very gently before junctions. I will still contact them and ask for the route to be gritted, although I doubt they will.
Posted 4 years ago # -
have you told the city? i am sure that i've read elsewhere that if a transport route isn't properly maintained and there's damage to a vehicle, the council owes compensation.
the paths are in a terrible state at teh moment. it makes me angry everytime i'm out there.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Not cycling as such, but...
Last night, as I moved a bike from the front door to the kitchen to give it a post ride wipe-down inside and in the light and warmth, I noticed that every door frame on the way already had pedal-level scratch marks and scuffs. There was also a mark on the wall inside the front door that was suspiciously at exactly the same height as the corner of the rear rack of the bike, and another matching the brake lever.
There's also all the little dents on the wooden floor caused by SPD cleats...
Posted 4 years ago # -
Very definitely cycling; as such, I was on the 0730 shift this morning and bizarrely Longstone and Calder Road were super busy. I was on my sparkly purple recumbent, following Rapha Man on his plastic soot bike, and we were filtering on the nearside at some rate of knots.
What he saw and sped past, and what I didn't see and nearly cycled into, was someone emerging from their driveway, between two parked cars. And verily did mine front brake squeal maddely.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Another moron heading west on Princes Street past the galleries who thinks it acceptable to try and force other cyclists to cross the tram tracks to let them in. He underlined his moronity a little later by not looking before changing lanes even when there was a Citylink approaching rapidly.
Posted 4 years ago #
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