Me, last week, at Haymarket, getting a prolonged blast on the horn from a tram driver for trying to cross the tracks while he was taking off. Quite right on his part. It's usually a genteel "ding" from a tram - first time I've heard a blasting horn. Driver must be frae Glesgae....
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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The bell is a general warning that they always use when setting off (in the city centre at any rate), and whenever there's a need for a discreet "tram coming" warning. The horn is intended as a more forceful warning that something bad is in imminent danger of happening unless someone takes immediate action. One of the RAIB recommendations following the Saughton fatality was that the horns on the Edinburgh trams should be louder: they were upgraded soon after and are now pretty strident in my experience (it wasn't me that caused the tram driver to sound his horn but I was nearby and it nearly made me jump out of my skin).
Posted 5 years ago # -
@ejstubbs - well the horn worked on me. I felt very chastened.
Posted 5 years ago # -
Yesterday I was walking about 60 kids along the road with a school outing, and a man on a bike was cycling on the pavement towards us. I don't usually care about pavement cycling as it's very rarely dangerous and attracts a disproportionate amount of criticism, but yesterday I turned into the sort of person that remonstrates with cyclists on pavements.
When I did stop him because he was about to cycle through an enormous line of kids, he got quite annoyed and said "there's nobody there" - which was odd. I thanked him for stopping, but can't help but feel that this is one situation where surely you wouldn't obstinately insist on riding on the pavement.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Actually rubbish scooting but I don't think there's a thread for that. Soon after exiting the Slateford Aqueduct this evening I heard a bell ring and indicated for the person to overtake, but for some reason they didn't. Part way around the long corner opposite the plastic animal garden, someone finally started to overtake me just as I spotted someone on a bike coming the other way so I indicated and shouted for the overtaker to hang back. They ignored me and went hurtling by and just made it through the gap between me and the cyclist coming in the other direction. Turns out the overtaker was on an extremely nimble scooter (of the push along style, but electric) which must have been doing over 25 mph.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Deliveroobler, Morrison St, on the footway but going the same way as the traffic outside the Sainsbury, but more weavingly. They were doing that head-waggle thing to indicate that they were listening to music and were really into it, but I think I shouted loudly enough to penetrate.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Very, very, VERY nearly landed on my chin after my front wheel skidded/skited/skote on the bloody metal drain cover right on the turn at the eastern end of NMW junction with Hope Park Crescent.
Fortunately managed to stay upright although I don't know how. Would love to see an alternative angle instant replay. So thank you to the cycling gods for merely making me [rule two] myself rather than knocking any of my teeth out.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Catching a front wheel slide is a real skill. Chapeau.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Thank you @IWRATS. In fact, the recognition of the catching of a front wheel slide as a real skill is in itself a real skill. Chapeau.
Just to reiterate - there was no skill involved in correcting the skid. It is possible that I was going just slow enough and in curling up into an on-the-bike foetal position in anticipation of the tarmac, I somehow managed to rebalance and avoid it.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I recognise the recognition of the catching of a front wheel slide as a real skill as a real skill as excellent CCE content.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Kamikaze on a bike on Old Dalkeith Road. No lights, no reflectors, no helmet, dark clothing, huge earphones covering ears and so wrapped up in conversation that he didn't notice me hand gesturing.
Posted 4 years ago # -
A brace - first, a chap cycling up the pavement on Brighton Place in Porty this morning. Just at the section where there's metal fencing screening off the road works. For some reason, this pushed a button and I noted 'Could've sworn this is the pavement'. Probably because I'd just met a dog walker as I was dismounting at the foot of Christian Path. Had I decided to cut along the pavement...ouch...
Second, a guy on a single speed who elected not to stop for the red light at the perma-roadworks near Waverley. Loss of momentum is irritating. But possibly not as irritating as meeting a car coming the opposite way.
These are of course mild infractions - I fear I am now a fully paid up grumpy middle aged man. Where's my Daily Mail?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Me, late yesterday evening arriving into EDB after a two hour delay from MCR.
Unfolded the Brompton (with studded tyres) and rode up Market Street. Stopped at the traffic lights at the top of Market Street to turn up the Mound. Somewhat puffed by the ascent, and affected by the adverse camber there so slid off the saddle to put both feet on the ground. I had a car close behind me.
When the lights went green I aimed to slide smoothly back onto the saddle on the first pedal stroke and power away round the steep corner onto the Mound. However the nose of the saddle caught in a back pocket of my jeans and I had a very hairy moment trying to recover from that while not landing in an embarrassing heap on the bonnet of the car beside me.
Never had that happen before.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I frequently cycle in a skirt, and have had several near-crashes as I go from standing stop to riding start and the hem catches the seat.
i also tend to glide to a stop and dismount by bringing my right foot over the cross bar, landing on the left side.
One pair of jeans is just tight enough that my foot doesn't truly clear the bar--but I so rarely wear jeans cycling that i forget every. single. time.Posted 4 years ago # -
i also tend to glide to a stop and dismount by bringing my right foot over the cross bar, landing on the left side
I've started stepping off after doing this while the bike is still moving and performing a few cha-cha locksteps.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I tend to sweep my right leg backwards, then jump out of the left clip when the right foot is clear and scuttle to a stop. Much easier now that there's rarely a child seat or a child on the back. I can just barely lift my foot over the crossbar when the rearward area is blocked and wouldn't try a running dismount like that.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Surprise follower appeared from behind me at the Scotsman/Rockstar roundabout after definitely not being behind me coming down from Pollock; he may have gained rapidly due to having gears and putting lots of effort in to get past me freewheeling under gravity. He went up Abbeymount whilst I went along to Abbey Lane, but he then reappeared going east through the red light on London Road then went through another red past the top of Meadowbank.
Posted 4 years ago # -
probably belongs here.
Me, hitching a tow from an empty car transporter along Commercial St after battling headwind all along Seafield.
Wasn't going much faster than I'd have been going anyway, but legs were glad of the rest.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Fret not if the lights at the top of Brunstfield Links go red when you approach from Morningside on the road - simply go up the wee slope onto the footway without slowing, whizz unheeding across the top of Leamington Terrace then whoosh out into the road. Further down, he rode across the King's junction on pedestrian green but had still not been squashed by the time he turned up Lauriston Place.
Barger-in-front at the Meadowbank/London Road junction, swerving in front of me into the bus lane then the usual clump of footway-blockers going across Clerk St.Posted 4 years ago # -
I'm used to vehicles turning right from Roseburn Place into Roseburn Gardens severely cutting the corner. This morning was the first time the vehicle was a bicycle. He cut it at a fair lick. We were both lucky. if I was 5 yards further down the road it would have been a nasty head on.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Waiting for the bus on Atholl Place and two MTB-borne junkies appear heading west on the pavement, the lead junkie tinging his bell. Didn't like the look of me and weasel-roared a word 'HANAGAGH' maybe? at me from close range, possibly because I was eating a vegan sausage roll.
Posted 4 years ago # -
He was asking you in junkyese Are you the writer?
Was watching the methadrones outside the Hostel on the Pleasance. They really do try to get run over by running straight in front of cars and yet remain upright.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Twitter report of a cyclist knocking a kid into the canal and then not stopping. Pretty shady behaviour.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Dearie me, that is terrible. Shows the weaknesses of twitter of course as not enough space to give details then a lot of ranting.
Took a while to get to the victim blaming (why would you be allowed to play near the canal if you couldn’t swim?)
Path too narrow to share
Bad cyclists
Then just before I gave up, Car drivers are to blame.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Me.
Got home and went to turn off my rear lights and found I had not turned them on.
Ooops.
Just as well I was carrying my rucksack with a reflective cover as I wouldn't be that easy to see otherwise...Posted 4 years ago # -
At an impasse going uphill at the top of the Innocent tunnel with someone approaching the gate from downhill at the same time. Of course the person going downhill waited a sec to let me get through the gate didn't they.....
Nah of course not- he carried on forcing me to have to do some awkward trackstanding (I didn't have time to unclip) on what must be a 10% gradient at that point. I may have muttered something along the lines of "thanks for giving way to the guy going up the hill by the way..."
N.B. The Highway code suggests giving way to the vehicle going uphill but only w.r.t. single-track roads:
"Rule 155 single-track roads.
These are only wide enough for one vehicle. They may have special passing places. If you see a vehicle coming towards you, or the driver behind wants to overtake, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite a passing place on your right. Give way to road users coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass. Slow down when passing pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders."
Posted 4 years ago # -
Me, apparently.
according to the driver who shouted at me as they passed by (i had gone off the road to park my bike), i was supposed to have my lights on.
in full daylight.
with no rain.I was squarely in the middle of the ASZ (at a red light) when this person drove up behind me, and they only had to follow me in a right hand turn around the corner for 20 yards, so not sure why they felt they might not have seen me.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I cycled home with no gloves or helmet. Bit drunk.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@mcairney: It may not be in the Highway Code but I was definitely taught when learning to drive that if the road was constricted by parked vehicles then downhill traffic should give way to uphill. Mind, that was 40+ years ago - the world has moved on since then, and in some ways seems to have become less considerate.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@mccairney I use the tunnel a fair bit and will wait at top as is tight like you say. Shame others do not. Same with ramp going down on to canal at gogarstation road bit tight because of branches so i give way. This is human nature. Obviously so is just doing what you want regardless of the needs of others. And in the middle people just not thinking or making bad calls.
I look forwards to seeing what else has been written on the walls in Gaelic over the weekend
Posted 4 years ago #
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