CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 14years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
Me.
Turning right from Portobello Road into Northfield Broadway, I underestimated how slippery the fresh tarmac was with recent rain. The bike continued down Portobello Road, as I managed to do a running dismount, avoiding a "Driver Training" LRT bus, whose driver also managed to swerve to avoid my bike lying in the middle of the road.
Well that's some additional training for them, I suppose...
I was at Edinburgh University during the evening this week, and was amused by the number of people carefully fitting high quality helmets, and pedalling off in the dark with no lights at all.
That's because a helmet gives off an aura that prevents incident - particularly if it is several sizes too small, thus covering only the very top of the skull.
@the canuck - I once walked from King's Buildings to the Pleasance, and for some reason decided to count the number of cyclists who didn't have lights.
Of roughly 100 cyclists, roughly 2/3 had both front and back lights. Most of the rest had one or the other, and about 1 in 10 had neither.
The other day I tried to do that while waiting for a bus.
I saw several cyclists, but none of them were incorrectly lit. However I did spot two cars with a headlight out...
Yes, I resisted lecturing people. I did ask one, at a stoplight, if they were aware that their front light was gone--they were. It's the people with no lights fitted at all that make me worry.
I think you can get away without a front light if you're careful and don't need to filter--drivers can still see you as they approach from behind, which are the drivers I'm worried about--I can see the others.
I did a fairly complicated mime routine one evening to let a driver know they only had running lights on--they turned on the correct ones, I smiled, they smiled, everyone was happy and safe, no horns were honked, no voices raised.
unlike the person who shouted that I needed lights--at 3:15 on a clear day.
I think some of the most heartwarming interactions I have with drivers are the ones where I tell them their lights are off. They are always so grateful! I wonder if is relief that the communication is not of a more serious nature.
I have occasionally let people know that their indicators "aren't working". Every time, they've thanked me, when I'm sure if I'd said "Hey, you cut me off there", I'd just shouted at. I do wonder how long it takes for the penny to drop.
fast boy cyclist today sailed swiftly through giveway (car drivwer who nearly took him out maybe actually did not see him he was going so fast). He then stopped at traffic lights which is at least something, then alighted upon the meadows path and took out several school children and students. Sorry, I mean expertly avoided them at high speed. He must have left his toast under the grill
Finally joined the list of tram track statistics after coming off this morning.
Captured it quite nicely on Strava...
Any damage? You okay?
Sorry to hear this @mcairney - hope you are ok... whereabouts was this?
Towards the west end of Princes St. Was overtaking another cyclist in the right-hand lane and (not wanting to cut them up and going at a decent lick of around 20mph) I came across the tracks again at a fairly shallow angle. Note to self- gravel tyres are not as grippy as the big knobbly bits would have you believe!
Thankfully the bike didn't land derailleur-side down and is fine other than the bars being slightly squint. I've got a few cuts and grazes but nothing too bad thanks to wearing a full length top and tights.
I'm not sure if anyone's keeping stats on falls on the tracks still?
mcairney I think Spokes are still keeping a list.
Hope you're not too shaken & sore.
@mcairney - I'm sorry to hear about your fall on the tramlines. Spokes does keep a list. Email spokes@spokes.org.uk.
Here's our page about reporting falls caused by the tramlines.
"All crashes or other incidents relating to tramlines should be reported to City of Edinburgh Council who are keeping a record and using this to try and identify problems which need addressed. Report by email to trams@edinburgh.gov.uk or write to Tram Depot, 1 Myreton Drive, Edinburgh. There is no longer a phone number for reports as the Council wants them in writing.
Please also copy the report of your crash to Spokes and to the Council Active Travel Team. If you are emailing your report as above, you can cc spokes@spokes.org.uk and activetravel@edinburgh.gov.uk."
http://www.spokes.org.uk/documents/public-transport/tram/#s1
Thanks- I've sent an email to all 3 of the listed email addresses. activetravel@edinburgh were very quick with their victim-blaming response:
I hope you are fine, we regret hearing about your accident. Could you explain us why were you on the right-hand lane and if you were cycling within the tracks as opposed to beside them?
Just got there latest response. I'm probably not going to respond any further tbh:
"Thanks for clarifying this. I have passed this to the Road Safety team. We have some tram safety improvements planned but these are mainly aimed towards junctions which will give cyclists an early release in some locations. As you have suggested, the weather was a big contributing factor in this instance and despite there is no right or wrong way to ride beside tram tracks we recommend to overtake vehicles when is safe to do so and only cross the tracks at 45 degrees and at a slow speed."
The final point is good generic advice if taken in isolation but not easily applicable in the meat-grinder of buses and taxis that is Princes St.
I've responded as thus and will draw a line under it and write it off to experience:
"Thanks, I'm aware of the advice re: angle of attack and speed although I
will admit that I was probably going faster than recommended ( a classic
case of being Schroedinger's cyclist where you're simultaneously going
too fast and going too slow and impacting on traffic flow).
I'd probably estimate my speed at approx 20mph which is backed up by the
Strava data. The bike I was riding does have wider than normal knobbly
tyres fitted being a gravel bike but evidently not wide or knobbly enough!
"
@mcairney - grippyness of gravel tyres might be good when the surface is loose and the chunks can grip into the surface, but when flat surface maybe a larger area of contact is better i.e. slicker tyres? I'm not sure anything except very wide, low pressure tyres would help with tram tracks though!
@LivM good point- I'd imagine tyre compound makes a similar difference. I'll probably swap over to a more road-oriented tyre once my bank account has recovered from the shock of buying a new phone!
EDIT: Just got a nice email from Spokes :-)
A couple of days ago. Walking up Morrison Street.
In a just world there would be cycle lanes up and down Morrison Street as the most direct and least hilly way to get to Fountainbridge/Lothian Road.
However it's this world and I saw:
One cyclist cycling on the pavement up Morrison Street
One cyclist cycling on the road up Morrison Street - it was lunchtime and relatively quiet but cars could be coming from the side roads.
After work, walking down the pavement I did that pedestrian jump as a cyclist (mountainbike) coming towards me in the dark and the pedestrian response of ******* cyclist. Those pavements are busy at this time.
* Note, I've done similar, but not as catastrophic.
Arrived at the bridge to find the barrier down, but totalled, with a bike under it and a bemused bridge worker just driven up. We were joined a minute later by a cyclist, new to commuting, who was looking rather sheepish.
He was going full pelt head down with the wind and wasn't expecting to find a barrier in place. Luckily he was OK, but his bike was a bit worse for wear. While waiting for the bus to take him over, he was asked his name and address and was regretting giving it...
Morrison street this morning, cyclist hugging the left gutter indicates to the cars that he is pulling across 2 lanes to the outside lane ...where i am already cycling ... and cuts right in front of me forcing me to brake and swerve out his way. Seemed quite pleased with himself.
Not that bad but a bit annoying one this morning. Young cyclist (20's) overtakes me on the Silverknowes Path this morning and then slows down.
No mud guards on his bike so I get a bit of a spray. I just clunked through the gears and re-overtook him and he couldn't keep up. There's life in the old dog yet :)
youngster underestimated the head wind? Wise old wishicouldgofaster Got his wish?
Sounds more like someone who happened to be on a bike than a "cyclist". I do feel these headlines are designed to be deliberately misleading:
Yes. No one is ever assassinated by a 'motorist' or a 'bus passenger'.
Ah just spotted Gembos post two days ago. Need to get with the program!
Grrr - T-boned by another cyclist on the toucan at Hope Park Crescent. The traffic lights on the carriageway had just flicked to red light and I moved off (admittedly before the green man/bike was illuminated) when this guy flies through the red and collides with the front of my bike. He takes a bit of a tumble, but jumps up and seems okay. I may have been rather rude to him and then head off, as I have kids to collect.
Anyway, notice my front wheel is well buckled and stop in at the Bicycle Works - wheel effectively totalled and I will be out of pocket to get it sorted, as I never stopped to get his details. Most annoying. Still, I suppose if he had been in a car than I would probably be dead.
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