CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish cycling

(4503 posts)

  1. 559
    Member

    This morning 740am ish.
    Male cyclist heading west along Glasgow Road crosses over at lights at garage and cycles across petrol station forecourt.
    Car driver entering the station looking for a clear pump to park at would not expect that and would IMO be rightly disgruntled, at this careless cycling

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. steveo
    Member

    Male cyclist pedestrian heading west along Glasgow Road crosses over at lights at garage and cycles walks across petrol station forecourt.
    Car driver entering the station looking for a clear pump to park at would not expect that and would IMO be rightly disgruntled, at this careless cycling walking.

    Forecourts whilst not really thoroughfares are places where people can be expected to be, between car and kiosk for example. So whilst one might not expect a bike it wouldn’t be an excuse for knocking one over and certainly isn’t in itself rubbish cycling. IMO.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. Focus
    Member

    The key point in either the actual or hypothetical examples above is whether the cyclist or ped was looking around before crossing the forecourt entrance. If either had made sure the way was clear, no problem. If not, both are irresponsible actions, regardless of whether a motorist is sensible enough to look out for them.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. What Focus said.

    Replace garage forecourt with car park (they're essentially the same thing).

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. 559
    Member

    Garage forecourt, peds expected, going back and forward to their cars. Cyclist going semi diagonally across forecourt not expected, but is still not an excuse to knock them down !

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. Bigjack
    Member

    The A8 "cycle path" is a joke for much of the way. The give way markings on it at junctions;lampposts planted in the middle at the narrowest points (Roddinglaw Junction); and of course the section crossing the entry exit at the petrol station. In The Netherlands and other cycling friendly countries roadside cycle-paths require that drivers to give cyclists right of way at side roads. The A8 (and A89 path to the railway viaduct) are laughable.
    PS what about "cyclists and equestrians dismount" signs at bridges crossing the railway near Philpstoun?
    It's little wonder that some people choose to cycle on the A8 itself and so avoid all those problems (and put up with other problems instead)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  7. sg37409
    Member

    Agreed, its poor, although I still use it in pref to the A8. I can cope with the badly place lamposts, poor surface and narrow-ness, as these are all factors which would need major cash injection to solve. The thing I find most annoying is the give-ways for the cyclists on the junction here. http://tinyurl.com/plub5l3
    Theres loads more cyclists on the path than traffic on that road, traffic on that road cannot see the path and they have to stop at the main A8, so why on earth anyone gives it priority over the cycle path I dont know.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  8. HankChief
    Member

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=10194

    That junction was previously discussed here

    Posted 10 years ago #
  9. ianmb
    Member

    Cyclist on a road bike coming down South Bridge on wrong side of road into oncoming traffic at about 5.10pm. Bad enough but with no lights on it was a daft idea.

    Followed up by girl on bike who cycled across Marchmont Road and then proceeded to cycle up pavement. Again, no lights in the dark.

    Cyclists riding with no lights in the dark just annoy me at present. Then again with the passes some drivers have done recently I think my new hi-vis Hump rucsack cover acts as a target to hit.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  10. Stickman
    Member

    Almost shouted out on the bus this morning at the sheer stupidity/near-miss I witnessed.

    Bus is heading along Roseburn Terrace, another bus in front. I spot a bloke cycling along the pavement and then with no signalling or warning hops straight onto the road in front of the bus. Well done to the driver - he must have developed his own spidey-senses - but he managed to slow down enough to avoid squishing the idiot.

    (And as I write this the bloke has just passed the bus which is stopped at the Haymarket lights. And again, he's weaving his way from road to pavement.)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  11. steveo
    Member

    Was definitely me. I had need to turn right into chesser Ave from Gorgie so I filtered up the empty straight lane till I got near the front where I pulled into the right turn lane beside the cars. I left enough space for cars to filter passed but didn't account for the HGV who very patiently passed slowly to avoid flattening this impatient muppet. Though he must have driven up the green way...

    Posted 10 years ago #
  12. SRD
    Moderator

    Cyclist going thru tollcross/bruntsfield place with lies lights on bike, but not turned on. C5.45

    Cyclist heading up Lothian rd to Tollcross in the litter gutter, despite going straight on.

    ARGH. It's just as well I don't cycle in town more often.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  13. Min
    Member

    Lies, litter? Have you been in the Hanging Bat again? ;-)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  14. Uberuce
    Member

    I really want to print out some lies and put them on my bike, such as 'The Cake' and 'Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori'

    Posted 10 years ago #
  15. PS
    Member

    Cake's a lie? Noooooooooooooooooooo!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  16. MeepMeep
    Member

    I think I was the rubbish cyclist on Tuesday evening.

    After work, I cycled from the Gyle to Fountainbridge on a Loudon's coffee shop voucher mission, then into Princes Street on a chocolate-covered-marzipan mission, then over the Bridges, up Chambers Street and over the meadows to Marchmont on a beer-from-Cork-and-Cask-to-console-myself mission.

    Couldn't handle my bike for toffee - seems I had completely forgotten how to use the damned thing. Was struggling to clip in (have a beauty of a bruise on my left shin to attest to that) and just couldn't seem to make the bike go where I wanted it to. I seemed to have attached some sort of pot hole-seeking device to my wheels as well. No idea what was going on... Perhaps extreme tiredness catching up with me after a beasting leg session in the gym on Sunday.

    Either way, didn't feel sensible and it was one of those days I'd have definitely have chosen to walk about pushing the bike instead of cycling if I had've had trainers on instead of cleats.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

    "it was one of those days I'd have definitely have chosen to walk about pushing the bike instead of cycling"

    WOW - must have been bad!!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  18. wingpig
    Member

    Two rubbish roadies who overtook me eastbound on the canal approaching HP when I was slowing down whist three groups of child/dog/codger-walkers ahead went through each other. Two mudsplattybackers did the same thing just past Meggetland earlier.

    There was a bloke sloshing an MTB around in the water off the jetty east of the big aqueduct but I think he was just washing some WoL off his wheels rather than retrieving it.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  19. mercury1and2
    Member

    sun 29th DEC- lovely walk up the seat and over the crags and down the flatten slope heading towards st Margaret loch by bottom car park. Saw two mtbers with double sussers heading up on the flatten short grass slope. One bike was a white coloured orange and the guy had a light ginger beard. I did wonder- as did my girlfriend where they were headed. The two guys came down the slope at speed, causing us to shout out and whistle. It was busy on the slope with children, adults and dogs so it was not really a smart thing to do, without some type of forewarning. Although im not sure of the full aspects of cycling down part of the seat in terms of the seat protected status? I thought it was stupid without shouting a warning.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  20. Min
    Member

    I am pretty sure it is not allowed though I used to see a bloke tearing around on an MTB on my early morning runs. Very anti-social IMO, quite apart from the legality of it.

    Although I do have a friend - pushing 70 - who claims to have ridden his hybrid down the Radical Road and I can't help feeling that a bit of kudos is due for that!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  21. allebong
    Member

    There was a bloke sloshing an MTB around in the water off the jetty east of the big aqueduct but I think he was just washing some WoL off his wheels rather than retrieving it.

    WoL is indeed utterly rank at the moment with that layer of liquidy brown slosh covering every last inch of it. Well, the inches of it not already covered in dog waste and the usual lovely assortment of Edinburgh filth.

    Reminds me of a mtb club trip I was on a few years ago. At the end of a days run at Innerleithen we had to clean off the bikes before packing them into the back of a van. Somebody found a swamp/stream near the car park and had the bright idea of literally throwing their bike into it to save manually cleaning it. I recall I made some sort of argument that as much as mtbs are built to take muck, it's not a good idea to fully submerge the thing for several minutes, as that water will get right into every last bearing and £500 suspension component. This argument fell on deaf ears as most of the club formed an orderly line to chuck the bikes in, making the already not exactly pristine water even more dark and mucky.

    Sure enough all the bikes emerged quite clean and then spent the rest of the season suffering a whole load of 'inexplicable' bearing and suspension problems. I recall the next purchase for the club was a wee portable pressure washer that people would point straight at their suspension pivots and hub seals to get them nice and clean, a vast improvement over the old method I'm sure. I of course being someone who cares for my bikes would never dream of letting several dozen layers of crud build up until the frame is lost forever...erm....of course not!

    I am pretty sure it is not allowed though I used to see a bloke tearing around on an MTB on my early morning runs. Very anti-social IMO, quite apart from the legality of it.

    I have to admit the seat is on my list of places I'd like to have a wee blast down on the mtb, though I've never quite gotten round to it yet. At the very least I'd leave it till it was quiet and choose one of the emptier paths, preferably at night - good excuse to test out some new lights.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  22. Focus
    Member

    Twenty-something(?) rider on a folder with no lights on her bike as we went round the corner of Russell Rd at McLeod St, approx 19:00 hrs.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  23. Dangerous
    Member

    Last night actually.

    Male cyclist mid 50's

    Cycled from inside the new Haymarket station then along the pavement to Ryries.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  24. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Two this morning as I perambulated down to Haymarché. Both were fully grown adult male specimens all kitted up and ready to commute. Both came up Morrison Street, into the taxi/drop-off bay outside Scottish Windows, onto the pavement and then dissapeared down Semple Street. I assumed they couldn't be bothered getting off and pushing for the last few metres into the underground car parks (although I didn't see them go in, they may have gone elsewhere, but they could have ridden through the courtyard to do that.)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  25. allebong
    Member

    Semi-ninja last night at Chesser. Vaguely decent front light, no back lights, dressed in black.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  26. EddieD
    Member

    Me again... Swap out of my street onto Daley Road, and was promptly eating tarmac, having failed to spot the sheet ice at the junction. Fortunately only my pride was hurt. Take care.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  27. Kenny
    Member

    I'm not surprised, based on the state of the paths when I just took my dogs for a walk the now. Very nearly ended up on my arse a number of times. A day for spikes?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  28. HankChief
    Member

    Been out on my spikes this morning. It was interesting to say the least. Found myself wheel spinning going up a slight slope - which is something new.

    It's days like these that I feel like having a big sign saying that I'm on spikes. It would answer the incredulous stares I was getting. k

    Broomhouse path hadn't been gritted and wasn't much fun.

    Roads are better now but paths still look bad..

    Posted 10 years ago #
  29. gembo
    Member

    I lost the bike just before longstone park, going under the railway, walked away from it as had spotted the ice. In the middle of afternoon, has become Icier again.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  30. Greenroofer
    Member

    Darwin-award-contending cyclist on the towpath today near Meggetland (where it's dark and narrow).

    Dressed in dark clothing, with nothing reflective, and no lights apart from a single red flashing light held in a couple of fingers of his right hand (the other fingers being used to hold the handlebar) and pointing forward.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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