If quick two bikes max doing that. I do it too but it is not a good junction, hence the attempt to run a safer route that way to the canal? Well proposed in plans, see the other thread.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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I used to cut ahead of the oncoming traffic, it was actually this very forum where I learned they have priority, so I stopped doing it from then. As I said though, being strictly law abiding is in this case not the safest option. It's a clear call when you're right at the front as I was, the traffic opposite is clear of the ASZ further back, and you know you can get the bike going quickly and negotiate the bumps. I have seen times when the traffic opposite comes across quickly, at the same time someone on a bike takes their time getting going, then takes that chance to cut across and swerves about on the bumps. Not so good.
On this thread the latest info is that the timing is still messed up, when the lights change to red for you going right, it's still green for the oncoming traffic for another few seconds at least. I thought the opposite traffic was actually RLJing their way forward.
Posted 10 years ago # -
There's a similar junction just up the road. If you were going up Colinton Road and get to the traffic lights at Holy Corner and want to turn right, I have been known to "cut" the corner ahead of oncoming traffic from Chamberlain Road, if I were first in the queue.
Posted 10 years ago # -
This morning, bloke who went eastbound on westbound carriageway outside Haymarket, then skipped across the lights at Dalry Road (which had just changed to green) before heading up West Maitland.
Watched in disbelief by me and two other cyclists waiting patiently at the red lights.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I always read this thread just in case I appear in it!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Me too, Amir! I certainly know that some days I mysteriously and unexplainably completely lose all ability to cycle proficiently.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Human male with possibly black panniers and a beige helmet who skipped through the Elm Row ped crossing as it turned red (two other cyclists stopped) then skipped through the first two red lights on Queen Street. My cough caused my voice to flip into a higher register so he probably heard me.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I could possibly have been construed as a bad cyclist today as I set off at 8:25 and it looked nice and clear outside, well at least if not actually raining it was a bit overcast. Set off and EVERYONE still had their lights on. Now while the street lights were off I still felt bad not having lights on. Not because I felt that they were needed lawfully, but because I knew I would not stand out much against the glare of everyone else driving around with their lights on.
So bad cycling or maybe not. Not sure. Help me decide. I would usually hav had lights but I changed them to the other bike I am taking down to london with me now.Posted 10 years ago # -
at 8.30 on our side of town it was raining heavily and we had lights on our bikes for school run.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Me. Bad. Not even on my bike. Feeling horrid.
Was heading for lift in my building with folder. Not usually a busy time of day, but hen 2 people appeared behind me, going to a higher floor. So I suggested they get in before me, then I was going to get in with bike. (I could fold it, but it takes longer in and out, so I usually wheel it. There is another bigger lift, but it's further from the door and my office.). Then a third woman appears marches in in front of me and says 'there are secure stores you know'. I stupidly retorted that ' they're not secure' . I should have said, I don't have a lock today, or just gone up the stairs or the other lift. Then, when she argued with me, as door closed in my face, I said a bad word and marched off to the other lift.
Why? I didn't need to do this, especially in my own building. I usually just explain to people that while I can easily carry the bike up the stairs, it can be intimidating to tigers in the stairs. Plus the doors are difficult. No one seems to mind. Lots of other people with folders - indeed with full size bikes - stake them up to their offices.
The thing is, the cycle store is really not that secure - when it was first put in, you could reach around and open the lock from the outside. Even now, the door is often left open, and the code is widely known to students and staff. And I tend not to use it because it is so badly designed that you can't get the tandem down the ramp to the door, much less inside. And then you have to use a cardswipe and code entry door to get into the building. But yes, I *could* leave the folder there, if I had a lock. Or I could fold the folder. And I really didn't need to swear.
Posted 10 years ago # -
it can be intimidating to tigers in the stairs
:-o
If we had tigers in our stairs I would do everything I could to intimidate them.
And I really didn't need to swear.
Yes you did. You were trying to show consideration and there was really no need for this woman to be a cow. So there.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Don't know if it's rubbish or just disgusting - bloke who did the footballer snotty nose clearing thing just as I pulled up behind him at lights. It's put me off my dinner.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Got a 'you're too close' comment after going by a guy on what looked like a Cannondale Bad Boy or something like that. Argyle Place around 5.10.
Was odd as I was sure I had gone by him on the all steel Paper Bicycle. He seemed to be on my inside so maybe I hadn't got clear properly but was preparing to turn right anyway.
Situation quickly resolved as I checked he wasn't going right and he then undertook me on approach as I slowed up for right turn.
My excuse was that it was after 5.10 and I should have been at shop at 5... that though is not a real excuse I know.
If anyone here then sorry if I upset them. Maybe should have shouted 'on your right but pretty sure my headlight would have shown my presence. That and the rattle off strap on rear rack!
Posted 10 years ago # -
I've seen cyclists with poor lights, cyclists with good lights and unfortunately cyclists with no lights.... tonight, coming over the Braids I spotted (after being disconcerted initially!) a cyclist coming towards me sporting a flashing red front light! I did shout to point this out and then spotted they also had a flashing.... red!.... rear light.
What I hate about this is that there was a car behind me and whilst they passed me with a good separation, I felt the driver had been distracted by the lights (there were no cars coming the other way) whilst they were safe I would worry that a lesser driver would have made a mistake with potential repurcussions for my safety!
Posted 10 years ago # -
@ stickman, guy shoulder checked in front of me this morning before expelling snot so that was Ok. Not so good if you get hit by the stuff. In summer also of course car windscreen cleaner also to watch it for
Posted 10 years ago # -
Inattentive chap on ride on saturday rear ended me in Slough. He saw me but his brakes weren't good enough to stop in time.
Approx 200 notes worth of damage plus a heck of a nightmare. Turns out having a bike you can't ride is literally a dead weight.
He admitted it on scene but he has no insurance and is now refusing to pay. The fact that he ruined my ride then acted like it was my fault was the worst of it really. the money is neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things.
Thing is I felt like he'd hurt a family member. I love my bike so much and it's so pretty and he made it ugly and unridiable. So watch out for other riders **sigh**
Posted 10 years ago # -
Stricly speaking last night northbound on NEPN between Roseburn and Craigleith.
Cyclist dressed in black, Black rucksack, Black Helmet, black headscarf under helmet. Black bike frame. No lights, not even hi vis.I suggested he should get lights, his reaction was that as I had seen him there was not a problem !!.
There was more of an exchange, but it did rather deteriorate.Posted 10 years ago # -
ARobComp - was that your LEL steed? That's was nasty incident whatever.
559 - one of many. Giving advice = giving offence in their view. I've tried before and often failed.
Of course riding lower down with lights is considered by them to be more dangerous than riding higher up with no lights ;-)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Don't know if it's rubbish or just disgusting - bloke who did the footballer snotty nose clearing thing just as I pulled up behind him at lights.
Um, I may have been known to do that "on the move". the only way is out, sometimes. I try not to do it around others.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Middle age man in hi viz jacket and chinos jumped every red light from Tollcross to the turn up to Polwarth. Very bad advert for the fraternity/sorority
Posted 10 years ago # -
Possibly me this evening, I've not yet decided.
I was run into by a jogger on the way home - he definitely ran into me, no denying that!. But whose fault is it?
Heading east on the Broomhouse path, we both went across the toucan crossing of Saughton Road as the lights changed from green (there's then a blank second) from red. I was behind him and to the left, he was in the right lane. If you look at how the "segregated" line is painted, we were both in the "correct" position.
I didn't want to pass the jogger on the crossing, so I kept pace, needed to brake as we had run down hill to the crossing so I picked up some speed. Shock, horror, as we get to the other side, the jogger suddenly does that thing that only foot-borne persons can do and suddenly changed direction by 90 degrees, thereby cutting directly across my direction of travel.
I managed to yell out a warning, pull on the brakes and try and take avoiding action, but there's not much to take given the crossing being bounded by fences and the low wall just beyond and I simultaneously came to a crash-bang stop against the little wall as the jogger walloped into the side of me, getting his elbow right in my jaw. I would have been over if I hadn't fallen into the lamp post and he sort of managed to grab onto me until I could extricate my left foot from the pedal.
A pair of ladies who saw it shrieked and we were both instantly stunned, each muttering something to the other about (in my opinion) how was I to know he was about to stop and cut across me on the crossing and he about how he didn't know I was there. But suffice to say we quickly regained composure, dusted ourselves off, realised that neither of ourselves were hurt and offered mutual apologies and wished each other a safe and collision-free rest of the way home. I think we also both realised we could both blame each other and never be right about it.
As he jogged off he turned back and called "I'm a cyclist too". I couldn't work out if he meant it in a "yeah I'm with you" sort of way or a "you're letting the side down pal" kind of a way.
I'm rather annoyed with myself as I know I wasn't speeding (I was keeping pace with the jogger and trying not to pass him at the time) but my spidey sense never computed that he might need to suddenly move from left side of path to negotiate his way to another direction. I'd normally tell other folks it's best to always expect the pedestrian or dog to suddenly do the unexpected and this time I didn't. I didn't expect the unexpected.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Glad everyone was ok.
Time to get your spidey-sense checked into the LBS for a service :-)
I've noticed an increase in the number of pedestrians in twos and threes happily strolling along the bike side of the Broomhouse path. Which doesn't get me too worked up unless the entire width of both sides is occupied by headphone-wearing meanderthals.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I didn't expect the unexpected.
No point in beating yourself up about it (seems the jogger already done that!)
Seriously though, it seems to be one of those incidents that just happens when you have bikes and people in the same space. As you said, you both realised it was either nobodies fault or both, so I'm glad it stayed civil. Safe to say I think he'll be shoulder checking next time he plans a move like that - I certainly do it automatically when running.
...unless the entire width of both sides is occupied by headphone-wearing meanderthals.
Yeah that's a pain. Not much better is if you have a few groups here and there taking up only one side, but the wrong one. Approaching from the back on a bike, I feel slightly rude dinging my way past, as it's much easier for me to slip round on the ped side (sorry!) than for them to have to move. Also amusing is approaching from the front, I've made a game of trying to predict when they'll first notice me, then make the decision to shift to their side. I recall from previous threads that peds actually have the right to use the whole path, even the bike side, while us bicyclists are only allowed on our side. So there's been times when a group has been walking the bike side and I have to slow nearly to a stop as I don't want to enroach on the ped side, while they blithely ignore me then give me a look or word about 'just go around', even though that puts me technically in the wrong, although as mentioned I've been known to do it on occasion.
Posted 10 years ago # -
No one expects the unexpected
Meanderthals is nice coinage
Was his spider sense impaired in some headphonic way such that he did not know you were there or were you perfecting your stealth ninja?
Nice that a man and a jogger can collide and sort it out amicably and that it turns out they are both cyclists.
Two Hail Marys only.
Posted 10 years ago # -
possibly me again last night turning right up Sciennes having gone straight over the junction at the corner of the meadows from Buccleuch Street. Loads of queueing traffic on Buccleuch Street, so filtered past using the bike lane and then took up a rightmost position in the ASL intending to motor off to take the right turn up Sciennes without overly inconveniencing anyone. Not off the line quick enough and incurred the wrath of the car behind who swerved about and flung their arms around, the car behind them and the lorry behind them....
Cyclist in the ASL jumped the red early as the previous sequence finished, which ironically had I done, I would not have incurred wrath. My apologies to the other two cyclists who I think thought the beeping was aimed at them, when they had not impeded anyone, unlike me.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Kaputnik - the highway code may say that we have to expect the unexpected on shared facilities, but that was a hook... It may be because I cycle, but I check over my shoulder when I change "lane" on Princes Street (and many times I find myself looking for my helmet mirror when I'm walking...)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Was his spider sense impaired in some headphonic way
Indeed it was, and my bike's early warning noisy creaking system was going plenty last night! (traced to worryingly loose chainring bolts)
Posted 10 years ago # -
Aha. I was just going to suggest that all you people who actually maintain your bikes properly might suffer from this more as the various clanks and rattles emanating from mine usually warn pedestrians I'm coming if my crane bell doesn't do the job.
I've now got a policy of ringing my bell (from a way back, so it doesn't sound like I'm dinging people out of the way) whenever it looks like I'm going to have to interact with a pedestrian, mainly because I don't like to startle people but also because of the time I nearly got swiped off the bike by someone's extravagant hand gesture as I passed him. I work on the assumption that anyone wearing headphones is happy to be startled.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@laidback - it was indeed my LEL steed. Many 1000's of KM and never an issue. One careless rider and a fairl whack of damage.
Posted 10 years ago #
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