Another cyclist worked me to the ground about an hour ago. I was cycling from Buccleuch St/Hope Park Terrace towards Summerhall Place. I was waiting for the lights at that junction, they went green and I crossed. Just as I neared the Summerhall Place side of the junction, I got undertaken by a fellow cyclist, who was faster because he didn't need to wait for the lights. I rang my bell because of the dangerous undertake and thought nothing further of it. Then around the entrance of the Summerhall building, I overtook him again, not out of spite or anything, but just because my cruising speed turned out to be higher than his. It was completely safe to overtake in any normal situation, but in hindsight I guess shouldn't have overtaken him, I guess it angered him.
Just after I was done overtaking him, he accelarated, came alongside me (on my right), and banged into me with his body and bicycle. I lost my balance and fell, he sped off and turned left into West Preston Street.
I have some cuts and bruises but nothing serious it seems, not sure yet if my bicycle is intact. Some people stopped, we all agreed that this guy was crazy. One other cycling girl who had seen it remarked "We [cyclists] are supposed to be on the same side." My faith in that has been shaken somewhat. I'd like this guy to be caught, but I don't think it'll happen. Is it worth it reporting it to the police?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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@MV I'm really sorry to hear that - hope you and the bike are ok. The guy sounds like a nutter. There may be cctv around there and that is assault - I would report it.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Sorry to hear that MV. Might be worth giving a description of the chap to the cops.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Wow, that is a very rare thing to happen MV, the guy is probably mentally ill. Under takers not all nuts I imagine but to undertake then slow down? Surely your average undertaker is in a hurry or they wouldn't pull the manoeuvre?
Hope you and the bike are OK
Posted 10 years ago # -
Three cyclists, thankfully all on the NEPN rather than on the roads, who were paying absolutely no attention this evening.
Both #1 and #2 were texting while weaving all around the path. #3, on the other hand, was failing to light a cigarette while cycling no handed and looking straight down (and, of course, weaving all over the place).
Posted 10 years ago # -
I was a bit dodgy today at the haymarket junction heading east along towards princes street from roseburn direction.
There was a queue of traffic in both lanes and with a taxi blocking the way up the inside of the cars but plenty of gap in the middle. As I was planning on going right around the one way system I went up the middle with plenty of time.
The car to my right at the front of the queue was a big old land cruiser (spotless and single occupancy with nae tow bar) As I came up the inside it started moving off with the amber warning light so I sped up to shoot past (while I was clearly a bit late in being there at that time I can accelerate faster than cars in that situation) came out the front and had to swerve around the 4 pedestrians who I couldn't see, and were crossing the street in front of the car!
Managed to swerve around them fine, but felt pretty bad about it - probably looked a bit bad. Not 100% sure how technically wrong I was...
Still slightly concerned about why that land cruiser set off if there were clearly people in front of him on the road!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yesterday's rubbish cycling was courtesy of myself about to turn right onto the Water of Leith Walkway bridge between Baird Drive (I think) and Murrayfield. Some poor guy on an MTB was coming the other way and stopped to let me past. I dithered for so long (the bike equivalent of two pedestrians stepping left then right simultaneously to try and avoid each other) that the poor sod actually lost balance and fell onto the side of the bridge.
Poor chap.
I am a pillock. Sorry.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Probably a good idea to come clean about last Friday's shenanigans turning right into East Preston Street from Newington Road. I must have thought for a moment that I was in a high-powered motorcar and decided I'd go for it the second the lights changed, cutting across one lane of vehicle traffic and a bewildered cyclist in the bus lane. In my defence I got across quickly and didn't get in anyone's way, but felt like a prize idiot afterwards.
I'll deduct points accordingly.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@ARobComp Highly unlikely that someone in a Landcruiser actually realises they're in a car. They probably think their living room is moving around magically.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The guy who didn't realise that liner shorts are meant to be worn underneath other clothing and can be rather see through. He was effectively cycling in a Bianchi top and his very revealing pants
Posted 10 years ago # -
Hope it didn't rain...
Posted 10 years ago # -
Still slightly concerned about why that land cruiser set off if there were clearly people in front of him on the road!
Is that not their raison d-etre?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Captain Important, clearly late for some important importanting in the north-east, turning right into Bothwell Street from Easter Road, who seriously looked like he was going to try and get around me when I was approaching Crawford Bridge nice and slowly to allow some pedestrians to negotiate the chicanes. He seemed to disappear when I reached Albion Road, possibly heading through the Butterfly under the misapprehension of it being quicker, but he reappeared behind me on the railway path just in time to ding his way without slowing through several groups of pedestrians.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The woman cycling up MMW very slowly on the far right of the path whilst normal cyclists were cycling up the left of the path. I braked almost to a complete halt in front of her in the hope that she would actually give me space but to no avail so I just went for the gap in the middle.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yesterday it was me - I waited behind a car at the first pedestrian crossing on Melville Drive heading West - not enough space for filtering at the time so I waited in line at the red light. As the lights went green the car didn't move for some time resulting in angry revving and beeping from behind me so I decided to tap the rear window. I accidentally clattered the glass with my wedding ring - which certainly woke the driver up, but it made an unreasonably loud noise causing her to express much consternation and unhappiness. Later on I caught her up and went to explain that I had accidentally made a much louder bang than I had intended, only to find her inspecting her bodywork and accusing me of damaging her car…. I tried to explain as she disappeared in a fury, landing several verbal blows including such old favourites as "irresponsible" and "dangerous". I'm afraid I may not have reacted in a very gentlemanly manner to her refusal to listen...
I won't be knocking on any windows again...
Posted 10 years ago # -
RLJer at Ardmillan/Angle Park and a wibbling ned bumping a car along Marionville Road.
[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Flash Video Posted 10 years ago # -
@algo
Never touch the window, I have learnt from experience that any advice at all is perceived as some to be an invasion of their personal space/ rights a s a UK citizen. Actually, the same people are often much more reasonable when not driving. I think it I stresses people out more than they realise.
Quite a few people asleep at green lights this week, I did a big point to one at the former land rover garage junction at slateford. The left filter lane comes on a minute or so before the straight ahead. The driver was I believe on her phone. But very grateful to have the filter pointed out. Could have gone either way
Posted 10 years ago # -
Thanks gembo - that makes sense. I'll certainly not be doing it again, despite its intention in this case being entirely benign
Posted 10 years ago # -
Actually 'todays rubbish moaning', but as the driver thought my cycling was rubbish I'll put it in here.
Coming in from Haymarket, come up to the junction with Torphicen St, big lorry in front so sit behind. Further up the road before junction at Morrison St (I'm turning left), I'm filtering along the right of the stationary traffic. Just as I'm completing the overtake of the big lorry the lights go green, so I nip back into primary in front of the lorry to keep him from overtaking at the pinch point.
Later on (after he goes through red light to catch me, I went through on amber and he was a bit behind so he must have!) at the junction with Lothian road he stops beside me and has a good old whinge about how he has blind spots and that's how cyclists get squished.
So he didn't appreciate me overtaking on the right at all. He did have signs on back about overtaking on left. Nothing on the right from what I can remember.
Was I being a 'silly cyclist'? I personally don't think so, but is it ok to overtake on right at a junction (there was one car in front of him).
Posted 10 years ago # -
He was probably half a sleep and got a fright and felt the need to externalise his annoyance at being woken.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I guess it depends how closely you'd nipped in front and whether that put you in a front blind spot from which you emerged to his surprise.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Baldcyclist If it's any consolation I did exactly the same thing today as you at the top of Easter Road.
Filtering through stationary traffic on right as left looks dodgy, lights start to change and I'm caught in no-mans land a couple of meters to the right and front of a just starting to move truck, probably in his blind spot. Not happy with myself for putting myself in that position.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Cyclist on my last roundabout before turning into work (South Gyle Crecent vs. Redheughs Avenue, at the Paulozzi statue). I was following one of the office-station shuttlebusses round the roundabout. Rather than waiting for me to pass, cyclist pulled out right after the bus alongside on my left, meaning that I found myself trying to turn left off the roundabout and into the office with a cyclist on my own left blocking me from doing so as he was going straight on.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Today's Darwin award nominee. There are roadworks on Whitehouse Terrace at the moment, so it's reduced to one lane controlled by traffic lights. Sitting waiting at red light this morning at 8:20, a cyclist (dark jacket, dark panniers, straight bar commuter type I think) whizzes past straight through the red light and directly into the oncoming single lane traffic coming in the other direction. To avoid headlong collision he had to brake suddenly (as I imagine the oncoming traffic had to too) and hop onto the kerb nearly taking out a jogger as he did so. A prize idiot, if you happen to be a member of this forum (which would surprise me) you should be utterly ashamed, you're a disgrace to cycling.
Posted 10 years ago # -
NEPN wheelsucker, collected heading west out of Bernard St and dislodged just before Crew(e) Toll, though only by slowing right downing and turning round to tell him after he ignored or didn't hear the previous three requests. He then went bargily past a few people before turning off at Craigleith. Black and white roadie kit (including something white wrapped round his shoes) with "SCOTT" on his sacrum.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Slowing right down seems like the proper (probably the only) way to deal with these people Wingpig.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Me, this time, on George St westbound. A young woman cycling in front of me stopped at the lights at Hanover St and asked where we should go from there, as there is a Road Closed sign and barriers across the entrance to the next block. I told her confidently that the cycle path continued on the other side of George St. Of course the changeover isn't until Frederick St, so she found herself on the wrong side of the road and needed to hastily cross back over the parking cobbles to the south side (which is just about cycleable by winding around the barriers). Sorry, if you're reading this.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Stopped before aqueduct to let chap come off the aqueduct. Chap behind me decided to overtake me and bomb onto aqueduct forcing chap coming off to brake. I pointed out I was braking to let the guy off. I apologised to the guy coming off for behaviour of our fellow cyclist. All watched by wide eyed young jogger.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I had similar moment today - I slowed behind a pedestrian (who seemed a bit ditzy) on the canal path by Meggetland, only for a kind cyclist coming the other way to slow to a stop to let me past. As he stopped, a cyclist behind him barged through anyway. Reminded me why I tend to avoid the canal in summertime - it's all just a bit of a faff. I was only on there instead of the Water of Leith this evening as I had left the office late, and couldn't afford the extra 5 minutes. Grumble grumble.
Tangent: It always winds me up when I patiently slow (often almost to a track stand) behind walkers to wait for an overtaking gap on the canal path, and cyclists going the other way don't bother to acknowledge that. Grumble grumble.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"Grumble grumble."
Indeed. Plenty of that on the NEPN/WoL, too. Might upload one later.
Posted 10 years ago #
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