I hope the pavement ninja (unlit at 17:30, heading NW along the footway beside Queensferry Road then skipping through pedestrian green onto Orchard Brae) was caught and Policed before he got anywhere near Crewe Toll roundabout, in which direction he was headed when we parted ways.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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I've moved out of the city recently to Midlothian. There are lots of kids and the odd adult that cycle to school and work. I just wish someone would go to the school and teach them how to set up their saddles. Almost all of them are far too low, their cycling is in far to high a gear which means they are wobbling precariously on the roads and pavements (kids only).
It makes me tired just looking at them.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Heading west along Morrison Street at lunchtime I spotted a bloke heading south along Torphichen Place on the footway, at whom I glared appropriately. He then continued riding across the pedestrian crossing, re-joining the road along Morrison Link and then riding technically legally but extremely erratically along the road as far as the junction with Morrison Crescent, whereupon he went back towards Morrison Street only to then turn round again and then turn (against the lights) into Morrison Crescent, occasionally returning my stares, which by now were gaining a sort of watchfulness-in-case-he-went-for-my-throat sort of quality. I thought he'd do a few more circuits but turned out to have followed me down Breadalbane Street, though I shook him off by turning west along Dalry Road. When I returned from Lidl fifteen minutes later I'm pretty sure the cycle-mounted entity waiting at the West Approach Road end of Morrison Link was him. Apart from the bit of pavement-cycling and pedestrian-crossing-abuse at the start there wasn't much illegal about him but he really wasn't watching where he was going and appeared to have no destination in mind other than where his wobbling handlebars took him.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Looked like an unlit cyclist had been pulled over by a brace of Supercops on Rodney Street earlier on.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Almost all of them are far too low, their cycling is in far to high a gear which means they are wobbling precariously on the roads and pavements (kids only).
I don't think I wobbled much, but when I (re)started cycling last year I definitely rode in an overly high gear and with the saddle set well under height. In fact I'm looking at the bike I used back then and the saddle is at the height it was for the first couple of months - this is bad since that bike is now only ridden by my sister, and she's four inches shorter than me in real height, so about seven in bike height.
I don't know if this is an unavoidable transitional phase.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Heading East
Cyclist heading east along Killermont Street in Glasgow, passes up right hand side of two buses waiting to turn up North Hanover Street to wait at lights, he looks good for turning right, but turns left with the buses leaving him in the middle of the road, with two buses on his left. Hope he reached agreement with the buses.
Cyclist heading east on St Johns Road just before 7pm, no lights, reflectors or bright clothing
Posted 12 years ago # -
There was a man wheeling at me along the westerbit of Princes Street this morning, whose front wheel was about an inch from my rear light when I discovered him when doing a pre-braking glance-back. Fortunate that it was a planned coming-up-to-a-red-light braking-event rather than an AAARGBUS no-time-to-check slowdown.
Posted 12 years ago # -
A bloke whizzed past me going from Earl Grey St to Lothian Road just as the lights changed - it looked suspicious but could just have been good timing, though he'd have had about ten metres to stop from over 15mph if they hadn't changed. However, he then cut right in front of me where the bus lane curves to the right and is slightly offset, jumped the red to get onto the WAR and then jumped the red into Canning St, which makes the first event look much more like an intended-RLJ.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Actual cycling no worse than usual but I obviously didn't pay attention when attaching my rear light this morning. Canal under-bridge cobbles caused it to jump off the bike and into the water. Fortunately it was shallow at the edge so was able to retrieve it with nothing more than a wet hand and a muddy lie-down on the path. It turns out that an LD1100 is indeed completely waterproof.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Was the bloke on the MTB with red butterfly handlebars on the Broomhouse Path who was wearing a camouflage "webbing" system instead of a rucksack. I had already marked him out as a liability when he swerved suddenly infront of a passing cyclist, forcing them to go onto the grass, as he had decided he wanted to stop with his foot resting on a short section of wall, rather than the ground.
I had passed him, but he caught up with me when I stopped to take a picture of vans parked on the path outside the Tram works compound. He rode a wobbly no-handed through the diversion around the South Gyle Access trambles bridge. I left him behind when we set off from the lights here.
As I waited for cars at the South Gyle Access / Crescent / Broadway roundabout, I heard a "woaaaaaaaah!" and then there was a thump as someone rear-ended me.
I wasn't entirely surprised to find the guy above apopogising profusely as he tried to disintangle himself from my pannier.
If he hadn't ran into me, he would have been out into the roundabout infront of the cars I was waiting to let around...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Wow, that is seriously rubbish. Thank goodness he wasn't driving a car..
Posted 11 years ago # -
A gentleman identified some months ago as a footway-cyclist and RLJer (spotted doing so more than once in the spring between the Roseburn path and CEC House on Torphichen St/Canning St (where he appears to park (if not work))) was re-spotted today, initially Jing the RL from Grosvenor Crescent to Palmerston Place (along, though it's no excuse, with a bunch of other people) then hurtling towards the red (pedestrian crossing) light leading across the crater system into Torphichen Street, where only luck that the lights changed just as he arrived meant that he possibly didn't technically jump it, though as he was trying his best and wasn't going at a speed indicating that he was prepared to stop I'm counting it as an infraction.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Monday. Brompton on pavement on Bristo Place. Quite fast too.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Wednesday evening - pavement ninja cyclist by Leith Links. Second or third time I've seen her in recent weeks, looks like a regular route. Must consider interrupting her the next time and having a word...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Me, yesterday. Just rolling along the wee bit by Zazou after bonking a dozen miles from home, I saw a blue 4x4 ahead, driving very slowly towards a parking space.
Like a genius, I didn't think anything of it and rode up his inside just before he started turning in. Cue sudden torquing forwards from me to get clear before being gently knocked off, and a panicked stall from him.
Turned round and apologised, which was graciously received. Here ends the Short Cycling Tale of a Gentleman and a Foolio.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Tonight, cycling through Drylaw heading West, I was filtering up the left hand side of a bunch of stationary cars who were halted by the red light up ahead. I'm coming towards the police station, when a cyclist with a high-vis yellow jacket, not entirely dissimilar to my own, suddenly exited the police station car park and promptly stopped, blocking my way up the left side of the cars, without the merest glance to their right at all. I was so close to him when he did this, I didn't have time to blast my Hornit horn at him. Instead, I was left with two options: (a), pile straight into the back of him as I didn't have time to stop, or (b) bunny hop on to the pavement and verbally advise him of the error of his ways. I managed (b) somehow. I even managed to make the verbal advice polite.
Makes me glad for all those years on a bmx when I was a youngster.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Eejit cycling the WRONG WAY up the North Bridge bus lane! He had exited from the arcade and looked like he wanted to head south, cycled off pavement then found cars coming his way heading north. Rather than wait to cross, he just kept on going. Very lucky a bus didn't come his way. Cycled back onto the pavement at the traffic lights outside Bella Pasta, assuming he was going to look for another daft way to get onto the southbound lane.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Two last night, pavement cyclist who then RLJ at Duddingston Road.
Then a ninja came from Kings Buildings, down zQBC up my inside as I was turning up West Saville Terr - had I not been totally aware of him he would have been over my bonnet. Silly, sill
Posted 11 years ago # -
Def far too many ninjas around :-(
This is the time of year when many car drivers are at their most rushed/distracted, combine it with rain, city lights and darkness and it's one of the few times I assimilate with the cycleborg and don the hi-vi and plastic hat :-/Posted 11 years ago # -
...was brought to you by the muppet last night riding what I think was a fixie and wearing an old style cycle cap who rode the wrong way up Dundas Street across Queen Street junction heading West the wrong way against traffic before eventually getting onto the correct side of the road.
That man was, frankly, an idiot.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Me again. I need to stop appearing in this thread.
Coming up to the junction at the corner of Saughton Park, heading onto Gorgie Road, I filtered up to the ASZ at the red, only to find that there is no ASZ there. It's not my normal route but even so I must have crossed that junction twenty times by now.
Found myself awkwardly spliced across the lanes, so cars could get past, but the artic needing through had to wait until I shuffled sideways and over the stop line. Knight of the road, he didn't beep or rev, just waited till I redfaced myself out the way. Was too busy cringing and hoping the earth swallowed me whole to shout/wave an apology.
The driver behind me, once the lights greened, gave me the kind of room you give a dangerous moron. Yes, well...
Posted 11 years ago # -
This junction, perchance? An ASL here would be helpful, except there's barely room to filter to get to it. I always just wait in line and on the green I sprint to the bus lane ahead.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I vote this thread is retitled "Bruce's confessional" ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
That's the beast, Arellcat. I normally never get a double red there or I'd not have tried to fauxenger it, but I did. And my messengering was faux.
Quiet in the back, Mr Smudge. Although: yes, good point.
Posted 11 years ago # -
<grins> I'm casting no stones, just searching for the thread about workshop mistakes so I can add my most recent :-o
Posted 11 years ago # -
Was the wooly-hatted ninja-chump zooming the wrong way around the one way at junction of Valleyfield Street and Leven Terrace. If I had been a car, it would not have been the sharp end of my tongue they were feeling, it would have been the rough end of the tarmac.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Would be the also wooly hatted muppet I overtook eastbound on George Street this morning with no lights who then blasted past me at the traffic lights jumping the RL and shooting across the roundabout in front of oncoming cars....I was stunned at the stupidity.
Posted 11 years ago # -
...Was me - yesterday morning. I almost cycled into a chap who was cycling into Edinburgh along the A8 cyclepath just past the RBS Gogarburn junction. I only had half a mind on my journey and coming round the corner of the junction he surprised me and I ended up committing to stop the same way as he did. I couldn't apologise enough. He didn't look very impressed.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Today's rubbish cycling was brought to you courtesy of me. I was waiting at the traffic lights to turn left from Braidburn Terrace, and a passer-by complimented me on my bike's back lights. Just as I fumbled through my numb face to say thank you, the lights on the main road went green, and I mistook them for my light! Fortunately my brain woke up and I stopped after two or three metres, and rather sheepishly reversed back to the ASL.
Posted 11 years ago # -
This morning I was waiting at the lights at Princes St end of Waterloo Place heading West, when a tool riding a bike came flying down the bridges and through the red lights using the wrong lane passing me with inches to spare.
He also had no lights.
I vote for slacker gun laws.
Posted 11 years ago #
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