CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years 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.
Bit of rubbish cycling from me on Greenroofer's Railway Snicket last night (the Myreside cut-through). Had my front light up full and all, but didn't see what hit my foot with a bit of a thump near the south end.
In the cold light of day this morning turned out I'd cycled over or into an abandoned child's micro-scooter without seeing it.
It's hanging on the fence now if anyone fancies it.
Two major league chumps just filtered up the ~1.5 foot gap between slow moving buses and trams on Shandwick Place. Mr Cateye Whisper Helmet and Mr Bling Carbon Cervelo need a bit of a lesson in non-idiotic riding
"abandoned child's micro-scooter"
stolen and then junked?
shame
The young girl who I would say looked like she should be old enough to know better to look and judge the distance for overtaking pedestrians on the right hand side of the canal towpath based on the fact that another bicycle was approaching from the other direction. However, given the number of adults who pull off this exact same manoeuvre, maybe she has been learning how to do it from them... In any case, I had to come to an abrupt stop and lean over the grass to some extent to allow her to make it through.
Was me on West Maitland St bus/tram lane heading on the direct safer route to Haymarket. Banned to cyclists but as I was towing a trailer quite slowly I just didn't feel safe going round the legal route with its bike lanes in the middle of road.
Got followed by a BMXr and a bus. No hassle though I know it's legally wrong and just the kind of selective rule following we criticise in others.
Should I desist?
The guy who overtook me without any warning (but I did at least know that he was there) as I apporoached the long right-hand bend prior to the railway bridge on the canal towpath. Unfortunately someone was approaching by bicycle in the other direction, so both I and they were forced to brake abruptly to provide enough space for the ill-judged manoeuvre to be completed successfully. The overtaker the proceeded to not pull away all that much at all before hopping onto the road at Wester Hailes.
The two testosterone-fuelled racing numpties on the towpath this morning, heading west at 0745.
1) If you're going to ride that fast, ride on the road.
2) If you're wheelsucking and the bike in front rings their bell and overtakes a slower bike, you've got to ring your bell too. The slower bike (me) will get a fright if they think there's only one bike coming past and then find another beside them. The slower bike (me) was doing 17mph at the time: overtaking at that speed on a narrow towpath is pretty foolish.
You might say that 17mph is too quick for the towpath, and I'd be glad to have that discussion with you. The difference between me and the racing numpties of this morning is that I slow down for bridges and blind corners.
"overtakes a slower bike, you've got to ring your bell too"
Ah, Greenroofer, I got in a contretemps (today's word) with a fellow canalista the other day by following this rule. He thought my ding-dong duet with him was me being desperate to overtake. I said he was quicker than me and he'd just be stuck behind me but he threw a tantrum and sulked in the long grass until I went by.
Wasn't it dark at 07h45?
@laidback - I think that should be the default bike route as well. It makes far more sense and means you're not competing with Mental cars trying to head to dalry/switching lanes on morisson street.
I've given up using a bell on the towpath. On balance I get less grief not ringing than I did when i used to ring. I used to ring the bell from quite far away and only a couple of short dings so it wasn't like I was one of the seemingly impatient compulsive ringers.
I find passing slowly a far more preferable option and I guess from the response (or lack of) of other towpath users they do too.
@ianfieldhouse - this ring/not ring debate is a chestnut. My take on this is that when someone gets a fright because they are surprised by a bike, then that bike should have made its presence known sooner. It doesn't really matter how fast the bike is going. I was surprised by the second of the overtakers this morning, and the guy doing the overtake should have thought to warn me before coming past.
@IWRATS at 0745 its not dark, it's dusk (or the early morning equivalent of dusk)
I've taken to wringing my bell's neck on the canal. All the time. I'm trying to compose musical themes with which to greet all the regulars.
One jogger gave me a thumbs up and an 'I like!' as I passed.
I'm struggling to express my feelings about Lilac Helmet Lady with just two notes.
@Greenroofer Yeah, I understand what you're saying it's just, from my own experience, not ringing gets more positive results. I'll never please everyone though.
I ring, then ususally say "Thanks" as I go past.
I do the same as condor2378, although I'll modulate a certain degree of sarcasm when someone clearly hasn't made any real effort to give me enough space to pass.
Poorly lit cyclist (me). Had very poorly one watt Skully rear light whilst heading past a cyclist at Potterow around 4.30. If you were that cyclist - yes I was on way to get better light. Sorry for my lack of brightness.
Got Fenderbot from The Cycle Service. Bolts on so fit and forget - might even be waterproof ;-) Battery powered with flash and steady mode.
Fenderbot rear light and reflector by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
The other day in the rain my bell not working so I whistled all the way in, not allowed in the house. If you want to know the tune it was Last Year's Man by L. Cohen.
Will also say thank you very much in my elvis or Tommy cooper voice if feel like it to those who move out the way
@LaidBack - we have those Fenderbots on our bikes - useful in the event of failure and pretty bright.
Earlier this evening I turned right out of Fingal Place onto Argyle Place. I was flashed out by a taxi coming down Argyle place and almost collided with a cyclist coming up the hill who I genuinely didn't see. I shouted my apologies but I'd like to reiterate them if it was you....
I was unimpressed by the fixie-rider who jumped the red from Princes St to South Charlotte St this morning (and therefore went through the pedestrian phase). Yes, I know it wasn't that busy, but you paid no attention at all to the wheelchair user who was negotiating his way round the traffic island (obviously not keen on trying to get over the tactiles in damp conditions).
Me
No excuse, not paying attention as I pulled out from Northfield Broadway onto the main road, straight through the ped crossing that had just gone red.
Got a row off Big John on the canal or going under the railway bridge too fast. He was of course quite correct, and I'll calm it down in future.
@IWRATS ah, I was partly responsible for that situation occurring because I had been talking to him just beyond the bridge. He's unhappy about the high price of stamps.
"He's unhappy about the high price of stamps."
Wait 'til next year -
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/20/guardian-view-royal-mail-under-threat
@jdanielp
Aren't we all? I sent three letters of thanks after our national affair in September (one that I chose to seal with wax and my imprint, medieval style). Hadn't bought a stamp in ages and was quite taken aback.
SS/FG rider (pale blue frame, seen better days) who ran the red light at the pedestrian crossing opposite CC Blooms this morning about 0745. There was a man on the crossing that the rubbish cyclist nearly hit. The pedestrian stood in the road dumbfounded, staring up the hill at the retreating red blinking light. I might have shouted something but since the pedestrian was between me and the other cyclist I didn't want to give the impression I was shouting at him.
Last week's rubbish cyclist was a ninja on the canal that ploughed into a friend of mine, didn't stop to check on her health and disappeared into the night.
Two rubbish cyclists on the canal last night at about 1700.
First out beyond Wester Hailes, with a red flashing light on his handlebar and pointing forward. The primary-school-aged girl he was accompany had not light at all. As I passed I told him that he should change his light because it was really dangerous.
Second near Craiglockhart, a chap with no light at all. The only reason I saw him was because my light picked up his pedal reflectors.
Amongst yesterday evening's ninja and blinders on the NEPN was the pair where the cyclist to the rear has a light seemingly aimed to illuminate his followee's head; the misty air helped illustrate how high the beam goes.
me again turning right from South Bridge into Chambers Street this afternoon - turned right with oncoming cyclist possibly having to slow a bit… idiotic by me following car in front turning right. Apologies to that cyclist….
On Chambers street- went into primary as approached the pedestrian crossing and stopped for pedestrians. Lorry turning left in front so don't filter on the inside, intending my turn to wait to turn left. Get undertaken while waiting for pedestrians crossing by impatient cyclist… bit annoying.
Beanied, neat stubbled young guy on what may have been a white fixie. A bit eager to get away from the lights at East Preston St, then waited well in front of the ASL at the West Preston St lights until the green man a which point he took off at speed dodging through pedestrians. As I waited for the lights I didn't see his exact manoeuvre but he had appeared on Melville Drive so I think had just gone straight through the red to turn left.
I made my reasonably leisurely way along Melville Terr, the links and Leamington Terrace and lo and behold there he was again just in front on Fountainbridge. So despite his ridiculous riding and impatience he made up no time at all. He also demonstrated further lack of courtesy by squeezing past other cyclists to get ahead of them in ASLs (or in his case the middle of the ped crossing).
Oh and this was in the dark and he had no lights or even anything remotely reflective on bike or self.
One of the few times I've wanted to shout at another cyclist, but couldn't be bothered catching up to remonstrate. Perhaps Darwin will have his way...
On behalf of his family, I instead hope he has a near-miss that fills his skinny jeans and sends him to the bikelight shop with his tail and some poo between his legs, but yeah, I see that not-time-saving-at-all phenomenon a lot.
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