Please please please everyone, make sure you have either one steady white light at the front, or at least one with a *very* fast flash. I overtook a cyclist last night and then as I was approaching a junction I looked behind me to see where they were, it took me three attempts to spot them because on the first two I happened to look back when their slow flashing light was in the dark phase. And I knew they were there and was actively looking for them, so heaven help them when a driver just has a quick glance (which they do, not saying that it's right) as they pull out at a junction.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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@geordiefatbloke - I sympathise - it's pretty scary… the font of much knowledge morningsider says it's only legal if they flash between 60 and 240 times a second:
Posted 10 years ago # -
remember with a flash as well that your brain will ignore the first flash it sees most often if it's very fast, as it'll assume it's made a mistake, which makes the first gap between two flashes seem longer than it actually is. One of the weird things the brain does to stop us being alarmed by it making mistakes.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I love the idea that my brain does things to stop me being alarmed, and that there's a little chap inside my head (a bit like Men in Black, perhaps) who says 'Ooh, I'd better ignore this flash in case Greenroofer gets worried by it').
Can I blame the little chap for all the Wiggle purchases that keep arriving at Greenroofer Towers?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Exposure Joystick. The 'flashing' mode is actually a pulsing mode, as the LED never actually goes out. And the pulse interval is about half a second.
If it had an optional beam spreader for the pulsing mode it would be the ideal cycle light. Expensive mind.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"my brain does things to stop me being alarmed"
If I think about climate change for more than five minutes I get hungry/itchy/bored/distracted. This;
appears to be the dullest thing I've ever seen after five seconds of abject terror.
Posted 10 years ago # -
When I'm driving I notice cyclists more easily if their lights blink/pulse. That's the main reason I have my front on pulse mode when on the road.
It is permanently on, but pulses rapidly also.
On a cycle/shared path, I generally switch it to "on"
Switching can cause issues too! Last night I switched back to pulse as I was preparing to exit the Balgreen Path. An oncoming cyclist remarked I had my light "too high" It wasn't IMO, it was directed down about 2.5 metres ahead of me. I had however inadvertently knocked it slightly facing oncoming traffic as I switched.
It's a tricky call. I've approached cyclists with lights that have dazzled me too. I don't think however they have caused me to feel endangered.
I doubt there is a perfect solution, so perhaps lights on the brighter side are on the whole better than lights on the dimmer side.
Posted 10 years ago # -
was me. x2.
firstly I tried to take a corner like Valentino Rossi in South Queensferry and nearly lost the back end (upright upright upright...). lesson learned.
second...tried to pull away at Haymarket and strange noise from the rear, kept going to next set of lights. even bigger noise from the back on pull away...bailed over the tram tracks to the pavement to notice my back wheel had literally come off. I had been tinkering last night and obviously not put it on tight enough.
find it a hard balance though...too tight and it squeals all the time...too loose and see above!
Posted 10 years ago # -
"too tight and it squeals all the time"
Mmm you mean the bearings??
Must be slowing you down (and wearing out).
Posted 10 years ago # -
@chdot
I haven't much of a clue about maintaining the bike but i'm learning! how could I check if the bearings are wearing? i'd say ive done about 2000-ish miles on the bike from new.
I 'loosened' the QR pin when I got to work and the wheel spins without a squeal now so going to just keep an eye on things on the cycle home and then maybe tinker some more tonight
Posted 10 years ago # -
@beano
When you close the lever on the QR skewer it should only just leave a mark on the palm of your hand. Sounds like the cones in your hub may be a bit tight too. You'd need a pair of cone spanners to adjust them.
Posted 10 years ago # -
If squeal coming from hub suggests too tight - which likely to mean it won't spin freely (and wear more). Though perhaps squeal is tyre on frame due to wheel not being straight in frame(?)
Posted 10 years ago # -
"cones in your hub" & "cone spanners" = lunchtime google search :-)
Posted 10 years ago # -
@beano
Youtube will be your friend if you have access at work.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@beano, are you Ian who I have been chatting to over on Strava? If not, have you had any bad experiences at Scotstoun Ave with slipping? It appears the surface at the junction of Scotstoun Ave and Kirkliston Road has had a n oily liquid spilled on it, by numerous heavy goods vehicles and busses, servviceing the estate and Cala homes at the east end of Scotstoun Ave. I came off as I joined Scotstoun Ave where you leave the B800 onto Kirkliston Road this morning when my front wheel slipped from under me as I turned right. I'm complaining to ECC via a helpfull local councillor and any more bad experiences at this junction can add weight to our problems there.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@DaveC nope not Ian i'm afraid.
I haven't slipped there (yet, touches wood) but will be more aware after reading your post.
I do get concerned with the number of vehicles moving around the entrance to the housing development but I seem to notice a hi-vis person accompanying tippers/trucks etc so I don't know if that's a safety person keeping watch (for cyclists?) or whether its just coincidence. I couldn't say I ALWAYS see a workie accompanying a tipper/digger etc.
I nearly had a run-in with a road sweeper last night (it was executing an anti-clockwise 180 turn) but I anticipated that he might cross in front of me so I held back. he seemed to appreciate me slowing for him as I saved him about 5/10 seconds of time to do his manoeuvre rather than letting me pass (grumble grumble).
Posted 10 years ago # -
DaveC - I can sell you unworn Aldi leggings (slightly too big for me) same as the EBC at fifty five quid - for you £25
On actual bad cycling rather than bad luck
Watched a clown today, might have been his first day out on new bike? Might have been high. He had tracky bottoms on, tucked into white socks and plimsolls. Odd as he drifted as if clipped in track standing near Lochrin basin, right out into the Gardner crescent road (it is closed) the red takes an age to change. He is then heading straight at the lollipop woman with the fierce mien. She just steps back on to the pavement as he whizzes past her, she is peed off. He then decides to slow at every junction towards Lothain road. I am avoiding an Audi that wants to turn left on lothian road but has ignored the lane for that as has queue up Semple street, after avoiding being killed by Audi, I spot coco taking the straight ahead arrow. He does this and goes straight ahead onto lothian road but in slowmo he then turns sharp left and I tell him he is not the messiah, he is a very NAUGHTY boy
Posted 10 years ago # -
I was winching my way up towards the summit of Edinburgh this evening (still fuming a wee bit about Today's rubbish driving), and saw a lady on a black Paper Bicycle setting off into town.
While her fluorescent yellow jacket stood out fairly well in the sodium glow of the road, her bike didn't, as she appeared to have no lights.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@gembo "He had tracky bottoms on, tucked into white socks and plimsolls."
Sounds a lot like he might have stolen that bike...
Posted 10 years ago # -
Darwin Awards on Broomhouse path - 6.45 (dark) Dayglo clad mountain bike riding buffoon this morning -
Skipped across traffic at Broomhouse Road, then South Gyle Access (in front of a bus this time).
I waited for the lights then pushed it to catch him (I am on a SS after all!) which I did at the tram crossing at Edinburgh Park.
As a tram was approaching, I was going to question his cavalier attitude to safety but guess what.........he sailed straight across, tram must have been only 20 feet away.
Dear god.........
Posted 10 years ago # -
Blue-coat-dark-beard-possibly-sunglasses-too-bright-light-with-occasional-pulsing-blinky-who-goes-anticlockwise-from-Roseburn-most-mornings man, with his too-bright constant light on but blinky off, pulled a really stupid overtake of a pedestrian as he approached me this morning. He has taken to making a sort of acknowledging wave when he passes me, perhaps confusing my comments about his lighting and previous stupid overtakes for friendly greetings.
Posted 9 years ago # -
queue of traffic on Lauriston Place - I am filtering on the left using the cycle lane. Everything is stopped - the lights are red some distance up ahead so I filter past a bus - it's not indicating left or moving so I do it. It lets a taxi in turning right to stop outside the blood donor centre just as I get there the taxi has to slam on brakes, and I swerve and narrowly avoid it. No harm done - good reactions from the taxi driver… timely reminder for me about filtering on the left past roads or entrances on the left….
Posted 9 years ago # -
@algo
Filter on the right, with the motorbicycles? It freaks the motorists out less, and I find it safer.
Posted 9 years ago # -
thanks IWRATS - I normally do if there's space - there wasn't in this instance due to parked cars on the other side so there was hardly any room for oncoming traffic. If it had just been a few cars that would have moved when the lights went green I wouldn't have bothered filtering, but this was a lot of stationary traffic. This does perfectly exemplify the troublesome conflict between painting a cycle lane on the left, and having signs on buses telling cyclist not to filter on the left.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Woman instructing school rowers on the towpath yesterday evening. She had a bright white light on the back of her bike. I said as I passed that she should have a red light on the back (in my view having the wrong colour on is at least as bad as having no light at all, and at busy commute times either of these two choices are pretty unwise). Her response was that the red one had fallen off, followed, as I rode off, by a petulant shout to the effect that she'd be grateful if I didn't make comments like that when she was working.
Maybe not setting the best example for her impressionable charges ('bike lighting regulations are optional, kids'). Presumably also her employer has some responsbility to make sure she is properly equipped...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Three stupid overtakes but no wheelsucking on the NEPN, which I was especially checking for seeing as it was slippy. Someone appeared on my wheel on Torphichen Place, whence they were instructed to remove themselves.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Greenroofer
I had this same conversation with a Spanish student who zoomed towards me out of the hadal zone behind a bright red light, to my great confusion. We had a very civil talk about the best way to proceed.
I wonder if social class played a part in your difficulties?
Posted 9 years ago # -
@IWRATS. Her social class or mine? Either way, there's a can of worms there that I'm not going to open in a public forum.
Most likely I think that she hadn't thought quite deeply enough about the impact of what she was doing (presumably while under pressure of time and children) and didn't appreciate have someone point this out in front of them.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Walking home tonight from work, about 5.30pm, in the pitch black of the south road round Holyrood Park. Cyclist whizzes by on the road. Nae lights. Not a one.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not exactly rubbish cycling but just a bit wierd. Woman/girl cycling all the way along Nicolson Street/25 Other Street Names, slightly to the right of the line for the bus lane. Thankfully she was going fast and my bus driver wasn't aggressive (couldn't pass as she was too close to the line) and there were no motorists in the lane she was in. I was interested to see if she would ride all the way down Minto Street like that too but another bus got in front but as far as I could tell she had moved to a position in the gutter.
Posted 9 years ago #
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