@wingpig perhaps this sign would help:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Idiot-Distance-Tailgater-Bumper-Sticker/dp/B004AFYRD2
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4503 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Well, last couple of days with some truly epic "I'm slowing for no-one or nothing" riders on the NEPN.
Bravo to the chap who thought a quick ding of his bell *whilst passing* was sufficient excuse to overtake me at terrific speed as I was slowing behind a ped to let a mother, child and pram coming the other way through. You frightened the life out of me, the pedestrian and the mother.
Then yesterday I was passed by another speed merchant as I slowed on approach to a dog and its owner. Owner on one side of the path, dog on the other. This guy obviously had no conception of how unpredictable dogs are, or really didn't care as he ripped by. Luckily the dog darted right rather than back left towards its owner.
There really are some epic pillocks around at the moment, and someone's bound to get hurt sooner or later as a result of their inability to read the path ahead and/or slow the hell down.
(And breathe....)
Posted 8 years ago # -
I presume none of the NEPN paths are on Strava?
But that won't affect people concentrating on 'end to end' times.
"someone's bound to get hurt sooner or later"
This seems almost inevitable, though I don't suppose that would do much to 'change behaviours'.
Of course 'we' are not like that, and shouldn't really work on the basis that 'all cyclists get the blame for this sort of think', but it might be useful to think about things that 'might make a difference'.
Needs a separate thread.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Presumably it's also 'that time of year'. When the weather starts getting fairer and the volume of inconsiderate plonkers on velocipedes more...er...voluminous.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yes, there are Strava segments on the NEPN paths. I've flagged some in the past. Maybe I should do so again.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I have just ridden the wrong way down a one-way street. Didn't even occur to me it might have been one-way until a motor car appeared (going the right way) and I thought it looked a wee bit narrow for two motors. :-(
Posted 8 years ago # -
Cyclist-man in orange coat who was sitting in the access to the advanced stop area on the Marionville/London Road turning at Meadowbank, leaving only a narrow gap between him and the car at the front of the line, leaving me and two more cyclists unable to get into the advanced stop area before the lights changed.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Min
I did that at the weekend, I was with the better half and we went the wrong way down Valleyfield Street. We'd come from the Meadows, heading for the Canal via Scotmid, and went across the ped crossing. On seeing that Valleyfield was one way we looked around for some sort of signage but couldn't see any direction of where we were meant to go. Sorry to anyone who may be offended by our heinous act.
Posted 8 years ago # -
NEPN no-handed giant-headphone BSO pathwobbler this morning nearing Ainslie Park.
I binged my bell fairly far back to let him recover his handelbars and steady up. Nothing.
Bing bing. Nothing.
Bing bing bing bing. Nothing.
(Now close enough to reach out and tap his shoulder) "Hello?" Nothing.
"Excuse me!" Nothing
"Oi!" Nothing.
"I said Oi!". Nothing.
"OIIIIIIIII!". Wibble. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't hear you".
I made a comment about either being in control of your bike or your senses if you want to wear such massive, sound insulating headphones.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@kaputnik - I witnessed someone riding no-handed this morning and mused about it. Why would anyone do it? is there any benefit to it? just seems odd to me to be in less control of my bike haha
granted I did it as a kid because you 'thought it was cool' - as an adult though...I can't see why you would do it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A Dutch colleague of mine does it too (rides no-handed). I asked him about it, he says he does it to keep his hands warm, and its not uncommon in Holland apparently. I told him I thought he was mad :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Boyfriend of fimm occasionally rides no handed, when it is safe to do so. It is a good way to have a bit of a stretch, for example. He says it demonstrates good bike control, and good core strength & balance.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I suspect some people's bikes don't fit them correctly and they need to sit up no-handed to ease the pain
Posted 8 years ago # -
If I tried riding no-handed I'd be eating tarmac...
Posted 8 years ago # -
"A Dutch colleague of mine does it too (rides no-handed). I asked him about it, he says he does it to keep his hands warm, and its not uncommon in Holland apparently."
Does he have a coaster brake? (Also applies to citations of Dutch/Danish use of phones/umbrellas when cycling.)
It occasionally seems to be done for reasons of warmth (rather than coolness) over here, where the hands are tucked in the pockets or into the lapels, for convenient additional delay when they're suddenly required to be replaced on the handlebars.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I used to be able to do it, but I haven't tried for ages and I strongly suspect I'd be in the same predicament as paddyirish...
Posted 8 years ago # -
No handed occassionally on a longer ride to open a gel, other food type substance, but quickly back on the handlebars once the task is complete (and only when I feel it's safe to do so eg quiet road)
Posted 8 years ago # -
To be able to open packets, don gloves or jacket probably requires a bit of practice - I'd want to be fairly proficient no handed prior to occupying those hands with some other task, so if I could ride no handed, I probably would, occasionally, to practice for the task loaded master class.
Pity my kids are working out this "skill" when I still can't crack it!
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
@wingpig, no, no coaster brake. Just a sense of invulnerability as far as I can tell :). I recall being very good at no-handers as a child, but have become much more risk averse as I've aged.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I used to be really good at riding no handed when I was about 16, riding my full suspension mountain bike around to do my paper round. I could text, open a crisp packet, take out a newspaper etc whilst riding along (though not all at once!). Now, I can't seem to do it. Very odd.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Its much easier on my mtb than the roady, not sure if its the heavier wheels/steering or the longer stem/bars.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Some function of the stem/steerer height/trail/bar weight causes flopping of my handlebars with anything more than light banking on any of my road bikes; I haven't been able to do that thing where you push them via the saddle rather than the bars with any of them. The Puch uprighty thing I had when I was small could be weight-steered very precisely even at low speeds. Not sure about my dad's Raleigh Wayfarer, which I borrowed once I'd outgrown the Puch and moved to drop-bars for my primary bike - I recall that the heavy steel rims and heavy steel mudguard made it impossible to steer via any method other firmly addressing the handlebars.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Boyfriend of fimm can "no hands" his MTB, his (hybrid) town bike, and his road bike, but not his TT bike. He did have a theory that it was something to do with the geometry of the TT bike that made it less stable, such that it isn't possible to ride one no-handed, until we saw Bradley Wiggins doing exactly that (while acknowledging the crowd at London 2012).
Posted 8 years ago # -
Do it all the time. Almost an involuntary action. Will likely continue being a reckless endangerment.
Posted 8 years ago # -
At the temporary lights on Balcarres Street this afternoon, I was stopped on red, waiting behind one car. As the lights went green and the car moved off a bike overtook both of us and cut in front of the car, causing the car to brake hard and take evasive action.
The cyclist wasn't a ned in a hoody riding a bike with the saddle too low: it was a chap in a fluorescent top with lycra shorts, so in other words someone 'who should know better'. As we've said elsewhere, some people are turnips regardless of which mode of transport they choose. It is galling, though, when the turnips spoil it for the rest of us.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"No Hands" is a lot easier if ones headset is (improperly) overtightened.
I reckon my bikes as a kid were screwed up so tight or rusted so much that no hands was a doddle.
These days it requires a bit more balance as the front of the bike is less rigid and works properly.
All IMHO of course !
Posted 8 years ago # -
A middle-aged lady was doing vigorous upper body exercises in the sunshine while travelling no-hands across the red bridge today.
I thought it was impressive.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Not cycling exactly, but aqueduct-related (sorry if there is a separate thread for that). Chap who allowed me to pass him this afternoon but didn't hear my thanks as I did so proceeded to become obnoxious with a bellowing, sarcastic "You're welcome!"
I protested that I had but Mr Angry was having none of it.
If you can't do something with good grace, why bother? No need to go around abusing other people.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The group of mountain bikers that cut the corner at speed as they turned right from Gilmore Place onto Lower Gilmore Place as I approached in the other direction. Had I been travelling any faster or had I been in more of a primary position then I suspect some kind of collision would have resulted... There wasn't even any traffic coming towards them around the blind bend of Gilmore Place, which might have started to excuse their behaviour - I have certainly cut that corner on occasions when a vehicle has appeared around the corner at speed as I have been turning there.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I managed to hit a pothole at some speed on the way down to Haymarket this morning. I must have come at a slightly different angle/road position to usual or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. Anyway I came off, sustaining scrapes to hand and elbow, and the rear mudguard is rubbing on the tyre (I managed to get to so that the wheel would turn, but I can't stop it rubbing so I'll have a proper go at it when I get home - I'm a bit concerned because the last person at the back wheel was the man at the Bike Works and I have this horrible feeling I'm going to struggle to get the nuts loose, even with a big spanner).
Need to Fix My Street the pothole.
Posted 8 years ago #
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