@fimm heehee. Thanks for shattering the myth that it's only men that are stupidly competitive
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
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Posted 9 years ago #
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This morning, heading down the zigzag ramp from the NEPN to Russell Road, on the last down, passing two pedestrians and pedestrians coming the other way to be then simultaneously passed by a male cyclist(red jacket) on his phone.
Very disconcertingly when challenged, he could see nothing wrong with his overtaking.
Posted 9 years ago # -
2 cyclists this morning doing the "left lane right across to turn right" thing at the end of roseburn street. I taught them a lesson by doing it correctly and then riding off to haymarket ahead of them, on 2.75inch MTB tyres while singing a sea shanty.
Posted 9 years ago # -
3/4 of the cyclists west bound on the canal. "Ting ting, crash on" at 15-20 mph.
I can see how people get very frustrated and angered by cyclists on the tow path, it wasn't even a minority; of the 10-12 people who passed me only three slowed to a reasonable pace and one of them was behind someone considerate and as soon as he could hoofed it passed the first bike and passed the next ped at pace.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Couldn't find Belhaven on Twitter.
"
@CyclingEdin: @greeneking are you interested in the skills of your drivers?
And the PR consequences?
"
I'm not expecting a response...
Posted 9 years ago # -
@amir guilty as charged...
(I suspect that the proportion of women who are stupidly competitive is less than the proportion of men who are stupidly competitive. But we definitely exist!)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Cyclist turning east into the now-westbound-only section of George Street between Hanover and Frederick.
Cyclist huffing and honking his way up Leith Walk straight through a red for one of the pedestrian crossings.Posted 9 years ago # -
Thanks to the cyclist in Pencaitland today who verbally abused my wife in the car. He then cycled on ahead of her, decided more abuse was warranted, forced her car to stop in the road, and abused her some more - shouting over her attempts at an explanation.
I'm all for letting driver know if you think they've make a mistake - but a male cyclist forcing a lone female to stop in the road to be abusive to her is not in any way OK.Posted 9 years ago # -
Woman cycling down NEPN tonight who seemed willing to crash into me to teach me a lesson about walking on the correct side of the path. Ironically I was following that Highway Code rule about facing oncoming traffic!
It was quite interesting as while she rode off shouting abuse, the other peds around me were all commiserating about terrible cyclists. Little did they know...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Me and a woman in front of me this morning.
Cruising down NEPN and there were quite a few people riding the same way. Woman in front of me pulls out to pass the queue, and I follow. Glacial overtaking scene where about eight people on bikes are now riding Leithwards in a double column. Poor chap cycling the other way basically has to dive into the verge to avoid being nailed.
Would still have happened if I hadn't been following said woman (I was behind the whole time) but I did feel pretty daft to have been doing the same thing!
Morning zombie mode...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Sounds like NEPN needs peak hour (one-way) tidal system!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Or the tarmac cleared to its full width.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Completely forgot about one yesterday, with me in the car. Waiting in a queue at a red. Lights go green, we set off behind a couple of cars, there's a road on the left, lycra-clad (with something like Maka on the white and blue jersey) sweeps out of the side street with barely a glance to the right, into the space between me and the car in front (fortunately I don't tailgate) causing a momentary halt by me to avoid running into him. Carries on up the road oblivious. No cars behind me. SMIDSY I'm guessing.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I almost zoomed through a red light on pedestrian crossing at York Place this morning, having to slide to an emergency stop when I clocked that yes there were pedestrians crossing and yes I was about to cycle into them.
It had been such a chore to get through the car and bus stramash from London Road to Picardy Place roundabout that I think I got posessed by some strange inner force when I saw some empty tarmac.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Or the tarmac cleared to its full width."
A job for the FOMBLs hit squad??
Posted 9 years ago # -
today: 3 incidents, all minor, all unnecessary
I saw older, well equipped cyclist make 2 bad calls - pulled out in front of me on Gilmore place, just slightly too slowly/slow for comfort (but no traffic, so I went wide), then cut in front of a man with pushchair turning up onto Chalmers place (bad design, but...). if he'd just waited 3or 5 seconds either case, he'd have been fine. (bet he drives just the same way).
then, cyclist on Brompton, dinging bell aggressively approaching junction on meadows paths - totally necessarily, except to say 'i'm coming through get out of the way'.
finally, young cyclist on road bike - crossing melville drive at toucan - positions bike so as to block pavement, despite steady stream of pedestrians coming along.
why?
Posted 9 years ago # -
The man with an unoccupied grey child seat on his rack up with whom I caught going through Drylaw: six or seven stupid overtakes into people's faces and a couple of impatient pushes-through, including one on the slope down to Russell Road, but then he turned out to not be in such a rush at all as he was apparently happy to wait in the queue of cars rather than filter through.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Several cyclists on the canal towpath this morning, the worst examples taking place between Harrison Park and Meggetland, very busy with children and families.
Firstly, a guy on a racing bike heading into town went to overtake a family group despite the fact that there were several cyclists heading towards him. He ended up having to brake to an almost halt in the middle of the path (although he didn't actually stop, which makes me think that he was clipped in and trying to balance) to give enough space to the pedestrians to one side and us cyclists to the other. He did at least apologise.
Almost immediately afterwards, a very tall guy on a mountain bike decided to overtake me and the cyclist ahead in one go given that a gap of maybe 15-20 metres had opened up to the right of us before the next group of pedestrians heading east. Unfortunately he didn't seem to realise that by overtaking, the 15-20 metre gap would rapidly diminish to nothing. This meant that he had to abruptly pull into the gap between me and the cyclist ahead, which was about a metre in length since we were travelling quite slowly, forcing me to brake quite sharply to avoid being diverted into the canal. I shouted to him that it wasn't a good place to be trying to overtake but he didn't bother apologising.
Finally, as I was emerging from the double bridge onto the Meggetland section, I was presented with a train of cyclists heading towards me, the woman at the head of which was aiming directly for me as she rang her bell to warn those on the far side of the bridge of her intentions to cycle under it. Unfortunately she seemed to have taken no notice of the loud ringing of my bell some seconds beforehand, and clearly wasn't expecting me to emerge. Again, I was forced to a brake sharply, this time to a halt, to avoid a collision as she continued on her way. I thanked her sarcastically.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The Roseburn path in the evenings is getting worse. Even people who aren't obviously pumping away trying to go as fast as possible are being selfishly impatient twerps:
[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Flash Video Posted 9 years ago # -
That incredibly stupid overtake-someone-when-they've slowed-to-let-someone-through-safely move is getting more and more common.
I do wonder at the thought process behind moves like that, but it's likely that there isn't one.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Well, if you're going to run a red light, quickly crossing the roundabout after it before the oncoming traffic squashes you, it probably pays to be in a super-bright hi-viz tabard and have your bag in the same eye-watering hue (I still find it slightly ironic when people have the 'safety' gear then break the rules like that).
Last night after 10pm, one cyclist with no lights, one with none on the front and a white flasher on the rear rack, and one with a good rear light, but a flashing amber one on front.
And leaving work last night, the worst was a group of four lads (maybe 11-12 years old?) coming flying out of a side street on BMXs, two of them straight out into the road without looking at all (came across as a dare or bet) to get to the NCP car park (much braking of cars), where they then lined up for a race to the bottom.
Posted 9 years ago # -
One no lights ninja cyclist, one super high beam flashing cyclists on the canal. Everyone else was very courteous and well illuminated (apart from the pedestrians of course)
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig, it certainly is and rush hour in the mornings is just as bad. I left the houseat an odd time one day last week and there was a much higher proportion of female cyclists as compared to my normal commute. This led to [disgraceful gender-based stereotyping alert] a much more dawdly, pootly and generally more chilled atmosphere [/disgraceful gender-based stereotyping alert].
Posted 9 years ago # -
@The Boy, to demonstrate that this isn't always the case...
http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=7059&page=72#post-199222Posted 9 years ago # -
If it was outwith normal commuting times then it may simply be that the cyclists were more chilled anyway, and not much to do with their sex (and rather that there just happen to be more women on bikes at that time). Did you go more slowly and chilled as well? Certainly if I'm outwith commuting time, and not training or on the clock for somewhere else, I'm more than happy to pootle. And male.
One of the reasons I've switched back to the road is the unpredictability of path use. Though the last couple of days have seen daftness on the roads, so I may switch back...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I like going fast on the NEPN on my way home, but always slow to pass peds/pram-pushers/pootlers/pooches, or at junctions. I've never squeezed through with oncoming bikes. It's really not that hard to be courteous!
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig Similar thing happened to me this morning on towpath as I went on my way to a meeting at Riccarton. Was approaching a couple of walkers, with two bikes comin the othe way. I slowed a bit to allow for safe and orderly passage by all. Suddenly heard a loud ping freem behind, and a total idiot started to try to overtake me. Idiot did not have the pace to pull it off, and ended up braking sharply and being berated by one of the walkers.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@WC, it was only a ten/fifteen minute difference (earlier). I think I did also chill out a bit though - then again, I tend to go fast when pedaling and slow down to Disgustingly Cautious when at sections with pedestrians anyway, so was more the lack of MGIFs and general swagger that I was noticing.
(I wasn't being entirely serious about the role of gender btw)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Joined the canal towpath at Harrison Park for the small section along to Allan Park yesterday evening. It was pretty busy with both pedestrians and other cyclists so wasn't much fun and made all the worse by the guy behind me ringing his bell unnecessarily as we approached behind people or were going to pass under bridges causing everyone to look at me as the one doing the ringing. I tend not to use a bell as I prefer to pass people slowly and to go under the bridges at the same pace a pedestrian would so I guess this guy was a cyclist who prefers to ring for everything. There's a difference to giving a single 'ping' though and ringing the bell multiple times, which to my mind is more of a 'get out of my way'.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Sorry @The Boy, I came across a bit accusing and 'high horse' there didn't I!
Posted 9 years ago #
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