What about sitting up off the saddle, cocking a cheek and farting in their general direction?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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@Smashface - nice....I like it :-)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Sheesh, how about stop whining and take it as a compliment if someone wants to draft you?
Posted 9 years ago # -
"Sheesh, how about stop whining and take it as a compliment if someone wants to draft you?"
I think essentially because it's potentially quite dangerous. If the person in front has to brake suddenly for any reason then the person behind could collect them and turn a minor incident into something possibly more serious.
Also for the person behind they're not going to see potholes that the person in front spots and moves out of the way of.
It's all different if you're used to group riding and know the hand signals to indicate bad surfaces, and where speed is the absolute key and you know you're taking a risk riding so closely. But riding so close to someone you don't know, with differing experiences of close riding, that's just asking for trouble.
Loads of folk on here are in clubs and used to group riding, others ride track, I've ridden close quarters, shoulder to shoulder in cycle speedway, and cyclocross is a constant intrigue of just how close you can pass or move in on someone's back wheel when they've passed you. But I'd still not be too happy about someone sitting two inches from my back wheel in traffic, with poor road surfaces, lemming pedestrians, traffic lights, opening car doors, and buses. I'd rather not be knocled to the ground by someone following behind, because I've had to brake for something, and which without them there would simply have been me coming to a halt, but remaining upright.
I think 'whining' might be a little strong.
Posted 9 years ago # -
What WC said. I've found myself sitting fairly close to people's back wheels on the Ferry Rd/Roseburn paths but only when I'm waiting for an opportunity to pass and if it's really busy I tend to just give up and drop back - after all, I'm sensible and give myself plenty of time to get where I'm going.
Also, I'll never forget the time I had one rider sitting on my wheel (and I do mean *on* my wheel) as we went along Corstorphine Road. I went to move out to pass a pothole and realised I had another sitting immediately to my right. I had no choice but to maintain my pace and brace for the pothole - exploded tube and buckled wheel. Unsurprisingly both riders ran the red light they got to up the road.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The guy that drafted behind me on the way to North Berwick last week now shows up on Strava as me riding with 1 other. At least, I presume it's him since I wasn't aware of anyone else the rest of the ride.
@galaxy it didn't enrage me, but I was out there with a specific purpose/workout in mind and I would have rather not had the distraction. WC sums it up well.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Wheel-sucking gets my goat. It shouldn't but it does.
I would completely agree with the points made about safety and feeling safe. On top of that, I find wheel-sucking seriously distracting because I'm HoH (hard of hearing) and my attention is invariably straying to figuring out what's going on behind. In busy traffic, riding along a crappy road with all the usual distractions makes for a thrilling commute at the best of times. Knowing there's a limpet moving at speed behind me just ratchets it up.
Cue the goat-getting.
Suffice to say, next time I'll be pulling over...life's too short...
Posted 9 years ago # -
If someone stays on for more than one cycle of deliberately-altering-speed-to-see-if-they're-definitely-deliberately-following (as opposed to a slowing-down-for-other-path-or-road-users, which weeds out a different sort of idiot when they dive ahead and overtake through a crowd anyway) then they get a "slowing down/stopping" signal if conditions allow and simple/understandable verbal requests otherwise with swiftly-escalating vehemence if they don't shift straight away. Happens far more on paths than roads, which is even stupider on behalf of the wheelsucker/mudguards as I'm more likely to be going relatively slowly on a path.
Posted 9 years ago # -
A few ninja cyclists out and about last night. Worst was in the pitch black of Holyrood Park. I [i[]think[/i] the lycra clad roadie was with the rider behind him, who did have lights on, but not sure. If they were together then, not perfect, but better, would have been for the rider in front to have the white light, and the rider behind the red, then ride in close formation.
A couple of years ago I passed a guy in pitch black Holyrood and mentioned lights to him, and the excuse was simply, "yeah, I forgot them". Couldn't help thinking, "Well don't blinkin' well ride then, especially on the road through the light-sucking darkness of Holyrood Park!"
Posted 9 years ago # -
I had one along the Broomhouse Path and down the Balgreen Tram Path on the way home last night. Decided just to make him work hard to keep up as I was feeling quite fresh and energetic.
Might not be so accommodating tonight if it happens again as I have a bit of a headache and am in need of sleep. My Grumpometer is reading on the high side at the moment.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was only briefly on the WoL between KG5Park and the Sandport but there were still two PUSH THROUGH AT ANY COST morons pushing through despite there clearly being people about to converge. The fixie-rider who stopped to let me past the Eildon junction first and then stayed behind (albeit way too close) through lots of slows-for-people but then insisted on overtaking through Stedfastgate despite stopping and going up the steps at Newhaven Road. The extreme incompetence with which he stopped underlined his prior closeness' too-ness.
Posted 9 years ago # -
2 x RLJr this morning. Before that he'd shot past a gnat's hair breadth from my right arm as lights I'd been waiting at had turned green. I only indulged in the commuter race after the first RLJ and was reeling him in when the second RLJ at a much bigger junction took him well out of sight.
Two people riding up the inside of a big van / small lorry, with railings on the other side, not long before the Playhouse just as its lights turned green. My cringe response was in full effect. Both made it out the other side.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I was crashed-into this morning on NCN7 just east of Leadgate by a twerp in clear goggles on a heavy-looking at-least-frontally-suspended hybrid-or-29er, who seemed to think that dinging his bell was an acceptable alternative to not rushing round a corner (at the start of a series of very tight corners) two abreast. No bike camera, but I filmed it on my way back.
[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Flash Video In his defence, it was a very tight turn at the end of a straight bit of former railway. For his prosecution, what sort of a twerp goes round a tight-looking bend two abreast at high speed?
I'd come to a stop the moment he appeared, but he was unable to and ended up with his face over my steerer tube. He enquired if I was OK, whereupon I theatrically rotated my front wheel. I neglected to ask about him.Posted 9 years ago # -
Rather angry plum on the road this morning who didn't feel that he had to indicate on a range of manoeuvres as there "were no cars". Okay, so I know that cyclists are higher beings </sarcasm> but we are generally not mind readers. Apparently I was the one in the wrong for not knowing where he was going. Doesn't take much to lift your arm off the handlebars mate.
Posted 9 years ago # -
The unlit gent we saw in semi-darkness on the A38* this morning who was riding along on the wrong side of the road past a traffic island and into the face of oncoming traffic. I think he was trying to turn right, but he came pretty close to getting himself killed. Mrs G, who was driving on the side of the road he should have been on, braked quite hard when she saw him, so that she was ready in case he caused a collision (which he seemed likely to be about to do).
*near Bristol, so it's unlikely you'll come across this chap in Edinburgh...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not experienced by me but my girlfriend:
Riding the NEPN yesterday, feeling cautious because of wet leaves. She gets a wheelsucker who won't pass, despite coasting on sections with good visibility to encourage the move.
Eventually she reaches her turn off and indicates right in advance, before putting two hands on to brake for the sharp turn. At this point the guy tries to overtake! While she's trying to turn!
Rubbish cycling is crowding strangers in poor handling conditions, failing to take the hint to overtake and then being entirely oblivious of blatant hand signals. Apparently the guy was shocked and confused that any of these moves and gestures might have been to communicate with him...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Someone going the wrong way on Morrison Street yesterday evening, on what would still have been the wrong side of the road even if it was two-way.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Eastbound turnip on busy section of the towpath. Busy with walkers in both directions but he decided to ride straight at the oncoming pedestrian in an attempt to bully his way through. The pedestrian rightly stayed his course so it was the turnip who chickened at the last second and nearly went for a swim.
I only called you an idiot at the time because there were children present. Anyway, you probably couldn't hear me over your pounding headphones.
Edit: If you would like to discuss your manoeuvre, it's available in hi-def video...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Impatient turnip heading north through Drylaw, doing that tailgating-someone-who-has-slowed-down-for-other-people thing. He sped up to show how fast he should have been going, cutting the corner leading up to the red bridge in that way that incautious tubes do. Fortunately he went down the steps near Ainslie Park, so he didn't meet Dave in the middle of the path, half-wheeling the person in front of him.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Did I dream it or are Rapha selling bib longs with wheelsucker stitched on the buttock region?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Lady cyclist on a hybrid this morning heading up Leith Walk who at one point was basically wheel-sucking a LRT bus. A potentially life-limiting choice I felt...
Posted 9 years ago # -
"basically wheel-sucking a LRT bus"
I do that quite a lot. Getting into the slip stream means you can basically coast behind.
I've got good brakes though and pay attention.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I heard an interesting story about wheelsucking and the risks thereof this morning. Maybe the protagonists will relate it fully.
I'm off to fish out the light wars thread.
Posted 9 years ago # -
So there was someone in front of me on the towpath in the dark this evening dressed in black from head to toe and on a bike with no lights, but I'm not here to criticise them.
The rubbish cyclist was me. Coming across several dark-clad people on foot in the pitch dark on the towpath at various points on my ride home I was struck by how invisible they were. I was minded to stop as I passed and say 'It would really help you if you wore something light-coloured or reflective, as it means you won't get hit by an inattentive cyclist'. Then I realised: it's not their problem, it's mine. All that making them put reflectives on does is allow me to ride faster and/or pay less attention...
...which reminds me of something, but I can't quite think what. Maybe we should get them to wear walking helmets too.
I've been reading the book 'Just Ride', where the author says that on bike paths, people on bikes are predator not prey, and we need to remember that.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Shouldn't they be on the pavement!
There were a couple of ninjas on the unlit stretch of the A90 path too. Hard to see them even after spotting them ahead in a passing car's lights.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Two episodes -
Monday night 7pm riding north across FRB, rider with no lights, black clothes, big can headphones...but he had a hi-vis vest on so am sure he'll be fine.
Sunday, me. Did a wee Tour de Forth route and was riding north on the A90 path just before the Ferrytoll P&R at the roundabout/rail bridge. Could see a small van coming round the roundabout but I misjudged my move to hop off the path onto the road up to Inverkeithing. Basically I shot out in front of him, bad move, v.dangerous and must have given the poor guy a fright. So on this occassion the cyclist literally did appear from nowhere.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Me, last night. Cycling along McDonald road with a car very close behind and loud. I was looking over my shoulder to see what the driver was doing and failed to notice the elderly gentleman waiting to cross at the zebra-crossing.
I shouted sorry to him, not that it's much consolation.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Had only a small blinkie for my front light tonight, so went along canal, rather than the road. Bad idea. Pedestrians and many other cyclists (sans lights) invisible. One bike coming towards me had such a bright light I had to slow down to a near standstill because I couldn't see anything. Tried to explain to cyclists behind me, but neither of them acknowledged me except to bowl past once the oncoming bike had cleared.
I really must be developing one of those age-related conditions that affects my ability to see in the dark, and makes me more vulnerable to bright lights.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@greenroofer, white poly bag or newspaper under arm gives pedestrians a bit of visibility. The canal bad at transition time when now dark but people on foot or on bikes still not lighting up. Soon though the dog walkers will be putting the blinkies on the mutts which I always find cheery. Union canal still nowhere near regent canal in London which is a high speed cycling motorway hostile to pedestrians.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@gembo - indeed. One of the ninjas I spotted yesterday was visible only from a white bottle in his black rucksack.
Poly bags few and far between now, of course. Cotton ones will probably do if they are reasonably white.
Posted 9 years ago #
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