CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish cycling

(4503 posts)

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  1. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Gave him a brake test. He failed.

    Sorry, that's just irresponsible. Of course no-one should be tailgating, wheelsucking or anything else, but a 'brake test' sounds like a rapid slowing down to me. If the rider behind you failed that test, well what else did you expect? How do you know that rider took your intentions to heart rather than jumping to conclusions about the way 'other cyclists' all ride?

    If someone is wheelsucking, just slow down more and more until they get the point. There's no need to reduce your level of safety or that of the person behind you unnecessarily.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Chap who evidently felt waiting at the red light at the foot of The Mound was just too much to bear.

    Initial advance was stymied by a tram heading west (cue rapid retreat - ah, that's why the light stayed red...). As the tram rumbled away the light stayed red so the bold lad decided to go again. Having crossed one set of tracks he did a little track-stand in the middle of the road to allow traffic to pass before going on his way.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. fimm
    Member

    @steveo

    check for faster cyclists behind in future.
    That can't be a regular occurrence!

    Pretty regular, thank you for the compliment - on the Brompton because it is a Brompton and isn't built for very high speeds and I'm commuting not training (that's what I was cycling rubbishly on) and on the road bike because I'm not that fast compared to the average roadie.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. The Boy
    Member

    @Arrelcat

    Not a particularly rapid slowing down, no. Possibly not the best turn of phrase, but I simply didn't want someone sitting so close or crossing his front wheel with my rear. Not with crosswinds and headwinds which could easily wobble either of us, or knock 5-10km/h off my speed in a matter of a second or so. I've seen two collisions caused by that in the last couple of days, though thankfully for those involved they were at low speed. So yeah, slowing down wasn't working, speeding up wasn't working so I simply pulled over and the chap gave the squeal of wet breaks, a wobble, a 'woah' and a 'sorry, mate'.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    This thread is catching up with the rubbish driving one. Both miles ahead of the rubbish dog handling etc.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. dougal
    Member

    I was pulling up behind a bus that was indicating to move off. The rubbish cyclist overtook on my inside, squeezed through the gap between me and the bus in front then overtook the bus before running through a red.

    I don't care much about cyclists going through on red provided you've shown you can handle being an attentive road user. This guy clearly had no brain power engaged on observation, prediction etc and was only unscathed due to others taking the strain.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    Going straight to shouting grumpily is less likely to buckle your back wheel.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. gembo
    Member

    I try not to shout much anymore, today for example had cyclist doing entire commute with poly bag off left handlebar. I was keen to avoid the person. They then attempted the up the outside of the traffic through juniper green routine which works if you go fast enough (though getting back in to a lane of traffic with another lane of traffic coming at you is never easy) but this person was quite slow. I had to wait to let her back in. I then overtook on the dual carriageway down kingsknowe. But at the longstone lights the same person trundled through the advance stopping box, which I found to be odd but not as odd as then continuing through the red light at a fairly major junction. she Had a wee rest on traffic island then continued through the next red. What a liability. My action was to go up to the canal from Allan park lane to get well away from her.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. wingpig
    Member

    I pulled up at a red light on one of the Leith Walk pedestrian crossings. Someone behind me avoids breaking the law by going through the red by jumping onto the footway, returning to the road at the next build-out after a chunk or parking/loading. At the next pedestrian crossing a different moron steams through it, narrowly missing a pedestrian who hadn't quite finished crossing.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. Neil
    Member

    Me last night, not noticing a pedestrian ready to cross at zebra crossing. They hadn't started to cross, but still....

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. wingpig
    Member

    On Thursday afternoon: someone going down Leith Walk on the wrong side of the road,heading north from McDonald Road. At first they were next to the central island, but still in the roadway. Then they were next to the parked cars at the kerb, but still in the roadway. They eventually mounted the the footway around Dalmeny St.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. twinspark
    Member

    For me was brought by the MGIF after the Greenbank Crossroad lights. Breezed past me at the far side of the junction as I was pulling away from the stop at the light. Drop handlebars and all the gear so I thought he'd just pull away. No! As I changed from 2nd to 3rd he was not only not pulling away but slowing up. Cue huge queue of cars overtaking us so I couldn't pass. Did make some noises for him to speed up then but completely oblivious. Glad to turn off to go over the Braids and get rid of the mobile chicane.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. chdot
    Admin

    Normally a car of course!

    http://rachelaldred.org/writing/thoughts/is-the-bcr-just-mgif

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. The Boy
    Member

    I'm always surprised to see MGIFs on the NEPN, but this morning I witnessed my first left hook by a cyclist, turning left from Riverdale Drive/CRescent/whatevs towards Baird Drive.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. dougal
    Member

    Fellow trundling down Leith Walk in primary position this morning, one hand on the tiller and the other holding a takeaway coffee cup. His front light was a red light.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. friskiffla
    Member

    I don't know whether this is a case of rubbish cycling (by me) or rubbish driving (by the man who shouted at me)... I will let the hive mind decide...

    I was cycling Southbound down Clerk Street but wanted to turn right onto the new bit of cycle lane that goes down past Marmaris (called Gifford Park apparently). So I signal right. But I hear acceleration behind me so am cautious and wait to see what the driver does. After an initial rev, he notices that he is coming up to a ped/cycle crossing with a red light, so slows, and I am able to move in front of him as there is plenty enough room. The light goes green and I continue to signal right to make the turn as I move forward. However there is traffic in the oncoming lane, so I have to wait, during which time he maneouvres and overtakes me on the inside (which is fine as there is enough space). But as he passes, he shouts that I should have used the ped/cycle crossing instead of turning right directly from the road onto the cycle way. Is he right?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    "Is he right?"

    Basically no.

    You clearly indicated you were going right.

    You might have been going to a parking space or a shop, he couldn't know that you were heading for Gifford Park - which in any case is surely a legitimate move for a bike.

    The grey area is if the lights changed while you were waiting for the oncoming traffic and you then went through the red...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. LaidBack
    Member

    He is wrong in my view.

    Even if there had been no crossing there you have a perfect right to move to middle of road and signal right.
    If he had to reverse to get by you then that would be different.

    He did give you an audible warning by revving his engine of course (Impatient drivers use engine revs and headlights on stun to give advance warning of the type of driver they are? - discuss).

    If you had gone left you could have then looped round onto crossing but this would have put you into conflict with pedestrians and other bikes. So you can't win. (I got told off for using the wrong lane heading up to junction with Minto Street yesterday).

    Interesting that he knew it was a crossing.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    It's just the mentality of some motorists who think 'they get special facilities so they should be bullied into using them'.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. friskiffla
    Member

    Thanks all! I didn't want to just assume that I was right and he was wrong. It was the presence of the crossing that made me think he might be. Now how do I extricate myself from the rubbish cycling thread...?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. Min
    Member

    3 Hail Mary's and scrubbing your rear mech with a toothbrush?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. jdanielp
    Member

    Given that I complained about drivers failing to look and essentially mindlessly following the traffic ahead of them in the bad driving thread I should probably post here for balance given that I was forced to a stop by a queue of cyclists overtaking pedestrians into my path on the towapth this morning - clearly the cyclists further back in the queue were only looking as far ahead as the cyclist directly in front of them rather than looking forward to see if there might be any oncoming traffic.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Odd manoeuvre observed at Hanover St junction with George St this morning heading southbound. I had filtered up the outside but had to stop behind the bus at the head of the queue as it was too tight to the island kerb for me to filter further into the ASL. As I was trying not to suffocate on the clouds of particulate-laden filth, another cyclist came up the outside, salmoned for a short distance & went onto the pedestrian island. I presumed from there, they would enter the ASL. At this point I was applauding their chutzpah despite the mild naughtiness, and cursing my fumy lawfulness.

    However, as the traffic moved off, it became clear that was too sensible an option for this bold randonneur. Instead, they departed the traffic island the same way as they entered, went the wrong way around the monument and thence into George St westbound. Utterly pointless maneouvre on their part as I passed them even before the crossing on George St.

    A stunt that it's probably OK to pull when the traffic at the front is a bus, maybe not if it's a taxi or private car who might well pull a speedy 180 around the monument. I doubt that kind of 2nd-order thinking occurred to them.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. davidsonsdave
    Member

    Bearded orange cycle muppet heading north on the Roseburn Path a couple of days ago who, after ding, ding, dinging get out of my way at a couple of groups of school children and adults heading to St Georges, chicaned around them dangerously at full speed.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  25. Rulou
    Member

    This evening I was incredulous at the two city centre cyclists I saw with no lights at half five, had a minor tussle with a MGIF van and then played avoid the leadless dog on the tow path. I then find myself behind someone weaving about, also without any lights, clutching a woolly hat in one hand and a yoga mat in the other. She pulled straight into the path of an oncoming lit cyclist to (I think) let me past forcing us all to pull on the anchors and then wobbled in front again only to pull over to the right again to let me past. Which, needless to say, I did. I know yoga can leave you in a relaxed and chilled state of mind but if it impedes your mental function to that extent, best not get on your bike post-sivasana! Home now....inhale for 5...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  26. wishicouldgofaster
    Member

    I fell off last night at the start of the path from Groathill to Silverknowes. Must have turned in a bit too sharply and the bike slipped on the non-slip path.

    It's amazing how much it hurts when you're 50+ compared to how I used to bounce and laugh when I had much worse falls in my 20's.

    Many thanks to both the ped and cyclist who stopped and checked I was OK.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  27. threefromleith
    Member

    I was behind a cyclist who came a cropper on the temporary surface in Roseburn Park last night. Stopped to check he was OK as he went down with quite a wallop.

    We're probably both rubbish cyclists for not obeying the polite "Dismount" signs, but as I do no more than walking pace on that section, and it's wider than many shared-use paths, I'm not risking taking a flying fall by skittering around on it on cleats!

    At the time, it looked like he turned a little too sharply (he was at walking pace, with one foot unclipped and hanging down) but looking at the helmetcam footage last night, there's a gap between two sections of the non-slip path which his front wheel catches in, making it slip away from under him as he turned and bringing him down.

    If it was someone on here, I hope you're not feeling too sore today!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  28. lorlane
    Member

    Last week, coming along WoL, not a route I often take, and came off my bike rather suddenly on the wooden section near the Risk Factory.
    Just didn't think about the slippery surface.
    A bit ouchy down one side, banged head etc. as you would expect, but the bike landed on top of me and the handlebar went into my eye. Not an injury I would have ever predicted!

    I had only just scraped myself up off the ground when a passer-by offered to walk with me for a bit - but was still too shaken/upset to accept any help.

    Have now invested in clear cycling glasses!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  29. wingpig
    Member

    I waited at the top of the slope up to the Roseburn from Balbirnie Place, partly to switch off my blinkies and partly to allow the person coming down the slope to get round first. The twerp behind me did not care for such courtesies.

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    Posted 8 years ago #

  30. wingpig
    Member

    Person coming down Johnston Terrace to the mini-roundabout yesterday evening as I was approaching it from Castle Terrace. Person appeared to be going very fast, so I entered the roundabout warily whilst he was still some way off. As anticipated, he barged in front of me, muttering something which sounded like "sorry mate, I thought you'd be turning up here" but which came across as "IMPORTANT MAN WHOOSH DOWNHILL NOT GIVE WAY TRAFFIC APPROACHING RIGHT".

    Posted 8 years ago #

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