CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish cycling

(4520 posts)

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  1. amir
    Member

    "If you have a cold or other source of over-abundant mucus, carry more handkerchiefs. The large pockets at the rear of Humvees are ideal for this."

    I think winpig that you must in the more fortunate part of the population that doesn't suffer from a mucous-based response to cold weather. It's a well recognised issue for some though and it's not speed related.

    I carry hankies and wear gloves with absorbant thumb cloth but this is ineffective. And my nose would just end up red and raw. On some of these audax rides, I'd swear that I lose more weight through the continual drip than dehydration etc. I don't have a cold and I don't suffer off the bike.

    But definitely watch where you do this.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    "I think winpig that you must in the more fortunate part of the population that doesn't suffer from a mucous-based response to cold weather."

    Incorrect, but that's why I carry the means of wiping.

    Soft-backed gloves are useful for emergencies and in wiping off the less-tenacious beard-condensation. They lack the capacity for sustained use, particularly if you have facial hair that you don't want to use to reclaim undried snot from the glove.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Bizarre pseudo-altercation on the canal. I slowed behind two ladies walking my way as another bicyclist approached in the other direction. He hesitated too - fine, no rush - but as he passed them and then me he angrilly stated "You could have passed them" to which I replied "I suppose, if I was in a hurry..."

    The canal is a place to dander and chill, not for fussing or fighting.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. jonty
    Member

    Really strange incident just after turning left from George Street heading towards Dundas Street, I saw a man and a woman on bikes heading towards me drifting to the right across my path, possibly heading towards Thistle Street? The woman clocked me straight away and moved quickly across before I arrived, but while the man had definitely looked in my direction, he seemed in a complete daze and I had to brake to avoid a head-on collision. I didn't say anything, partly because I thought it was pretty obvious to him what had just happened and partly because I was genuinely a bit lost for words, but he maintained the same neutral expression, made no attempt at an apology and just trundled on. I'm glad I wasn't a van. Perhaps I'd encountered the cycling equivalent of a "Sunday driver"?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. gembo
    Member

    Joint ( jonty, ironically the predictive text made your handle joint). I think the encounter you had was with someone who had just smoked some weed. What you shout in this instance is STONER (en passant I am semi-reading a book of that name and it is nothing about drugs)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. dougal
    Member

    Cyclist moving uphill at a decent pace on Leith Walk overtook at my right elbow, immediately cut across me as if he was leaving by a side street then veered back into the Leith Walk again. The very picture of the cyclist that's "all over the road" that otherwise you never see. It's not like he was even avoiding potholes as far as I could tell. I was quite glad we weren't going at a similar pace.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. wingpig
    Member

    Hopefully not me. I was going fairly slowly but did overtake a couple of people near the top.

    Two people encroaching on my elbows on both sides going along George Street. One racing-chump who wasn't stopping at the pedestrian crossings and must have really caned it along Rose Street from Castle Street to South Charlotte Street.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. dougal
    Member

    Ha, no not you wingpig, I recognise you now! I'd never seen this guy before to my knowledge.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. wingpig
    Member

    Blue coat man, who over-estimated his brakes' EXTREMEness and stopped with his front wheel an inch from the rear mech of the person in front in the Queen Charlotte Street ASL.
    Front-mounted-child-seat-splayed-knees-creaking-crank man, who did some extremely stupid weaving between people turning right across the tram tracks from West Maitland St.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. Disco Dave
    Member

    I was quite impressed to see the lad on a bike taking the direct route across the Bankhead Drive / South Gyle Access junction this morning by using the Tram flyover.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. cc
    Member

    Wow, that is impressive

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. neddie
    Member

    Reclaim the Tram flyover!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. steveo
    Member

    Some intelligent traffic lights and there is no reason bikes couldn't use the flyover, trams only use it for a few seconds an hour.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. threefromleith
    Member

    Traffic lights would never work, since "all cyclists ignore them*" ;-)

    * a well-know, oft-quoted 'fact' beloved of EEN commenters

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. fimm
    Member

    But, but, the tram tracks! We'll all fall off and DIE!!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. mgj
    Member

    Heading down Leith Walk yesterday in the cycle lane, around roadworks and temporary lights, there was a cyclist coming towards me (ie on the wrong side of the road). He got a loud tut and a 'tw*t' as he squeezed me out into the flow of traffic.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. Mandopicker101
    Member

    Two this evening - first was a roadie guy in Musselburgh who rode through the pend beside the old Musselburgh Arms despite a sign requesting cyclists to dismount. OK not a legal request, but it's a blind 90 degree turn with a busy corner shop nearby. Roadie then headed up the pavement.

    Second was, er, me - riding straight towards the sun along a relatively narrow street, and duly dazzled, I just made out a pair of headlights and moved into the left. Car passed by. Phew...

    ...and almost didn't spot the car parked right in front of me. Good thing I had new brake blocks fitted recently. Less than two inches from my front wheel and the rear of the parked car as I came to a severe halt.

    Double plus ungood cycling by me.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Captain Important in the Yellow Jacket of Authority on the black and blue electric-assist MTB who zoomed up the hill at South Gyle Station this morning and rather than slowing for the number of train passengers and children walking and scootering to Gylemuir School, rung a siren (sounded like one of those childrens' space ray guns from yore) and angrily yelled "GET OFF THE ROAD" while flapping a hand around to clear the way. Three boys had to take evasive action to make a path for him.

    If you're using your electric assist so you can ride fast in the direction of children coming the other way, you don't need electric assist. I'm assuming he rides his bike like he would drive his car.

    P.S. I would have had a word but he had zoomed off through the rest of the people in his way and turned the opposite way from me past the station. There may or may not have been a 4-letter greeting fired off in his direction just loud enough to be audible over the whine of his hyperdrive.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. davidsonsdave
    Member

    Another electrically assisted spanner with red jacket and white helmet who has illegally overclocked their bike and came past at what must have been around 25mph on the approach to St Mary's George's on the NEPN this morning.

    Seems the big white SLOW on the path doesn't apply to him. Still, today was better than Monday when he passed me at about the same pace to zig-zag through several groups of School children, to then bomb along on the pavement along Russell Road towards Roseburn St. despite even more School children walking there.

    I would report him if I thought the police would do anything about it.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. wingpig
    Member

    If there are schoolchilds being endangered the police ought to show some interest; they may even be aware of the school's concerns from last year and the installation of the SLOW paint.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    I sense e-bikes in the wrong hands are going to be another stick used to verbally beat 'average' cyclists. Get him reported, or inform the school of your concerns?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. crowriver
    Member

    I'm loath to add to this thread but I am sharing the thoughts I had while walking in London Road gardens this morning. Witnessed a cyclist making a rather unwise overtake of the 19 bus which was pulling out of a bus stop. Having committed to the overtake, said rider then did so, despite bus indicators being very clear, then the cyclist promptly took the lane and slowed down! Tired after a wee acceleration? I have no idea, anyway the bus waited patiently behind the bike until the roundabout ahead.

    Brownie points to the bus driver for being responsible, not beeping horn, etc. To the cyclist, really it would have been safer and more courteous to hold back rather than overtake. Yes I know car drivers do it all the time, but this clearly was not a good idea.

    Finally, the point of this rant is that had proper segregated infrastructure been in place on London Road instead of a line of parked cars, this conflict between two road users need not have occurred at all. As it is not yet in place, I wish some cyclists would show more common sense!

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. redmist
    Member

    Were either of the e-bike riders mentioned elderly or infirm ? Their behaviour sounds inexcusable and if I saw it I'd definitely have words - if I could catch them...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. davidsonsdave
    Member

    Is there a sub-culture of elderly or infirm going around removing the power cut-off on ebikes?

    The spanner on the NEPN wasn't elderly.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  25. redmist
    Member

    was just wondering why they were riding e-bikes rather than pedalling like the rest of us

    Posted 8 years ago #

  26. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    Too posh lazy to push pedal

    Posted 8 years ago #

  27. Rob
    Member

    We should embrace e-bikes. They allow more people to leave the car behind which can only be a good thing.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  28. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    but the 2 e-pilots upthread don't seem to have left the car mentality behind? Or rather, it's abetted them bringing it to the shared paths. And what about the lesser health benefits?

    Large-scale separation of the piloting from the stoking will be an unwelcome development for the rest of us IMV.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  29. ih
    Member

    From a position of ignorance, I'd assumed that e-bikes are electric assist, not automotive. So if they can be ridden at speed without a bit of pedal power, shouldn't they be reclassified?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  30. Klaxon
    Member

    The bike observed was illegal. There are no ifs and buts here.

    By law an e-bike must cut out assist at 15mph. If the bike has been modified to allow speeds above 15mph it falls completely out width the e-bike law and must be registered as a motor vehicle like any other. A 'cheating switch' for 'use on private land' doesn't count.

    Relevant point 1)
    "The electric motor must not be able to propel the machine when it is travelling at more than 15mph."

    Relevant point 2)
    "A vehicle is considered to be a motor vehicle if it is outside the scope of The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 due to the motor power output, speed up to which power can be provided, weight, or that it does not have pedals by means of which the machine can be propelled."

    http://www.electricbikesexperts.co.uk/support-files/department-for-tranport-eapc-guidelines.pdf

    Posted 8 years ago #

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