Also saw a police car at the cross roads to Groathill.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish cycling
(4520 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Well done to the cyclist on Newhaven Road, heading north towards the Ferry Road junction at quarter to three this afternoon. Heavy looking bag on his back, weaving about, one hand on the handlebars and the other clamping his phone to his ear. Kinda hard to signal right in these circumstances. The traffic behind him were unusually patient.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"weaving about... The traffic behind him were unusually patient."
Research has also observed this effect too. Unfortunately, the more competent a cyclist appears, the less space (ergo care), that drivers afford them!
Strategically applied incompetence can be beneficial...
(Not that I'm attributing strategy to the cyclist observed!)
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
Roibeard - are you referencing Ian walker's work? Blonde wig gives you 14cm more space? Etc.
Love that guy's work.
His stance now is that there is nothing cyclists can do to protect themselves from dangerous drivers (5500 sample size) and that what is needed is segregated infrastructure.
When he wore the blonde wig he did look a bit like Boris Johnson, so he may well have had some impact with his work.
Posted 8 years ago # -
A bin lorry and workers on the path at Brunstfield Links nearest EBC. A group of teenagers had to wait for the bins to be re-assembled so they could get past but that didn't stop Mr Out-Of-My-Way barging through the gap between lorry, teens, bins and workman.
And it was such a sunny pleasant day too :-(
Posted 8 years ago # -
There was a lot of aggressively impotent, fragile masculinity on display on the NEPN this morning. Not sure if it was the sun bringing out the turnips, or the fact the I seemed to be about 25 minutes earlier than my usual commute.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Waiting to turn right at the bottom of Morningside drive, lycra man who is on the pavement to the right, rides off it on to Comiston Road and into the box junction, the exit of which is blocked by cars, thus he stops part way blocking the box junction.... I had to drive round him to go up Comiston Road.
Any other day and I suspect he would be in a car and blocking the junction using that mode of transport instead!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Presumptuous rather than rubbish cycling on the towpath this morning. I was followed closely from the Slateford Aqueduct to Wester Hailes, then overtaken fairly safely but without warning despite the cyclist having a bell, albeit not a very functional one... Somewhat riled by this, I decided to try to keep up with the MacMillian jersey clad individual who turned out to be heading to Heriot-Watt University as well... On several occasions, coincidentally perhaps, he lifted his left hand off his handlebar and used it to make a gesture which I took to be 'back off' despite the fact that he didn't ever look behind him, I was never closer than around 2 or 3 bike lengths, and I suspect no closer than he had been when he was behind me. I also found myself sounding my bell to indicate that he and I were about to overtake other towpath users since he didn't always choose to use his and, when he did, it wasn't very effective so not ideal for warning someone that you're about to pass at 20mph.
I realise that by reacting to the overtake and keeping up with him that my cycling was probably a little on the rubbish side, but I was really not impressed with his approach to cycling on a shared use path. I'm also now starting to think that he might have been the Team Sky clad individual who overtook me unsafely on the far busier stretch of towpath at Meggetland last week so I might attempt to have a word if I do spot him again...
Posted 8 years ago # -
"so I might attempt to have a word"
Not guaranteed to end well.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@chdot indeed! So I might not... I did literally have 'a word' with the Team Sky individual, which was "Really?".
Posted 8 years ago # -
Two occasions recently where I've encountered some rubbish cycling.
The first, when I was cycling, I was cut up by a cyclist going from North Bridge to Leith Street. He was in the right hand lane at the lights on North Bridge, cycled in to the straight-on-to Waterloo Place lane and then cut straight in front of me as I turned on to Leith Street. I shouted to give me some space (he hadn't even looked in my direction) and he replied with something incoherent. If I had been a car, he would have been flattened. I followed him for a while and he didn't look over his shoulder once as he passed cars and they passed him. Hope he learns to pay attention to his surroundings more.
The second, when running last night, passing Victor Hugo's on the path in the meadows, a cyclist almost clipped me as he overtook at speed. I was on the right of the path and he cycled on the grass to pass me for some reason. I said to him to "give some space and ring his bell next time". He shouted that I was "all over the place" (I wasn't) and that I should "ring my own bell".
I don't know if that part of the path is shared or not (I don't care either way...), but either way he should have slowed down if he thought I was a danger to pass, or rung his bell to signal that passing me would be difficult for him. There were plenty of people on that path that he should have been cycling much slower and cautiously.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Guy on a trials bikey thing just before 6 last night emerging from the paved bit in front of the church by John Lewis, straight across York Place in front of me and down Broughton Street. I followed and overtook him but he overtook me again just after the roundabout, coming across and immediately mounting the pavement. I assumed this was to dodge the traffic (now wonder if it was maybe due to road condition) but that theory was quickly quashed as he re-emerged onto the road at the back of the two queues down Canonmills, flying down the middle as the traffic began to move (I was now very gingerly filtering down the cycle lane on the left, now very vigilant for inattentive swerves). He cut out to the right hand side of the road as the lights turned red and turned right onto Broughton Road, up the inside of a car completing their right turn, which quite reasonably tooted.
I know "they'll get themselves killed" is a bit of a hyperbolic cliche, but if he did that every day he definitely would. Could he have been your Leith Street cutter-upper CJC? Definitely fits the bill.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Could he have been your Leith Street cutter-upper CJC?
Don't think so. It wasn't a trials bike - pretty sure it was a old halfords-esque looking mountain bike. The guy had one of those drawstring bags on his back that kept slipping down to the side as he cycled.
If your guy was on a trials bike, surely the road condition should be no problem?
Posted 8 years ago # -
I hesitate to put this into the "rubbish cycling" thread, as it's not really wrong, but I wonder if it's necessary...
I often cycle the new Gilmerton-Roslin path, and I always notice that many cyclists don't use the path along Lasswade Rd. but cycle on the road. Last Sunday it was 1 other person on the path and 5 on the road, single and in pairs (not a group).
The path is perfectly smooth and wide, and although it's nominally a shared path there are never any pedestrians. Also it's a reasonable length and easy to get on and off, so I can't quite see why people don't use it.
The problem is that uphills even people on sports bikes don't go faster than about 10-15mph, but it's not easy to overtake. On Sunday I saw 4 or 5 cars patiently following a couple on bikes trundling uphills. What they did was legal, but I just wonder if this s really necessary and antagonises drivers unnecessarily.
I can see that cyclists going downhills at 40mph stay on the road, that's not really an issue (although I had no problems at almost 30mph on the path either, which is about the fastest I dare) but why uphills when the path is quite as good? Or what is wrong with the path, can it be improved?
Most cyclists I've seen there are obviously out for sports, haven't seen any families yet (perhaps more in summer?), but still...
The thing is, here is one bit of infrastructure that's about as good as you can make it, and if many cyclists then don't use it, it kind of undermines the cause a bit.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Stephan, whereabouts on Lasswade Road? I don't know the area and couldn't see anything on Streetview (but I don't know which bit of Lasswade Road we are talking about).
Posted 8 years ago # -
@fimm The path that was built last year from the bypass to Gilmerton Dykes Rd.
Posted 8 years ago # -
My guess would be that for going uphill you've got to cross the road to access the path, then at the top you've got to re-cross to get back onto the road?
The funny thing is, and granted I'm only along that way every couple of weeks maybe, so not anywhere near as frequently, I've always seen pedestrians on it!
I'm pretty sure I've only ever cycled downhill, started on the path, then hopped onto the road because there were folk walking, but never gone uphill.
You're right though, it's reasonably wide, decent surface, and no side streets to stop / slow down for. I'd probably use it going uphill...
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Wilmington's Cow That's perhaps why they do it, but it does nourish the perception that cyclists are never happy even when you throw a lot of money at a cycle path.
I don't really see those as a good reasons. It's not just a short bit of path where you might not bother; the cyclist pair with the 4 or 5 cars behind took about 5 minutes, so I think it would have been worth getting out of the way a bit.
Entering and exiting are also not really inconvenient. Where you enter the path it's not like you have to actually stop and cross the road in fast traffic; it's a roundabout so it doesn't make much difference if you stay on Lasswade Rd or turn into Gilmerton Station Rd to enter the cycle path. At the top, where you leave, you have a wide view and can cross easily, and there isn't that much traffic so you won't have to wait for a gap.
When you enter, you can see most of the length of the path if there are bunches of pedestrians. On Sunday, there weren't. It's all wide open land and you can see everything, so it's not like you suddenly end up in some narrow or dangerous corner.
Again, they weren't doing anything illegal and I respect their right to cycle on the road if they chose so.
I wouldn't have mentioned it at all if it was only the occasional person, but my impression from about half a dozen tours in the last 2-3 months is that quite a large proportion don't use the bike path, and I think that creates an image problem - how do you explain to a driver what's so bad about it that cyclists don't use it?
Posted 8 years ago # -
As I said, I think uphill I'd probably take the path, I was just suggesting why some people might see the road as more convenient. It's not a massive amount more convenient, but for some even a little is worthwhile.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I cycle that way to and from work every day.
I do not use he path going uphill as it means i have to position myself in the middle of the road to take the right on the roundabout to then instantly indicate left to join the path. This is an unnecessarily dangerous manouver to be performing at rush hour. Also once you get to the top you would have to dismount to run across the road to remount to continue past the murrays.
Coming down whilst you can join the path easily enough trying to get from the path onto the roundabout with the amount of traffic would be insane.
Car drivers have to appreciate they may encounter many slow objects on their journey and deal with them in a courteous and patient manner and i hardly think 5 minutes is much to ask.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I should add that i commute all the way along lasswade road and do not use the roslin path.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I don't know this path so am commenting blind, but it may be it looks like a pavement so cyclists decide to treat it as a pavement? Add to that experience of using shared use pavements, they may feel that the ride quality won't be that good?
Posted 8 years ago # -
The path in most respects is perfect, good surface, plenty of room and there is very rarely someone walking and if there was there would be safe room to pass.
The problem is unless you are specifically continuing on or coming from the Roslin path the ingress and egress points introduce danger.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@stressed1976 I can see the problem at rush hour. Still, every time I was there (different days of the week and times) the road was not really busy and crossing was not a problem.
Would it have been possible to find a realistic design for the exits such that everybody would use the path? Or does it just mean the argument "good infrastructure will be used by everyone" is wrong because you can never make it good enough?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yeah cant comment on other times but the times i cycle my risk assessment tells me to stay on the road.
I think the use case for that section is to feed the Roslin path rather than replacing a small section of Lasswade road considering there is no other real cycling provision for the rest of it down to the Laird and dog.
For infrastructure to be used by everyone it needs to be a complete solution not the piecemeal efforts i see around me every day as that just leads to cumbersome and often dangerous rejoining and crossings of roads.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The cyclist ahead of me as I joined Melville Drive after crossing the Meadows who proceeded to cycle up the inside of a taxi which was indicating to turn left onto Tarvit Street. The taxi was part of a slow moving queue of traffic but it was obvious that it was going to be able to take the corner imminently so the cyclist should have held back. Luckily the driver checked their mirrors and came to a halt before any contact occurred and even waited for me to pass, although I turned left.
After joining the queue at the red light at the King's Theatre junction behind the rubbish truck which was stopped in the ASZ, I was alarmed by the cyclist who proceeded to pass me on the cycle lane and move to the front left of the truck. When the lights changed, it turned out that the truck was turning right, which was a relief. I hadn't noticed if it had been indiciating, although I would likely have hung back even if I had...
Posted 8 years ago # -
@Stephan Mathiesen.
Yeah cant comment on other times but the times i cycle my risk assessment tells me to stay on the road.I think the use case for that section is to feed the Roslin path rather than replacing a small section of Lasswade road considering there is no other real cycling provision for the rest of it down to the Laird and dog.
For infrastructure to be used by everyone it needs to be a complete solution not the piecemeal efforts i see around me every day as that just leads to cumbersome and often dangerous rejoining and crossings of roads.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Was me today, shortly after a pleasant chat with @marshant about the difficulties of turning right onto Minto Street from Blacket Avenue. A bus stopped to allow a driver going straight across from Duncan Street. Thinking the bus was allowing for us to cross too I did in the circuitous way that is always necessary at that junction, but this was met with a degree of rage from the bus driver who obviously saw my cycling as reckless (judging from him hand signals). Pretty rubbish on my part, but another piece of bad judgement brought about by a really difficult junction to navigate safely.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Me, turning left a little too fast off Hope Park Crescent into NMW during the rainstorm last night. Lost my back wheel on the smooth paving slabs and swiftly transferred all my momentum into my left knee. Ouch.
Posted 8 years ago # -
@jonty - ouch indeed - hope the knee is ok. I've done that before and it's not pleasant...
Posted 8 years ago #
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