CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Overheard

(189 posts)

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  1. gembo
    Member

    @algo a lot of people think that children are very vulnerable in trailers. I am not aware of any evidence for this. Many people probably mean "the child looks quite vulnerable"'but it comes out as "that is wrong"?

    I have an early Tagalong in my garage that is a pole with a BMX bike stuck on. The hitch was rigid and made steering tricky. I only ever took it on the WoL path as when I was trundling it home down viewforth some kids ran out from between parked cars and knocked me off. This put me off going on the roads with that particular device but modern trailers are much better designed.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  2. wingpig
    Member

    Heading north from Roseburn yesterday evening, I waited behind two northbound school*-youths (one of each predominant human gender, either of whom could have been anywhere from fourteen to eighteen) whilst a number of cycle-impatients overtook them despite a number of head-down hauling-on-the-drops cycle-traffic heading south. The one in front had been doing a bit of mild side-side swooshing but had stopped after the third or fourth whoosh-past. After I'd waited for the path ahead to clear and started to pass them I heard the one in front remark "there are a lot of people out training on this" to her associate.

    *wearing blue blazers, presumably not through choice

    Posted 10 years ago #

  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Not strictly overheard....but plucked from a work e-mail I just received;

    'Site access / parking info: There is a shortage of parking in the hospital grounds which has a knock on effect with availability of parking in the local area. We strongly recommend travelling to this site by taxi or public transport.'

    There's work to be done.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  4. HankChief
    Member

    @acsimpson - you talking about me? :)

    <iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6zAitdN-p6c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

    I've given up trying to embed this video - sorry

    Posted 10 years ago #

  5. Kenny
    Member

    You just put the "normal" youtube URL in (not the youtu.be one) and the forum software does the embedding for you.

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Flash Video

    Posted 10 years ago #

  6. HankChief
    Member

    Thanks Kenny - I think I tried every other option...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  7. acsimpson
    Member

    I've noticed you a couple of times with the family close behind but never been close enough to say hi. Or to work out if it's a tag along or a child seat on the back.

    Were you standing right next to me when I said that or had you sent your spies out?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  8. HankChief
    Member

    It wasn't me It was my spies - I was browsing the videos from the day when I came across that video.

    My set up on the day was the tandem with a child seat and a trailer for the tshirts. I do have a tagalong ready for my youngest growing a bit more (thanks to POP).

    Given the seat position of the stoker most tagalongs wouldn't work but at last years POP I spotted a Helios with a tag-a-long on the back, so I asked him what kind he had, and then scoured fleabay/gumtree for the last year until one came up cheap & local.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  9. LaidBack
    Member

    at last years POP I spotted a Helios with a tag-a-long on the back, Road train warning!

    Had a strange exchange whilst reclining waiting to turn right coming from Richmond St

    Punter with cap on - maybe 60 - crossing green man. Looks down at me and isn't liking what he's seeing (I think).
    PWC "You look like an invalid".
    LB "and what of it...?"
    PWC "er.... ahm just saying.... make of it what you f**** will!'
    Wanders away not happy.

    Had someone at shop this morning - wife and husband who had a stroke on right hand side. Guy was younger than me (who isn't?!). Was discussing how many people think that being reclined is solely for people 'with a reason' (other than comfort, aero and being a fun thing to do. eg many MTBs never go up or down mountains etc).
    I wasn't angry at the guy as he was just making a comment without thinking or just wanted to see my reaction maybe. If I was the customer with a 'real' stroke would he have said anything?
    Was going to do a thread about 'are able bodied riders taking advantage of reclined bikes and trikes?. Are they confusing people and not being helpful etc'.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  10. HankChief
    Member

    @LB Road train warning!

    If you want a road train, you need to look at biketrain

    This was last year...Double trailgator (inc panda)...

    POP2-055-700_7851.jpg by photopath, on Flickr

    On the way back up Cowgate on Saturday, we had a convoy made up of

    Biketrain's double trailgator rig(3 people - 6 wheels)
    My Tandem & trailer - (3 people - 4 wheels)
    Another Helios - (2 people - 2 wheels)
    Fimm's brompton - (1 person - 2 wheels)

    needless to say we made pretty slow progress...

    Posted 10 years ago #

  11. threefromleith
    Member

    That was me taking the video with my helmetcam. I was wearing a CycleChat jersey, as was fellow CC forumite Scoosh, who was riding his recumbent and speaking to the wee lad on the balance bike who was the same height as him ;-)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  12. wingpig
    Member

    Did he reply? He swithers between greeting random strangers with loud HELLOs and being even more shy than me.

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Flash Video

    Posted 10 years ago #

  13. fimm
    Member

    @Hankcheif the other Helios was DaisyDaisy. It struck me, going both ways, how slowly we went with the children, whether under their own steam or on a tandem/similar. Sprinting at 20mph wasn't going to happen.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  14. HankChief
    Member

    @Fimm, - thanks - always good to put a name to a face/bike.

    Oh, and thanks for shepherding us up the hill. We could have done it at 20mph but we were waiting for you ;-)

    Posted 10 years ago #

  15. acsimpson
    Member

    @threefromleith
    Scoosh and you matching jersey's were obviously so impressive that I hadn't noticed your helmet cam.

    @winpig
    I don't recall if he replied to Scoosh or not. Possibly just a smile.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  16. earthowned
    Member

    Student A squatting on the grass at the side of MMW:

    Hey Man! I found some Mushrooms. Some MUSHROOMS!

    Student B stood in the middle of the bike path and surprised to see a bike:

    He's found some Mushrooms!

    I gather they had found some mushrooms, but lost their spacial awareness in the process.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  17. gembo
    Member

    Shrooms in October November time? Breakfast mushrooms more generally available?

    Did these students also look very hungry?

    Posted 10 years ago #

  18. earthowned
    Member

    Yes, wrong time of year for your psychedelic variety. Apparently.

    They did still look rather half cut from the night before and returning home, rather than going to lectures.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  19. algo
    Member

    Leaving the cross country train the other day, as the train was slowing a Spanish gentleman discussed with his daughter how he thought my bike wasn't very good - I took some exception to this, having a deep and trusting relationship with my bike which is as scruffy as I, but actually functions very well - substance over style. I also took exception to the fact that he assumed I wouldn't understand what he was saying - and to his criteria for judging my bike, which mainly revolved around it not having suspension….

    Posted 10 years ago #

  20. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Not transport related at all but...I just overheard a colleague say 'I've got frozen tissue on my desk'. I work in an office, not a pathology lab and my colleague isn't given to Noel Fielding type declarations, so my ears pricked up.

    Turns out her Peter Pan paper tissues had run out so she had replaced them with more up-to-date Disney film themed ones.

    Posted 10 years ago #

  21. wingpig
    Member

    Just had a chat with a uni-associate who's recently moved back here. Apparently drivers up here are worse for ostentatious belligerence than in London, Lothian Buses' drivers' reputation for being relatively considerate is no longer apparent, and cycling in Sheffield is reportedly terrible, as motorists appear to not have any idea what a cycle or cyclist is or does.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  22. Edinburgh Cycle Training
    Member

    I'd agree about LB's driving.

    I've had three corporate apologies recently for their "appalling" driving standards.

    Actually, I'm begining to get the feeling that some managers relish complaints such as these so that some drivers get a visit from the Spanish Archer

    Posted 9 years ago #

  23. gembo
    Member

    Had a fifty fifty with LB today which left me in the fast lane at slateford station heading east. He could have let me pass but his fare had found his change or sat down etc and I was late to try the overtake. Otherwise I have not found any deviation from about 95% of their drivers letting you pass.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  24. neddie
    Member

    Today's lunchtime conversation was about the supercars parked in the layby on the bypass at Straiton this morning.

    Apparently they, and they alone, caused massive tailbacks in both directions as everyone slowed down to have a look. Added 30mins to the journey time by all accounts...

    ...nothing to do with me in my single occupancy vehicle, nothing, nothing at all.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  25. wingpig
    Member

    In reaction to what I thought was reasonable incredulity that someone was intending to embark on a car journey of half a mile:

    "It's rained - it might rain again."

    Posted 9 years ago #

  26. Stickman
    Member

    If you want a laugh go the TripAdvisor reviews of The Kelpies. Lots of people complaining about having to walk 500m from the car park to see them. The manager responds to one complaint by saying that they understand 0.5km is a lot for some people but the park is designed for walking and cycling.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  27. SRD
    Moderator

    @wingpig thanks for reminding me all the good reasons for us not to have a car

    Posted 9 years ago #

  28. Min
    Member

    Overhear at a pedestrian crossing while waiting for the usual time of far too long.

    Man:- "Well, it is very car-centric"
    Woman:- "mumble"
    Man:- "I suppose they are scared of..(rest drowned out by motor vehicle roar)"

    I almost considered stalking them a bit to find out the outcome! :-o

    Posted 9 years ago #

  29. unhurt
    Member

    ...I almost stalked some folk down The Mound the other week to hear the rest of a conversation. An older chap was telling what were clearly visiting friends all about Edinburgh's WHS woes, including references to the Cockburn Association. But they were walking too slowly! He seemed quite well informed...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  30. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Not so much overheard as a line of argument I was attempting to rebuff:

    Anon:- "He rides along at 10 miles an hour and there's 20 cars behind him and you can't overtake! He's right in the middle of the lane, and he just doesn't care."
    Me:- "Is it a narrow road? Is it busy?"
    Anon:- "It's only a wee road in the country, one lane each way. I dinnae mind most cyclists but this one really gets me. He doesn't even pay road tax!"
    Me:- "He may be taking the lane to protect his safety. Does he drive as well?"
    Anon:- "Aye he drives."
    Me:- "So he does pay road tax* then."
    Anon:- "Not when he's cycling! And none of the cyclists have, you, know, insurance or have to pass a test. What happens when a cyclist goes into the side of your car? Who pays? We do!"
    Me:- "But if he drives, then he's already paying road tax. A lot of cyclists also drive cars."
    Anon:- "But he's not paying road tax when he's on his bike.
    Me inside my head:- "Aarrrghh! Shut up!"

    * I was going with the flow for the sake of argument.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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