CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
I give people the thumbs up all the time. Almost literally every car I have an interaction with, even if the "interaction" was just to block him off a dangerous pass because I knew I had to move right or whatever.
It's quite nice because once you get used to it, you can also give the crappy drivers the thumbs-up - it's less provocative but if they conciously did something wrong, they'll know you're taking the mickey...
SORRY !!!!
On Saturday,19th feb I was in lorry mode, travelling through Fife, along the top road,to Rosyth, past the road that goes to Limekilns, Charlston etc. We use that route to avoid Cairnyhill and Dunfermline etc ,thing is as I aproached the junction,well below 40mph, I spots a lone cyclist,on a drop bar racer, very old style helmet, my side of the road, heading away. Road has a very wide, with red chevron manuovering area in the middle. First of all, i tap my brake pedal, starts the auto exhaust brake, change in noise. Thats when it all went wrong. The cyclist, still a good 25,30 feet away panicks, tries to lift his right arm to indicate he wants to go right, across my path. I brake harder, move into a right handish position, nothing coming towards us, and prepare to stop and flash this guy across, he almost falls off, nearly hits the kerb and looks decidedly un safe. I am still moving forward, about 10 mph at this point, he is still in front ofme, he bangs into and up onto the pavement and slides to a stop. I trie to acknowledge him but his head is down and looking at gears etc. Large que of traffic behind me, cause I am travelling within limits.I re engage gear and pull away.
SORRY !, I had seen you, and was about to let you go. I think that the noise of the exhaust brake caused the jitters ! Hope it didnt spoil your day too much !
The nice drivers from Salveson (sp??) moved well out of my lane today to pass me on the way into Edin along the A90. Then later on he was pulling in appraching lights and stayed crossing the white line to allow me to pass on the inside before passing me with lots of space later on.
Thanks,
Dave C
Thanks to taxi driver at end of Broomhouse Road who pointed out something was up with my back light - turns out cover was ever so slightly loose and light was flashing erratically (if at all!). 30 seconds for me to fix. I then rode off forgetting to turn my front light back on! Noticed heading down towards Dalry Road on Lanark Road and remedied the situation
Lothian Bus (didn't get number) behind me on Gorgie Road, driver wanted past, but saw me looking over my shoulder and held back, I gave him a very definite hand signal that I wanted to move from bus lane into the outside lane so I could turn right into Stenhouse Drive. He slowed, I moved out when he was back a bit, he moved into the bus lane again. Gave me a thumbs up as he passed on inside.
If it was a First bus I can assume driver would have barged past in the outside lane forcing me to grind to a halt in the bus lane then try and move across a lane of moving traffic to get to the turn.
A driver behind me on South Bridge going south on the approach to Chambers Street. This is a horrible place for drivers swerving into you to go straight on so I always look round and move right a bit to stop them getting alongside me.
This morning when I looked round the driver behind was already slowing down to move in behind me. A minor thing but a good thing.
Chap in a back saloon, I think VW, doing the same as Kap's bus driver. Thumbs up for him as well.
Late with this.
After zazou coffee on friday, a large 4x4 pulled alongside me just past Makro - Imagine my surprise when he said 'you dropped your lock back there mate - and told me exactly where it was a hundred yards or so back - fell out the carradice where I had badlyt stuffed it.
Now it was only the cheapo combi lock I keep for 'running into shops' but credit where its due.
Good lad.
Mr Mahoosive Norbert Dentressangle wagon driver, you are a gent.
I'm on a roundabout turning right, I see him waiting to come onto the roundabout from straight ahead and instinctively chuck out my right arm (again, I'd been indicating moving onto the roundabout, then went for control on a greasy looking surface), but quite obvious he'd already seen me and wasn't going to go.
I waved thanks, he nodded sagely. Knight of the road.
It's the little things.
Looked out the window this morning to see how the weather was affecting the number of cycle commuters.
At one point I saw 3 cyclists being followed at a respectful distance by an FES van. This is where there is a bus stop followed by a pedestrian island, but it doesn't stop most drivers barging past - and usually - being stopped by traffic ahead.
I see from the company's web site that they are involved in the Glasgow Velodrome.
Perhaps they give driver training too?
Red van this morning (didn't spot the company name). He was overtaking me heading to some lights after having waited behind me for a safe moment to pass. Lights turn red with him not quite all the way past - I brake instinctively as his left indicator comes on. But no. He stays right. He hasn't assumed I disappear as soon as his door is past me.
I repay his attention-paying by hanging back and making clear in his mirrors that it's fine for him to move in. Even so he leaves space for me to then filter on the left, and make a left turn that is unaffected by the lights.
I turn and wave and give a thumbs up as I pass his front; he gives a thumbs up in return. Bit by bit.
I experienced nothing but good driving last night on a trip from Meggetland to the New Town. Drivers gave me loads of space when passing and no-one revved their engine while I was waiting in an ASL.
Why can't it always be like that?
ha! When cars overtake me just before intersection and then stop in ASL, I've taken to turning around pointing at the stopline and saying 'you've missed the stop line' (or similar). had some interesting reactions....
LB and I were out yesterday morning and I remarked, on our long ascent to Tusitala, how much more agreeable the car drivers seemed to be of a Sunday, compared with the usual Monday to Friday impatience.
All knights of the road this morning and lunchtime. Plenty of space given, including one driver who I think could have overtaken with plenty of room but gave me the benefit of the doubt, so thumbs up anyway.
Keep forgetting about this but I had some very good driving from a covered pickup thing on North Bridge on Friday. I need to be in the middle lane to go down Leith Street but because of Princes Street being closed I just stayed on the left. As I got closer to the junction I became aware that there was someone in the middle lane behind me. They didn't pass and I really needed to move across now. As soon as I looked round the driver immediately slowed down, allowing me to signal, move across and give them a wee wave. Thank you!
It had some sort of nature reserve logo on the side of it so perhaps the driver is keen on environmental stuff and cycles themselves.
Frequently experience excellent driving from HGV jockeys on the twisty bit of the A7 between Lothianbridge and the Hardengreen Roundabout.
The road is in bits there so I'm fairly slow and wobbly and there is almost enough space to try and overtake but most of the time they hang back and give me plenty of room all the way up to the roundabout.
Many companies represented - mostly local hauliers
"mostly local hauliers"
That's good.
Never been impressed with Midlothian based coach companies.
"Midlothian based coach companies"
I know what you mean - Edinburgh Group Travel have been responsible for much ranting in the holisticglint household
"I know what you mean"
Proves my point - was thinking of a different company!!
Nice driver flashed to let me turn onto the cycle path at Canonmills Tesco yesterday evening. Unfortunately I then ended up stuck in front of them waiting for two drivers who squeezed into the cycle lane to undertake the nice driver.
I believe this morning some drivers ghasted my flabber.
A white van man (SPNetworks) and a black cab driver were both excellent.
WVM passed me with LOADS of room (in a slightly daft place, but his position further out would give better visibility I guess), then as the road ahead was blocked he waved me to go round him because there was space ahead for me to get through ("Cheers mate" as I passed the rolled down window), then passed me again at the bottom of the Royal Mile once more with LOADS of room. I'll have his plate on video, will be writing a thank you.
Taxi man sat behind me going up the Royal Mile, clearly aware that there was traffic ahead that made overtaking pointless. He did give me a toot as we got to the Bridges (just before the clog up), but it was cos he wanted to turn left down the wee street by the Bank Hotel and thought I was about to stop leaving the gap to it for traffic coming the other way (as it was the car at the head of the queue was indicating right, so I was going on his left to head the queue going straight on).
Thanks guys, stereotypes are there to be shattered!
White flatbed-type Transit van slowed to let me cross Stenhouse Road into Stenhouse Drive, traffic ahead of him anyway.
...Unfortunately Mondeo driver behind couldn't be bothered to wait so floored it, went around the inside of the van using the cycle lane and almost went into the side of me as I made my turn.
Heading down the middle of narrow street with parked cars either side I pulled over to the side to let an oncoming taxi come through.
Imagine my surprise when the driver actually acknowledges me and gives me a friendly wave of thanks. Normally I'm invisible or a minor irritation at best!
That is a very good one Earthowned. It is very very rare for a driver to ever acknowledge a courtesy from a cyclist like that. I can't remember the last time I was thanked for stopping to allow a driver to reverse out of a parking space. Possibly it has never happened though I probably do it a couple of times a week.
It does happen every now and then to me on a bike, but it is much more common for me to get a wave of thanks if I do it while driving.
At least once a day this week I've had a waveback from someone I've let out or in or past or through. Oddly, during the same period I've not had any thank-flashes from any of the (Lothian) buses I've slowed down to allow to pull out.
Cycling Edinburgh to North Berwick at the weekend, I found the (60mph?) coast road quite busy, but almost every driver hung back until there was enough space to overtake safely. When traffic levels prevented this I pulled over into the verge every wee while and waved to allow them past, and was thanked with multitudes of waves and honks.
Kind of shows that perhaps when people are out for pleasure rather than driving to work that they are far more likely to be patient? But seriously drivers, a wave is fine for showing appreciation; a honk scares the living heck out of me!
Excellent, patient driving from Lothian Bus driver on the number 44 route just approaching Balerno this morning - he hung way back from me through a really long stretch, with oncoming traffic preventing him getting past. I was going uphill, too, so not fast. I eventually found a dropped kerb where I could get off the road and let him through; gave him a wave of thanks and got one in return. I should really email Lothian Busses actually - I did try and memorise the number plate but failed.
You must log in to post.
Cycling in Edinburgh Flickr group
Video embedded using Easy Video Embed plugin
posts