CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
Today's rubbish walking
(230 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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"@amir, don't know where you were in south edin, "
I was cycling home to Dalkeith from King's Buildings. Dalkeith was actually pretty fog free when I got back (it often does miss out on fogs due to greater distance from the sea).
Posted 11 years ago # -
the general "everything brighter than everything else" mentality which leads to my triathlon club mates turning up in high vis to run round Inverleith Park
This is really my point. I'm happy to slow down and stop for dogs if need be. I really don't want to run them over. I'd prefer that they weren't on a lead because then there isn't a risk that I won't see it. But when I'm on a shared use path, and I have my headlights on and I still can't see if you're there or not, that's when I become aggrieved.
I sometimes ride through the Braidburn Valley park, and more of the dogs there wear little flashing collars or doggie-shaped hi-viz. I'll often stop to chat to the owner and say how grateful I was that I could easily see their dog (if not the owner).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Similarly, when I cycle home via the Innocent in the dark, there are often people I don't see until I'm nearly on them, which is unpleasant for both of us, and there are often joggers who have reflective seams on their jackets, who are visible from ages away.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Re doggies with flashing collars and hi-viz....the lifeboat on Arran was called out at night when someone saw what they thought was a lifejacket and attached flashing light out way in the bay. It turned out to be a dog who had got over enthusiastic when chasing gulls and had gone waaaay out.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Seem to be good arguments for Hi Viz on this thread, is walkchic dead?
Posted 11 years ago # -
If Uberuce had had some flashing lichties/high viz on his specs he might have found them by now ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
If only I'd gotten so drunk that I became a member of Orbital before falling in...
Posted 11 years ago # -
I rode home yesterday around 9pm along the shore from Mussleburgh to the FRB and home. On the Prom there were runners from Porty running club, some in bright clothing and some not, but it is lit on all but the Lothian bus stretch. Then later on on the Cramond Prom where there are NO lights (except my spaceship like (4 front and 3 rear) bike) and I spotted a few people on the path, either walking as a couple in complete darkness, in Black/Dark clothing or with dogs, again peds walking in dark clothing. At one point I narrowly missed a pedestrian whilst trying to avoid his two large white dogs. They were visible (in white) but he was completely dressed in what appeared to be black clothing.
After this I put my Dynamo light up (like fullbeam on a car) with battery lights down, and just blinded everyone else, as apparent by them putting up a hand to block the light. Some people are Ejits!! wearing only dark clothing on an unlit path. On the strecth of Dalmeny estate woodlands (woooow!! - spooky) I saw no one but a deer who was spooked as I passed by and bounced off into the woods. My headtorch caught it's white rear as bounded away...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Talking of white dogs, I had this experience this morning. It must be said that the dog was highly visible, even if completely and utterly out of control. Because of the way my camera is mounted, it picks up all the mechanical noise from the bike, so you can hear the hisses, clicks and thumps of the gears and brakes. It's a bit like having a flight recorder...
http://www.naden.de/blog/bbvideo-bbpress-video-plugin -->
[+] Embed the video | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbOjlHMlR0" target="_blank">Video Download Get the Video Widget I chose the name of video slightly facetiously. Of course, the bizarre thing about YouTube is that it suggested that the next thing I might want to watch is another video called 'Hi-Viz dogs', this time from a bike cammer in Wellington (NZ, I assume).
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Greenroofer, hyper dog, not good beside canal.
curious how fast were you going?Posted 11 years ago # -
Only just saw 2 ninja peds on Innocent on the way home.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@559 - speed varies depending on the conditions and the location (obviously!). On those long straights with good visibility at 0730 and in daylight it's considerably quicker than other parts of the route. (For example, there's a section between the bridge to the WoL path and the Kingsknowe railway bridge that's really narrow and blind and I think most people go too fast along it: I've actually started ringing my bell as I approach it now).
Posted 11 years ago # -
Someone should start making those rickshaw bells that ring using a striker on the wheel, once every rotation. Think it would catch on?
Posted 11 years ago # -
That dog did look like it had escaped from its owner - i.e. the owner does not necessarily think that it is appropriate to let the dog run loose like that.
Posted 11 years ago # -
I'm intrigued to see the next 30 seconds of footage as to whether you got off and walked across the viaduct as the sign requests. I've had my dog on a lead and sitting by my side on the viaduct when we were hit by a bike. I was then given a mouth full of abuse for daring to question his right to cycle where he liked.
Posted 11 years ago # -
While I definitely think that 'uncontrolled' dogs should have their roaming curtailed, I have to say that the hatred of dogs often displayed here smacks very much of drivers complaining about cyclists being 'in the middle of the road' or 'weaving all over the place'.
The majority of the time dogs are well controlled, and all it takes is a little sense from the cyclist going past, looking out for any potential for a sudden change in direction from the dog, and riding at an appropriate speed around a path user who has every right to be there.
The majority of the time cyclists are under control, and all it akes is a little sense from the driver going past, looking out for any potential for a sudden change in direction from the cyclist (hitting a pothole say), and driving at an appropriate speed around a road user who has every right to be there.
Plus, quite frankly, I always defer to pedestrians on shared use paths as they are more vulnerable than me, in much the same way as I'd like drivers to defer to me on the road as I'm the more vulnerable user.
But the dogs thing is a circular argument here, much like helmets and hi viz, so I don't really propose to say any more on the matter.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@anth, a good analogy- especially because the consequences for a cyclist of hitting a dog include personal injury, which isn't a consideration for drivers (as evidenced by the way so many of them drive), so there's even more incentive not to get involved in a crash.
At the same time, if I started making unsignalled u-turns on my bike with no regard to passing traffic I'd certainly be knocked off, and the police, insurers, bystanders, other cyclists and, well, everybody really would largely agree that it was my fault. I don't think the argument that drivers should simply be prepared for unsignalled u-turns by cyclists would hold much water.
In some ways I think the distinction between a dog causing a crash on a "road" and merely a "path" is a false one, in that we should have a reasonable expectation that people who want to own a dog will not allow it to cause loss/damage/injury in a public place. I'd be just as upset to be riding at Glentress and find someone with an uncontrolled dog trying to walk up a downhill descent.
It's tempting to think only of bitter and scarred commuter warriors moaning about dogs that force them to brake from 30mph to 25mph on the canal towpath, but really we should mainly be thinking about children learning to ride, and whether we're happy with the behaviour of dogs/owners in that scenario (since their behaviour is the same either way, but it's a better way to frame the debate IMO - lowest common denominator etc).
Posted 11 years ago # -
' rickshaw bells that ring using a striker on the wheel, once every rotation. '
I've got a melodic Japanese bell that sits under the handlebar and rings perpetually (while moving). It's not too intrusive, but sufficiently loud so that anybody on the towpath can hear me coming. I picked it up when I was in Tokyo this year, where there is widespread, and what seems to be culturally accepted pavement cycling. A lot of the bikes had these bells.
I find it a relaxing chime, and it only seems to disconcert other cyclists that I happen to be behind, but am not in a position to overtake. Walkers seem to be OK with it..If everybody had one, it could get quite noisy on the path though...
Posted 11 years ago # -
Sounds interesting (maybe very interesting!) - how does the ringing mechanism work?
Strangely it's very difficult to google for a bike bell that rings all the time. Probably just terminology fail.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Oh dear. Someone posts a video of themselves carefully avoiding an out of control dog and it is ALL THEIR FAULT for...for...slowing down and avoiding the dog?
My husband got knocked off his bike by an out of control dog who jumped on him and was off for weeks because of it. It goes both ways.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Can't see the video....
And yes, it goes both ways, hence my opening gambit of, "While I definitely think that 'uncontrolled' dogs should have their roaming curtailed..." (in much the same way that 'unsignalled u-turns' should be stopped - all I'm advocating is a certain recognition and anticipation of occasionaly unpredictability, the same as we'd expect of drivers around cyclists. If the dog in the vid is uncontrolled then it's the fault of the owner rather than the cyclist, especially if the cyclist did slow down and take care)
There seems a belief in some, however, that all dogs are uncontrolled (in exactly the same way that some drivers think all cyclists are uncontrolled on the road).
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Dave - I think you'll find that the Bromptonistas already had the perpetually ringing bell, given the state of the carriageways and cycle paths in Edinburgh!
Robert
Posted 11 years ago # -
When I used to commute on the towpath (from Tollcross to Sighthill long ago) I once got stopped by an indignant woman who basically just wanted to tell me all about how her dog had been injured by an out of control cyclist and was now terrified of them. I sympathised and chatted with her for a bit, and generally tried to give the impression that I wasn't as mad as the other cyclist - what else could one do.
re Japanese pavement cycling - during the summer at least there are often [people who look like] oriental tourists wandering along the cycle path side of MMW. Normally when you ding a bell, smile at someone and keep on riding in their direction, they move to the pedestrian side, but these folk don't seem to get the idea of a cycle path at all, and just carry on wandering dreamily along the middle of the cycle path. Even if I knew the Japanese for a respectful request to move to the other side of the big white line I suspect it wouldn't be succinct enough to call out cheerily while cycling past. Oh well.
Posted 11 years ago # -
"I have to say that the hatred of dogs often displayed here smacks very much of drivers complaining about cyclists..."
I don't hate dogs just because of the way they behave on cycle paths, but I don't really propose to say any more on that matter.
It is sometimes useful to intentionally conflate 'human owner/operator' and 'semi-domesticated animal of the order Carnivora ostensibly under the guardianship of their associated human' into 'dog' for ease of reference in the same way that 'car' is often shorthand for 'driver'.The only actual dog-striking interaction I've ever had was when an uncontrolled one deliberately ran under my front wheel at Bingham when I was already three feet onto the grass and going at half a mile an hour trying to avoid it.
Posted 11 years ago # -
@Dave Can't find a weblink, but basically it's just a small bell (shaped like this one -http://www.antiqueoakfurniture.co.uk/images/Bell-1.jpg), with a bit of velcro tape to wrap around the handlebar.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Can we ask Richard Ballantine about this?
("Richard's Bicyle Book")Posted 11 years ago # -
"Can we ask Richard Ballantine about this?"
Reference to use of bicycle pump?
Posted 11 years ago # -
Oh he offers so many options.....
Posted 11 years ago # -
And I'd like to point out I don't agree with them!
Posted 11 years ago #
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