SiPie

Rannoch

My honest thoughts (having been a car commuter for 20 years and a cycle commuter for the last year....in Edinburgh but not in London)

I've noticed a two pronged psychological change that happens when you start to cycle commute or cycle for long periods in and around cities:

1) As a cyclist....there is an obvious subconscious or sometimes very conscious fear for your safety and as you well know, when things feel cornered/threatened or under attack, then the response is to attack. Hence why you see alot of cyclists being 'Mr Angry' and usually shouting futile obscenities at car, bus and TAXI drivers....

2) Rightly or wrongly...there is also a level of moral superiority that creeps in when you see cars that cost a fortune to run, being stuck in jams and according to some current beliefs....polluting the environment and effectively being ranked alongside Myra Hindley and Ian Huntly in the evil stakes

Coupled with the great physical and mental benefits (that I find on such a relatively long commute) it's sometimes difficult not to feel sickened when you look at fat red faced stressed suited slobs sitting in their little cages chatting on their phones cigarette in mouth.

From all my many visits to London, I have yet to encounter a colder more hostile city where there is no eye contact and people simply do not have the time of day for you. Whether Londoners act like this towards other Londoners I have no idea, but most appear outright rude and hostile to visitors.

Coupled with the fact as previously mentioned that a high percentage of cyclists simply are tree hugging, sandle wearing, bearded, politically correct, veggie munching w@nkers or students .....then it comes as no surprise that you find in London the behaviour of cyclists to be even worse than other cities.

I also presume that many young people in London see no need or benefit in owning a car, therefore alot who ride bikes have never driven and therefore don't have the slightest clue about the highway code. Hence the idiotic riding you see.

I follow the rules of the road when cycle commuting, wear high vis clothing and use lights all year round... and this is probably due to having driven for over 20 years before cycling on the roads and knowing the dangers.......but I know I am in a tiny minority.

Rather than road taxing bikes etc, just have a mandatory cycling proficiency test and if you don't have a permit on you when cycling, then you get charged.

All this lumped in with humans generally now having little consideration for other road users........or anyone apart from themselves really seems to be at the core..

My thoughts anyway




PS Fat women drivers are blind and stupid

what would scooby do

..and always to be found in MPV's, window down, *** in gob and bingo wings flapping away in the breeze.

Matteeboy

Actually, I've just remembered, we moved away from London for a good reason (after a year) and now back in nice safe Cornwall, I don't actually care.
Sorry to disappoint.

Corradoboy you complete tool - WHY have cars got all these safety features? Because they are 1.5+ tonne lumps of metal capable of doing 100+mph. That's very dangerous.
A 25lb bike doing 30 is a bit safer and doesn't need to rely on half a tonnes worth of safety features to survive.
Maybe you shouldn't walk? NO safety aids at all.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

A 25lb bike, travelling at 30mph with a 168lb rider could easily kill or seriously harm a pedestrian in a head on collision!

Oh, and if you don't care about London cyclists then with all due respect you are the complete tool for posting all the worthless posts in this thread. Trolling at it's uninformed worst.

Matteeboy

I do apologise Rannoch but you really do attract attention with your "outspoken" remarks. It's hard to ignore them.

SiPie

In which case.....pedestrians should think and maybe even look before stepping off a pavement into a bike lane

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

so are we all friends again and sorted this out like grown ups

Matteeboy

Do you honestly think I would take a bike to London?!

Drive or train. In fact driving there on Monday for a lovely meeting.

SJ_Skyline

Less than 1 hour ago:

Bike courier comes flying up the blind side of a bendy bus whilst I was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing and jumps the light, nearly taking my nose off.

I got hit by someone doing the same thing a couple of months back, the only difference being was that he was going the wrong way down a one way street.

It's these crazy fools that should be locked up - mind you, I think you need your head examining cycling in London!

SiPie

Forearm across the throat for w@nkers like that....

Couriers (and motorcycle couriers) are a different breed altogether

Leslie

Thank you for making that clear Rannoch.

I dont see why cyclists should be so arrogant to break the road traffic laws as so many of them do. Note I did not say all of them! They can be very dangerous, both to themselves on the roads generally and to others particularly when they go belting along the pavements.

I would like to mention pedestrians as well. They are really badly behaved these days. They treat the main roads as though they were pedestrianised blocking them up for the cars, especially narrow roads in towns. They step into the road with their backs to the traffic without looking first and cross the road diagonally instead of straight across as the code says. If they have a near miss or have horn sounded at them they behave as though it is always the driver's fault. I wonder if they bother to teach children how to behave on roads these days. It always used to be done at school but even parents rarely seem to bother either. The thing I see so often too is woman pushing a wheelchair into the road without looking for traffic first. No thought whatsoever I am afraid!

Does your **** get wet on that when it rains Matteeboy?

Les

Matteeboy

Why is it arrogant to avoid cycling somewhere dangerous?

It is arrogant for a pedestrian to cross a road? Roads are for cars after all aren't they?

I have waterproofs Leslie AND a car.

SJ_Skyline

A flameproof would have been better for this thread mate

FWIW, I don't have a problem with people cycling on pavements on condition that they understand that pedestrians have right of way and they are not tanking it along.

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

I live just over 10 miles West of London and decided to start cycling to work in Leicester Square 2 weeks ago
Primarily because I was fed up with the Tube and I thought it would be good exercise

I am amazed at the bad quality of cycling

1. Tonnes of women wearing walkman's - for christ sake - do they want to die
2. Other cyclings hustling to the front at the lights to get the extra millisecond of time saved - I find myself having to watch out for other cyclists more than I do cars
3. Taxi's who lane swap without indication and without a care for anyone - its frustrating

It is bloody dangerous and I will probably just do over the summer - it does make you a little more aware when your driving but the majority of cyclists do cycle like they are the only ones on the road - thats my observations in the first 2 weeks - and as for highway code - forget that - many ignore red lights, but only when its clear to move forward without fear of being killed

As for cycling on the pavement - I get off the bike and push it the last 100 metres on the pavement - its the only sensible thing to do

SiPie

Totally agree

I felt 1,000,000 times safer in the winter dealing with the Scottish weather as opposed to summer dealing with tourists and other part time student moronic cyclists who offer a much bigger threat to your safety than any vehicles do.

Motorists tend to give you more respect in winter months as well, where as in the summer they are plagued by the aforementioned w@nker student/suicidal part time cycle nutters...

Stay well lit and spend good money on good warm windproof waterproofs and be prepared to service your bike every weekend if your mileage is big.....the salt just destroys things

For anyone else thinkng about the switch to two wheels for commuting .....**** only knows why after reading this thread ......! then this forum offers seriously good advice

Commuting - Bike Forums

ChrisB

Too right mate. I've been out and about around London Bridge a bit this morning.

Lost count of the number of people not wearing a helmet [1] and seen numerous people riding with headphones in I did notice one lady with a helmet on but it was slid all the way back on her head so gave no front protection at all.

A friend of mine who lives in Sheffield and bike commutes got taken out on Monday evening. Cycling home and a car stopped in a section which is marked as no-stopping during rush hour (which it was). Somebody opened the door to get out the back right in front of him - he hit it doing around 20mph. He went down like the proverbial sack with quite a bit of damage to his bike but thankfully only cuts, scrapes and bruises to him. He's not a small guy and the back door wouldn't close properly after he bounced off it.

He rang the driver the day after. She wouldn't give him her insurance details and her partner could be heard saying "If he pays for the door we'll pay for his bike".


[1] Mind you, it's a very common sight at trail centres like Llandegla to see a family out. Kids with helmets on, parents without.

Leslie

You missed the point Matteeboy.

It is arrogant to cycle where you should not do by law and the pavements are among those places. Good idea to avoid danger of course. If necessary just push the bike around to a safer place. I used to anyway. Is it sensible to cycle over red lights? or the wrong way up one way streets! By the same token I would not drive on cycleways.

Of course pedestrians have to cross the road, I did not say they shouldn't. It is the method used which counts. Walking along the road instead of the pavement is stupid and unfair to drivers and stepping in front of cars without looking or sometimes while looking but doing it at the last minute and forcing drivers to have to stand on the brakes is highly arrogant of course. I don't consider it unfair or even non PC to mention that sort of behaviour.

Yes I would expect you to have waterproofs as indeed I carry on my motor bike. But I was only joking anyway!

Les

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

SiPie

Lights and a Yello Hi Vis are the next on my agenda - especially given the dark rainy days!

boomer

mb

Trout

iTrader: (1)

In London there have been 2,500 fixed penalty notices issued against cyclists in each of the past two years for riding on the pavement. TfL is recommending that the average penalty is increased from £30 to £100 to discourage persistent riding on the pavement.

There is a report of an incident in Truro by strange coincidence where someone was cycling on a pavement (because he thought it was safer - maybe he was speaking to the same policeman who is MateyBouy's mate) who hit a pedestrian who then died from the head injuries. The cyclist faces up to two years inside.

Dracoro

At least things are being done (and I cycle to work everyday, pi$$ses me off when cyclists go through red lights etc.).

On the subject of pavements, cyclists ARE ALLOWED to go on the pavement but only if safe to do so (i.e. no pedestrians nearby).

hux309

You lightweight truro isn't that bad.

Ok the trafalgar area i'll let you have that one.

Leslie

I agree with all of that.

There is no excuse whatsoever for cyclists to ride up one way streets in the wrong direction, occupy to centre of the road unless turning right, ride 2 or 3 abreast which is a real hazard for cars, jump traffic lights or ride on the pavement. Often at night without lights too for goodness sake!

It is long past time when the police took action against all the examples of bad or unlawful riding, as much for the cyclists' sake as the car drivers and pedestrians.

Les

Simon C

Oh will you bickering girls get a grip.

There are good riders out there and bad, just like there are good drivers and bad drivers.

An every day occurance for me is dodging cars that try to turn left and right over a ghost island, I'm just waiting for 1 to hit me, then its payday. Yes I commute via car and bike depending on what I'm doing.

Yes I have a helmet, yes I have working lights. My helmet and rucsac both have 3M diamond reflective tape on to make me more visable. No I don't have a bell, cos my voice is louder then most bells.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

A cycling guide from HMSO states clearly that cycling on a pavement is illegal.

Leslie

As long as you observe the rules of the road and your cycle is completely legal, even to the effect of carrying a bell or hooter, which yours doesn't! then you have a perfect right to speak up for cyclists who are also just as responsibly minded.

Les

Matteeboy

I have a bell (on my bike) - looks quite funny on a hardcore XC mountain bike but it works well!

Brendan Hughes

PMSL at all the SNetters who get uptight about cyclists breaking the laws, but they think it's fine to do 90mph in a 70 limit, fun to have a "play" with other cars on dual carriageways (racing on the public highway), come on here looking for legal loopholes as soon as they get speeding tickets, "make progress" along country lanes (ie, not being able to stop within visible distance), etc etc.

BTW, can't be arsed with the whole thread. What about those cyclists that leave their bikes in mother and baby spaces so that they don't get their Marin scratched? Gets my goat that does

vindaloo

Regarding the "London" or "central London" thing. Everyone learns to behave utterly ruthlessly when trying to get from A to B. If you don't, if you act politely or deferentially, the "pack" scents weakness and before you know it you're unable to move anywhere.

It's a personal armour one dons when entering a sh*thole. Central London is overcrowded, over polluted, overpriced and by modern standards, underdeveloped.

J.