Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I called out a prime bellwhiff this morning on Victoria Park Road for undertaking me and a large vehicle negotiating a narrow one way street with cars parked on both sides and motorcycles overtaking down the right side. I slowed down with the slowly moving traffic as there really wasn't enough room to safely filter at this point and as I checked over my left shoulder the cockwomble squeezed past me and down the side of the truck. This is before he undertook a car indicating left at the roundabout and headed over to the second exit.

As I casually passed him further up the road, I told him that he shouldn't have undertook me at all, let alone head down the inside of the truck there. Then I got told I was dangerous for slowing down with the traffic and I could've caused an accident by changing my speed...

I slowed down enough as I passed him to have this conversation before calling him a silly old cunt and cycling off. If you read this or are on here, my point still stands. Slowing down with traffic is much safer than undertaking large vehicles with very little room to do so.

P.S. he wasn't even wearing a helmet, which doesn't bother me, but if he believes cycling in this manner is correct then maybe he should reconsider.

How do people come up with these insane ideas?

They're not insane ideas, they're childish experimentation. People think riding a bike is easy. It isn't--'as easy as riding a bike' refers only to checking your constant tendency to fall sideways and correcting it, only to then fall to the other side and correcting it, and so on. Once you have mastered that, you hardly notice it any more except for when you lose control. This is considered a child's skill--adults are often embarrassed not to have learned it. Much of the rest of bike riding, e.g. in a busy urban environment, goes beyond that, and people are to various degrees reluctant to accept the necessity of learning this further skill-set. They demand the right to be allowed to do it their own way very much in the way that children do; you're effectively disturbing them at play.

Oliver...I could hug you

#wouldrep

I'm a prime helmetless bellwhiff that goes down Victoria Park Road, don't remember being shouted at though.

Maybe you didn't hear me whilst you were undertaking the traffic. ;)

I'm a good boy and filter on the right. I do pass through Victoria Park every morning though, spot someone even now and then on something grey and fixed gear.

Oh. That'll be me. Although I was on my road bike this morning.

Riding home today and suggested a girl turn on her lights. She rolled up next to me at the lights and I noticed she only had one nut on her front wheel axle. Total WTF, pointed her to the closest bike shop.

DIY lefy fork.

Sitting at the South end of Milkwood Road, at the Half Moon Lane/Norwood Road, waiting for the lights to change in my favour. They do, only a cockwomble on a white singlespeed doesn't stop at the Half Moon lights and keeps going, cutting across my path. Then he realises why I had slowed down - to avoid being crushed by the coach on my right, making the same turn. He now tries to avoid death, which requires both his feet on the ground since it is a brakless singlespeed.

Suicidal bell-end.

What is it with brakeless single speeds? WHY?

What is it with brakeless single speeds? WHY?

They want that feeling of being at one with the large vehicle that's left hooking them.

What is it with brakeless single speeds? WHY?

Don't worry. They have a short life span.

Skülly
What a pratt^^

ON BELLS

I think a bell is really useful, like @umop3pisdn said, used 'correctly'. So I've come to the conclusion that 'correctly' could mean NOT ringing a bell at the moment that people are already crossing and you're bearing down on them - you missed your bell window. Ringing your bell well in advance works loads better - by that I guess I mean only about one or two seconds earlier than you actually need people to not be there where your line is.

If you missed the moment, don't ring your bell after that like that douche ringing their bell does. Just suck it up, let people cross, ride at walking pace etc.

Timing is everything. Ask my lovers.

You left your white slazenger socks behind again.

Oliver Schick in reply to @biarittz
They're not insane ideas, they're childish experimentation. People think riding a bike is easy. It isn't--'as easy as riding a bike' refers only to checking your constant tendency to fall sideways and correcting it, only to then fall to the other side and correcting it, and so on. Once you have mastered that, you hardly notice it any more except for when you lose control. This is considered a child's skill--adults are often embarrassed not to have learned it. Much of the rest of bike riding, e.g. in a busy urban environment, goes beyond that, and people are to various degrees reluctant to accept the necessity of learning this further skill-set. They demand the right to be allowed to do it their own way very much in the way that children do; you're effectively disturbing them at play.

I use the "easy as riding a bike" for my deliveries but you've hit it neatly. It ties perfectly with the mindset and reticence towards cycle training for many.
How do we remove the shame that people feel in themselves in relation to riding amongst others?

C*** of the month on my commute yesterday evening: A lady on a dutch bike having a video call...

OK cool. Give 'em to my mum next time you see her?

Called at a silly cunt on Bethnal Green Road westbound this morning who decided it would be a great idea to ride under a coach indicating left to pull in. I shouted "IT'S TURNING IN!" at him, but no... he was gone. I passed the bus on the right side and looked over to see the guy had had to jump up onto the pavement.

When he got to the lights at Brick Lane told him why I'd shouted, but he was more concerned about my installed brklss.

Yeah, I can't really comment on bike setups even though his brakes seemed to be a bit shit, but at least I ride within my ability with excellent road awareness (I definitely don't ride like I'm recording a Mash video everywhere). He wasn't happy, so at the end of this rather shit conversation I told him I didn't care if he died as long as I didn't have to witness it.

What is it with brakeless single speeds? WHY?

BMX'ers who've been riding around footpaths at 5mph brakeless, hopefully finding out very quickly they can't do the same thing at speed in traffic on a single speed.

possibly some of them, but also utter fuckwits

Absolutely, i defend my right to play in the street!

Object used to commute on a brakeless BMX, no?

Cyclist v cyclist altercation outside work this morning erupted into a brawl. Sorry I had to laugh.