Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Hey everyone,

The irony of my comment today is that I'm actually part of the club that was mentioned earlier, but something very different has happened to me today and I would really appreciate your opinion on what I can do.

Today I rode with a close friend and a new group, we headed north and were passing quite a few people.

One of the riders we passed was an old acquaintance that I no longer speak to. While I was at the back of my new group, this person came up next to me and patted me on the back (hard and sarcastically) saying hello and how are you.

After I climbed the hill I was on and once we reached a roundabout, I told him that I didn't like him and if he could please not touch me or talk to me. His response?

"What are you gonna do if I touch you again?"

I asked him if he was a man or a child and to leave me alone. I tried to join my group again but was later followed by him, he came up next to me and grabbed my pump from my back pocket.
He then threatened me telling me that he wanted to finish this, etc, etc.

We swerved into a side road and he got off his bike, I stopped because I wanted my pump back. He approached me and told me he was keeping my pump. I watched him put it in his back pocket, shouting at him "give me back my f###ing pump!", he was about to get on his bike so I moved to him and tried to grab it from his back pocket. He stumbled back, almost surprised that I wanted my pump back.

Bearing in mind that he was off his bike and I was still on mine, he came at me, pushed me and began punching me. I tried to push his punches away from my face. He got me to the side of the head several times until his friend intervened and stopped it all.

He threatened me again saying "This won't be the last day I'll see you". I circled around him and tried to ring the police but no signal. He jumped off his bike again while I was circling ready to go at me again.

My Sunday morning ride, ruined, because of nothing but some angry person that I once knew but had no direct connection/issues with.

So... a police statement has been made. The person in question had texted me saying sorry, saying that grabbing my pump was a joke and that I overreacted by pushing him? And that he had pushed me in retaliation. So he's already admitted to it.

Thoughts guys? Maybe more back story? I really can't wait to expose this cyclist...

Thoughts guys?

As much as the Popcorn here could be great, best to let the Police sort* it without too much comment in a public forum.

P.s. Hope you got your pump back?

'* though it sounds from circumstances like they won't have much to sort? Hope you can smooth things between you enough to agree to go your separate ways.

Yeah your right. I just feel like a sitting duck and just want some justice.

I'll just wait to hear what they say, thank you.

And yes, got the pump back, after having to grab it off the man.

Yeah that behaviour is not on.

Press the charges.

And don't delete that text he sent you.

I just came here to rant.

Usually I'm the bad guy but today I went for a super chilled 70KM across town.

Last stretch, coming back along a bike lane, going fast but lane and street are quiet.

Guy on a road bike joins bike path ahead of me, no probs as we are both going around same speed.

Harmless nodder woman coming the other way on path (it isn't two-way). Instead of being cool this guy purposely crosses bike path like he is playing chicken (we aren't going so quick now). Woman freaks out and veers towards me head-on so I evade her by going onto pavement.

I was so angry I thought I was going to steal his pump.

Not proud of swearing my head off and riding away but I really wanted to push him in the traffic.

I was so angry I thought I was going to steal his pump.

HA!

Is stealing a pump the new kidney punch?

Lovely interaction this morning, close pass, snot rocket and spit all from the same dickhead cyclist and within 200 yards. None of it on purpose just an idiot with zero awareness of what/who is around them!

I've never been cycling in Regents Park. Except when I was 4 on my tricycle with my grandmother overseeing. (Everyone knows it's for boat trips, laying on the grass and being frighteningly far away from East London).

However, on these occasions mentioned, it was me.

It must be the better weather, but the number of dick moves really seems to have gone up. Look at this fuckwit. Going the wrong side of the island to go straight on across right turning traffic, missing me by a whisker. Fuck you.

CutUpLiverpoolRoadFront
from N VF on Vimeo.

Astonishing fuck-wittery

.

Glad he missed you. Truly shit riding.

I like to think I am pretty good at predicting stupidity and avoiding its results, but sometimes people really go above and beyond.

Shout out to the nodder on a Canyon who bombed through a crossing right in front of the pedestrian who'd been pleasantly surprised I stopped for them. Thanks for instantly cancelling out that goodwill.

Triathalope (IM Nice rucksack) this morning proving the rule:

• Awful road positioning at the lights at the end of Putney Bridge
  
• Half-undertaking along New King's Road
  
• Dreadful anticipation, almost took out a pedestrian that stepped out without looking (but it was obvious from way back that they were going to do it)
  
• Swerving out to overtake a bus (without looking behind) just before a pedestrian crossing
  
• Little patience (buzzed quite close to the doddery old fella using a zebra crossing)
  
  

Hasn't appeared on my Strava Flyby yet so I can't suggest he consider some cycle training.

Cycling along CS3 yesterday and some carbon bike racer twat went into the back of me when I stopped at one of the zebra crossings, seemed ok until later when I went to bike home and now think the back light on my brompton is fucked even tho it looks fine(fine apart from not coming on).

May the karma of brittle carbon greet him at an inconvenient, but not dangerous moment.

Give the wires are twiddle, if it’s fucked I have a spare one you can have free of charge

Nearly killed myself this morning with a massive misjudgement.

Heading north over Chelsea Bridge, I'm turning right on the Chelsea side to head along the embankment.

As I approach, traffic is quiet, lights are green and everyone ahead has already completed the right turn. I've done this route a 1000 times, I'm sure there is always a green light right turn filter before it goes red. This stops anyone heading south from approaching the bridge, while those heading north can complete their right turn.

Anyway, as I'm approaching the turning, lights go amber, but I'm on the junction now so tip it into the turn, knowing there will be plenty of time for me to complete my move before those going east/west get their green.

Much to my surprise, a massive bin lorry comes stonking through southbound heading straight at me. Half my brain went through the rapid internal monologue of "so this is it - i'm actually going to die"" Fortunately the other half engaged all the bike handling skills I posses to grab some brake, correct my turn and somehow screech to a halt not quite under his wheels.

I now can't work out if the green filter just didn't trigger, or whether he ran the red. Does anyone know if these are ever sensor operated? As it was strangely quiet and no on was queuing to go right, I'm wondering if it just remained green for both directions the whole way through the cycle. Any traffic light experts know what the deal is? Of course one should always pay maximum attention, but variable traffic light cycles seems like it would only ever introduce more risk.

Anyway, hope i stop shaking by lunch. Think I'll be seeing massive SUEZ bin lorries in my sleep tonight.

Heading north over Chelsea Bridge

a massive bin lorry comes stonking through from the south

Not sure I understand--did it come from the same direction as you?

Glad there was no crash.

Can't help you with the specific situation (glad you're ok though), but from my experience, bin lorries usually do some of the most risky driving I've ever seen. This is probably because they're under a lot of time pressure etc. etc., but it doesn't change the fact that e.g. when I was cycling up in Cambridge, they would often speed along the roads in the early morning as if it was physically impossible for anyone else to even exist on the same road. I wouldn't rule out the possibility yours just ran the red light.

Ah, no edit required...

I've gone north over the bridge, and on the Chelsea side i've turned to go right along embankment. Bin lorry is heading south to go straight over the bridge.

Pic here. I was the blue line, bin lorry on the orange. I've circled the traffic lights in pink. In this picture, it's just a green for those heading north (and those heading south). Normally, before the northbound light goes red, a green right turn filter comes on, and those heading south are held at a red.

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Crumbs. That sounds rather a hairy start to the morning.

To me it sounds like you were on the tail end of amber and the bin lorry plowed through the red. I am EXTREMELY glad to hear you are ok.