2008-07-30 - Rider Down, Sloane Street

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  • You are unlikely to have your skull broken open and brain spattered 20 meters by the massive wheel of a 7.5 tonne HGV using one of them.

    you're speaking in worse-case scenario thought, not a reason.

  • In answer to chriscrash, I haven't heard what the outcome of the collision was. I can't find a thing online about it either.

  • monkeyhorn
    I love a good babble.

  • It's funny how we like being distracted from the things that we are actually doing.

    access to Dixons

    Yep!

  • think riding with phones ruins the experience in town, which is all about awareness.

    Which would have helped the bloke at Cannon St yesterday, little twit, headphones, small bike, beard, on drops, who almost got squeezed under a bendy bus and then tried to ride through me. "get the fuck out of my way" he squealed pinging his pathetic bell desperate to win some fantasy race against his drooping ego. Me, in full Dulwich race lycra, slowed down, blocking him some more, out of deep respect for his tragic existence. "you're the reason why some people shouldn't have bikes," I said, in my head, wondering how long his cycling career would wobble on.

  • It's funny how we like being distracted from the things that we are actually doing.

    With the exclusion of wanking.

  • think riding with phones ruins the experience in town, which is all about awareness.

    Which would have helped the bloke at Cannon St yesterday, little twit, headphones, small bike, beard, on drops, who almost got squeezed under a bendy bus and then tried to ride through me. "get the fuck out of my way" he squealed pinging his pathetic bell desperate to win some fantasy race against his drooping ego. Me, in full Dulwich race lycra, slowed down, blocking him some more, out of deep respect for his tragic existence. "you're the reason why some people shouldn't have bikes," I said, in my head, wondering how long his cycling career would wobble on.

    Was there a sign on the road that said "little twit's way?" if that's the case dulwich you shouldn't have been there.

    What a wonderful thing to say "get the fuck out of my way!".

  • After riding round London for a couple of decades, the worst road users now are, deep breath....
    cyclists.
    Let battle commence.

  • Un-friendly lot as well. etiquette and order needs to be restored

    i am all for a bunch of vigilantes enforcing right behaviour.

  • After riding round London for a couple of decades, the worst road users now are, deep breath....
    cyclists.
    Let battle commence.

    don't you meant new cyclists or cyclists in general?

  • Besides, I love the sound of my tires on tarmac too much

    Yeah man, you just hit the nail on the head there...

  • Sad to hear of another HGV incident.

    Headphones:
    +1 teenslain/hippy* et al*.I like music LOUD on big speakers, headphones are SHITE. I just think it separates you from the city too much when you spod about listening to music. Its like a really selfish act, in my opinion. What if someone's being mugged and calling for help and you're just over the road, saying to yourself yeah this Dubstep is W to the icked! FAIL. When I am riding a bike I'm not gonna want to be listening to lyrics or checking out B lines. I want to be riding a bike. Just that. When EVER I see someone wearing headphones (not just on bikes) I find myself kind of praying for them to wake up and smell the coffee. Seriously. Why do you need to have six thousand tunes on your person and be listening to them all time!? Its LAME. Music is about sharing.
    I say make ipods the new sideburns: Out OF Fashion. Uncool. Does anyone remember how headphones had almost disappeared before iPods? There was this massive glut of it in the Walkman era, then they kind of went uncool. This is about to happen again.

    That said, your sense of hearing doesn't substitute LOOKING over your shoulder every few seconds, which is how I ride. I find its a really good way to make cars who can't pass you less impatient and more considerate... a kind of mind trick. Its like, "OK they're aware of what's going on around them, so I will be too..." and I'm usually snarling when I look round so I'm scaring them too. I am totally amazed by how many cyclists never seem to look behind them when pulling across/around parked vehicles.

    couldn't agree less with your first paragraph. there's so much bellex in it i don't even know where to begin.

    i wholeheartedly agree with your second paragraph tho.

    the wearing of headphones does not preclude looking behind you. i've often told a rant-prone and judgemental friend "just because you hate morrisey doesn't mean you have to hate people who like morrisey".likewise, just because you don't like headphones doesn't mean you have to dislike people who do. in fact, just because a lot of inconsiderate, dangerous, stupid nodders wear headphones does not mean all people who wear headphones are also a liability. i tend to balance the volume so i've got decently loud music in my ears to drown out the worst of background the traffic on my commute but low enough that i can hear what's coming up behind me or nearby. and i look look look all the time. been riding in london for 11 years with various walkmans, minidiscs and now and yes, ipod.

  • Besides, I love the sound of my tires on tarmac too much.

    Yeah man, you just hit the nail on the head there...

    Then that would be the sound of the nail whacking your forks/stays and/or the hissing of air escaping from your inner tube.

  • monkeyhorn
    I love a good babble.

    so it appears ;)

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2008-07-30 - Rider Down, Sloane Street

Posted by Avatar for Buffalo_Bill @Buffalo_Bill

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