Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

One thing that puzzles me slightly is why you would want to have teeny tiny narrow chopped bars on a MTB?

Fashion/weak-minded.

This should be the sign at ALL junctions/lights where the idiots that undertake:

Internal Cumbustion>pedal power
(fuctard)

You see all ^...^this stuff and begin to see the source of the ire that come from some drivers towards anyone/everyone on two wheels.

I had school kids out the other day and was temporarily without my helmet when this random bloke gets out of his van and says, "I hope you're gonna be wearing one like they are?!"
Cue curt conversation/prejudice exchange between us as we're walking the opposite directions. I'm now irritated as he's done this in front of my trainees, though thankfully I'd already told the children that we'd be having a helmet debate at the end of the week/course, so it didn't look too bad.

At the end of the day it was still buggin me so I decided to see if I could find this bloke, which I did, to conclude the conversation. I let him start and listen intently
to everything he has to say then I say my piece.
We ended up talking for about 45mins about, the faulsities of helmet safety claims, the danger of mandatory legislation for helmet use and how wearing high-viz and a helmet WILL NOT stop anyone acting a tool nor will it save them either. And how the greater importance lies in road training. He showed great humilty in changing his view of road use and now we're buddies (...well facebook frineds) now. He said he'd even follow my tweets...I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't use twitter :-s

He seemed thrilled to have gained a real insight into things and seemed to take pleasure in being able to tell his ignorant van driving mates that a lot of their views were wrong. He will be more patientand understanding in future. If only all 'beef' could go this way....

People have been riding like cocks all winter. It's not just the fairweather brigade who are fucking useless.

it's worse in the sun though. before it's all people who think they're the bollocks, and action movie material. the fairweather brigade are all bimbling around dangerously, paying no attention to the road, listening to music and thinking about outfits. the slack-chain and brakeless tribe were out in force in dalston yesterday

3 people undertaking at speed this week, all in really busy traffic - all replying to my polite explanation of why its dangerous with a version of 'fuck off'. I think im just gonna cut them up and pull a big skid in front of em next time, Im just sick of being told where to go by nodders in the wrong grrrrrr

time to dust off your Dick Moves.

Anecdotal at best.

yeah well it was BrickMan's anecdote from personal experience so...

I generally wait in queues of traffic now, primary(ish) position. An example is Clerkenwell Rd, heading east, waiting at the Farringdon Road lights. 99.9% of other riders will filter down the left in a desperate bid to be at the front. What's the fucking point?

Usual outcome: a couple of mind-bendingly slow riders with fuck-all riding skill are at the front of the bike queue (more of a gaggle), and people start doing insane evasive manoeuvres to get around them, without looking or signalling to the traffic behind. I'm part of that traffic behind, know what to expect, get in the middle of the lane, and calmly follow the rest of the traffic I've queued behind, passing the majority of knobends who had to get to the front.

Once again. What is the fucking point? Why do it if you're not 100% confident of accelerating away from the lights faster than any of the other must-get-to-the-front riders, which means you've been using some sick observation skills in the stretch of road preceding the lights.

And whilst we're talking about undertaking, don't expect me to shift my line outwards if you've got the gall/disrespect to pass me on my left. I'm not going to punch you or push you, but I'm not going to fucking move. If I have to lean on you, and you crash, fucking good, you idiots.

What, indeed, is the point? I think the truth is the people you are talking about would not have an answer: it is just what you do on a bike. It's hard to overestimate the role that conditioning plays in this. 'Ordinary' cyclists are conditioned by infrastructure that teaches them to filter up the inside and suggests that at the front of the queue is the place to be. They are conditioned by their own fear and ignorance in to thinking that the more they separate themselves from 'traffic' the safer they are. And they are conditioned by seeing other cyclists do this and so it continues in a self-perpetuating process.
I don't believe cyclists are any stupider or cleverer than any other group. In fact I know this to be true. If my job was just to try and rescue people from their stupidity it would be a depressing way to make a living. But it is not. There are consistent reasons cyclists behave the way they do and for those cyclists they are unquestioned and, in a sense, rational (the bulk of cyclists anyway, of course there are some who are simply foolish, reckless, selfish or arrogant).
It takes very little time for them to change the way they see things. It doesn't have to be explained in great detail, a few questions are usually enough for their deeply held ideas to start to crumble. After all they know they have problems riding, they know they get stressed and frightened, they have a suspicion that it surely does not have to be like this. What they do not realise is that the very things they do to be 'good' and 'safe' cyclists - meek, unassertive, obedient, doing what all the other cyclists do - are the very things that are making their journeys so unpleasant.
And tiny little things can make a massive difference; like knowing how to use your gears so you are in the correct one to get away from the lights quickly and steadily so you are not swamped or veer close to passing cars and cyclists.
It may seem stupid that such things are not intuitive but generally people don't think much about cycling; it is just something they do, maybe have always done or have just started doing seeing it as a simple activity. After all, there are no lessons or a license to earn before you can get going on even the busiest roads in London. Given that they then so often find themselves intimidated or overwhelmed it's not that surprising that they find reassurance in doing what they see being done all around them.

I generally wait in queues of traffic now, primary(ish) position. An example is Clerkenwell Rd, heading east, waiting at the Farringdon Road lights. 99.9% of other riders will filter down the left in a desperate bid to be at the front. What's the fucking point?

Usual outcome: a couple of mind-bendingly slow riders with fuck-all riding skill are at the front of the bike queue (more of a gaggle), and people start doing insane evasive manoeuvres to get around them, without looking or signalling to the traffic behind. I'm part of that traffic behind, know what to expect, get in the middle of the lane, and calmly follow the rest of the traffic I've queued behind, passing the majority of knobends who had to get to the front.

Once again. What is the fucking point? Why do it if you're not 100% confident of accelerating away from the lights faster than any of the other must-get-to-the-front riders, which means you've been using some sick observation skills in the stretch of road preceding the lights.

And whilst we're talking about undertaking, don't expect me to shift my line outwards if you've got the gall/disrespect to pass me on my left. I'm not going to punch you or push you, but I'm not going to fucking move. If I have to lean on you, and you crash, fucking good, you idiots.

^ Tell it like it is sister.

Oh, I, on the other hand, will push you. Right in your red, panting, inept fucking face. I only choose to do this because pissing on you is quite tricky whilst clipped in.

People have been riding cocks all winter. It's not just the fairweather brigade who are fucking useless.

waits for sad cunt to ftfy by deleting 'like'

ftfy

Can I just add my penniesworth? I dont cycle in London, I live in the North of Italy, where cycling has been for many years and still is very popular. People commute to work, take the kids to school, do the shopping etc by bike, in fact the town where I live is criss-crossed by cycle-tracks. But again there are all sorts who ride here, the other night I was coming back from work (a 20 mile commute) and I know that as soon as I get to the city, it is time to slow right down, and be extra vigilant, because people just dont look, they will pull out in front of you without looking and then get s shock when you pass them! Also people with their music, or phones, just dont realise who is behind them. The other night, whilst on this track, at a busy junction (with another cycle-track, where people never look!!!) I was behind a guy riding one handed (on his town bike) whilst the other hand is up to his ear. I slow down for this junction, he goes straight through without looking, then on the other side I decide it is time to pass him, just as he decided to do a 180 and go back the way he came (whilst still on the mobile)!!! I just manage to avoid him, he doesnt even see me!!! Then I shout something (in English!!!), to which he tells me to feck off in Italian!!!!

Also for a town with so many bikes, I still cant believe the amount of people who ride on the roads without lights!!!!! Very annoying, especially as it is difficult to see them whilst driving!!!!

Rant over!!

I let him start and listen intently
to everything he has to say then I say my piece.

always the best course of action - let them vent out what they have to says.

it seemed to work all the time.

same people posting in this thread.
the cretins whose witless acts of stupidity you witness are posting in text speak in the rest of the forum.
they are your cycling brothers, embrace their existence.

next week is embrace a fixie-prick week.

take them to one side, call them 'bro', compliment them on their stovepipe frame and pink aerospoke. then kick the stupid cunt in the bollocks.
as they cry for their mothers in the gutter drag them out of it and show them the primary position.

^blah^blah^blah^

It's good to see w'will's professional attitude. I agree, of course.

It's good to see hippy's shared sense of exasperation. I agree, of course.

I'm not agreeing with anything MrSmyth says. His grooming of the young phixeh crew is couched in satirical language, but doesn't hide his deviant intent. He's almost as bad as cliveo.

Come on, he was obviously doing her a favour by inserting his head through her windscreen, the most visible approach path possible, no?

#withsuncomesfuckwits

Haha, the man speaks the truth.
I hing about for 90sec and gave t inhe driver my details incase she needed backing up in what ever comes next. No cameras on buses round hee either.

Was cycling up to a junction today and turning left. Someone on a hybrid overtook me very close on the right and then immediately turned left into the junction right in front of me, nearly taking out my front wheel.

Then he huffed and puffed up the hill in the gutter, I overtook him (tinkled my bell as well) close to the crown of the road as I was turning right, then he shot out to the right (no checking or indicating) onto the same road I was going onto. He clipped my rear wheel and went down, I half-fell-half-stepped off my bike and helped him up. He was pretty apologetic about both incidents.

reaching fucking boiling point as some idiot has locked her bike so that I cannot free my bike. I was there first, and she has effectively boxed my bike in by locking to the same stand.

the only thing keeping me from trashing her shitty bike to pieces is that it might case her to abandon it and then I would never get my bike out. left a note... it better be gone in a few hours.

unlock your bike, lock your bike to hers and the stand. Get a borris bike home.

unlock your bike, lock your bike to hers and the stand. Get a borris bike home.

Ahhhh ha ha ha

not really as you still have to wait for fucktardtart to come along and unlock her bike too

thought about that, but if that prompts her to go home by other means too then how long would I be stuck? the entire week end?

shit, if there ever was a cyclist 'community' in London I doubt it will last beyond summer 2011. seeing too much fuckery these days.

anyfuckwit on a bike is corny's friend

so have a word with him.

after I posted that I realised it would mean a stale mate. Your only remaining solution is to buy a new bike.

Clocks change over the weekend. If the weather's decent, Monday will be fucking terrible.

I might be tempted to leave the house half an hour early, just to make sure I witness the worst of it.

Tonight in Southwark, a bloke on a hybrid approached lights that had just turned green, with a truck clearly indicating left, I assumed the guy had seen this and would pull up sharp as he appeared to be heading straight on,instead he swerved around the let turning truck, narrowly missing contact.

I pulled up next to him at the next set of lights and said that was close, he replied, oh yes, you have to be careful with left turning lorries! Inn a friendly tone, I pointed out the obvious and he was genuinely surpised that he was at fault.

Almost beyond belief, were it not a daily occurrence!

What, indeed, is the point? I think the truth is the people you are talking about would not have an answer: it is just what you do on a bike. It's hard to overestimate the role that conditioning plays in this. 'Ordinary' cyclists are conditioned by infrastructure that teaches them to filter up the inside and suggests that at the front of the queue is the place to be. They are conditioned by their own fear and ignorance in to thinking that the more they separate themselves from 'traffic' the safer they are. And they are conditioned by seeing other cyclists do this and so it continues in a self-perpetuating process.
I don't believe cyclists are any stupider or cleverer than any other group. In fact I know this to be true. If my job was just to try and rescue people from their stupidity it would be a depressing way to make a living. But it is not. There are consistent reasons cyclists behave the way they do and for those cyclists they are unquestioned and, in a sense, rational (the bulk of cyclists anyway, of course there are some who are simply foolish, reckless, selfish or arrogant).
It takes very little time for them to change the way they see things. It doesn't have to be explained in great detail, a few questions are usually enough for their deeply held ideas to start to crumble. After all they know they have problems riding, they know they get stressed and frightened, they have a suspicion that it surely does not have to be like this. What they do not realise is that the very things they do to be 'good' and 'safe' cyclists - meek, unassertive, obedient, doing what all the other cyclists do - are the very things that are making their journeys so unpleasant.
And tiny little things can make a massive difference; like knowing how to use your gears so you are in the correct one to get away from the lights quickly and steadily so you are not swamped or veer close to passing cars and cyclists.
It may seem stupid that such things are not intuitive but generally people don't think much about cycling; it is just something they do, maybe have always done or have just started doing seeing it as a simple activity. After all, there are no lessons or a license to earn before you can get going on even the busiest roads in London. Given that they then so often find themselves intimidated or overwhelmed it's not that surprising that they find reassurance in doing what they see being done all around them.

Excellent !

He said he'd even follow my tweets...I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't use twitter :-s

:(

I would follow you on twitter.

It would be Louis CK, Multigrooves and Charile Sheen. Fucking BADASS!

I need to follow more people.

You don't want to follow me. You just get me moaning about everything

Sweet Jesus. If you ever want to see multiple back-to-back near death experiences, get a front seat on the upper deck of a bus at rush hour on a busy commuter route. It's a circus out there.