Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Also I giggled when a rider on a Brompton type bike pushed through a throng of riders who stopped at a red at the northern end of the Waterloo bridge (southbound lane) at around half 6 yesterday evening. The fella nearly jumped off his saddle (and his skin) when one of the massed riders shouted something to the effect of ''Oi! its red you Idiot''.

His clearly audible statement was greeted by a round of ''Well said mate'' by those of us on the northbound lane. But it does show proof of changing attitudes that what must have been at least 10 or more riders were patiently waiting for the lights to change rather than charging through like a herd of wheezing and creaking buffalo.

Very interesting. I just came here to say, I think Im out of the game. I upset this guy on Southwark Street last week. (he was a total bedwetter TBH). He did that thing of over shooting the stop lines and stopped exactly on the ped crossing and there wasn't a lot of space for crossing anyway. A few other cyclists turned up so I didn't wanna say anything then and waited until things spread out.
He just flipped out in no time screaming at me to fuck off and that I'd cause him to have an accident.
I didn't swear at him, threaten him, or belittle him. Just tried to engage in conversation. If that's the case then I'm out. I don't want anyone turned off cycling. But if anyone knows whom this guys is (Northern Irish, I think, with dark hair) apologise on my behalf. I was never looking to cause that amount of hurt to him but he does need a serious dose of HTFU.

Good luck with all the Wiggo wannabes on your commutes!

I shall be wearing Championship stripes this week, and Champs-Élyséesing every major highway that I get to.

I shall be wearing Championship stripes this week, and Champs-Élyséesing every major highway that I get to.

+1. Nice weather + BMC + Strava = what could go wrong ?

Yeah I'm totally calling myself out. 2 weeks off the bike, sun's out, ride like an absolute bell end on 2 Strava segments. Sorry to the 2 cyclists on Bow flyover.

Good luck with all the Wiggo wannabes on your commutes!

That's the first thing I thought when I saw the fella from Kilburn and his sideburns mount the podium, Halfords and Evans are probably going to make an absolute killing profit wise over the coming weeks. At least when Winter arrives we will see alot of these guys quit :)

I didn't swear at him, threaten him, or belittle him. Just tried to engage in conversation. If that's the case then I'm out. I don't want anyone turned off cycling..

But people like this are the problem, they need to be told what they are doing is wrong even if it shatters their fragile ego's. Just one of these fuckers gives ammunition to those who willingly use generalizations to tar all cyclists with the same brush.

anybody notice how many fluoro nodders have added TT bars to their squeaky £99.99 mountain bikes over the weekend watch out wiggo at nexts years tour de france

#allhailwiggo#

Very interesting. I just came here to say, I think Im out of the game. I upset this guy on Southwark Street last week. (he was a total bedwetter TBH). He did that thing of over shooting the stop lines and stopped exactly on the ped crossing and there wasn't a lot of space for crossing anyway. A few other cyclists turned up so I didn't wanna say anything then and waited until things spread out.
He just flipped out in no time screaming at me to fuck off and that I'd cause him to have an accident.
I didn't swear at him, threaten him, or belittle him. Just tried to engage in conversation. If that's the case then I'm out. I don't want anyone turned off cycling. But if anyone knows whom this guys is (Northern Irish, I think, with dark hair) apologise on my behalf. I was never looking to cause that amount of hurt to him but he does need a serious dose of HTFU.

I've noticed this recently also- the "do you want me to have an accident?! DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ME HAVE AN ACCIDENT?!" from people who I've asked not to push other cyclists aside to get to the front/over the line well ahead of where "front" is.

I cycled along Whitehall trying to explain to the chap that forcing his way past everyone else was not making him safer than waiting patiently in turn, but he just wasn't accepting it.

I had a posho on a boris bike try to have a go back at me the other day. The very thought still makes me smile.
Coming off Old Street roundabout and heading down Old Street towards hackney road I saw him out the corner of my eye try to skip the traffic by going up onto the pavement and then back down. I said to him "shouldn't ride on the pavement mate" and then he started to ask me if it dented my ego that he did.
I told him that when he came off the pavement he didn't look and almost cut me up and he denied this and then continued to try giving me shit. I ignored him at this point and rode off.
Some children cannot be told that they are in the wrong.
So funny

anybody notice how many fluoro nodders have added TT bars to their squeaky £99.99 mountain bikes over the weekend watch out wiggo at nexts years tour de france

#allhailwiggo#

I have been predicting the TT/Hybrid nodder combo for years.

From here: https://www.lfgss.com/thread14129.html

1. 2009 will see the "explosion" of the TT Hybrid as bike shops figure out that shopper bikes + tt bars = cycling gold
   
   

I have been predicting the TT/Hybrid nodder combo for years.

From here: https://www.lfgss.com/thread14129.html

.

That's the first thing I thought when I saw the fella from Kilburn and his sideburns mount the podium, Halfords and Evans are probably going to make an absolute killing profit wise over the coming weeks. At least when Winter arrives we will see alot of these guys quit :)

But people like this are the problem, they need to be told what they are doing is wrong even if it shatters their fragile ego's. Just one of these fuckers gives ammunition to those who willingly use generalizations to tar all cyclists with the same brush.

Until I become a perfect cyclist then all of this is laden with big pitfalls. The worse bit is the way he escalated it when I tried to make it a 1-2-1 conversation when he starts asking what I do, at which point a load of other cyclists were present. Made me look/sound a proper c*nt.
The other problem is my stature: When having conversations where both parties are semi-out of breath and not 100% coherent it's tough enough but I fear some get intimidated because of how I look, which is 1000% worse. It makes me feel like a potential bully, which is a horrible feeling.

Ultimately I'm sick to death of having the poor behaviour of others projected on to me each and every conversation that comes up about cycling with non-cyclists...Oh well actions louder than words and all that.

Calling my self out for riding like a complete tool this morning after being cut up by an absolute moron of a lorry driver which forced me to swerve into the path of another cyclist who wasn't all that pleased, bit shook up and zoned out ended up blowing off some red lights without even realising

Basically every other cyclist on the way to work this morning. Red light jumping and cutting up galore.

Bell End on a blue and white Cinelli fixed this morning, turning right into Theberton st off Upper St, white t shirt, black shorts..................dude, you dont turn right immediately infront of a (gold vintage ) BMW motorbike (me!)...basic highway code error.....when called on it, an adult, man enough to admit he was in the wrong would put his hand up and agree "yes i was a bell end there...sorry" instead of shouting petulantly "fuck off!".........................................a copy of the highway code is in the post to you, c/o "C*nt, London"

Basically every other cyclist on the way to work this morning. Red light jumping and cutting up galore.

Combination of a 1-2 in the TDF and the nice weather means it is a bit hectic. Combine that with the Olympics it is a bit sketchy. Every red light is like the whacky races.

Combine with the crazy new bridge design on north side of Southwark - wtf is that all about?

Long Lane SE1 about 30 minutes ago heading towards Jamaica Road, angry man on a mountain bike/hybrid thing.

Initially he was riding along the pavement, then joins the road behind me.

At the pedestrian crossing half way down two people are waiting to cross I move into primary position and stop he undertakes me and decides to keep going this makes the pedestrians cautious so they stop right on the edge of the pavement/road he stops just about but goes into one finishing up touching his leg with his front wheel.

The ped essentially asks what are you doing not heated at all, a fair question I would say the chap on the bike tells him he should get out of his way quicker and also fuck off etc.

I decide to call him out with something along the lines of that was a pedestrian crossing you are giving the rest of us a bad name.

Angry man decides he wants to discuss it so I just repeat what I said, adding you were in the wrong and should have stopped and said sorry.

He then asked me if I was 'one of them Olympic cyclists' only cycling because it is the 'lympics'

I reply that I am not an Olympian, do ride everyday in all weathers and get out on the roadie at the weekends, but I am not sure what this has to do with him riding like a cunt.

He then rode off muttering to himself.

I know calling people out is a bit cunty we all make mistakes or have a lapse of judgement it's just a bit rich to then be a cunt to someone (the ped) who has done fuck all wrong. Apologise for making a mistake and go on with your day.

Well I was finally taken out by one of my fellow commuters this morning. Heading north into Russell Square from Southampton Row I spot a gaggle of southbound commuters waiting to turn right into the square and I cover my brakes just in case like. I'm riding about 15mph in primary and it's a nice sunny morning.

A car overtakes me just before I enter the junction and a tiny gap opens that dickhead number 1 on an MTB takes as a cue to try to cross in front of me, and I have to brake hard and swerve right to avoid his rear wheel.

I then find that the other 7-8 cyclists took dickhead number 1's move as a sign that the junction was clear and had followed him without even looking for themselves and I barrel right into the middle of them, swerving left and braking I come to a halt with front wheel colliding and simultananeous shoulder checking of a woman on a fucking pink Pashley.

Managed to unclip and get my foot on the floor before falling off and was so angry I nearly threw my bike across the road. She's not helping by saying "I was looking where I'm going you know" as I check myself and the bike over for damage.

She then realises she was completely at fault and starts apologising profusely but I'm so angry I know that if I speak to her I will say very bad things so I just ignore her and get back on the bike.

puts bike in storage until October

Her bike was making a satisfying clanking noise as she rode off so I hope I've fucked it and she has to pay over the odds to have it repaired poorly in an Evans store.

Steady on, I know you're angry but still..

I suspect that same woman on the same Pink Pashley is the same woman I've been very wary of for the last few months. She's actually quite chatty at the lights, but when moving either get well ahead or stand well back. Spacial awareness is definitely not her speciality.
She came past the Scolt head last week, narrowly avoided a van and was completely oblivious to the carnage behind her........ Thankfully you can now hear and see her bike, so every cloud and all that.........

Sounds like an archetypal 'beautiful Godzilla'. I sarcastically applauded one last night for tottering through a red light (which seemed to please the cyclist waiting next to me).

Hah, maybe we should do something equivalent to putting a bell on a cat with poor cyclists? Epoxy a cowbell to their frame maybe?

This would also have a pleasant Alpine connotation, helping to remove the hum-drum nature of London commuting for a few seconds.