Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I've seen some dude in the West End on a road bike with 2 Go Pros - 1 forward, 1 back. Made me feel a bit uneasy whilst riding behind him (so I flicked some V's at him to make the viewing a little more fun for later).

I was going about 16-17 mph (max - I'm quite weak) down the Chelsea embankment this a.m. Lots of over-the-shoulder checking as you can imagine and I find some dude on my back following me left and right. Look back 3 or 4 times and he's still there so I turned around and pointed right in his face and yelled at him to GET OFF MY WHEEL. It worked, but I think I used the same intonation as GET OFF MY LAWN which I just don't know about that.

I find blowing my nose as effective passive aggressive method

I find blowing my nose as effective passive aggressive method

Bicycle version of doing the windscreen washers when someone's tailgating you in the car.

Seen traffic droid around the west end, he has 4 cameras on his helmet

http://www.youtube.com/user/SonofthewindsInc

Seen traffic droid around the west end, he has 4 cameras on his helmet

http://www.youtube.com/user/SonofthewindsInc

Total nutjob. Well meaning, but mental.

His tweets are mad, he is on a totally different planet

Complete nut nut

But is he a bad cyclist, and should we call him out?

But is he a bad cyclist, and should we call him out?

I do recall some crap riding by him on that 'war on britain's roads' programme. Some shite driving by the people he encountered as well. Dunno if that counts.

His positioning is often dodgy and he gets himself involved in situations that he should walk away from. But he's a top bloke, I've met him a few times (I'm in one of his vids!). Definitely on another planet though.

A lot of these helmet camera videos, where the camera follows head movements, are completely self-defeating, as you can see that some people never look behind or around them and don't know what's going on. Then they're outraged when there's a close pass.

Cameras are the new helmet. They allow the user to travel around in a bubble of protective indignation.

^ Rep.

I try to remember not to go on those youtube channels... they make me rage.

Yes some of the helmet cam users do stoke confrontation and seem to sometimes prefer good footage to diplomacy, but invariably the drivers are putting people's lives in danger while ignorant or malicious to that.. the bigger sin I think is clear.

Grrr

^True dat

enuff tossers jumping red lights today.. as though a bit of sunshine makes you invincible!

If you want to see dangerous driving putting folks lives at risk search " China Car Crash Compilation" in YouTube, not pleasant I warn you.

I try to remember not to go on those youtube channels... they make me rage.

Yes some of the helmet cam users do stoke confrontation and seem to sometimes prefer good footage to diplomacy, but invariably the drivers are putting people's lives in danger while ignorant or malicious to that.. the bigger sin I think is clear.

Grrr

Yeah, pretty much this, there is some bad driving but there are also cammers looking for confrontation. If someone pulls out on me I tut in my head, ease off and let them go. I'm afraid if I had a camera I would scream "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" and roll right up to the window bellowing "ARE YOU SOME KIND OF PENIS!!???"

No need for all that, just enjoy the ride and don't let idiots live in your head rent-free.

I've seen some dude in the West End on a road bike with 2 Go Pros - 1 forward, 1 back. Made me feel a bit uneasy whilst riding behind him (so I flicked some V's at him to make the viewing a little more fun for later).

That's probably him. I wonder why he needs two of them.

Yep, can't bear it when helmet cam people make a big deal of a non-incident, get all shouty and then as soon as the driver responds in kind, they point to the camera and act all smug.

There are some absolute bellends behind the wheels of cars though. I had a helmet camera for a bit and road safed a couple of people for proper shit driving, but never had a confrontation with a driver. It was all about evidence in case I got proper taken down and fucked up.

Thing is, I noticed the more I rode and better my hazard perception got, the less dodgy incidents I had and the less I felt I needed/wanted to wear it. I'll try not crash on the way home, now I've said that.

The only youtube channel I'll watch these days is Mr. Origamist's. He knows what's up.

The trend of shouting out the number plate at evey car that makes the tiniest of mistakes....

AlPHA PAPPA BOLLOCKS!

AlPHA PAPPA BOLLOCKS!

I want to be there when it happens to someone, so when they start reciting the plate, I'll shout out random letters and number to help them out.

Some cammers roll up to drivers on the phone and demand they hang up. I can see that ending badly.

Yeah, hanging up is rude.

You guys seem to have missed my point - shouting out plates and telling people off is a fairly dick move, but does that detract from the driver who's on their phone going dangerously near an unprotected person with 2 tons of metal?

We shouldn't overshadow that. I mean honestly who doesn't see at least one incident of illegal and/or dangerous driving pretty much every time you go out?