Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

We hear quite a few complaints about the drivers or RMS tipper lorries, but not this one deathwish cyclist - YouTube

A good friend of mine was squashed by a truck doing exactly this routine. His widow still thinks of him every day - more than 15 years later.

Bit of a hold up on the commute today, traffic backed up, thought it might be a cyclist and lo it was, Chavez riding no handed lighting up a joint, wobbling about. Nice chap as it turned out: we ended up riding two abreast laughing at cows and stuff

I saw pretty much every type of behaviour exhibited in this thread on a 45 minute ride around SW London today. My fault for not checking there was a massive charity ride, a 7000 competitor duathlon in RP as well as another duathlon in C. London. Carnage, chaotic and farcical are words that come to mind. Huge pelotons of riders, saddles about 6 inches too low, weaving and swerving randomly around the road. Roadies and triathletes giving it the 'I'm a serious cyclist' look while riding like utter tools. Combined with the huge numbers of drivers who decide sunday is a good day to get in the car and drive to a busy town centre. Despair.

Whilst walkenging, I observed two cyclists in central Manchester yesterday doing absolutely everything they could to kill themselves. It was so outrageous they simply must have been some level of self awareness about it.

First they both undertook a left turning car as it was mid turn, which fortunately stopped, then when confronted by a bus at a bus stop, stopped, considered their options, then started crawling themselves up the inside of it as it stood less that 2 feet away from the pavement., when there was an entire second lane they could have used to go around it.

This was all in the space of about 40 meters.

The mind boggles.

I saw pretty much every type of behaviour exhibited in this thread on a 45 minute ride around SW London today. My fault for not checking there was a massive charity ride, a 7000 competitor duathlon in RP as well as another duathlon in C. London. Carnage, chaotic and farcical are words that come to mind. Huge pelotons of riders, saddles about 6 inches too low, weaving and swerving randomly around the road. Roadies and triathletes giving it the 'I'm a serious cyclist' look while riding like utter tools. Combined with the huge numbers of drivers who decide sunday is a good day to get in the car and drive to a busy town centre. Despair.

I was on that charity ride - heard that people were cycling like idiots but didn't see it myself. The 100 mile route took us through some crazy roads. The traffic was insane today, far worse than rush hour as all the Sunday drivers were sat in the bus lane.

Yesterday I was chatting to a guy who'd just been hit by a car on TCR (he was fine, just a bit pissed off), cycling two abreast up Hampstead Road while we discussed how most drivers were bastards and how a lot of cyclists were really unfriendly. We stopped at some lights and this nodder comes to a squeaking halt behind me. "Do you have any idea of how unsafe your riding is?" he says to me. I look a bit confused. Apparently I'm unsafe because a) I'd been riding about a metre out into the road (before I'd been chatting to the guy) and then b) I'd ridden two abreast on a fairly wide bit of road. I tried to point out that this was safer than riding in the gutter, but then the lights changed and all the nodders got furious with me for holding them up for a couple of seconds ("this is the final straw!!" one of them said), so I shouted "WELL WHY DON'T YOU ALL GO FUCK YOURSELVES THEN" which I can't say I'm massively proud of. They jumped the next red light.

"This is the final straw!"

Awesome bit of clueless middle class rage right there. I'm gonna start shouting that at you at the slightest excuse, on or off the bike, and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Response should have been, "Is it? Or is it in fact.....

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!!?

DALADAAAAADA DADADADAAAA DALADAAAAAADADER DADADADADADE DELELDELELELLELELELELELE"

"WELL WHY DON'T YOU ALL GO FUCK YOURSELVES THEN" which I can't say I'm massively proud of.

Really? I would be.

And what was the final straw? And more importantly, what was the penultimate straw? Exactly how many straws were there and did any of them have that concertina bit near one end that allows you to flex it so you don't have to tilt the glass to get the straw in your mouth?

You were right to challenge the furious nodders, they need to learn to be able to let go of two seconds of their life without throwing a tantrum.

I had a fluro nodder try to call me out today. He stopped at a zebra crossing for some people who were nowhere near about to cross. At the next junction he caught up with me and was "oh, so you've stopped here, funny how you didn't stop for those two ladies ho ho ho" all passo agresso.

What I should have said was "yes, I've stopped here rather than ride straight into oncoming traffic and if peds are crossing a zebra I stop. Likewise with red lights. thanks for the input though. Whilst we're on the subject, tighten up that fucking slack chain and maybe look over your shoulder from time to time yeah, you massive prick?"

Instead I just said "ohhhkaaayyy then"

I hope his Hump springs a leak and his fluro fades. Don't try and call me a Shit Cyclist when a) I'm not and b) you aren't exactly Mr Perfect yourself.

Has anyone else seen that mental guy with a helmet cam, shin guards, etc. who mercilessly rings his bell at everyone?

Rides near Bank.

all passo agresso.

No.

Hell, no.

Top of [strike]Portland [/strike]Park Crescent heading north before crossing Euston Rd on the way home last night. Cement mixer in the right hand lane at the lights, indicating right.

Made a point of stopping behind the nearside rear so the driver could clearly see me in their mirror. Might have been overly cautious considering they were obviously turning right, but stopping at the lights would've put me right under the passenger door. Some middle-aged woman in a hi-vis fucking poncho started dinging her bell at me cos she couldn't get past. The cement mixer did actually drift left a little bit while turning right after the lights changed.

Dozy cow.

This thread has far too much "Nodder called me out, now I'm pissed off". Do you get pissed off when your baby nephew asserts that "You are a poo poo"? Nodders are not as clever/experienced as us. Their opinions do not deserve our consideration.

Next time just reply cheerfully "Don't care what you say mate, I know I'm in the right". Cycle off knowing you're sound. Float away and feel free.

"This is the final straw!"

Awesome bit of clueless middle class rage right there. I'm gonna start shouting that at you at the slightest excuse, on or off the bike, and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

I can imagine you doing this and me not remembering why and being extremely confused. Or even more confused than I normally look.

Response should have been, "Is it? Or is it in fact.....

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!!?

DALADAAAAADA DADADADAAAA DALADAAAAAADADER DADADADADADE DELELDELELELLELELELELELE"

I so wish I'd said this...

And what was the final straw? And more importantly, what was the penultimate straw? Exactly how many straws were there and did any of them have that concertina bit near one end that allows you to flex it so you don't have to tilt the glass to get the straw in your mouth?

The final straw of the evening was actually one of those straws that widen out at the end into a little spoon so that you can scoop up all the bits at the bottom of your drink. I like those straws.

This thread has far too much "Nodder called me out, now I'm pissed off". Do you get pissed off when your baby nephew asserts that "You are a poo poo"? Nodders are not as clever/experienced as us. Their opinions do not deserve our consideration.

Next time just reply cheerfully "Don't care what you say mate, I know I'm in the right". Cycle off knowing you're sound. Float away and feel free.

I should keep this in mind. It pisses me off though to be told I'm shit at something that I know I'm not, and love doing - but someone who IS shit at what he was doing and clearly doesn't love it. Cunt

Right - that's better. Rant over.

"that concertina bit near one end that allows you to flex it so you don't have to tilt the glass to get the straw in your mouth?"

That's what that's for? Wow.

"was actually one of those straws that widen out at the end into a little spoon so that you can scoop up all the bits at the bottom of your drink"

MIND. BLOWN.

I was on that charity ride - heard that people were cycling like idiots but didn't see it myself. The 100 mile route took us through some crazy roads. The traffic was insane today, far worse than rush hour as all the Sunday drivers were sat in the bus lane.

I saw pretty much every type of behaviour exhibited in this thread on a 45 minute ride around SW London today. My fault for not checking there was a massive charity ride, a 7000 competitor duathlon in RP as well as another duathlon in C. London. Carnage, chaotic and farcical are words that come to mind. Huge pelotons of riders, saddles about 6 inches too low, weaving and swerving randomly around the road. Roadies and triathletes giving it the 'I'm a serious cyclist' look while riding like utter tools. Combined with the huge numbers of drivers who decide sunday is a good day to get in the car and drive to a busy town centre. Despair.

I was on that ride. Just did the 52-miler. Wot a disaster. It was horrible chaos. Naively thought it would be closed roads but no. Think I clicked in and out of my pedals more than I spun them. And spent more time at red lights than riding. Many people rode with this bizarre notion that because they were on a charity ride and wearing a red t-shirt that said "beating blood cancer" they were immune from the regular rules of the road. So much ridiculous undertaking or nodders getting pissed off if a car indicating that it was turning left did not wait for them to undertake. WTF? Never again.

and maybe look over your shoulder from time to time yeah

wafc

What is with the not looking behind you? I honestly think most commuters don't look back once on the whole journey.

Mainly because when they're in a car, they never turn their head to look back, only at the rear view mirror.

I think it is more to do with inexperienced cyclist feeling unsafe twisting their neck/body whilst cycling.

Also partly down to people not feeling comfortable with looking at/making eye contact with road users behind them. Almost, "if I don't look at them then they're not there" or "if they don't know I've seen them they'll have to stay out of my way and I won't have to worry about them".

i called out a twat who had only a minute earlier undertaken me on Jamaica road. Note: He had already undertaken me minutes earlier so he was already on my "watch out retard ahead" radar.

So he's in the bus lane riding primary, fine, good for him. I'm riding faster so I move to overtake on his right. As I am passing him, he starts to veer into me without looking over his shoulder or any prior indication. He comes perilously close to bumping into me so I turned to him and say:

Me: Do you mind?
Him: stupid look on his face What?
Me: You're steering right into me
Him: Because I'm turning right!
Me: I'm in the middle of overtaking you
Him: You shouldn't be overtaking me, I'm turning right at those lights over there
Me: Did you ever just maybe consider checking over your shoulder or indicating that you wish to turn right?
Him: You should have passed me on my left!
Me: Thats called undertaking, you shouldn't be doing that.
Him: You don't know anything.
Me: You're the reason my mum once told me to assume the world is full of fucking retards
Him: Fuck off you cock! You should learn the rules of the road before you cycle on them!
Me: Piss off you fucking twat!!! ROOOAAARRRR

So I lost my temper a little bit at the end.