Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Absolute shitstorm of knobheads out there this morning. From Angel down Roseberry into Holborn. I just don't get why buying yourself 2 minutes to RLJ when you could get destroyed from either side by the oncoming traffic is a valid idea. I'm not knocking RLJ, but there has to be a conscientious approach to it.....Thats a can of worms which doesn't need to be opened for the 14,000th time though.

Worms remain in the can but totally understand what you're saying..........

I actually thought it was rather pleasant this morning, coming down from 7Sisters to the City, last night though there were some absolute weapons on 2 wheels, best let them go ahead and battle amongst themselves i've quickly learnt.

though there were some absolute weapons on 2 wheels, best let them go ahead and battle amongst themselves i've quickly learnt.

Find that's the best way too - people must have some really important jobs or get paid a hell of a lot to have to nearly kill themselves to get to them in the mornings!

Absolute shitstorm of knobheads out there this morning. From Angel down Roseberry into Holborn.

+1 The twunts RLJ'ing at the intersection with Farringdon Road do my head in...

+1 The twunts RLJ'ing at the intersection with Farringdon Road do my head in...

There is a huge dead-zone beyond the ped crossing and before Farringdon Rd which has become a de-facto ASL bike box thingy for all the slowest cyclists in London. On top of that they can't see the lights change from out there so those of us staring off from the lights are faced with an impenetrable wall of nod which offers no reasonable way past till halfway to Theobald's Rd. Some mornings I am not reasonable.

RLJ doesn't bother me as much as other things. It's just weird to watch. I wonder what the odds of a collision with cross traffic really are.

Big dumb example: if someone commutes 40 weeks in the year, jumps 3 sets of lights each way, the odds of a close call are 1 in 100 and of those, 1 in 20 result in a collision.. it multiplies out to a time between/before collision of about 20 months, ie < 2 year predicted lifespan.

Absolute shitstorm of knobheads out there this morning. From Angel down Roseberry into Holborn. I just don't get why buying yourself 2 minutes to RLJ when you could get destroyed from either side by the oncoming traffic is a valid idea. I'm not knocking RLJ, but there has to be a conscientious approach to it.....Thats a can of worms which doesn't need to be opened for the 14,000th time though.

I cycle that way everyday I usually firstly get cut up trying to turn right from Arlington Crescent onto Roseberry avenue,next is the Zebra crossing today I was letting someone cross and got undertaken by a bromptom nice!
Then there is the lights at the box junction all the RLJs getting annoyed here as it pretty hard to jump the red but they try and also getting in front of the bus's seems better than sitting behind. After that comes the madness of Theobalds road junction where its a mad scramble to get off.
And I could go on but I will stop here.

Absolutely no idiots on my route in this morning. None whatsoever....

Expect they're all waiting till I leave work and head home...

80 quid supermarket mtb-riding fool mounts curb at pedestrian crossing to get past queue of vehicles, scattering peds. rides the length of three vehicles before dropping back onto the road, hitting the back of a boris biker then falling into the roller-door back of a delivery truck. all in front of a shaftsbury ave 9am commuter audience.
glad he didnt seem hurt but sort of wished he had been, for his educational benefit of course.

"There is a huge dead-zone beyond the ped crossing and before Farringdon Rd which has become a de-facto ASL bike box thingy for all the slowest cyclists in London. On top of that they can't see the lights change from out there so those of us staring off from the lights are faced with an impenetrable wall of nod which offers no reasonable way past till halfway to Theobald's Rd. Some mornings I am not reasonable."

Just FYI - and I might get berated for this, but in that 'dead zone' beyond the asl (which is usually totally rammo full of riders and mopeds), you can see (if you're looking i suppose) the farringdon road lights, and when they are going red.

I cycle that way everyday I usually firstly get cut up trying to turn right from Arlington Crescent onto Roseberry avenue

This doesnt really make any sense - you are turning across a road - and over another lane of traffic, riders coming down roseberry have right of way, you don't. If you're being cut up its because you are probably rolling out into the middle of the road / not getting going fast enough, which is (if you consider RLJ a heinous crime) just as bad as RLJ, in my opinion.

I don't know why y'all are winging about Roseberry anyway - easily the fastest, least hassle road on my commute (Stamford Hill - Kensington High St). Tottenham Ct Road and Angel are far more irritating.

Just FYI - and I might get berated for this, but in that 'dead zone' beyond the asl (which is usually totally rammo full of riders and mopeds), you can see (if you're looking i suppose) the farringdon road lights, and when they are going red.

This is totally true but so many cars & bikes jump the lights when they're driving north to south along Farrington that my hearts in my mouth each time I see someone heading west along Roseberry jump the read at that intersection... just tempting fate too much!

Cars see the amber, and first few seconds of red, as fair game (from which I would hypothesise that cars probably RLJ with a similar frequency to cyclists). Taking the cue from either set of lights is fine so long as you are also checking to see that the crossing traffic has stopped. Perhaps from further back I can see the traffic flow better and can anticipate the safe time to pull across while the nodders are waiting stationary, both feet on the ground, trying to determing if it is safe to pull out.

This doesnt really make any sense - you are turning across a road - and over another lane of traffic, riders coming down roseberry have right of way, you don't. If you're being cut up its because you are probably rolling out into the middle of the road / not getting going fast enough, which is (if you consider RLJ a heinous crime) just as bad as RLJ, in my opinion. [I][/I]

Sorry thats was worded rather badly, what I meant to say is while I am waiting at that junction for a safe moment from both ways of traffic, the amount of cyclists that push past me to wait in the middle of the road while an HGV hurtles buy them. Im just very close to seeing an accident through someone's impatience, but hey im sure everyone on this thread is.

Or a huge decadent scarf.........

You better get Pisti's advice on how to tie it up.

“Bike to Work Scheme Cunt”

Congratulations on mastering the forum's elitism and snobbery. You will make friends for life here.

He's probably bitter like me at not being able to use the bloody scheme despite working on bikes every single day.

I openly admit that I was'nt the sharpest this morning, a diversion on my normal route thanks to a driver deciding to park in the front of a dry cleaners (How they managed that I'll never know)...... anyway..... To teh Trek Hybrid rider, If you decide to attempt drafting someone, you really should look at what's ahead of that rider aswell as what's ahead of you...... In traffic, expect that some braking round buses and vans at traffic lights are inevitable, and you should be prepared to back off......as opposed to riding into the back of me on 3 separate occasions. The look on your face when I berated you, granted with choice language but did you really expect me to say it was alright........ Your quick release has left me with a cut on my leg, surface to be fair, but my ankles just don't look as pretty as they did when I awoke this morning........ and even though you were clearly warned about undertaking in tight traffic, the fact you persisted and were then shocked when I pulled your front brake causing you to bail at short notice should hardly have been a surprise either........... Do that again, and I'll do the same again....... one further thing, your bike squeaks like fuck because the chain needs oil on it, the inch of brown stuff should give that away you arse........... climb into your panniers and light a match, I'll stand and watch........

If you're going about your business and have a wet neck due to someone else drafting you closer than your own epidermis constantly and they refuse to listen when you ask them to stop what else can you do?

The guy has hit him 3 times and drawn blood despite being told to back off. In politician speak... while I don't condone his actions I'm not going to condemn them.

On my way as a ped to Cyclelab carrying my MTB project frame I was almost flattened by a lady RLJing the ped crossing on Old Street just after the intersection with Pitfield Street.

I think she thought that the light on Old Street she had just been through was also the control light for the ped crossing. It's not. To be fair, I've made the same mistake previously, but not after going up the inside of a double-decker bus. Fail.

I don't know why y'all are winging about Roseberry anyway - easily the fastest, least hassle road on my commute (Stamford Hill - Kensington High St). Tottenham Ct Road and Angel are far more irritating.

Tom, totally agree with you. It's not Roseberry, It's the Angel crossroads, followed by the bike path which crosses which is always hilarious to watch the jumpers gaining valuable seconds and the end of it leading onto Theobalds.

Roseberry is a fucking dream, massive wide road that you can open up on and riding it on a weekend is the best!

saw a complete fucking idiot on london bridge last night, arriving at the south end of the bridge I filter in that assault course they call the asl filter lane and pull in behind two vans both slightly over the line narrowing the way through and both indicating left.

a few seconds pass and the nodder patrol all come rolling past squeezing through the tiny gap to all bunch up in the asl. the lights change and I begin to set off as the van in front of me pulls away (still indicating his intention to turn left) only for the aforementioned king of the nodders bedecked in his finest fluorescent outfit and sporting a rather fetching pollution mask on his halfords special comes flying down the inside, attempts to undertake the van which is now in the process of turning left realises he's about to die, thumps the side of the van causing the driver to pull an emergency stop which in turn almost had me run into the back of him. the nodder king then swears incoherently at the driver and looks at me for support, but gets a filthy look of disdain and a shake of the head instead.

the van continues to move on and then KotN proceeds to ride straight across the left turning because despite his absolute need to ride up the inside is actually going across the junction into the station. cutting me up in the process as well.

For someone so angry about the van driver he seemed to have selectively ignored me call him a 'fucking twat' nor did he abide my invitation to 'get some cycle training you james blunt' as neither elicited the slightest response.

tl;dr saw a twat on a bike.

To everyone of you who frequent this thread to vent your spleen at those who you deem to be less competent than you whilst riding this city's streets, take a read of this article, written by our very own Maxl. It's long, but a good read and puts riding in this city or any city into perspective. Be courteous, be aware and most of all enjoy the interaction with vehicles, pedestrians and the confluence of roads that form the path to your destination.

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It’s a paradox that the bicycle – after all, a machine of metal or carbon – confers humanity upon its rider. People on bikes are generally more aware, more considerate. Bikes bring out the best in us. This is something we recognise in the camaraderie of winter training or the élan of a spring morning in the lanes, yet is more difficult to remember in town. One of the pleasures of urban cycling is connecting with the city, becoming part of the lifeblood running through its veins. But when riding in the fumes, grit and traffic, squeezing between buses and lorries, sweaty and late for work, it is easy to treat everything impersonally, and goodwill can be hard to find. City cycling is an opportunity to engage with your surroundings, and connect with people you encounter. Just because we are in the city doesn’t mean we should forget our manners.

Good etiquette is often about showing respect to others. Some cyclists say respect anything that’s bigger than you – principally those metallic, clumsy objects on four wheels that can unintentionally injure the unwary. Others tell you to respect pedestrians: smaller, slower and with a propensity to step into the road without looking – trusting their ears have told them everything they need to know about what’s happening behind them. Or, worse, oblivious: listening to music, texting or talking on the phone. Nevertheless, pedestrians are the most vulnerable group, so it is right to prioritise them on the road. Try to give them right of way and, if you do find yourself cycling towards someone, aim to pass behind them. If we all deferred to things softer than ourselves, we would have a fair hierarchy based on fragility. Yet we, in the middle, must look both ways.

It is etiquette that distinguishes confidence from aggression – although it is not surprising that our actions are sometimes interpreted as such. Surrounded by cars, in an unfriendly environment, vulnerability can manifest itself as hostility. To make ourselves visible in the space we share with cars, we must project ourselves larger than we are. Old-school messengers riding New York’s avenues, threading through the traffic up 6th or down 5th, have a habit of trailing their fingers along the sides of vans and buses, up above their heads in sight of the driver’s mirror – and even of banging on the sides, to make their presence known. For the rest of us, who do not live and work in the blind spots, this is probably OTT, but a good city cyclist is assertive, both occupying and creating space, placing him or herself out of the gutter – and further into the flow as speed increases. Signalling goes without saying, and manoeuvres should be purposeful: if you’re unsure what you’re doing, nobody else will be either.

Hand signals are courtesies that can be used for more than turning. Cars and other riders also appreciate a discreet signal to show them, say, on which side of a slowing car you’re going to pass. More and more riders, too, must now understand the roadie’s code of pointing out obstacles and holes: useful, given the state of some city roads, and the close quarters some riders think it a good idea to keep. It is bad form, and dangerous, to sit on somebody’s wheel through town, as is overtaking on the inside – habits which tend to develop together. Always leave plenty of room when passing; a rider popping up on your shoulder unannounced in the hubbub can be a shock. And although it’s less likely than on a weekend training ride that you’ll be carrying a full set of tools – not even sometimes a spare tube – nevertheless, it’s good to stop and help cyclists out if they look in trouble. Clacking along the high street in cleats with a broken bike is no fun.

It is funny that the city can make us intolerant of other cyclists, when we might feel more fraternal. However, Cat-6 racing, as competitive commuting is sometimes known, is an established tradition and brings its own set of rules. Firstly, choose your opponent carefully. Do not race a ringer. A friend, a pretty handy road racer, used to delight in breezing past guys riding expensive road bikes who took him on. He would let them overtake then, cheerfully waving, overhaul them on his clanking upright old Triumph – all rusty gas-pipe tubing and malfunctioning Sturmey-Archer gears. Train heavy, race light, or so they say. Neither is it dignified to race those clearly unprepared or obviously much slower than you. Then again, if they make the first move, forget it: they’re fair game. Above all, it is obligatory when Cat-6ing past fellow competitors to soften the brow and regulate the breath. Looking like you’re trying means failure, as does red light jumping simply to gain a few seconds.

Which brings us to the issue of the law. If you’re doing something illegal (and a bike in the city gives you the freedom to use your intelligence rather than follow pointless rules) make sure your intentions are clear. Often, hopping a kerb or shooting a red light is expedient. Only sometimes is it the considerate thing to do, so, if you aren’t correct, make sure at least that you are doing no harm.
In the end, cycling etiquette is an extension of style. Ride smoothly and with foresight, use your judgement and take responsibility. React to each situation on its merits, and try to keep your cool, however provoked by idiotic behaviour. Remember that you are faster and freer than anything else on the city streets, and rise above the stress. There are many cyclists who act irresponsibly – hurtling through junctions or riding in the dark without lights – and many non-cyclists who’d like to tar all riders with that brush. If etiquette is about expectations, then the best we can do is to confound the low and exceed the good. Talk to people as you pass, or at red lights. Look pedestrians and car drivers in the eye; always say thank you. And smile, you're a city rider.

Cheers for this. Where was it published? Be nice to know it had made the ES or Metro... perhaps minus the paragraph on Cat-6 racing.

was written for rapha, can be found here..
http://www.rapha.cc/city-scopes-iv

tl:dr
Manners Maketh Man/get some cycle training?

Actually did read and agree on the somewhat irrelevance of Cat-6.

was written for rapha, can be found here..
http://www.rapha.cc/city-scopes-iv

Thanks for posting this, it's really good!

Cheers Cornelius. Really good sentiments there.