Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

^One of the most popular forum rides last year.

A bit belated but to the knob on Putney bridge on Monday evening - it is not sometimes 'more dangerous to stop'. It is indeed the sensible thing to do when about to cycle across a box junction where traffic turning across you can't see you because of the stationary traffic, where there is a fellow cyclist about to pull out of a gap between the stationary bus and car in front of us and the lights are turning to red.

Pay a bit more attention you fucking melt and don't call me out for riding safely, anticipating potential hazards and showing consideration towards other croad users.

Every scent of early morning breathe should have been delivered with venom on such a paltry twirp. As long as your Merkx and yourself got out of it safely, then us lot are happier for that. There's a bloke on my route who rides a Boardman, he's highly unlikely to gain much speed unless downhill though he's outta puff just crossing Dalston Junction, yet happily attempts cutting up buses, Lorries anyone on the road. Fool.

I will race you on my Boardman, name your second.

0.2!

I'm going to start using the terms 'bulb' and 'melt' as insults more often. Thanks! ;)

Every scent of early morning breathe should have been delivered with venom on such a paltry twirp... ...There's a bloke on my route who rides a Boardman, he's highly unlikely to gain much speed unless downhill though he's outta puff just crossing Dalston Junction, yet happily attempts cutting up buses, Lorries anyone on the road. Fool.

...the season of the Sanctimoneous All-Weather Rider is with us...

^One of the most popular forum rides last year.

I'm going to start using the terms 'bulb' and 'melt' as insults more often. Thanks! ;)

And lo, Joseph has sprayed tea over his desk at work for the last time while bursting into innappropriate laughter. I'd just cleaned everything in anticipation of my final day tomorrow. Gonna have to do it all over again now, but at least it will be with a smile on my face...

Was hovering between the spotted thread and this one but decided probably best here. I spotted a dude this afternoon at about 2:30 on a green single speed, crossing the marylebone/euston road and then going up marylebone high street, cycling through red lights and across traffic, holding the telescopic handle of a really big, heavy looking suitcase in his left hand, wheeling it alongside him like a sidecar. Part of me respected his strength, balance, no-fear attitude and the fact that he hadn't just taken the bus, but then I thought every car driver who had to avoid this twerp is probably going to be that little bit more aggressive/hateful to the rest of us as a result.

If you are on here and it was you, shame on you for being so dangerous! (but secret applause to you for at least being dangerous in a really cool way, unlike most white van/minicab etc drivers)

^ really? I thought people just think of odd obstructions/vehicles as occasional hazards, I doubt it reflects badly on 'the rest of us'.

i just imagined every angry stressed out driver cooped up in their car in the traffic on the euston road having to dodge this guy running a light and shouting at their windscreen "BLOODY CYCLISTS!!! PAY SOME FUCKING ROAD TAX!!!', and then thinking that the next time they saw a perfectly safe and friendly cyclist. but maybe he was just too much of an unusual sight to make the link to regular cyclists, i dunno.

Getting T-boned by a "beautiful godzilla" in copenhagen, no fucking fun, no cities cycled worse than them!

Scoble raptor!

Scoble's bin Scobled!

ended up riding on someone's back wheel after seeing him 3 x undertaking me to jump reds, 2 x almost rear ended busses, and even riding thru broken glass to execute an undertake (with 2 nodders who did the same only for all to stop halfway across the junction due to the traffic flow).

Rider eventually asked why I wouldn't overtake, then didn't like it when I explained that I saw no point in being ahead of him again if it meant he'd just feel it necessary to do something stupid to get ahead of me once more.

I pulled out in front of somebody last night while filtering through traffic because I was being an arse and not paying enough attention. Felt really bad about it and as I pulled up at the red light ahead I turned round to apologise to her profusely but before I could even open my mouth she'd jumped the light and sailed off into the distance.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this.

Yesterday I turned onto a quiet street after having seen a cyclist coming down the street. Wasn't a huge distance between us but plenty of space on an empty road. Few seconds later the guy passes me and shouts something at me, which I didn't hear. Asked him what he shouted but he shouted something else I didn't hear, spat over his shoulder and pedaled off.

As I was quite close to where I work, I smiled at the thought that he might be headed there too and sure enough I turned into the ramp to the garage right behind him. He locked his bike up and then walked past me to the exit so I said to him I couldn't hear what he was saying to me. Quite angrily he told me I'd just pulled out in front of him and that if he was a few seconds earlier he'd have killed me. I replied that I had seen him, he was wearing a lot of day-glo, which seemed to calm him down. We had a bit of a chat and left with a smile.

He did tell me he needs to calm down a bit but somebody had just walked right out in front of him so he was a bit worked up. The lesson I'm taking away from this is to remember to acknowledge people. I often gesture my intentions to other cyclists, but a quick wave would have told him I had seen him and I wasn't just pulling out without looking.

Was nice to sort it out in a friendly way and I was glad of the chance to chat about it. If we'd just headed our separate ways we might have just felt angry about it all. He seemed a nice guy...still don't like spitting though...

Even if you were sure it was safe it's not really on to pull out in front of someone. It's the uncertainty it causes, you don't know if you've really been seen or if the person pulling out has an appalling sense of speed and distance or if they are just a bit mental. Waiting won't delay your journey by much more that 10 seconds and you don't risk prompting someone to attempt an emergency manoeuvre.

But spitting is out of order no matter what.

If someone spat at me I would go nuts.

But spitting is out of order no matter what.

This.

In life in general. Unless between consenting adults I guess.

He just said the guy spat over his shoulder not necessarily at him.

On some of the rare occasions I've been prompted to shout while cycling I've found my general mouth-throat canal too swamped up with saliva from being so unfit, that the resultant effect is garbled speech and spittle spray. Maybe he had the same problem.

Even if you were sure it was safe it's not really on to pull out in front of someone.

There is a difference between right in front of them and a good distance away, although when we talked I did say it wasn't a huge distance away. Nothing, at all, different to cyclists joining a road in front of me numerous times on my journey, which is fine with me. I think we can all merge and unmerge pretty safely. The issue was that this guy thought I hadn't bothered to look, which was what upset him I think.

He just said the guy spat over his shoulder not necessarily at him.

Her. :) While it wasn't directly at me, it was close enough and was definitely a 'comment on my riding'. Like I say, we chatted afterwards and it was all double rainbows all the way after that...

Even if you were sure it was safe it's not really on to pull out in front of someone. It's the uncertainty it causes, you don't know if you've really been seen or if the person pulling out has an appalling sense of speed and distance or if they are just a bit mental. Waiting won't delay your journey by much more that 10 seconds and you don't risk prompting someone to attempt an emergency manoeuvre.

+1 this morning, a bloke on a hybrid saw me, waited for a bit, then pulled out just as I was passing him, fortunately there was enough room against an overtaking HGV - primary position saved my ass - thanks again Will, I owe you!!!!

The lesson I'm taking away from this is to remember to acknowledge people. I often gesture my intentions to other cyclists, but a quick wave would have told him I had seen him and I wasn't just pulling out without looking.

Oh, so in future if someone smiles and waves, and then pulls out from a minor road in front of me on a major road that is all fine?

Acknowledging you are about to pull a dick move, does not make it any less of a dick move.

i think it makes it a little bit less of a dick move. i would prefer someone to come up to me and say 'im gonna punch you in the chest' and then do it, than just to be walking down the street and have some bre punch me in the chest.

Oh, so in future if someone smiles and waves, and then pulls out from a minor road in front of me on a major road that is all fine?

Acknowledging you are about to pull a dick move, does not make it any less of a dick move.

Well that's not what I was saying at all; there was a safe distance between us. The only thing that the other cyclist was saying to me was that he thought I hadn't looked, but he missed me doing just that - not that I pulled out too close in front of him.

I didn't 'pull a dick move' but was suggesting that communication is an important thing and that I could have done more to let him know I actually had seen him.

gambled an Amber on way home, some waiting peds were very quick to jump infront of me (man on red, no beeps) and call me colour blind #potkettle

also took a very narrow gap between stationary busses which was a bit risky

could've done better.

bit of self reflection never hurts eh?