Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I've never been hit from behind by any vehicle, except once I did get a really light bump from a taxi at Seven Dials, who apologised immediately. And I've clocked up quite a lot of miles across London over the years.

Very few of them in Hackney though - do you think that is significant?

I have - Aside from being bumped by cars a few times, I was in a cycle lane & pulled away as the lights went green and was hit hard from behind by a moped. This knocked me over the handle bars & then the psycho tried to pick a fight, when I suggested he was in the wrong. He backed down only when he realised there were ten or so cyclists standing around him.

Now I always try wherever possible/safe to start from lights (RLJ) before they go green.

I was deliberately hit from behind by a cab a couple of weeks ago because he objected to my road positioning at a red light.

It's made me think that particular driver is a massive tit, but it hasn't stopped me waiting at red lights.

With me I had a run of near misses, all caused by (correct) road positioning at traffic lights and I developed a persecution complex!

Can someone please summarise that last two pages please.

I suggest two columns, dividing the contributors into categories.

We can then have a category naming competition, which we can put onto t-shirts.

Then we have cake and ice cream.

Which category gets cake, and which gets icecream?

needs pie and crumble

TW2 - Running reds = bad. sabatica = troll

Really looking forward to this winter, and seeing how many cyclists who have got on their bikes over the past year, and who are getting on their bikes, since the glorious cycling summer we've had (tour de france/olympics/vuelta) manage to tough it out once the temperature drops, and the rain returns.

Will be interesting to see, as I've always thought, that once you make it through your first winter, you go from being fairweather to committed cyclist.

If even half of the people on the roads now, make the transition, it'll hopefully mean that cycling in london as a viable and visible all year round form of transportation is genuinely gaining some traction..

And also that cyclists interaction with pedestrians, other road users, and other cyclists will become even more important.

As I've said before, if something another cyclist does annoys/infuriates/scares/endangers you, have a word. Each one, teach one. Because if we don't it is assumed that this is okay, its the way it should be, its the way you cycle in london.

People need to get over their private fears about what the reaction will be, if no one tells anyone, that they are riding like an idiot, then how will their riding change for the better?

Good point Corny

In counter productive news, a dick on a Boris Bike with earphones in, pushed to the front of the queue at St. George's Circus this morning and in doing so, nearly managed to anally penetrate me with his handlebars. My outburst was probably an overreaction but I was in a foul mood.

Really looking forward to this winter, and seeing how many cyclists who have got on their bikes over the past year, and who are getting on their bikes, since the glorious cycling summer we've had (tour de france/olympics/vuelta) manage to tough it out once the temperature drops, and the rain returns.

Will be interesting to see, as I've always thought, that once you make it through your first winter, you go from being fairweather to committed cyclist.

If even half of the people on the roads now, make the transition, it'll hopefully mean that cycling in london as a viable and visible all year round form of transportation is genuinely gaining some traction..

And also that cyclists interaction with pedestrians, other road users, and other cyclists will become even more important.

As I've said before, if something another cyclist does annoys/infuriates/scares/endangers you, have a word. Each one, teach one. Because if we don't it is assumed that this is okay, its the way it should be, its the way you cycle in london.

People need to get over their private fears about what the reaction will be, if no one tells anyone, that they are riding like an idiot, then how will their riding change for the better?

At what point does one become qualified to preach to other cyclists how best to cycle?

I had a chat with a lovely lady cyling home the other day. We were going into a section where the road switched from two lanes (bus and car) to two (all vehicles) to three (all vehicles, one left turning, one straight ahead, and one right). She wanted to go straight ahead, as did I, but was riding exactly on the white line between the left and straight on lanes, behing passed at a fair lick by cars on both sides.

I had a nice chat with her, and asked if she knew that cycle training was availiable for free, which she didn't, and was grateful that I'd mentioned it to her, and said that she would look into it.

She wan't a bad cyclist, just not confident enough to take the lane when she should have done. I hope that she does go and get cycle training, as I think it'll make her much safer on the road, and make cycling a lot more pleasant for her.

bigchainring, now thats the million dollar question?

Personally, if someone does something that endangers me or I see someone doing something and I personally have the mental sharp intake of breath, then I have a word, not every time, but more often than not.

I point it out and move on, if they want to take issue they can, but I generally try to do so in a manner which isn't threatening, more as a polite point of interest, or casual warning.

Everyone at some point in their cycling life, and probably in their cycling future has ridden like a dick, but if you can see what you did, and why it probably wasn't such a great idea on reflection, and attempt to not do it further, then you're growing as a cyclist and as a road user. So you can pass on that knowledge to other people.

bigchainring, now thats the million dollar question?

Personally, if someone does something that endangers me or I see someone doing something and I personally have the mental sharp intake of breath, then I have a word, not every time, but more often than not.

Do you do this with pedestrians and drivers too?

This is a pointless argument.

RLJing is cheating, no-one likes playing with a cheat.

That's right- if you jump a red you are Lance Armstrong.

You pull someone up because you think they are cycling like a dick, they actually think that you're the one cycling like a dick. Then what?

it's much the same as when you pull someone up for posting like a dick and they think you are posting like a dick

This is a pointless argument.

RLJing is cheating, no-one likes playing with a cheat.

That's right- if you jump a red you are Lance Armstrong.

Playing? WTF?You might see cycling on the roads as a game or a race, but I can assure you not everyone does.

it's much the same as when you pull someone up for posting like a dick and they think you are posting like a dick

Hah!

Bigchainring, I've said my piece and as much as I'd like to engage in a back and forth with you, you seem to be doing the Internet equivalent of crossing your arms over your chest and saying "convince me".

Not for me beaky...

Playing? WTF?You might see cycling on the roads as a game or a race, but I can assure you not everyone does.

Internetz is srs bzns

Playing? WTF?You might see cycling on the roads as a game or a race, but I can assure you not everyone does.

You are trying to adopt the moral high ground?

Good show, carry on.

it's much the same as when you pull someone up for posting like a dick and they think you are posting like a dick

So James, every time you seeing someone you think is cycling like a dick you revert to name calling?

Bigchainring, I've said my piece and as much as I'd like to engage in a back and forth with you, you seem to be doing the Internet equivalent of crossing your arms over your chest and saying "convince me".

Not for me beaky...

I am pretty sure you can't convince me as I suspect you don't have some superior cycling qualification that gives you the right to preach to others.

fuck a duck, you are annoying.