Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

I would never call someone a bad rider unless I'd seen them do something stupid... I would ask someone with only one brake if they knew it wasn't road legal and if they knew what to do if their brake failed.

To a certain degree I assume most brakless fixed riders would know what to do, but most single speed single brake wouldn't.

Obviously if you ride brakless it does loose you the right to complain about any other road user doing something illegal or dangerous as your rear brake is probably around half as effective when compared to a well used front brake.

[QUOTE=the-smiling-buddha;3156830]

Yet only two weeks ago, whilst I was riding mudguardless, brakeless and listening to my ipod a young Policewoman rode up next to me on a mountain bike and asked me if I wanted to swop bikes !!!!

QUOTE]

Don't know about safe or unsafe but I do know you are far too slow. The police on mtbs are soooo slow. That they caught up to you should be wake up call ;)

So this is my bike, no brakes, no mudguards, I ride it everyday come rain or shine. Over the years I have had half a dozen cyclist stop me and tell me that I am a 'bad' cyclist for not having brakes and have had at least two people tell me how inconsiderate I am not to have mudguards. Yet only two weeks ago, whilst I was riding mudguardless, brakeless and listening to my ipod a young Policewoman rode up next to me on a mountain bike and asked me if I wanted to swop bikes !!!!

So am I a good cyclist or a bad cyclist ? Its all very well calling people out for being bad cyclists but who gets to decide? because there are an awful lot of cyclists out there who think 'no brakes = bad' and once you start pointing the finger you may find that before very long the finger is pointed at you.

People who call you out on brakless are Daily Mail readers. Simples.

I would expect you be a VERY proficient rider. But I've no idea. Have never ridden with you.

Mudguards? Who fucking cares? That's petty shit. Some people regard it as good etiquette on a Sunday Club run.

Listening to music whilst riding. Your choice my man. I am indifferent, but I tend to ride without music. I like the sound of tarmac underneath my wheels.

Brakeless thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Music thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

mudguards? WT actual F? A mudguard is to keep water from splashing up my arse, not so some bellend can ride too close.

This! You no likey splashy splashy? You take your front wheel out of my arse crack.

Listening to music whilst riding. Your choice my man. I am indifferent, but I tend to ride without music. I like the sound of tarmac underneath my wheels.

I have no comment on whether or not buddha is or is not a good or considerate road user. I have read one or two of his posts over the years and my suspicion is that he rides sensibly but frankly I recognise the thin ice of judging how someone rides from their comments on the interwebz so meh. That said, I think the post above, particularly the "your choice" comment gets to the nub of the bigdebate we've been struggling to have over the course of the last week.

taking a step back, are all road users free to simply do as they chose? In the case of RLJing and similar offences, the perennial argument is that "I'll do what I want and it's not doing any harm to others" but this is fundamentally selfish, arrogant and inherently wrong. It is selfish because you value your time and your actions as more important than other more patient road users, it is arrogant because it makes the assumption that you are more capable and observant than other road users and it is fundamentally wrong because when you make a mistake (as you inevitably will - we all do) you endanger not only yourself but those whose path you have entered. This is why i think the thread is important... I have reasonably minor concern for the people who overtake me at lights and make their way across the junction - frankly let darwin work his magic*, but the people who cut into junctions that I am crossing with not-unreasonable-speed not only endanger themselves but also endanger me. bad road users do not operate in a bubble and therefore prats acting irresponsibly do deserved to be called out before they hit me, my girlfriend or one of my friends.

As for music I think every road user has a responsibility to take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are as safe on the road as possible. Wearing headphones is not the same as a hearing impediment because you are consciously placing a barrier between your senses and your environment. I cast no aspersions on buddha's cycling and I assume that he is already a better cyclist than most road users so that even when he does have headphones in he is probably more aware than the majority of nodders, but it seems incontrovertible to me that removing the headphones wouldn't make him EVEN safer and more aware. I do not bundle him in with the nodding masses, but the number of times that idiots with headphones have swerved unpredictably in front of me and not heard my warning shout makes headphones one of my biggest bugbears while cycling.

*Although I do not relish the idea of having to administer first aid...

I wish all the people who overtake me then instantly cut back in across my front wheel would fit some fucking mudguards. Seriously. That's just antisocial.

I see so many poor riders out there. We all make mistakes but some people are just damn rude/ sh*t.

but the number of times that idiots with headphones have swerved unpredictably in front of me and not heard my warning shout makes headphones one of my biggest bugbears while cycling

Get one of these fella.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYkBHGurj-I

Having a hearing impairment isn't really equivalent to listening to music while riding

wasn't suggesting it was, just that Ed has been known to weigh in to the old headphones or no headphones debate.

Did you get the officer's name? We were told they would be pulling up ASL encroachers, not only cyclists who RLJ (by their definition).

Also in Southwark, they'll be targeting Bellenden Road soon.

I'd be interested to know whether they are in fact pulling up ASL encroachers at all...

MM - Any idea which part of Bellenden Rd and when?

wasn't suggesting it was, just that Ed has been known to weigh in to the old headphones or no headphones debate.

I don't think that's because he's deaf, I think that's because he likes wearing head phones.

MM - Any idea which part of Bellenden Rd and when?

Bellend Road?

MM - Any idea which part of Bellenden Rd and when?

Probably the junction with Peckham High St, that's a very tempting but dangerous light to jump.

Used to live on Bellenden road (the fashionable Lidl end) and I always spelled it on the phone to call centres 'Bellend with an ee en'.

Well it made me laugh.

To the person who sees another foreigner on a bike and decides to blow past them on your classic road bike, running a red light in the process, in a attempt to kick off some stupid race:

If the other guy decides that it is, indeed, 'ON'... then you should at least be able to back up that shitty macho posturing with good, fast, safe riding. If someone on a fixed gear can beat you until you give up without properly violating any traffic regulations, you are a moron.

WAC

Called him as such, too.

^^ That would make sense.
Although that junction is so chaotic that it would take most of the Met to enforce it.
Pedestrians, drivers and cyclists pretty much do what the hell they want.

Had a wonderful day sat in central london traffic in the van for most of today.
Lots of surprisingly safe and considerate riding on show today, I think the shitty weather is helping to keep some of the tools off the road. Saw a couple of forumengers riding well, chapeau to you all.
Saw so many cars blowing through yellows and reds at the last moment, driving in bus lanes and being aggressive towards cyclists who were doing nothing wrong whatsoever, called a driver out for it. Got called a cunt for my troubles.
I think a lot of the hate stems from cyclists ability to flow through the traffic instead of being stuck, surprising that drivers don't have the same negative attitude towards motorbikers.

This! You no likey splashy splashy? You take your front wheel out of my arse crack.

That wasn't my wheel.

I think a lot of the hate stems from cyclists ability to flow through the traffic instead of being stuck, surprising that drivers don't have the same negative attitude towards motorbikers.

probably because motorbike riders know how to ride - they do comprehensive training to be able to use the road legally and not ride like an idiot.

i personally think everyone on a bike should do a motorbike test. having done it myself - i ride my bike on the road like i do my motorbike, and have never had a single issue. i honestly cant think of one, and thats since 2001.

if anyone is actually serious about being a good rider its a good investment, ive seen loads of riders who think they know what theyre doing. but they really dont.

I think a lot of the hate stems from cyclists ability to flow through the traffic instead of being stuck, surprising that drivers don't have the same negative attitude towards motorbikers.

Cos motorbikengers is dead hard, innit.

Saw a cyclist ride through along southwark bridge and up queen st this evening. He ran through a red light straight across the path of a lorry. Thankfully the driver stopped, the cyclist started screaming at the driver. When he got on to queen st I pointed out that it had been a red light for him and got a "fuck off you cunt it was green" response. Was there in a professional capacity with another cycling instructor, it did rather amuse us as the green light was clearly for the lorry.

instead of being stuck, surprising that drivers don't have the same negative attitude towards motorbikers.

Yes they do and the drivers do other things such as swerving.

I'm seeing so many people riding fixed with no brakes or foot retention, worst thing is some of them are trying to justify it :o. I'm going to slap myself and give up!

MM - Any idea which part of Bellenden Rd and when?
Wherever the one way system is being ignored by cyclists I think.

I am trying to find out more but this is what the police have told us so far:

"The Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) will be carrying a borough [Southwark] wide operation between 8th and 12th Oct 2012.
22 SNTs will be taking part and conducting two deployments each for about 2 hours during the week."

Unfortunately the PS we talked to wasn't prepared to share the exact locations in advance but did agree to target drivers stopping in ASLs as well as cyclists jumping red lights. He has also agreed to provide us with a full debrief of the operation when finished.

We are currently involved with designing a contraflow on Bellenden but that wont go in for some time.