Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

BMMF in lower case shocker !

The description was of *your *poos. You *know *that stuff is no good for your guts, but you just can't resist the 6 large cans for a fiver offer, can you.

I didn't mean new beanbags either. More like when the plastic bits have got all compressed, and it languishes like a rustly puddle in the corner of the room.

did you look around more?

do people ride with music at full volume or at a level where they can still hear what is going on and even maintain conversations with other cyclists?

Kind of, I looked when I wasn't carried away with my singing/rapping/toasting it was quiet enough that I could hear pretty much everything I normally can, even managed to sustain a 30 sec convo with my mates mum who was in a car.

when I wasn't carried away with my singing/rapping/toasting

"toasting"?

You're making bread-based snacks whilst cycling?

So using earphones can be a training aid to help encourage cyclists to use their eyes (which are a more reliable sense) than hearing to check what is going on behind. This can help people to adapt their riding style.

I think if you have to 'train' people to use the most base common senses (even animals are able to do this, except the ones that get squashed crossing the road) then your pitiful human race is doomed beyond help.

We really are a country of hopeless wankers, aren't we? If you brought someone from the 1940s forward in time, they'd be astonished at the greed, selfishness, stupidity and weakness of modern human interaction.

Have you followed people on the road that never ever look back? I do all the time, it is worrying when they just stick an arm out and without checking behind swerve across lanes of traffic to make a turn (assuming they even bother to signal).

@RPM - yeah, but they'd be amazed by internet memes so that would balance things out.

The range of fabrics and colours in budget clothing would dazzle them, and the wide availability of bananas.

"toasting"?

You're making bread-based snacks whilst cycling?

course.... :P

I think if you have to 'train' people to use the most base common senses (even animals are able to do this, except the ones that get squashed crossing the road) then your pitiful human race is doomed beyond help.

We really are a country of hopeless wankers, aren't we? If you brought someone from the 1940s forward in time, they'd be astonished at the greed, selfishness, stupidity and weakness of modern human interaction.

He says while interacting with people via a computer.... lol jk

Have you followed people on the road that never ever look back? I do all the time, it is worrying when they just stick an arm out and without checking behind swerve across lanes of traffic to make a turn (assuming they even bother to signal).

Yeah, the kinda that freewheel along a steady 10mph but don't even bother to stop for lights.

The range of fabrics and colours in budget clothing would dazzle them, and the wide availability of bananas.

For a while, then they would begin to see it's all a sham, a thin gloss attempting to cover the blasphemous nebulosity of a race about to suffocate on it's own fecal production.

I *like *bananas.

euph?

Racist.

Yeah to be fair, bananas are pretty good.

Have you followed people on the road that never ever look back? I do all the time, it is worrying when they just stick an arm out and without checking behind swerve across lanes of traffic to make a turn (assuming they even bother to signal).

When learning to drive my instructor suggested that in normal traffic a mirror check every 10 seconds was a good rule of thumb, that's on top of the ones you'd make before a manoeuvre, approaching lights, spotting a potential hazard, etc. Do you advise something similar to your trainees? General observation and awareness of what is around them is woeful amongst cyclists.

However, riding with earphones can encourage people to use their eyes a lot more. Many cyclists are too reliant on their ears to tell them what is happening behind, but this does not give accurate information regarding speed or proximity of the vehicle behind.......

......So using earphones can be a training aid to help encourage cyclists to use their eyes (which are a more reliable sense) than hearing to check what is going on behind. This can help people to adapt their riding style.

Fair enough, though the two things aren't mutually exclusive - I frequently look behind me even though I'm not wearing earphones. Are you saying that you think it's actually better to ride without hearing what's going on around you, or just that, on balance, hearing is not a particularly significant factor in a rider's overall performance?

Does this apply to everyone, or just more 'advanced' riders? (Not sure how to decide who qualifies for this!) I've been cut up tons of times by people wearing headphones who don't appear to have heard my warning shout. (That's not to say that things wouldn't have happened exactly the same way if they weren't wearing headphones!)

Also sound can reflect adding a further confusion - think about standing at a junction and you hear a police siren, often it can be hard to tell which direction it is coming from.

I'm not sure what you mean here. I take your point about potential confusion, but surely your music isn't loud enough to block out sirens? Don't we all have a responsibility to listen out for sirens and take appropriate action?

If music is such a distraction then radios and music should not be allowed in cars either.

You're comparing apples and oranges here. The level of vulnerability is different when driving compared to cycling, as is the level of immersion listening to speakers compared to earphones. (I wouldn't wear earphones when driving either, though I would have the radio on.)

If people are 'toasting' whilst cycling now, then it seems there's no end to the madness. What next, playing draughts whilst riding downhill? Crochet whilst commuting? Masturbating whilst mountain biking?

hitting balls with mallets?

When learning to drive my instructor suggested that in normal traffic a mirror check every 10 seconds was a good rule of thumb, that's on top of the ones you'd make before a manoeuvre, approaching lights, spotting a potential hazard, etc. Do you advise something similar to your trainees? General observation and awareness of what is around them is woeful amongst cyclists.

Rather than be so prescriptive I would suggest people check depending on the situation. Cycling is a dynamic activity. So on quiet Roman roads in the country where there are no side roads, you may not need to check so often, but in a busy urban environment where there are lots of side roads, driveways etc where new traffic may come from you may wish to pay more attention. My rule of thumb for myself is if I don't know or am uncertain of what is going on behind me, then I ought to look. Sometimes this is more than once every 10 seconds.

Fair enough, though the two things aren't mutually exclusive - I frequently look behind me even though I'm not wearing earphones. Are you saying that you think it's actually better to ride without hearing what's going on around you, or just that, on balance, hearing is not a particularly significant factor in a rider's overall performance?

Does this apply to everyone, or just more 'advanced' riders? (Not sure how to decide who qualifies for this!) I've been cut up tons of times by people wearing headphones who don't appear to have heard my warning shout. (That's not to say that things wouldn't have happened exactly the same way if they weren't wearing headphones!)

I would suggest that riding around looking is more important than listening, hence why deaf people can cycle and blind people don't. Of course hearing can help, but not as much as people think.

I would also advocate that music is at a volume where you can still hear what is going on. I would tend to suggest an experienced rider who does not look back enough may wish to try riding with earphones (not headphones) to encourage them to look around more. As you note some shit cyclists don't pay attention to what is said even if they are not wearing headphones. Personally I would not use noise blocking earphones or closed back headphones if they are particularly snug.

I'm not sure what you mean here. I take your point about potential confusion, but surely your music isn't loud enough to block out sirens? Don't we all have a responsibility to listen out for sirens and take appropriate action?

I used this as an example of how hearing is a very unreliable sense to indicate position and velocity of another vehicle. So it should not be relied upon for this purpose, your eyes are much more likely to give you more accurate information. Of course hearing helps alert you to the fact there is a vehicle responding to an emergency.

You're comparing apples and oranges here. The level of vulnerability is different when driving compared to cycling, as is the level of immersion listening to speakers compared to earphones. (I wouldn't wear earphones when driving either, though I would have the radio on.)

The level of immersion is down to the user, a car with its windows up, and music on is a very closed environment. I can hear other peoples conversations when riding along, but can't hear them when in a car. I also consider not just the risk i pose to myself, but the risk I pose to others, not just my vulnerability.. So a car driver who can't hear someone shouting a warning at them (because their windows are closed and music is on) is much more dangerous than a cyclist who can hear the warnings that are being shouted at them but is wearing headphones.

If people are 'toasting' whilst cycling now, then it seems there's no end to the madness. What next, playing draughts whilst riding downhill? Crochet whilst commuting? Masturbating whilst mountain biking?

Found the toasting image but struggling with wankers on mountain bikes..

Oh hang on.....

an early call but...

my sister has been given a bike. this is the woman who destroyed a petrol station in the USA by crashing into a petrol pump and then left the country without attending the related court case. she also wrote off volvo because she was driving along and suddenly an oak tree "just appeared in front of her" despite it being 6 feet from the verge

All of Volvo? That's some feat.

^if "God" acted like that the world would be a far better place.

Celestial sin bin FTW

an early call but...

my sister has been given a bike. this is the woman who destroyed a petrol station in the USA by crashing into a petrol pump and then left the country without attending the related court case. she also wrote off volvo because she was driving along and suddenly an oak tree "just appeared in front of her" despite it being 6 feet from the verge

Where does she 'live, work or study'?

Where does she 'live, work or study'?

Putney