Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

Do you mean he cut across you?

Yeah cut across sorry

So numpty on the Boris bike this morning - approaching a t junction and hanging back due to a slow moving street sweeper. He (boris bike) gets impatient and goes into the right hand lane to get in front straight into the path of a white van that is turning left down "our" road.

Call him out "Oi Boris, you will do you yourself an injury cycling like that"

Fuck my life! I'm gonna go mental.

I see the first nodder, no lights earphones on, riding in the gutter and just shake my head and carry on. Literally 20m down the road another one this time with one weak front light, wobbly as fuck, with even bigger headphones. This guy swerves suddenly causing a van to slam on the brakes. A few minutes later a third headphoned guy riding his shitty mountain bike and checking his phone, I only saw him when he swerved out and hit me, this time I swore at him loudly and called him lots of shit.

But it was the retarded woman who tried to undertake a massive fucking HGV while it had already started turning left that tipped my off the edge. I had a massive go at her, I actually got really emotional especially after all these deaths recently, I graphically explained to her how she would be squashed for toe to head and how her brain would explode onto the kerb. I honestly think that if I hadn't screamed at her to stop she would have at the very least had the biggest oh shit moment of her life.

Cunts

Has anyone got an inverse shim I can borrow?

Got a heel booster for ankle length pumps.

A Converse shim...

Fuck my life! I'm gonna go mental.

I see the first nodder, no lights earphones on, riding in the gutter and just shake my head and carry on. Literally 20m down the road another one this time with one weak front light, wobbly as fuck, with even bigger headphones. This guy swerves suddenly causing a van to slam on the brakes. A few minutes later a third headphoned guy riding his shitty mountain bike and checking his phone, I only saw him when he swerved out and hit me, this time I swore at him loudly and called him lots of shit.

But it was the retarded woman who tried to undertake a massive fucking HGV while it had already started turning left that tipped my off the edge. I had a massive go at her, I actually got really emotional especially after all these deaths recently, I graphically explained to her how she would be squashed for toe to head and how her brain would explode onto the kerb. I honestly think that if I hadn't screamed at her to stop she would have at the very least had the biggest oh shit moment of her life.

Cunts

Had a woman do exactly the same scooting along the gutter on the inside of a left turning HGV. Couldnt quite believe what i had just watched, caught up and (as calmly as i could) suggested she enquire about cycle training before she ends up another cyclist on the news. Felt a bit of a tit as I have never had cycle training but luckily I have at least the minimal amount of brain cells to not put myself in the blind spot of a lorry against the kerb!

How did she respond? (out of interest)

Is it any wonder the number of accidents we are hearing about with stories like the above? How can we expect to stay safe with such unsafe cycling?

Tried to justify it by saying the lorry weren't moving and it was safe. Weird that i was pretty shaken up (and still am thinking about it) than she seemed to be.

Yeah - you were right to have a word. That one shoe down scooty thing takes a good few seconds and that's too long. I hang back like a total jess these days even if the gap's big, the exit is available and I can see the red traffic light up ahead. They've only got to adjust their position due to something coming the other way and you're toast. I've never understood why it's so important to scoot to the front anyway - this is mostly people who pull away like they've got flat tyres anyway.

It's the reason why I don't enter the 'strict liability for drivers' debates. But well done for having a word you two.

I think in almost all un-congested junctions, where there are only one or two cars waiting at lights, you're just as safe waiting behind them in the primary rather than filtering to the front. Unless you're faster than the cars generally speed straight off the lights, you're not going to be held up that much.

I admit that I have to renounce my hipster bike and buy a randonneur for admitting that I frequently just wait in line behind cars but whevz.

I think I wait behind a lot more than filtering - unless it's gridlock and the lights will have sequenced completely by the time I get there. It's so much less stressful.

There are few things more satisfying cycling in London traffic than preventing people riding down the gap between a vehicle and the kerb. The more ridiculous angle you have to put your bike at to stop them, the better.

The best ones are where you get an audible 'tut' from behind, or even a request to let them past. Which is stubbornly refused, obviously.

I don't do that. I'm too British. I just fear for everyone silently.

I think I wait behind a lot more than filtering - unless it's gridlock and the lights will have sequenced completely by the time I get there. It's so much less stressful.

Hear hear. Stops the aggravation that comes with watching people do brainless moves. It's either that, or a continuously pulsing temple vein.

I think in almost all un-congested junctions, where there are only one or two cars waiting at lights, you're just as safe waiting behind them in the primary rather than filtering to the front. Unless you're faster than the cars generally speed straight off the lights, you're not going to be held up that much.

I admit that I have to renounce my hipster bike and buy a randonneur for admitting that I frequently just wait in line behind cars but whevz.

I do this too, especially at rush hour. Although often it's just so I don't get swamped by the dicks who can't ride in a straight line and commuter racers.

The best ones are where you get an audible 'tut' from behind, or even a request to let them past. Which is stubbornly refused, obviously.

I was standing on the pavement on High Holborn waiting to meet a shady bike light dealer outside the tube station. I was aware of two or three cyclists who were sensibly hanging back rather than squeezing up the side of the cars waiting at the red light, and of the ASL box being occupied by a car whose driver was fiddling with his phone.

This latter point may have distracted me for a moment, because I was then rather startled to find a middle-aged female cyclist on the pavement, squeezing past the other cyclist in the ASL feeder lane, muttering with increasing volume: "ExcusemepleaseexcusemepleaseexcusemepleaseEXCUSEMEPLEASEEXCUSEMEPLEASE".

I shifted slightly away from the kerb and she shuffled past and sailed out across the junction. Must have been secret police or something, she didn't use her blues and twos.

Boris Biker out of his saddle sprinting off every lights this morning... shouted "Go on Chris Hoy" after the third time seeing this - got an earful of abuse for it. Hiiiilarious.

Saw a ridiculous near miss today. Coming down Old Brompton Road, near the cemetry. I'm behind a van which is indicating to turn left, so I move out to the right, expecting to go round it. As it starts to turn, a guy who was behind me shoots up the left hand side of the van, causing it to slam on its brakes (fortunately an observant and slow-moving van driver). The near victim didn't even notice what had happened. I rode past the driver and told him it wasn't his fault and then tried to catch up to the near victim to have a word, but he proceeded to jump every red light and then turn off my route so I never got the chance.

Shook me up quite a bit because he MUST have seen the van indicating, and if he didn't, he's either too unobservant to be safe on the road, or just a total douche.

I do this too, especially at rush hour. Although often it's just so I don't get swamped by the dicks who can't ride in a straight line and commuter racers.

A secondary pleasure of this relaxed commuting style is drafting the first few cars through the junction and overtaking the gutter riders and wobble-merchants with impunity.

Yeaaaah! I love doing that.

Lately I've been considering screaming "LOOK OUT!!!" at people riding through red lights, especially if they're going across a junction rather than just turning left.

Unfortunately I've also considered that to have much effect it would have to be done with appropriate volume/urgency, and I'm far too self conscious.

Shook me up quite a bit because he MUST have seen the van indicating, and if he didn't, he's either too unobservant to be safe on the road

One of my favourite incidents ever was also riding down Old Brompton Road, I slowed down and indicated left; sat fairly upright, arm out straight, very obvious signal. When I checked my shoulder before turning I was AMAZED to see a Boris Bike rider undertaking me by literally ducking under my outstretched arm. I was too surprised to reprimand the guy, and just came to a stop next to my turning.

It's crazy to think that this person must have seen me signal to take such action to avoid it, but didn't really recognise what it means. Surely they shouldn't be on the road?