Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

i am no more responsible for the actions of the next person who happens to be on a bike than i am responsible for the next person who happens to be wearing green socks.

Given the high probability of that person being ChainBreaker, good call.

https://www.bike24.net/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;product=25889;page=1;menu=1000,18,59;mid=0;pgc=5260:5263

https://www.lfgss.com/thread62518-26.html#post3206020

...LED light up balloons...
Aceness!

I agree last night there were loads of non light riders. I called up one dude with no lights and asked him where his lights were and he replied 'I ain't got none bro'.

Well duh I gathered that.

It's all well and good saying don't filter to the front but if I did that it'd take me the same 2.5 hours to ride to work that it takes to drive.The whole point of riding a bike is that you can filter past traffic. A lot of my commute is filtering past traffic that runs in one solid line from one traffic light to the next. Where do you draw the line?

At the lights.

everything is situation dependent. That's the problem with rules. But if the po po had a knowledge of cycling then they'd be able to judge. But I hope i'm dead and gone before such judgements are put in the hands of old bill.

I filter through longer lines of traffic but if there is just a few cars up front then I'll wait behind them, that doesn't take any longer.

Coming from Kings Cross to Angel I often filter on the right, between the two opposite lanes. The light's timings means that there is no oncoming traffic. The lights are clear from a distance so I can easily stop when it goes green. When I get to the ASL I then enter from the right. 2 wrongs technically, but they are safe actions in that place, they make my commute safer and they reduce driver frustration.

It's all well and good saying don't filter to the front but if I did that it'd take me the same 2.5 hours to ride to work that it takes to drive.The whole point of riding a bike is that you can filter past traffic. A lot of my commute is filtering past traffic that runs in one solid line from one traffic light to the next. Where do you draw the line?

Not filtering to the front ain't the same as not filtering.

Like snotter, I'm happy a couple of cars back because it takes the pressure off when the lights change, especially in 20mph zones when it's not that difficult to keep up with cars. If you're at the front you'll be regarded as holding everyone up, even if they're not actually going any slower than if you weren't there.

Unfortunately all this is rarely any use in rush hour because even if you're not at the front all of London's slowest cyclists will be.

What you find on roads (such as Kennington Road) where you have two lanes, one of which is a bus lane until ~100m before the lights, is that the biggest wankers will pull into the lane-that-was-bus-lane in order to give it the gas off the lights, and therefore make up 50m of vital road position.

Of course, this means that Twatty McCuntface is sitting behind The Slowest Cyclists In The World, who have spread out into an amorphous cloud in the ASL, all trying to push and shove to the front in the most passive-aggressive manner possible.

Usually the front rank anticipates the lights and go off down the road, then the lights go green and the Chartreuse Cloud proceeds, after that sudden dramatic left or right dart that they like to perform when setting off.

Which leaves our friend in the vehicle trying to force his (or her) way through the Chartreusians in order that they can pull in front of the cars they wish to undertake.

Fun times.

^This..

Filtering is fine and I do it all the time, but it needs to been done respectfully, safely and with an understanding of your speed and ability. I'm all for filter down the outside when safe, especially on a single lane road where there are turnings along with parked cars. I believe it can be the safest option, like a motorcyclist would. But if the ASL is full or a lorry or what ever is making it awkward to enter. just wait and lose 10-30secs on your commute. People should be eyeing up the down the road to see this in advance. Also if people don't recognise the majority of the people that have passed them on the sections between lights then they are not paying enough attention to their surroundings.

Part of the problem is many people look as far as the next gap in front of them. These people will be inconsiderate road users, whatever their mode of transport. The lack of spatial awareness or anticipation has them racing into places which are not beneficial to themselves or anyone around them.

Thankfully I don't often have a bunch of other cyclists with me as I rarely ride in and out of town near rush hours. I do filter to the front if it's obviously clear and I know I have time based on the lights, I'll usually move off more quickly than the cars anyway as they'll be edging forwards into the ASL while the light is red, then not paying attention when the light actually changes.

Calling myself out for a ridiculous manoeuvre this morning (squeezing into small gap to get ahead of a bus) minutes after having a gentle word with a minivan driver for being far too close to me. Penance applied and will do better on the homeward journey.

I've been taking pretty much constant flak for riding with headphones since Boris's little intervention this week. What's the general consensus round these parts on this issue?

As long as you look behind yourself frequently you will be fine.

Your ears are very fallible, sound reflects, some vehicles are silent (as are bikes). So hearing can't be relied upon.

Your eyes can tell you the proximity, speed and size of a vehicle behind you, which your ears can not do.

Rely on your eyes and not your ears, but try to have music playing at a volume that does not exclude the background noise.

I've been taking pretty much constant flak for riding with headphones since Boris's little intervention this week. What's the general consensus round these parts on this issue?

As long as you look behind yourself frequently you will be fine.

Your ears are very fallible, so can't be relied upon. Your eyes can tell you the proximity, speed and size of a vehicle behind you, which your ears can not do.

Personally I think it's a bad idea as you are cutting off an important avenue of sensory perception, but that said no-one has successfully run James down yet.

I can't think of a single good reason to voluntarily cut off one of your five senses (and I'd rank it above taste, smell and possibly touch with regards to usefulness whilst cycling) whilst using a method of transport which leaves you vulnerable to pretty much everything else on the road.

So you think sucking a mint would hinder your ability to ride a bike?

This shite again?

ehrmagerd

That's all very well, but can you actually sit on it?

So you think sucking a mint would hinder your ability to ride a bike?

Please, tell me where I said that.

Sucking a mint would hinder your ability to ride a bike

.