Is it time to start calling out bad cyclists?

doubt he can hear anything with that headdress

That's ok- it's fluro

I always thought 'flow' was the most important sense for sweet fixi skidders.

No, you're thinking of zen-like connection

I use my sense of smell and taste when using the road as a two-wheeler, motorised and pedalled. You learn to smell for spilt diesel, because it hurts when you fall off on it. And when the roads have been salted, you can taste it (if you can't see it), so you need to be alert for ice forming. Because of this, I never suck fisherman's friends, or even clean my teeth before a ride.

ESP would also help.

I never suck fisherman's friends

Reported for homophobia.

But you can be excellent in all other aspects of how you're riding and as a whole be better than many non-headphone-wearing cyclists.
.

And, sadly, still get squished with the rest of them.

I metaphorically shat my pants on CS2 today as a tipper went by - totally oblivious. Hearing its revvy whine as it tries to maintain 37mph only to stop at the lights in 500m was an invaluable tool in not becoming another statistic.

Also.

How would you know when to DAS if you couldn't hear? Huh

Aspartame can cause incontinence, did you piss or shit yourself? If it was piss had you been eating sugar free mints?

Aspartame can cause incontinence, did you piss or shit yourself? If it was piss had you been eating sugar free mints?

Only metaphorical ones

And even then not while cycling.

Too risky bro

At about 8:30 last night I saw a girl with no lights, no helmet and dark clothing jump every red between Waterloo and Camberwell including E&C roundabout. Called her out on the lights when I nearly hit her due to her inability to utilise roundabout lanes correctly, she didn't seem particularly bothered.
This frightens me.

Also, it wasn't me :)

This morning, I'm sitting in primary at the lights, waiting to turn left and then pretty immediately turn right. The cab behind me is turning left.
I signal, before the lights go green for us.

Some stupid-ass-bitchin'-idiot-hybrid-basket-nodder-lady on left behind me, undercuts me to turn left, cutting me off. "Woah what the fuck!?"
Who turns right from the left gutter, whilst next to a cab who is turning left?
Who undercuts when I clearly indicated my path, WHO!?!
Have you considered cycle training?

Oh also what's with the people wearing fluro vests with the slogans like "THINK BIKE" or have "SPACE FOR CYCLING" on them, who don't have lights and ride like absolute idiots. Is that an in-joke? is that irony?
Must be. They probably have one of these super ironic t-shirts too:
http://rlv.zcache.co.uk/keep_calm_and_ride_on_mountain_bike_t_shirt_wht-re525c01b890745b59c341509e6b44cf5_va6lr_324.jpg

I to have seen amny , many cyclists without lights this year. Normally I put it down to being 'caught out' by the clocks going forward/backward or whatever they did but that was weeks ago. Still loads out there and I do wonder what they are thinking.

I wonder whether they think because they can see the road, thanks to street lights etc as they wobble along at 10 mph, everyone else can see them just as well? Either way it causes me some stress when I see them, them and the dick heads undertaking - yes you on the red spesialized road bike this morning - or trying to undertake left indicating HGVs just near Vauxhall bridge the night before last.

I can't work out if you are all really fucking thick or just anti social.
Both, probably with a bit of arrogance/God complex thrown in.

Sorry what? I couldn't hear you

the last two pages is of no value to the subject at hand.

This

Headphone thread >>>>>>>>>

Some fantastically bad cycling last night. Going up Millfield Lane in the dark whilst trying to avoid potholes some bellend decides to overtake me on the inside round a corner on the steepest part of the hill on an electric bike.
WTF!
I called him a cunt but he probably had headphones on so didn't respond.
Electric bikes for those without the balls to ride a motorbike or the fitness to ride a proper bike.

or maybe people with disabilities.

but yeah, fuck them.

Spring break?

oh go on then, you bring the beads I'll bring the boobs

or maybe people with disabilities.

but yeah, fuck them.

This guy wasn't physically disabled but yeah he must have been mentally disabled to pull off the move he did. I would recommend he chose a more suitable mode of transport for his needs

Millfield Lane Highgate? Not enough fitness to go up Swains?

Funnily enough I was on a ride with someone else and he opted for Millfield Lane :)

I do prefer it myself anyway as there are very few cars and it is a longer climb than Swains. True it is not as severe but it ramps up nicely at the end and provided no potentialy disabled maniacs on electric bikes undertake you on the sharp right before the steep climb then you can attack it with nice speed and bust your lungs before you get to the top

I have heard people suggesting Hillway (the private road between Swains and West Hill) as a good climb on virtually traffic free road. Personally I only go up that way to get to the pub so short, sharp, beer, suits me.

Yes that is another good climb and again not as steep as Swains Lane
I would definitely recommend going up Millfield Lane one night on the way to the Flask.
Just be sure that when the road forks you follow round to the right onto Fitzroy Park otherwise you will end up on a dirt track.

Millfield Lane is good, but needs decent lights at this time of year.

This might be more appropriate for the 'Blood on the Streets' thread but after this morning I can't help thinking that the vast proportion of 'shit versus good' cyclists (as compared to the same for motorists) supports the argument that it is most likely a cyclist in the wrong and a cyclist at fault for accidents involving themselves.

As a conservative estimate, I reckon you could call out somewhere between 25-66% of cyclists commuting in London as being of the 'shit' variety. Bad drivers of cars/trucks, even during rush hour, fall well below that 1 in 4 ratio.

I had an enlightening conversation with an absolute wanker this morning asking why he undertook me on the left hand bend onto Bayliss Road from Kennington Park Road and his reply was 'because you were in the way' (I was riding primary round the bend). This is just abject stupidity and he just wouldn't listen to reason. And the problem is that isn't an isolated incident at all - it's been all over the news that the fuzz are out, that Boris is calling on Cyclists to stop RLJ and the like and yet at every junction people are still scooting into the middle of cross roads, jumping lights and undertaking massive vehicles.

What I'm trying to say is I'm swinging into 'the licence the whole fucking lot of them/us and get the idiots off the road' camp.

where will my neighbors 8 year old kid go to get this 'license' of yours? presumably there won't be a written element to it.

Hey, I can't wait to take my (as yet unborn) kids out on rides - it was one of my favourite activities as a kid and got me into bikes. I just can't see another way because I can't get past what you could do to stop people displaying such utterly imbecilic behaviour.

When more than half of the users of a mode of transport can't use it properly what do you do to fix it?