Search results for:

a) they should have been reduced to 14 men after a stone-cold assault on Serge Betson, inside five minutes, which led to him being subbed (Did he whine? Did he fuck?);

What are you talking about? Serge got clipped nastily in the head, whilst on the ground, by a knee from one of his team mates. That's why he left the field.

Le sigh. Let's face it, the police don't ever do anything at all do they. I mean no arrests are ever made of rapists, burglars, muggers, murderers, drug dealers, etc, etc. There's nobody at all in prison. And the police spend their entire day eating doughnuts and kebabs. I believe this has been proven as 'tru fax bruv' by the internetz and other reliable sources.

To the OP, what happened is horrible and thankfully nobody was seriously hurt. I'm hoping that the blokes in the pick-up shat themselves but without concrete evidence and just she said but he said there isn't a great deal that can be done. Helmet cam with evidence of the assault would have been superb and I'm sure with such strong evidence the police would have pursued it like a dog with a bone but without it's just hearsay. Sorry but true.

I'm with you on this. No real harm done to the guy who got hit thanks to his helmet and then my intervention. I was hoping that the police would have done a bit more than what they did but shit happens. I’m not overly keen on taking it much further with IPCC or the press. It might be a different story if I was the one that got hit. Although having said that a friend of a friend of a friend is reasonably high up in the Met so I’m going to mention it to him and see what he says. Probably some bullshit but hey worth a try.

You make an interesting point about helmet video, especially given the other incidents I’ve had recently. General shit driving resulting in me being almost knocked down twice by vans in the past week. I’ve also made a couple of Roadsafe complaints in the past month. No action that I know of. I’ve been considering getting a camera but I don’t wear a helmet (personal choice and all) so helmet cam is not really practical. Mounting a camera on the bike is possible not much good during an altercation. Had a look at the Looxcie but seems expensive for what it is. Anyone with experience of this or video glasses that don’t make you look like a dweeb or pervert?

So I was riding along Chelsea Embankment on Friday evening in the busy traffic, don’t usually do this as south side is much quieter, traffic in front of me stops. There's nowhere really to go except into oncoming or up onto the footpath so I stop behind a red Ford Transit flatbed/pickup. Another cyclist goes down the small inside gap beside the transit and has words with the occupants. They have words back.

At this point I’m thinking this other cyclist is a bit of a tool for going down a small gap and mouthing off to three labourer type looking blokes. I found out later that the transit’s wing mirror had clipped the cyclist’s elbow, reason enough for a few words I reckon. Just as I’m about to say cool it mate you were in the wrong, the punches start. The passenger on the inside reaches out and smacks the cyclist a couple of times in the head. Luckily he was wearing a (skater type) helmet. Then comes the spit from inside the cab, at least two or three times. There are a few more words and then the puncher reaches way out of the cab to grab the cyclist trying to pull him back and have another go at him. By this time I've dropped my bike on the pavement and closed the gap to the altercation. I grab the puncher by the scruff of the neck and pull him off the cyclist, almost pulling him out of the cab.

The puncher looks as though he's going to get out of the cab and have a go at me, as I'm saying to him that I've just seen him repeatedly punch the cyclist now sprawled on the ground. I guess he thinks the better of attempting another unprovoked assault. Also the traffic in front of the transit has cleared and the driver takes the opportunity to get going.

I and another cyclist who's just ridden up get the license plate (MP06 XPT), so I call the police and report what's happened. Luckily the other cyclist is OK if a little shaken. After the phone call we exchange details for future witness statements etc and I ride off west down the embankment.

A little while after Albert Bridge I see a sight that brings a big smile to my face. The cops have caught up with the transit and are talking to the driver out on the pavement. I ride up and tell the cops that I witnessed the assault and that I called the police. The driver at this point starts saying that I've punched his mate in the back of the head and that he has two witnesses. What a lying c-unit I'm thinking.

One of the cops takes my details and asks me to wait around whilst they talk to the occupants of the transit and their colleagues talk to the assaulted cyclist. 10-15 minutes go by and eventually the cops let the scumbags go and the cop who I'd talked to comes and talks to me.

No one is getting nicked and it's all over apparently. What a fuckin surprise. Obvious assault with witnesses and no action. Copper says to me they complained that I'd assaulted the passenger who was defending himself from the aggressive cyclist. Like bitch, please!

Cop also says that if it had gone any further they'd have had to nick me as part of the investigation. The other cyclist later tells me that the cops said that if it went any further they'd have had to nick him also as part of the investigation.

As I'm getting on my bike to leave the cop says that punching someone in the back of the head in that situation might or might not have been reasonable force (50/50) and that they were about 50/50 as to whether I'd actually punched him or just pulled him off. Talk about a cop out! The whole thing left me questioning whether it was better to get involved (my natural instinct) or should I have taken out my phone and filmed the assault to use as evidence later. Still not sure.

OK, I feel better for have got that rant over with. Apologies for the length if anyone actually made it to the end of this post.

I agree with this but would really recommend the use of a simple cycling computer, one that shows speed, distance and average speed. Nothing more is really necessary.

Such a device can really encourage. First because you are likely to be able to ride further than you would imagine and the distance monitor will confirm this. Secondly, because you can see improvement when riding the same course. A better average speed. This latter measure should be taken with caution as wind can play a considerable part.

As t heart rate, the best advice I ever received was that most cycling should be done at a pace that allows you to hold a conversation while doing it. I often talk to myself while climbing hills.

If you have an iPhone or Android phone SportsTracker app (free) or something similar is a great place to start.

When I was helping prancer lead a feeder ride for the SkyRide a couple of weeks ago we had a little incident with a bus. Basically we were in the right turn lane approaching a junction (guess what we were trying to do) when a 328 bus tried to undertake us to get into the the lane ahead of us, this made me more than a little angry so I, wrongly I admit, told the driver what I thought of her via the medium of a one fingered salute. What happened next truly astounded me and the people we were with the driver drove around us, into oncoming traffic, and pulled up beside me so that she could open the passenger door and shout at me something about professional standards. DJ actually had to calm me down! Anyway when I got home I lodged a complaint with TFL and got this response today:

I know that I was at least partly to blame and have admitted this in my original complaint however I cannot help but feel that the reply that I have been given is designed to make me go away more than to address the fact that the bus driver should clearly not be employed in that capacity. Is it normal for the result of such complaints to not be disclosed? How do I know that this has actually been taken seriously?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys.

Apologies for the lengthy post.

Sorry don't really have the patient to read the entire post but I have had similar experience recently where they said the bus driver whim I complained about would fact disciplinary action and when I asked to be informs what sort of actions he'll face in details the company used data protection acts as an excuse. I was too busy and never got round replying with saying I am entitled to the information under the freedom of information acts. Besides, I was partly thinking it'd be a waste of my time to take it any further. If they take it seriously then they do, if they dont they I doubt there is anything we can do to change it...

Any results of an internal disciplinary process are strictly confidential between the two parties involved, the employee and the employer. The employee has the right to disclose the results of the process to third parties. The employer does not. If an employer breaks this confidentiality then the employee could take legal action against them, and they would win.

It's not Data Protection but employee relations. You have no right to information regarding the diciplinary, don't waste your time.

Having said that a response from a Customer Service Advisor is pretty low level. If you want some reassurance that your complaint has been taken seriously get back to them and see if it goes up a level or two.

Great ride. Cheers John for leading. Good to meet you all. I hurt now but it was so worth it.

Out of domestic arrangements at last minute, so in for this.

1. MA3K
   
2. moth
   
3. braker
   
4. edscoble +1.
   
5. sabot
   
6. b&d
   
7. Mrs b&d
   
8. upstart
   
9. middleofnowhere
   
10. OLC
    
11. vunugu
    
12. lazyday
    
13. tom k&e
    
14. 
    
15. conker (ian)
    
16. shambolic
    
17. Samson
    
18. 
    
19. blowfish
    
20. alkali (probably +1)
    

Signed up for this one. Would be good to see it happen.

Bloke walking a light blue fixed with white markings and white deep vees on Franciscan Rd yesterday arvo. Nice looking bike dude.

Gotta be on here, especially with a messenger bag that had what looked like a hei-tiki painted on it.

dibs

You could try a bit of rust effect on the frame, like so:

http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol11/?pg=76&u1=texterity#pg76

Or the designer rust job:

http://www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/rusty_3.jpg

Or if you have the time chuck the frame in the sea for a while, like this:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gSsMxD-h088/S1893LdujqI/AAAAAAAAAyk/OvWNzh4umeY/s1600-h/dirtybike1.jpg

I saw an Apache gunship low flying over Blackheath a few months ago. That properly freaked me out...

There was one flying up the Thames Saturday afternoon.

Just had my first death threat in about 6 years. On the mean streets of Earlsfield by a Network Cars cab from Glasgow of all places. Car 2861. Lucky there were a nice couple of WPCs up the road.

nah, what a dump that bar is, appears nice on the front of it; but today sustained considerable chemical burns to every finger and both thumbs and on wrists thanks to some serious cleaning chemicals being put in a container claiming it was actually hand sanitiser; then insult to actual injury, wouldn't even log it in the accident book. WTF. Manager is in on the 'moro, needs to sort his place out. Took a thermonitor in the other day, behind bar temp varies between 22C and 28C, average over the 8hrs was 25.5C. Not sure there is an upper temp working limit, but its hotter than the air conditioned kitchen by a good bit, so not exactly fun either.

Sadly, there is no upper limit.

Done. Good luck with the dissertatio.

Regarding Auchentoshan(^), the latest incarnation of the 'Classic' is excellent value for a summer dram. Lots of vanilla/lime/coconut going on :)

Speaking of summer dram's, I tried Bruichladdich Rocks a while ago. Whisky with ice. Was not sure about it at all to begin with, seemed sacreligous but excellent on a evening such as this.

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-1380.aspx

tēnā koutou hugo7, dogsballs & lileth.

Some interesting work, especially at new wave. I also checked out Jesse at Tattoo a-go-go. I was wondering if anyone had personal experience of any of them.

If you have to ask, you shouldn't be getting one.

Contact this chap and say Darren sent you.
http://www.facebook.com/DwayneJohnson

Such sage advice valued friends, Pokokōhua to the both of you.

Oh damn, that's so sad. I ride past there almost everyday.

Hello,
I'm Tom, I ride a Surly Cross Check - set up as a SS. Currently umming and arring about whether to 'flip' the hub round and brave it as a fixed gear.

Hi Tom, give it a go, you'll never know until you try if you'll like it. a day or two of getting used to it and you'll either hate it or love it.

+1 Give it a go Tom.

My Favourite: http://www.whisky-online.com/auchentoshan-1973-29-year-old.html?source=googleps

Got a bottle for my 30th, sadly all gone now...it might have doubled in price since then but I'd rather have enjoyed it than kept it.

I'll be there with +2

Anyone recommend someone specialising in Maori designs?

Why should we be asked to wear hi-viz? It's a driver's responsibility to look out for us.

We don't demand that pedestrians wear hi-viz, or that cars are painted in da-glo colours. Why are cyclists singled out as being responsible for other people seeing them.

Also there is a factual inaccuracy here:
"The law is clear that as road users, cyclists are bound by all
the same rules as motorised vehicles. Whether this relates to
alcohol, roadworthiness or traffic signals, failure to observe
the law puts both cyclists and other road users in harm’s way"

We are not bound by speed limits or laws pertaining to alcohol consumption, (or indeed excise duty, parking restrictions, undertaking, etc)

We might not be bound by the same laws as drivers with regard to alcohol but we're not totally exempt:

Section 30 Road Traffic Act 1988 says: “It is an offence for a person to ride a cycle on a road or other public place when unfit to ride through drink or drugs – that is to say – is under the influence of a drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle.

You can drink and ride, so long as you can ride properly.

Anyone here in the streatham hill area (near the rail station), seen a few nice properties; just wondering what the locations like?

Friends of mine have lived there for years. Good places to rent at reasonable prices. A few areas are a bit shady. Only a very few decent places to go for a bite and nowhere to really go for a drink. Wouldn't be my choice but the only way to know if it's yours is a visit.