Cycling things that annoy you beyond reason.

[Vocal Minority]

Mr Will said:

I was coming through the park (a 20mph limit) doing about 25mph being held up by the car in front of me (it was downhill). What does the bright spark behind me try to do? He pulls out to overtake. Once he gets alongside me he can magically see beyond the end of his bonnet and realises there is nowhere to go because of the car in front of me (duh!) so he just kind of dithers along next to me in the wrong lane. Then a car appears heading towards so he starts to drift towards me forcing me in to the gutter. I honestly have no idea what he was thinking! There didn't seem to be any malice in it, just incompetence.

I think drivers just go into auto pilot and feel that they have to pass cyclists as they are a cyclist and must therefore be going slower, rather than actually considering the particulars of the given situation.

[Fartomatic5000]

Vocal Minority said:

Mr Will said:

I was coming through the park (a 20mph limit) doing about 25mph being held up by the car in front of me (it was downhill). What does the bright spark behind me try to do? He pulls out to overtake. Once he gets alongside me he can magically see beyond the end of his bonnet and realises there is nowhere to go because of the car in front of me (duh!) so he just kind of dithers along next to me in the wrong lane. Then a car appears heading towards so he starts to drift towards me forcing me in to the gutter. I honestly have no idea what he was thinking! There didn't seem to be any malice in it, just incompetence.

I think drivers just go into auto pilot and feel that they have to pass cyclists as they are a cyclist and must therefore be going slower, rather than actually considering the particulars of the given situation.

Had something similar on Friday, downright dangerous and the closest I've come to a collision yet. I'm doing 35 downhill and can see that a couple of vehicles have slowed to turn right so I'm quickly catching up with them only to find a muppet in a peugeot along side me, who then notices the right turning vehicles and central island, so he starts moving towards me while still along side. Then he gets in front and immediately indicates and turns left. I was fking raging.

[scubadude]

deeen said:

"Simple" half-hour jobs that get complicated and take 2 hours... my bike is still outside with the front wheel off and 1 mudguard half-fitted...

This^

My back wheel isn't rolling freely- 10min job but...
Clear space in garage 30min
Put up workstand and remove wheel 5min
Try to work out how to undo bearings 5min
Look online 20min
Try again 10min
Look online some more 15min + cup of tea
Succeed in adjusting bearings 10min, reassemble and find its not the bearings 15min
Adjust brakes 10min
Still sticking somewhere, lube gears 10min
Adjust bearings, gears and brakes back to previous settings 30min
Loose, search for and find on floor bolt from bearings 20min
Stop and have lunch 90min
Take stuff I moved in garage to tip 40min
Reassemble bike, wheel still not perfect 20min
Put away bike stand, bike and move more stuff in garage 10min

Net result- bike still sh*te, take missus shopping instead.

[GarryDK]

A guy I pass every morning on my commute on a full sus and full gear pads and full crash helmet, clearly only commuting.

[Kermit power]

GarryDK said:

A guy I pass every morning on my commute on a full sus and full gear pads and full crash helmet, clearly only commuting.

There's a guy who makes me look small (and I'm over 18 stone) who commutes up CS7 on an old rigid Orange MTB with a full face helmet. It doesn't annoy me at all, but it does leave me rather perplexed!

[oyster]

Fartomatic5000 said:

Vocal Minority said:

Mr Will said:

I was coming through the park (a 20mph limit) doing about 25mph being held up by the car in front of me (it was downhill). What does the bright spark behind me try to do? He pulls out to overtake. Once he gets alongside me he can magically see beyond the end of his bonnet and realises there is nowhere to go because of the car in front of me (duh!) so he just kind of dithers along next to me in the wrong lane. Then a car appears heading towards so he starts to drift towards me forcing me in to the gutter. I honestly have no idea what he was thinking! There didn't seem to be any malice in it, just incompetence.

I think drivers just go into auto pilot and feel that they have to pass cyclists as they are a cyclist and must therefore be going slower, rather than actually considering the particulars of the given situation.

Had something similar on Friday, downright dangerous and the closest I've come to a collision yet. I'm doing 35 downhill and can see that a couple of vehicles have slowed to turn right so I'm quickly catching up with them only to find a muppet in a peugeot along side me, who then notices the right turning vehicles and central island, so he starts moving towards me while still along side. Then he gets in front and immediately indicates and turns left. I was fking raging.

When I get up to such speeds (not often unless it's down a very steep hill!) I am virtually on the centreline of the road, so there's no way a car could try and pass me.

Granted on a 50/60 limit road I wouldn't be over there, but in Richmond Park I'd be somewhere between 1 metre left of the centreline or just on the centreline, making sure the car in front had his driver side mirror full of flashing bicycle light.

[MikeOxlong]

Kermit power said:

There's a guy who makes me look small (and I'm over 18 stone) who commutes up CS7 on an old rigid Orange MTB with a full face helmet. It doesn't annoy me at all, but it does leave me rather perplexed!

Maybe he fell off once and ended up peeling his face so now wears a full face?

My irritant from today was people who will merrily bumble along on a narrow trail with headphones on completely oblivious to everything around them.