The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Well tonight realty was the night of the living braindead!
I don't think I managed more than half a mile at any point of my twilight to fully dark commute without coming across some black clad, light free, reflector free retard with a death wish!
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
I don't think I managed more than half a mile at any point of my twilight to fully dark commute without coming across some black clad, light free, reflector free retard with a death wish!
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
A little bit of advice to those who mught be considering knee/leg warmers:
When getting dressed in the morning, make sure the knee/leg warmers are in the same room as the BIBs. I made this mistake and my wife had to sit down with laughing at the sight of me in just knee warmers. I think they're the modern, lycra equivalent of ass-less chaps.
When getting dressed in the morning, make sure the knee/leg warmers are in the same room as the BIBs. I made this mistake and my wife had to sit down with laughing at the sight of me in just knee warmers. I think they're the modern, lycra equivalent of ass-less chaps.
Kermit power said:
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
Strange wasn't it. At the Junction of Queen St and Queen Victoria Street there were three near misses on one cycle of the lights. RLJs and just people monging out. Then onto Cannon St where I (on foot) was nearly hit by some tool going through while the green man was lit, ringing his effing bell like the pedestrians crossing were doing something wrong. Nice and quiet this morning. Maybe this is the turning point in the year where the summer bikes get put away.
Kermit power said:
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
Staggers me really. I didn't leave the office until around 8pm yesterday and it was bucketing it down. But still towards the end of my ride I could hear another cyclist right behind me, but I couldn't see him!! No lights, no hi-vis bag cover nothing. Just the pedal reflectors and a couple of small bits on his jacket, but otherwise like a ghost rider.I usually don't mind as I figure he'll just get himself killed, but he was so close behind me that with his panniers etc he was just making me as invisible as himself!! He was subject to a torrent or horns / abuse from one passing car though - and quite rightly so.
This may just be the "The clocks haven't gone back, so it must still be 'Summer Rules' brigade".
I think a lot of it is also due to people buying their BSOs, or even decent bikes, via non-cycling shops or 'off of the internet', as it takes away the interaction with a human being who can "recommend sir adds lights and a waterproof jacket" to his bike at the time of purchase.
Not solely lights related, but recently I was driving home through Farnborough when I caught site of a very large chap who appeared to be completely unprepared for his journey home from work. Lashing it down with rain, visibility reduced, he'd obviously not seen the forecast, after a brighter start to the day.
When I saw him, he was riding along the pavement, soaked to the skin in a short sleeved white shirt and dark trousers, no lights, no mudguards. By the time I caught up to him, he was waiting to cross the road at a mini roundabout, getting increasingly irate, as no-one would stop to let him across. Like I said, soaked through, and not only that, his white shirt had a massive brown stripe up the middle. He looked like he'd been laid face down on a motocross circuit.
The thing was, if he'd just put a cheapo set of lights, and some mudguards, on the bike, and grabbed a bright waterproof from the likes of Aldi, and gotten himself off the footway onto the carriageway, he'd have had a much less miserable time of it. He may well have still been wet, but he'd have saved his shirt, and have had priority at the mini roundabout instead of having to wait to cross the road. He was the very stereotype that proved that not everyone on a bike is a Cyclist, and he looked a lot like Peter Griffin to boot.
As an aside, I once advised a 'Ninja on a bike' out in the wilds of rural Essex that he was very difficult to see, and some lights/reflectives might be a good idea if he wanted to ride safely at night. My suggestion was met by an expletive filled outburst which, to sum it up, invited me in no uncertain terms to mind my own business.
If I meet one of these idiots whilst driving, I do my best to give them extra space, and to let other drivers know that they are there, as I don't want to see another person squashed flat, but, as has been mentioned before, if I'm cycling I try to put maximum distance between me and them, as I don't want to get wiped out by a car because some blacked out 'ninja' was holding my wheel and masking my lights.
I think a lot of it is also due to people buying their BSOs, or even decent bikes, via non-cycling shops or 'off of the internet', as it takes away the interaction with a human being who can "recommend sir adds lights and a waterproof jacket" to his bike at the time of purchase.
Not solely lights related, but recently I was driving home through Farnborough when I caught site of a very large chap who appeared to be completely unprepared for his journey home from work. Lashing it down with rain, visibility reduced, he'd obviously not seen the forecast, after a brighter start to the day.
When I saw him, he was riding along the pavement, soaked to the skin in a short sleeved white shirt and dark trousers, no lights, no mudguards. By the time I caught up to him, he was waiting to cross the road at a mini roundabout, getting increasingly irate, as no-one would stop to let him across. Like I said, soaked through, and not only that, his white shirt had a massive brown stripe up the middle. He looked like he'd been laid face down on a motocross circuit.
The thing was, if he'd just put a cheapo set of lights, and some mudguards, on the bike, and grabbed a bright waterproof from the likes of Aldi, and gotten himself off the footway onto the carriageway, he'd have had a much less miserable time of it. He may well have still been wet, but he'd have saved his shirt, and have had priority at the mini roundabout instead of having to wait to cross the road. He was the very stereotype that proved that not everyone on a bike is a Cyclist, and he looked a lot like Peter Griffin to boot.
As an aside, I once advised a 'Ninja on a bike' out in the wilds of rural Essex that he was very difficult to see, and some lights/reflectives might be a good idea if he wanted to ride safely at night. My suggestion was met by an expletive filled outburst which, to sum it up, invited me in no uncertain terms to mind my own business.
If I meet one of these idiots whilst driving, I do my best to give them extra space, and to let other drivers know that they are there, as I don't want to see another person squashed flat, but, as has been mentioned before, if I'm cycling I try to put maximum distance between me and them, as I don't want to get wiped out by a car because some blacked out 'ninja' was holding my wheel and masking my lights.
miln0039 said:
yellowjack said:
no mudguards.
I still need to get round to mudguards myself!! But I think they'll ruin the lines of the bike 
You cannot seriously buy one of these: http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling/mountain-bikes... and then get sniffy about 'spoiling the lines' with lights and muddies. Riding about in the dark without lights and reflectors is, quite simply, arrogance and irresponsibility of the highest order. Never mind the fact that in any collision with a motor vehicle there is potential for a fatality, so the rider puts himself at risk. Add to that the effect on the rider's family, and the ammo such collisions give to the likes of Brake, but think also of the effect it would have on you as a driver.
If you were to wipe out some unseen cyclist, would you, in all honesty, be able to shrug it off guilt free, saying "his fault, no way I could have stopped". Nope, you'd be arrested for sure, even if it didn't result in charges being brought, and I don't think anyone who has an ounce of humanity could ever forget seeing another human being lying dead as a result of their actions.
yellowjack said:
miln0039 said:
yellowjack said:
no mudguards.
I still need to get round to mudguards myself!! But I think they'll ruin the lines of the bike You cannot seriously buy one of these: http://www.sportsdirect.com/cycling/mountain-bikes... and then get sniffy about 'spoiling the lines' with lights and muddies. Riding about in the dark without lights and reflectors is, quite simply, arrogance and irresponsibility of the highest order. Never mind the fact that in any collision with a motor vehicle there is potential for a fatality, so the rider puts himself at risk. Add to that the effect on the rider's family, and the ammo such collisions give to the likes of Brake, but think also of the effect it would have on you as a driver.
If you were to wipe out some unseen cyclist, would you, in all honesty, be able to shrug it off guilt free, saying "his fault, no way I could have stopped". Nope, you'd be arrested for sure, even if it didn't result in charges being brought, and I don't think anyone who has an ounce of humanity could ever forget seeing another human being lying dead as a result of their actions.
Kermit power said:
Well tonight realty was the night of the living braindead!
I don't think I managed more than half a mile at any point of my twilight to fully dark commute without coming across some black clad, light free, reflector free retard with a death wish!
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
Always happens at this time of year when people don't realise how quickly the nights are drawing in. I think some cyclists don't think they need lights unless it is pitch black - one of the biggest problems is the fact that this is the hardest time of year to get yourself seen - you need a brighter light to stand out in the twilight than the pitch black.I don't think I managed more than half a mile at any point of my twilight to fully dark commute without coming across some black clad, light free, reflector free retard with a death wish!
What on earth was it about tonight which brought so many of them out of the woodwork?
Really foul weather here this morning: driving rain, swirling wind and wet leaves everywhere making things extra slippery.
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