Annoying things other cyclists do
Discussion
Of course the list is endless, but at least it's not me having a whinge about lorry drivers this time.
- Not changing gear when stopping at red lights and then getting in my way as I try and accelerate away from the lights.
- Indicating by way of pointing at the ground some where near your rear wheel (especially road bikes for some reason - too much drag to hold your arm straight out?!)
- Nailing it on the straight bits and then going at snails pace round corners and junctions, even in the dry.
- Claiming you can ride from A to B in 10 minutes when there's at least 10 minutes spend stuck at traffic lights or junctions.
- Riding the same route day after day and still not knowing the sequence of traffic lights.
- Going past the stop lines at red lights so far that you can't even see the lights when they go green. I always overtake you because I can actually see when the lights change. (this one I find particularly idiotic)
- Going out for a training ride and using drafting - what's the point of this? It's like swim training with fins on. Isn't traing about trying to improve yourself?
- Wearing TdF team colours on the commute to Blackfriars. Especially so when you get passed by the Boris bike by the guy in a suit.
- Not changing gear when stopping at red lights and then getting in my way as I try and accelerate away from the lights.
- Indicating by way of pointing at the ground some where near your rear wheel (especially road bikes for some reason - too much drag to hold your arm straight out?!)
- Nailing it on the straight bits and then going at snails pace round corners and junctions, even in the dry.
- Claiming you can ride from A to B in 10 minutes when there's at least 10 minutes spend stuck at traffic lights or junctions.
- Riding the same route day after day and still not knowing the sequence of traffic lights.
- Going past the stop lines at red lights so far that you can't even see the lights when they go green. I always overtake you because I can actually see when the lights change. (this one I find particularly idiotic)
- Going out for a training ride and using drafting - what's the point of this? It's like swim training with fins on. Isn't traing about trying to improve yourself?
- Wearing TdF team colours on the commute to Blackfriars. Especially so when you get passed by the Boris bike by the guy in a suit.
oyster said:
- Going past the stop lines at red lights so far that you can't even see the lights when they go green. I always overtake you because I can actually see when the lights change. (this one I find particularly idiotic)
What happens here is that the council couldn't afford to put the repeater in. The cyclist is concentrating on whether he'll need to unclip, how far forward he needs to be to see when the other lights go red and what gear he needs to be in, so that when the lights change he can get up to speed before the traffic gets to him.He stops and realises there's no repeater and is very sorry. You could rev your engine and delay releasing the clutch a fraction to give him fair warning rather than trying to squash him into the traffic bollards.
We do learn where the council's have been lazy and modify our behaviour to suit, but sometimes it takes us by surprise. Sorry about that.
You know, if you weren't all in your cars getting fat, there wouldn't be too much need for traffic lights
paulrockliffe said:
oyster said:
- Going past the stop lines at red lights so far that you can't even see the lights when they go green. I always overtake you because I can actually see when the lights change. (this one I find particularly idiotic)
What happens here is that the council couldn't afford to put the repeater in. The cyclist is concentrating on whether he'll need to unclip, how far forward he needs to be to see when the other lights go red and what gear he needs to be in, so that when the lights change he can get up to speed before the traffic gets to him.He stops and realises there's no repeater and is very sorry. You could rev your engine and delay releasing the clutch a fraction to give him fair warning rather than trying to squash him into the traffic bollards.
We do learn where the council's have been lazy and modify our behaviour to suit, but sometimes it takes us by surprise. Sorry about that.
You know, if you weren't all in your cars getting fat, there wouldn't be too much need for traffic lights
Weirdly, oyster also said "Annoying things OTHER cyclists do", suggesting that you didn't read the title of the thread, and furthermore, that you have presumed that when he mentioned being prevented from accelerating away from the lights, he meant in his car. More than likely he is p
ed at people who don't select an appropriate gear for moving off because they prevent him from accelerating away on his bicycle, on whose drive train he has carefully selected a suitable gear for a quick getaway before stopping. It is called roadcraft, and involves reading the road in exactly the same way as you would in a car. The question is posed thus: "You are making progress and are approaching a traffic light controlled junction. The light is showing green. What do you expect the traffic light to do next?" The key to answering correctly is knowing the order in which the coloured lights appear, and being prepared for it to happen. Controlling your speed on approach to a set of traffic light in/on any vehicle, especially if you know the phase times, can negate the need to stop and unclip (bicycle) or to stop and then move away in first gear (in a car). Charging toward a green light almost invariably requires a cyclist to stop sharply and leaves little time to unclip, never mind to select an appropriate gear to move off. Much better in my experience to ease off on approach to the lights, select an appropriately lower gear in preparation for a stop, and regard it as a bonus if you get through on the 'green' phase, whereupon you will find that the lower gear in which you approached allows you to maintain your cadence whilst accelerating up through your gears whilst you firmly drop the numpties that where forced to stop at (or beyond) the white line in too high a gear to move off at anything resembling 'pace'. You still retain the advantage if required to stop because you will be starting off from the next green phase of the lights in a much more suitable gear than the cretin who stopped with his chain on the large ring/small cog combo. Be prepared, and pay attention at the back, there's a good chap. 
ETA: Damn, beaten to it by IroningMan, who made the point in a far more concise fashion than I did myself.
ed at people who don't select an appropriate gear for moving off because they prevent him from accelerating away on his bicycle, on whose drive train he has carefully selected a suitable gear for a quick getaway before stopping. It is called roadcraft, and involves reading the road in exactly the same way as you would in a car. The question is posed thus: "You are making progress and are approaching a traffic light controlled junction. The light is showing green. What do you expect the traffic light to do next?" The key to answering correctly is knowing the order in which the coloured lights appear, and being prepared for it to happen. Controlling your speed on approach to a set of traffic light in/on any vehicle, especially if you know the phase times, can negate the need to stop and unclip (bicycle) or to stop and then move away in first gear (in a car). Charging toward a green light almost invariably requires a cyclist to stop sharply and leaves little time to unclip, never mind to select an appropriate gear to move off. Much better in my experience to ease off on approach to the lights, select an appropriately lower gear in preparation for a stop, and regard it as a bonus if you get through on the 'green' phase, whereupon you will find that the lower gear in which you approached allows you to maintain your cadence whilst accelerating up through your gears whilst you firmly drop the numpties that where forced to stop at (or beyond) the white line in too high a gear to move off at anything resembling 'pace'. You still retain the advantage if required to stop because you will be starting off from the next green phase of the lights in a much more suitable gear than the cretin who stopped with his chain on the large ring/small cog combo. Be prepared, and pay attention at the back, there's a good chap. ETA: Damn, beaten to it by IroningMan, who made the point in a far more concise fashion than I did myself.
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 18th July 22:47
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 18th July 22:48
oyster said:
- Wearing TdF team colours on the commute to Blackfriars. Especially so when you get passed by the Boris bike by the guy in a suit.
Or worse still, wearing TdF team colours whilst riding home from the local woodland along the footway adjacent to the carriageway on an Apollo Mayhem full 'suspension' (Mountain)Bike Shaped Object. If you're going to wear a replica jersey you should at least be riding on the carriageway and travelling at a speed that resembles moving in some form. The guy I saw today, I could've travelled faster pedalling backwards through a freewheel.paulrockliffe said:
oyster said:
- Going past the stop lines at red lights so far that you can't even see the lights when they go green. I always overtake you because I can actually see when the lights change. (this one I find particularly idiotic)
What happens here is that the council couldn't afford to put the repeater in. The cyclist is concentrating on whether he'll need to unclip, how far forward he needs to be to see when the other lights go red and what gear he needs to be in, so that when the lights change he can get up to speed before the traffic gets to him.He stops and realises there's no repeater and is very sorry. You could rev your engine and delay releasing the clutch a fraction to give him fair warning rather than trying to squash him into the traffic bollards.
We do learn where the council's have been lazy and modify our behaviour to suit, but sometimes it takes us by surprise. Sorry about that.
You know, if you weren't all in your cars getting fat, there wouldn't be too much need for traffic lights
Did you read the thread title? I am a cyclist!
Where's that parrot smilie?!
yellowjack said:
Weirdly, oyster also said "Annoying things OTHER cyclists do", suggesting that you didn't read the title of the thread, and furthermore, that you have presumed that when he mentioned being prevented from accelerating away from the lights, he meant in his car. More than likely he is ped at people who don't select an appropriate gear for moving off because they prevent him from accelerating away on his bicycle, on whose drive train he has carefully selected a suitable gear for a quick getaway before stopping. It is called roadcraft, and involves reading the road in exactly the same way as you would in a car. The question is posed thus: "You are making progress and are approaching a traffic light controlled junction. The light is showing green. What do you expect the traffic light to do next?" The key to answering correctly is knowing the order in which the coloured lights appear, and being prepared for it to happen. Controlling your speed on approach to a set of traffic light in/on any vehicle, especially if you know the phase times, can negate the need to stop and unclip (bicycle) or to stop and then move away in first gear (in a car). Charging toward a green light almost invariably requires a cyclist to stop sharply and leaves little time to unclip, never mind to select an appropriate gear to move off. Much better in my experience to ease off on approach to the lights, select an appropriately lower gear in preparation for a stop, and regard it as a bonus if you get through on the 'green' phase, whereupon you will find that the lower gear in which you approached allows you to maintain your cadence whilst accelerating up through your gears whilst you firmly drop the numpties that where forced to stop at (or beyond) the white line in too high a gear to move off at anything resembling 'pace'. You still retain the advantage if required to stop because you will be starting off from the next green phase of the lights in a much more suitable gear than the cretin who stopped with his chain on the large ring/small cog combo. Be prepared, and pay attention at the back, there's a good chap.
ETA: Damn, beaten to it by IroningMan, who made the point in a far more concise fashion than I did myself.
Do you have difficulty expressing yourself concisely?ed at people who don't select an appropriate gear for moving off because they prevent him from accelerating away on his bicycle, on whose drive train he has carefully selected a suitable gear for a quick getaway before stopping. It is called roadcraft, and involves reading the road in exactly the same way as you would in a car. The question is posed thus: "You are making progress and are approaching a traffic light controlled junction. The light is showing green. What do you expect the traffic light to do next?" The key to answering correctly is knowing the order in which the coloured lights appear, and being prepared for it to happen. Controlling your speed on approach to a set of traffic light in/on any vehicle, especially if you know the phase times, can negate the need to stop and unclip (bicycle) or to stop and then move away in first gear (in a car). Charging toward a green light almost invariably requires a cyclist to stop sharply and leaves little time to unclip, never mind to select an appropriate gear to move off. Much better in my experience to ease off on approach to the lights, select an appropriately lower gear in preparation for a stop, and regard it as a bonus if you get through on the 'green' phase, whereupon you will find that the lower gear in which you approached allows you to maintain your cadence whilst accelerating up through your gears whilst you firmly drop the numpties that where forced to stop at (or beyond) the white line in too high a gear to move off at anything resembling 'pace'. You still retain the advantage if required to stop because you will be starting off from the next green phase of the lights in a much more suitable gear than the cretin who stopped with his chain on the large ring/small cog combo. Be prepared, and pay attention at the back, there's a good chap. ETA: Damn, beaten to it by IroningMan, who made the point in a far more concise fashion than I did myself.
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 18th July 22:47
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 18th July 22:48
paulrockliffe said:
What happens here is that the council couldn't afford to put the repeater in.
What on earth is a "repeater"?Why would you assume to know where a traffic light might magically appear???
Do you have eyes?
See those massive black boxes on sticks? With the lights in?
They are traffic lights. You should look them up, they are kind of a big deal.
Even if you are so discombobulated by the superhuman effort required to unclip, change down and brake all at the same time, I find that the council usually put in a very helpful MASSIVE WHITE LINE.
Now and again they put in a large box with a pretty picture of a bicycle in it.
Hint: IT'S A F@CKING BICYCLE - GUESS WHO SHOULD BE IN THAT BOX???
If you roll past this then chances are that you aren't going to be able to see the lights.
It also marks you out as either a grade A moron or inveterate RLJer.
Final hint: if I have overtaken you (on my bike) and you then push past me while I am waiting at the lights, then chances are that I am going to overtake you again once we all get up to cruising speed.
SO WHY IN THE HOLY NAME OF F@CK DID YOU PUSH PAST ME YOU MORON???????
You can wait beside me by all means - I will probably even give a friendly nod or share anecdotes about how the wind is always blowing in the wrong direction or how I prefer the sound of a 45mm deep rim over 33s and that is enough to justify the weight difference.
If you don't wait patiently beside me but push past, then know I will be scheming about ways to track you down and have you killed.
Please note: significantly less than 100% of this rant is aimed at Paul specifically.
itsnotarace said:
walm said:
What on earth is a "repeater"?
One of those small traffic lights underneath the main lights. At cyclist heightthe one half way up the post here:
I assumed he meant another set of lights on the other side of the junction.
Yup - that's what I thought.
Some bizarro continental-type stuff.
I guess if those are somewhat standard where you live then it is fair to get confused when they aren't there - they are pretty small!
Nevertheless, you still need to be behind the line of the traffic light to see the repeater so I don't think Paul's behaviour is what the OP is talking about.
Certainly the standard around here is to have a whole new light on the opposite side of the junction.
This encourages the weapons-grade tosspots to ignore the white line as above.
This further means that they are often crossing right through the pedestrian crossing part of the junction.
It's the very worst version of RLJing since you are just cruising through a crossing on green for the peds with very little hope of crossing the heavy traffic in front of you.
So you aren't even RLJing to save time/momentum. You're just a tt.
Some bizarro continental-type stuff.
I guess if those are somewhat standard where you live then it is fair to get confused when they aren't there - they are pretty small!
Nevertheless, you still need to be behind the line of the traffic light to see the repeater so I don't think Paul's behaviour is what the OP is talking about.
Certainly the standard around here is to have a whole new light on the opposite side of the junction.
This encourages the weapons-grade tosspots to ignore the white line as above.
This further means that they are often crossing right through the pedestrian crossing part of the junction.
It's the very worst version of RLJing since you are just cruising through a crossing on green for the peds with very little hope of crossing the heavy traffic in front of you.
So you aren't even RLJing to save time/momentum. You're just a t
t.yellowjack said:
oyster said:
- Wearing TdF team colours on the commute to Blackfriars. Especially so when you get passed by the Boris bike by the guy in a suit.
Or worse still, wearing TdF team colours whilst riding home from the local woodland along the footway adjacent to the carriageway on an Apollo Mayhem full 'suspension' (Mountain)Bike Shaped Object. If you're going to wear a replica jersey you should at least be riding on the carriageway and travelling at a speed that resembles moving in some form. The guy I saw today, I could've travelled faster pedalling backwards through a freewheel.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff