Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2487490 times)

Wycombewheeler · « **Reply #21225 on:** 25 November, 2021, 10:50:23 am »

Quote from: fd3 on 23 November, 2021, 09:12:53 pm

Unless we have presumed guilt of motorists it’s impossible for the cops to get a conviction.

I don't think anyone has presumed guilt.
Many countries have presumed lability, but this is a civil matter for insurance claims/compensation only, not criminal convictions.
The trouble is people in cars bump into other cars frequently, so convincing a jury of drivers that a low speed coming together of two roads users falls below the level expected of a competent driver is not likely to happen. There will be several jury members who have hit other cars, and they will of course consider themselves to be competent.

fd3 · « **Reply #21226 on:** 29 November, 2021, 11:22:23 pm »

It was a bit cold.
Not as icy as I feared, but I have still prepped the ice tyres in case - but I live in hope and have not fitted them!

fd3 · « **Reply #21227 on:** 30 November, 2021, 05:32:13 pm »

That gamble paid off

hubner · « **Reply #21228 on:** 05 December, 2021, 09:06:28 pm »

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/51.51651/-0.07267

Last Friday 6:45pm, Commercial Street E1 London, near Aldgate East tube station, the rider right in front of me got stopped by police for I presume having no lights.

I think there were 2 police cars parked, with a space between them, for issuing fines, I hope.

In my experience about 50% of cyclists in London don't have lights, this includes fully lycra-ed up, clipless using "roadies".

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #21229 on:** 06 December, 2021, 07:55:11 pm »

I strongly considered leaving the bike at work today and getting the train home.

I had a lovely ride home and am very glad I stuck to the bike.

fd3 · « **Reply #21230 on:** 07 December, 2021, 08:02:34 pm »

Discovered that the cap has fallen off my road morph - thankfully not the hard way.

aidan.f · « **Reply #21231 on:** 07 December, 2021, 08:10:17 pm »

Yeah, stock fault, pin comes out. One of mine I caught in time and it has a brass rod replacement. Note to self - check the others

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #21232 on:** 07 December, 2021, 08:22:19 pm »

A greater than normal percentage of drivers seem to have been negligent or homicidal this morning. I was almost happy to pick up the work car and drive home.

fd3 · « **Reply #21233 on:** 07 December, 2021, 11:42:55 pm »

I couldn't imagine lifting something that heavy.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #21234 on:** 08 December, 2021, 06:41:56 am »

Berserker rage, I guess.

Peter · « **Reply #21235 on:** 08 December, 2021, 01:07:47 pm »

Cricket power!

pumpkin · « **Reply #21236 on:** 08 December, 2021, 07:09:26 pm »

Quote from: fd3 on 07 December, 2021, 08:02:34 pm

Discovered that the cap has fallen off my road morph - thankfully not the hard way.

Spares kits out of stock at the moment (£3.99) unless you get lucky

fd3 · « **Reply #21237 on:** 08 December, 2021, 09:04:53 pm »

I knows, I has checked. Most irksome as this is not the first time I needed a spares kit.
I does have a spare pump thoughbut.

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #21238 on:** 09 December, 2021, 12:38:34 pm »

Is road morph a topeak pump? If so a few years back I lost part of one of my topeak pumps. Went into local Halfords to see if could buy a replacement and the incredibly helpful lad serving me produced a big case of pump spares to be given FOC for warranty claims and gave me the required part

hatler · « **Reply #21239 on:** 09 December, 2021, 12:50:22 pm »

It is, yes.

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #21240 on:** 09 December, 2021, 07:34:25 pm »

Then might be worth a wander to your local Halfords

telstarbox · « **Reply #21241 on:** 15 December, 2021, 10:55:27 pm »

Had the minor novelty of a rural commute at night (so no street lights). It was fun and nobody drove into me

fimm · « **Reply #21242 on:** 14 January, 2022, 12:58:55 pm »

On the way to work, cycling up a fairly steep hill. Driver behind hangs back and passed wide when it is safe to do so. After a bit the road flattens and there are traffic lights with a left lane for straight on or left turn, which I take, and a right hand lane to turn right. I'm in the left hand lane, and nice driver is in the right hand lane. The left hand lane gets a green light before the right hand one, and I'm the first vehicle to stop as the lights change back to red. So nice driver is now behind me, and now her lane gets the green light. As she passes me, she has opened her window and shouts "Well Done"!! (and got hooted at by the driver of the taxi behind...)

fd3 · « **Reply #21243 on:** 15 January, 2022, 12:47:34 am »

On ride home tonight drive flashed me ... I think to give way. My confusion was that they were in the opposite lane indicating to turn through me - I didn't realise they needed to flash their lights in my face to let me know I have right of way in my lane.
...
Or maybe my lights are too bright

TimO · « **Reply #21244 on:** 15 January, 2022, 03:20:35 pm »

Quote from: hubner on 05 December, 2021, 09:06:28 pm

In my experience about 50% of cyclists in London don't have lights, this includes fully lycra-ed up, clipless using "roadies".

What I really don't understand is the number of e-bikes (and e-scooters) without lights. They're already carrying around many amp-hours of batteries and have mostly spent a non-trivial amount of money on either the entire vehicle or a conversion kit, the extra cost, both in currency and battery duration is tiny. To be fair, a greater percentage of small e-vehicles have lights than in the unpowered two-wheel category, but there's still a quite significant chunk that believe cycling on a dark bicycle, wearing dark clothing, with no lights, is not going to cause them some grief eventually.

Kim · « **Reply #21245 on:** 15 January, 2022, 03:31:28 pm »

IME off-the-shelf e-bike riders are some of the best-lit cyclists, as nearly all of them (apart from the more serious mountain bikes) have StVZO-style lighting. I see very few conversions in the wild these days (those little petrol engine kits are almost as common), but I expect they're more prolific in That London: Birmingham seems to be going through an e-bike revolution over the last couple of years, much like when Bromptons started appearing in the mid 2010s. Tern GSDs feature strongly, as do minimum-viable-folding-EBSOs.

Scooters and related exotica (skateboards, unicycles, etc) are ridden with whatever stock lighting they come with, which is frequently none and sometimes purely for aesthetic reasons^[1] (blue downlighting and similar). The Voi hire scooters and Beryl Bikes are pretty well lit.

_{[1] I got overtaken by a strangely lit electric scooterboy on a dark lane last summer, and briefly thought I was about to be abducted by aliens.}

fd3 · « **Reply #21246 on:** 16 January, 2022, 01:25:35 am »

Quote from: Kim on 15 January, 2022, 03:31:28 pm

Tern GSDs feature strongly,

Yeah, two within stone throwing distance from here (and my wife's HSD does a half decent impression).

ian · « **Reply #21247 on:** 17 January, 2022, 10:13:47 am »

We were totally blinded by a rapturous glare the other week driving through Sydenham – the culprit wasn't the usual megawatt headlights of the latest marque of suburban main battle tank, on no, it was a little electric scooter zooming along the pavement with the light from hell on the front, perfectly angled to blind anyone approaching it. Never seen that before. I guess that's where Chinese LEDs meet Chinese scooter technology. I was seeing purple for a while.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #21248 on:** 17 January, 2022, 06:30:32 pm »

This morning I had the sun rising to my left and the full ‘Wolf’ moon setting on my right. Stunning!

hubner · « **Reply #21249 on:** 17 January, 2022, 07:09:26 pm »

Quote from: TimO on 15 January, 2022, 03:20:35 pm

Quote from: hubner on 05 December, 2021, 09:06:28 pm
In my experience about 50% of cyclists in London don't have lights, this includes fully lycra-ed up, clipless using "roadies".

What I really don't understand is the number of e-bikes (and e-scooters) without lights. They're already carrying around many amp-hours of batteries and have mostly spent a non-trivial amount of money on either the entire vehicle or a conversion kit, the extra cost, both in currency and battery duration is tiny. To be fair, a greater percentage of small e-vehicles have lights than in the unpowered two-wheel category, but there's still a quite significant chunk that believe cycling on a dark bicycle, wearing dark clothing, with no lights, is not going to cause them some grief eventually.

On my commute I don't really see that many ebikes, except for delivery riders on ebikes. And from looking at what ebikes are available, it's generally only city/hybrid ebikes with racks and mudguards that come with lights already installed, even then it's not all of them.

One of the great things about my Decathlon ebike is that it has built in lights running off the battery. The back is on the mudguard and the front is part of the frame.

Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2487490 times)

ian