Author Topic: DOTD  (Read 210612 times)

simonp

DOTD
« on: 27 September, 2013, 08:57:10 pm »
Cyclists only need apply.

Today I nominate the Fixie rider on Euston Rd who came up from behind, between taxi behind me and curb, undertaking me, then cutting across in front of me from the left, as traffic moved off, nearly taking out my front wheel. "Sorry mate" doesn't really cut it.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #1 on: 28 September, 2013, 01:51:56 am »
OK, I'll take the bait.

What does DOTD mean, and does it matter for someone who is wise/fortunate enough to cycle in London infrequently :demon:?

I'll add that I've cycled along Euston Rd. several times, usually in rush hour, with a few kg. of baggage, and have mixed views about the ethics of all the categories of road user apart from bus drivers (pretty good) and taxi drivers (that's a national disease). Lots of cyclists misbehave. Many don't.

At a slightly more reflective level...

London isn't the first city to discover the benefits of cycling. Is the bad behaviour of a few cyclists a function of local attitudes, or is it all a lot more complex?

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: DOTD
« Reply #2 on: 28 September, 2013, 09:05:15 am »
My guess is Richard Of The Day.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: DOTD
« Reply #3 on: 28 September, 2013, 12:24:24 pm »
Mine was the stupid woman last night who, as I was braking to a stop behind another two cyclists for a give way came alongside me and pulled in front. Then when we set off again she was slower so I passed her easily going up the next slope.

A couple of sets of lights further on, as I was stopping behind another cyclist she came alongside and cut in front again. I politely pointed out that that was the second time she had pulled of that stupid manouvre, but I couldn't understand what she was saying behind her smog mask.

A bit further along when the traffic was so snarled up that even bicycles couldn't move she took to the pavement.

I don't mind if cyclists want to kill and injure themselves, but I do get annoyed when they try and involve me in their stupidity.
Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #4 on: 06 October, 2013, 09:01:47 am »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way. In fact, I'm pretty sure that if I hadn't been there to wake him up, he'd have gone into the bushes at the edge of the path.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #5 on: 06 October, 2013, 10:15:09 pm »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way.

This is a regular problem I have on one of my commute routes. The cycle path runs along the river bank and is very popular with rowing coaches cycling along concentrating on the boat they are coaching rather than on where they are going. I find that the crew on the river is generally more attentive than the coach. I've now had a couple of occasions when my shout of "MOVE LEFT !!!" at an approaching coach has been totally ignored by the cycling coach, but not by the crew on the water who have responded and ploughed into the bank leaving a totally perplexed coach and crew.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #6 on: 07 October, 2013, 12:24:39 am »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way.

This is a regular problem I have on one of my commute routes. The cycle path runs along the river bank and is very popular with rowing coaches cycling along concentrating on the boat they are coaching rather than on where they are going. I find that the crew on the river is generally more attentive than the coach. I've now had a couple of occasions when my shout of "MOVE LEFT !!!" at an approaching coach has been totally ignored by the cycling coach, but not by the crew on the water who have responded and ploughed into the bank leaving a totally perplexed coach and crew.
That's a new one to me. When I was involved in rowing & coaching, the towpaths were not used by commuters. It may be a regional issue, but my experience is over 4 decades out of date.

Wascally Weasel

  • Slayer of Dragons and killer of threads.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #7 on: 07 October, 2013, 01:02:23 pm »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way.

This is a regular problem I have on one of my commute routes. The cycle path runs along the river bank and is very popular with rowing coaches cycling along concentrating on the boat they are coaching rather than on where they are going. I find that the crew on the river is generally more attentive than the coach. I've now had a couple of occasions when my shout of "MOVE LEFT !!!" at an approaching coach has been totally ignored by the cycling coach, but not by the crew on the water who have responded and ploughed into the bank leaving a totally perplexed coach and crew.

Shout "TAKE A LOOK SCULLER!" at her/him - their Pavlovian response may cause them to fall off/in the river.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #8 on: 07 October, 2013, 01:39:24 pm »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way.

This is a regular problem I have on one of my commute routes. The cycle path runs along the river bank and is very popular with rowing coaches cycling along concentrating on the boat they are coaching rather than on where they are going. I find that the crew on the river is generally more attentive than the coach. I've now had a couple of occasions when my shout of "MOVE LEFT !!!" at an approaching coach has been totally ignored by the cycling coach, but not by the crew on the water who have responded and ploughed into the bank leaving a totally perplexed coach and crew.
That's a new one to me. When I was involved in rowing & coaching, the towpaths were not used by commuters. It may be a regional issue, but my experience is over 4 decades out of date.
It's a very specific issue caused by introduction of the National Cycling Network. The coaches always used to use the South bank of the river. The NCN route was put in using the North bank and the rather grotty foorpath upgraded into a 2.5 metre offroad cycle track, with a tarmac surface. This is very much closer to the river than the south side track and so the coaches seem to prefer it and moved across en masse. It can be entertaining riding down there sometimes because the path also tends to be used as storage space for eights, blades, boat racks etc. where it passes the boat houses. I've also found squads of rowers all lined across the track doing pressups. One of these days I might just try perfecting my bunny hop, rather than waiting for the path to be cleared.

rower40

  • Not my boat. Now sold.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #9 on: 07 October, 2013, 08:51:56 pm »
If there is a crew carrying their boat across a path, an authoritarian shout of "Shoulder-high...LIFT" may cause an automatic response in the rowers to lift their boat high enough for you to ride underneath.
Be Naughty; save Santa a trip

Zipperhead

  • The cyclist formerly known as Big Helga
Re: DOTD
« Reply #10 on: 08 October, 2013, 12:40:02 am »
I despair of people's fucking stupidity.

Tonight on the way home, it wasn't completely dark but it was well past the time when sensible people switched on their lights whatever their vehicle.

As I came up to some lights I knew they were about to change, so I stayed slightly to the right of the stationary cyclists and didn't quite stop. When the lights changed off we went.

On my left was a man riding a carbon Pinarello, dressed in black cycling gear, wearing a helmet but no lights. I accelerated past him. In front of him was a woman and just ahead was a coach parked. So I moved across to the right to miss it and slowed slightly to allow the woman to move out. Just as I reached the coach someone started shouting at me, and when I looked to my left Mr. Pinarello's front wheel was about to foul my pedal, and his bars were about to clip my seatpost.

Apparently, I had pulled left into him!

Won't somebody think of the hamsters!

HTFB

  • The Monkey and the Plywood Violin
Re: DOTD
« Reply #11 on: 08 October, 2013, 08:13:44 am »
The bloke on the cycle path yesterday who was so engrossed in adjusting his computer/GPS/other bar-mounted device that he didn't even realise he'd veered across the whole width of the path and was about to collide with me going the other way.

This is a regular problem I have on one of my commute routes. The cycle path runs along the river bank and is very popular with rowing coaches cycling along concentrating on the boat they are coaching rather than on where they are going. I find that the crew on the river is generally more attentive than the coach. I've now had a couple of occasions when my shout of "MOVE LEFT !!!" at an approaching coach has been totally ignored by the cycling coach, but not by the crew on the water who have responded and ploughed into the bank leaving a totally perplexed coach and crew.
That's probably a crew who could plough into the bank under their own steam without prompting, since the boat is supposed to be keeping to the right, and moving left would put it in midstream.

It seems to be natural, on busy stretches like early termtime mornings in Oxford, for the coaches also to keep right: on the left, the boats heading along the towpath bank get continuous contact with their coach, but this doesn't compensate the coaches heading the other way for the nuisance of losing sight of their distant crew when cyclists coming the other way intervene. And naturally you do technical exercises along the near bank and racing pieces on the far side, so the far-side coaches are riding with greater momentum and win the contest.

This effect does put the coaches in conflict with civilians, who may quite reasonably want to use the path in early termtime mornings for commuting. If you stand your ground and the surprised coach rides straight into the river, you'll be rewarded with the heartily-expressed approval of at least eight other people. And a cox.
Not especially helpful or mature

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: DOTD
« Reply #12 on: 08 October, 2013, 10:57:15 am »
I think my late father managed to ride into a river whist coaching. My mother was not impressed - it was her bike!
216km from Marsh Gibbon

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: DOTD
« Reply #13 on: 08 October, 2013, 11:04:49 am »
When  I was student I once coached a crew of novice rowers.  One day I saw an eight plough so quickly into a grassy bank on the other side of the river that it left stroke and cox in the river and bow stuck on the riverbank with the middle rowers dangling in mid air.
Not for long though as the boat merrily snapped in half at the centre ruining all their day.


I think I wet myself several times over watching that.  ;D
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #14 on: 14 October, 2013, 10:59:48 am »
Hertfordshire Police escort M1 cyclist off motorway

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-24518094

spindrift

Re: DOTD
« Reply #15 on: 14 October, 2013, 11:38:43 am »
I'd wear a hood if I cycled on a motorway, deffo.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #16 on: 18 October, 2013, 01:03:59 pm »
One way street. 6:30 am. Black trousers, black jacket, no lights front or rear. The wrong way, wrong side of the road.

Moron.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #17 on: 18 October, 2013, 08:45:44 pm »
Last night: rider on nice looking road bike yelps quite spectacularly as we (both bike mounted) start to pull out into her path. Lights would have helped you, you pratt.
Tonight while I was in the car: a flashing red light on the front. Again another attractive road bike so you'd think that he could afford £5(ish) for a small white light.


handcyclist

  • watch for my signal
Re: DOTD
« Reply #18 on: 19 October, 2013, 11:27:27 am »
Did the Fiesta have a cycle in it? If not, may I refer you to the Today's Motorised Moron thread?
Need to get back OT there, it's degenerated to puns involving cows.  ;D

Doubt is is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #19 on: 10 January, 2014, 02:54:09 pm »
Approaching this junction
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=zetland+rd+bristol&ll=51.469943,-2.589576&spn=0.006496,0.014205&hnear=Zetland+Rd,+Bristol,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.469656,-2.593546&panoid=p1pQvb3dH3z9XOtlYtlEWA&cbp=12,317,,0,0
which is not a straightforward T because it has an extra side road between left and straight on, just at the point where the bus lane becomes a left-turn lane and the cycle lane starts, a 3-axled lorry was waiting. I was going straight on and just as I drew level with it, the lights turned green, so I hung back. Most probably it was going straight too, but traffic does take the second left from either lane without indicating and there are always parked vehicles by Sainsbury's just after the junction. And at this point, a bloke on a mountain bike overtakes on my left. I thought he was going to go up the inside of the lorry, but no, his idea is possibly even more dickish than that - he grabs hold of a bar on the lorry's left rear door and gets a free ride for the next four hundred yards or so.  ::-) A couple of times I thought he was going to be wiped out as the lorry moved out to pass parked vehicles, including a breakdown truck,  :o but he managed to avoid them. Close thing though. When the lorry stopped in the next jam, he rode along the pavement a bit, dicked around in a side road, then pissed off up the inside of the queue. The irony of all this is that the whole time he was holding onto the lorry, I was easily keeping up with him on my extremely upright urban hybrid with laden panniers.  ::-)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

caerau

  • SR x 3 - PBP fail but 1090 km - hey - not too bad
Re: DOTD
« Reply #20 on: 10 January, 2014, 04:13:13 pm »
You didn't have a helmetcam on did you?  I'd like to see all that :-D
It's a reverse Elvis thing.

red marley

Re: DOTD
« Reply #21 on: 10 January, 2014, 04:19:44 pm »
If only Lucas Brunelle was filming it. Then it would have been cool.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #22 on: 10 January, 2014, 05:57:03 pm »
The name Lucas Brunelle makes me think of Louis Bunuel. If he'd filmed it, it might have been cool.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #23 on: 14 January, 2014, 08:33:10 pm »
Me.
Bloody cyclists, with barely visible lights in the middle of nowhere.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #24 on: 15 January, 2014, 02:52:12 pm »
Last night - a pavement riding BMXer with no lights. I was waiting to enter a roundabout on the commute home (sitting in primary in the left hand lane). He came off the pavement in front of me, cut behind the vehicle that was pulling out on my right and then proceeded to ride the wrong way round the roundabout!!! After 10 yards or so he then cut left and rode straight over the grassy hump in the middle. I lost sight of him at that point. It was a highly original piece of navigation.

Five minutes later, who should I overtake but a lightless pavement riding BMXer.