Author Topic: DOTD  (Read 210731 times)

Re: DOTD
« Reply #975 on: 13 April, 2021, 12:41:25 am »
I'm sure in days of yore, French traffic lights went to flashing amber overnight, especially in rural towns, I can't remember when that changed.
Dunno if they still do it, but a lot of Dutch traffic lights used to do that. Handy when cycling home pissed enough to have difficulty re-starting after stopping. Seemed to be quite a few locals doing that.

This was the mid-1980s, when I worked in Utrecht.
"A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering." The Type-Writer Girl, 1897

Re: DOTD
« Reply #976 on: 13 April, 2021, 10:18:18 am »
I'm sure in days of yore, French traffic lights went to flashing amber overnight, especially in rural towns, I can't remember when that changed.
Dunno if they still do it, but a lot of Dutch traffic lights used to do that. Handy when cycling home pissed enough to have difficulty re-starting after stopping. Seemed to be quite a few locals doing that.

This was the mid-1980s, when I worked in Utrecht.
All I know is that cycling along Hole's Bay Road one night, I'm the only vehicle around, approaching a traffic light, green, green, green from in the distance... then it turns red as I approach! The only impetus was me.

I have since observed that light change to red for approaching motorists, and it'll change back to green shortly afterwards. But at the time I thought it was programmed by a "get orf the road" type, being situated on a dual carriageway with an adjacent cycleway.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #977 on: 30 April, 2021, 02:45:15 pm »
Only one free spot on the Sheffield stands, next to another bike. I go to lock up my bike and it's got a fuxxing alarmed lock. Proper loud too. Even the slightest wobble sets it off. Grrrr.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #978 on: 17 May, 2021, 09:31:34 am »
The bloke on a mtb who took a mini-roundabout on a downhill as a good time to overtake a car, by going the wrong side of the keep left island and blasting the roundabout. But he didn't crash and he did get ahead!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #979 on: 17 May, 2021, 10:05:27 am »
The bloke on a mtb who took a mini-roundabout on a downhill as a good time to overtake a car, by going the wrong side of the keep left island and blasting the roundabout. But he didn't crash and he did get ahead!
So... Mission accomplished?

Sent from my COL-L29 using Tapatalk


Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: DOTD
« Reply #980 on: 17 May, 2021, 10:10:51 am »
Looked like it!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #981 on: 17 May, 2021, 10:22:36 am »
I nominate myself for similar.

A few years ago, bad day at work, and I'd gone out to let off steam.  Approaching home (a downhill) I realised I was behind my neighbour's car.  They slowed and indicated right to turn into our road.  I didn't slow, took a tighter turn and the overtake, and steamed it home ahead of them.

As they pulled onto the drive, they pointed out how dangerous it had been (in my risk assessment I'd catered for a:they are lovely people and b:a cyclist).  We are still on talking terms.

DOTD
« Reply #982 on: 30 May, 2021, 10:35:09 pm »
I was inadvertently a bit of dick today. On the downs above Steyning there were some model aeroplane flying types. They had signs saying “please stay on the path, it’s safer”. There were two tracks on the ground so I picked the larger of the two. When I got to the corner of their take off field I realised that this wasn’t the path so much as the car tyre tracks of the model aeroplaneists.  I didn’t get buzzed.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #983 on: 05 June, 2021, 07:33:13 am »
Had to be me last Sunday. Off for a ride, got everything, off I go. At about 45 miles and 6 miles from home I have a flat. No problem, 2 x tubes, levers in seat pack.........which isn't attached to the saddle so my seat pack was/is out there somewhere. I failed to engage the clip thing!!!! My wife doesn't drive so I set off walking. 4 miles later, got to my lbs  which was open. They kindly GAVE me a tube, loaned the levers and I was home 15 mins later. Heel pads and 1 cleat ruined.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #984 on: 07 June, 2021, 04:13:55 pm »
I london commute so idiocy is legion and expected but what has started to catch my eye of late is people riding while holding their phone in the left hand and staring at it. its quite a remarkable sight.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #985 on: 10 June, 2021, 01:22:53 pm »
All the rage round here in Mcr. if they havent got a phone, the rider normally has their hands in eg their jacket pocket. Watched a young woman on the phone the other day. Round here the cycle lane is on the pavement but at junctions with side roads there is a give way sign marked. Riding behind her, the give way signs were not for her so anything coming from her left or a motorist turning into the side road would have to be on lookout

Re: DOTD
« Reply #986 on: 11 June, 2021, 01:23:47 pm »
Quite a long time ago I was going up the hill from Camden, I looked up to see a fella coming down the hill at a hell of a clip, using both hands to roll a fag.

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: DOTD
« Reply #987 on: 23 June, 2021, 03:16:08 pm »
I know many here abhor cycle "facilities", but...

On the fabulous Isle of Sheppey there is a nice new cycle/ped path that bypasses about 1km of the Lower Road (a horrible road to cycle on and suicidal to walk on) . It's very nice tarmac - rather better than the actual road. So I can't imagine what the chap pootling along the road, holding up about 20 cars, was thinking. Certainly not doing the cycling cause any favours.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: DOTD
« Reply #988 on: 23 June, 2021, 04:26:34 pm »
I know many here abhor cycle "facilities", but...

On the fabulous Isle of Sheppey there is a nice new cycle/ped path that bypasses about 1km of the Lower Road (a horrible road to cycle on and suicidal to walk on) . It's very nice tarmac - rather better than the actual road. So I can't imagine what the chap pootling along the road, holding up about 20 cars, was thinking. Certainly not doing the cycling cause any favours.

"It's a trap"

That's usually what I'm thinking when I avoid using some unfamiliar cycle facility.  Occasionally it turns out to be the wrong decision, and I find myself in circumstances such as those you describe.

Either that or he needed to make some turn that could only be done from the road itself.  I left the excellent A38 cycleway at the Middleway junction and rode into town on the carriageway last week because I needed to turn left further on.  Not doubt the other road users were equally baffled.

nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: DOTD
« Reply #989 on: 23 June, 2021, 04:54:18 pm »
I know many here abhor cycle "facilities", but...

On the fabulous Isle of Sheppey there is a nice new cycle/ped path that bypasses about 1km of the Lower Road (a horrible road to cycle on and suicidal to walk on) . It's very nice tarmac - rather better than the actual road. So I can't imagine what the chap pootling along the road, holding up about 20 cars, was thinking. Certainly not doing the cycling cause any favours.

"It's a trap"

That's usually what I'm thinking when I avoid using some unfamiliar cycle facility.  Occasionally it turns out to be the wrong decision, and I find myself in circumstances such as those you describe.

Either that or he needed to make some turn that could only be done from the road itself.  I left the excellent A38 cycleway at the Middleway junction and rode into town on the carriageway last week because I needed to turn left further on.  Not doubt the other road users were equally baffled.
There's only one turn off that bit of road and he'd already passed it. I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest he just wasn't paying attention.
There's no vibrations, but wait.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #990 on: 23 June, 2021, 04:56:12 pm »
I know many here abhor cycle "facilities", but...

On the fabulous Isle of Sheppey there is a nice new cycle/ped path that bypasses about 1km of the Lower Road (a horrible road to cycle on and suicidal to walk on) . It's very nice tarmac - rather better than the actual road. So I can't imagine what the chap pootling along the road, holding up about 20 cars, was thinking. Certainly not doing the cycling cause any favours.

"It's a trap"

That's usually what I'm thinking when I avoid using some unfamiliar cycle facility.  Occasionally it turns out to be the wrong decision, and I find myself in circumstances such as those you describe.

Either that or he needed to make some turn that could only be done from the road itself.  I left the excellent A38 cycleway at the Middleway junction and rode into town on the carriageway last week because I needed to turn left further on.  Not doubt the other road users were equally baffled.
Or possibly you he hadn't spotted the beginning of it, or couldn't work out how to get on to it once he had spotted it... (note that I have no idea what this particular facility is like)

Re: DOTD
« Reply #991 on: 23 June, 2021, 05:05:04 pm »
If it only bypasses 1km (a distance I am used to in France as "a sneeze and you've missed the signposted motorway turnoff" I know I wouldn't risk a cycle route of unknown quality if I was touring in that area.

Yes if I was a local and knew it was good, I'd use it; but I've been let down so many times in the past (including carefully planning to use a sustrans route alongside a railway as I wrongly thought it'd be flat - only to find it was 45 degrees up and down and up and down on loose gravel) that for that short distance time saving I'd not bother putting it in an advance planed route.

Kim

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    • Fediverse
Re: DOTD
« Reply #992 on: 23 June, 2021, 05:10:13 pm »
I know many here abhor cycle "facilities", but...

On the fabulous Isle of Sheppey there is a nice new cycle/ped path that bypasses about 1km of the Lower Road (a horrible road to cycle on and suicidal to walk on) . It's very nice tarmac - rather better than the actual road. So I can't imagine what the chap pootling along the road, holding up about 20 cars, was thinking. Certainly not doing the cycling cause any favours.

"It's a trap"

That's usually what I'm thinking when I avoid using some unfamiliar cycle facility.  Occasionally it turns out to be the wrong decision, and I find myself in circumstances such as those you describe.

Either that or he needed to make some turn that could only be done from the road itself.  I left the excellent A38 cycleway at the Middleway junction and rode into town on the carriageway last week because I needed to turn left further on.  Not doubt the other road users were equally baffled.
Or possibly you he hadn't spotted the beginning of it, or couldn't work out how to get on to it once he had spotted it... (note that I have no idea what this particular facility is like)

Yeah, that's the other half of my first scenario.  You don't join it at the start because you're busy negotiating a roundabout or whatever and don't notice it, or by assuming that cycle facilities are rubbish until proven otherwise.  Then you find yourself in fast traffic with a solid kerb (or whatever) between you and the facility, and the path of least resistance is to keep going.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: DOTD
« Reply #993 on: 23 June, 2021, 10:02:48 pm »
We cycled that path the other day - it's on Adam's Way to the Sea audax which we were route-checking. It is a superb path, and having ridden that road a few years' back and said "never again to Sheppey" it was needed. It's a good width, smooth surface and separated from the road by vegetation and a verge, continental in standard. However that segregation does make it difficult (r even impossible) to join it if you miss the beginning, so backing up some of the earlier thoughts.

We need more like it. Also when we cycled it the motor traffic was backed up for the car boot sale, so we actually made much faster progress along it than anything on the road did.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #994 on: 24 June, 2021, 12:39:49 pm »
indeed, a lot of my commute in walthamstow has a raised cycle path but it is a constant series of choices as to joining it or leaving it depending on cars and trucks parked on it, people and children all over it, roadworks, buses letting people on and off, and some mind numbingly long waits at a few junctions.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #995 on: 30 June, 2021, 07:20:02 pm »
I usually refrain from this thread as I refuse to chastise my cycling bredrin. 
I will make an exception for the bloke who added a petrol motor to his bike and then ran a red to take a right, across 4 lanes of traffic.  Ninja skills maybe, but defo a knob.
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: DOTD
« Reply #996 on: 30 June, 2021, 08:09:44 pm »
I usually refrain from this thread as I refuse to chastise my cycling bredrin. 
I will make an exception for the bloke who added a petrol motor to his bike and then ran a red to take a right, across 4 lanes of traffic.  Ninja skills maybe, but defo a knob.

The first time I came across someone on one of those, I thought it was daft, but gave them credit for the amount of shed-fettling that it must have involved.

I've since learned that they come as kits for about a hundred quid from your preferred supplier of Chinesium.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #997 on: 01 July, 2021, 08:58:53 am »
When a petrol engine has been added, they should appear in the 'motorised moron; thread, Shirley?
Life is too important to be taken seriously.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #998 on: 09 July, 2021, 09:43:38 am »
A long time ago in Hackney I saw a young lady riding in London rush hour traffic with a slice of toast and blackcurrant jam. At the time I was intrigued to how she had mounted and started riding with one hand busy.

Yesterday I saw a young lady riding while holding, and drinking from, a cup of coffee, again in London rush hour traffic.

Re: DOTD
« Reply #999 on: 09 July, 2021, 01:03:32 pm »
A good time to bring up ?  Coffee and toast is nothing  :)