Author Topic: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?  (Read 5918 times)

Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« on: 20 August, 2017, 05:01:48 pm »
I really hate it when other cyclists ride past you at speed, with their handlebars and elbows practically
touching mine. Happened twice on today's ride and on both occasions those stealthy actions scared
me to death.   >:(

dim

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #1 on: 20 August, 2017, 06:51:59 pm »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D
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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #2 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:02:53 pm »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D

yeah but shouting "on your right" is just good manners

Andrij

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #3 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:03:45 pm »
Whenever colleagues try to have a go at me because of 'arsehole cyclists' I remind them that a cnut is a cnut whether driving a car, riding a bicycle, or walking.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Kim

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #4 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:13:07 pm »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D

yeah but shouting "on your right" is just good manners

Occasionally backfires and causes people to move right, thobut.

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #5 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:14:51 pm »
Whenever colleagues try to have a go at me because of 'arsehole cyclists' I remind them that a cnut is a cnut whether driving a car, riding a bicycle, or walking.
Yes.
Unfortunately there are cnuts aplenty amongst us. :(

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #6 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:20:10 pm »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D

yeah but shouting "on your right" is just good manners

Occasionally backfires and causes people to move right, thobut.

A cheery "morning/afternoon" normally does the trick of advising other cyclists you are there and maintaining the "fellowship of the wheel" which appears to be sadly lacking as we commented on our ride today as a large amount of solo riders just seem to ignore other cyclists.

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #7 on: 20 August, 2017, 07:38:49 pm »
People are people...

But I think many dangerous drivers don't think they drive dangerously because they think it's normal, after all they've never actually knocked someone over and killed them.

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #8 on: 23 August, 2017, 08:51:17 am »
I think cycling has made me better driver to be honest. For example a lot of cycling involves economy of effort. For example aproaching a red light ,I would slow down to avoid unclipping. Also road surfaces are crucial to the cyclist or motorcyclist. Potholes,gravel and spilt diesel can really spoil your day. In short you are forced to plan ahead.
Transferring these skills to the car make you a smoother,safer and more predictable driver.

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #9 on: 23 August, 2017, 08:55:16 am »
I have a tendency to forget I'm not on a bike, e.g. hanging back on the inside lane up to a red light rather than 'undertaking' a queueing truck in the second lane. My wife despairs.
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T42

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #10 on: 23 August, 2017, 09:58:58 am »
I really hate it when other cyclists ride past you at speed, with their handlebars and elbows practically
touching mine. Happened twice on today's ride and on both occasions those stealthy actions scared
me to death.   >:(

I usually bawl "one metre fifty, you dumb <something or other>**" on the basis that if we demand that a driver give us that much then so can bloody everybody.

**in French.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #11 on: 24 August, 2017, 09:33:09 am »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D

yeah but shouting "on your right" is just good manners

Occasionally backfires and causes people to move right, thobut.

Was caught out calling like this yesterday. As usual, I had also slowed down. It was clearly someone inexperienced in cycling (most probably not a good driver either) and his lurch to the right at the very last moment squeezed me towards a fence. In future, I'll reserve my calls to those who look like they know what they are doing. Always keep a wide berth and keep my speed down and if the route is narrow just dawdle for a while. It is amazing how so many folk (pedestrians and 'cyclists') ignore the ringing of a bell, 'excuse me' and general noise-making...

ian

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #12 on: 24 August, 2017, 09:42:26 am »
Many people don't know right from left (me included) and as mentioned elsewhere, a surprise shout tends to result in unpredictability.

Frankly, if you need to shout, you're planning to pass too close.

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #13 on: 24 August, 2017, 12:13:58 pm »
you are too slow .... keep to the left  ;D

yeah but shouting "on your right" is just good manners

Occasionally backfires and causes people to move right, thobut.

A cheery "morning/afternoon" normally does the trick of advising other cyclists you are there and maintaining the "fellowship of the wheel" which appears to be sadly lacking as we commented on our ride today as a large amount of solo riders just seem to ignore other cyclists.


Indeed, as a solo cyclist I am quite often ignored by groups of cyclists on whatever machines are being ridden at the time - so it's not a rode/mtb thing.

As for passing people, pedestrians included, I find slowing and giving a cheery 'hello' is usually effective at raising awareness and initiating a short social interaction;) It's obviously harder to ignore someone passing you and riding alongside for a while, than if they're heading in the other direction.

Kim

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #14 on: 24 August, 2017, 12:43:19 pm »
It is amazing how so many folk (pedestrians and 'cyclists') ignore the ringing of a bell, 'excuse me' and general noise-making...

Ping bells are hard to hear, difficult to sense direction of, and sound like tinnitus or builders dropping things.  Brrrring bells sound like somebody's phone.  When you're on your own people speaking/shouting are usually talking to somebody else, unless they're A Threat, in which case the best approach is not to (visibly) react.  But mostly it's just not paying attention.

I will use bells or speech on shared paths, but I generally find that a deliberately noisy gear change is the second best way to get people's attention without alarming or offending them.  (The best is the sound of studded tyres on brick, but that's not usually practical.  Third best is a decent front light, but that only works when it's dark.)

mattc

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #15 on: 24 August, 2017, 07:06:37 pm »
Flickin' your brake levers seems to work quite well*. No idea why.


(* i.e. not very well at all, but better than hope)
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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #16 on: 24 August, 2017, 07:29:02 pm »
Flickin' your brake levers seems to work quite well*. No idea why.


(* i.e. not very well at all, but better than hope)

I dunno, their freehubs make enough racket to get noticed

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #17 on: 24 August, 2017, 11:25:29 pm »
Flickin' your brake levers seems to work quite well*. No idea why.


(* i.e. not very well at all, but better than hope)

I dunno, their freehubs make enough racket to get noticed

Not as much as my Chris King freehubs.  I have even learnt to soft pedal rather than roll when in the group as if they hear it they just pedal harder! Also useful when approaching folk.  I can only assume they are that noisy to encourage you to pedal constantly!

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #18 on: 25 August, 2017, 08:48:17 am »
I will use bells or speech on shared paths, but I generally find that a deliberately noisy gear change is the second best way to get people's attention without alarming or offending them.  (The best is the sound of studded tyres on brick, but that's not usually practical.  Third best is a decent front light, but that only works when it's dark.)
My favourite is a squeaky brake. For a while on my fixie with a brake on the front and the back, I adjusted the blocks so that the back brake squeaked loudly! It was awesome as a pedestrian awareness raiser!  ;)

Mr Larrington

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #19 on: 25 August, 2017, 09:02:09 am »
For a while, careful modulation of the Hope disc on the back of my Speedmachine would produce a sound akin to a wolf with its tail caught in a mangle.
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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #20 on: 25 August, 2017, 10:03:57 am »
How do you know...?

*imagines fiendish experiments taking place at Larrington Towers, an Igor standing by to fix things, endless supply of wolves, Angua discovering said fiendish experi......*

Sorry. Been reading/listening to Sir Pterry again.
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Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Kim

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #21 on: 25 August, 2017, 11:50:25 am »
I will use bells or speech on shared paths, but I generally find that a deliberately noisy gear change is the second best way to get people's attention without alarming or offending them.  (The best is the sound of studded tyres on brick, but that's not usually practical.  Third best is a decent front light, but that only works when it's dark.)
My favourite is a squeaky brake. For a while on my fixie with a brake on the front and the back, I adjusted the blocks so that the back brake squeaked loudly! It was awesome as a pedestrian awareness raiser!  ;)

My Koolstops do that, but squeaky brakes tell the pedestrian that they're about to be mown down by a RLJing lycra lout (continued page 94), which is fine on the road, but tends to cause them to leap before they look on shared paths.

The front mech on my Dawes has a delightful feature of clunking the rear mudguard on a downshift to the granny ring.  That's a nice loud but inoffensive mechanical noise, and generally has the right effect.

ian

Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #22 on: 25 August, 2017, 01:48:40 pm »
I've never had squeaky brakes. If you just buy the cheapest brake blocks available and hire an idiot called ian to fit them (none of that 'toeing in' nonsense) they're squeak free.

I broke the bell dinger on one bike so I have to shout 'beep beep' which works very well. My other bike has a honker on it. I've never actually used it, but if I park my bike anywhere for more than five minutes I'm sure to hear a big HONK. People can't resist giving that bulb a squeeze.

Basil

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #23 on: 25 August, 2017, 02:06:25 pm »

I broke the bell dinger on one bike so I have to shout 'beep beep' which works very well.

I tend to call out "Ring-Ring" which not only works, but creates amusement and friendliness (usually) 
I'm also a brake lever flicker on canals.
None of this worked when I had to tap a chap on the shoulder.  He was away with the fairies, or whatever the Deth Metal equivalents of fairies are, plugged into his I-Thing
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Tim Hall

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Re: Cyclists: I wonder if they act the same when they're driving?
« Reply #24 on: 25 August, 2017, 04:42:05 pm »

I broke the bell dinger on one bike so I have to shout 'beep beep' which works very well.

I tend to call out "Ring-Ring" which not only works, but creates amusement and friendliness (usually) 
I'm also a brake lever flicker on canals.
None of this worked when I had to tap a chap on the shoulder.  He was away with the fairies, or whatever the Deth Metal equivalents of fairies are, plugged into his I-Thing
I've used  a "Ding Dong" inna Leslie Phillips stylee before now.   A man with a splendid moustache such as yours should try it.
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