@kixsand Dumb question. .. but is it a new rider? I remember a time when I couldn’t draft worth a crap.

Nope… the guy was super strong on the bike – laid down some serious V that day and was on a lovely DuraAce 9000 equipped Cervelo S5 with DA C50’s.  That bike would be a handful in a cross wind but that wasn’t what we were dealing with on that day.

That looks like a Strong frame!  Great builder in a great town…

We ride on the right in Canada.  I was on the inside line, closest to the traffic.  The fella beside seemed to have two very serious afflictions that made my life miserable for upwards of an hour.  He was unwilling or unable to ride directly behind the rider in front of him.  For whatever reason, he was only comfortable when riding about a foot left of the wheel in front of him.  This of course forced me a foot left of the wheel in front of me and left my arse hanging out into traffic.  In addition to this endearing trait he had a touch of drunken sailerism when on the bike…weaving to and fro with a randomness and whimsy that I never could figure out.

It was incredibly uncomfortable.  I found myself absolutely hating the man and feeling bad about it as I’m sure he’s actually quite a nice fellow otherwise.  I reshuffled the group at the first opportunity.  We finally got to the point where we rode 2 by 1 by 2 so that we could sit back and admire his bike handling skills from a safe distance.

Urban tractor driving alongside me & I was level with her front, passenger side window when she spied a car park she wanted on the other side of me. Cue indicator & swinging in toward the parking space, through the space I was trying to ride in! Slammed the brakes on & flicked my elbow out to make contact with the window, which thankfully seemed to catch her attention & get her to stop.

Based on her reaction of genuine apologies & horror at what very nearly happened I can only assume she had no idea I was there, which is deeply disturbing given that she’d have to basically look around me to see the parking space she was aiming at & kinda indicates she was piloting a 2 tonne metal box at speed without paying any attention.

@unversio

The bell looks like it clips on neatly with a rubber strap. I use a similar device for flashers on my rain bike. Assuming you don’t use that when not needed and that you take the fucker off before shooting a portrait of your bike, I think its well within regulation.

So take it you don’t use the hand position either side of the stem? Only problem with bar furniture is that it takes up valuable real estate.

@Geraint

Newton was a clever chap, but his first law does not seem to apply to people.

Funniest thing I’ve read this week.

+1 badge to you for that.

I’m honoured, thank you sir.

When I saw the jersey I wondered if I was in the maglia nera for the Giro VSP!

@DeKerr

@unversio

@The Grande Fondue

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

No, no, no, no, no-ooooo, no, nope. Disguise it by mounting under the top tube near the seat tube. Stuff in jersey pocket until needed.

My opinion differs @unversio I think that is an elegant design that doesn’t appear to detract from the overall lines of the bike. However, as @frank said, you’d better be able to ride like a muthafuqa (Arabic?) to truly pull it off.

However elegant, wouldn’t strap a Stradivarius to the bars either.

Yes, but a violin, no matter how elegant, would have no purpose on a bike.  For those who regularly use a MUP I think those would be an appropriate addition.  Its a little less obnoxious than yelling out, “on your left!”That being said, in Philly we have a too popular path that can be impossible to ride at anything approaching speed, and I have heard obnoxious gents getting too aggressive with their bells.  Ping ping ping down the entire trsil.  Whenever I have had my kids walking on such paths I always feel hyper vigilant looking out for bike riders.

Newton was a clever chap, but his first law does not seem to apply to people.

Funniest thing I’ve read this week.

+1 badge to you for that.

@unversio

The bell looks like it clips on neatly with a rubber strap. I use a similar device for flashers on my rain bike. Assuming you don’t use that when not needed and that you take the fucker off before shooting a portrait of your bike, I think its well within regulation.

@Nate

That is exactly what it felt like.

Although actually I think you over-estimate people. I see plenty who can’t even stand still in one place, without suddenly stepping backwards or waving their arms about as you walk or cycle past.

Set them in motion, and it gets worse.

Newton was a clever chap, but his first law does not seem to apply to people.

Learnt my lesson, though: expect anyone you don’t know well enough to trust to do something dumb at absolutely any moment.

Ride for the unexpected.

@unversio

@The Grande Fondue

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

No, no, no, no, no-ooooo, no, nope. Disguise it by mounting under the top tube near the seat tube. Stuff in jersey pocket until needed.

My opinion differs @unversio I think that is an elegant design that doesn’t appear to detract from the overall lines of the bike. However, as @frank said, you’d better be able to ride like a muthafuqa (Arabic?) to truly pull it off.

However elegant, wouldn’t strap a Stradivarius to the bars either.

I obviously haven’t read the whole thread here, but can I assume we’ve covered people stopping as soon as they get to the top of escalators, or the second they’ve alighted from public transport, disregarding completely the masses being funnelled directly into the spot they’re occupying?  And people leaving stores and offices on busy pedestrian streets without looking left or right, just barging straight out into the stream of people?

I also woke up in hospital a few years ago after a bike accident; best I can tell, the random commuter I was riding behind in central Berlin decided to do one of those pull-out-to-the-right-so-you-can-hook-left things right across my path without any warning, causing me to t-bone him at speed and sending me flying over the handlebars onto the road, as I assumed I could overtake on his left when he swung right at an intersection.  Considering a bus travelling in the opposite direction apparently drove over my bike (write-off), the three teeth I broke, scar on my chin and third degree concussion were probably not such a bad deal.

Learnt my lesson, though: expect anyone you don’t know well enough to trust to do something dumb at absolutely any moment.

@frank

@Steve-o, @Carel

There aren’t many “bike paths” around here, and I wouldn’t use them anyway. When non-cyclists mention bike paths to me, I say that they are more correctly called multiuse paths, with joggers, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogwalkers, rollerbladers or whoever else using them and are more hazardous than riding on roads. I also feel strongly that those paths reinforce many motorists’ notion that bikes don’t belong on the road.

In my opinion, MUPs are the most dangerous places to be. Some of the worst accidents I’ve seen happen on those things; riders hitting head-on, or hitting an old lady and killing her (happened on the Burke Gillman)…if at all feasible, I will take the road with cars over the path every time.

That statement brought to mind an incident in 4th grade I hadn’t recalled in years. Only the 6th graders were allowed to ride bicycles to school, so on the last day of the school year, my friend and I inexplicably thought it would be a good idea to ride ours. When we arrived, the 6th graders were displeased we were encroaching on their privilege, proceeded to kick our bikes, and were about to inflict some bodily harm. The vice principal intervened and, after chiding us, escorted us into the school. We received several “just you wait” looks from the older kids.

As school let out, my friend and I sprinted to our bikes, frantically unlocked them and took off in a different direction before the others emerged. We ended up riding along a busy road with no sidewalk and a narrow shoulder. Somehow, my mom and his mom were each driving on that same road, saw us and both pulled over. That was weird. After we detailed the events of the day, my mom asked “so you were more worried about some 6th graders than cars on a busy road?” I didn’t say it, but I distinctly remember thinking “well of course.” Epilogue: just 3 years later, that same busy road became a regular part of my rides when I discovered road bikes.

Fantastic story.

@Steve-o, @Carel

There aren’t many “bike paths” around here, and I wouldn’t use them anyway. When non-cyclists mention bike paths to me, I say that they are more correctly called multiuse paths, with joggers, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogwalkers, rollerbladers or whoever else using them and are more hazardous than riding on roads. I also feel strongly that those paths reinforce many motorists’ notion that bikes don’t belong on the road.

In my opinion, MUPs are the most dangerous places to be. Some of the worst accidents I’ve seen happen on those things; riders hitting head-on, or hitting an old lady and killing her (happened on the Burke Gillman)…if at all feasible, I will take the road with cars over the path every time.

That statement brought to mind an incident in 4th grade I hadn’t recalled in years.  Only the 6th graders were allowed to ride bicycles to school, so on the last day of the school year, my friend and I inexplicably thought it would be a good idea to ride ours.  When we arrived, the 6th graders were displeased we were encroaching on their privilege, proceeded to kick our bikes, and were about to inflict some bodily harm.  The vice principal intervened and, after chiding us, escorted us into the school.  We received several “just you wait” looks from the older kids.

As school let out, my friend and I sprinted to our bikes, frantically unlocked them and took off in a different direction before the others emerged.  We ended up riding along a busy road with no sidewalk and a narrow shoulder.  Somehow, my mom and his mom were each driving on that same road, saw us and both pulled over.  That was weird.  After we detailed the events of the day, my mom asked “so you were more worried about some 6th graders than cars on a busy road?”  I didn’t say it, but I distinctly remember thinking “well of course.”  Epilogue: just 3 years later, that same busy road became a regular part of my rides when I discovered road bikes.

@The Grande Fondue

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

No, no, no, no, no-ooooo, no, nope. Disguise it by mounting under the top tube near the seat tube. Stuff in jersey pocket until needed.

My opinion differs @unversio I think that is an elegant design that doesn’t appear to detract from the overall lines of the bike. However, as @frank said, you’d better be able to ride like a muthafuqa (Arabic?) to truly pull it off.

How about the “TriGuy” who shows up to the local group ride and creates chaos instantly by not holding his line, not communicating and just generally being a douche?

Happened last week, group slows up a bit, TriGuy jams on brakes Full On – I have to brake hard not to rear end him…I turn to apologize to rest of group behind me, whereas he is oblivious to all this…

You can’t even shame them by calling them out. Oblivious to all the Cat 6 shit pulled.

My favorite is when they ride in their tuck in the paceline. Then surge when they get to the front rather than pulling through like a civilized rider.

There aren’t many “bike paths” around here, and I wouldn’t use them anyway. When non-cyclists mention bike paths to me, I say that they are more correctly called multiuse paths, with joggers, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogwalkers, rollerbladers or whoever else using them and are more hazardous than riding on roads. I also feel strongly that those paths reinforce many motorists’ notion that bikes don’t belong on the road.

In my opinion, MUPs are the most dangerous places to be. Some of the worst accidents I’ve seen happen on those things; riders hitting head-on, or hitting an old lady and killing her (happened on the Burke Gillman)…if at all feasible, I will take the road with cars over the path every time.

@TheVid

My fear is that someday when I’m on a MUP whilst riding my #1, I’ll get stopped by some local authority and fined for not having a bell on it. In my head I then argue that few would hear a bell anyway since they all (yes, I know it’s an omniscience fallacy) have headphones in their ears. I then would have to accept the fine because in the end, it’s the bylaw that cycles have a bell, not that people have to have open ears to hear one.

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

A friend of Gianni’s and mine who I ride with on Maui rides with a bell. He dings it at every person he comes by as a form of some kinds of karmic Hawaiian greeting. I actually rather like it. Also, he can ride like a muthafuqa so that helps.

@ChrisO

@Teocalli

@ChrisO Do the locals have 300 words for Sand like Eskimos do for Snow?

Probably although my total Arabic vocabulary is about 20 words and sand isn’t among them. If I stay here another 30 years I might be able to converse with a three year old.

The way it was described to me was that Arabic doesn’t use adjectives like we do in English and the Latin-based languages.

So where we would say red sand, dry sand, marshy sand, rolling sand, bastard sand etc and could use 300+ adjectives for the same noun, they will have a different word for each of them.

That makes it quite a difficult language to speak, which is why there isn’t a single language.

There’s classical Arabic from the Koran, there’s Modern Standard Arabic (effectively the official version always used in newspapers, news broadcasts and written or official documents, like Mandarin in China), and then there are the spoken variants which tend to be regional. So there is the Meghreb (Egypt/Sudan/North Africa) Arabic, the Levant Arabic (Jordan/Syria/Lebanon) and the Khaleej Arabic (Saudi/UAE/Arabian Gulf) version. Khaleej means Gulf, I know that much ! And within that each country or smaller region may have some specific words. I know Egyptians who have a lot of trouble understanding Gulf Arabs.

So yes, between all that there are probably 3000 fucking words for sand.

Wow, that is so interesting. Just added Arabic to the list of languages I want to study but never will.

@frank ” I’m assuming this expands to shopping malls, but I never go there so I can’t be sure ”

My place of work just happens to be co-located in a shopping mall. Somedays its worth sitting outside in the mall for some light entertainment, of particular interest are the shopping trolley retrievers.

These muppets appear to be a law unto themselves, whereby speed and length of trolley train seem to increase as the day goes on.

Many a time whilst walking ive been tempted to yell ” Car back” as the trolley train goes smashing down the mall at light speed like a pissed off snake on crack.

I have no idea what a “trolly train” is, but the pissed off snake on crack is gold.

@Puffy

I think this should happen more often to those oblivious of their surroundings! Not paying attention? Lookout, the unvierse is about to bite your ass for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXiQGpIGlGo

To be honest, though, that isn’t high on my list of expectations either. Falling into a sidewalk sinkhole is right there next to “Being Eaten By Dragon” as far as my personal disaster recover planning goes.

@VirenqueForever Hire a hitman to enforce the Rules on your behalf.

Just like Hockey – I love it…

So do you go for Renshaw, Tom Steels or… Marty McSorley?

Fear it will be long and perhaps pointless but would be consistent with Rules #3 and #43…

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

No, no, no, no, no-ooooo, no, nope. Disguise it by mounting under the top tube near the seat tube. Stuff in jersey pocket until needed.

Happened last week, group slows up a bit, TriGuy jams on brakes Full On – I have to brake hard not to rear end him…I turn to apologize to rest of group behind me, whereas he is oblivious to all this…

You can’t even shame them by calling them out. Oblivious to all the Cat 6 shit pulled.

If I was a better person I would have stopped and taken the time to perhaps show them a safer way to ride, but I was not that person, rationalizing that it would of been a wasted effort and spoiled my 500 meter sprint to the railroad tracks.  I stayed on the drops.

I should add however, that stopping dead in the middle of a lane, hallway, walkway, elevator door, top of escalator or other place where people and things are intended to be in motion is just plain dumb. Move right (or left as the case may be in your part of the world) and slow down predictably to a stop.

Yes!  My pet peeve is those who are in the middle of an airport concourse and stop dead in the middle to look at the flight info boards – with their bag perpendicular to the length of the corridor.  As you have said, have the decency to pull of toward the edge of traffic!

@Steve-o

There aren’t many “bike paths” around here, and I wouldn’t use them anyway. When non-cyclists mention bike paths to me, I say that they are more correctly called multiuse paths, with joggers, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogwalkers, rollerbladers or whoever else using them and are more hazardous than riding on roads. I also feel strongly that those paths reinforce many motorists’ notion that bikes don’t belong on the road.

Problem is that in some parts of the world you are compelled by law to use them. Moronic law-makers!

@Steve-o

@ChrisO Do the locals have 300 words for Sand like Eskimos do for Snow?

Probably although my total Arabic vocabulary is about 20 words and sand isn’t among them. If I stay here another 30 years I might be able to converse with a three year old.

The way it was described to me was that Arabic doesn’t use adjectives like we do in English and the Latin-based languages.

So where we would say red sand, dry sand, marshy sand, rolling sand, bastard sand etc and could use 300+ adjectives for the same noun, they will have a different word for each of them.

That makes it quite a difficult language to speak, which is why there isn’t a single language.

There’s classical Arabic from the Koran, there’s Modern Standard Arabic (effectively the official version always used in newspapers, news broadcasts and written or official documents, like Mandarin in China), and then there are the spoken variants which tend to be regional. So there is the Meghreb (Egypt/Sudan/North Africa) Arabic, the Levant Arabic (Jordan/Syria/Lebanon) and the Khaleej Arabic (Saudi/UAE/Arabian Gulf) version. Khaleej means Gulf, I know that much ! And within that each country or smaller region may have some specific words. I know Egyptians who have a lot of trouble understanding Gulf Arabs.

So yes, between all that there are probably 3000 fucking words for sand.

@Ccos

Sorry Frank, it’s a grand idea but since most people are morons, it’s doomed to failure. They (non-cyclists) are blissfully ignorant of their stupidity, continue to expand their numbers and culling has legal implications.

However, I do think cyclists make better drivers, since we are more prone to drive like we ride. Except for that squirrelly dude on the group ride.

Took the words right out of my mouth

There was a guy in a group ride from my LBS last summer.  We were on country roads that were perfectly wide enough for two lanes of traffic let alone a car and our group.  Yet every time a car came the other way he would brake without warning.  I couldn’t help wondering what he was like in a car.  After a few brake tests I went and rode the head of the group and was expecting to hear mangling carbon behind for the rest of the ride.

I don’t use them in London for safety reasons, and I wouldn’t use them on a long country ride because I agree it is also nice to hear the environment and ones own thoughts.

However the two differences here are:

1. Not much environment. I’m training on the same roads, about 15-25km depending on route, and there’s not a lot of scenery or wildlife. It’s 0530 in the morning and for half the year it’s mostly dark.

2. I’m training. I find it helpful to sometimes tell my inner monologue to STFU and let me get on with it. When I’m commuting, pootling or just riding I am not so focused and happy to take in multiple sensory inputs.

My fear is that someday when I’m on a MUP whilst riding my #1, I’ll get stopped by some local authority and fined for not having a bell on it. In my head I then argue that few would hear a bell anyway since they all (yes, I know it’s an omniscience fallacy) have headphones in their ears. I then would have to accept the fine because in the end, it’s the bylaw that cycles have a bell, not that people have to have open ears to hear one.

I’d never considered having a bell on my bike before. But these pics almost made me reconsider

@ChrisO

@Scaler911 Agreed on earbuds. I wear them only when I’m riding alone and only here in Dubai where there is very little need for me to interact with cars and traffic. I’m mostly on hard shoulders and rarely have to go into lanes or expect vehicles to stop or go around me so it’s just a matter of making sure I am aware of them when I have to interact. If I’m going to be collected it will be some idiot driving on the side of the road at 120km/h – knowing about it would make zero difference.

I am really at a compelte loss as to why you need music whilst riding. I love music, I make it, and buy lots of it, it’s great but when I get outdoors, the music stays behind. Are you really that bored/miserable that you cannot just enjoy the sounds of the environment (and your internal monologue) for a couple of hours a day? I’m not juding you, it’s an honest question. Being alone, and given hours of zero discraction, just you and the unverse is one of lifes greatest things in my opionion. I recently did the Scody Three Peaks, a 9.5hr ride. I did it solo, and only occasionally spoke to anyone as they never rode beside me, only on my wheel. Not once, did I long for music, or anything. The sound of the bush, the blood in my ears at times, that’s what made the ride. Anyway, just wondering why ear buds are required.

I ponder the same question.  Although I do all my thinking before riding, the ride provides me the space to sort through all the clutter.  That internal monologue at first seems crazy, then it makes sense, then it just is.  Earbuds filled with music, or even phone conversations, short circuit that process.  I tried them once in both ears, then once in one ear, then a resolve to never use them on the road/path/trail again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXiQGpIGlGo

A future article will indeed examine the practice of pointing shit out. Only point at stuff you don’t want to ride over. No need to point out shadows or bits of paper. But potholes and branches are good.

YES! As I have explained the over-calling doesn’t happen (regional town) here but I was riding in a bunch for three days in the capital city. We were riding the country roads outside the city and these clowns called every freaking blesh in the hotmix out. I spent half the time laughing that they would even bother. Then it occured to me that the dollars always flow south. Around here the roads are utter crap, down there, the country back roads are far superior hence the difference in opinion as to what required notification. In the end I told them if it doesn’t swallow your wheel to the axle, don’t bother to call it!

@Scaler911 Agreed on earbuds. I wear them only when I’m riding alone and only here in Dubai where there is very little need for me to interact with cars and traffic. I’m mostly on hard shoulders and rarely have to go into lanes or expect vehicles to stop or go around me so it’s just a matter of making sure I am aware of them when I have to interact. If I’m going to be collected it will be some idiot driving on the side of the road at 120km/h – knowing about it would make zero difference.

I am really at a compelte loss as to why you need music whilst riding. I love music, I make it, and buy lots of it, it’s great but when I get outdoors, the music stays behind. Are you really that bored/miserable that you cannot just enjoy the sounds of the environment (and your internal monologue) for a couple of hours a day? I’m not juding you, it’s an honest question. Being alone, and given hours of zero discraction, just you and the unverse is one of lifes greatest things in my opionion. I recently did the Scody Three Peaks, a 9.5hr ride. I did it solo, and only occasionally spoke to anyone as they never rode beside me, only on my wheel. Not once, did I long for music, or anything. The sound of the bush, the blood in my ears at times, that’s what made the ride. Anyway, just wondering why ear buds are required.

My place of work just happens to be co-located in a shopping mall.  Somedays its worth sitting outside in the mall for some light entertainment, of particular interest are the shopping trolley retrievers. 

These muppets appear to be a law unto themselves, whereby speed and length of trolley train seem to increase as the day goes on.  

Many a time whilst walking ive been tempted to yell ” Car back” as the trolley train goes smashing down the mall at light speed like a pissed off snake on crack. 

Sorry Frank, it’s a grand idea but since most people are morons, it’s doomed to failure. They (non-cyclists) are blissfully ignorant of their stupidity, continue to expand their numbers and culling has legal implications.

However, I do think cyclists make better drivers, since we are more prone to drive like we ride. Except for that squirrelly dude on the group ride.

Took the words right out of my mouth

@scaler911

This seems like the right place to ask: What kind of maths does one use to explain the phenomon wherein when you’re on a MUP (miles of it) on a nice weekday morning with few other users; you, the lady jogging with her stroller, and the old guy riding at you from the opposite direction all meet in the exact same place causing everyone to stop, go in the dirt whatever?

Or does that only happen to me…..

I’ve always wondered about this phenomenon. Glad I’m not the only one!

I love it when my fellow ‘muricans say “maths.”

This seems like the right place to ask: What kind of maths does one use to explain the phenomon wherein when you’re on a MUP (miles of it) on a nice weekday morning with few other users; you, the lady jogging with her stroller, and the old guy riding at you from the opposite direction all meet in the exact same place causing everyone to stop, go in the dirt whatever?

Or does that only happen to me…..

I’ve always wondered about this phenomenon. Glad I’m not the only one!

@frank

@Ron

I sometimes ride through the local uni campus. It is amazing how many students can’t walk in a straight line.

I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted yet:

The other day I saw a guy almost ride off a curb, looking over his shoulder yakking away to his ride mates. Fortunately I called the precarious situation to his attention just in time; otherwise he was going over the bars.

We can’t all be geniuses. I’m here to lower the average so more of you look good.

Would have really sucked to explain to the throngs of fan(s) why I couldn’t sign the books anymore because of my double wrist fracture.

FYI Belfast and Dublin did a great job of hosting the Giro despite the weather, I’ve a plentiful supply of memories and photos but sadly the ‘orange budget airline’ were not happy with attempts to get some large event sign souvenirs on their aircraft. BTW Hilden Brewery Dunlop & Hume beer, specially brewed for the event. Nice.

@Ron

A-Merckx! I actually have a fantasy that I’ll share – before you are even allowed to apply for a driver’s license in the U.S. you’d have to commute by bicycle for two weeks.

Learning to hold your line on a bicycle might help with this sort of situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pgm8I0B8bY

That is just the best – I see these kind of morons all the time.  The ones with the red cars are the ones with the biggest (smallest?) issues.

@frank

@Ron

I sometimes ride through the local uni campus. It is amazing how many students can’t walk in a straight line.

I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted yet:

The other day I saw a guy almost ride off a curb, looking over his shoulder yakking away to his ride mates. Fortunately I called the precarious situation to his attention just in time; otherwise he was going over the bars.

Didn’t the moron sue the mall or something, if I remember right? Love the commentary. Who are they, mall security personnel? That must have really brighthened up their day!

A-Merckx! I actually have a fantasy that I’ll share – before you are even allowed to apply for a driver’s license in the U.S. you’d have to commute by bicycle for two weeks.

Learning to hold your line on a bicycle might help with this sort of situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pgm8I0B8bY

@Ron

I sometimes ride through the local uni campus. It is amazing how many students can’t walk in a straight line.

I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted yet:

The other day I saw a guy almost ride off a curb, looking over his shoulder yakking away to his ride mates. Fortunately I called the precarious situation to his attention just in time; otherwise he was going over the bars.

I sometimes ride through the local uni campus. It is amazing how many students can’t walk in a straight line.

I’m surprised it hasn’t been posted yet:

A shared cycle way, the mom on the phone pushing a pram, the dog on the leash, for once, but of the extending kind, fully extended, the toddler on a cycle stopped across the middle of the way then moving backwards because of the fixed gear. The mom yelling at the cyclist (me) because he was frightening the kiddy! Typical scene!

I do a bit of this riding the CX bike in the park…but there I’m the oddball and try my best not to scare people too much. But the extender leash has almost made for a very sad ending to either my ride or a small dog on numerous occasions!

@Frank. This grumpy old man image you are working on is really believable! All points well made, but I am expecting reports of you doing your supermarket shopping at 6am very shortly. I also imagine you get tired dialling long distance?

Dialing long distance? Wait, can this iPhone actually make calls?

People who stop and talk on stairs…

And stop their car in the lane of traffic to talk to a neighbor…

There should also be fast and slow lanes on pavements/sidewalks; not that anyone would follow them.

And then the fast lane will become a status symbol like it is on the highways.

For some unexplicable reason in the last 12 months obsticales are increasingly not being pointed out. When they are, never by the entire bunch, just one or two about a third wheel and then never again. It seems the front riders figure they’ve seen the pothole, so the rest will. Surprised by the hole the next rider calls “HOLE!” but never point it out and gawd knows what happens from there. I will always and include the location but it is never repeated.

I yell back “no point in yelling “hole” if you don’t also tell us where!” but my pleading has fallen on deaf ears. The incidents of crashes is on the rise and my participation in the rides is on the fall. How hard is it to yell “Hole middle” or “branch left” because when you are riding in close quarters at 40km/hr in pitch black it certainly helps.

A future article will indeed examine the practice of pointing shit out. Only point at stuff you don’t want to ride over. No need to point out shadows or bits of paper. But potholes and branches are good.

My parents are terrible for that.

I often loudly call ‘ding!’ when I come upon other pathway  users from behind, and invariably the ones without headphones will reel in their dogs, single up, or wave to show acknowledgement of my approach.

The other train of thought that keeps my sanity on MUPs is that they are truly multi-use pathways.  I have just as much right to be there as they do.  Yes, their behaviour can be self centred, but is my expectation of right of way to the faster vehicle any less egocentric?

When I happen upon an uncontrolled dog (a retractable leash does not a controlled dog make), child, or pathway occluding group, I think of it as forced intervals.  Accelerate, slow down for obstacle/hazardous user, accelerate.  It makes me more resilient to the man with the hammer on those days on the road.

And the shopping cart morons who stop in the middle of the aisle, a child to either side, fully oblivious? Same ‘it’s all about me’ culture.

I am all for kids etc etc but one of my major pet peeves is the parents who act like the world should stop because they’ve manage to push out a baby. They’ll stop anywhere any time, interrupt any conversation, and – and this is my favorite – stand in the bike lane while they unload their pack of rug rats into wagons and carts, forcing the Cyclists to swerve out into traffic and risk getting hit.

I took a good opportunity this evening to hold my line on the inside right next to a Pedalwan Learner. He realized that he must also hold his line or… get more than comfy with me. No words spoken “” “see” the line, “do” the line.

A headphoned rider in a group ride two weeks back swung out without looking and bumped into me. Held my line, pushed back into him with my shoulder and he did the same into me until he regained his balance. No harm done luckily, but the riders behind skipped a heartbeat and were rather glad we knew how to handle a situation like that.

From time to time, I see a commuter rider wobbling all over the road, riding wide and cursing every car that goes past him and shaking his head. really giving cycling a bad image.

Take a closer look at him and there’s headphones plugging his ear holes! I really want to whack him over the head with a frame pump at what he’s doing.

On the commute home, I wound up getting tied up in the Commuter Grand Prix. Amazing the shit you see and the random passing of riders without any awareness that someone might be blasting by them.

The best thing to do there is to accelerate to traffic speed and take the lane. Sit up and Beg YJA’ers really do a double-take when that happens.

I sometimes ride through the local uni campus. It is amazing how many students can’t walk in a straight line.

Also, how about folks who act as if  public spaces, like grocery stores, are actually vacation destinations? Just because you have fuck all to do today, doesn’t mean the rest of us have all the time in the world. Move it along, you can’t hold a UN meeting in front of the milk and eggs.

I’m also part of a local cycling advocacy group. Our city is growing like crazy, and we’re having more and more cyclists. Great! Oh wait, no helmets, no idea of riding defensively aggressively, and…earbuds. It actually puts me in the situation where I’m not always sure I want to encourage new cyclists.

Meh, never had a problem with them myself and they have some good riders and racers who know what they’re doing. I certainly prefer to see them alongside me than a few other clubs.

But if someone says that about a club in London it’s odds on London Dynamo is who they mean, which speaks for itself really.

Whether it’s perception or reality is pretty much beside the point.

This seems like the right place to ask: What kind of maths does one use to explain the phenomon wherein when you’re on a MUP (miles of it) on a nice weekday morning with few other users; you, the lady jogging with her stroller, and the old guy riding at you from the opposite direction all meet in the exact same place causing everyone to stop, go in the dirt whatever?

Or does that only happen to me…..

It’s physics….Sods Law.

@Brianold55 Based on living in a country with a 40% population from India and surrounds I’d say the opposite. I think it’s only when you have the luxury of space that you feel obliged or able to respect it.

I think this is closer to reality. When you have three trillion people buzzing around you, you have to cut it out if you want any sanity. Basically you care even less about space and others.

Or does that only happen to me…..

We do have some decent paved off-street paths/trails around here, but there are a few stretches that are so popular (particularly near Lake Michigan) that I will avoid them at all costs while out training, even if it means riding on less that stellar roads. If I’m out for a leisurely spin with Mrs. KW, that’s a different story.

@Mike_P

@ChrisO

There has been a similar discussion going on about the lack of racing knowledge and etiquette in my London cycling club forum.

I’m truly hoping your London club isn’t that bunch who like to think they own Richmond Park, have a reputation for running red lights, abusing other riders and flicking motorists the finger when riding events and not worrying about the Highway Code and giving way at intersections. Oh, but their kit looks flash, so that’s ok.

including more than 100 women members.

That is worth bigging up!

@ChrisO

There has been a similar discussion going on about the lack of racing knowledge and etiquette in my London cycling club forum.

I’m truly hoping your London club isn’t that bunch who like to think they own Richmond Park, have a reputation for running red lights, abusing other riders and flicking motorists the finger when riding events and not worrying about the Highway Code and giving way at intersections. Oh, but their kit looks flash, so that’s ok.

London Dynamo… no it isn’t them.

I’m with Dulwich Paragon, an altogether much more respectable bastion of civility.

And now the largest British Cycling affiliated club in the country, including more than 100 women members.

A shared cycle way, the mom on the phone pushing a pram, the dog on the leash, for once, but of the extending kind, fully extended, the toddler on a cycle stopped across the middle of the way then moving backwards because of the fixed gear. The mom yelling at the cyclist (me) because he was frightening the kiddy! Typical scene!

@Carel

A shared cycle way, the mom on the phone pushing a pram, the dog on the leash, for once, but of the extending kind, fully extended, the toddler on a cycle stopped across the middle of the way then moving backwards because of the fixed gear. The mom yelling at the cyclist (me) because he was frightening the kiddy! Typical scene!

On the way to my winter hill rep BOAT (Byway Open To All Traffic).  Two mums with prams, 1 toddler, 1 dog occupying most of the width of the BOAT.  There’s a recipe for an accident, thinks I as I approach.  Next thing I’m passing them in the air upside down.  So convinced they were the danger I failed to spot the patch of leaves covering a low curb………

Great article though.

There has been a similar discussion going on about the lack of racing knowledge and etiquette in my London cycling club forum.

I’m truly hoping your London club isn’t that bunch who like to think they own Richmond Park, have a reputation for running red lights, abusing other riders and flicking motorists the finger when riding events and not worrying about the Highway Code and giving way at intersections.  Oh, but their kit looks flash, so that’s ok.

On the odd day I get the local Metro in to the city, the goons who decide to wait at the entrance to the platform blocking everyones way are a constant annoyance!

Re MUP trails, sometimes it’s easier to just join the other vehicles on the road than dodge the strollers etc on the path.  Love the two non-petite moms pushing the strollers abreast and taking up at least 87 percent of the path.  Scoot by them in the remaining 13 percent before uncoming traffic and get glared at presumably for passing too close.

There should also be fast and slow lanes on pavements/sidewalks; not that anyone would follow them.

On a shared use trail near me recently painted bike ‘lanes’ have appeared. They’re quite narrow, both ways squeezed to one side with the other 75% width of trail for pedestrians. I was a bit suspect at first, seeing it as an implication that we were a problem, so I treated them more as advisory. But every single cyclist of any type automatically gravitates toward these lines, like we like the sense of order they bring – and perhaps in the vain hope that we can get going without having to weave between people.

Pedestrians, naturally, ignore them and let their kids wander into them.

 But not as bad as single mother of five trying to get their evil offspring and two monster suitcases across London on the tube at rush hour.

Surely that wouldn’t be a problem because you and other people of a gentlemanly persuasion, such as the capital and especially the City is full of, would have offered to assist.

Presumably it was in conversation as you helped with her suitcases that you established she was single.

Otherwise I might have to press the Danger of Casual Sexism Alert button which has now been installed on the site.

Was the gent at the airport also trying to trip people up with one of these wheelie suitcases? Major annoyance in crowds. But not as bad as single mother of five trying to get their evil offspring and two monster suitcases across London on the tube at rush hour.

I’m not sure that compulsory group ride training is the way to go for the general public. It would be cheaper and more efficient to issue cyclists with tazers for their time off the bike.

One of the conclusions being that where there used to be one or two club rides on weekends and people would mix and learn, now there are four or five each day because someone wants to go at 0730 not 0800 so they start their own ride. Smaller rides, less exposure to experienced people, the senior riders don’t get to know people and are then hesitant about making comments or suggestions.

@Scaler911 Agreed on earbuds. I wear them only when I’m riding alone and only here in Dubai where there is very little need for me to interact with cars and traffic. I’m mostly on hard shoulders and rarely have to go into lanes or expect vehicles to stop or go around me so it’s just a matter of making sure I am aware of them when I have to interact. If I’m going to be collected it will be some idiot driving on the side of the road at 120km/h – knowing about it would make zero difference.

@Brianold55 Based on living in a country with a 40% population from India and surrounds I’d say the opposite. I think it’s only when you have the luxury of space that you feel obliged or able to respect it.

Agree worst are joggers/walkers with headphones on shared paths, or a gaggle of walkers (how do they even talk to each other?) with unattached dogs.

BTY there is a safety suggestion by a minister of one of the fair states of Oz today of licences for cyclists, for a FEE of course. Like paying for a licence is going to stop some car hitting me.