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More pedal power chat.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 7 Dec 13 at 16:54
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www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2488337/Police-arrest-shop-manager-hold-cell-court-riding-bike-WITHOUT-LIGHTS.html
I understand cycling on the footpath is a criminal offence. Must have been a prize pillock to have no lights and then argue the toss with BIBs.
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Obviously failed the attitude test.
OTOH there's some fairly strong guidance (ACPO?), issued at time pavement cycling was made a FP offence, that action should only be taken in egregious/dangerous cases.
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Interesting article in today's Telegraph about why relatively few women cycle and how to get more of them out on bikes.
tinyurl.com/bnzrxv9
When I first started riding a Brompton in 1999 most owners were men. The bike was either part of their 'gadget' collection or like me they had previous history of cycle commuting. Now I'd say 30-40% of riders I see on Bromptons are women, many of them younger.
What do others see around them or think on the subject?
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I've got a Genesis Croix de Fer on order, trouble is, won't arrive until mid January. Still, something to look forward to. Now please, no alternative suggestions, I've done so much looking around...
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 7 Nov 13 at 21:07
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>> I've got a Genesis Croix de Fer on order, trouble is, won't arrive until mid
>> January. Still, something to look forward to. Now please, no alternative suggestions, I've done so
>> much looking around...
Pity, I find that a bit gassy, and lacking in hops, nice head tho.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 7 Nov 13 at 21:07
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>> I've got a Genesis Croix de Fer on order, trouble is, won't arrive until mid
>> January. Still, something to look forward to. Now please, no alternative suggestions, I've done so
>> much looking around...
Nice looking piece of kit. No road bike in my current collection but N+1....
Actually the Dawes tourer is, unladen, an adequate substitute. My next bike is a Brommy for Mrs B and possibly conversion of mine to the P style bars.
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Zeddo, it's not the only thing round these parts that's gassy…!!
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Are you/your local cyclists using lights now that it's getting darker so early? Be great if someone said "all ours seem to have lights, it's not a problem", but I suspect lack of lights is just country wide.
However, we have an exciting new trend. Some now have lights so bright it's like a car with a single main beam on heading towards you. This was interesting the other night when I had two cyclists heading towards me, with identical very bright lights, one on each side of the road. My instinct was I was heading straight into a huge vehicle...
Anyway, just for entertainment, this is what we do. Link to Cambridge local news.
tinyurl.com/n6f2mgg
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I was driving along the other evening and surprised to count five cyclists in succession, all on the road and all with lights.
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I'm leaving work just after four at the moment so not seeing london in full darkness. I'm sure however the ninja's will be out in force after nightfall.
Personally I find the idea of riding in darkness with no lights utterly bonkers but many do it. Modern lights are light, have batteries that last for weeks and can easily be removed and stowed when bike is unnatended.
I can only assume that the unlit think that, like pedestrians, they can safely negotiate the streets on a see and be seen basis.
Cambridge of course, as a University town and being reasonably flat, has far more cyclists than almost any other city. How many accidents in the street lit centre of Cambridge are actually the result of cyclists being unlit?
I cannot help but think the Commisioner is playing to the gallery here and that were decisions being made by operational officers the priority would be different.
The get lamps and dodge the
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>> Cambridge of course, as a University town and being reasonably flat, has far more cyclists
>> than almost any other city. How many accidents in the street lit centre of Cambridge
>> are actually the result of cyclists being unlit?
Probably quite a few near misses and minor ones because of the sheer numbers, but the locals of course are more aware (cyclists and drivers) and barely think about it. I'm shaking my head every time I go there, not just the lights thing but the one-way-wrong-way, light and crossing jumping, and general non-compliance.
Because of the numbers, it does work in an odd kind of way. Wasn't there a place, in Holland maybe, that deliberately mixed the cars, bikes and pedestrians in built up areas and concluded it was safer than separating them?
There are plenty in Cambridge who do the cause no favours. One rode at speed off a pavement, intending to pass between the boss's car and the one in front of her in a queue, just as she set off - he nutted the front wing, putting a dent in in, then got back on and rode off. The dent is still there.
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>> Wasn't there
>> a place, in Holland maybe, that deliberately mixed the cars, bikes and pedestrians in built
>> up areas and concluded it was safer than separating them?
'Shared space'? A few places according to wiki (although I think I remember seeing that particular report as well):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_space
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>> The get lamps and dodge the
Posted too soon then missed edit..
The get lamps and dodge the fine option is a good one, far better than paying the FP and carrying on.
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>>but the locals of course are more aware (cyclists and drivers) Yes lots of the Cambridge cyclists rely on their numbers and historical presence to survive. We're venturing into Cambridge tonight and will be driving at just about dark commuter time and again at pub closing time. On a damp Friday night you have to keep a sharp lookout to avoid tipping one off.
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"venturing into Cambridge"
Last Saturday at about 6.30pm, we parked outside the Fitzwilliam Museum to go to the Bryan Ferry concert at the Corn Exchange. I slowly eased the driver-door open and peered through the 3" gap to spot a black-clad unlit cyclist bearing down on me about 5 or 6 yard away, almost lost in the glare of the lights of other traffic. He was invisible in the door mirror.
As we assembled on the pavement, another car parked in front of us, the driver opened their door ……… right into the path of an approaching cyclist. Some cyclists just don't help themselves. [and I say this as a cyclist!]
Last edited by: Haywain on Fri 8 Nov 13 at 15:05
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I dodged (alhamdulillah!) two or three invisible cyclists yesterday. With the early sunset and dark grey weather this time of year is especially bad, the dozier sort of cyclists forgetting to take their lights or switch them on.
It would be interesting to see a statistical breakdown of these spine-chilling vehicle/pushbike crashes by season. I would bet a fiver this time of year sees a peak.
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"I dodged (alhamdulillah!) two or three invisible cyclists yesterday."
I had to look up 'alhamdulilla'. I thought, perhaps, it was an early Bryan Ferry track that had escaped under my radar! ;-)
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Tonight it was, thick cloud contributing, pretty well dark when I left the office at 16:15.
The fact that it was persisting it down skews observations but while the ninjas were out they were few in number. One or two on the Strand and two more on the Tavistock Way cycle track.
A fellow Bromptoneer unlit at the Euston Road/Gordon St junction turned out to have dynamo lighting but with an absent or failed 'standlight' capacitor which should keep the rear light on while while stopped for a brief interval.
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>> I do not know what happens in "the other place" but in Oxford they regularly
>> dish out the fines
>>www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/yourtown/oxford/10782159.Cyclists_without_lights_caught_in_police_crackdown/
"In just three hours, police issued fines totalling more than £8,500 to cyclists riding in Oxford with no lights. Cyclists will not have to pay the penalties if they buy lights for their bikes and produce a receipt for inspection at a police station."
Somehow I don't think that would work if I didn't have insurance or any RFL and offered to pay for it at a later date and then take the receipt to the police station.
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>> As a moderator, are you forbidden from using TinyURL.com?
It's only necessary when the link is too long. On my screen it looked fine, which is why I didn't use it.
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>> Somehow I don't think that would work if I didn't have insurance or any RFL
>> and offered to pay for it at a later date and then take the receipt
>> to the police station.
This is true. OTOH 'rectification notices' are a pretty common way of dealing with construction and use type offences; lighting, exhausts, over dark glass and such like
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>>
>> This is true. OTOH 'rectification notices' are a pretty common way of dealing with construction
>> and use type offences; lighting, exhausts, over dark glass and such like
>>
Perfectly true Brompt, but having a light that is not working is very different to not actually having any lights at all.
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SWM stepped out of our drive in the dark after dinner and was brushed by a silent cyclist. It was a young woman this time, doing some speed. She didn't respond to SWM's abuse but just rode away.
They just have no idea...just to catch the end of a handlebar on a pedestrians clothing may be enough to throw the rider off, seriously interfacing face and tarmac.
It's getting dangerous round here...apart from me being run down a while back, we've had 3 or 4 near misses between car and gate this year...If I'm destined to be run down again, please let it be by the postman. He should be insured !
Ted
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In the previous volume Mapmaker was complaining about wet cyclists on trains. Apparently we're dirty when wet.
LAst night I rode from Westminster to Euston in persistent rain. Arrived at station with by Rohan bags soaked. Being bags they dried off pdq and with no obvious dirt left behind. There was a bit of a film of road dust on the bike.
My advice to those complaining of passengers in wet clothes joining train or tube remains along lines that upwards is direction in which they should man...
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>> LAst night I rode from Westminster to Euston in persistent rain. Arrived at station with
>> by Rohan bags soaked. Being bags they dried off pdq and with no obvious dirt
>> left behind. There was a bit of a film of road dust on the bike.
>>
>>
>> My advice to those complaining of passengers in wet clothes joining train or tube remains
>> along lines that upwards is direction in which they should man...
>>
Just as a matter of interest.
Why would one cycle from a main line station to work and back, having to dodge all and sundry in our congested capital city, worry about being the next fatal statistic, etc...when the tube or bus would do it nicely.......... you wouldn't be soaking wet and smelly on the train trip home, you wouldn't have to cram your bike on with all the other commuters or worry about someone nicking it when at work?
How about a nice countryside cycle at the weekend?
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>> Just as a matter of interest.
>>
>> Why would one cycle from a main line station to work and back, having to
>> dodge all and sundry in our congested capital city, worry about being the next fatal
>> statistic, etc...when the tube or bus would do it nicely.......... you wouldn't be soaking wet
>> and smelly on the train trip home, you wouldn't have to cram your bike on
>> with all the other commuters or worry about someone nicking it when at work?
>>
>> How about a nice countryside cycle at the weekend?
The tic response to this is to ask how a copper in London never used the bus or tube!!
Seriously, I think you and I have established in our various interactions over the years that we have opposed views on risk. I don't worry too much about being next stat - I ride sensibly and have rules of engagement around HGVs etc.. Given London is heavily urban I'm probably at treble the 40 deaths per BILLON miles average for cycling but I can live with that.
Having explored a suitable route (eg Euston to Lincoln's Inn via Gordon Street, Malet St, Montague St etc) worst of congestion is avoided. Bus lanes are pretty cycle friendly too.
Only get wet very occasionally, heavy rain in the 20mins or so either way I'm actually moving is only a few days a year, wear right clothes and you dry quickly and there's a change at work it it's insufferable.
I wash etc so smelly is never an issue.
The plus side is my journey is faster than tube and predictable to a minute or so. I avoid the hassles, queues and general anger I experienced today using tube 'cos bike has a gear fault. I also save the £1k a year difference between a season to Euston only and one that includes tube/bus.
Brompton, not a cheap bike, has paid for itself several times over.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 15 Nov 13 at 22:29
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>> >> ......and have rules of engagement around HGVs etc..
Funny you should use that expression... normally used when talking about warfare..
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>> Funny you should use that expression... normally used when talking about warfare..
It feels like that sometimes but it's not difficult.
(a) Never go up inside of an HGV unless you're sure it it cannot move
(b) Ensure you have an escape route onto pavement in case you've got (a) wrong.
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It takes a minimum of two to tango. I walk, cycle and drive in London fairly regularly. Sometimes all three on the one day. I did also use the tube for the first time in about twenty years a month or two back but I've vowed never to do that again. It's not for humans.
Anyway, back to surface propulsion methods. You know, here's the thing, London has lots of people in it. Some of them, by the law of averages, are a bit stupid, some are selfish, most seem to be in a hurry and some are actually ok.
In my experience the various personality types can pop up on foot, on bikes, in cars, on motorbikes, driving vans, trucks, in fact almost anywhere at any time. I'd like to bet some of them also use more than one method of moving around and so aren't actually bona fide club members.
Even if one or more of them does "deserve" to be conflicted with from time to time, it's rarely useful to do so.
Most of the time it's actually just much more constructive to just pay attention to one's own conduct. The "others" will tend to do whatever they were going to do anyway. Not a huge benefit in stressing about it.
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>> much more constructive to just pay attention to one's own conduct. The "others" will tend to do whatever they were going to do anyway. Not a huge benefit in stressing about it.
Spot on and minimally abrasive as usual Humph.
Where's the Gastropod? He was always pretty cool too.
Someone get the other side of him with a salt shaker and shoo him slowly back...
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>>
>> Most of the time it's actually just much more constructive to just pay attention to
>> one's own conduct. The "others" will tend to do whatever they were going to do
>> anyway. Not a huge benefit in stressing about it.
>>
As some worthy from the IAM or the DSA (I forget which) once told me, "How other people drive is none of your business, your duty is to make sure your own driving is as safe as possible".
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Mentioned in previous volume an accident at junction of Vernon Place and Southampton Row last week. tinyurl.com/lot7e32
The victim was pronounced dead on 8th November. Francis Golding, a 69 year old architecht, is the tenth cyclist to be killed on London's roads this year.
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Just heard that sadly another rider has been killed this morning in London, brings the total to 4 in 1 week.
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>> Just heard that sadly another rider has been killed this morning in London, brings the
>> total to 4 in 1 week.
Bow roundabout again.
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cyclist-killed-in-collision-with-lorry-at-bow-roundabout-8936566.html
If the vehicle was the one on the slip road in the picture than it looks like a tip/skip yet again.
Another yesterday in Croydon, vehicle was a bus with tram tracks a possible complication.
That's the twelfth this year. Total for 2012 was 14.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 13 Nov 13 at 11:48
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I must say, almost all of those cyclists are killed in places where I'd never go by bike.
No doubt that will bring up the activist cyclist saying, "But you should be able to be safe even on a dual carriageway."
I say, "Better alive and timid and wrong than dead and brave and right."
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>> I must say, almost all of those cyclists are killed in places where I'd never
>> go by bike.
>>
>> No doubt that will bring up the activist cyclist saying, "But you should be able
>> to be safe even on a dual carriageway."
>>
>> I say, "Better alive and timid and wrong than dead and brave and right."
Bow roundabout is on one of the Barclays sponsored 'cylce superhighways' - CS. It should be a safe route but it's not.
There's been a kerfuffle since the death of Brian Dorling there two years ago including a report to the Chief Coroner following the Dorling inquest. In a comment on cycle chat after today's accident one rider says he'd rather use the flyover where he can be seen than the CS route where he risks being caught in a blind spot and crushed.
Improvements are promised but have yet to be delivered.
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And it will be about the same again, despite the number of cyclists increasing. There is no sudden unexplained crisis here, merely much more political capital being extruded with the resulting press exposure.
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 13 Nov 13 at 12:08
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>> And it will be about the same again, despite the number of cyclists increasing. There
>> is no sudden unexplained crisis here, merely much more political capital being extruded with the
>> resulting press exposure.
Broadly agree with that. An accident on Monday involved a woman cyclist and a car under which she was briefly trapped. Her injuries are the inevitable broken collar bone and concussion.
It was front page headline in the Standard last night. Wouldn't have made p26 below the fold five years ago.
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Another cyclist squished.
5th person in 9 days apparantly.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24936942
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>> Another cyclist squished.
>>
>> 5th person in 9 days apparantly.
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24936942
A bus this time rather than the usual tip/skip. Hopefully cyclist was lit and alcohol not a factor, time will tell.
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24936942
This really does need addressing...but...IMO it needs to come from the cyclist themselves.
There has to be a mindset of 'I am incredibly vulnerable' and then a thought process of how to address that...rather than the thought process of it's 'an other road user's problem'.
When I became a born again biker (motorised), I'd already had a load of police driving courses, inc an advanced one. I soon realised how exceptionally vulnerable I was on a motorcycle..and adapted accordingly.
You have to create your own luck.
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>>"Cyclists having an hour in the morning and in the evening where they don't have to share the road with large lorries could very well help keep them safer." <<
Since three out of five of the recent deaths listed were with busses does he want those banned during the rush hour too?
What an ill thought out 'solution'.
Pat
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The Freight Transport Association are opposing this and have discovered that the London Mayor’s Cycling Commissioner has said that a rush hour lorry ban would only have affected two of the 14 fatalities in London this year, and it does not appear to be the simple solution to all of our problems.
Sledgehammer to crack a nut?
Pat
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>> The Freight Transport Association are opposing this and have discovered that the London Mayor’s Cycling
>> Commissioner has said that a rush hour lorry ban would only have affected two of
>> the 14 fatalities in London this year, and it does not appear to be the
>> simple solution to all of our problems.
>>
>> Sledgehammer to crack a nut?
>>
>> Pat
There are other reasons to apply some sort of controls to lorries in the rush hour. It works in Paris and other continental cities.
A ban on all larger vehicles in all 32 boroughs would obviously be disproportionate. OTOH severe restrictions on construction tip/skip vehicles inside say TfL zone 1 form 08:30 to 10:0 and 16:30 to 18:30 might be practicable.
Cyclists would benefit but so would pedestrians and those working around construction sites. Access to these is inevitably very tight and means trucks mount pavements and obstruct whole streets while going on/off site. The new LSE site off Lincoln's Inn Fields, under construction for last 12months is a case in point. Even with most skilled drivers and banksmen it's heart stopping to watch one go on site in midst of impatient and seething rush hour stream of students & office workers
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Not being cynical if a bus or lorry tyre drive's over your head you are dead.
This issue between cars and cyclist is going to take years to sort out.Infrastructure proper cycle paths more awareness from cyclist and car drivers,the list is long.
The Dutch have been doing this for donkey years and is isn't perfect yet.
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Sadly, another fatality..this time in Nantwich. Lorry driver arrested.
www.thenantwichnews.co.uk/
Ted
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 15 Nov 13 at 01:07
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>>
>> Sadly, another fatality..this time in Nantwich. Lorry driver arrested.
They will blame that on BoJo's SuperHighway 2 as well.
Last edited by: VxFan on Fri 15 Nov 13 at 01:07
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>>Sadly, another fatality..this time in Nantwich. Lorry driver arrested.<<
Odd that - they always seem to arrest lorry drivers, but bus drivers remain at libery?
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I do agree Sherlock but reading that report it appears he either didn't stop or wasn't aware he had collided with the cyclists.
Pat
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>> >>Sadly, another fatality..this time in Nantwich. Lorry driver arrested.<<
>>
>>
>> Odd that - they always seem to arrest lorry drivers, but bus drivers remain at
>> libery?
They don't, they arrest bus drivers as well, but it helps that the bus driver has 40 witnesses peering out of the windows at the event that can provide a near instant description of the circumstances.
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>> Odd that - they always seem to arrest lorry drivers, but bus drivers remain at
>> libery?
In at least two cases of fatality involving buses, Dorothy Elder by Central St Martins College and Jayne Helliwell on Oxford Street, the drivers were prosecuted. IIRC both were acquitted.
Z makes a telling point about witnesses. I suspect that in many of the lorry cases witnesses attention is only drawn to scene by noise of crash or screams. They may therefore be unable to describe the seconds leading up to the impact. Unless somebody was watching or there is CCTV and/or the driver is committing further offences such as DD, mobile or tacho, the CPS probability of conviction threshold is not met.
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Driving home from the midlands last night, about a mile from home on an unlit road a youth on a bmx was powering up the road.
The effort he was putting in made him swerve all over the road.
He was in black on a dark bike with no illumination what so ever.
Missed him more by luck than judgement. Sometimes, unfortunately, some are asking for trouble.
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>> Sometimes, unfortunately, some are asking for trouble.
In my experience, more often than not...
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As ever, with the advantages of space, budget and political will, the Dutch do something interesting for cyclists:
www.visualnews.com/2013/10/30/hovenring-first-suspended-bicycle-roundabout/
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It looks good doesn't it.I have only travelled to Eindhoven once,town owned by Philips.
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And I worked for Philips C&P there. Later in Breda.
I was always quite liked the place.
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You know Mark when I use to drive past Breda with my wife I always liked the look of the town.
Glad you liked the Breda you are well travelled .:) I remember one night we left Port Talbot in Wales in a force ten Gale at sea,scary experience.
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One year there were big floods in Breda and everybody got stuck in the office. I was working for BSO Origin by then (eventually ATOS Origin). Can't quite remember when. 95 perhaps?
I had some great friends there, still in contact with some of them today. I always rather liked the Dutch approach to stuff they thought was right in the face of any existing beliefs. Eckart Wintzen, head of BSO at that time in particular, had very firm ideas about running environmentally friendly companies.
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>> As ever, with the advantages of space, budget and political will, the Dutch do something
>> interesting for cyclists:
>>
>> www.visualnews.com/2013/10/30/hovenring-first-suspended-bicycle-roundabout/
>>
Excellent idea. We seem to be going the other way over here, though. At the Robin Hood junction on the A3 there is a pedestrian bridge that cyclists used to use. It has been supplemented (replaced really) by a pedestrian traffic light junction that causes great delays to the traffic on this main trunk road, especially during the summer.
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My old stomping ground Camberwell Rd. / Albany Rd.
Sad to hear of all these cyclists being killed, I used to cycle to work in the early 1970's from sowf lunden to Regents St., before 'progressing' to a Lambretta but, I'll wager 'things' are a tad different on the road these days due to the increase in traffic, longer and larger lorries/busses etc. etc ... and the madness!
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-25000788
A woman who posted a message on Twitter about knocking a cyclist off his bike has been found guilty of two charges related to the incident
Emma Way, 22, clipped cyclist Toby Hockley with her car in Norfolk in May.
She then tweeted: "Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax! #b*****cyclists."
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She clearly did a dumb thing - the Tweet I mean.
The rest of it is over the top, media & band wagon nonsense. National news for goodness sakes.
I guess the punishment in court is fair enough, but losing her job?
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Local TV also reported she made no comment on leaving the court, she has a deal with a newspaper!
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Oh dear God, surely not. Its enough to make one weep.
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It'll not be any paper I subscribe to.
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The trouble is, the newspaper wouldn't do it if their readers didn't want them too.
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"It is the biggest regret of my life so far."
It almost sounds like she's plans to have some more regrettable episodes...
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Dontcha just love the Wail. The story below relates to a cyclist stopped as part of the recent safety operation in London traffic:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513338/Father-took-kids-school-wheelbarrow-bike-says-safe.html
With usual accuracy the article refers to a 'rickety wheelbarrow bike' or a 'wheelbarrow attached to his bike'.
Now while I'm not sure I'd use it that way in that place it's clearly a factory built and well equipped Dutch 'Bakfiets' cargo bike and not some 'Heath Robinson' contraption the guy's put together himself.
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What does the article say he get stopped for?
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If you read the article it would seem to be a case of "pig ignorance..."
;-)
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>> What does the article say he get stopped for?
Presumably for carrying two kids Dutch fashion in his cargo bike. He was unimpressed when Copper asked him if bike was legal!!
I see quite a few of these bikes on school runs in that area of London (Somers Town/Euston/Bloomsbury). If it were me I'd have been in one of the quieter streets to east or west rather than where he was stopped in Upper Woburn Place. But the traffic is so slow there's no risk.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 27 Nov 13 at 14:51
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>> I see quite a few of these bikes on school runs in that area of
>> London (Somers Town/Euston/Bloomsbury). If it were me I'd have been in one of the quieter
>> streets to east or west rather than where he was stopped in Upper Woburn Place.
>> But the traffic is so slow there's no risk.
>>
Ah right possibly failed the infamous attitude test? Seems a reasonable thing to look into. I would imagine they are quite a rare way to transport children. I think I've only seen one ever.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 27 Nov 13 at 19:07
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They're not uncommon in London. Lots used by courier companies, sandwich/catering suppliers etc. I see one or two most days if I'm travelling at to/from work at school run time, usually in the Tavistock Way cycle lanes.
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Do you think you will miss London Bromp? I'm ambivolent about it. I usually enjoy the buzz on the days I'm there but frankly my favourite view of the city is in the rearview mirror as I go up the ramp onto the M1 northbound !
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>> Do you think you will miss London Bromp?
I'll miss the bike ride a lot. As well as the exercise and the changing scene it' a great way of getting mind and body in sync and ready for the day.
The odd train ride too, mostly those in Spring and Autumn when the light, colour and cloud show the English countryside off at its best.
London itself, the push on tubes and buses, overpriced sandwiches and general bad temperedness I won't miss one bit.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 27 Nov 13 at 15:45
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I still miss it terribly. Although when you have been away for a while the place gets more difficult and expensive as you lose your daily familiarity with the 'changing scene'.
No one could complain about where I live now though. In a way I have the best of both worlds, only 2 hrs from the smoke by car. Some people are never satisfied.
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>> London itself, the push on tubes and buses, overpriced sandwiches and general bad temperedness I won't miss one bit.
>>
It's all those Northerners commuting to London that are bed tempered. They had to get up at the crack of sparrow and won't get home until late.
Your cheerful chirpy Cockney sparrer and your genial Southerner are never grumpy.
Only two days to go Brompy!
Get some in!
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>> London itself, the push on tubes and buses, overpriced sandwiches and general bad temperedness I
>> won't miss one bit.
Neither will I miss colleagues who sniff, eat smelly food, nose pick, abuse their phone, or need constantly slapping until they learn how to interact with the public politely and helpfully.
Or massive office blocks with a route march to either loo or tea point.
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I couldn't work in an office now. I did it for a few years a couple of decades or so ago but never again. I went to our head office for the day yesterday where I have a temporary desk I use on and off and by the end of the working day I was going stir crazy.
Petty arguments about the temperature, how long someone had been on a break, who hadn't filled the photocopier, who's turn was it to wash the dishes, fetch the sandwiches, answered as many calls, who's not happy with who, who gets preference on holiday dates...and on and on and on and on...
Stuff that.
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>> I couldn't work in an office now. I did it for a few years a couple of decades or so ago but never again.
Always hated them myself Humph... untidy friendly ones were best in run-down houses in Grays Inn Road, the poncier they got the more ill they made you feel, all that static electricity from the grey plastic carpets... and the higher you rose in the hierarchy the nastier you were expected to be. It was horrible.
Overflowing mainstream market research activity in tumbledown buildings was a bit better. Before computers big analysis was done on IBM counter-sorters, which worked at blinding speed once the thousands of cards had been punched with the data from the questionnaires by roomfuls of card punchers, like typists only different and lower status... A certain affection for all that but honestly, the corporate corridors, pub after work, snooty secretaries of this ponce or that, could ease your life if you managed to get round them and make it a misery if you didn't...
I had a shrink in those days who thought I should stick it out (for the money I think). But I couldn't, I just couldn't. Too wimpish if you like.
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Each to their own, I guess. Admittedly I don't work very often, but when I do then these days its in an office and I rather enjoy both it and all that goes with it.
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>> I don't work very often, but when I do then these days its in an office and I rather enjoy both it and all that goes with it.
Yes FMR, but you're a bit older and cooler than I was in the sixties, and you probably have a positive attitude to what you're doing instead of thinking you really ought to be doing something else.
I was out of it by 1968, at 30, via a couple of years of doing the same stuff for the same people freelance... in the end couldn't stand that either.
Bone idle all my life. That's why at a venerable age I am neglecting some rather tiresome work and wasting time here at nearly one in the morning. Perils of a misspent youth.
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On Quest (Freeview channel 38 ) a five minute slot about the product.
It is bound to be repeated.
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Your mention of Mrs A's work in the other thread reminded me I was going to ask how her Brompton was getting on.
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Just fine, thanks. She's really enjoying it. The gear problem hasn't resurfaced, but the chain does come off every now and again. Usually at a station, and there's always some other cyclist who helps or produces wipes.
Happy so far, she is.
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BIL has just had his second accident this month.
1.Hit car that was reversing out of driveway. No injuries, but wrote off bike and split helmet in two!
2. Misjudged pinch point, clipped kerb. Bike OK, but broke collar bone and split (new) helmet in two.
I'll continue to wear my bike helmet. Brompt?
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Thu 5 Dec 13 at 21:21
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bt, yr BiL shouldn't use a bike. Either he's very unlucky or he just doesn't have the necessary physical qualities.
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As somebody else said he might need to consider whether he's suited to the game. That or take a read of Cyclecraft and perhaps attend a course.
These sort of 'helmet saved my life' stories crop up pretty regularly. In some cases they did but in reality helmets split easily by design; they're shock absorbing and work by progressive deformation.
I'll continue to take my chances.
The collarbone, usual victim of a topple type fall, will ground him for a while though. Mine was far more painful than the hip that needed surgery and 'gipped' for weeks afterwards if I over reached.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery though.
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Had to go to town on a job yesterday. Used a long straight road which leads roughly in direction of University. Lots of cyclists so always careful.
At the end are traffic lights, straight on for Uni, bear left for City. I had overtaken a TdF type a hundred yards back who slightly annoyed me by swerving out to pass a parked car and then a supplementary swerve to avoid leaves in the road. I kept him alive with my brakes, he didn't look behind and my diesel isn't the quietest engine on the grid. !
I stopped at the lights and he came up. Not able to get between me and the kerb he came up the outside where there is a cycle lane for ' straight aheaders ' in the middle of the road. There were two other cyclists in the lane waiting for green ( a miracle ) but one seemed unable to want his foot interfacing with the tarmac. He was wobbling around trying to stay on board.
My overtaker ploughed into him as he did a mega-wobble and the two of them knocked the other biker off. No-one seemed to be hurt in this carnage !
The reason he couldn't get between me and the kerb and the probable cause of the loss of control ?
As well as his rucksack he had a full sized cello strapped to his back. He wouldn't have got far today.
I chuckled !
Ted
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>> At the end are traffic lights, straight on for Uni, bear left for City. I
>> had overtaken a TdF type a hundred yards back who slightly annoyed me by swerving
>> out to pass a parked car and then a supplementary swerve to avoid leaves in
>> the road. I kept him alive with my brakes, he didn't look behind and my
>> diesel isn't the quietest engine on the grid. !
Cycling with a Cello on yr back is pretty daft; too much weight far too high. Not sure I'd risk one on a bike at all but with something that weight lashing it to rack or maybe a trailer are way to go.
While he should have made a graceful and planned move rather than a swerve to pass parked cars he wasn't going to do anything else was he? Leaves are exactly the sort of hazard that lead to the highway code advice about cyclists and unpredictable wobbles. Wet leaves are slippery and dry ones can conceal other hazards or jam under a mudguard - as happened to me last week.
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>> While he should have made a graceful and planned move rather than a swerve to
>> pass parked cars he wasn't going to do anything else was he?
Does it not go both ways?
Motorised vehicle driver/rider should allow for the unexpected and plan ahead for obvious cycling moves (e.g. cyclist overtaking parked car)...and...
Cyclist should constantly plan the route, cater for numpty motorised vehicle driver/riders overtaking them...AND... do a lifesaver look and signal when changing direction significantly.
If both do not bother they are both at fault...only one is more significantly vulnerable then the other.
I am 100% convinced that many cyclists have the mentality of 'momentum at all costs' and let common sense go out of the window.
If, for example, someone is reversing out of a drive and has limited vision, regardless of the who has right of way..STOP.
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Just curious . why do so few cyclists have a mirror on their bike?
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Probably because most of them are useless, get in the way, and break all too easily.
And the mirrors as well.
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>> Just curious . why do so few cyclists have a mirror on their bike?
A mirror would presumably be on the handlebars or, on a drop bar bike, perhaps on the brake hood. You'd need to look down at it, refocus, and then compensate for the inevitable shake.
Somebody who goes in the folding club rides has a device that clips to his specs and there used to be a helmet with a sort of periscope arrangement.
It's easier to turn your head and move your eyes. That's the point I find a helmet sneaks into my field of view; one of the reasons I prefer to do without.
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Couldn't you make the Same arguments for not havering a mirror on a motorbike or a door mirror on a car?
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>> Couldn't you make the Same arguments for not havering a mirror on a motorbike or
>> a door mirror on a car?
Horses and courses I think.
Never had a motorbike but vibration and refocus might be issues there too.
So far as cars go decent door mirrors, like those on our Berlingos, provide a stable and comprehensive image I can capture with a glance to left or right. If you have door mirrors compromised for style, or worse old fashioned wing mirrors then YMMV.
Fact that a bike, even with big panniers, is a lot narrower than a car and you're mostly concerbed with offside hazards is also a factor.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 6 Dec 13 at 21:06
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>> >> While he should have made a graceful and planned move rather than a swerve
>> to
>> >> pass parked cars he wasn't going to do anything else was he?
>>
>> Does it not go both ways?
>>
>> Motorised vehicle driver/rider should allow for the unexpected and plan ahead for obvious cycling moves
>> (e.g. cyclist overtaking parked car)...and...
>>
>> Cyclist should constantly plan the route, cater for numpty motorised vehicle driver/riders overtaking them...AND... do
>> a lifesaver look and signal when changing direction significantly.
I've no fundamental disagreement with that. It's usually sound that's first clue you've a clot/numpty behind. The lifesaver confirms and checks for anything else.
Signalling is a bit of a minefield. An arm raised 45 degrees and pointing to the bit of road you intend to occupy means lane change as opposed to full on right turn where cyclist might stop on centre line to wait oppo direction traffic.
Motorists don't always understand and get mouthy about inadequate signalling.
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We went to London on Tuesday and came back last night. Wet leaves on the road in some places, bad for bikes but also for cars. Quite a bit of relative tiptoeing necessary in the windy and sometimes wet weather.
Only came across about three really invisible cyclists in that time. Of course we have them in the country too. But it does seem to me very foolish for a cyclist to have a black bike and black clothing, and then not to have a rear light at all or a very feeble one. Even where there is street lighting they can vanish into the background in the weirdest way... those very bright flashing led things should be mandatory. Better to be annoyed by bright flashing lights than to run over an invisible cyclist.
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>>
>> Only came across about three really invisible cyclists in that time. Of course we have
>> them in the country too. But it does seem to me very foolish for a
>> cyclist to have a black bike and black clothing, and then not to have a
>> rear light at all or a very feeble one. Even where there is street lighting
>> they can vanish into the background in the weirdest way... those very bright flashing led
>> things should be mandatory. Better to be annoyed by bright flashing lights than to run
>> over an invisible cyclist.
>>
I came up behind three invisible pedestrians on the way home tonight. Unlit A road, NSL and not particularly wide, in fact narrow enough for me to have to hold back till an oncoming car had passed. As well as wearing all dark clothing they were committing the cardinal sin of walking with their backs to the traffic. If they'd realised how late my headlights picked them up on the winding and dipping road they would think twice about it in future.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Fri 6 Dec 13 at 20:05
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>> those very bright flashing led
>> things should be mandatory. Better to be annoyed by bright flashing lights than to run
>> over an invisible cyclist.
Those bright flashing things certainly get attention in a rural scenario. OTOH on city streets it's difficult to judge speed/position of a single bright flashing front led never mind dozens of them on the Tavistock Way segregated track.
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Perhaps non-flashing ones would be better? Just so you can see the so-and-sos... Obviously you are impeccable Bromptonaut, invisible in a good way not a bad one.
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>> Perhaps non-flashing ones would be better? Just so you can see the so-and-sos... Obviously you
>> are impeccable Bromptonaut, invisible in a good way not a bad one.
If you cannot see my steady Cat-Eye it's time you parked up for ever :-)
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>>
>>
>> Those bright flashing things certainly get attention in a rural scenario. OTOH on city streets
>> it's difficult to judge speed/position of a single bright flashing front led never mind dozens
>> of them on the Tavistock Way segregated track.
>>
Glad I'm not the only one who hates those things and for the same reason as you. I only ever used flashing mode in poor daytime visibility on rural roads.
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>> Signalling is a bit of a minefield. An arm raised 45 degrees and pointing to the bit of road you intend to occupy means lane change as opposed to full on right turn where cyclist might stop on centre line to wait oppo direction traffic.
>> Motorists don't always understand and get mouthy about inadequate signalling.
And where in the highway code is the 45degree signal shown?
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That's why Emily Brooke, founder of Blaze, says she designed a light that projects an image of a green bike onto the ground about 5 metres (16ft) ahead of the cyclist.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25018543
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Pavement cyclist arrested - bathtub tom
