A Generalisation

[BSRU]

I noticed this morning another highway code ignoring cyclist this morning and realised that of the one's I have seen the vast majority are slow and seem to need to take illegal and some times dangerous short cuts in order to reduce their journey time.

The one I saw this morning I caught further along the road, actually stopped at a red light, which was safer to RLJ than the one I saw them RLJ, they also looked like they were about to have a heart attack.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

they also looked like they were about to have a heart attack.

Got to watch that; it could come to any one of us. After all, cycling to work is a major cause of heart attacks, according to the Daily Mail. (I've not posted a link because I don't want to contribute to their revenues.)

 

[BSRU]

Got to watch that; it could come to any one of us. After all, cycling to work is a major cause of heart attacks, according to the Daily Mail. (I've not posted a link because I don't want to contribute to their revenues.)

The advantage of stopping at red lights, gives you a chance to relax and have a look around.

 

[SportMonkey]

The advantage of stopping at red lights, gives you a chance to relax and have a look around.

And, erm, check for talent in cars.

 

[abo]

I noticed this morning another highway code ignoring cyclist this morning and realised that of the one's I have seen the vast majority are slow and seem to need to take illegal and some times dangerous short cuts in order to reduce their journey time.

The one I saw this morning I caught further along the road, actually stopped at a red light, which was safer to RLJ than the one I saw them RLJ, they also looked like they were about to have a heart attack.

I've noticed this! They are always the ones spinning away in a wierd gear too

 

[SportMonkey]

I've noticed this! They are always the ones spinning away in a wierd gear too

There is only one gear. Top.

 

[jonny jeez]

I noticed this morning another highway code ignoring cyclist this morning and realised that of the one's I have seen the vast majority are slow and seem to need to take illegal and some times dangerous short cuts in order to reduce their journey time.

The one I saw this morning I caught further along the road, actually stopped at a red light, which was safer to RLJ than the one I saw them RLJ, they also looked like they were about to have a heart attack.

When I first began commuting (threee years ago) I jumped a lot of lights...or at the least used to straddle the box.

I did this for two reasons

1.Out of pure ignorance, I genuinely assumed it was standard practice (just goes to show how many cyclist do this to set that standard) , this is most probably why I am now such an advocate of stopping for reds.

2 lack of fitness, I would do almost anything to try and keep momentum. Its wasn’t the fact that I had to unclip or change gear, it was purely that I had no strength to get back up to speed (100 times a ride...I have over 170 lights)

These days I have no problem, even after a long break from the bike, in getting started and very quickly getting up to cruise speed.

fitness and ignorance

 

[whitebait]

There is only one gear. Top.

Yes! I think they're the same ones who, if they do stop at a red, push their way to the front of the ASL, then set off agonisingly slowly, weaving back and forth across the road with every knee-popping pedal stroke.

 

[abo]

Yes! I think they're the same ones who, if they do stop at a red, push their way to the front of the ASL, then set off agonisingly slowly, weaving back and forth across the road with every knee-popping pedal stroke.

Ah, these guys are the opposite; I passed one yesterday riding some MTB from Yarm to Stockton. He was pedalling like buggery and going probably sub-10 mph, I flew past him in despite being on a MTB myself. I was in top (yay), god knows what he was in.

Trying to teach my son about gears at the moment. He's only 7 and has 24 to choose from so it can be frustrating but he is getting there (like I am some great expert )

 

[BSRU]

Ah, these guys are the opposite; I passed one yesterday riding some MTB from Yarm to Stockton. He was pedalling like buggery and going probably sub-10 mph, I flew past him in despite being on a MTB myself. I was in top (yay), god knows what he was in.

Trying to teach my son about gears at the moment. He's only 7 and has 24 to choose from so it can be frustrating but he is getting there (like I am some great expert )

I think there are two types, the egg whiskers pedalling so fast they look like they might not actually have a chain fitted or the super grinders who ride the biggest gear possible and have a cadence in single digits.

I must admit when I started as a roadie I used to grind the biggest gear possible, probably after watching the Tour de France and seeing the riders always using a big gear but not spotting their cadence.

 

[Dan B]

I noticed this morning another highway code ignoring cyclist this morning and realised that of the one's I have seen the vast majority are slow and seem to need to take illegal and some times dangerous short cuts in order to reduce their journey time.

Classic bad sample selection, there. If you're on a bike and moving, most cyclists you see are going to be moving either significantly slower or significantly faster than you are. If, as I think I remember from other threads, you're no slouch on a bike then it follows trivially that the vast majority of other cyclists you see are slow irrespective of whether they jump red lights. And on top of that you have confirmation bias: if there are slow cyclists that you overtake and then don't see doing anything daft, you probably don't even remember them.

Also, though probably a less significant factor: the ones that you overtake repeatedly because they jump where you wait -are you sure you're not counting them twice?


Anyway, what's wrong with being slow?

 

[BSRU]

Classic bad sample selection, there. If you're on a bike and moving, most cyclists you see are going to be moving either significantly slower or significantly faster than you are. If, as I think I remember from other threads, you're no slouch on a bike then it follows trivially that the vast majority of other cyclists you see are slow irrespective of whether they jump red lights. And on top of that you have confirmation bias: if there are slow cyclists that you overtake and then don't see doing anything daft, you probably don't even remember them.

Also, though probably a less significant factor: the ones that you overtake repeatedly because they jump where you wait -are you sure you're not counting them twice?


Anyway, what's wrong with being slow?

I'm not fast, I'm just not in such a rush, I always ride or drive with that mentality.
Nothing wrong with being slow, the thread is about people who need to ignore the rules/their own safety and the safety of others in order to get somewhere a little quicker.

 

[SportMonkey]

I think there are two types, the egg whiskers pedalling so fast they look like they might not actually have a chain fitted or the super grinders who ride the biggest gear possible and have a cadence in single digits.

I must admit when I started as a roadie I used to grind the biggest gear possible, probably after watching the Tour de France and seeing the riders always using a big gear but not spotting their cadence.

I'm always in top Takes maybe 100 metres to get a decent cadence up. So I should actually be using my gears?!

 

[HLaB]

I couldn't generalise RLJs the same way, I see a lot as described, who actually look like a frightened rabbit but others are confident and arrogant.

 

[BenM]

I'm always in top Takes maybe 100 metres to get a decent cadence up. So I should actually be using my gears?!

your choice - they are your knees after all...

On a 'bent the mantra is "spin spin spin" because it is really really easy to over do the knee joints - I have yet to spin out top gear on the Orca (max speed, so far, according to GPS is 45mph; yes it was down hill )

B.