I commute every day from Joppa (on the outskirts of Edinburgh) to almost the city centre. I'm used to dodging buses, avoiding homicidal drivers and suicidal pedestrians, but today was a new low for me 
Tootling through Portobello, coming up toward the new junction at the end of Portobello road when I had to pull out a little to avoid a parked car. Out the corner of my eye I suddenly notice another cyclist has been sitting behind me, his front wheel overlapping mine; separated by a couple of inches.
He doesn't over take me, but continues to sit there, right behind me up until the lights. Now I'm on an old mountain bike crawling through traffic, not a fast racer in the peleton. What reason he has to crowd me for so long I have no idea.
The lights change and he continues to sit right on my a**e. I'm feeling a little awkward and starting slowing down. Finally he gets the hint and pulls away. He's on a nice hybrid, wearing all the gear, including mirrored glasses - (making me look scruffy in jeans and no helmet, but I always wear gloves) and shoots off. Phew - I think, and plod away, glad that's over.
Unfortunatley he's unlucky with the lights at Jock's lodge and I catch him. I decide to sit well back, I really don't want anything to do with him, but it looks like he's taken offence at perceived slight, because now he slows down, trapping me behind him - I'm refusing to overtake, which seems to enrage him and he slams on his brakes - trying to cause me to crash into him.
Luckily I've left a bit of space and I go round him, though it's not long before he over takes me again, staring at me as he goes by, a look of pure malice on his face.
I can't believe my bad luck, when I catch up again at the next lights on London Road. He's stopped with his head twisted round, waiting for me.
I do something I hate doing, and go straight through the red light. I had a gut feeling he was about to blow a gasket, so I pulled away before he had a chance. Then I put my head down, it's only a few hundred yards to my work and I pull off the main road before he can catch up. Even then when he goes past, he's staring up the road at me.
Great! So as well as all the other hazards I've got to watch for on the road, I've now got a maniac cyclist to contend with. If things weren't tough enough already!
Sorry about the venting - I've been internalizing it all day and needed to let it out. B)
Tootling through Portobello, coming up toward the new junction at the end of Portobello road when I had to pull out a little to avoid a parked car. Out the corner of my eye I suddenly notice another cyclist has been sitting behind me, his front wheel overlapping mine; separated by a couple of inches.
He doesn't over take me, but continues to sit there, right behind me up until the lights. Now I'm on an old mountain bike crawling through traffic, not a fast racer in the peleton. What reason he has to crowd me for so long I have no idea.
The lights change and he continues to sit right on my a**e. I'm feeling a little awkward and starting slowing down. Finally he gets the hint and pulls away. He's on a nice hybrid, wearing all the gear, including mirrored glasses - (making me look scruffy in jeans and no helmet, but I always wear gloves) and shoots off. Phew - I think, and plod away, glad that's over.
Unfortunatley he's unlucky with the lights at Jock's lodge and I catch him. I decide to sit well back, I really don't want anything to do with him, but it looks like he's taken offence at perceived slight, because now he slows down, trapping me behind him - I'm refusing to overtake, which seems to enrage him and he slams on his brakes - trying to cause me to crash into him.
Luckily I've left a bit of space and I go round him, though it's not long before he over takes me again, staring at me as he goes by, a look of pure malice on his face.
I can't believe my bad luck, when I catch up again at the next lights on London Road. He's stopped with his head twisted round, waiting for me.
I do something I hate doing, and go straight through the red light. I had a gut feeling he was about to blow a gasket, so I pulled away before he had a chance. Then I put my head down, it's only a few hundred yards to my work and I pull off the main road before he can catch up. Even then when he goes past, he's staring up the road at me.
Great! So as well as all the other hazards I've got to watch for on the road, I've now got a maniac cyclist to contend with. If things weren't tough enough already!
Sorry about the venting - I've been internalizing it all day and needed to let it out. B)
