MrHappyCyclist
Riding the Devil's HIghway
- Location
- Bolton, England
I encountered only two cyclists going the same way as me this morning.
The first one was just a bad cyclist (but on a reasonably good bike). I first encountered him when he shot up my inside as the lights changed, I quickly overtook him. At the next lights, he rode on the pavement to get to the front (past two police officers who did nothing) then jumped the red light, I overtook him again. At the next lights, he came up my inside and went through the red light, then jumped the next red light, then went the wrong way up a one way street. I went round the correct way - the same distance, but with slightly more hill - then encountered him riding fast along a pavement in the town centre and shooting out across the road, ending up just in front of me. He then turned right, off my route.
The second one I overtook because I just happened to be going faster than him. At the next red light, he caught up, so I kept to right of centre in the queue so that he could come alongside, but he stopped a few yards behind me so that he could get a run-up to overtake when the lights changed. I turned and said a cheery "good morning", but he just stared straight ahead past me with a very serious face and said nothing. When the lights changed, he came up the inside, out of the seat and pedalling hard, so I fell in behind him. I followed him for a couple of miles and noticed that the only time he looked back was when my bike rattled behind him, despite the fact that we passed many parked cars. At one point, we were going down a hill, him pedalling furiously and me freewheeling a few yards behind him (too far away to get a draught). Perhaps his brakes are dragging or something.
I do often find that I'll say good morning or good afternoon to another cyclist at traffic lights only to be faced with silence. Is it me?
The first one was just a bad cyclist (but on a reasonably good bike). I first encountered him when he shot up my inside as the lights changed, I quickly overtook him. At the next lights, he rode on the pavement to get to the front (past two police officers who did nothing) then jumped the red light, I overtook him again. At the next lights, he came up my inside and went through the red light, then jumped the next red light, then went the wrong way up a one way street. I went round the correct way - the same distance, but with slightly more hill - then encountered him riding fast along a pavement in the town centre and shooting out across the road, ending up just in front of me. He then turned right, off my route.
The second one I overtook because I just happened to be going faster than him. At the next red light, he caught up, so I kept to right of centre in the queue so that he could come alongside, but he stopped a few yards behind me so that he could get a run-up to overtake when the lights changed. I turned and said a cheery "good morning", but he just stared straight ahead past me with a very serious face and said nothing. When the lights changed, he came up the inside, out of the seat and pedalling hard, so I fell in behind him. I followed him for a couple of miles and noticed that the only time he looked back was when my bike rattled behind him, despite the fact that we passed many parked cars. At one point, we were going down a hill, him pedalling furiously and me freewheeling a few yards behind him (too far away to get a draught). Perhaps his brakes are dragging or something.
I do often find that I'll say good morning or good afternoon to another cyclist at traffic lights only to be faced with silence. Is it me?