New and a bit exhausted

[andyoatcakes]

Hi, I am 51 and have cycled for commuting and leisure purposes for about 20 or so years. I'm not a bike nerd. I just have a Giant MTB. My repair and maintenance skills are as basic as it gets. Unfortunately, over the years I have found using the roads more and more unpleasant. I moved from Stretford in Manchester to Ramsbottom last year hoping it may be a little better up here (altho only 15 miles from where I was tbh), but it's just as bad. I mainly work from home now but when I do commute I plan insanely circuitous routes to avoid roads. There are quite a lot of nice routes around here, but all routes require some travel on the road to get there. In the last two weeks I have been aggressively beeped by drivers (both Range Rover Discoveries) for daring to be on the road. First time I filtered to the front at red lights and as soon as they changed was beeped for presumably not getting a Linford Christie like start. Last week it was for cycling uphill slowly a car door width away from parked cars. Both were on 5 or 6 min journeys to get to a traffic free road. Neither seem particularly terrible scenarios, I've had much worse but it's really getting me down.

I've joined this group as I just feel like I need to vent at times. Non-cycling friends are sympathetic but often trivialize my experiences. I have some mental health issues and suffer from noise sensitivity. Getting beeped is genuinely horrible (as well as illegal) on a sensory as well as principled level. I don't want to rant on here but I also don't want the Twitter experience. I left Twitter due to drivist trolls (obviously!) but also found some cyclists telling people to take primary postion and do X, Y and Z is not always helpful. Taking primary position for example requires an element of assertiveness I don't always have. It might depend on my mood that day. Also conditions, downhill - great when I can fly along at 20mph+ but up a hill in the rain with a load of cars behind is really unpleasant.

I also hope there is good diversity on here.

Anyway, that's me - hope it wasn't too negative!

 

[fossyant]

Just ignore the impatient drivers, you aren't doing wrong. Sometimes, it can be better to wait in-line at traffic lights, then you are part of the traffic already.

 

[ColinJ]

I find the roads increasingly busy, and (some) drivers increasingly stupid and aggressive so I don't blame you for finding it all a bit much sometimes. Take a look at cycle.travel to help you plan quieter routes (though obviously, as you wrote, you may still have to tackle some busy roads to get to them).

I have ridden up Ramsbottom Rake a couple of times, VERY slowly - that is a tough climb!

 

[RoubaixCube]

You could be well over the speed limit and impatient drivers will still honk at you (I've experienced this many times living and commuting in London) I've even had people honk at me as im attempting to filter through traffic when everything was at a complete standstill -- like where are you going to go even if i was to vanish into thin air??

Most important thing is you prioritise your own safety rather than putting yourself in positions where others can put you at risk. Dont allow yourself to be bullied because you have every right to be there as they do.

-- Being at a healthier weight then I was in 2015/16 (and thus faster and stronger on the bike then your average joe) when I started commuting by bicycle. Traffic isnt the thing I have to watch out for but other cyclists who often lack etiquette (shoaling...) and terrible awareness and positioning because they never shoulder check.




However - Welcome to the forums!

If you ever want to learn about more mechanic and maintenance skills then GCN on youtube used to do a lot of helpful videos - about that stuff.

GCN Main

GCN Tech

Sadly GCN are more of a mainstream marketing platform these days but their old tutorial videos teaching you how to do all sorts of things should still exist should you want to have a look at them.

Otherwise parktool is a very very highly rated channel for all bike maintenance tutorials and other good stuff. Absolute wealth of information! They obviously sell their own bike tools too but you might find cheaper alternatives if you dont wish to support the brand. (Parktool are worth supporting if you can spare the coin. Their tutorials are very very good compared to GCN and they will spend a lot more time explaining the ins and outs of what they are doing rather than quickly breezing through it)

A lot of things are very easy to fix and tweak. I do a lot of my own minor fixes and tweaks and save the trip down to my local mechanic for bigger jobs that i dont have the tools for.

 

[Chris S]

 

[raleighnut]

 

[HMS_Dave]

Welcome Barry.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Greetings!

I don't commute or anything and am spoiled by having reasonable paths into Glasgow (either Canal towpaths or old railway trackbeds (tarmaced)), but certainly at other times, I can feel your pain, as you need to plan the quietest routes in advance, avoid the horrible junctions, etc.*


* - I bet most of us have that one place, or a list of places that you just hate... And extra points if it is bad even in a car! 😆

 

[andyoatcakes]

Greetings!

I don't commute or anything and am spoiled by having reasonable paths into Glasgow (either Canal towpaths or old railway trackbeds (tarmaced)), but certainly at other times, I can feel your pain, as you need to plan the quietest routes in advance, avoid the horrible junctions, etc.*


* - I bet most of us have that one place, or a list of places that you just hate... And extra points if it is bad even in a car! 😆

Yes, it's a real shame that more and more places are being added to that sh*tlist! I actually have a route around an estate I take to avoid one busy road that takes abt 15 mins of ups and downs, rather than <5 mins on the road. Imagine if motorists has to do this!

 

[vickster]

Welcome.
You could perhaps try a passpixi on your top or rear bag, no need to get a camera but just the potential threat of one might encourage drivers to behave a bit better around you

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Welcome and vent away, but don’t forget the joy of cycling as well. Are there any nearby forestry commission tracks you could ride away from traffic?

 

[Campag980]

Have just joined here myself, thanks for your very interesting post which underlines how spoilt I am living in the 'cycling city' of York. It's definitely alot more cycling friendly round these parts than most urban areas, so if you still get out on your bike regularly where you are , I really do have no excuse !!! (I've joined up in the hope that, it will help encourage me to cycle more ....)

Erm, can see how it must be frustrating at times taking long detours to avoid the traffic, but if that was me - I'd be thinking "at least on the plus side I'm getting a bit more exercise " but then that's because in my case I definitely need it.....

Re: entitled persons in Land Rover Discoveries, what you perhaps need to realise is they've probably got a very important appointment that you are potentially making them late for (e.g. poodle shampoo / nail bar that sort of thing).

Daily Express ran an article last year claiming that Land Rover is the nation's most loved car brand.

Ironically I reckon they would probably ALSO have to be one of the nation's most hated car brands (definitely number one for me)