Numpty season again

[Hacienda71]

I am lucky to see another cyclist on my commute. When I do we wave and say high as we pass eachother. I would love to see more.

 

[GrasB]

As experienced cyclists show them the light by riding at a good distance from the kerb, filter properly & keep out of the door zone among other things.

Me scared of you!

HP is just a pussy cat... you don't want to know how long it takes me to rack up 80 miles.

 

[Gary E]

More bikes the better as far as i'm concerned, we all have to start somewhere, instead of just watching these novices hug the gutter and putting themselves and others at risk, why don't you give them the benefit of your experience and point out the dangers of "curb hugging".
Then they may just stick to cycling, and not give up due to near misses.

More cyclist on the road can only be a good thing, lets encourage them not ridicule them.

I was going to add my thoughts on this thread but Graham1426 said it all.

Taking primary can seem very scary to a beginner and they're often intimidated to the point where they feel they have no choice but to ride in the gutter. A few encouraging comments from an experienced rider will go a long way towards helping them to see the other side of the argument and ride safer.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

HP is just a pussy cat... you don't want to know how long it takes me to rack up 80 miles.

I'm not scared of his milage, I'm scared of his lycra

 

[GrasB]

I'm not scared of his milage, I'm scared of his lycra

Is this a bad mental image thing? If so I many not be able compete with that being a block of muscle. I do have lots of lycra though.

 

[Ashtrayhead]

Went for a 10 miler last night as was feeling good, had a bad incident with a driver kind of my fault should have took primary earlier,learned my lesson.Amazing all the other drivers waiting paitently behind me and overtaking in the other lane I gave an appreciative wave. I had 4 lights on my bike plus reflectors on and hi-vis aswell(Poor lighting on some of the roads) I seen a cyclist wearing all black,not a light or reflector,no hi-vis and was cycling along talking on his phone he didnt seem impressed when I roared "Your having a laugh mate!!!!!!" Some cyclist give us a bad name!!!!

It's amazing how many get seen!

 

[Aiden_23]

It's amazing how many get seen!

I was moving along at about 15mph on a 40mph road and I didnt notice him until he was practicaly in my face so a car traveling at the upper end of the speed limit..........Must I go on?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Is this a bad mental image thing? If so I many not be able compete with that being a block of muscle. I do have lots of lycra though.

Noooooo, poor HP, wouldn't know him from Adam, of course, but I'm sure his lycra flatters him in the right places

Just I feel like a badie about to be landed upon by Batman when a lycra cladded beast creaps behind me while I'm plodding along at a steady pace of 5 mph (in the cycling path/park - on the left side!) minding my own gears, not bothering anybody but my front suspension.
You are a block of mussels wrapped in lycra? Now I have a mental image of something .... lumpy???

 

[Sittingduck]

A little bit of sunshine and they're back on the roads. I noticed that the volume of cyclists had gone right up this morning. Got stuck behind a couple of rusty chain wobblers on the commute in, but more noticeably at two different ASL junctions, I was cut up by women cyclists who had stopped on the left of the box, then wobbled off to turn right as soon as the lights changed.

The "keep left in the gutter, no matter what" mentality in full flow. And they wonder why they end up under HGVs.

The police were doing their HGV/bus nearside blind spot show at Clapham Common, so they obviously think the audience is right.

Roll on Winter.

I saw them by the Windmill pub this morning and this afternoon virtually opposite I witnessed a guy get taken out by a Merc, turning right, across the CS7. I was about 15 yards behind the cyclist and could see it coming...

We were moving at perhaps 17-18mph and the traffic was heavy, stationary at one point. Car stopped to let the Merc turn right (he was coming from Clapham South towards C Common tube) and the cyclist got nuked. Went straight over the bonnet but bounced right back up . Amazingly no damage to him or the bike, except the chain had come off.

I saw a shed load of RLJers this morning too! In happier news, I wore shorts

 

[Hip Priest]

Noooooo, poor HP, wouldn't know him from Adam, of course, but I'm sure his lycra flatters him in the right places

Just I feel like a badie about to be landed upon by Batman when a lycra cladded beast creaps behind me while I'm plodding along at a steady pace of 5 mph (in the cycling path/park - on the left side!) minding my own gears, not bothering anybody but my front suspension.
You are a block of mussels wrapped in lycra? Now I have a mental image of something .... lumpy???

Fear not, I am not really a beast. Nor am I scary in lyrca, just a bit unsightly.

 

[HovR]

I've definitely noticed an increase in cyclists with the better weather we've been having recently. It was good to find out that I could keep up with a roadie who has emerged fresh from hibernation whilst riding my winter MTB.

I haven't noticed anyone riding particularly dangerously (asides from the fact that people around here don't seem to feel the need for lights), so as others have said, the more cyclists the better!

 

[DCLane]

I was one of these tentative newcomers last spring, nodding along on my Apollo. Now I'm a lycra clad, clipless BEAST who chews up at least 80 miles per week and spits them straight back out. Or something. The more the merrier, I say. Critical mass!

Like Hip Priest I started commuting last May, with baggy overshorts and rotund middle.

100+ commutes later I'm fully lycra-d up doing a minimum of 4 20+ mile commutes a week

There's been a LOT of new starters recently and I'm happy to encourage them, since I was in their position last year.

 

[Part time cyclist]

IMO other cyclist are not necessarily the big problems on the roads it's the moronic idiot motorists ( not all motorists I hasten to add) bearing in mind i an wearing a flourecent orange shirt yesterday on a ride I turned right at a mini roundabout and the motorist opposite pulled out of his turning in front of me, then had the cheek to moan at me then today going along a dual carriage way at about 25 mph a bloody articulated lorry driver pulled out of a layby as I was passing it nearly taking me off my bike, good job nothing was coming down the carriageway as I swerved to miss him. When I passed him and threw my arms up in disgust he just looked at me bemused, like he didn't know what he just did..... Motorist should all have to pass a test on cycles before being let loose in a car. At least they may be more bike aware......

 

[Hip Priest]

Bad day eh? I'm the same. I usually go for weeks without incident, then have a several in a single commute, as I did today! Including getting cup up by a cabbie and getting revved at aggressively by some bloke in a van for no earthly reason. Cockwombles.

 

[Crackedheadset]

Yep the more cyclists the better.

However, I would expect a certain level of cycling ability and even if this is in short supply then at least try and be aware, make regular checks and be defensive.

I was cycling behind someone this morning going up a hill that is comprimised of two narrow lanes. Yeah they were over to the left - way more then they should be imo. But they checked behind them every couple of seconds to see what the traffic behind them was doing, and rode accordingly.

And then there are the other cyclists who show confidence yet will pull out around a stopped bus without even a shoulder check. Some people think they are immortal on a bike and other road users will look out for them because they are ''vulnerable'' road users.

Yes this is true, people should look out for you, but you should also look out for those who don't look out for you. The amount of people that fail to understand this simple concept is mind boggling.