Should I have a word with my mate?

[trustysteed]

Tell him you almost ran into him because you couldn't see him and tell him it was lucky you weren't a car.

 

[Fran143]

Leave him to it I'd say , survival of the fittest and all that , it's his call , when he gets done for riding pavements or knocks a ped down then he might change

+ 1

I drove behind a fella recently just after the darker nights set in dressed in black with no lights, when I indicated to him to pull in to say I couldn't see him after taking his Ipod out he told me "doesn't matter I cycle this way all the time"

 

[snailracer]

Tell him that riding on pavements probably isn't much safer than riding on the road - cars are more likely to hit him crossing the side roads, which he will have to do if riding on pavements. Which is why pedestrians are just as much at risk as cyclists, per mile.

Also, in collisions between cyclists and pedestrians, the cyclist is much more likely to come off worse.

 

[potsy]

he goes flying along the pavements, not illuminating - and I do often question his control over the bike, seen him a few times riding for extended periods of time with one hand off the bars fiddling with phones/ciggies etc, all this stuff makes me think he's gonna be getting himself/someone else injured.

In my experience these type of riders are the ones who are immune to 'incidents' it's the ones with all the lights and safety gear that get caught up in things

Some people are too stupid to bother trying to convince, I worked with a guy that had lights but only turned them on as he approached RAB's or major junctions, the rest of the time he kept them off, I did try to convince him it would be a good idea to leave them on but he just laughted as if I was crazy

 

[MacB]

If he's a mate then mention, in a friendly way, about lights and pavement riding, take the mickey a bit, that sort of thing.

As for the helmet thing, mind your own business

 

[Xiorell]

Bit cheeky, what does one have to do to be considered a "cyclist"?

I think what I mean is that it comes across a bit like he rides the bike due to not having the funds for a motorbike or a car, rather than having found a genuine interest in cycling. It's not a case of him not doing certain things or me developing an elitist streak, just he comes across a bit like "Riding the bike is alright but if I could get a car I'd ditch it tomorrow"

 

[mickle]

+ 1

I drove behind a fella recently just after the darker nights set in dressed in black with no lights, when I indicated to him to pull in to say I couldn't see him after taking his Ipod out he told me "doesn't matter I cycle this way all the time"

Um. How were you able to establish his existence if you 'couldn't see him'?

 

[Moodyman]

Whilst you're at it, tell him to get a 'proper' bike so he can be classed as a 'proper' cyclist.

 

[fimm]

I think I wouldn't mention the h*lm*t thing again - as you've said, it is personal choice. I would have a word about the lights and pavement riding - I've been remarking to a woman in the tri club for ages that her front light is useless and last night she turned up with a nice bright thing that she got for £10, result! And also yesterday I remarked to a guy while we were stopped at a red light that his back light was a bit dim - and he promptly walked the bike onto the pavement to have a look at it! (I have a nasty suspicion that it was just the batteries and no amout of faffing was going to help, but I'm afraid when the lights changed I just left...) So not everyone reacts in a hostile fashion to that sort of comment.

 

[Xiorell]

Whilst you're at it, tell him to get a 'proper' bike so he can be classed as a 'proper' cyclist.

I'll demand he gets full on lyrca gear too

 

[snorri]

Should I call him out on this crap or just leave him to it?

it depends on your relationship with the guy. If you can drop some gentle advice regarding his safety into general conversation that might be OK, but if you were to approach him and advise him of the illegality of his actions that would probably do more harm than good.

 

[CopperCyclist]

Quick, edit out the bit about the helmet before this thread turns into...

Too late.

 

[goo_mason]

Buy him a pair of stabilisers as an early Christmas present. Tell him that since he's riding on pavements like a wee kid, you think he needs to put them back on...

 

[Manonabike]

I'm not sure if it's worth it or if it's my place or what, I don't wanna come across as a moaning old git BUT

A mate of mine started riding about on a MTB , a bit after I took up cycling. I dunno if I'd call him a "cyclist" as such, I mean he does commute and I've seen him ride to town and stuff but he just doesn't seem as "into it" as, most of us for example, are. Anyway that's not the point. The point is this.

He works on the same estate as I do, a few building along, and lives about half way between my house and our work place, so I see him riding in. There's a few things I think he's not doing. The first one is a matter of choice - not waring a helmet. Not compulsary I know but I meantioned how I fully believe waring a lid saved me from more serious injury when I got knocked off, and he totally ignored it. Matter of choice but still... Not even interested when I was telling him about it.
The other couple of things actually piss me right off
He's ALWAYS riding on the pavement. He can't even say the roads are always to busy, I've sailed passed him several times the roads are near 100% free, he rides around the town center (actually a pedestrian area) too.
The other one
HE'S A NINJA! For example, I finished at 8pm today and saw him out the front of his place of work just setting off. No lights at all. His bike is black and dark red and he's in dark clothes, not a single bulb, LED or anything to be seen.

Should I call him out on this crap or just leave him to it?

Reading your post.... I think you are more likely to come across as a dick head

 

[nilling]

I went to see the comedian Sarah Millican recently and she had a whole routine on whether you were a bumper car (risk taker) or a dodgem (a worrier). You friend is a bumper car!