So, what should I have done?

[hackbike 666]

I had a challenge against one of my workmates in a sort of tortoise and hare scenario,me being the hare.I gave my workmate a 5 minute (at least) start from Waterloo to Stratford (on Monday).I huffed and puffed and found that the most strenuous ride I have done for ages.I glimpsed a cyclist in a yellowish coat thingy at Mile End and thinking I had caught my work colleague I pushed for the kill so to speak.I eventually caught the cyclist up very near the Bow Flyover after glimpsing cyclist for the third time and realised it wasn't my workmate but a female with a so called light on her helmet (ooer)...If that had been my workmate I would have had a go at him for not having adequate lights but it wasn't so I didn't.When I got to Stratford he was waiting there and said he hadn't been there more than 2 minutes.Christ I am slow.I was impressed with his lights...well the Smart half a watt light and have ordered two off of ebay.Really bright.What struck me though after was that even though the girl had no reflectives and a very poor rear light I could see her yellow jacket from quite a way off.It really does put half of the crap I read on here as poorly researched bullshit. (as opposed the the cyclist wearing all black with whom I nearly collided with when he rode off of the pavement in front off me when I was riding down to Leyton from Whipps Cross.)

Anyway I lost the race which in a way am not surprised but I didn't give up and when I got home my legs were killing me.I gobbed in the sink and was horrified when there were black streaks a bit like tar? in the phlegm.I looked it up on the internet and most of the answers were all based on smokers.As I gave up smoking over 9 years ago I doubt it was this.I think it was dried blood from my chest infection in December which had me coughing so much my stomach hurt.I have been restricted quite badly in the last two months and a lot of commutes have taken about 5 minutes longer.Todays commute was one of the best commutes I have done in a long time.Perhaps I have turned a corner after the infection and I am not all washed up.

Oh and I didn't tell the girl about her light,im fed up being nice to people and having it thrown back in my face.

I think I will need to do a 100 mile ride sometime this year.

 

[DJ]

I had a challenge against one of my workmates in a sort of tortoise and hair scenario,me being the hare.I gave my workmate a 5 minute (at least) start from Waterloo to Stratford (on Monday).I huffed and puffed and found that the most strenuous ride I have done for ages.I glimpsed a cyclist in a yellowish coat thingy at Mile End and thinking I had caught my work colleague I pushed for the kill so to speak.I eventually caught the cyclist up very near the Bow Flyover after glimpsing cyclist for the third time and realised it wasn't my workmate but a female with a so called light on her helmet (ooer)...If that had been my workmate I would have had a go at him for not having adequate lights but it wasn't so I didn't.When I got to Stratford he was waiting there and said he hadn't been there more than 2 minutes.Christ I am slow.I was impressed with his lights...well the Smart half a watt light and have ordered two off of ebay.Really bright.What struck me though after was that even though the girl had no reflectives and a very poor rear light I could see her yellow jacket from quite a way off.It really does put half of the crap I read on here as poorly researched bullshit. (as opposed the the cyclist wearing all black with whom I nearly collided with when he rode off of the pavement in front off me when I was riding down to Leyton from Whipps Cross.)

Anyway I lost the race which in a way am not surprised but I didn't give up and when I got home my legs were killing me.I gobbed in the sink and was horrified when there were black streaks a bit like tar? in the phlegm.I looked it up on the internet and most of the answers were all based on smokers.As I gave up smoking over 9 years ago I doubt it was this.I think it was dried blood from my chest infection in December which had me coughing so much my stomach hurt.I have been restricted quite badly in the last two months and a lot of commutes have taken about 5 minutes longer.Todays commute was one of the best commutes I have done in a long time.Perhaps I have turned a corner after the infection and I am not all washed up.

Oh and I didn't tell the girl about her light,im fed up being nice to people and having it thrown back in my face.

I think I will need to do a 100 mile ride sometime this year.

To round up hackbikes lovely essay, Ninja black= no good
reflective jacket= better
lights= better still
reflective jacket and lights= the best and (imho the only) option.

 

[hackbike 666]

Decent light and I have no problem as my workmate showed an absolutely blinding back light (pardon the accidental pun)
I would have been happy if that prat I almost crashed into at least had a light then I would have had more time.Peds are a prob at night as well.I have seen some coats with at least reflective strips even if it's not hi-viz.

Apologies to the board,I went off on one again.I wont try and persuade you to wear hi-viz so please try not to dissuade me to not wear hi-Viz (IT'S A WASTE OF TIME ON BOTH COUNTS )..Cheers.

Oh and BTW get some decent lights you ninja's (preferably more than one) .


Oh and dj,don't feel guilty,there are plenty of peoples riding around with no light's on the only time I worry is when I nearly crash into them.(Which isn't often.(touchwood))

 

[swee'pea99]

'What should I have done?' Nothing. 'Guilty'? For what, FFS? Are you responsible for every idiot on the road? Let it be, say 'oooom'. Ride on...

 

[hackbike 666]

[quote name='swee'pea99']'What should I have done?' Nothing. 'Guilty'? For what, FFS? Are you responsible for every idiot on the road? Let it be, say 'oooom'. Ride on...[/quote]

Yes esp in this country I despair but half the time whenever you say anything to people you get a mouthful of abuse.The respect has gone between people here.Waterloo station can be a prime example here,try walking a bike across the concourse...It can be a real pain and no-one will stop for you.SO generally im weaving out and out of 100's of people.

Nice to see I can go to other places in the world where they don't resort to this crap.Motorists can be a prime example with some of the videos I watch on here and with some of the titheads I encountered on Monday Night.In the old days people didn't need to be wrapped up in cotton wool but it seems like it these days.

Agree with what you are saying sweetpea.

 

[HF2300]

I honestly don't think it's ignorance that makes people not use lights...
Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge, and I think it is acceptable to assume that people know that lights light you up in the dark. I mean, how many people have you met that say 'Oh, really?' when you say you can't see them in the dark cos they've got no lights?

I don't know, I think it is ignorance, but in a different way. I think a lot of people think of lights as to see with rather than to be seen, despite all the safety campaigns. Often when cycling (or walking) in twilight or even at night you can see fairly well, and I also think a lot just don't realise how difficult they are to see and how much of a difference travelling at 25 or 30 mph rather than 2 or 12 mph makes; they think they can be seen as well as they can see, which isn't always the case.

 

[hackbike 666]

Actually my lights are useless to see by so mainly their purpose is to be seen.

 

[Arch]

There was a time I might have said something, but I feel like it less and less.

There's a chap I've seen twice in the last week or so, since I've been crossing town at the same time, with no brakes. He stops by skidding a foot along the floor. There is no brake on the front at all (it's a front sus only BSO) and a disc on the back, but I'm not sure it's connected or working. I watched him stop one time and he didn't seem to touch the lever. He's not a yoof in a hoodie, he looks like he's on his way to work or maybe college. First time, I thought about saying something, but chickened out. I'm not sure how well a bloke would take advice like "Get your brakes fixed" from a girl, for a start...

He's worse than no lights, really, as if he doesn't stop he might hit a pedestrian, whereas non lit cyclists are probably only risking their own necks,

Maybe I will say something if I see him again, depends how brave I feel. If I've seen him more than once, he presumably doesnt care much and I don't want a load of abuse.

 

[Maizie]

I've got two cyclists on my route who I've been tempted to give advice to, but don't want to be an interfering wossname.

Cyclist 1 is a gutter hugger. I have overtaken him a few times. Most recently, it was at part of the journey where the road goes two-lane for a small bit (half a mile?) leading up to a roundabout, with a 'central reservation'. I want to go right at this roundabout, so I get in the right-hand lane, but I keep myself in the middle of it so I'm as obvious as possible to the cars coming up behind me.
Cyclist 1 also wants to go right, but actually what he does is hop up on to the traffic island at the roundabout give-way, and then crosses over the road and picks up a cyclepath, rather than go round the roundabout and stay on road. But what Cyclist 1 does, when getting in to the right-hand lane, is to go from gutter hugging on the left to gutter hugging on the right. The central reservation bit has railings, and I just think that he should perhaps be a bit further out so he doesn't blend in so well with the railings, given that no diver is going to expect to see a cyclist on the right-hand edge of the right-hand lane.

Cyclist2 has twice gone up the left-hand side of long/large vehicles. Once was at a roundabout, I was behind and to the left of the lorry, and Cyclist 2 overtook me before cutting back in and going up the left side of the lorry. All three of us were going straight on, so no harm done, but just because the lorry wasn't indicating didn't mean I was going to assume it wasn't going left.
Another time, there was a lorry reversing out of an entrance up ahead, with a bus behind it, and a roundabout shortly further on. There was a queue of cars waiting. I decided to take a station, he decided to carry on up the queue, but when it all started moving again he was on the left of the bus, just as they reached the roundabout. Again, all three of us were going straight on.

Actually, I don't wish Cyclist 2 any harm, but I don't mind if he keeps doing this; it means I get to overtake him twice on a single journey (and these two cyclists are the only other cyclists I've ever overtaken...)

They are probably on a different forum somewhere, bemoaning the arrogant bolshy cyclist who overtakes them down the middle of the road or something

 

[thomas]

When I was walking into town with a mate just before new year there was a man on a bike, couldn't see him. All the cars that went past flashed at him but he didn't realise. It really annoyed me so I yelled "you're invisible, you need lights". He replied "No I don't. I'm only a bike". This really wound me up and I told him one day he'd get run over and killed - Having seen a cyclist lying on the road, minutes after a crash, with the bike in the car radiator it's not nice. Especially when the road that happened was a 60mph zone.

My mate was really embarrassed; telling the man on a bike to get lights didn't do any good though.

Coming in and out of UNI at night there are tonnes of cyclists without lights - scares me. I ignore them, but do feel guilty. When speaking to a local policeman he did say they were clamping down on it, but I think it's time for them to stand at exits again.

 

[J4CKO]

You rich cyclists forget, us Ninja's cant afford the £1000 plus required for some basis LED flashers, its not tlike they are two quid each from Tesco's or anything.

 

[Arch]

You rich cyclists forget, us Ninja's cant afford the £1000 plus required for some basis LED flashers, its not tlike they are two quid each from Tesco's or anything.

Or even a pound for a set of front and rear, from the pound shop....

 

[DJ]

You rich cyclists forget, us Ninja's cant afford the £1000 plus required for some basis LED flashers, its not tlike they are two quid each from Tesco's or anything.

actualy you can get little LED flashers for £4.00 in Tescos, even they will help there are some larger ones in there too, better than nowt!

Give up a couple of pints of beer this week and spend the money on that instead!

 

[fossyant]

actualy you can get little LED flashers for £4.00 in Tescos, even they will help there are some larger ones in there too, better than nowt!

Give up a couple of pints of beer this week and spend the money on that instead!

It was a JOKE......posted by J4CKO

 

[MajorMantra]

actualy you can get little LED flashers for £4.00 in Tescos, even they will help there are some larger ones in there too, better than nowt!

Give up a couple of pints of beer this week and spend the money on that instead!

Sarcasm detection fail.

If I were a burly 6 foot sixer I'd happily admonish every ninja numpty but unfortunately I'm not. Like many here I'm too timid/frightened of being knifed by neds to speak up on most occasions.

I think ignorance plays a part actually. It's common sense that more lights = more visibility but people don't realise just how invisible they can be. Also, they may think that since as pedestrians they don't carry lights, why should they on a bike. Stupid maybe, but there you go.

Matthew