Tales from today's commute....

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skudupnorth

Cycling Skoda lover
Ouch !!! Tonight’s ride ended up with me slipping on wet leaves on the Roe Green section of the NCN55. Normally that would have been ok but I caught various bits on the pedestrian steps next to the cycle slope do shoulder, legs and elbow are now not the same as when I left work :crazy: Bike ok except for a snapped toe clip and my jacket has ventilation holes in it now !
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Twilkes

Guru
Followed a Chinese student cycling with no lights, on the wrong side of the road, with headphones in so she couldn't hear me shouting at her: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YsS4TwCxJSG5RYMU8

She got beeped at by about five oncoming cars until I managed to get in front and stop her - her reason was 'But I am turning right'......
 
Filtering along a queue of very slow-moving traffic on the left (as is normal for cyclists on this bit of road) when a driver suddenly decides to hoof her car over to the kerb without checking her wing mirror. There's a delivery van parked on the other side of the road and an approaching HGV and she was getting right over well before the HGV got to the delivery van. I managed to stop as she shut me down & managed to stay on the bike. She didn't want to talk about it although I wasn't riled or angry. Six of one & half a dozen of the other in my view.

Unfortunatley that is the risk we take when filtering. Well done for reacting quickly and keeping your cool.

Sadly true, if my work-bound commute coincides with traffic (it doesn't for the, really, 'early-turn'( & there's queuing traffic at the Ferry Lane/Aberford Road junction, I'll filter to the offside
Pulling back behind the white-line, if opposing traffic presents itself
This junction; https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.702746,-1.477712,275.87h,-5.14p,1z

Before the 'Eastern Relief Road was built, traffic sometimes backed up to the (single-track) bridge over the Aire & Calder Navigation Canal)

Coming home, if between16:00 - 18:00, it can be a similar situation on Bar Lane
This one, in the direction of the scanning car, which can be further made interesting by the ingress/egress of 'Hi-Viz yellow trucks' dashing in/out of the adjacent Pinderfields General Hospital
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.696091,-1.488774,84.01h,1.23p,1z
 

Sixmile

Guru
Location
N Ireland
First commute in a week, even at that it was only a partial commute, riding the last 7 miles. This November has seen my lowest mileage since records began (about 4 years ago for me). For the last 3 years, I've ridden to work more in each month than I've driven to work. Unfortunately I think this month is going to see that consecutive run broken. :sad:
 
After Fridays bounce I was back on the bike today. Shoulder still aches a bit but it’s a lot better considering the hit it took. Leg and elbow are nice and scabby and the bike is still perfect. Onwards and upwards as they say
What width tyres are you running? Had the odd tumble myself, but not since I switched my road bike from 25mm to a CX bike with 38mm tyres, and my ebike has luxuriously wide 2.4" (60mm) ones which are very confidence inspiring. Not sure how much of it is down to sheer luck, but considering it was the same corner I came off on twice and I haven't been down since, I'm sold on wider tyres. :okay:

GWS
 
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straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
Friday afternoon, heading home around 16.45 on an unlit cycle path.

Noticed a woman ahead with a dog on a lead, then at the last minute noticed another dog about 15m ahead of her offlead.

Turns out she was walking three dogs, one on lead and two offlead. The ones offlead were black or brown, so not easily picked out in the dark.

Sharp braking led to be nearly losing the back end on mulched leaves.

Stopped and asked if it wouldn't be a better idea to have them on leads considering its near pitch black - but was completely blanked! Didn't even turn her head.

Had to warn two cyclists coming toward me that there were dogs offlead on the path.

So irresponsible.
 
Friday afternoon, heading home around 16.45 on an unlit cycle path.

Noticed a woman ahead with a dog on a lead, then at the last minute noticed another dog about 15m ahead of her offlead.

Turns out she was walking three dogs, one on lead and two offlead. The ones offlead were black or brown, so not easily picked out in the dark.....

So irresponsible.
You may not have gotten a response, as it's quite possible you came off a little swivel-eyed and intimdating to a female walking after dark! Walkers are perfectly entitled to have their dogs off-lead, day or night, providing they are not deemed dangerously out of control, crossing your path does not qualify as danegrously out of control. Last I checked, there were no laws about dogs having to be on leads or to have lights on after dusk for the benefit of cyclists who want to travel quickly on shared paths. If anything, you as the mounted rider were quite possibly in the wrong if you were unable to spot the animals with your own front light as you approach at speed. Surely if you were travelling slowly, this would have been a non-event. Of course, context is everything, I'm not saying she was not at all in the wrong. I wasn't there.

Yet, nearly losing control on wet leaves is not the walker or dogs fault, it is actually indicative of failure to adjust your pace to the conditions, i.e. dark environment with possibility of slippery surfaces and unexpected interruptions! Always expect the unexpected, if there are loose leaves, slow right down. I travel on a unlit NCN path after dark and always assume the possibility of off lead dogs every time I see another human. Even leashed dogs or humans could get spooked and jump into your path so care is always warranted when passing anyone.

If it means everyone is a bit safer, it doesn't matter too much about slightly slower progress. Shared paths should be shared after all, and that means respecting everyone's rights and being courteous. Proceed with care and respect. You don't have a divine right to travel at speed uninterrupted, nor do dogs have to be leashed at all times, unless there is a specific bylaw in place, but that's quite unlikely, given that you are also permitted to cycle there. From the perspective of a dog walker, who knows dogs just don't enjoy walking on leash as much as being free, they simply don't get the same stimulation from leashed walks, it's important that they are permitted off lead by owners, and whilst as an owner, I put the welfare of my dog before being free to roam, I also expect cyclists to proceed with caution, so it's not unreasonable to leave dogs off leash on shared paths (I trust my dog not to get freaked out). I would implore that you think a little more careful about how you interact with others on shared paths.
 
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straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
I don't actually think off lead dogs are any more appropriate on a shared path than beside a road, dogs don't have the ability to comprehend the shared use aspects of the path.

If you can walk your dog off lead to heel then that's acceptable, but wandering or running on and across a shared path isn't exactly mindful of other users....

Dogs should be walked off lead, in the park.

Wet leaves can cause loss of traction at pretty minor speeds aswell.
 
I simply can't see what went wrong here, other than you getting mad at having to slow down and losing traction as a result, as though you are entitled not to have to worry about others needs, and only your own?

Dogs should be walked off lead, in the park.

Again, there are no laws about when and how dogs should be walked. Perhaps you should lobby your MP and councillors requesting that unleashed dogs should be banned from shared pavements, see how far that gets you. If you are being reasonable, then I'm sure you will receive wholehearted support from your community.

Wet leaves can cause loss of traction at pretty minor speeds aswell.
At low speeds, your risk of harm is essentially nil.
 
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Heltor Chasca

Out-riding the Black Dog
Struggling to work out the human mind.

Why is it when you pull someone up for doing something illegal do you get a profoundly over the top reaction? I wagged my finger at a driver who drove through a red pedestrian light. She completely lost her rag. So instead of wagging my finger, I pointed to my dash cam. Queue volcanic eruption.

You did something that could kill. I wagged my finger. Why the reaction? What’s the matter with you?
 
Ego!
Struggling to work out the human mind.

Why is it when you pull someone up for doing something illegal do you get a profoundly over the top reaction? I wagged my finger at a driver who drove through a red pedestrian light. She completely lost her rag. So instead of wagging my finger, I pointed to my dash cam. Queue volcanic eruption.

You did something that could kill. I wagged my finger. Why the reaction? What’s the matter with you?
You might enjoy:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/...ment/201812/the-function-anger-and-resentment
 
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