How was your cycle commute?

[Biddlybee]

I saw a Cyclists Stay Awesome sign on the back of a bus today. I hadn't realised they were real signs.

sdon't think they are, someone's stuck it over the official one

I keep seeing amusing things on my commute in...

Last week was a fella on a segway

This morning was someone in a twizy... odd little things.

 

[Orang Utan]

sdon't think they are, someone's stuck it over the official one

i know they're not official. i just didn't think they were real stickers that people put up.

 

[Orang Utan]

This morning was someone in a twizy... odd little things.

A twizy? had to look it up:
http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/electric-vehicles/twizy/twizy/
How is it pronounced? Twy-zee?

 

[Biddlybee]

i know they're not official. i just didn't think they were real stickers that people put up.

ah yeh, it's nice when you see one.

A twizy? had to look it up:
http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/electric-vehicles/twizy/twizy/
How is it pronounced? Twy-zee?

Dunno, it's the first one I've seen, never heard of them either. I'd instincitvely say it like twiggy but with z's

 

[Crispy]

I might get some of these

http://iparkedinabikelane.bigcartel.com/product/i-parked-in-a-bike-lane-sticker

 

[Orang Utan]

I think there should be more.
I didn't look before pulling out.
i undertook a cyclist
i crossed a solid white line and nearly knocked a cyclist off
i pay road tax and therefore can do what i want
what else?

 

[Crispy]

I think there should be more.
I didn't look before pulling out.
i undertook a cyclist
i crossed a solid white line and nearly knocked a cyclist off

Rather trickier to apply the stickers in those cases

 

[Orang Utan]

Rather trickier to apply the stickers in those cases

true, but you can cycle real fast when you're angry

 

[BigTom]

I think there should be more.
I didn't look before pulling out.
i undertook a cyclist
i crossed a solid white line and nearly knocked a cyclist off
i pay road tax and therefore can do what i want
what else?

I pass cyclists too close

Rather trickier to apply the stickers in those cases

Some kind of sticker roll dispenser thing that must basically exist in factory processes for stickering stuff on a production line, attached to an arm on the side of your bike, which is 4.5ft long - the approximate distance shown in the highway code that should be left when passing cyclists - so that it stickers any cars that pass you closer than the required distance. My prototype idea involves a roller paint brush.

 

[Crispy]

My prototype idea involves a roller paint brush.

Or a stanley knife blade

 

[Private Storm]

A simple, catch all of "I drive like a c*nt" sticker might be simpler.

Another episode was posted of these Russian "Stop a Douchebag" superheroes earlier, but I'd like to see these guys next to every Advanced Stop Box

(I'd hope there'd be less AK47s involved though)

 

[The Boy]

Met office said rain. Met office was wrong.

Wish I'd gone out for longer, tbh.

 

[Orang Utan]

Another London cyclist killed by a tipper: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-by-lorry-in-victoria-10055594.html

 

[colacubes]

Another London cyclist killed by a tipper: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-by-lorry-in-victoria-10055594.html

It's a nightmare round there for cyclists at the moment with all those trucks. Reminds me of what it was like round London Bridge and Tooley Street when they were building the Shard.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Guy fell off in front of me this morning - lost the front on a roundabout (end of Crystal Palace parade). Clouted his face on the tarmac and split his lips to buggery. Convinced him to WFH, tbh he didn't need much convincing.

Otherwise loving half term - pretty much no traffic until I get to Camberwell = 5 mins off commute.

 

[braindancer]

Another London cyclist killed by a tipper: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-by-lorry-in-victoria-10055594.html

I had a pretty near miss this morning - I was cycling down a long straight narrow residential road near my house, a van was coming in the other direction and he swung across right in front of me doing a right hand turn into a junction on my left. I had to slam the brakes on hard and the tosser of a driver just gave me a sneering smile as I did so. He'd definitely seen me and done this on purpose just to shit me up. Absolute WANKER. . (I toyed with giving chase to give a piece of my mind - but then figured that someone who does that kind of shit is probably a bit of a nutter and nothing good would come of it - so I cycled on SEETHING).

 

[plurker]

Another London cyclist killed by a tipper: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cyclist-dies-after-being-hit-by-lorry-in-victoria-10055594.html

But
"There was a suggestion that the cyclist may have been on the phone at the time of the collision"

Let's hope not, else all the nobs will trot out all the RLJ/wrong way down streets/ride on pavements/use the phone arguments.

 

[Orang Utan]

They also seem to emphasise that the person killed was on a Boris bike, mentioning another person killed on one. Are we to infer something from this?

 

[BigTom]

They also seem to emphasise that the person killed was on a Boris bike, mentioning another person killed on one. Are we to infer something from this?

The narrative they are trying to build is one of inexperienced/untrained cyclists doing silly things, playing into the argument that cyclists should be licenced to use the roads, and also used by vehicular cycling advocates and anti-infrastructure people that if only everyone was trained then cycling with HGVs would be safe.
This is on / is being put on all Boris bike handlebars:

 

[Rebelda]

Ouch. Missed a few offs. Hope everyone's a bit less sore today.

 

[Dogsauce]

I'm on the bus because my knees are still too sore/stiff to do my commute distance on a crapper bike. Having an ambulance-chaser* round for a chat next Monday night about getting some recompense.

(*actually someone recommended by a friend who's supposed to be pretty good)

 

[Dogsauce]

From the two facebook groups I go on up here (local cycling campaign and a local club) there seems to have been a lot of accidents in the last couple of weeks. Is this just a blip, or something seasonal - changing light or more people coming out to ride again after the winter and not being as sharp, or drivers not having got used to more bikes being around again?

 

[8115]

Boris bikes are a nightmare, I nearly came a cropper a few times the one and only time I rode one and I'm quite experienced, because they're so unmanoueverable. It's like being on a Vespa more than riding a bike.

 

[plurker]

The narrative they are trying to build is one of inexperienced/untrained cyclists doing silly things, playing into the argument that cyclists should be licenced to use the roads, and also used by vehicular cycling advocates and anti-infrastructure people that if only everyone was trained then cycling with HGVs would be safe.

As someone wrote on twitter yesterday:

Is it hard to understand that when people are being crushed by lorries with blind spots, wearing visible clothing and a little hat doesn't help?

My commute was fine; though as I'm riding the hybrid lately due to rain + discbrakes - I'm finding it's not fitting me quite right, and my knees are a bit achy a the end of a ride.

 

[Crispy]

This is on / is being put on all Boris bike handlebars:

Good advice if you ask me. If this was all that TfL were doing to make cycling safer, I'd have a more cynical POV, but they are actually committing to decent segregated infrastructure.

 

[The Boy]

Had a bit of a nervous moment when turning right across oncoming traffic at a light controlled juntion while a lorry was turning left in the lane to my left side, with the associated back-end-swinging-out-ness. Car coming from ahead stopped to let me move out of the junction which I think everyone was grateful for.

Other than that, lovely day for a bike ride and everyone on their best behaviour including cyclists, dog walkers and the driver who patiently stayed behind me all the way up the hill until. It was almost too cautious tbh.

 

[steeeve]

I did the changing places thing the other week where you sit in a lorry cab and the policeman walks round to show you where you can't see him. The policeman didn't have an answer when I asked why another mirror couldn't be put above the passenger window to cover the blind spot.

 

[Dogsauce]

the driver who patiently stayed behind me all the way up the hill until. It was almost too cautious tbh.

Sometimes I just want them to get past as it can make me feel more nervous/self concious. The ones who tailgate almost right on your wheel are the worst, as it doesn't give you space to move out, I've been forced into potholes by that kind of fuckery.

 

[steeeve]

The ones who tailgate almost right on your wheel are the worst

I respond to this by slowing to a stop

 

[The Boy]

Sometimes I just want them to get past as it can make me feel more nervous/self concious. The ones who tailgate almost right on your wheel are the worst, as it doesn't give you space to move out, I've been forced into potholes by that kind of fuckery.

Agreed. Can be a but nerve wracking when you're moving at speed too. Just have to hope they're paying attention in the event you have to stop suddenly.

The driver today though was grand. Left plenty of space - three or four car lengths.