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The Cycling Chat Thread

The River Wey towpath starts at the end of my road, it is narrow and at weekends I just won't cycle on it at all, but during lockdown it has been much busier than normal, it's very narrow and you just have to wait when you come across walkers. But it seems not just some cyclists are scummers here, the horse-drawn boat rides left town last autumn after increasing numbers of walkers and cyclists refusing to get out of the way of the horse and some dickheads trying to push the horse in to the canal, no chance, it's a fucking shire horse! But what's wrong with people that something nice like a horse-drawn barge gets them upset? Horse-drawn barge business closes after 'snowflakes' accuse owner of cruelty

I don't suppose Covid helped their business either, but still. Also seems the canal its now running on has similar tossers on the path :rolleyes:
 
On shared use paths at busy times, slowest people should have priority and everybody up the ladder should wind their necks in. I've stopped taking the dog up the common as I end up getting pissed off with the tension between walkers/dogwalkers/runners/cyclists/scooters/other fucking people basically. Everybody should be going slow enough so no matter what happens in front of you, you can stop or evade the random child/dog/old person. Ringing a bell or shouting 'coming through' is rude af at busy times. Piss off with your bell, I'm having a walk here - constantly looking over my shoulder at ringing bellends is not a relax. Running wankers are even worse as they fucking spray you with their droplets as they sweat past, gasping their apologies.
 
I'm one of the cyclists who returned to it last year after a very long absence. I'd been thinking about it for a while before the pandemic but the prospect of quieter roads and more time to get out and about gave me the impetus I needed to get a bike.

I try to be respectful to all the other users of the trails I'm using and I'm in no rush to "keep up my pace at all costs". Yes, I log my rides on Strava but I'm not trying to break any records when I'm out and about. I just want to get a bit fitter and enjoy the countryside around me.

I've been fortunate not to have crossed paths with too many arseholes on bikes but there are a couple of Strava segments near me where you're more likely to come across them. There's one place leading up to the North Downs Way where there's a pinch point of two brick pillars (to stop cars driving through) and I do see the odd cyclist flat out aiming for the gap regardless of whether there's other walkers or cyclists about. I spotted a neighbour walking towards the gap recently and she had to jump out of the way of a cyclist, who was intent on getting through the gap before her just ploughed on through . He didn't warn her he was approaching or slow down at all! I don't think he even noticed she had to take evasive action to avoid being hit.
 
Sweet FA said:
On shared use paths at busy times, slowest people should have priority and everybody up the ladder should wind their necks in. I've stopped taking the dog up the common as I end up getting pissed off with the tension between walkers/dogwalkers/runners/cyclists/scooters/other fucking people basically. Everybody should be going slow enough so no matter what happens in front of you, you can stop or evade the random child/dog/old person. Ringing a bell or shouting 'coming through' is rude af at busy times. Piss off with your bell, I'm having a walk here - constantly looking over my shoulder at ringing bellends is not a relax. Running wankers are even worse as they fucking spray you with their droplets as they sweat past, gasping their apologies.
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I've never seen a jogger apologise or say thank you ever!

Oh, and when I have used my bell, it's only to warn someone I'm nearby. It's never ever intended to suggest they should get out of the way.
 
Smokeandsteam said:
This thread has been illuminating. Firstly, my wife has twice raised with me the fact that she thinks gravel bikes are cool. I'll be showing her this thread.

Second, and more seriously, in addition to the country experiences of Bahnhof Strasse and others I've noticed a significant increase of cyclist bell end behaviour in urban areas and on the West Midlands canal network in particular of late.

The paths are much busier, lockdown means its one of the few places where newbie cyclists and walkers can go outside of the urban sprawl. But, there also does appear to be a new breed of cyclist, who instead of showing some consideration and understanding of living in an area of over 2 million people all locked down and looking to get out for a bit, have decided that more aggressive riding is the answer. On Saturday we were out by Brierley Hill and had tucked in behind a (very slow) mom, dad and two kids. Clearly the one kid hadn't ridden on the canals before and was being coached/cajoled a bit by his folks. We were more than happy to dawdle behind until we could safely pass. But from behind came (a non Brum/Black Country accent) "on your left" shout as three wankers came flying past. Not only had they trashed the etiquette of overtaking on the right and by pushing us and the family to the right pushed us towards the water (and anyone who has ever fell in a canal in Birmingham will tell you why that's bad) but I could also see the young lad was rattled by the experience.

Without wishing to be too stereotypical my experience of these types of rider is that they are of a type: age, class, gear.

I've started to find that instead of relaxing during cycling (which is why I got into it in the first place) during lockdown it's starting to make me aggressive and
confrontational (which cycling was meant to prevent me becoming). As I say it is a minority, but the explosion of use of e-bikes and a emergence of a particular type of rider has definitely become more noticeable. There has always been the odd twat but these are a different and more prevalent type of twat.
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Gravel bikes are cool.

Every single Strava segment that’s on a shared use path should be deleted, they’re a fucking menace.
 
Gravel bikes are basically really well suited to the UK. Particularly longer rides on poorly maintained roads/mixed surfaces... the old style of road bike (very rigid frames with skinny tires at high pressure) does not make for a comfortable ride in those conditions. And is more vulnerable to punctures etc. We’re starting to see some degree of convergence on that front I think... alongside more specialised gravel bike variants.

I don’t particularly like these rants about ‘types’ of cyclist... it’s usually just ‘those cyclists that aren’t riding the same kind of bike as me are all twats’. Like I might complain about ebikers, Bahnhofstrasse about gravel bikers etc. The defining character of twats is that they’re twats, not really that they’re riding some specific type of bike. We had the same rants about XC riders in the early 2000s, or the uncouth DH types, couriers, roadies shouting at pedestrians etc. Doesn’t really get you anywhere except eyeing up all the other cyclists suspiciously.

It’s a fine line between being critical of poor behaviour, and turning into a Simon.
 
Love my gravel bike (Diverge FYI) and I also have a beard (un-oiled) and have been known to wear lycra or tight wool over my manly, yet bulging beer gut. My glasses are also reflective

Can anyone recommend a ped friendly bell, or warning system that will mount on drop bars that already contain a Garmin and a large Exposure front light?. (Mrs N had one like that modelled by Bahhof Streasse on her flat bar bike, Knog I think, but it fell apart)

It needs to be easy to work when riding on the hoods and to give a gentle - "excuse me, would you mind awfully..." when activated behind walkers, other riders etc etc , rather than "Out the way wanker. I'm in a hurry"

Of course when I'm commuting (remember that) - I favour the guttural "Oy" when a phone zombie steps off the kerb
 
The Knog bells do fall apart, the plastic dinger is on a spring and gets bent out of shape really easily, the one I have now is Knog but the better version, expensive at £28.

£28 on left, £7 on right, the one on the right lasts five minutes...

aaa.PNG
 
I've had both of these, they both lasted but the original - on the right - wasn't a very good bell.

I keep seeing Timber bells advertised everywhere but I don't know if they're actually good.

1618238124984.png
 
In sillier days I was toying with getting a full on Ti bike with a Rohlhoff (mainly because it would sort of had my name on the downtube)
There is always this bell at a mere €89

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Like both the loud horn and the telolet monstrosity.
but neither of them really mumble "excuse me"
 
mauvais said:
I've had both of these, they both lasted but the original - on the right - wasn't a very good bell.

I keep seeing Timber bells advertised everywhere but I don't know if they're actually good.

View attachment 262931
Click to expand...

They look like they require actually being on a trail, or at least somewhat rough surface (it's a clapper bell).
 
This is a bit of a problem with bells. Or possibly just a problem with the UK... there is no real cultural perception of a bell being something other than a substitute for shouting 'out the way, fucker'.

A nice gong sound? The tinkling of sleigh bells?
 
Cid said:
This is a bit of a problem with bells. Or possibly just a problem with the UK... there is no real cultural perception of a bell being something other than a substitute for shouting 'out the way, fucker'.

A nice gong sound? The tinkling of sleigh bells?
Click to expand...
I try the very British equivalent of clearing one's throat. As I get nearer, I change gear a couple of times, in the hope that they'll hear the noise and turn around.

I've been known to change down and up again a couple of times if I thought they didn't hear me the first time. :)
 
Wind chimes hanging from each handle bar?
Or one of those novelty door bells that plays a jaunty tune?

I slow down and find a safe spot to pass or get close enough to ask for room to pass
 
Watch this guy on the new King Alfred cycle trail. Isn't this a bit problematic ? Imagine if there were more than 1 cyclist and you're a walker. These are essentially footpaths as far as I can see.


There is no 'gravel' in South East England particularly so all this 'gravel' bike stuff is a bit of a misnomer where I live.
 
DJWrongspeed said:
Watch this guy on the new King Alfred cycle trail. Isn't this a bit problematic ? Imagine if there were more than 1 cyclist and you're a walker. These are essentially footpaths as far as I can see.


There is no 'gravel' in South East England particularly so all this 'gravel' bike stuff is a bit of a misnomer where I live.
Click to expand...


I mean... what alternative is there? Do you just restrict cycling to trail centres and roads?
 
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