Cycling Article, Help with your opinion thanks!!

girlbiker

Hi everyone,

]Tried to get some answers organically by not mentioning I'm writing an article on cycling but since I need some specifics, I need some input if any of you witty interesting experts are interested? (Flattery getting me anywhere?)

Biggest Potholes in Dublin City Centre??

I'm thinking Summerhill if anyone has every cycled there, including some random placed cobblestones that are lethal in the rain.

Best Shortcuts to take in City Centre (yes including mowing down pedestrians on Grafton Street

Worst Longcuts? (Anywhere where you have to 'get off and walk' -which is DCCs excuse for no contra flow cycle lanes- or take your life cycling towards traffic)

And finally, cycling etiquette, I know I become more aggressive on a bike cycling abusing pedestrians who get annoyed that I'm in a cycle lane that they're walking in and have kicked a car or two in my time but normally I adhere to the rules.

Do you wear headphones?
I do but only low volume and in one ear so I can hear people screaming at me to stop or sirens or whatever happens.....

Finally ...and the best for last....are we as cyclists morally superior to everyone else on the road, me, I think YES :rolleyes



Anyway, if you have a min share some experiences with me, Thanks a mill

blorg

On the pedestrians in bike lanes thing, I am of the view that merely painting lines of a footpath does not magically transform it; if using one I expect peds to be in it and pass them carefully (I will sometimes yell "excuse me" if there is a blockage, they always move and I make sure to thank them.) If it is a high-volume pedestrian area or the lane is shíte I will just use the road.

You mellow a bit I think after you have been cycling a while; cycle defensively as if everyone is trying to kill you and try not to get your back up too much and it is all a lot more fun IMHO. I let cars out sometimes, cars let me out, I always wave to thank them. I seem to get into far less altercations when taking a common-sense share-the-road attitude than rigidly following the letter of the law and asserting my "rights" as a cyclist.

Of course there are still wanker motorists who are irredeemable but they are the minority in my view.

Gavin

girlbiker wrote: »

Finally ...and the best for last....are we as cyclists morally superior to everyone else on the road, me, I think YES :rolleyes

Leading phrases from potential journos to make cyclists look bad. Nice.

TinyExplosions

Verb wrote: »

Leading phrases from potential journos to make cyclists look bad. Nice.

Maybe it's El_Tonto in disguise

girlbiker

Verb wrote: »

Leading phrases from potential journos to make cyclists look bad. Nice.

Hey I'm sincere, and a cyclist to boot, I commute everyday in the city centre. The article will be pro cyclist all the way.

Chips Lovell

For what it's worth....

girlbiker wrote: »

Biggest Potholes in Dublin City Centre??

Off the top of my head, there's a nice deep one caused by a recessed drain at the bottom of Wexford Street, right in the middle of the cycle lane. Sallymount Ave in Ranelgah is a state. Some massive ones along the coast road between Sutton and Clontarf.

girlbiker wrote: »

Best Shortcuts to take in City Centre (yes including mowing down pedestrians on Grafton Street

Best shortcuts are to take routes that aren't necessarily the shortest, but where the traffic moves fastest and there's a minimum of buses. I'd never ride my bike up Grafton St. Doubt many on here would. Just because you're on a bike doesn't mean you're immune from the rules of the road.

girlbiker wrote: »

Worst Longcuts? (Anywhere where you have to 'get off and walk' -which is DCCs excuse for no contra flow cycle lanes- or take your life cycling towards traffic)

I'd just never take a route that involved getting off the bike.

girlbiker wrote: »

And finally, cycling etiquette, I know I become more aggressive on a bike cycling abusing pedestrians who get annoyed that I'm in a cycle lane that they're walking in and have kicked a car or two in my time but normally I adhere to the rules.

I'd shout warnings if needs be. My usual tactic with aggresive motorists is a withering stare and a shake of the head.

girlbiker wrote: »

Do you wear headphones?

No, prefer to hear what's going on around me.

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Maybe it's El_Tonto in disguise

Nope, not me. I've exhasuted my quota of two cycling articles per year already.

Macha

Biggest Potholes in Dublin City Centre??
Merrion Rd, between Jurys and the Schoolhouse pub-awful
Mespil Rd
Pearse St (Outside Pearse St Garda Station)
Baggot St (Lwr)
Ely Place
Sir John Rogersons Quay

Best Shortcuts to take in City Centre
When I'm heading towards TCD on Dame St, I always skip across at the lights at College Green so I can head down by Molly Malone & Nassau St.

Worst Longcuts?
I never cycle against traffic but around Tara St & Custom House, all the 1-ways are a pain.

cycling etiquette
I don't stop for pedestrians who can't be arsed to look but always stop at pedestrian lights and use hands to indicate direction.
I will kick or punch a car that puts my life in danger but I've found the best way to annoy selfish motorists is to shake my head and tut-tut at them with my hand gestures. Always gets them beeping their horn in frustration-and I know I've gotten to them..heh heh..
I will report (and have done in the past) the registration of any company vehicle that puts my life in danger

Do you wear headphones?
Yes, on low. Have had a few motorists hypocritically tell me to take them off-as if no motorist has ever listened to a CD or the radio :rolleyes:

Finally ...and the best for last....are we as cyclists morally superior to everyone else on the road
No. I hate this we/them attitude. I own a car as well.

'68 Fastback

In terms of cycling etiquette, I reckon, any time you see the manager of a boyband on a bike you are obliged to push him under a bus.:D

Sorry couldn't resist.

I think alot of cyclists, me included, spend alot of time on their bikes speeding about on the back roads of wicklow, then expect to get away with the same behaviour on the city streets. This leads to alot of near misses and bad feeling on the roads IMO.

TinyExplosions

girlbiker wrote: »

Biggest Potholes in Dublin City Centre??

There used to be a massive one on Dame St, but it's been filled in recently... also, there's one in Phibsboro that was filled, but is opening up again. Both lethal!

girlbiker wrote: »

Best Shortcuts to take in City Centre (yes including mowing down pedestrians on Grafton Street

Entirely depends on where you're going. I wouldn't cycle down Grafton St, simple because there's quicker ways to traverse that side of town (like using Dawson St!)

girlbiker wrote: »

Worst Longcuts? (Anywhere where you have to 'get off and walk' -which is DCCs excuse for no contra flow cycle lanes- or take your life cycling towards traffic)

Like El_Tonto, I wouldn't use a route that meant I had to get off. Worst spot in the city IMO is the famous 'bike lane to nowhere' on Stephen's Green (discussed here a few days ago)

girlbiker wrote: »

And finally, cycling etiquette, I know I become more aggressive on a bike cycling abusing pedestrians who get annoyed that I'm in a cycle lane that they're walking in and have kicked a car or two in my time but normally I adhere to the rules.

You're smaller and more fragile than cars and other traffic, so I always would be careful. However, there are idiots everywhere, and brandishing my Kryptonite Mini lock never fails to get an apologetic glance if someone's been particularly stupid (it's why I keep it in my back pocket... thankfully I've never had to launch it through someone's window, but I've come close!)

girlbiker wrote: »

Do you wear headphones?

Sometimes

girlbiker wrote: »

Finally ...and the best for last....are we as cyclists morally superior to everyone else on the road, me, I think YES :rolleyes

Cyclists aren't, but I am

blorg

taconnol wrote: »

I own a car as well.

Burn her! :eek:

TinyExplosions

taconnol wrote: »

I will kick or punch a car that puts my life in danger but I've found the best way to annoy selfish motorists is to shake my head and tut-tut at them with my hand gestures. Always gets them beeping their horn in frustration-and I know I've gotten to them..heh heh..
I will report (and have done in the past) the registration of any company vehicle that puts my life in danger

I find a cheery wave to any motorist that beeps at you for using the road infuriates them no end... also, blowing a kiss works great too (particularly to male drivers!)

Caroline_ie

I am not sure if writing an article will make any diference at all. As Verb says, that's another excuse for motorists to hate us. I read cycling blogs, Magazines, websites and all type of cyclists specific stuff. We will read it and nod ' yeah, that's right'.

As cyclists, we all know know how crappy cycling in the city centre is, and outlining it to others will not make a diference, we are a minority. I get on with things the way they are, b*tch to other cyclists, b*itch on the forum and so on. I cycled in France, Spain, Canada, Holland and Ireland, I never fell in town in Ireland, but did in France, because the road was wet from early morning cleaning

When a car, a truck, a bus, or a pedestrian almost hits me, I usually show them my middle finger and smile while saying '*anker'. I usually try to remain as 'courteous' as I can ... ( or maybe I'm just too chicken ). I carry a big lock and wear a helmet and lots of lights ...

IMO - I don't think yet another article will make a diference.

girlbiker

'68 wrote:

In terms of cycling etiquette, I reckon, any time you see the manager of a boyband on a bike you are obliged to push him under a bus.:D

Sorry couldn't resist.

I think alot of cyclists, me included, spend alot of time on their bikes speeding about on the back roads of wicklow, then expect to get away with the same behaviour on the city streets. This leads to alot of near misses and bad feeling on the roads IMO.

Haha I'm getting some stick for that one, regret now not howling obsentities and throwing him " flying without wings" over the handlebars! Aw well live and learn!:)

Me, i'm just a commuter cyclists mainly because I can sleep in alot later than if I had to get the bus which takes an hour and I can leave my house and be in work in twenty minutes cycling. I'm not a die hard cyclist but I dont think cars discriminate!

'68 Fastback

TinyExplosions wrote: »

blowing a kiss works great too (particularly to male drivers!)

Always on the lookout for Mr.Right Tiny:D

TinyExplosions

'68 wrote:

Always on the lookout for Mr.Right Tiny:D

That's me.... it's not easy being single these days!

Macha

blorg wrote: »

Burn her! :eek:

I've said too much..

petethedrummer

Biggest Potholes in Dublin City Centre??
On the Conyngham Rd heading into town across from the entrance to Bridgewater Quay is a rather large pothole. well its more of a drain hole that hasn't been raised with roadworks that have been carried out over the years.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.348271,-6.307418&spn=0.00661,0.019312&z=16

Long Cuts/Short cuts.
I don't cycle in a hurry and don't use cycle lanes if the road is safer.

cycling etiquette
I'm not that aggressive anymore. You have to expect bad behaviour from pedestrians and motorists but also other cyclists. Disregard for the rules of the road is a national behaviour problem and not confined to one group of road users.

Do you wear headphones?
Nope.

are we as cyclists morally superior to everyone else on the road
No. Not the way most of them behave.

Lumen

Caroline_ie wrote: »

IMO - I don't think yet another article will make a diference.

I think you miss the point of journalism.

For the OP, regarding pothole-type hazards, the longitudinal concrete gaps on Hatch St (I think) are lethal, especially in the wet.

Húrin

I don't think cyclists behave any better than most other road users, but sometimes one must look down on those drivers who take the car into town needlessly and carelessly and cause congestion for everyone else. Especially when it's a Range Rover.

flickerx

girlbiker wrote: »

]Tried to get some answers organically by not mentioning I'm writing an article on cycling but since I need some specifics

I think this was a bit dishonest of you - if you are contributing to a board where you're possibly going to use what people have said in an article, then you should have been upfront about it from the very start.

Funkyzeit

el tonto wrote: »

Nope, not me. I've exhasuted my quota of two cycling articles per year already.

Without meaning to hijack thread - just been on your blog El Tonto - great great reading -espcialy like "The guy riding next to me is wiping cow **** from his face. The rider in front of him has just ridden through a patch of it that had been liquefied by the torrential rains. He curses out loud and everyone is grinning. Winter’s here." Quality.

girlbiker

flickerx wrote: »

I think this was a bit dishonest of you - if you are contributing to a board where you're possibly going to use what people have said in an article, then you should have been upfront about it from the very start.

Point taken and I will use it in the future. This is the best cycling forum that I have come across and I like to think people can help give me some info about areas where I dont cycle. But you are right about being upfront.

cyclopath2001

girlbiker wrote: »

Hi everyone,]Tried to get some answers organically by not mentioning I'm writing an article on cycling but since I need some specifics, I need some input if any of you witty interesting experts are interested? (Flattery getting me anywhere?)

Just curious:
1: Do you commute regularly yourself in Dublin?
2: Have you already decided the content of the article?

What's really lacking in any articles that I see on this subject (including today's IT), is any analysis of the actions & rules of the authorities.