in the Metro today again

Caroline_ie

What are they trying to do ?

Victor

Caroline_ie wrote: »

What are they trying to do ?

Sell advertising.

DirkVoodoo

What is this metro campaign in aid of? Someone in there seems to have a grudge against cyclists. I mean, the lights and red light breaking are all true and issues that need to be tackled, but we are talking about changing attitudes of road users to one another as the greater problem. Making drivers and pedestrians think that "if only we could get rid of all the cyclists, we could all live in peace" is just plain wrong.

EDIT: Also, I was driving home the other night in the lashing rain. My street is poorly lit and badly surfaced so I was trying not to splash people. Hard job it was too! Pedestrians have as much need to wear high viz/lights as any cyclist. The paths around here are quite narrow too and a lot of couples and joggers tend to end up on the road, nothing wrong with it, but it puts them at the same risk as cyclists and a little LED armband costs next to nothing.

blorg

Maybe worth mentioning that Metro distributors often wobble onto the cycle track distributing papers on my morning commute, just around the Kilmacud Luas stop They sometimes try to give me a paper but have not managed yet.

kenmc

Blorg you should take a few papers on the dry days and leave them in work - handy for the wet days when you need to dry out your shoes - no point in trying to take a paper then in the rain, kinda defeats the purpose....

blorg

Ha, we are not short of newspapers in my place of work. In any case my overshoes look after that for me, my shoes never get wet.

liamo

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

changing attitudes of road users to one another as the greater problem.

+1

Sometimes it's hard not to have a "them and us" mindset when on the road, particularly when you've nearly been creamed on a roundabout for the second time in a day, which is exactly what happened to me yesterday on the way home.

What was different about yesterday was the behaviour of the driver following my turning the air blue in my adrenaline and fright induced rage. He caught up with me, slowed down, rolled down the window and apologised. :eek:

I was stunned! He drove off before I could offer a reciprocal apology for my profanites. But what he did with his apology was calm me down and make me see him as another chap on his way home from work who probably got as much of a fright as me - instead of seeing him as a faceless maniac in a lethal weapon who just tried to kill me.

That made me think objectively about how my near-miss came about. He obviously didn't intend to give me a fright so I got to wondering if there was something I could be doing to help him (and other motorists) avoid another incident like this.

Up until now I would have thought that I was pretty visible. Hi-Viz jacket, bright front and rear lights. Now I'm thinking it's time to get the best hi-viz jacket I can afford, front and rear helmet lights and a flashing front light as well as the steady one I currently have.

I will try to keep this attitude going forward. If I have a problem with a motorist (or a pedestrian), instead of wishing they would be more alert or pay more attention, I will try instead to think if there's anything I could change about my appearance or behaviour to have prevented that situation.

I've no real point or conclusion or clever little line to finish off my reflections. It's just a story of my little moment of clarity on the way home.

Regards,

Liam

Raam

Similar to Liamo, a guy pulled out in front of me at a round-about. He pulled in up ahead and waited for me to pass and said sorry as I went by. Fair play to him.

ROK ON

True not everyone on the road is a maniac. BUt there is still a them v us attitude. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my wifes car last week, when there was a cyclist ahead of us on the road. She turned to me and said I hate cyclists and they shouldn't cycle on the road.
I know her for 15 years, and have used a bike as my only form of transport since I know her. Needless to say I was a little shocked.

You may encounter the odd decent motorist, but in reality they are different from us.:D

monument

On flickr I spotted this following pic with the header "Americans need to be told these things," it looks like people over here do too...


photo by Jason McCandless, some rights reserved

blorg

There are signs like this all over France, the second one says "Share the Road":

petethedrummer

liamo wrote: »

"them and us"

This them and us arguing should be re-classified as dangerous and not dangerous. Instead of this endless cyclist vs motorist vs pedestrian debate.

Howitzer

blorg wrote: »

There are signs like this all over France, the second one says "Share the Road":

Ging downhill on Rathfarnham road from Terenure (towards Nutgrove at the Yellow House pub) the footpath has a sign tucked away of a pedestrian AND a cyclist. It's a share the path idea - but besides that one sign it's little known about. Anyone see a similar sign anywhere else? I'll take a snap of this one some day. (still should have a line down the path to make it clearer)

CheGuedara

blorg wrote: »

There are signs like this all over France, the second one says "Share the Road":

They NEED to get these introduced in Ireland. Any dept of transport people lurking out there???

Howitzer

Howitzer wrote: »

Ging downhill on Rathfarnham road from Terenure (towards Nutgrove at the Yellow House pub) the footpath has a sign tucked away of a pedestrian AND a cyclist. It's a share the path idea - but besides that one sign it's little known about. Anyone see a similar sign anywhere else? I'll take a snap of this one some day. (still should have a line down the path to make it clearer)

That's for a cycleway methinks.

That reminds me, I still have to get a decent picture of my 'watch out for deer cyclists' sign I saw a month or two ago on Taylor's lane.

JuliusCaesar

CheGuedara wrote: »

They NEED to get these introduced in Ireland. Any dept of transport people lurking out there???

It's in the rules of the road that cars should leave at least 1.5 metre gap whenn overtaking cyclists in Germany too. Does that apply herre?

Bunnyhopper

Howitzer wrote: »

the footpath has a sign tucked away of a pedestrian AND a cyclist. It's a share the path idea - but besides that one sign it's little known about. Anyone see a similar sign anywhere else? I'll take a snap of this one some day. (still should have a line down the path to make it clearer)

If it's this sort of sign then they're lovely signs, and it's a nice idea, but they don't have any legal force, afaik. There's no mention of them in the legislation on cycle tracks.

The Metro's largely read by commuters on buses and trains and in cars, so that's their audience, not people who are too busy steering bicycles.

Civilian_Target

Yeah - I dunno, cars that don't stop are dangerous as hell.

A kid was knocked down and killed today at lunchtime, crossing the road opposite my office, by a car that didn't stop at the zebra crossing - thought they'd make it before the kid. That pretty much never happens for bicycles - knocked down at worst.

I'm not saying it's right, but the laws of power and responsibilty dictate that cars have more power, so the law should be applied more vigorously to cars.

sickle

Ging downhill on Rathfarnham road from Terenure (towards Nutgrove at the Yellow House pub) the footpath has a sign tucked away of a pedestrian AND a cyclist. It's a share the path idea - but besides that one sign it's little known about. Anyone see a similar sign anywhere else? I'll take a snap of this one some day. (still should have a line down the path to make it clearer)

i go this route most days to work and that little shared cycle track and path is an accident waiting to happen, there is no line separating pedestrian and cyclists and its full of kids going to school (at the time i go by) downhill and going around a corner, and the sign is nicely tucked away so most pedestrians don't even realise its shared....just one of the many things i dislike about my route, the dedicated cycle track further down towards Nutgrove is a total mess.

c0rk3r

Nice photo set Bunnyhopper. Why oh why would you put a cycle lane there is beyond belief. Firstly your coming down the hill at speed and are then expected to pull up onto the path at your first left. Which may be impossible due to cars edging out turning left and right. So if you make it onto the path 20meters on you have to brake due to the school entrance, continue another 20meters were there is a bus stop with a bin and lamppost on the cycle lane. Once your past this obstacle you have to slow 30meters again due to another school entry/exit, well theres two there. Cycle a further 30 meters where the cycle lane ends and turns onto the road. Incompetence doesnt even begin to describe the person who designed this. Theres just no need for it at all. Just share the bus lane.

Going up Mobhi road is another matter entirely which i mentioned awhile back and got slated for

Bunnyhopper

c0rk3r wrote: »

Nice photo set Bunnyhopper.

I can't claim credit for them, that has to go to Monument and Cian Ginty, who may well be one and the same person...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055429177

liamo

liamo wrote: »

Up until now I would have thought that I was pretty visible. Hi-Viz jacket, bright front and rear lights.
Now I'm thinking it's time to get the best hi-viz jacket I can afford, front and rear helmet lights and a flashing front light as well as the steady one I currently have.

So I had my first outing as a cycling xmas tree this morning.

Altura Night Vision Vest
Cateye OptiCube EL520 non-flashing front light.
Cateye OptiCube EL450 flashing front light mounted on helmet
Cateye TL-LD610 (5-LED) flashing rear light.
Cateye TL-LD170-R (3-LED) flashing rear light.
4-LED flashing reflective armband on each arm.

I've had the armbands for a while and didn't wear them because I thought they were just too dorky. However, thinking about my recent near-misses on roundabouts it occurred to me that, as motorists approached the roundabout from my left, my position and direction of travel at that time meant that the visibility of my front light would have been greatly reduced. The armbands are meant to address this specific situation of traffic approaching from the side.

Additionally, the helmet-light will light up anyone I look at so I don't think lack of visibility on roundabouts is going to be an issue any more. This does, of course, mean that I can't be checking out roadside totty any more. Not without blinding them anyway.

I was so visible that I became self-concious and it appeared to me as if other cyclists and motorists and pedestrians were gawping in amazement at my luminosity (and perhaps they were).

Still, I'd rather have motorists point and laugh at my dorkiness than wonder what that scream was.

I look forward to a dramatic increase in the number of UFO reports along my route.

Cycle safe, everyone.

Regards

Liam

Caroline_ie

liamo wrote: »

I look forward to a dramatic increase in the number of UFO reports along my route.

LOL ... UFO sighting last night around D15 and the Pheonix park ... that was me ...

bigtom71

I am still fuming over this, which is as much a reflection on me as well as the driver. Cycling in on a cycle lane this morning and a car ahead of me had stopped in traffic (to the right of the cycle lane), back left door opens as the schoolkids pile out to the mother's approval, door slams into my leg and I let out a whole litany of expletives. It wasn't so much that I was hit or put in risk, but more so that I had a four year daughter on the cross bar saddle and HER safety was put at risk. What really annoys me is that because of the adrenaline rushing through me and the suddenness of the incident, whatever it might be on a particular day, I never have the presence of mind to argue with the driver about use of cycle lanes/looking out for other road users/etc. That's probably a good thing because I might end up punching their lights out! My compassion for drivers seems to be dwindling more each day. I had a similar incident on a different road another day when the door nearly took my son's fingers off (another inch over and they'd be gone. The door left a dinge in my handlebars). The driver caught up with me later on and was very apologetic, but my point to her was that's no good if something is killed or maimed.

On another subject and not any criticism of drivers but just for cyclists to be aware of the current road conditions, yesterday I was cycling with my son and daughter on the bike - cross bar saddle and seat on the back - bringing them to school. I slipped on black ice and we all went down. Luckily we were going at a snail's pace manouvering around traffic, but the Mrs. doesn't want me bringing the two of them together anymore. I can see her point - when you add dodgy road conditions to bad drivers, it just adds to the mix. I was very grateful to the crowd of pedestrains who picked us back up again and put humpty dumpty together again. the lads were fine and one just got a bit of a fright (I took the impact, but I don't mind that). Perhaps I was unwise bringing two of them on the bike, but it is something I have been doing many days for the last year without it happening before, so I don't think I was being negligent.

Anyway, I could go on as I am sure many others could (everyone has a story to tell), so I better stop before this turns into an essay. :-)

Tom...

There's a big piece on cycling in today's Examiner, but for some reason their website sucks so it isn't online.

TimAllen

bigtom71 wrote: »

I am still fuming over this, which is as much a reflection on me as well as the driver. Cycling in on a cycle lane this morning and a car ahead of me had stopped in traffic (to the right of the cycle lane), back left door opens as the schoolkids pile out to the mother's approval, door slams into my leg and I let out a whole litany of expletives. It wasn't so much that I was hit or put in risk, but more so that I had a four year daughter on the cross bar saddle and HER safety was put at risk. What really annoys me is that because of the adrenaline rushing through me and the suddenness of the incident, whatever it might be on a particular day, I never have the presence of mind to argue with the driver about use of cycle lanes/looking out for other road users/etc. That's probably a good thing because I might end up punching their lights out! My compassion for drivers seems to be dwindling more each day. I had a similar incident on a different road another day when the door nearly took my son's fingers off (another inch over and they'd be gone. The door left a dinge in my handlebars). The driver caught up with me later on and was very apologetic, but my point to her was that's no good if something is killed or maimed.

On another subject and not any criticism of drivers but just for cyclists to be aware of the current road conditions, yesterday I was cycling with my son and daughter on the bike - cross bar saddle and seat on the back - bringing them to school. I slipped on black ice and we all went down. Luckily we were going at a snail's pace manouvering around traffic, but the Mrs. doesn't want me bringing the two of them together anymore. I can see her point - when you add dodgy road conditions to bad drivers, it just adds to the mix. I was very grateful to the crowd of pedestrains who picked us back up again and put humpty dumpty together again. the lads were fine and one just got a bit of a fright (I took the impact, but I don't mind that). Perhaps I was unwise bringing two of them on the bike, but it is something I have been doing many days for the last year without it happening before, so I don't think I was being negligent.

Anyway, I could go on as I am sure many others could (everyone has a story to tell), so I better stop before this turns into an essay. :-)

Tom...

Tom, it sounds like you shouldnt be out with the kids at all - even contemplating violence with kids around smacks of gross immaturity.
Cycling in frosty conditions with kids onboard is far worse than negligent, its insane!

blorg

Tim, I know you like to troll the cycling forum but if someone did something stupid that put your kids lives in danger I am sure you would have a similar gut reaction, it sounds perfectly natural to me. You might also look up hyperbole in the dictionary.

Tom, sounds like it was more to do with the black ice than having two kids on the bike, you would very likely have gone down just the same with only one of them or indeed on your own. Might be worth considering a trailer, although I am not sure if these stay upright if the bike goes over they are lower down to start with so not very far to fall. Or indeed avoiding entirely on known icy days, many on this forum and indeed other people I know have had nasty crashes due to ice this winter.

EDIT: Trailers seem pretty stable:

Civilian_Target

liamo wrote: »

4-LED flashing reflective armband on each arm.

Where does one buy these? I've never seen them for sale in cycling shops.

If not, I am still considering these things - they look good, although the weight of 12 AAA batteries might be a bit of a pain http://www.hokeyspokes.net/what.html

NeilMcEoigheann

cycling in fast traffic a few days ago going down lower kimmage road into town came to the big crossroads with sundrive road, the car in front got a bit ahead of me and a car in the opposite lane of the crossroads turned right (my left) across my path fine plenty of room as i cross the ped crossing lines onto the crossroads another car follows so as i swerve left to avoid being crushed there is a line of parked cars on sundrive road the only way out is infront of the moving car i make it out the other side safe! and the ****er beeps me,.
i had green he only had a filter to go if its safe, and were getting blown up about breaking reds, anyway that scared the **** outta me due to the closeness of it all. then cycling up dame street in a buslane (the place bikes buses and taxies are supposed to be) a normal car comes up behind me and my friend and starts beeping, i was annoyed but was about to move over when he starts forcing his way through i bang on the window to stop him running the two of us over he accelerates past slams on the brakes and opens the door infront of me i swerve to avoid and get passed then i turn around to ask him what the **** is he doing and he's already running down the bus lane after me (he was a massive guy too) so i didn't stick around and cycled off through some back streets mainly cos he seemed like a dangerous angry guy, kinda upset i didn't get a reg but karma will catch up with him eventually. also to confirm both these happened in shadow casting daylight so it wasn't due to lack of lights reflectors hiviz etc.

liamo

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Where does one buy these? I've never seen them for sale in cycling shops.

I got them in one of the Aldi/Lidl bike stuff specials.
These look exactly the same.

Gavin

Yee want some decent LED armbands, not the little red ones, no siree.

http://www.gearapalooza.com/product/103459/polybrite-lighted-safety-armband.html



a rather poor image.

liamo

liamo wrote: »

Additionally, the helmet-light will light up anyone I look at so I don't think lack of visibility on roundabouts is going to be an issue any more. This does, of course, mean that I can't be checking out roadside totty any more. Not without blinding them anyway.

I discovered another use for my new helmet light this evening on the way home : expressing disaproval !!

A motorist pulled out into traffic in front of me, blocking my path and forced me to mount the footpath. As I left the footpath she pulled alongside me and we travelled at the same speed for a bit. I bent down and frowned into the car at her. Of course, the usual response to this is for the motorist to completely ignore me - "tra la la, I don't see you" type of thing. This was different : she tried to ignore me but my flashing light lit up the interior of the car and she had to squint. Oh joy. Oh happiness. It was like I was in the car beside her wagging my finger at her. You can't escape my disapproval now! My next thought was that my light isn't nearly bright enough. I want one bright enough to melt dashboard plastic! I was giddy with power.

Later, having come back down, I realise that I don't need a gigawatt light - blinding the driver of a car is probably not the wisest course of action. My current light is enough to place me in the car and get my disapproval across.

I also considered an Airzound which may have been mentioned here before. I haven't entirely dismissed this yet.

Now if only I could get Ben Hur chariot spikes on my wheel hubs .......

Húrin

ROK ON wrote: »

She turned to me and said I hate cyclists and they shouldn't cycle on the road.
I know her for 15 years, and have used a bike as my only form of transport since I know her. Needless to say I was a little shocked.

So despite knowing you for fifteen years she doesn't know you cycle?

Húrin

liamo wrote: »

I discovered another use for my new helmet light this evening on the way home : expressing disaproval !!

This "sci-fi" type cycling gear just makes cyclists look like weirdos. Better to look like a normal person, juts on a bike, I think.

Caroline_ie

I a starting to be seriously p/ssed off with that pile of cr*p ...

ROK ON

Caroline_ie wrote: »

I a starting to be seriously p/ssed off with that pile of cr*p ...

Dont read it. Seriously, anything handed out to the proles for free on public transport is hardly worth reading. You will only upset yourself.
Do what I do, close your mind to other opinions and read nothing:D

TinyExplosions

ROK ON wrote: »

Dont read it. Seriously, anything handed out to the proles for free on public transport is hardly worth reading. You will only upset yourself.
Do what I do, close your mind to other opinions and read nothing:D

Or get it, and use it to dry your shoes after a wet day

Caroline_ie

ROK ON wrote: »

Dont read it. Seriously, anything handed out to the proles for free on public transport is hardly worth reading. You will only upset yourself.
Do what I do, close your mind to other opinions and read nothing:D

I won't ... it's a worthless piece of crap... and I was so annoyed again this morning that, I starting giving out loud and one of my colleagues starting having a go at cyclists ... and my blood strated boiling I thought I was going to kill .. GGGrrrrRRrr

kenmc

Deep breaths Caroline.... in....... out........ in........ out......

blorg

Húrin wrote: »

This "sci-fi" type cycling gear just makes cyclists look like weirdos. Better to look like a normal person, juts on a bike, I think.

Bright lights are very effective at keeping you alive, I'd prefer to be an alive "weirdo" than a dead normal person. I actually find drivers give me more room passing at night, and do so more carefully. They don't pull out in front of me either, possibly because they think I'm a motorbike.

Raam

The Metro letters section is like an internet forum... every Joe Bloggs can say any rubbish they want and it still gets published. I wouldn't let whatever it says have a single iota of effect. There was a period last year when all that they published were people talking about giving up seats on trains to women and how anyone who didn't, has a corrupt moral fibre.

liamo

Húrin wrote: »

This "sci-fi" type cycling gear just makes cyclists look like weirdos. Better to look like a normal person, juts on a bike, I think.

Better a live wierdo than a dead norm.

Caroline_ie

Blorg, what light do you use on the seat stays?

stuf

Raam wrote: »

The Metro letters section is like an internet forum... every Joe Bloggs can say any rubbish they want and it still gets published. I wouldn't let whatever it says have a single iota of effect. There was a period last year when all that they published were people talking about giving up seats on trains to women and how anyone who didn't, has a corrupt moral fibre.

I agree - I don't see much difference to some of the sh!tfights on here in recent months

TinyExplosions

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Blorg, what light do you use on the seat stays?

iirc they're the smart 1/2watt leds

Caroline_ie

LOL !!!


Blorg from Ireland Owner 09 May 2008 11:55
Great light, can't go wrong for the price. Very bright, especially visible in flashing mode. Only potential downsides would be: battery life, not as good as some others (but they would not be as bright either); the switch can get finikity in the wet but this is fixable; visibility from the side is perhaps not quite as good as some other lights. This light is particularly good if used in flashing mode with another light in steady

niceonetom

finikity

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

finikity

That jumped out at me too

blorg

That's the one, the Smart 1/2 Watt- slightly cheaper from Wiggle at the moment.

DirkVoodoo

Great light, no possible way you cannot be seen wth one.

bigtom71

TimAllen wrote: »

Tom, it sounds like you shouldnt be out with the kids at all - even contemplating violence with kids around smacks of gross immaturity.
Cycling in frosty conditions with kids onboard is far worse than negligent, its insane!

Well Tim, perhaps I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I am not going to punch someone's lights out while my kids are watching, unless it was to protect them in a life or death situation (i.e. someone breaking into your house or threatening you). Besides, it would hardly improve the situation, but would give more credence to drivers that 'cyclists should be taken off the road!'.

As for cycling in frosty conditions, I had no idea it was icy until I hit the main road and went around a corner on ice I could not see. Perhaps I might have kept the bike afloat if I hadn't passengers on it but to be honest, I don't think so. The back wheel went out on me and I couldn't stop it. Since then, I am restricting myself to bringing only one passenger which is not ideal as it puts a huge burden on my wife in the mornings as the baby and everyone has to be packed up and got out the door now. But, it is safer, at least until the days get warmer. It has been fine on the roads since anyway.

This all happened two days ago and I feel like I ran into a bus - everything hurts!