Two complaints about cyclists from a commuting cyclist

JuliusCaesar

This morning, cycling along the canal, a guy overtook me on his bicycle but seemed to be talking. As he floated past, I realised he was saying "Why do you go to the front of the queue? There's a queue at the lights!" So I called after him to slow down and I would answer his question, but he just kept on giving out and frankly, any inclination I had to get into a discussion with him evaporated. So on the off-chance the rude man is reading this, here's the answer: A. I'm middle-aged. Starting on an incline on my rather heavy commuting bike is a pain in my arse. So I go as high up the incline as possible when the traffic light is red. B. There is NO queue of cyclists who stay in line as they arrive, in the same way as cars do. The cars do it because they have to. The bikes - well, if you want to stop at the back of the bunch, fine, but if you want to go to the front, also fine. My question to you: would you address your mother in the same way you addressed me?

Second complaint: on the same journey, a cyclist took a right turn on the main road, where I was coming down the incline at approx 25kph. Without looking, she slotted herself into the bike lane in front of me, forcing me to jam on the brakes. There was heavy traffic so I'd no room for maneovre. So, please look at the bike lane you're hoping to join, as well as the cars.

That's all folks.

(Gears: 2.5 for starting, 3.7 on the flat, 2.1 for inclines up: high gears for uphill, lowest for downhill. I've only ever used 1.5 or higher when outside the city on a long uphill.)

Raam

Oh the irony of the two paragraphs together is too much.

nbar12

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

This morning, cycling along the canal, a guy overtook me on his bicycle but seemed to be talking. As he floated past, I realised he was saying "Why do you go to the front of the queue? There's a queue at the lights!" So I called after him to slow down and I would answer his question, but he just kept on giving out and frankly, any inclination I had to get into a discussion with him evaporated. So on the off-chance the rude man is reading this, here's the answer: A. I'm middle-aged. Starting on an incline on my rather heavy commuting bike is a pain in my arse. So I go as high up the incline as possible when the traffic light is red. B. There is NO queue of cyclists who stay in line as they arrive, in the same way as cars do. The cars do it because they have to. The bikes - well, if you want to stop at the back of the bunch, fine, but if you want to go to the front, also fine. My question to you: would you address your mother in the same way you addressed me?

Second complaint: on the same journey, a cyclist took a right turn on the main road, where I was coming down the incline at approx 25kph. Without looking, she slotted herself into the bike lane in front of me, forcing me to jam on the brakes. There was heavy traffic so I'd no room for maneovre. So, please look at the bike lane you're hoping to join, as well as the cars.

That's all folks.

listen pal, I wasn't being rude, YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! Get back in line next time or else I'll slash your tyres...

JuliusCaesar

Well in one case I'm proceeding at speed, in the other everyone is starting. If you want to get in front at the lights, do so.

And if you're asking a question, and I'll willing to answer, stay back and listen.

mitosis

Must find common denominator..................:cool:

Doctor Bob

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

A. I'm middle-aged. Starting on an incline on my rather heavy commuting bike is a pain in my arse. So I go as high up the incline as possible when the traffic light is red.

Do you know what's a real pain in the arse? Middle aged people on heavy commuter bikes who don't know how to queue behind people who got to a junction first. Whatever gain you feel you make by queue skipping to a spot slightly further up the hill is more than cancelled out by the frustration caused to those faster commuters behind you.

Agreed on your second point, btw. I rang my loud bell twice today at a girl on the canal at Baggot Street as she sailed through a red light and around the corner into my path, then looked at me as if I were the weirdo for ringing my bell.

It takes all sorts, eh?

Lumen

@JC It's irritating when a slow cyclist skips to the front of the line. You're that cyclist, apparently.

I don't understand all that stuff about inclines. You have lots of gears, use them.

Wishbone Ash

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Starting on an incline on my rather heavy commuting bike is a pain in my arse. So I go as high up the incline as possible

Passing slow cyclists only to have them move ahead at the lights and impede my progress is a major "pain in my arse".

C3PO

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

The bikes - well, if you want to stop at the back of the bunch, fine, but if you want to go to the front, also fine.

..... and then get in the way of the faster moving cyclists behind you .... no it's not fine!

droidus

#1 rule of commuting etiquette: Never move in front of another cyclist at a red light if they have already overtaken you.

buffalo

Raam wrote: »

Oh the irony of the two paragraphs together is too much.

So I read the first paragraph as, "why do you expect me to behave like a car and be polite? I'll do what I want! Even if I obstruct you and slow you down."

And the second is, "why do you do what you want? Why not act like a car and merge at a speed that doesn't obstruct me and make me slow down?"

It's sublime.

Dermot Illogical

OP if you behave ignorantly on your commute you can hardly be surprised if people are rude back at you.

Hermy

I would have thought as a psychology mod the op would be able to answer their own post.

seamus

Same problem exists for motorcycles, but it's generally only moped drivers who cause this problem. Real bikers recognise who has overtaken them and wait behind them at the lights rather than move to the front.

As said above JC, have a little bit of consideration for your fellow commuters and don't sit in front of people who are clearly faster than you. You have loads of gears, use them to control your bike.

fenris

Hermy wrote: »

I would have thought as a psychology mod the op would be able to answer their own post.

Maybe it is a project and they are hoping to get a paper out of our reaction?

lennymc

are yis not blowing this out of proportion a bit? so the OP passes stopped people coming up to lights. Big deal. HTFU and pass him again. If you dont want to be passed at lights, dont leave room for people to pass you. If you do leave room, then it fair game for someone to squeeze past IMHO.

edit - better add a smiley somewhere

rp

When a cyclists pulls ahead of me at the lights, I interpret that as a challenge, he's effectively saying: The race is on! Eat my dust!
Which is fine by me, I appreciate every opportunity to up my average speed, despite being a middle-aged commuter on a steel bike with only the one gear who is on beta blockers. Bring it!

manwithaplan

I find ignoring traffic lights is the easiest solution all round.

seamus

lennymc wrote: »

are yis not blowing this out of proportion a bit? so the OP passes stopped people coming up to lights. Big deal. HTFU and pass him again. If you dont want to be passed at lights, dont leave room for people to pass you. If you do leave room, then it fair game for someone to squeeze past IMHO.

There would definitely be a psychology thesis in this somewhere.

No matter how far you move ahead at the lights or no matter what you do to prevent people from getting around you, some people can't help themselves but to claw their way to the front. I've had people stop in the middle of junctions or cycle up on the path just so they could be at the front.

Captain Havoc

rp wrote: »

When a cyclists pulls ahead of me at the lights, I interpret that as a challenge, he's effectively saying: The race is on! Eat my dust!
Which is fine by me, I appreciate every opportunity to up my average speed, despite being a middle-aged commuter on a steel bike with only the one gear who is on beta blockers. Bring it!

Admission of using drugs, I'm afraid we're going to have to erase your commuter race results sine 1999 and ban you from competitive commuting for two years.

Junior

fenris wrote: »

Maybe it is a project and they are hoping to get a paper out of our reaction?

Maybe a rock and a scissors as well ?

RobertFoster

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

would you address your mother in the same way you addressed me?

"Fúcks sake, mammy, stop leapfrogging me! You know I'll overtake you again in the next 50m."

MB Lacey

I usually can't stand it when I've just overtaken someone and they position themselves right back in front of me at red lights.
:mad:
But I have never considered that people might do this for fitness reasons. I think it's fair game if for fitness /**** bike reasons a cyclist sets her/himself up in best position for them.

I think it is good etiquette for slower cyclists to let the faster cyclists go first, but at the same time we could all do with a lot more patience commuting, and if someone has to position themselves at a certain spot on a hill to make it easier for them to cycle off - so be it.

lennymc

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Admission of using drugs, I'm afraid we're going to have to erase your commuter race results sine 1999 and ban you from competitive commuting for two years.

Actually, Beta blockers are on the WADA list for certain sports only. You cant use them for shooting or golfing, but they are fine for cycling.

Captain Havoc

lennymc wrote: »

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Admission of using drugs, I'm afraid we're going to have to erase your commuter race results sine 1999 and ban you from competitive commuting for two years.

Actually, Beta blockers are on the WADA list for certain sports only. You cant use them for shooting or golfing, but they are fine for cycling.

Spoil-sport

yop

At this rate we will need a "moan at cyclists" sticky, thats 2 in 2 days now!

check_six

I've said it before and I'll say it again, without people like JC shoaling to the front at lights, and others jumping those same lights we'd never be tuned up enough to compete against a proper 'challenger' in commuter races...

Treat them as an unexpected bonus event on your daily cycle.

To JuliusCaesar, some people don't see creaking to the front of a queue of bikes that have just overtaken you (aka shoaling) as benignly as I might. They see it as the equivalent of barging to the front to get on a bus, jumping the queue at the bar, or stealing your lady and kicking your dog. Like I said, I don't care what you do at the lights, but maybe you should keep an eye out for people who might get upset and pay them a little bit of respect by not plonking yourself right in front of them at every red light.

As for your second incident, you need to start predicting what people *could* do rather than what people *should* do. Mainly this involves thinking the worst of people and assuming they'll do something dimwitted at any moment. This is slightly depressing, but beats ending up in a heap on the ground! Developing any powerful latent psychic powers you may have would be helpful in this regard.

ThisRegard

He is that cyclist though, as someone already pointed out. Along the canal the closer you get to the city centre, the harder it is to get by someone because of stopped and queueing traffic. So you get by when safe, get to the lights, and some middle aged man tootles by you again to stop at the front, forcing you to sit behind and wait to get by him, again.

What constitutes middle aged these days anyway ? I'd say a lot of the regulars here are.

At this rate we will need a "moan at cyclists" sticky, thats 2 in 2 days now!

The one in After Hours just kicked off again, by someone who thinks it's illegal for cyclist to use a roundabout, despite claiming to be a cyclist too.

macnab

At 44 years old I am probably just about in the same age group as the OP. I also commute quite often by bicycle.
It pisses me off when a slower rider moves past me in the queue for the lights as they usually start off slowly and take up so much room that it is difficult to overtake them safely.

desertcircus

No sympathy on the queueing issue, I'm afraid. Particularly in the city, overtaking can be difficult, and it's incredibly frustrating to spend half a kilometre stuck behind someone much slower, finally get past them, and then have to do it all again. You can end up getting stopped at every junction instead of being in sync with green all the way. If you're worried about slow takeoff, change into an easier gear.

lennymc

ThisRegard wrote: »

The one in After Hours just kicked off again, by someone who thinks it's illegal for cyclist to use a roundabout, despite claiming to be a cyclist too.

you mean its not illegal?