Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

Lusk_Doyle

Tag on? Do you wrestle now too?

CramCycle

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Tag on? Do you wrestle now too?

My limited experience of the LUAS and DART at peak times would tthat the differences between them and Wrestlemania are limited.

NeedMoreGears

cdaly_ wrote: »

I had somebody try to overtake me in traffic yesterday and then beep at me when they couldn't get back in. What? It's my fault that you chose to overtake without sufficient room?...

That's gas - almost the exact same thing happened to me on Monday evening - no beeping but cars coming from the opposite direction added to fun of it all. That and the red light we were both approaching, although the 10kph speeds involved did take away from the excitement.

rollingscone

CramCycle wrote: »

My limited experience of the LUAS and D
ART at peak times would tthat the differences between them and Wrestlemania are limited.

The primary difference being that a Royal Rumble would cover distance faster ()

cdaly_

buffalo wrote: »

Driver sees me, stops the train while it is partway out of the station so I can open the doors and get on. What a lad!

Had something like that getting the last dart home. Missed the Howth train so was on the Malahide one. Got chatting and missed Howth Junction and only realised at Malahide. Accosted the driver who kindly stopped at Howth Junction on the way back to the sheds to let me off...

doozerie

I wonder what misguided person thought to incorporate the word “safety” into the name “safety pins”. Pins are sharp but we know that so we take care around them, but not so with safety pins - their outward appearance of safety lulls us into a false sense of security so we get complacent, which is exactly what they are waiting for, and then they pounce.

Which is what happened last weekend as I was retrieving my jersey, with race numbers attached by safety pins, from the car. A casual, complacent even, hand delved gingerly into my bag only to come back out in a hurry, punctured and bloodied from an encounter with a “safety” pin that had maliciously opened itself up while in the bag.

It, like, *really* hurt, and still stings something fierce several days later. Thankfully I’d only recently completed a refresher Occupational First Aid course so I knew exactly what to do - I gave myself a big hug, and kissed my finger to make it feel better, as prescribed in all the best (parental) medical texts. I. Could. Have. DIED! Safety pins are dicks.

And why are we still attaching race numbers to jersey using safety pins anyway? A lot of sophisticated technology goes into the design of bikes, and cycling kit, yet people have been pinning on numbers for decades using blood-thirsty and malevolent pieces of metal. Safety pins take the phrase “cutting edge” to a whole new level of irony.

In an industry where us cyclists/consumers can be convinced to part with substantial amounts of money for something as relatively unimportant as carbon bottle cages, why hasn’t anyone devised a viable alternative to murderous safety pins for attaching numbers to jerseys? Okay, so it would be a niche market within a niche market, but injured and bloodied fingers and hands everywhere demand change! Our hands need …well, a hand, like.

RayCun

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/racedots

DO NOT EAT THEM

Lusk_Doyle

doozerie wrote: »

I wonder what misguided person thought to incorporate the word “safety” into the name “safety pins”. Pins are sharp but we know that so we take care around them, but not so with safety pins - their outward appearance of safety lulls us into a false sense of security so we get complacent, which is exactly what they are waiting for, and then they pounce.

Which is what happened last weekend as I was retrieving my jersey, with race numbers attached by safety pins, from the car. A casual, complacent even, hand delved gingerly into my bag only to come back out in a hurry, punctured and bloodied from an encounter with a “safety” pin that had maliciously opened itself up while in the bag.

It, like, *really* hurt, and still stings something fierce several days later. Thankfully I’d only recently completed a refresher Occupational First Aid course so I knew exactly what to do - I gave myself a big hug, and kissed my finger to make it feel better, as prescribed in all the best (parental) medical texts. I. Could. Have. DIED! Safety pins are dicks.

And why are we still attaching race numbers to jersey using safety pins anyway? A lot of sophisticated technology goes into the design of bikes, and cycling kit, yet people have been pinning on numbers for decades using blood-thirsty and malevolent pieces of metal. Safety pins take the phrase “cutting edge” to a whole new level of irony.

In an industry where us cyclists/consumers can be convinced to part with substantial amounts of money for something as relatively unimportant as carbon bottle cages, why hasn’t anyone devised a viable alternative to murderous safety pins for attaching numbers to jerseys? Okay, so it would be a niche market within a niche market, but injured and bloodied fingers and hands everywhere demand change! Our hands need …well, a hand, like.

Would you say that safety pin was god's gift to safety pins?

CramCycle

RayCun wrote: »

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/racedots

DO NOT EAT THEM

I presume they are a fancy looking version of these: http://www.dx.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-8mm-20-pack-4248

RayCun

I wouldn't know, I staple my race numbers directly to my skin

eeeee

The cheaper the safety pin the bigger the chance it will open. Also they get stretched pretty easily so they should due replaced after a few goes anyway. Otherwise you risk grave injury a la Doozerie. Haberdashery is the one thing I do know plenty about!

doozerie

CramCycle wrote: »

I presume they are a fancy looking version of these: http://www.dx.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-8mm-20-pack-4248

The racedots have a protruding dimple shape on the face of one and a corresponding hole in the one it pairs with, so they shouldn't slide apart very easily.

It's a neat idea, and design, but I do wonder how reliable they'd be when attached to the pockets of a cycling jersey. The video seems to show them being easily slid along a jersey as a connected pair, so each time you shove a hand in your pocket you might displace one or both of a pair, or when you (inevitably) miss the pocket you might push/pull the number out from between the paired magnets. Wouldn't mind trying them though. ...if the safety pins don't do me in first.

Harrybelafonte

CramCycle wrote: »

I presume they are a fancy looking version of these: http://www.dx.com/p/super-strong-rare-earth-re-magnets-8mm-20-pack-4248

Would they actually work or would they be a bollix to separate after?

Alek

As there are two layers of fabric between magnets, I'd say there will be no problems taking them apart. Cheap enough to experiment, too ;-)

Harrybelafonte

Alek wrote: »

As there are two layers of fabric between magnets, I'd say there will be no problems taking them apart. Cheap enough to experiment, too ;-)

Well, the magnets are cheap enough, but the jersey may not be.

eeeee

What about trying a large press stud and using that? Like a really big one, for denim. Should definitely get through a couple of layers of Lycra, and it would be super secure.

Alek

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Well, the magnets are cheap enough, but the jersey may not be.

I have smaller ones from DX and they have rounded edges. Should not damage the jersey in any way I can imagine...

PS. They are great as cadence magnets, I put one on the pedal axle from inside ;-)

CramCycle

Not a rant as such, seen another motorcylist hopping of their bike coming to a junction and jogging the bike round the corner, ala Mr. Bean. I have now seen this a few times near the Grand Canal. The last two, sort of mounted the pavement in some weird attempt to make it look like they were peds?

Not sure if its illegal but it is certainly rude. I started laughing the last time as myself and two of those other pesky cyclists waited on the red as he done this.

helimachoptor

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/cyclist-threatens-to-stab-shop-worker-over-flat-tyre-price-court-heard-30151804.html

Jesus dont be near this guy when he gets a puncture!

buffalo

helimachoptor wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/cyclist-threatens-to-stab-shop-worker-over-flat-tyre-price-court-heard-30151804.html

Jesus dont be near this guy when he gets a puncture!

I thought there was a rule about identifying boardsies...

doozerie, if you need help with the fine, we can have a whip-around?

:P

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

doozerie, if you need help with the fine, we can have a whip-around?
:P

I know a solicitor if you can't find a good one

JMcL

helimachoptor wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/cyclist-threatens-to-stab-shop-worker-over-flat-tyre-price-court-heard-30151804.html

Jesus dont be near this guy when he gets a puncture!

And i'd be careful with the snot rockets if you overtake him

daragh_

JMcL wrote: »

And i'd be careful with the snot rockets if you overtake him

Given his recent form overtaking Doozerie will be problematic.

doozerie

buffalo wrote: »

I thought there was a rule about identifying boardsies...

doozerie, if you need help with the fine, we can have a whip-around?

:P

They tried to flog me a tube with a 60mm valve. 60mm valve? On 35mm rims? Jaysus, I wasn't having that, outrageous it was. So I pulled out a safety pin. That shut them up, sure enough. But they still wouldn't back down, that was the last straw, so I popped the safety pin open.

Panic ensued, men cried, women fainted, and then the gardai arrived. I didn't go down without a fight though, myself and the safety pin pulled a thread lose in at least a couple of jumpers, 'twas vicious.

They released me late last night so I went for a relaxing drive to blow off some steam. I feel much better now.

doozerie

CramCycle wrote: »

Not a rant as such, seen another motorcylist hopping of their bike coming to a junction and jogging the bike round the corner, ala Mr. Bean. I have now seen this a few times near the Grand Canal. The last two, sort of mounted the pavement in some weird attempt to make it look like they were peds?

Not sure if its illegal but it is certainly rude. I started laughing the last time as myself and two of those other pesky cyclists waited on the red as he done this.

I've been seeing a lot more instances of motorbikers running red lights recently, it seems like a trend. These people actually drive through the lights rather than hopping off and walking alongside the bike. It's not just the pizza delivery planks either, they've been riding mopeds and chicken chasers as if they were immortal for years, all the recent incidents I've seen have been by people on "real" motorbikes.

As an example, on this evening's commute home a biker that was stopped beside me at a red light just seemed to get bored at some point and drove on through while the lights were still green for the (occasional) crossing traffic. Who did he think he was? A bloody cyclist? :pac:

dreamerb

Oh Kryptonite Evolution, how I hate you. How very *very* much I hate you. I know you're supposed to be very strong and highly bike-theft resistant, but you should try to remember that the person approaching you with your own keys is not a bike thief.

My brand new very lovely Giant Dash 2 is sitting at home in my shed, after more than 20 minutes wrestling with the lock did not succeed in releasing it. :mad: I tried two of the keys, both of which fit all the way to the bottom of the cylinder and turn perfectly - but will the lock acknowledge this and release my bicycle? Will she heck. I swear I sweated more trying to open the sodding lock than I would have on triple my commute.

And because the new bike is locked *to* the old bike, I can't use that one either.

Result: instead of leaving in time and settiing new landspeed records on an alarmingly fast bicycle, I give up, wait ten extra minutes for a bus, arrive to work horrifically late, encounter very senior management on my way in, and will be late home this evening because I have an afternoon meeting which is awkward to get to and from without bicycle.

Gah.

Diarmuid

dreamerb wrote: »

:mad: I tried two of the keys, both of which fit all the way to the bottom of the cylinder and turn perfectly - but will the lock acknowledge this and release my bicycle? Will she heck.

dreamerb

Two postable grumps in as many days. This may be a personal record.

So, a combination of brute force and lube means my lock is now properly functional, and I could cycle to work this morning. Which was great, except that I was quite forcibly reminded of why I normally commute well after 9 when reasonably possible. Early meetings prevented that today, so off I went. Minor irritation at a slower cyclist who, not once, but twice, pulls ahead of me at red lights. I'm guessing the lycra vs. skirt factor may have played a role - and yes, I was the one in a skirt. That's no more than an eye-roll mildly irksome.

The one that makes me furious is the gentleman who, as I'm cycling in the on road bicycle lane along the canal - at a more sedate pace because there's some junk and gravel in it and I am not yet unaccustomed to much narrower tyres - with a row of stationary traffic to my right, overtakes me in the cycling lane. *In* it. With scarcely an inch to spare. I'm not kerb hugging, but I'm trying to stay left of the door-zone as previous experience teaches me drivers occasionally let passengers out along here. I've a horrible feeling he'd have undertaken instead if I'd been further out. I am not proud of the epithet I yelled at him but he deserved that and more.

Still, got to work at the same time as yesterday's senior management so I suppose that's something.

buffalo

buffalo wrote: »

Mein Gott, closest pedestrian near-miss in recent history this morning. I'm still not sure how this girl didn't hit me...

Eastbound on Whitworth Road, line of car traffic, up ahead some kind soul is letting someone reverse out of his driveway, so I'm already on the brakes, slowing down. Girl on the footpath suddenly turns on her heel and steps out into me. I shout involuntarily, and I think that must have caused her to pause for the split-second I needed to clear her. She didn't hit the deck, and neither did I, and I didn't hang around for an apology.

In the same spot as the above, I was heading into work nice and early yesterday morning, about 7am. Red light up ahead, I'm pootling along at about 10kph on the inside of a line of stopped cars, keep an eye on a pedestrian just up ahead.

She's walking in the same direction as me about a metre in from the kerb, big headphones on her. She starts drifting toward the road. I ring my bell a few times. No reaction. She steps off in front of me, as I brake gently. She starts walking along the inside of the cars ahead of me, completely oblivious to the fact she's blocking my path. I shout loudly, "Oi!", but nothing gets through the headphones.

She walks around the front of the next car and across the road to the bus stop, where there's a lad waiting who's obviously been watching the whole thing unfold with a slightly disbelieving bemused look on his face. I wonder did he tell her what had happened, because she never registered my presence at any time, right up to the point where I cycled on.

droidus

I actually had my worst ever car/cyclist interaction on Whitworth road as well. I was in the car, waiting in the right hand lane to tune onto Dorset st, about three cars back. Left hand lane had about 4 cars in it. It was about 9pm in December, so it was dark.

The lights change to green and a cyclist on the path decides that this is the time to cross the road directly in front of traffic, but instead taking the expected route of crossing the road onto the path on the other side, or even crossing traffic and staying on the road to take a right onto Whitworth road he passes the first lane of traffic and THEN takes a right, BETWEEN both lanes of traffic, just as we start to move off, no lights of course.

Perhaps the most stupid cycling behaviour Ive ever seen in Dublin.