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

magicbastarder

the number of cyclists in dublin this evening with no lights is insane. worst i've ever seen.

magicbastarder

i wouldn't mind, only my wife was showing me the rear light she got in dealz for €1.49; so cheap that it's probably as easy to just replace the entire light as it is to replace the batteries (even if i think that would be a silly thing to do)

HivemindXX

magicbastarder wrote: »

i wouldn't mind, only my wife was showing me the rear light she got in dealz for €1.49; so cheap that it's probably as easy to just replace the entire light as it is to replace the batteries (even if i think that would be a silly thing to do)

Of course when you leave work and realise your €1.49 light has stopped working you're a bit stuffed. Or when you get home and realise it stopped working at some point on the way home, probably causing a few hundred ninja cyclist complaints.

A €1.49 light might be better than nothing, or it might not. You probably won't find out until it's too late.

magicbastarder

well, she managed to blind me with it earlier. i'll plump for better than nothing.

Chuchote

magicbastarder wrote: »

the number of cyclists in dublin this evening with no lights is insane. worst i've ever seen.

Surprised; I thought it was getting better - I've noticed fewer ninjas. So much is down to personal impressions either way.

Weepsie

Had a man in a van tell me to hurry and something else up turning from Clonliffe Rd to Drumcondra Rd. Now the light had only turned green and there where other people there so I'm not sure what he wanted me to do.

He tried going around my outside and i was holding my line. He said something else and then proceeded to be stuck in a long lane of traffic.

I pointed at the long lane of traffic to as i passed to highlight his pointless aggression. I carried on down the bus/ cycle lane and soon noticed he was in the lane too. He got very close but i was taking the lane as I didn't trust him at all.

Just before Fagans pub and the bridge he went by me close enough to touch. I got ended up slapping his side with a half stretched arm as that was way to close.

I tried remembering his reg, but forgot one digit. First time in a while i did not have a camera. I ended up being way ahead of him as he kept getting stuck in traffic and drove all the way up the bus lane to just before Collins avenue.

He shouldn't be on the road if he's willing to do that

CramCycle

Weepsie wrote: »

He shouldn't be on the road if he's willing to do that

Your clearly wrong, as After hours repeatedly informs us, because cars have reg plates, they would not risk such behaviour.

There is a word for people like that, I won't use it here, as some people don't like it, but he is one.

Had two buses beep me in the last two days. i was in the bike lane, the one up on a kerb on the N11. I am not sure if they thought I was going to hop down in front of them (I moved to avoid a bad part of the lane, but remained in it).

I hate being segregated like that as cars and buses in the lane, don't give any space, even when they think they should. I was never in any danger but their fear that I might fall in front of them, did not register as an issue with being too close.

Weepsie

I actually did think i had the correct reg, and i always double check it on motorcheck etc, but the colour given is different hence my doubt for reporting

spyderski

Weepsie wrote: »

I actually did think i had the correct reg, and i always double check it on motorcheck etc, but the colour given is different hence my doubt for reporting

If the make and model are right, I wouldnt let the wrong colour put me off reporting. Many vans now are vinyl-wrapped for promotional purposes, so a van registered as white may appear to be any colour...

Pinch Flat

Ah white van man. We love you really. Like the tool the other morning who headed up Cuffe street in the left only lane, through the bike lane (nearly hitting a couple of cyclists in the process), then headed down the dedicated bike lane at the south of Stephens green. Despite me drawing along side and asking him to leave the bike lane, continued to do so. Then cut up left, straddling the dedicated lane at the east side of the green, undertaking traffic then cutting across them again to get to Merrion row. Absolutely crazy, reckless driving and a complete disregard for other road users. ,

Vincenzo Nibbly

At Tara Towers junction this morning, a lady stepped out in front of me as the traffic light turned amber, with her hand raised for me to stop. "See - it doesn't hurt" she says looking directly at me. I was already braking... Also - I do not represent all cyclists, lady!!

CramCycle

Vincenzo Nibbly wrote: »

At Tara Towers junction this morning, a lady stepped out in front of me as the traffic light turned amber, with her hand raised for me to stop. "See - it doesn't hurt" she says looking directly at me. I was already braking... Also - I do not represent all cyclists, lady!!

Dear C***B***s,

Try not to be such a pair of C***B***s, see, it does not hurt.

Regards

Nibbles


On an unrelated note, coming upto a light in Stillorgan (which was green), a taxi merged over from the driving lane into the bus lane (I was in the bike lane, just where it merges before the light). He had his indicator on (came on when I was at his front left bumper), and I just had that feeling he was going to pull across. I couldn't tell which was the better option, to roar and hammer it, skirting inside, or hit the brakes and minimise the collision. I slammed on and managed to drop just behind but I could not avoid completely where I was so I swerved in behind him to try and waste momentum (going left would have required a bunny hop and I was not approaching it right for that). I swung right but could not go round due to angle and other traffic but I thought I might just avoid, only he then dropped anchor, which lead to a scream from me but somehow I had scrubbed all my speed.

This all happened over 3 seconds. He stopped and wound the window down, I asked what he was at, and to be fair he was completely honest, he didn't realise I was so fast (poor situational awareness), and then when I disappeared from his view he panicked and dropped anchor ( I was in his rear view at this point). I asked why he just didn't wait behind, it was no more than 3 seconds delay, if even (it would have actually been sub 2 seconds), and he hands up and said, the light was green and I thought I would make it there before you, I just didn't think about it. He did seem genuine but a few things occurred to me, in my effort to avoid a collision, while I would have been safer, I also shifted the blame onto myself as it would have been a rear collision rather than a side on hit. I just don't get it, is life such a rush that two seconds, that you would regain on the side road or at the next lights that important.

robyntmorton

There's some crazy ones on the N11 anyway. I once had a driver merge in front of me outbound at Mount Merrion Ave. He sped up to go in front of me, when he could have easily gone behind. He got stopped immediately by the red light, so I told him it's safer to always go behind the cyclist. Of course he got defensive that he was clear ahead of me, and I decided it wasn't worth the argument. Some people won't change anyway.

Also, I hate the layout inbound at Stillorgan, between the slip off and then the main junction forcing you to use the pedestrian lights to get across. I'm usually inclined to take the bus lane from Brewery Rd. down, just to force the issue that yes, I'm here.

CramCycle

robyntmorton wrote: »

Also, I hate the layout inbound at Stillorgan, between the slip off and then the main junction forcing you to use the pedestrian lights to get across. I'm usually inclined to take the bus lane from Brewery Rd. down, just to force the issue that yes, I'm here.

I typically merge onto the bus lane just at the turn in for Stillorgan that goes up by The Hill. That junction makes no sense, they put cyclists into a merged space, with no lights, no indication etc. I hop back up on the bike lane after the junction where the kerb dips, or slightly past the next bus stop there is a crude ramp made.

fat bloke

I was cycling around Ballyroan last week with my two daughters. We're in the cycle lane and I'm outside and alongside the younger one cos she can be a bit wobbly, A car passes with a beep and I see the ol' "Move the fcuk over" finger-pointing-to-the-left gesture through his rear window.

Pedestrian lights went red up ahead so I caught him and enquired as to what the issue was.
He said indignantly and I quote "You were cycling side by side in the cycle lane"

Cycling in the cycle lane.... Jesus Christ. I started to argue with him and very quickly went a bit red-faced-Ian-Paisley-berserk. I don't remember what I said to him, but it would probably be easier to list the things I didn't call him.

He wasn't impeded by us one jot. Not a millisecond, not an inch. He had his lane, we had hours. Father and child. How that translated into his mind as "Better give these louts a good beeping and remind them where their place is, and who's boss of these roads"

that ... I cannot understand.

CramCycle

Coming home tonight I had a van pull up beside me and merge in. I slammed on immediately, just as he started his turn. Thankfully I stopped and let a roar, with my elbow touching the rear of the van he was so close. When I came around he went mental, started screaming at me that I was on drugs and to leave him alone. I was dumbstruck, I said all you have to do is say sorry, and he just went mental, screaming to leave him alone and I was on drugs. I think he may have been high himself.

I remember saying a few weeks ago, that with the mention of the MPL, that things seemed nicer, this has obviously stopped, unless this is somehow my fault??? Maybe I am doing something wrong that i do not realise.

nomdeboardie

CramCycle wrote: »

Coming home tonight I had a van pull up beside me and merge in. I slammed on immediately, just as he started his turn. Thankfully I stopped and let a roar, with my elbow touching the rear of the van he was so close. When I came around he went mental, started screaming at me that I was on drugs and to leave him alone. I was dumbstruck, I said all you have to do is say sorry, and he just went mental, screaming to leave him alone and I was on drugs. I think he may have been high himself.

I remember saying a few weeks ago, that with the mention of the MPL, that things seemed nicer, this has obviously stopped, unless this is somehow my fault??? Maybe I am doing something wrong that i do not realise.

Maybe it was this guy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYgPznBrjiA
my new mental model for hysterical motorists

CramCycle

I am going to ring up his company tomorrow and tell them that one of their drivers is mental and needs extra break time to sit and meditate.

buffalo

Commuters are the worst bunch of bastards. Punctured this morning on the canal, and not one offer of help or check to see if I knew what I was doing.

Leroy42

buffalo wrote: »

Commuters are the worst bunch of bastards. Punctured this morning on the canal, and not one offer of help or check to see if I knew what I was doing.

Did you know what you were doing? I mean were you just standing there with your arms in the air waving for help or did you get on with fixing the puncture?

Chuchote

Commuters are sheep. If one person had stopped to help, others would have, or at least given a friendly nod of commiseration.

BoardsMember

Pretty elitist and obnoxious. Commuters are all types, usually in a hurry I would guess. Shouldn't a non-commuter type be able to sort themselves out without expecting assistance with a mere puncture? Was everyone on a bike that passed a commuter? Surely there must have been some "proper" cyclists, not all sheep/bastards, or maybe some "proper" cyclists are bastards too, as I have found many times stuck up some mountain in winter with freezing hands trying to replace a tube.

StevieGriff

Just home from 6 months in New Zealand, practically lived on my MTB while over there, barely even saw a road bike. First day back on the road bike yesterday in the hopes of getting the legs in shape to start racing again soon. Felt bizarre, couldn't ride in a straight line to save my life and almost careered into a ditch when I got out of the saddle. Never had problems jumping from mtb to road in the past. Anyone experienced this before?

check_six

StevieGriff wrote: »

Just home from 6 months in New Zealand, practically lived on my MTB while over there, barely even saw a road bike. First day back on the road bike yesterday in the hopes of getting the legs in shape to start racing again soon. Felt bizarre, couldn't ride in a straight line to save my life and almost careered into a ditch when I got out of the saddle. Never had problems jumping from mtb to road in the past. Anyone experienced this before?

Had that when I first tried a road bike. 30 minutes spin will probably get you back in the swing of things (stay in the saddle for at least 15 minutes).

You never really forget, it's like riding... a (slightly different handling) bike!

Chuchote

StevieGriff wrote: »

Just home from 6 months in New Zealand, practically lived on my MTB while over there, barely even saw a road bike. First day back on the road bike yesterday in the hopes of getting the legs in shape to start racing again soon. Felt bizarre, couldn't ride in a straight line to save my life and almost careered into a ditch when I got out of the saddle. Never had problems jumping from mtb to road in the past. Anyone experienced this before?

It's not the bike it's the Antipodes effect. Your legs want to be upside down.

CramCycle

I crashed this morning. it was not a pleasant commute in for the first half, with several people cutting me up for no reason. Coming upto the one roundabout I use there is a bend in the road and the cycle lane actually disappears off the road and brings you in a different direction. I indicated out and was merging into the bus lane when a car decided the regular traffic lane (not even busy) was to slow and cut over. I had to swing back in but then I was on this bizarre bike junction thing and my brain shut down and I went into a railing at about 10km/hour.

StevieGriff

Chuchote wrote: »

It's not the bike it's the Antipodes effect. Your legs want to be upside down.

I think this has to be the most reasonable explanation. Things a bit better today, 60k with 1.5 hours at the start of sprint intervals followed by z4 work. Couldn't hit z4 despite riding eyeballs out...must be the upside effect.

eeeee

CramCycle wrote: »

I crashed this morning. it was not a pleasant commute in for the first half, with several people cutting me up for no reason. Coming upto the one roundabout I use there is a bend in the road and the cycle lane actually disappears off the road and brings you in a different direction. I indicated out and was merging into the bus lane when a car decided the regular traffic lane (not even busy) was to slow and cut over. I had to swing back in but then I was on this bizarre bike junction thing and my brain shut down and I went into a railing at about 10km/hour.

Shyte hope all's ok?

CramCycle

nee wrote: »

Shyte hope all's ok?

More comical than anything else, turned the handlebars completely out of place once I realised what was happening. Other than hitting my hand off a railing, nothing terrible happened.

Pinch Flat

Saw another motorists "educating" a cyclist this morning. Bit of a bizarre one. I was going through the Phoenix Park, stopped at the crossing at the castleknock roundabout. A cyclist was coming through from the Ordnance survey direction, heading towards the ashtown gate. As he cycled on, a car slowed down coming against him on the opposite side of the road, the driver rolled his window down, and yelled "you should be using the fcucking cycle lane" - there is a cycle lane on the opposite side of the road. The cyclist was going the opposite direction to the car and had absolutely zero impact on the (obviously crazy) motorists progress.

As I headed down the park, I glanced over at the motorist, now stuck in traffic, who seemed to be happy enough sitting in the 3km queue of traffic that stretched from just before the Aras to Park Gate Street.