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

nomdeboardie

ChrisJ84 wrote: »

I've been close passed recently by a couple of learner drivers out on lessons. If driving instructors aren't even teaching or enforcing good behaviour then it's no wonder this stuff happens so frequently.

I once let a learner driver on a lesson know that they passed too close only to be told by the instructor that I was "too far out in the road" :rolleyes: There is indeed no hope
(In retrospect, I should have addressed the instructor directly, but he'd probably have said the same thing)

CramCycle

nomdeboardie wrote: »

I once let a learner driver on a lesson know that they passed too close only to be told by the instructor that I was "too far out in the road" :rolleyes: There is indeed no hope
(In retrospect, I should have addressed the instructor directly, but he'd probably have said the same thing)

You done the right thing addressing the driver, they are in charge of the vehicle.

nomdeboardie

CramCycle wrote: »

You done the right thing addressing the driver, they are in charge of the vehicle.

Maybe, though felt a bit bad in case they were already stressed

eeeee

I feel that there has been a lack of empathy growing in society as a whole, with the growing binary of left and right politically, and the rise of more fundamentalist thinking flourishing in the echo chambers we now socialise and live within.
Add the entitlement and cocooned de-humanisation that happens when someone steps into a car - pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers are stripped of their humanity and become obstacles etc. and it's a recipe for disaster.

There is a lack of understanding from everyone for everyone else, and a generalised unwillingness to learn I feel. I believe once people do have an idea of how their behaviour impacts other people they are more open to change. It feels like that space is closing.
I feel the fact that 80% of cyclists are drivers but only 10% of the drivers are cyclists is a big part of the problem.





On a separate note, Heading home on the bike lane in the Phoenix Park, down Chesterfield Avenue, a family with 3 small children were walking with their backs to the direction of travel. I came up behind them, said 'excuse me'. No one moved. I said it again, stopped behind them, and got 'So, what's your problem'. They, ironically were just walking over the no walking sign painted on the path. The smallest child, about a year and a half, was in a little electric car thing right in the middle of the lane. I couldn't get by them. The parents continued to be, er 'unhelpful', and I, compounding their dislike of cyclists, swore at the father as he kept on being a total prick as I tried to get by. I was shocked at how dangerous a position they put really vulnerable people they made in. And the cycle begins again...

I had a more positive "excuse me" moment last week when I was out walking with the youngest in her buggy. I was in the middle of the footpath and traffic was heavy so noisy. I got an excuse me from behind in a polite and almost sing song tone, audible over traffic but not shouting, had a glance over my shoulder to see a girl of about 5 or 6 coming on her scooter a few meters back and slowing, I moved over with the buggy and waved her through and cruised down the hill passed us with a little wave and a thanks.

Thought occurred me that kid had more cop on than a lot of people 4, 5 or 6 times her age and more I've had ride up behind me on foot paths over the years.

Mc Love

I'd normally ring my bell if i needed to alert someone to my presence on a footpath/cycle path

ChrisJ84

You know that weird spidey-sense that lets you know a car driver is about to do something stupid or dangerous? Well, this morning I found out that it also works on other cyclists.

I was coming up behind a cyclist and found myself thinking, "I need to slow down, he's going to pull across the road without looking." And he did!

My only worry is that this power extends beyond mere discernment, and that I made him do it

magicbastarder

so i get into the office this morning, first time in here in a few weeks, and they've replaced the office coffee machine (which used to take beans) with some giant nespresso monstrosity. and the pods are 50c each.

i am slightly agog. has no-one been listening to the protests and media coverage about reducing waste?

Breezer

Some general silliness this evening from white van woman (women can be muppets in white vans too now, what an age we live in!)

We pull away from a junction on green, me ahead of her. On the other side of the junction there begins a cycle lane. In this cycle lane is parked a car. I make to cycle past this car, rather than through it. Beep beep. I pass the car. She passes me. Wild gesticulating in a generally leftwards direction from white van woman and angry glares from white van passenger.

Within sixty seconds I've caught up to them at the next light, as usual. Big grin and thumbs up from me. Sheepish expression from white van passenger. Major effort on the part of white van woman to hide behind white van passenger. All's well that ends well.

I'm still not entirely sure though whether she wanted me to cycle through the car, or to swerve around it in front of her at the last second.

nomdeboardie

Breezer wrote: »

Some general silliness this evening from white van woman (women can be muppets in white vans too now, what an age we live in!)

We pull away from a junction on green, me ahead of her. On the other side of the junction there begins a cycle lane. In this cycle lane is parked a car. I make to cycle past this car, rather than through it. Beep beep. I pass the car. She passes me. Wild gesticulating in a generally leftwards direction from white van woman and angry glares from white van passenger.

Within sixty seconds I've caught up to them at the next light, as usual. Big grin and thumbs up from me. Sheepish expression from white van passenger. Major effort on the part of white van woman to hide behind white van passenger. All's well that ends well.

I'm still not entirely sure though whether she wanted me to cycle through the car, or to swerve around it in front of her at the last second.

You don't know how to quantum tunnell:rolleyes:

doozerie

I was waiting, on the bike, at a T-junction recently. I was waiting to turn right so obviously had to wait for a suitable gap in both lanes that crossed the top of the T.

There was a solid line of cars in the lane I was heading for, the queue spanned both sides of the junction, and the yellow box in the centre of the junction was being routinely ignored so was almost constantly full. Traffic in the near lane was more sporadic, but there was no prospect of merging with traffic in the clogged lane so I waited, and waited.

I registered a car roll up behind me. It stopped relatively close to my rear wheel. After a few seconds it rolled up even closer. A few seconds after that the line of cars across the junction shuffled forward again. They were still moving slowly when the car behind blew the horn.

I turned around to see the driver gesturing wildly at me. Her life, it seemed, was over and it was apparently my fault.

I asked loudly whether she expected me to cycle under one of the moving cars. She couldn't answer as all of her efforts were directed into mouthing slowly and clearly "I've been waiting 5 MINUTES!". She did this while holding up both hands, proudly displaying 10 fingers. I briefly considered pointing out that she'd actually been waiting no more than 20 seconds, but basic sums didn't seem to be her strong point so I didn't bother event trying.

I was afraid of what else I might say so I turned my attention back to the traffic again. The traffic in the far lane had now stopped moving, leaving the yellow box clear this time. A car in the near lane approaching from the right meant that I could go nowhere but that didn't stop another beep from the fuming lunatic behind me. More gesturing, this time suggesting that I was mentally deficient, which was both, er, lovely, and ironic.

No sooner had that car from the right gone past than a car several positions short of the junction in the far lane chose to pull out into the near lane and drive the wrong way along it to turn right across me. That prompted a van driver to do the same.

I was glad to get away from the whole lot of them. And seeing as how it was apparently all my fault I can only assume that the fuming lunatic was delighted to see me go, I'm guessing she sat there in the stagnant traffic jam for ages afterwards, utterly content at the lack of a a feckin' cyclist to hold her up. More likely though she probably just assumed that some feckin' cyclist was at the head of the long queue, dedicating their apparently worthless life to holding everyone else up. Sure what else could explain so many motorists sitting in a large volume of stopped cars, motorists are the hapless victims of traffic congestion after all, ...

ChrisJ84

Breezer wrote: »

Some general silliness this evening from white van woman (women can be muppets in white vans too now, what an age we live in!)

We pull away from a junction on green, me ahead of her. On the other side of the junction there begins a cycle lane. In this cycle lane is parked a car. I make to cycle past this car, rather than through it. Beep beep. I pass the car. She passes me. Wild gesticulating in a generally leftwards direction from white van woman and angry glares from white van passenger.

Within sixty seconds I've caught up to them at the next light, as usual. Big grin and thumbs up from me. Sheepish expression from white van passenger. Major effort on the part of white van woman to hide behind white van passenger. All's well that ends well.

I'm still not entirely sure though whether she wanted me to cycle through the car, or to swerve around it in front of her at the last second.

Fly over it obviously, have you never seen ET?!?

doozerie

ChrisJ84 wrote: »

Fly over it obviously, have you never seen ET?!?

Now there is a can of worms. That was clearly an early e-bike but the question that demands an answer is whether it was pedal-assist, or strictly illegal under Irish laws?

And that's before we even consider whether the kid cyclist stuck to cycling-designated air space, or recklessly used all of the airspace as if he was somehow entitled to. (Did he even PAY HIS AIR TAX???)

I foresee angry letters from the RSA, and like-minded people who all have only the best interests of the little bastard brat child at heart.

ChrisJ84

doozerie wrote: »

Now there is a can of worms. That was clearly an early e-bike but the question that demands an answer is whether it was pedal-assist, or strictly illegal under Irish laws?

And that's before we even consider whether the kid cyclist stuck to cycling-designated air space, or recklessly used all of the airspace as if he was somehow entitled to. (Did he even PAY HIS AIR TAX???)

I foresee angry letters from the RSA, and like-minded people who all have only the best interests of the little bastard brat child at heart.

And, if I recall correctly, he was (recklessly) wearing neither a helmet nor a high viz vest.

Breezer

ChrisJ84 wrote: »

And, if I recall correctly, he was (recklessly) wearing neither a helmet nor a high viz vest.

Both weigh you down, making upward trajectory difficult. I could have removed mine and tossed them forward, thus enabling me to fly over (or at least bunny hop) the car and retrieve them mid air. But then she would have suddenly been unable to see me, and if her Ford Transit happened to collide directly with my head as I landed I wouldn't have had my protective armour on.

odyssey06

Breezer wrote: »

Both weigh you down, making upward trajectory difficult. I could have removed mine and tossed them forward, thus enabling me to fly over (or at least bunny hop) the car and retrieve them mid air. But then she would have suddenly been unable to see me, and if her Ford Transit happened to collide directly with my head as I landed I wouldn't have had my protective armour on.

But what if a dragon appeared? You would be defenceless without a mantle.

JMcL

Breezer wrote: »

I'm still not entirely sure though whether she wanted me to cycle through the car, or to swerve around it in front of her at the last second.

If you'd been able to channel your inner Danny MacAskill and bunny hop it the look on her face would have been priceless

secman

Whilst out on a club spin last night, 3 of us, 2 abreast and one behind, we were beeped at for a good stretch by one motorist in Saggart, how hard is it to fathom 2 abreast is totally legal.
Then on my cool down loop around Tallaght village, on my ownio, mosying along, this guy starts shouting out passenger window screaming at me to get off the road and on to the cycle lane, the one full of broken glass, i shouted back that it wasn't compulsory to ride in cycle lane but he was so incensed with me being on the road my enlightening him most likely didn't register.
Im convinced learner drivers should be made cycle as part of their driving ability test.
80% of cyclists drive and only 20% of motorists cycle.

07Lapierre

I'm also convinced that a lot of new drivers lack the confidence to overtake properly. They seem to think that they should never cross the centre line under any circumstances.
Anyone who can't overtake two cyclists cycling two abreast needs to re-examine their own driving ability!

Breezer

07Lapierre wrote: »

I'm also convinced that a lot of new drivers lack the confidence to overtake properly. They seem to think that they should never cross the centre line under any circumstances.
Anyone who can't overtake two cyclists cycling two abreast needs to re-examine their own driving ability!

I had one like this this evening on New St outbound (before it runs into Clanbrassil St), where there's a narrow cycle lane and two general traffic lanes. A learner in a driving school car seemed to hesitate and then overtook me relatively slowly (I'd say I was doing about 20 km/h and her about 30) with inches to spare. I didn't do or say anything, partly because she was going slowly and wasn't going to hurt me unless she suddenly swung left, and partly because I reckoned if I startled her it might cause her to panic and do something worse. I think her instructor may have slowed her down with the dual controls beforehand.

I really hate on road painted cycle lanes that are too narrow. I'd rather they weren't there at all. People seem to feel it's fine to overtake at any miniscule distance as long as they're in "their" lane and you're in "yours".

Edit: sorry I thought this was the near miss thread. I should have told that story using more evocative language!

North of 32

Just a week ago I bought a brand new rear tyre because the previous one was full of nicks and holes. I only got about 1500 - 2000km out of the tyre and punctured 8 times.

Today was the third ride on the new tyre and after approximately 100km I punctured on a tiny piece of glass. The best part is that it went right through the tyre so it might be that I have to just bin it. That's an average of 1 flat per week since the end of April. A few have been pinch flats because of terrible cycle-path surfaces but most have just been small stones/glass.

I've been flatting so often I bought an extra floor pump to keep in my girlfriend's car. All-in-all, between the pump, new tyre, inner tubes and patch kit I've probably spent 100euro because of how frequently I've been puncturing. I weigh 78kg and wherever possible, when I see an uneven surface, I get out of the saddle to get as much weight as possible off the rear tyre. I weave around patches in the cycle-path surface. I run the rear tyre at 90psi. I pray to God. Nothing works.

At this point I'm ready not just to give up on cycling but also life itself.

smacl

Sounds like either tubeless, solid tyres or maybe just Marathon plus tyres are in order. Which tyres have you been using to date?

North of 32

smacl wrote: »

Sounds like either tubeless, solid tyres or maybe just Marathon plus tyres are in order. Which tyres have you been using to date?

Continental GP 4000. Maybe I should give the gatorskin a go but it's pricey

smacl

North of 32 wrote: »

Continental GP 4000. Maybe I should give the gatorskin a go but it's pricey

For reasonably bombproof road tyres that are still feel decent I find Durano Plus to be excellent. Haven't used gatorskins but others here have commented they're not the best in the wet.

CramCycle

Weepsie wrote: »

RLJing in motor vehicles to my mind seems worse, and more dangerous lately.

Pretty much the reason why ANPR cameras need to be put at all light controlled junctions. It's not only regular but expected occurance at most junctions. I now no longer need to look around to estimate when lights will go green, I know it because cars will accelerate for amber on theirs, so I know my lights are about to go green based on the increase in speed and noise from crossing traffic.

JMcL

Experienced a particularly woeful piece of "driving" on the way to work yesterday morning. Was on the road exiting this roundabout yesterday morning.

Usually commutes at this time of year are bliss as all the stressed school runners are now on holiday. Nope. Mrs 4xFaux (quashqai, Sportage et al) was obviously in a hurry and Could Not Be Held Up. She did admittedly give way to me on the actual roundabout, but there was an old dear crossing the road just beyond the island on the exit, so I stopped to let her finish crossing as you know, the law says you have to because she has right of way. I'd taken primary almost, but not quite halfway across the lane, not that this deterred She Who Is In A Hurry one bit. She squeezed between me and the pedestrian island first of all, then realised that the woman was crossing ao I think "alright she's going to give way". Nope. After the briefest of pauses she gunned it between the two of us. I apologised to her, not sure why, maybe for not blocking mrs knobhead properly

buffalo

One of my least favourite charges levelled at the cyclist mob is that of 'entitlement'. As if we all go around making outrageous demands and expecting them to be fulfilled. Surely by now, everyone who has turned a pedal in Ireland has realised we're low down the pecking order, and any requests have to be accompanied by begging, pleading, protests, letters to politicians, and still we're resigned to the ongoing 8 year wait for the Liffey Cycle Route.

The low level aggression I encountered this morning on the quays was extremely minor in the grand scheme of things, but just so totally *unnecessary* as to really get under my skin.

I could explain in great detail the whys and wherefores of why this driver is an entitled prick, but sure just watch it yourself - it's on the north quays heading for the turn for Blackhall Place: https://goo.gl/maps/pBp4R2RD3vcbi7aG7

MojoMaker

TT bike down the north quays a rare spot!

eeeee

Weepsie wrote: »

That triathlete probably bothered them in fairness

That's not a triathlete, that's a track rider
In pursuit gear to be precise.
So not a tt bike, but a track bike in pursuit mode :cool:

MojoMaker

What a pillock. I've yet to see that but will be keeping the eyes peeled now that you've mentioned it!