London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

Just had a read of the latest rider down and it's made me start this thread. We've all seen it and continue to see it all day, everyday. Without question it's something that sadly casts all of us in a bad light** and surely undoes all of the good that we do and possibly puts off those thinking of making the switch as they sit frustrated in traffic.Then there is the knock on effect if they have children asking to ride to school having had a good standard of cycle training, will never allow them on the basis their kids will behave in the same way they perceive many cyclists to ride:
stupid, selfish and dangerous.

** I'm not perfect and have done daft/bad/stupid things so this could lead to the biggest case of double standards and is the biggest barrier for me.

Many women have spoken about feeling persecuted on the road as it is without having further grief coming their way from those on 2 wheels as well as those inadequate idiots on 4 wheels. I can't escape an immense feeling of stupendous arrogance in this proposed action but you know that feeling when you see folk doing things mentioned here and here? Is this just going to escalate tensions on the road unnecessarily? Or do I need just check myself and grow up?

Nah, you make a very fair point. I've posted elsewhere about responsible cycling being (IMHO) 'considerate' cycling... and that sometimes means holding back and let those less manoverable (shpelling?) do their thing for example.

My own gripe today the number of cyclists cycling too frigging close to each other, and me... it's bad enough when a car/bus/lorry does it.... if you cycle that close to me, and one of us has an off, we'll both be kissing tarmac. Duh!

My guess is that this wouldn't make much difference. Most people, regardless of the chosen form of transport, don't like being told what to do. Unless you have a long time at the lights to have a nice chat about it, I think it's quite hard to convince people to behave considerately whilst on the road.

such a fine line between have an "open" descent/pleasant conversation with someone and opening an exchange that at best leaves a bad vibe and at worse leads to:

Shouldn't they be wearing helmets? http://www.lfgss.com/thread1525-51.html

I was one of 5 cyclists approaching a red last night, and the only one who stopped. I doubt conversation would've done owt to change their behviour.

I just caught and passed them all once the lights had changed of course. Then blocked the filtering line at the next red. No-one jumped that one. Actions can speak louder than words.

I'm just bottling it all up and planning on going postal in a few months.

It work for those nice young men in Columbine.

dont know how you mean to call them out on here?
in the 'real' world -call them out on the road with a sarky comment?, as you witness someone rljing in front of traffic that has the right of way whilst waiting yourself at a red, shortly after overtake them cos they are shit slow, pushing huge gear on the flat , something like "nice red light jumping fucko, didnt get you very far did it, why not observe the same rules as evryone else you dullard"
Im always saying to cyclists on the pavement
"what are you 10 mate? get off the pavement"
sounds moody^,
but gotta say as well that at the mo, having plenty good moments where I just hang back, see who is going to go, if the driver then waves ya on, because ya both slowed down its such a win, its like, "yes, we got time to live"
thats the problem, no one got the time to live round here.

hahaahah,
just reread that one, could be tad aggressive....

@RHB +1

That weird psychology when you go through so does everyone else. You stop so do they. TBH I have said stuff in the past and ask, "how can you expect to be treated as an equal by motorists if you choose to ignore the rules they have to live by?"
"what if you need one of them (motorists) to give you way 100 yards down the road? Do you think they will?"

They mostly agree, we smile and go our ways.

Most things can get sorted with a smile. When I say call out, I mean when you catch someone up and it looks like you have a descent stretch of road or a just-turned-red light.

...and they ignore you the next day.

guess what youre saying as well is that with all the 'correct' cycling you do, people blatantly riding bad really irks as well?
I think this too,lots.
Be sure that when you do ride well, other road users really notice it,
most people in vehicles drive so habitually, without a comprehension of the fact bikes have to be more aware, awake.

bikeradar has 1000+ pages of commuter racing stories so you'll have your work cut out...

Festus, we have been through this time and time again. There are many, many different ways of meeting women and asking them on a date. "Calling them out" at the lights is not one of them. It hasn't worked for you in the past and it won't in the future. Encouraging other people to do it in order to make your approach seem 'normal' is frankly just weird.

@wiganwill.... does the same think apply if trying to find a boyfriend? Just checking like.... ;-)

What you get up to in the privacy of your own home is your business. But on a public street? In broad daylight? My God. No wonder heterosexual cyclists get such a bad name.

There is a difference between people who don't follow the rules, and people who simply can't ride. There's plenty of both on the roads. Especially with the barclays bikes. I'm all for encouraging cycling, but when you're setting off at lights, pushing off and swerving 2 foot from the curb is not going to keep you safe....

It's so long since I was hetrosexual I can't remember.... !

Daft cunts

I'll chime in and say it doesn't matter if you're a woman giving the advice. I have mentioned foot retention to two dudes lately (one zooming down Lordship Lane) and both either denied not having foot retention (what? maybe he didn't hear me past the earbuds in his ears) and one, a teen going back to school today and fighting his way up Crystal Palace road while I breezed past him, shouted at me a couple times. Weird.

Then a chick kept to the outside of the Goose Green rdbt and cut across traffic without looking, just trusting her arm to show cars the way. I caught up at her and told her she put herself at serious risk doing that, to take her lane at rdbts! She just sort of did that weird thing where people say things without saying things? I don't get that one.

+1

caveat: if you moan at people not abiding the rules of the road on a brakeless bike you're a complete tool.

Just sayin'

a multitool?

is that what you're saying?

You're all shit.

+1

'kerb'

…your enthusiasm.

for grammar.

bikeradar ------------>

Are you confusing it with 'Frasier'?

If bikeradar ------------>

what is

<------------

?

I'm concatenating the two shows.

cyclechat?

http://www.zastavki.com/pictures/128...ce_010492_.jpg <-----------

phew, I thought it was

this!<-----------

Nope, http://bit.ly/ttJC0 is ˅

start calling out bad cyclists

Well I'm often 'calling out' bad pedestrians (for example " thats a red light/man see ?!" ) but like an abusive comment from a passing motorist I'm gone in seconds and don't deal with any responses. Cowardly/can't be arsed to stop maybe or just some ingrained comradeship with 'fellow' cyclists has meant that I very rarely call out bad cyclists.
Maybe I should but it will always tempered by the experience of alot worse/dangerous road behaviour by motorists.

^bold satement

I get really annoyed when grown adults undertake me when I have stopped at lights. I tend to do a big, slow swerve around them and the annoying (inevitable) car that's gone fully into the bicycle box at the lights. WTF? I really hate this shit, makes even a good cyclist feel like getting even further beyond the light just to avoid being run over when the lights change (happened more than once when i was starting out. Rant over...

It's this notion of collective responsibility that I don't get. If someone does something stupid on a bike it's not your responsibility just because you are on a bike as well. I often walk places, and I drive a car as well, when a numpty ped walks infront of you, or a car swerves to close to you are they giving me a bad name? No - the notion is ridiculous. Aside from that I doubt that calling out is likely to make much difference - I got a lecture from someone a few years ago after a move that I admit was not my finest hour. I just thought he was a patronizing twat - which he was.

Maybe he was trying to give you help. Are you so proud that you can't take advice?

surely your life would be better place if you stopped worrying about everyone else and just rode yer bike

Majority of cyclists are unable to understand whats going on around them.

Don't know what to do to change as tried polite comments tried rude comments stopped bothering. Why should I care its their life.

I was hoping this would be a thread naming bad cyclists on the forum.
I nominate myself.

Seconded.

load up with cards for cycle training and start handing them out to cyclists that are a bit dodge.
"I'm not being cheeky but.. you may want to do some training" hand over card, saunter away from lights...

List of shit cyclists:
1. sumo
2. spybot
3. lynx

etc

I iz a bad MF.