Things I've seen when riding my bike

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Welcome to the Forum! :thumb:

Reminded me of Max Wall, a comedian from way back when.

Legend has it that he got banned from the BBC for telling a joke where he surprised a lady whilst crossing a narrow bridge and "Didn't know whether to block her passage or toss myself off."

They banned people for anything in those days! :lol::lol::lol:
He'd get top billing now:lol:
 
Yesterday I complained to three of my local County Councillors about the state of the cycle paths in and around Skegness.

Why?

Well, a few weeks back I was choosing to ride along the A158 rather than risk the cracked, broken and narrow cycle path that runs alongside the road from Burgh-Le-Marsh to Skegness. A passing motorist (obviously not a cyclist who knows anything about the state of the path) shouted out "Why don't you use the ***ing cycle path?" as he swept past me. :doh:

Yesterday, riding along a very badly signed "Cyclist & Pedestrian" path in town I had the indignity of a pedestrian (again obviously not a cyclist) shouting after me "Why don't you use the ****ing road?" :doh:

Definitely a subject which County Councillors should be able to answer eh? :whistle:


BTW

Today, I passed the regular traffic jam along Roman Bank, Skegness and saw dozens of drivers sat in their cars accepting the fact that they were in a "Stop/Start" situation, caused by the other drivers of the other vehicles, for the best part of a mile.

Why is it that these self same drivers seem to go mental if a cyclist dares to slow them down for a few seconds as the zoom along a road to their next traffic jam?

Answers on a Postcard to the politician that wants to introduce electric cars in another 23, years instead of providing a decent cycle path network throughout the country today!
 
Yesterday I complained to three of my local County Councillors about the state of the cycle paths in and around Skegness.

Why?

Well, a few weeks back I was choosing to ride along the A158 rather than risk the cracked, broken and narrow cycle path that runs alongside the road from Burgh-Le-Marsh to Skegness. A passing motorist (obviously not a cyclist who knows anything about the state of the path) shouted out "Why don't you use the ***ing cycle path?" as he swept past me. :doh:

Yesterday, riding along a very badly signed "Cyclist & Pedestrian" path in town I had the indignity of a pedestrian (again obviously not a cyclist) shouting after me "Why don't you use the ****ing road?" :doh:

Definitely a subject which County Councillors should be able to answer eh? :whistle:


BTW

Today, I passed the regular traffic jam along Roman Bank, Skegness and saw dozens of drivers sat in their cars accepting the fact that they were in a "Stop/Start" situation, caused by the other drivers of the other vehicles, for the best part of a mile.

Why is it that these self same drivers seem to go mental if a cyclist dares to slow them down for a few seconds as the zoom along a road to their next traffic jam?

Answers on a Postcard to the politician that wants to introduce electric cars in another 23, years instead of providing a decent cycle path network throughout the country today!

I've had similar :mad: I caught up with the driver who was..... on his mobile phone. maybe I should invest in a bike camera and send the footage to the police or post on you tube, these idiots can have 6 points on their licence. Can't do anything about idiot pedestrians, i'm bike aware as a motorist & pedestrian however it's not always reciprocated.

I just think they must have a pretty sad and **** poor life to want to hurl abuse at a stranger who incidentally is NOT breaking the law. - Use of a cycle path over a road isn't compulsory. The only time bikes aren't allowed on a road apart from a motorway is when you see this sign

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&r...MnYt19vj8rrEthAHkKo-_jzw&ust=1501502489235233

:doh:

Of course this is beyond the comprehension of the thickest & most selfish members of our society.

They need to take up homebrewing and chill out more :lol:
 
The respect given to cyclists is the main reason why we like cycling in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In most of the major towns and cities they have:

o Separate roads for cycles, complete with their own traffic lights in some cases!

o A red or green stripe on roundabouts that are there specifically for cyclists.

o "No Entry" signs that underneath say "Except Cycles"!

Legend has it that any motorist who hits a cyclist should hand his licence in to the police and buy himself a bike; because he will definitely not be driving his car for a few years! :thumb:

In Agen in France we saw a car parked on the side of the road right across the cycle lane. A passing cyclist, risking life and limb as he pulled out into the traffic to pass the car, whipped out a short screwdriver from his jersey and calmly "keyed" the side of the car as he passed! :thumb:
 
My commute home was absolute carnage this evening.

I was overtaking a very slow moving bus and another cyclist. I left plenty of space for the other cyclist to overtake the bus too but all the other cyclist saw out othe corner of his eye was me overtaking him and assumed I hadn't left enough room for him to overtake the bus too and would therefore go into the back of the bus. So he braked really hard and went over his handle bars and nearly into the back of the bus!

After seeing if he was ok I carried on cycling. About ten minutes later a white van left hookd me. Fortunatley I had tighened my brakes on Sunday so I easily stopped before going into the side of him.

Then a couple of minutes later a lady was pulling out of a side road in front of me about 100 yards up the road. There was was plenty of space and time for her to pull out in front of me and do a right turn, and I was looking to cycle behind her as she pulled out in front of me. Suddenly an old lady in a car over took me and nearly took out the lady cyclist in front of me.
 
What can I say

IMG_0759.jpg
 
You must be mad cycling in London it must be like russian roulette every time you set off.
 
My commute home was absolute carnage this evening.

I was overtaking a very slow moving bus and another cyclist. I left plenty of space for the other cyclist to overtake the bus too but all the other cyclist saw out othe corner of his eye was me overtaking him and assumed I hadn't left enough room for him to overtake the bus too and would therefore go into the back of the bus. So he braked really hard and went over his handle bars and nearly into the back of the bus!

After seeing if he was ok I carried on cycling. About ten minutes later a white van left hookd me. Fortunatley I had tighened my brakes on Sunday so I easily stopped before going into the side of him.

Then a couple of minutes later a lady was pulling out of a side road in front of me about 100 yards up the road. There was was plenty of space and time for her to pull out in front of me and do a right turn, and I was looking to cycle behind her as she pulled out in front of me. Suddenly an old lady in a car over took me and nearly took out the lady cyclist in front of me.
How many times have you been knocked off?
Sounds crazy.

And on another note,can someone tell me what is the purpose of those horse masks? I don't think they were going to rob our local post office?
 
I have to say I agree with @Chippy_Tea and @pms67 about cycling in London or any other busy city or town.
Conversely I live in a semi rural area and every weekend we have the lycra clad expensive sports bike riders out in force which clog up busy roads, and apparently have no regard for other road users, or importantly their own safety.
This has definitely worsened in recent years, the Froome/Boardman effect I suppose. The sad fact is our twisty narrow rural roads are simply not up to supporting the levels of vehicle traffic that they carry, including artics filling their side of the road and more, and a few wobbly cyclists chucked in for good measure negotiating pot hole covered surfaces only makes matters worse. When I have been over to mainland Europe their roads seem to be wider, straighter and less busy, which makes cycling over there much safer.
I used to cycle to work for many years when I worked locally and went out in the summer evenings and long runs at weekends, but wouldn't do it now. It's simply too dangerous. The warning sign for me was when I nearly got knocked off by a speeding RAC van.
 
I too find the thought of cycling in a major city undesirable, so I tend to stick to the leafy lanes of Worcestershire and only for pleasure and exercise. I am always surprised how courteous motorists generally are to cyclists, so if I feel I am slowing someone down, I will stop at the roadside and wave them past.

I can also see how motorists get frustrated by cyclists, whether its the MAMIL's (middle aged men in lycra) wobbling from side to side up a small incline and blocking everyone else from passing, or the cycle couriers swerving between lanes and undertaking inappropriately.

I have been hit on the elbow by a cyclist's handlebars whilst walking in a pedestrian only shopping street. I later clothes-lined the offending teen and gave him a dressing down about where not to cycle. Overall I feel cyclists are as much sinning as sinned against.

As for most unusual thing seen while cycling, probably an adder wriggling across the road in front of me. Slowed down as I passed, but didn't put my feet down.
 
........

As for most unusual thing seen while cycling, probably an adder wriggling across the road in front of me. Slowed down as I passed, but didn't put my feet down.

The first greatest lie is "Stand up to a bully and he will run away!" ... :whistle:

... and the second is "That animal is more frightened of you than you are of it!" :lol: :lol:
 
I was once surrounded by cows on one of the stupidest cycle lanes in wales. I just about avoided being crushed. further alone the same route is a very narrow bit that goes under a bridge and alongside a canal. These routes were obviously designed by cycle haters :doh:
 
Not something I saw on my bike but it was on one of my bike routes. Was driving over the Abergwesyn Mountain Pass this morning and came across this very friendly peacock eating an apple on the edge of the forest. This is the remotest part of Wales and I came across a peacock, weird.

IMG_5315.jpg


IMG_5318.jpg
 
I saw a common lizard scampering across the path in front of me near White Coppice in Lancashire. The unusual thing was it was a distinctly red colour.
 
How many times have you been knocked off?
Sounds crazy.

And on another note,can someone tell me what is the purpose of those horse masks? I don't think they were going to rob our local post office?

Only once which was really my own fault as I was going the wrong way down a one way street (I didnt realize it was one way) and last autumn a woman hit the back of my arm with her wing mirror as she was waaay too close to me.

Overall though I ride very defensively . I also have mirror which really helps too. So I normally either spot potential hazards before they happen and act appropriately or put myself in a position in the road where the drivers will either see me or have to go so wide around me they wont hit me (or both).
E.G. One thing I learned a long time ago (in London at least) is if you give car drivers an inch they'll take a mile. So if you ride close to the pavement drivers will take this as a sign that they can squeeze past you in potentially dangerous situations. So I dont ride close to the pavement unless I'm 100% I wont be trapped into a dangerous situation.
I ride considerately to drivers but If I spot a situation which potentially compromises my safety I dont
 
What type of bike do you ride, I seem to remember you saying it was a recumbent are you still riding one?
 
.............

And on another note,can someone tell me what is the purpose of those horse masks? I don't think they were going to rob our local post office?

Apparently they do it to protect the horse from flies, especially if it also has an eye infection.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, just like a woman wearing a full-face burka, the hood is made from a very fine mesh and the horse can actually see out of it. :thumb:
 
I saw two velomobiles parked outside a starbucks today. Despite the hundreds of thousands of bikes in London I rarely see a recumbent, let alone a velomobile. In the ten years I'm been riding my recumbent this is the first time I've seen a velomobile. I stopped and had a chat with the owners as they were sitting outside having a coffee

If your wondering what a velomobile is:

quest_drawing.png
 
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