Between The Wheels

Between The Wheels => Cycling => Topic started by: Fishy on March 06, 2022, 07:56:51 PM

Title: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on March 06, 2022, 07:56:51 PM
Think the morons were out in force today

Dogs on stupidly long leads
Walkers taking the whole width of the path
Bloke reversing out of parking place and not noticing me
Woman stepping off pavement onto cycle path and not noticing me

My red/orange jacket must be some kind of invisibility cloak
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Slim on March 06, 2022, 08:07:04 PM
Motorists overtaking too close is a very frequent source of irritation, but another very annoying one is oncoming motor vehicles with headlights on full beam. I find it useful to wear a powerful head torch so I can aim the beam at their windscreen for a brief moment.

Usually makes them stop, the same way a quick flash of full beam would if you were driving.

Here's a useful tip for night-time cyclists - if you see a car coming in the distance with suspiciously bright lights, keep one eye closed until it's passed. That way you'll still have night vision in one eye.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Nickslikk2112 on March 06, 2022, 09:47:08 PM
Gears which you think are indexed perfectly whilst you have the bike on a repair stand, yet which refuse to shift or skip a gear when you're on the road  >:(

Drivers who give you a good gap when passing, yet are oblivious to the fact that they are now in a lane with a vehicle rapidly approaching them...
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: dom on March 06, 2022, 10:08:18 PM
On this morning's spin, 2 motorcyclists close passed us, (probably because we were cycling 2 abreast) then slowed and over-revved their engines, causing me to wobble the bike with the noise. A couple of minutes later 4 of their colleagues flew past us a bit too close to comfort at what seemed like over 100mph. Gobshites. I always thought there was a bit of comraderie between cyclists and their petrol laden cousins. Obviously not!
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on March 07, 2022, 09:53:34 AM
Yep I'm all for plenty of room from cars but some folks are right over onto the other side even on upcoming bends and hills.. madness
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Slim on March 07, 2022, 09:59:58 AM
Here's one that annoys me. People crawling behind you in a car when they have plenty of time to overtake. What's that about? I had a woman stalk me in a Mini for about a mile along Heather Lane once.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: dom on March 07, 2022, 01:24:47 PM
Quote from: Fishy on March 07, 2022, 09:53:34 AMYep I'm all for plenty of room from cars but some folks are right over onto the other side even on upcoming bends and hills.. madness

Yes drivers who think they can see round corners is another one
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: dom on March 07, 2022, 01:27:03 PM
Quote from: Slim on March 07, 2022, 09:59:58 AMHere's one that annoys me. People crawling behind you in a car when they have plenty of time to overtake. What's that about? I had a woman stalk me in a Mini for about a mile along Heather Lane once.

Timid drivers are almost as bad as overly aggressive ones.  If I can see that there is ample room to overtake, especially when coming round a corner I do signal to cars behind to overtake. It's nice when you get an acknowledgement from the driver when they have overtaken you.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on March 07, 2022, 07:11:53 PM
Woman today with dog not on lead who was so immersed on her phone and had no spatial awareness at all.. get out the fucking way love.... and your dog...
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: pdw1 on March 07, 2022, 09:06:54 PM
Car drivers who pull up to red lights in the cycle box. There is a reason it is called a CYCLE box. Most are just to thoughtless and lazy to pay attention and stop in the right place but the few who think they can bully the cyclist out of the way (especially when they are turning left) really piss me off.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Nickslikk2112 on March 07, 2022, 09:45:12 PM
Quote from: pdw1 on March 07, 2022, 09:06:54 PMCar drivers who pull up to red lights in the cycle box. There is a reason it is called a CYCLE box.
It isn't. They're actually  ADVANCED STOP LINES  :) (Highway Code Rule 178 - yes, I spend my spare time reading the Highway Code...)

I always take great pleasure after someone has performed a needless overtake on me just before a red light with ASL in pulling up in front of them within the ASL and then taking an age to clip in when the lights turn green.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on March 30, 2022, 10:50:29 PM
It's still dog owners...
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 09:25:20 AM
Old codger yeaterday walking two black labs and taking up the whole cycle path.. ringing bell till i was right behind him.. had to stop and he asked " Don't you hvae a bell"  ffs just been dinging it you old fool so gave him another blast of it to let him hear... " Ah just never heard it"....
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: David L on April 08, 2022, 10:09:16 AM
Quote from: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 09:25:20 AMOld codger yeaterday walking two black labs and taking up the whole cycle path.. ringing bell till i was right behind him.. had to stop and he asked " Don't you hvae a bell"  ffs just been dinging it you old fool so gave him another blast of it to let him hear... " Ah just never heard it"....
It's not that far away, you know  ;D
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 10:26:38 AM
Quote from: David L on April 08, 2022, 10:09:16 AM
Quote from: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 09:25:20 AMOld codger yeaterday walking two black labs and taking up the whole cycle path.. ringing bell till i was right behind him.. had to stop and he asked " Don't you hvae a bell"  ffs just been dinging it you old fool so gave him another blast of it to let him hear... " Ah just never heard it"....
It's not that far away, you know  ;D

sorry what did u say... :P
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: David L on April 08, 2022, 11:51:34 AM
Quote from: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 10:26:38 AM
Quote from: David L on April 08, 2022, 10:09:16 AM
Quote from: Fishy on April 08, 2022, 09:25:20 AMOld codger yeaterday walking two black labs and taking up the whole cycle path.. ringing bell till i was right behind him.. had to stop and he asked " Don't you hvae a bell"  ffs just been dinging it you old fool so gave him another blast of it to let him hear... " Ah just never heard it"....
It's not that far away, you know  ;D

sorry what did u say... :P
IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY, YOU KNOW
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Fishy on April 12, 2022, 08:51:25 AM
Annoyingly paused my Strava app on a run out yesterday.. must have been when I was taking a pic....still not sure how I managed to do it tho
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Jonners on April 20, 2022, 10:13:30 AM
Roads resurfaced with "loose gravel"

I dont know if it a Wesy Midlands thing or not, ad I havent seen it anywhere else, but it is shit!
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Slim on April 20, 2022, 10:38:36 AM
They do that round these parts sometimes, as well. Takes a while for the gravel to bed in. Depends how busy the road is; the vehicle traffic basically finishes the job by flattening it down.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Jonners on April 20, 2022, 01:06:44 PM
or throwing it up in my face as they go careering past
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Slim on April 25, 2022, 09:28:05 PM
Here's one that annoys me, not often it happens but it did yesterday. Having to share the road with motor vehicles emitting clouds of noxious fumes.

Yesterday I was overtaken by a black BMW puffing out black smoke like Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually made my eyes water. I did my best not to breathe in until I was through the worst of it but I still got a vile petrochemical taste in my mouth.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Nickslikk2112 on April 25, 2022, 09:44:02 PM
Quote from: Slim on April 25, 2022, 09:28:05 PMHere's one that annoys me, not often it happens but it did yesterday. Having to share the road with motor vehicles emitting clouds of noxious fumes.

Yesterday I was overtaken by a black BMW puffing out black smoke like Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually made my eyes water. I did my best not to breathe in until I was through the worst of it but I still got a vile petrochemical taste in my mouth.
Wasn't Rolling Coal was he?

It really does make you wonder how some vehicles get through their MOT, apart from by cheating - hi VW - or not getting one done.
Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Jonners on April 26, 2022, 09:49:12 AM
our road surfaces. They grind my gears, but more importantly they are grinding down the cartilage in my wrists, elbows, shoulders and arse!

Title: Re: What grinds your gears
Post by: Slim on April 26, 2022, 10:03:56 AM
Quote from: Nickslikk2112 on April 25, 2022, 09:44:02 PM
Quote from: Slim on April 25, 2022, 09:28:05 PMHere's one that annoys me, not often it happens but it did yesterday. Having to share the road with motor vehicles emitting clouds of noxious fumes.

Yesterday I was overtaken by a black BMW puffing out black smoke like Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually made my eyes water. I did my best not to breathe in until I was through the worst of it but I still got a vile petrochemical taste in my mouth.
Wasn't Rolling Coal was he?

I'd never heard of this phenomenon so I looked it up. That's disgusting. Possibly the most redneck thing I can think of; legitimate targets being "hybrid vehicles .. foreign vehicles, bicyclists, protesters, and pedestrians" and I note the reference to "bicyclists" there.