The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[Summernight]

+1 The wide angle ones make close passes look more distant, and makes 20kmh look like you are in a ITT defending the yellow jersey

It's good for a non-incident type situation - when reviewing footage it makes me feel like I actually ride fast when really I don't.

But whenever things are posted online using footage from a wide-angle there are always some that assume that the speed perception is accurate and that one is riding at 50kph when one is really doing 15kph. I would probably assume the same (someone riding too fast) if I didn't have this exact phenomenon with my camera.

[ColinOldnCranky]

+1 The wide angle ones make close passes look more distant, and makes 20kmh look like you are in a ITT defending the yellow jersey

It's good for a non-incident type situation - when reviewing footage it makes me feel like I actually ride fast when really I don't.

But whenever things are posted online using footage from a wide-angle there are always some that assume that the speed perception is accurate and that I'm riding at 50kph when I'm doing 15kph.

Perhaps I should have used a term other than "check". I used the term in the context of "reducing" speed. I have looked again at the video and see no speed reduction.

I am aware that the lense is, as on most videos posted here, a short focal length cam and I factor that into my judgement. And he may have been going "only" at 20kph.

But 20kph is an innapropriate speed to be doing on the path up against doors and through blind corners. A ped coming around the blind corner will not be acting in a manner to preserve themselves from someone riding at 20kph - half that speed is what is called for - and it certainly doesn't look anything like 10kph even after factoring in the cameral focal length.

Annoying though it may be, the simple, safe and legal response to a ped in the way is to slow down and get around them or wait or whatever. As an aside non-cyclists rightly get annoyed when we morph from road-rider to path-ped to road-rider at our convenience.

The only point of agreement we may have however is that the post is in the correct thread.

[Lukeyboy]

The reason I didn't reduce my speed greatly was because there was no need for it. On the road I was only doing 23kph before the servo. On the footpath I was averaging between 15-17kph and once back on the road ramped it up to 44kph. There are no doors (the red door has a lock on the bottom if you look close) and there are no blind corners in that area. The building on the end is a showroom for the second hand car dealer yard there. The only entrance is 20-30m down on the side street. There is no footpath on that side of the road and the showroom has large glass panels along both sides giving a clear view of what's on the side street. Members here that don't know me should note that I don't ride a 54cm bike... even a large frame with a 230mm stem is just enough for me to put the power down. Heck, I have to go into TT mode just to get under one bridge in Wynumn so I can easily see over the tops of a lot of things that most people here can't (Live bands/concerts rule )

+1 The wide angle ones make close passes look more distant, and makes 20kmh look like you are in a ITT defending the yellow jersey.

Should see the footage when 75+ pops up on the Garmin.Zooooooom

[InTheWoods]

Should see the footage when 65+ pops up on the Garmin.Zooooooom

I think I actually need to see that. The still doesn't do it for me. Link?

[BianchiCam]

Yesterday afternoon, Canberra city, Marcus Clark Street, Cnr of Edinburgh Ave lights.

To the tall chap with the small beard and one pannier on his bike You wouldn't have heard it, but the driver of the white car we were both next to wound down his window, let out all the typical "bloody cyclists... running red lights... bloody typical..." and other sarcastic laughter type comments that i had to endure.

Irony - you were wearing an Amy Gillett Grand Fondo jersey. Amy Gillett Foundation - safety... share the road, working to eliminate fatalities and injuries on the road, cycle safe messages etc...

Your actions lead to a harder time for all of us "good" cyclists....

Indeed. Douche...

[ColinOldnCranky]

The reason I didn't reduce my speed greatly was because there was no need for it. On the road I was only doing 23kph before the servo. On the footpath I was averaging between 15-17kph and once back on the road ramped it up to 44kph. There are no doors (the red door has a lock on the bottom if you look close) and there are no blind corners in that area. The building on the end is a showroom for the second hand car dealer yard there. The only entrance is 20-30m down on the side street. There is no footpath on that side of the road and the showroom has large glass panels along both sides giving a clear view of what's on the side street. Members here that don't know me should note that I don't ride a 54cm bike... even a large frame with a 230mm stem is just enough for me to put the power down. Heck, I have to go into TT mode just to get under one bridge in Wynumn so I can easily see over the tops of a lot of things that most people here can't (Live bands/concerts rule )

+1 The wide angle ones make close passes look more distant, and makes 20kmh look like you are in a ITT defending the yellow jersey.

Should see the footage when 75+ pops up on the Garmin.Zooooooom

Fair 'nuff.

[jasonc]

saw many dumb cyclists this morning. The ride to conquer cancer started this morning - 2 days - 100kms each day. have to raise $2500 to do it. all great and all. problem is, if you're walking after 5kms, there's a problem. The organisers need to be held responsible before one of them gets hurt, or hurts someone else.

[g-boaf]

One of those rides was in Sydney a few years back. A lot of people who wouldn't normally ride bikes that often (judging by their bike handling) are there. So you've just got to keep your wits about you. I stumbled on the course because it just happened to be on my regular Saturday riding route and they can't block us residents from using the facilities our council rates pay for.

But the dumb cyclist this morning was the fool going downhill at the start of the M7 cycleway (Prestons end) tucked down on his bars in full aero descent position on my side of the cycleway coming at me at high speed. The other riders near him were warning him, he obviously didn't hear. And it wasn't until I screamed at the top of my voice that he slowed down and pulled over. Absolutely stupid.b

I was already slowing down and ready to head off onto the grass if needed. When people do silly things like that, it'll will only be a matter of time before a mandatory speed limit is in place and enforced, if it isn't already. And I'm informed this morning by another rider that the M7 cycleway 30km/h advisory speed limit is now mandatory and enforced by Police on bicycles.

Before the zealots start jumping up and down saying 30km/h is still too fast, you have to remember this is no ordinary pedestrian footpath, this is a quite wide and very smooth purpose built high speed, long distance cycleway which in most parts sees very little if any pedestrian traffic due to the fact many parts of it are quite remote and quite far from very densely populated areas.

[Bah77]

Guy in front checks behind and moves right, i think he is setting up to turn right, so move to pass on the left at which point he moves back to the left
Probably not the best to pass on the left, but when you think someone is turning right you assume it will be ok, but assumption is the mother of all.... as they say.

Also saw some guy overtaking traffic through U.Q.

Picture for reference, traffic was a little slow for his liking i guess. (for mine too), later on up the road he almost got right hooked for his trouble

Might not have been his fault i didnt see it from up close, but...
(he was too far ahead, doesnt show up on video too well)

[Red Rider]

That cyclist was playing with danger Bah77!

A work colleague recently broke his jaw in four places when he rode into the back of a stationary boat being towed by a car. He is pretty when he tells the story. Earned himself 6 weeks off work. Lesson is: look where you're going!

[lobstermash]

More dog walkers off leash on the shared path yesterday. Poor little dogs wouldn't stand a chance if they ran under my bike. Being a dog person, I can't believe people put their pets in such danger...

[MisuVir]

More dog walkers off leash on the shared path yesterday. Poor little dogs wouldn't stand a chance if they ran under my bike. Being a dog person, I can't believe people put their pets in such danger...

Yeah. My commute is 17 km along a shared path. Dodging unleashed dogs is something I have to do almost every day. You would think the owners would start worrying about the well-being of their pets after the first few times they almost get killed.

[Wakatuki]

More dog walkers off leash on the shared path yesterday. Poor little dogs wouldn't stand a chance if they ran under my bike. Being a dog person, I can't believe people put their pets in such danger...

Yeah. My commute is 17 km along a shared path. Dodging unleashed dogs is something I have to do almost every day. You would think the owners would start worrying about the well-being of their pets after the first few times they almost get killed.

As a dog lover this annoys me too. Having seen a few dogs run over, one, in front of me as while I was a ped, even while I was on the road in a traffic gap (slow moving less than 10-15k's and room either side to pass on a very wide shoulder) people were still trying to run me and another kind citizen over and honking the horn while the poor bugger took his last breath before we dragged him to the side.
The first time a cyclist kills a dog, it will go crazy from there.

[twizzle]

Riding along, got a phone call so pulled over to check the voice mail. I did a head check before starting off and waited for a guy to pass - road bike with aero bars, a rear pannier, aero bottle cage on the seat post, mirror on the helmet : Mr Different. Then, about 100m up the road, this guy shaves me - no courtesy "passing" call, no courtesy space : Mr NoCourtesy. A 'coupla minutes' up the road, Mr NoCourtesty has caught up to Mr Different, looking for a place to pass. He gets a gap in the traffic and pulls across, Mr Different puts the hammer down, and now they are riding side by side with Mr NoCourtesy on the white line in an 80kph zone. Every-so-slowly, Mr NoCourtesy gets ahead and immediately Mr Different changes to Mr Klingon. Mr NoCourtesy is down on the drops hammering away with this guy stuck to his wheel who only seconds before was working his arse off not to be passed!

Now, I'm on my TT bike, so picking a gap in the traffic, I blast past both of them because I don't want to be near either of them. A head check about a K up the road showed that Mr Klingon had dropped Mr NoCourtesy and was trying to catch me, which he did at the next lights, but he couldn't hold on if I went into aero-mode. As I reached my destination, Mr NoCourtesy skimmed me when I sat up in heavy traffic, then for good measure at the next set of lights he squeezed past a woman waiting behind the white line at a red light so he could go first. The woman has turned and looked at me to see if I was going to do the same thing to her, I just shrugged.

I know I shouldn't judge others so harshly... but deity help us if they drive cars like they ride bicycles.

[cp123]

"I blast past both of them becausse i don't want to be near either of them". what about cos you're a hell of a lot stronger and faster than both of them.

[rheicel]

I am the dumb cyclist today. I kept following one rider, he crossed the red light, then I almost followed him. I noticed the car coming, and driver looking elsewhere. Hit the brakes as hard as I can, rear tyre went airbourne, if it was my roaddie, I will probably end up under the car. The fully loaded panniers saves my day!

[jasonc]

To the cyclist overtaking 2 other cyclists at the narrowest point just before the gladstone rd hill this morning - please don't do that again. Yes the car next to you was too close, but don't put yourself in that situation. waiting 100m would have made it much safer for everyone.

[twizzle]

"I blast past both of them becausse i don't want to be near either of them". what about cos you're a hell of a lot stronger and faster than both of them.

Nah - TT beats roadie on any given flat section. I *may* have been sitting up when I passed then, just to make a point.


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[CXCommuter]

Dibs to the guy along West Coast Highway PSP on his Tribars watching a video on his Dumbphone/tablet whilst cruising at 30km/h.

[jasonc]

Dibs to the guy along West Coast Highway PSP on his Tribars watching a video on his Dumbphone/tablet whilst cruising at 30km/h.

oh man. i wish i could do that.

[CXCommuter]

Yes I am rather jealous also

[MisuVir]

Dibs to the guy along West Coast Highway PSP on his Tribars watching a video on his Dumbphone/tablet whilst cruising at 30km/h.

Was it mounted to his bars, or was he holding the phone? I know I've seen people on my commute riding with no hands and sending messages or browsing the Internet on their phone.

[CXCommuter]

He was holding the phone in both hands leaning forward on the tri bars

[Bah77]

Okay you want to walk on the cycle path, great, oh you also want to walk directly in the center?

[Dragster1]

Okay you want to walk on the cycle path, great, oh you also want to walk directly in the center?

LOL! see this all the time normally with the head phones on also and they crap themselves when you fly pass and your shadow hits them. I've felt like giving them a quick flick on the backside with my foot but with the laws these days bad idea.