The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Missy24
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Missy24 » Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:30 am

jules21 wrote:
Missy24 wrote:The girl riding the wrong way up Royal Parade last night :shock:
i'll bet she reads newspaper articles on 'lycra louts' and thinks "bloody hoons - no respect for the law"
She was a little Asian girl... she'd get squashed.

I think more the girl on the mobile phone would read the articles on 'lycra louts' and thinks "bloody hoons..."

I may have also said to mobile phone girl, "thanks for confirming to all the motorists around us at the moment that we have no respect for the law."

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jules21
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby jules21 » Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:23 am

Missy24 wrote: I may have also said to mobile phone girl, "thanks for confirming to all the motorists around us at the moment that we have no respect for the law."
i don't think a lot of them comprehend what you mean by 'we'. my observation around Brunswick is that they don't identify themselves as cyclists, they are often students/part time workers who are saving money by not owing a car. i suspect for a lot of them, breaking road rules is just part of their anti-establishment cred.

i'm not Tony Abbot and i'm fine with people being anti-establishment on their own watch, but they're not helping the cause of 'responsible' cyclists.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Missy24 » Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:18 pm

jules21 wrote:
Missy24 wrote: I may have also said to mobile phone girl, "thanks for confirming to all the motorists around us at the moment that we have no respect for the law."
i don't think a lot of them comprehend what you mean by 'we'. my observation around Brunswick is that they don't identify themselves as cyclists, they are often students/part time workers who are saving money by not owing a car. i suspect for a lot of them, breaking road rules is just part of their anti-establishment cred.

i'm not Tony Abbot and i'm fine with people being anti-establishment on their own watch, but they're not helping the cause of 'responsible' cyclists.
That's the most annoying thing about Brunswick... people are too concerned about being anti-establishment.

They could just be polite and civil, not hard.

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twizzle
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby twizzle » Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:33 pm

So - time to make this a sticky?

Reporting for a mate who hasn't bothered : We raced out of town on Sunday, about 10km from civilisation. On the drive back he picked up a cyclist and his bike and dropped him off at Stromlo Park so he could find someone with a tube and a pump. Why TF would you go out into the middle of nowhere without tubes or a pump??!?

According to the LBS across the road, they fix heaps of flats on bikes of people who use them for commuting. I could understand someone who uses a bike to ride around the paths on a weekend might not know one end of a bike pump from the other, but someone using a bike to ride to work should at least be able to fix a puncture. :?
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jules21
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby jules21 » Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:58 pm

i know someone who rides (not often admittedly) without a spare tube/pump. it reflects the general lack of forethought and planning in the rest of his life.

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Biffidus
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Biffidus » Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:53 pm

Depends where you're riding... I follow a train line most of the way and it's easier to walk to the next station and fix it later.

Of course it helps if you have big chunky tyres and don't get many punctures.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby kibnedyo » Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:41 am

Saw a bunch of kids palying cricket on shared path the other day because the bitumen made a handy pitch.

Actulally my pet hate in Ballarat is adults using the shared path next to Lake wendouree for commuting. This is really a pedestrian path, although technically a shared path, It is only suited to families supervising v.youngsters on bikes/trikes. There is a perfectly good bike lane on the road 10m away for serious commuters, so the path beside the lake is NOT intended for speeding cyclists. One guy in particular rides a motorised bicycle on the shared track instead of the bike lane. Totally inappropriate to ride where infants/families and elderley amongst others exercise regularly. 25-30klm on this path is just plain nuts. I have long requested speed limit signs for cyclists on the track to try to push adults to use the cyce lane.

Mind you the same path has been used/abused by a local VFL team and I wrote to the president asking him how the club's public liability policy was when a band of 50+ ran bunch sprints around the same path. Silly bastards terrorised an 80+ lady as they rushed headlong at her in a full sprint. Two bumped her as their sight was blocked by leaders, but luckily didn't knock her flying.

My own Father take the cake driving out into runners during the Melb Marathon many years ago as it went through Chelsea. He had legitimate reason though. Mom had collapsed and silly marshalls would not allow an ambulance and/or paramedics on foot through to attend to her. Their street was blocked by the run route and had no other exit/access. Dad took matters into his own hand and drove through slowly with horn blaring. Police threatened to lay charges until they heard his side of the story (medical emergency ignored by marshalls). Mum survived, luckily it was a stroke that didn't have lasting side effects.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby human909 » Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:53 pm

jules21 wrote:i know someone who rides (not often admittedly) without a spare tube/pump. it reflects the general lack of forethought and planning in the rest of his life.
For all my life I have ridden without spare tubes and a pump. Most cyclists across the globe do to. Commuters in holland, denmark and asia rarely carry such equipment. I have rarely been caught out and on the rare occasion i do i deal with it with less effort than carrying that equipment.

That said if I was riding places away from civilisation then I would.

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jules21
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby jules21 » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:20 pm

horses for courses. i wouldn't want to be stuck on a ride along the Reefton Spur with a flat tyre. long walk back to the car.

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Aushiker
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Aushiker » Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:40 pm

jules21 wrote:horses for courses. i wouldn't want to be stuck on a ride along the Reefton Spur with a flat tyre. long walk back to the car.
Hi

Same here, well horses for courses. The amount of punctures I got last year, the hassle of not having a kit would far outweigh any penalty of carrying one, more so as I commute. The cost of taxi's alone would have just about made commuting uneconomical.

Andrew

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby twizzle » Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:42 am

And thank you to the two riders who rode side-by-side up the Federal highway this morning and couldn't be bothered going single file despite knowing I was right behind them and had caught them up the hill despite them playing "let's sprint out of the saddle" twice. I guess your conversation was more important than the 30 seconds of inconvenience you would have suffered to let me pass. I really enjoyed sprinting out of the saddle in the 100km/h lane with the semis so I could get past you.

:evil:
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby redned » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:16 pm

On the subject of flats: I find that I normally get punctures when I am not carrying a spare tube. Somehow, the simple act of carrying it keeps the puncture spirits away. A bit like putting garlic around your windows to keep away vampires.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby trailgumby » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:28 pm

redned wrote: A bit like putting garlic around your windows to keep away vampires.
Works for me. Haven't had any visit since. :lol:

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familyguy
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby familyguy » Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:53 pm

I had a nice motorised bicycle follow me on my MTB along a local street a few afternoons ago, puttering just nicely about three feet behind me by the sounds of it. We came to a pedestrian crossing, so I slowed up as people stepped on, but Moron/Exhibit A/The Defendant swerves around and motors on through, much to the little Italian lady's anger. Ah, the hands say it all...

I caught up with him about 200m further on and pedalled past him silently (holding my breath so he didnt hear how buggered I'd gotten catching him on knobbies). I swear I heard the engine note change as he throttled it up to try to get back by me, until he turned into the local TAB.

Jim

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twizzle
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby twizzle » Fri Feb 12, 2010 9:12 pm

Sunset? Check.
Car headlights on? Check.
Street lights on? Some are... so Check.

Guy doing a training ride up the narrow, 4-lane 70km/h zone with blind crests, with NO lights, NO rear reflector, dark clothes and NO helmet? Fail. Major fail.
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...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...

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Christine Tham
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Christine Tham » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:06 am

redned wrote:On the subject of flats: I find that I normally get punctures when I am not carrying a spare tube. Somehow, the simple act of carrying it keeps the puncture spirits away. A bit like putting garlic around your windows to keep away vampires.
+1.

I had four punctures in a row, before deciding to get a really good pump (my old one was pretty much impossible to inflate a tyre to above 70-80 psi).

Since then, have not had a single puncture (fingers crossed) but have lent the pump to at least 3 cyclists who had punctures. At least I know the pump works.
Weekdays: "Bliss" (Trek Madone 5.2 2012) | Weekends: "Cadel" (self built) | Casual: "Kitty" (Giant Cypress LDS 2009)

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Sia
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Sia » Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:23 pm

Saw a guy riding downhill on a back street where it's full of houses and driveways, with no hands on the handle bar. Guess why! He was using his mobile phone, with both hands (probably texting)!! He was wearing a helmet though :roll:

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby msn » Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:01 pm

I saw a POB on a BSO (POBSO), exercising his right to ride any where he pleases.
Right hand side of the T-Way See here. Rides to the other end then turns right onto Briens Road.
He wasn't wearing a helmet either.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby didge » Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:06 pm

Holy crap, saw a guy cycling up Burke Road:

Image

(was a bit busier than this, with traffic in both directions), cycling up the middle of road (as in on the solid line):

- one handed
- on a mobile phone
- wobbling along
- with a baby on the back :shock: :!:

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twizzle
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby twizzle » Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:06 am

I've just come back from getting breakfast from the local Westfield.

Leaving via a little used exit, walking along the pedestrian walkway around the outside, and there is a blind left hand corner... as I get to the corner, a guy walks around the corner fairly close to the wall, so he steps left so he won't walk into me - just as the POBSO comes around the corner behind him. Near miss, luckily, but what kind of idiot cuts corners on a pedestrian walkway while riding at twice the speed of a ped??!?
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby drubie » Wed Feb 24, 2010 11:14 am

The students have returned to Armidale.

I know this by the massive increase of slack-jawed morons wobbling around on their k-mart bikes on the footpath.

Armidale is so quiet most of the time that you have the urban roads to yourself, why they use the footpath illegally at all I have no idea, as most of the paths here are so poorly maintained it's like trying to ride up a set of stairs.

Meanwhile, the cycle path through town goes unused except by dog walkers and bottle smashers. Winter is coming though, so most of them will give up.
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cp123
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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby cp123 » Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:54 pm

This morning I was riding down a hill into a fairly big roundabout with 2 lanes on my side coming down into it with 2 out the other side. I did what I thought was the safe thing - as I have done for the last yonk, which is glance over my shoulder, and claim the right lane when its safe because my aim was to go right at the rdbt. So i'm in the right lane and slowing with the traffic. One person on a mtb whizzes down on the left side of the road in the bike lane where I previously was. So I'm behind a big van and slowing as I come into the roundabout. Glancing out the right hand side to make sure nothing is coming and that my way ahead is likely to be clear.

Suddenly the van in front of me almost stops dead and i pull up too. The person on the mtb had gone into the roundabout in the green strip, but had decided to turn right to go the same way I was. Effectively, she was in the left lane and pulled right to turn across in front of the van going straight through. :roll:

If i can't claim the lane at that particular corner, I'll go through on the green strip pull up and effectively do a hook turn.
i couldn't believe it. i think mr van person was pretty shocked too. i think because i couldn't see it swing in front of the van but only saw it pop out into the right lane was the givaway.

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Aushiker » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:26 pm

Hi

Saw a couple of "cyclists" happily cruising down Alma Street outside the Fremantle Hospital last night (handy location for their antics), sans lights, sans helmets, but they where claiming the lane :roll:

Andrew

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Aushiker » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:27 pm

cp123 wrote:This morning I was riding down a hill into a fairly big roundabout with 2 lanes on my side coming down into it with 2 out the other side. I did what I thought was the safe thing - as I have done for the last yonk, which is glance over my shoulder, and claim the right lane when its safe because my aim was to go right at the rdbt. So i'm in the right lane and slowing with the traffic. One person on a mtb whizzes down on the left side of the road in the bike lane where I previously was. So I'm behind a big van and slowing as I come into the roundabout. Glancing out the right hand side to make sure nothing is coming and that my way ahead is likely to be clear.

Suddenly the van in front of me almost stops dead and i pull up too. The person on the mtb had gone into the roundabout in the green strip, but had decided to turn right to go the same way I was. Effectively, she was in the left lane and pulled right to turn across in front of the van going straight through. :roll:

If i can't claim the lane at that particular corner, I'll go through on the green strip pull up and effectively do a hook turn.
i couldn't believe it. i think mr van person was pretty shocked too. i think because i couldn't see it swing in front of the van but only saw it pop out into the right lane was the givaway.
Some people are well just plain stupid ...

Andrew

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Re: The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

Postby Missy24 » Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:18 pm

I think we need a dumb cop thread (no offence to all the good cops) but this one cop told me he only had to give me his number once? Is that true, I wasn't quick enough to get it down. So I said, "that's fine I assume I can make a complaint with your number plate..."

He was out of the place so fast when he realised I was seriously taking a photo of his car and the number plate...dodgy

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