The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[rkelsen]

I see it every day.

And I'll admit to being a little less courteous than I should be sometimes.

On a day like today when there are a lot more people out walking, jogging and cycling, it is very difficult to be 100% courteous to everyone when you have to get to work and they're meandering all over the path in front of you.

Mind you, I dunno where all these people have been for the past few months...

[adrian_d]

Try searching for the thread dumb cyclist.

As for the title.... please. .
Rude people are everywhere.
They di not represent all cyclists...

mods??... merging this with the dumb cyclists thread???

If the mods could merge my thread that would be fantastic. I should have done a better search sorry.

They are definitely a minority as i've had awesome fun

Whats the general concensus with waving and saying hi to riders as they go past? i've had 1 in 6 reply back with a "good day". Maybe i'm just strange lol

[g-boaf]

Mods, please feel free to merge my reply into the other thread too if you feel this whole thing should be merged.

Otherwise - I generally find most other riders are really friendly and say hello. It never ceases to amaze me, even though some of them might be pushing up a long hill, they don't mind saying hello. The cool thing is talking back while looking absolutely at ease, no huffing or puffing and not looking like you are even breaking a sweat.

There will be some riders out there who have the race-face on, but I don't see too many of them, most of the ones I come across are totally and absolutely top people, very cool.

On the topic of sharing the paths, you'll get better at using less space when you have more confidence at riding smoothly. More time riding will gain that.

[adrian_d]

I had this awesome dude meet me at the lights and was sure to comment on my baby blue and white colour scheme on the single speed bike I was riding. He was also following behind me and talking as we were riding on Beach Road. Boy that was tense, i had pushed myself so much as I was struggling to keep to a constant speed as he was. I could see the shadow of his wheel behind me.

I was maintaining an average speed of around 36km an hour for about a minute which I found very difficult. haha

[jules21]

today's award goes to....

[biftek]

I see it every day.

And I'll admit to being a little less courteous than I should be sometimes.

On a day like today when there are a lot more people out walking, jogging and cycling, it is very difficult to be 100% courteous to everyone when you have to get to work and they're meandering all over the path in front of you.

Mind you, I dunno where all these people have been for the past few months...

so let me get this straight , we want cars to give us cyclists more space , more time , stop being so impatient , but when it is others holding cyclists up they should get of the way ???

[Howzat]

Given the amount of cycle traffic, the best solution would've been to continue the bike lane along the left-hand side of Commonwealth Ave and require traffic entering from Parks Way to give way to cyclists (though that's another 11/10 skill for drivers hereabouts).

That's still the case isn't it - that vehicles from Parkes Way have to give way to cyclists on Commonwealth Ave? (Assuming drivers take the time to look for them, of course.)

today's award goes to....

next up, a Darwin award for that guy.

[birdbrain]

Anyone else got a story like that? A fellow cyclist being less courteous than desired?

No.

[rkelsen]

On a day like today when there are a lot more people out walking, jogging and cycling, it is very difficult to be 100% courteous to everyone when you have to get to work and they're meandering all over the path in front of you.

so let me get this straight , we want cars to give us cyclists more space , more time , stop being so impatient , but when it is others holding cyclists up they should get of the way ???

No mate. I try to be as courteous as I can, but some people make it very difficult. That's all I'm saying. Don't read more into it.

[m@]

Given the amount of cycle traffic, the best solution would've been to continue the bike lane along the left-hand side of Commonwealth Ave and require traffic entering from Parks Way to give way to cyclists (though that's another 11/10 skill for drivers hereabouts).

That's still the case isn't it - that vehicles from Parkes Way have to give way to cyclists on Commonwealth Ave? (Assuming drivers take the time to look for them, of course.)

I think you're thinking of the west-bound Parks Way intersection (where they have to give way)... Lots of 'creepers' there!

East-bound traffic exiting Parks joins the ramp coming off London Cct, which joins Commonwealth Ave just north of the bridge over Parks. The southbound bike lane on Commonwealth just peters out and you're probably expected to dismount and walk across the ramp (which is now two lanes with a zip merge right at the end); but everyone tries to pick a gap and move across to re-join the bike lane on the left.

Most drivers are pretty good at letting you cross provided you're moving at a reasonable clip and don't hold them up... but now will be preoccupied with merging with each other. And when someone decides not to let you in, you're stuck riding into a diminishing triangle between two merging lanes of traffic (at said fair clip).

[Howzat]

East-bound traffic exiting Parks joins the ramp coming off London Cct, which joins Commonwealth Ave just north of the bridge over Parks. The southbound bike lane on Commonwealth just peters out and you're probably expected to dismount and walk across the ramp

Yeah I see what you mean. Nothing is worse than bike lanes that peter out.

I can see the traffic engineers presenting this plan - "Cyclists will just, uh, disappear at this point and rematerialise at the bike lane 200m up ahead" - to a sea of nodding heads.

[adrian_d]

East-bound traffic exiting Parks joins the ramp coming off London Cct, which joins Commonwealth Ave just north of the bridge over Parks. The southbound bike lane on Commonwealth just peters out and you're probably expected to dismount and walk across the ramp

Yeah I see what you mean. Nothing is worse than bike lanes that peter out.

I can see the traffic engineers presenting this plan - "Cyclists will just, uh, disappear at this point and rematerialise at the bike lane 200m up ahead" - to a sea of nodding heads.

Its the usual thing for them to end up in an ambulance from those scenarios

[Biffidus]

I can see the traffic engineers presenting this plan - "Cyclists will just, uh, disappear at this point and rematerialise at the bike lane 200m up ahead" - to a sea of nodding heads.

Its the usual thing for them to end up in an ambulance from those scenarios

I now have a very pleasant mental image of the traffic planner being set upon by angry cyclists and being carried away in an ambulance.

I regularly have to dodge dog walkers (off-lead and lead-across-the-path varieties), slow people who veer side to side as they walk and then react comically to a bicycle bell (not the air-zound, I swear) and the occasional older asian gentleman practicing Tai Chi on the shared path (I kid you not). On the road I'm lucky to find a bike path that isn't full of pot holes or parked cars.

Good times

[Livetoride]

I see it every day.

And I'll admit to being a little less courteous than I should be sometimes.

On a day like today when there are a lot more people out walking, jogging and cycling, it is very difficult to be 100% courteous to everyone when you have to get to work and they're meandering all over the path in front of you.

Mind you, I dunno where all these people have been for the past few months...

Probably hiding away from the cold n rain

[bychosis]

You really have to wonder at some people. Went for a quick pedal before work today and saw a dumb jogger. Jogging on the road, on a roundabout, no shoulder lane, over the kerb from grassed park, 15 paces from a shared pathway along the foreshore. I didn't see where she ended up, but it looked like she was going to jog along the fogline past a row of parked cars. Also dressed in black, running with the traffic ie back to oncoming traffic.

[jasonc]

You really have to wonder at some people. Went for a quick pedal before work today and saw a dumb jogger. Jogging on the road, on a roundabout, no shoulder lane, over the kerb from grassed park, 15 paces from a shared pathway along the foreshore. I didn't see where she ended up, but it looked like she was going to jog along the fogline past a row of parked cars. Also dressed in black, running with the traffic ie back to oncoming traffic.

saw a runner I see regularly running over the bike-only path on the inner city bypass bridge (there is a separate path for bikes/peds)

[herzog]

You really have to wonder at some people. Went for a quick pedal before work today and saw a dumb jogger. Jogging on the road, on a roundabout, no shoulder lane, over the kerb from grassed park, 15 paces from a shared pathway along the foreshore. I didn't see where she ended up, but it looked like she was going to jog along the fogline past a row of parked cars. Also dressed in black, running with the traffic ie back to oncoming traffic.

Probably in the zone

[longshanks]

The dumb cyclist was me this morning. Note to self: Never ever undertake a slow moving vehicle that looks for all money like they are somewhat lost. Said vehicle was inching its way along the street then without indicating turned left just as i was at the middle pillar. I took evasive action then proceeded with giving myself uppercuts the rest of the way into work. Dumb dumb dumb.

[Xplora]

Epic fail action as I was going under the rail bridge at UWS in Parramatta today... flatbar coming the other way cut the corner, and we touched after a couple mind changes from both of us. No crash but that guy will NEVER cut the corner again... you can't do the wrong thing, ride too fast AND listen to your iPod at the same time

[orbeas]

A note to cyclist with good quality very bright lights, ADJUST them so their not blinding other cyclist as they may cause an accident ..a perth freeway north bike path rider
end rant

[Missy8787]

I am only new to cycling, but even l know to "keep left" on bike paths. I was out on a community bike ride with my partner last weekend and this poor cyclist who was not part of our group was coming towards us and heading in the opposite direction.

All the organizers (who are volunteers) would yell out that we had someone on coming, immediately you should move to the left when safe and keep an eye out in front of you. This poor bloke who saw the two women in front of me side by side on the bike path, very nicely yelled "excuse me!" over and over until he almost collided with them and was run off the path. She seemed so oblivious that he was even there. She didn't even turn around to look at him, just kept pedaling. Poor bloke. He was fuming afterwards, l don't blame him!

[g-boaf]

Oh that's normal - the riders going side by side who refuse to go single file when someone is coming the opposite direction. It used to make me a bit nervous when I had to pass them in windy conditions at first. Now I don't mind so much - but it's still not nice.

Keep left unless overtaking signs might be good on bike paths. We also need more signs instructing people that should keep their dogs on short leashes. Not these 4 metre long things. I've not had too many issues with dogs recently though - and I hope I'm not jinxing things by saying that.

[redned]

They shouldn't be side-by-side at all. In WA (and maybe other states) you shoudn't be two abreast on a shared path or cycle path.

[jasonc]

I am only new to cycling, but even l know to "keep left" on bike paths. I was out on a community bike ride with my partner last weekend and this poor cyclist who was not part of our group was coming towards us and heading in the opposite direction.

All the organizers (who are volunteers) would yell out that we had someone on coming, immediately you should move to the left when safe and keep an eye out in front of you. This poor bloke who saw the two women in front of me side by side on the bike path, very nicely yelled "excuse me!" over and over until he almost collided with them and was run off the path. She seemed so oblivious that he was even there. She didn't even turn around to look at him, just kept pedaling. Poor bloke. He was fuming afterwards, l don't blame him!

this solves the problem for me

[Mulger bill]

With oncoming side by sides. If you have time and there's no following riders, shift to the granny, stop the bike then hold it with it standing vertically on the rear wheel. Think about it...