[fatdoc]

god...

i need more miles in... i'm getting well giddy for this sportive stuff... it's months till the grit will be cold and chee dale is just a tad damp for a few weeks me thinks

[webbo]

i like to stay in the saddle until that particular muscle group stops working then get out until that muscle group stops working, sit down until....

i usually find that sitting or standing depends on how hard the git whose wheel your trying to hang on to is going.

[clm]

they are usually out of sight and anyway, i dont try too hard, my tyres are knobbly.

[Bubba]

I hope all you leg shavers ride about 3 abreast at all times just to fuck off the rest of the road-using public?

[Norton Sharley]

like us fit mtb boys overtaking you ....     

[fatdoc]

I hope all you leg shavers ride about 3 abreast at all times just to fuck off the rest of the road-using public?

2 abrest is legal.

[webbo]

so will be 120 next sunday.

[Bubba]

2 abrest is legal.

I'm sure it is, but recourse to the law won't really help you when that 38 tonner comes round a corner and turns you to mush

[Norton Sharley]

you saying you aim for them bubba 

[Bubba]

Oh fuck yeah, of course. You don't even feel a bump in a big truck.

I nearly ran into a group 2 or 3 wide on my mobike once. I think it's pretty retarded that people will defend their right to ride 2 abreast even round blind corners where the national speed limit applies, but hey, it's their lookout.

[Percy B]

Nearly been taken out by bikers on the Baslow to Owler Bar road many a time riding on my own - bikers using ALL the road on bends to get a good line....would be a very messy accident being hit by a Fire Blade coming towards you at 150mph! I don't ever ride 2 abreast if there's any traffic - too many twats around, and you'll always loose an altercation with any other road users if you're on a bicycle.

So, as way of illustration, here's a tale by way of warning. I'm riding my push-bike up said hill towards Owler Bar one Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, minding my own business. As I pass under Gardoms North I think to myself - not much traffic around today... The reason for the quietness quickly became aparent as I noticed the blue flashing lights on the top of the hill - road accident and the police had closed the road at the Baslow end after I'd passed. So nothing left for me to do but cycle on through the debris of what happens when two bikers clip each other whilst racing. The emergency services were there sorting stuff out, so all I could do was pick my way through the various bits of wreckage all over the road whilst trying not to look at the injured parties - both in a right state. Particularly memorable only because amongst the wreckage on the road was somebodies dismembered lower leg (severed at the knee), complete with boot still on!

Sorry to get all heavy, Bubs, but cyclists are among the most vunerable road users. Riding two abreast is legal, but not advisable because of all the other intolerant/irresponsible twats using the roads. Especially when bikers/truckers/car drivers are so intolerant of cyclists.
Getting nailed by careless drivers isn't the only worry for the leg-shaving fraternity. There was a recent case down south (Essex, strangely!) of redneck chav tossers stopping their Saxo and battering a cyclist who was wearing lycra shorts 'cos they thought he was gay!

[Bubba]

Nice! Owler Bar has long been a bike racetrack and i've even nearly dispatched myself there once on a bike.

Anyway, we agree - it's not advisable to ride 2 abreast, that's my point.

FWIW when i'm in a lorry i'm extremely careful around cyclists - I believe most cyclist deaths involve LGVs but not certain if that's still the case. Are most road users that intolerant? I guess i can only speak for myself.

The issue of other traffic (and that of our appalling road-surface quality) is the main reason I've never been interested in pursuing road cycling. If i lived somewhere with little traffic and nice smooth roads then I can imagine it being fun. Here, i think it's better to be as far away from the road as possible on a pushbike.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Even when riding alone, it is argued that cyclists should ride in the middle of their lane. Especially in slow traffic in town. If you ride in the gutter, other road users tend to ignore you completely and not move over an inch when passing, very dangerous especially from trucks/buses etc. If you ride in the centre of the lane cars have to over take you as if you were another car. Also riding in the gutter leads to sudden swerves to miss drains/potholes/pedestrians stepping off the curb etc all of which means you swing out into the path of cars.

What especially riles me is riding fast in traffic which keeps stopping at lights, and cars feel they have to over take you even if the lights are on red and only 100ft away! I especially like re-overtaking them in the line of traffic. The other day a bus passed me with inches to spare then immediately cut me up pulling into a bus stop! Knocking on the drivers window hard was little revenge but didn't half make him jump 

I also get pretty pissed off when driving with cyclists riding badly/with no lights at night/ mainly cause I don't particularly want to kill someone, but also because they give other cyclists a bad rep. Whilst we are at it, what is it that makes teenagers think they are immune from getting run over?! The arrogance of them when crossing the road is amazing.

[Bubba]

Knocking on the drivers window hard was little revenge but didn't half make him jump 

I tend to use a good hard slap on the roof

[Percy B]

All good points. There are good motorists and bad motorists - good cyclists and bad cyclists. I agree that cyclists should behave when riding on the road and remember that the highway code applies to them too. People riding through red lights, on pavements, no lights at night,etc, etc. give everybody a bad name.
There are quiet roads and good road surfaces in the UK - its just finding them simultaneously thats a rarity! A trip to France and a few alpine cols normally makes it seem much more worthwhile, I always think!

[fatdoc]

 

gonna be a little while before i've the legs to get the most out a trip abroad though

[erm, sam]

I tend to use a good hard slap on the roof

The last time I did this to a car, the car stopped, the driver got out went behind his seat for something, and then started chasing me down the street with said weapon. I was on foot and with girlfriend and so was a tad concerned. When I realised he was brandishing a pair of pliars I didn't know wether to be more or less worried....

[David S]

Happened to me once, more than a few years ago, when a group of pushbikers were riding 4 abreast would you believe up the Froggatt road and going slowly thus holding the traffic up. Every time a car managed to get past and pipped their horn in disgust they gave the car driver the two finger salute. Now I'm not one to get upset when I drive around but I thought this was a liitle out of order. So when it came my turn to go past I wound down the passenger window and told the naughty pushbikers what I thought of their selfish and innappropriate behaviour to which one of the group decided to bang on the roof of my car. Well I was taken aback. After all I was just pointing out the error of their ways and offering a little safety advice. So what to do next? Surely they need a more sterner talking to so in the interest of road safety I slammed on the brakes, got out and twatted the bloke who banged on the roof to see how he liked it. Needless to say he learnt a valuable lesson. Me, well I managed to get away by the skin of my teeth without getting beaten by his 8 mates
I learn't a lesson that day, just keep driving  

Road rage is a very bad thing and now I'm fully in control, AREN'T I?


Disclaimer: I used to ride a bike around on the roads but stopped 'cause it was far too dangerous.

[dave]

it really fucks me off when people ride bikes on the pavement. The number of times walking to work when I've nearly been killed some cunt on a bike flying round a blind corner on a fenced-in pavement (where you've got no-where to move), or bombing down a road where people step out of shop entrances takes the piss. I shit you not i've seen incidents where if there had been a child or old person on the pavement they would have certainly been brown bread or at the very least left quadraspazzed on a life glug.

If i was driving along in the car, coming up to a roundabout that i thought might be tricky to negotiate and I decided instead to drive across a pedestrian crossing and on the pavement, mowing down pedestrians to avoid the junction then I'd expect to get fucked down on to the full extent of the law. yet apparently if you're on a bike its alright. you can't even report the incident cos pushbikes don't any any plates.

And don't get me started on suicyclists at night with no lights or whatever. I nearly drove right into some guy a while back near ringinglow. I'm not fucking wit you when i say he was on a black bike, dressed head to foot in black and with no lights or reflectors (or helmet), and it was pitch black. Its a good job i wasn't cutting my fingernails or playing a game of trivial pursuit on my lap, i might have seriously dented the bonet.

Lets hope the dickhead cyclists out there are in the minority.

[Simon S]

  with most of whats been said so far. In my view, usage of the roads is all about being safe and considerate to other road users regardless of their mode of transport. Nobody has greater importance on the roads than anyone  else. Mind you, I do find it odd that motorists feel unduly inconvienienced by having to wait to overtake a cyclist, when they seem to cause almost all of the congestion. I too, like Obi, ride out away from the kerb. Its definately safer.

[slackline]

Knocking on the drivers window hard was little revenge but didn't half make him jump 

I tend to use a good hard slap on the roof

I recently resorted to slapping the bonnet of a taxi that pulled out and almost hit me as I was cycling along West Street, wearing a nice bright green jacket that only the colour blind could miss.

I was in between the tram-tracks as I was passing one of the platforms and whilst perfectly competent enough to ride down such a narrow strip I don't trust passing cars not to try and squeeze past.

The taxi driver took quite an exception, and without stopping, wound down his window, shaking his fist saying that next time I'd get thumped.  My response was simply that next time there would be no need to thump me as I'd likely be under his wheels.  Through all of this he was only half-watching the road, which was rather disconcerting as he kept on swerving towards the side of the road.

Took his license number and reported it to the Council licensing peeps who interviewed him.  Obviously he made no admission of having done anything wrong, and presumably believes that I go around slapping cars willy-nilly.  Apparently his shouting and ranting wasn't meant as a warning as had it been a younger more aggressive(!!!) driver I could have got thumped, and he really had my best interests at heart!!!!  If only he'd shown such care and attention when pulling onto the road.

[fatboySlimfast]

What is it with Bus lanes in sheffield? Its like a battle ground, I cycle at least 2 or 3 times a week into work (near the foundry) from woodseats and to avoid the big three lane roundabout i go via the town centre. I was down near the Poly the other day and a bus pulled out whilst I was passing it.I was pushed out into the normal car lane by my handlebar stcuk against the bus side. The bus zoomed off and I being the passive easy going fella that I am ,sprinted after him and got alongside him and started berating him. He told me to fuck off and accelerated away. I was having none of this and tried to catch him up, the fucker then pulled in as close as he could to the kerb to stop me catching up again. At this point i was really angry so went round him and caught up at the crucible theatre where i dumped my bike infront of the bus and started explaining why he was an f&c and that if he would like to get out of his cab we could discuss his actions further
Anyway, its nice to think if he had run me over he would possibly get a small fine if he killed me

[Norton Sharley]

I nearly drove right into some guy a while back near ringinglow. I'm not fucking wit you when i say he was on a black bike, dressed head to foot in black and with no lights or reflectors (or helmet), and it was pitch black. Its a good job i wasn't cutting my fingernails or playing a game of trivial pursuit on my lap, i might have seriously dented the bonet.

Lets hope the dickhead cyclists out there are in the minority.

Wow man, you nearly ran over the ninja rider of sheffield.  he's famous for riding all the footpaths in the peak - that's who leaves all the tyre tracks - and cracking his cranks on rocks and scarring them like at the top of burbage south and stanage.  you should have reported this sighting to the feds and they could have got their parky police on their mtb's to chase him down.  I'm sure he must be top of their wanted list.

[fatdoc]

check this...

stationary, fuckin stationary, well to the side of the road, new carbon bike (my little cutie)

and i still get hit off the bike by some bint lighting a fag, putting on her makeup and not fucking looking where she is going,

her car was worth about the same is the bike - which was thankfully unscathed.

[Bubba]

I was on foot and with girlfriend and so was a tad concerned. When I realised he was brandishing a pair of pliars I didn't know wether to be more or less worried....

He was going to havoc your nips 

Only bang the car when your escape route is clear....