The Dumb Cyclists and Pedestrians thread...

[bychosis]

Current Ford ranger and Isuzu Dmax base models have poverty headlights and no LED DRLs. No reason they couldn’t wire up the parking light to be DRL.

[Mr Purple]

New one today. Now normally I have no issues with any cyclists going up Cootha Back, and usually try to give them a 'hello' and word of encouragement.

But one particular rider today annoyed me. I was going up and on one of the flatter sections he was descending and did a U-turn in front of me on a blind corner with double white lines in the middle. I made a joke about him doing 'half a Cootha' and a few metres later he flew past me absolutely belting it (I averaged 330W for the climb so wasn't hanging around).

Got a few metres lead and then did another U-turn on another blind corner across double white lines.

Ok mate, fair enough. I didn't even say anything disparaging. But what sort of idiot does hill intervals on the flattest part of a steep and busy hill that require repeated illegal and dangerous u-turns across double lines? Strange behaviour. Plenty of other hills nearby to do a similar thing much more safely.

[jasonc]

New one today. Now normally I have no issues with any cyclists going up Cootha Back, and usually try to give them a 'hello' and word of encouragement.

But one particular rider today annoyed me. I was going up and on one of the flatter sections he was descending and did a U-turn in front of me on a blind corner with double white lines in the middle. I made a joke about him doing 'half a Cootha' and a few metres later he flew past me absolutely belting it (I averaged 330W for the climb so wasn't hanging around).

Got a few metres lead and then did another U-turn on another blind corner across double white lines.

Ok mate, fair enough. I didn't even say anything disparaging. But what sort of idiot does hill intervals on the flattest part of a steep and busy hill that require repeated illegal and dangerous u-turns across double lines? Strange behaviour. Plenty of other hills nearby to do a similar thing much more safely.

I posted a video a years ago of a guy doing a u turn in front of someone coming down. Not good

[Cycling Wombat]

Went out for a ride along Parramatta River this morning. Haven't done it regularly on a weekend in over 6 months... when did it get so busy? It's always been well frequented but seemed to be twice as many people out today.

And what is the speed one should cycle on the marked "slow" sections? I'm always getting overtaken in these parts because I go at around 15kph which is what a decent runner is doing, so I figure it's an OK speed when there are so many pedestrians around especially ones that like to not keep left etc.

[Retrobyte]

Went out for a ride along Parramatta River this morning. Haven't done it regularly on a weekend in over 6 months... when did it get so busy? It's always been well frequented but seemed to be twice as many people out today.

Fine day after a wet week, school holidays, apartment residents needing some fresh air etc. It is a busy bit of infrastructure, which is nice to see (despite the crowds) because it proves that investing in active transport is needed in Sydney.

And what is the speed one should cycle on the marked "slow" sections? I'm always getting overtaken in these parts because I go at around 15kph which is what a decent runner is doing, so I figure it's an OK speed when there are so many pedestrians around especially ones that like to not keep left etc.

The right speed to ride is the speed that makes you feel comfortable enough to be able to react if someone else on the path does something unpredictable

[Cycling Wombat]

Haha good answer!

[bychosis]

The right speed to ride is the speed that makes you feel comfortable enough to be able to react if someone else on the path does something unpredictable

It’s absolutely the right answer. I rode a relatively busy sharepath as my commute for a few years. Mornings the speed was higher because most peds were fairly predictable. They were all ‘exercisers’ - keep left head down, so 25km/h wasn’t too fast. Afternoons were more chaotic with kids and prams etc. 20 was much more appropriate and slower when within short range. Sunday mornings on the same path closer to 15 max.

[g-boaf]

Went out for a ride along Parramatta River this morning. Haven't done it regularly on a weekend in over 6 months... when did it get so busy? It's always been well frequented but seemed to be twice as many people out today.

And what is the speed one should cycle on the marked "slow" sections? I'm always getting overtaken in these parts because I go at around 15kph which is what a decent runner is doing, so I figure it's an OK speed when there are so many pedestrians around especially ones that like to not keep left etc.

It’s always been like that since last few years and yes you’ll get riders flying past you even at 25km/h and especially in the narrower parts without good visibility.

Not a relaxing place to ride IMO, I avoid it if possible.

The mornings are even worse heading east with the glare from the sun.

[mikesbytes]

New one today. Now normally I have no issues with any cyclists going up Cootha Back, and usually try to give them a 'hello' and word of encouragement.

But one particular rider today annoyed me. I was going up and on one of the flatter sections he was descending and did a U-turn in front of me on a blind corner with double white lines in the middle. I made a joke about him doing 'half a Cootha' and a few metres later he flew past me absolutely belting it (I averaged 330W for the climb so wasn't hanging around).

Got a few metres lead and then did another U-turn on another blind corner across double white lines.

Ok mate, fair enough. I didn't even say anything disparaging. But what sort of idiot does hill intervals on the flattest part of a steep and busy hill that require repeated illegal and dangerous u-turns across double lines? Strange behaviour. Plenty of other hills nearby to do a similar thing much more safely.

Strava is more important than safety?

[bychosis]

I can’t believe you even questioned that. Strava is more important than safety.

[warthog1]

^^

[Retrobyte]

The mornings are even worse heading east with the glare from the sun.

In that way I'm lucky my commute is to Parramatta from the east, so I have the sun behind me both in the morning and in the afternoon. But of course that means people coming towards me have the sun in their eyes, which means they may not see me coming. Catch 22!

[Dreams V Reallity]

Very true. I was looking at this recently on an overcast day just before dusk. Looking at cars coming the other way, subjectively it seemed that white cars without any lights were at least as visible (if not more) than many of the asphalt camouflaged greyish coloured cars running their parking lights.

Don't you mean "invisible"?

Last week driving on the highway, me in Heavy Ridgid truck, Rain bucketing down (speed down to 80kp/h for visibility), on-coming traffic has a mix of lights on and lights off. Hardest to see were the lights off and silver/gray and the white.

[uart]

[Don't you mean "invisible"?
... Hardest to see were the lights off and silver/gray and the white.

A lot of research has shown white cars to be one of the most visible colours, in all conditions except for driving in snow.

Personally I find the more greenish/gray to be worse than silver/gray.

[Mr Purple]

I've noticed a recurrent theme in the few cycling related Facebook groups I frequent - mainly the BVRT group, but also one where people post photos of what's wrong with bike lanes.

There are so many people enormously offended at other cyclists who ride faster than they do. As in they'll recurrently take an unrelated thread (about illegal e-devices or people who walk or ride wearing headphones) and immediately attack the 'lycra brigade' for 'riding too fast'.

I find it all a bit bizarre to be honest. Because in my experience if someone is riding an actual bicycle faster than me they're usually very experienced, and doing it reasonably politely and carefully because they generally know what they're doing and have a full understanding of the consequences of getting it wrong.

There's some interesting psychology behind it. Collectively we're seen as a group due to our lycra 'uniform', and I assume a lot of the time people are wandering along in a bit of a daze and a bit oblivious to their surroundings so the first they see of someone passing them they immediately assume they're 'going too fast'. Strangely enough their stories of 'lycra clad hooligans' 'going too fast' are always bereft of any description of a near accident or inadequate passing distance and I suspect they've never actually almost suffered a near incident because of a cyclist passing them too quickly.

Anyway the real moral of the story is 'don't follow social media'. So carry on.

[jasonc]

i saw your posts Mr Purple. There's someone who posts in the PMD thread on this forum who vehemently defends and delfects that cyclists are the problem. laws are there for a reason. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

[Mr Purple]

i saw your posts Mr Purple. There's someone who posts in the PMD thread on this forum who vehemently defends and delfects that cyclists are the problem. laws are there for a reason. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

I like how the guy responded to my comment with a completely unrelated comment. At this point I have chosen not to further engage.

I have seen a lot of logical fallacies involved in many forums including here. A classic is the 'I once saw a cyclist do something illegal therefore I can do whatever I want on my PMD/car/motorbike'. Pretty sure doing 55km/hr downhill in a 50 zone on a bicycle is in no way an equivalent risk to doing 80km/hr on an electric motorbike down a bike path, or even doing 55km/hr in a 50 zone in a car, but it is punished equivalently.

For those sensible enough to not have Facebook the post in question was in response to someone posting footage of e-devices flying past them doing 50-60km/hr on the Western Freeway bikeway. The gist of the post was 'this is how fast lycra clad cyclists fly past me when I'm on the bikeway on my illegally derestricted e-bike doing 28km/hr'. I'm not sure what the point of his post was, other than to complain about people doing legal things while he was breaking the law.

I'm not sure how some people think. I suspect they don't.

[familyguy]

i saw your posts Mr Purple. There's someone who posts in the PMD thread on this forum who vehemently defends and delfects that cyclists are the problem. laws are there for a reason. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

I like how the guy responded to my comment with a completely unrelated comment. At this point I have chosen not to further engage.

I have seen a lot of logical fallacies involved in many forums including here. A classic is the 'I once saw a cyclist do something illegal therefore I can do whatever I want on my PMD/car/motorbike'. Pretty sure doing 55km/hr downhill in a 50 zone on a bicycle is in no way an equivalent risk to doing 80km/hr on an electric motorbike down a bike path, or even doing 55km/hr in a 50 zone in a car, but it is punished equivalently.

For those sensible enough to not have Facebook the post in question was in response to someone posting footage of e-devices flying past them doing 50-60km/hr on the Western Freeway bikeway. The gist of the post was 'this is how fast lycra clad cyclists fly past me when I'm on the bikeway on my illegally derestricted e-bike doing 28km/hr'. I'm not sure what the point of his post was, other than to complain about people doing legal things while he was breaking the law.

I'm not sure how some people think. I suspect they don't.

Can anyone get in on this pile-on action or is it a Queenslander only thing?

[jasonc]

Can anyone get in on this pile-on action or is it a Queenslander only thing?

facebook group is called "Why don't they ride in the bike lane"

[familyguy]

Can anyone get in on this pile-on action or is it a Queenslander only thing?

facebook group is called "Why don't they ride in the bike lane"

Oh, that one. Yeah, been and gone once, wasn't worth the nuffies. I know of the guy mentioned. Argumentative and always seems to end up with his own finger pointing at himself for wrongdoing.

[mikesbytes]

i saw your posts Mr Purple. There's someone who posts in the PMD thread on this forum who vehemently defends and delfects that cyclists are the problem. laws are there for a reason. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

I like how the guy responded to my comment with a completely unrelated comment. At this point I have chosen not to further engage.

I have seen a lot of logical fallacies involved in many forums including here. A classic is the 'I once saw a cyclist do something illegal therefore I can do whatever I want on my PMD/car/motorbike'. Pretty sure doing 55km/hr downhill in a 50 zone on a bicycle is in no way an equivalent risk to doing 80km/hr on an electric motorbike down a bike path, or even doing 55km/hr in a 50 zone in a car, but it is punished equivalently.

For those sensible enough to not have Facebook the post in question was in response to someone posting footage of e-devices flying past them doing 50-60km/hr on the Western Freeway bikeway. The gist of the post was 'this is how fast lycra clad cyclists fly past me when I'm on the bikeway on my illegally derestricted e-bike doing 28km/hr'. I'm not sure what the point of his post was, other than to complain about people doing legal things while he was breaking the law.

I'm not sure how some people think. I suspect they don't.

Sounds like trolling

[warthog1]

I'm not sure how some people think. I suspect they don't.

I liked that and yep you are correct I reckon.

[Lukeyboy]

i saw your posts Mr Purple. There's someone who posts in the PMD thread on this forum who vehemently defends and delfects that cyclists are the problem. laws are there for a reason. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

Sorta like me calling you out where you complain about scooter riders doing 30kph or riding in a small section of bike lane because its safer than riding on the footpath where there's lots of blind driveways, pedestrian traffic and uneven footpaths yet you have no problem breaking the posted speed limits on your bike by as much as 25kph in shared zones??? Just remind us have you ever gotten a speeding ticket while riding your bicycle??? Remember. if we all obey them, everyone gets where they are going safely

[jasonc]

[Cycling Wombat]

^ looks like you had a nice ride haha. Where is that? Plenty of cyclists about there.