Is there some ****ing unwritten rule that when you hit red lights the slow ones go past the stop line with the very slowest go at the front, so when the lights turn you get to slow all the traffic down, includign drivers and those of us who haven’t just eaten an OLYMPIC sized fry-up and would like to get to work before lunchtim?

JESUS!

It would certainly appear to be that way. Really is incredibly selfish. They tend to wobble about and take up about 3 times the amount of road they need too.

its ubiquitous on the Mall/Trafalgar square/Strand.

I think it’s all those dumpy fat lawyers on their way to work in the morning.

Did see a copper pull an RLJ at admiralty arch once, which was encouraging.

Advantage for me, is that my cmmute is (currently) out of town, so I don’t see any other riders going my way in the morning.

But, yes, you’re right. The slowest are the biggest are the most flaming useless and traffic unaware.

Better than pulling a Glock…not as good as pulling a stunnah!

It’s a f……g complete wind up. Even had guys who I’d overtaken more than once but caught me up at red light amble in front of me only for me to have to overtake them again once on our way. It’s ignorant, rude, selfish etc. There’s always faster riders out there so why hold them up? I’d hate to be the one holding up a faster rider but these twunts don’t seem to care. More than once it’s crossed my mind that as I overtake them, should reach over and give a gentle shove…but thankfully have never done so despite the red mist!

Or they tend to stop right behind you, nudging you as they do, or fall off trying to do track stands, or pull over on the far left, only to turn right as the lights change!

Last one is my pet hate 😉

…and in London, they are usually to be found on Boris bikes. Had 5 of them roll past me at a red light this morning only for me go past them again within about 10 yards once lights turned green.

Boris bikes are a good idea, but why is it mainly rude, ignornat unfit RLJ’ing imbeciles that ride them?

That’s what annoys motorists as well. It’s the “proper” cyclists who obey the rules of the road (mostly) while the slow, fat, unaware ones pootle along at 10mph, cut in front at traffic lights, force cars to slow down etc and they just continue, blissfully unaware of the road rage building up behind them.

I overtook a guy the other day, quite early on in my commute, he then sat on my wheel then came past me again a little later (virtually having to sprint to do so, he just wanted to prove a point), mudguard rattling and pannier shaking as he crashed through all the potholes. I got back in front filtering through traffic, stopped at a set of lights and the bastard jumped the pavement, got through then carried on. I caught him up at a big junction about a mile later, stopped at the lights – that junction was too complicated and large for him to do any pavement antics. Anyway, as I was about 10m back, rolling in, the lights changed and I could just carry straight on through while he had to get started from a standstill. Didn’t see him again. 🙂

Not an issue here with me in Devon – I only have 2 sets of traffic lights on the way and one on the way back! 😉

However I have to deal with sharply bending narrow roads, farm muck, loads of pot holes and this winter ++++ ice 🙁

Again I wonder how much of this is road positioning? I see these people but they never bother me – At a traffic light when stopped I stop away from the kerb / in the middle of the lane / leaving space for otehr cyclists / at the front if at all possible – this leaves space for other cyclists on my inside and means that I can pull away from the lights and overtake them

pull over on the far left, only to turn right as the lights change!

arggghhhh. +1

30 minutes TJ? My money was on 15-20.

At least you have provided a universal solution, based on factual information about the circumstances, and not assumptions.

But what about world peace though?

30 minutes TJ? My money was on 15-20.

probably caught in traffic…

I mean, stop at red lights – WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!

I must do a helmet cam of a run thru edinburgh rush hour for you guys to critique – it will be an interesting exercise.

Because I neither ride in the gutter nor skip red lights I frequently get filtered on my left by this sort of person, who I’ve usually overtaken a minute or two previously, who’ll often then squeal to a halt right in front of me.

Not sure what the motivation is. If it was for the purposes of striking up a friendly chat then I could sort of understand but it doesn’t seem to be. Perhaps they’re being kind and offering me a tow? Its Friday, I like to think the best of people on a Friday.

The only time I have cycled through London I was touring with a largish trailer – people still wanted to race me – idiots

Not commuting atm but I always found if I arrived at work before 08:30 or after 09:30 I avoided this mess. Riding Nr Bank was a double mess at this time too AVOID. In a similar fashion get out of central London before 17:00 or after 18:30 / 19:00 and you are fine.

will you do a running commentary T.J?
only i have 6 square meters of drying white emulsion to watch and need to decide between the two.

TandemJeremy – Member
I must do a helmet cam of a run thru edinburgh rush hour for you guys to critique – it will be an interesting exercise.

Am am curious and would welcome this. I should do the same so you can tell me how close to death I am during my commute and how I could improve my cyclecraft.

From what you say on here regarding cycling in Edinburgh: the daily near-death incidents, cars trying to get you from all angles etc, you are not living in the same Edinburgh/universe as me but a parallel multiverse Edinburgh, and are somehow managing to connect to the internet and post on stw in this universe.

I think it is partly to do with them being a bit nervous on the road and feel a bit of reassurance getting closer to someone at the lights who looks as if they know what they are doing.

Usually when i am at the lights there isnt any space behind for someone to go behind me due to a car coming up closer than it should when stopping and if the cyclist is nervy they will see an open gap in front of me and use that. Dont mind it much, it is minor inconvenience compared to some of the driving i see and the potholes that need to be avoided

A lot of cyclists, like drivers, are complete idiots who think only of ‘me me me.’

I’ve come to the conclusion that the human race is doomed, it’s easier that way.

Plus, a Planet of the Apes scenario doesn’t seem so bad.

Is there some ****ing unwritten rule that when you hit red lights the slow ones go past the stop line with the very slowest go at the front, so when the lights turn you get to slow all the traffic down, includign drivers and those of us who haven’t just eaten an OLYMPIC sized fry-up and would like to get to work before lunchtim?

Certainly was when I was commuting in the smoke.

Used to get quite a few young ladies of oriental descent wobble through reds and get in the way. Scary as hell to watch, but at least a lot more visually pleasing than a fat, sweaty city-type.

MrSmith – Member
will you do a running commentary T.J?
only i have 6 square meters of drying white emulsion to watch and need to decide between the two.

I wouldn’t hold your breath we’ve been waiting for the thirty yard front wheel skid video for over two years.

We’ll I’m just back from a ride, and I thought I’d try the TJ patented road skills. Pulled up to a junction in the middle of my lane stopped the regulation 4.5″ behind the white line and waited for the lights to change. Hey presto along comes some twonk on their shonky commuter pulls over the white line and stops right in front of me, all the time I’m holding a no-handed track stand whilst flossing my teeth just to show them I’m a cyclist of no mean skill. The lights change and off he ambles at 7.56mph.
Now I know this was one incident and it has not been peer reviewed but it got me thinking where does this leave TJ’s argument.
So I think STW should carry out a scientific experiment, on your commutes home tonight everybody should cycle in the TJ patented road safe manner. and report they’re findings.
I wonder how many people it will take to convince TJ to stop his pontifications 😉

From what you say on here regarding cycling in Edinburgh: the daily near-death incidents, cars trying to get you from all angles etc, you are not living in the same Edinburgh/universe as me but a parallel multiverse Edinburgh, and are somehow managing to connect to the internet and post on stw in this universe.

I’ve often thought this too, although there are other possibilities.

(a) I ride around in a bit of a daze and I’m completely unaware of the potential death surrounding me.

(b) Julie is still putting that “PLEASE KILL ME” sticker on TJs back when he leaves the house.

Cyclists are worse road users than anyone else. Except taxi drivers.

Is there some ****ing unwritten rule that when you hit red lights the slow ones go past the stop line with the very slowest go at the front, so when the lights turn you get to slow all the traffic down, includign drivers and those of us who haven’t just eaten an OLYMPIC sized fry-up and would like to get to work before lunchtim?

JESUS!

Damn straight. I often just sit in line with traffic if I’m aware of the fact that traffic can make much better progress without me in the way, or if someone behind me is obviously getting a bit antsy.

Seemingly everytime I do that, some heffalump wobbles through, then proceeds to wheeze along in the middle of the road at 0.1mph.

the fashion in bristol seems to be to always stop by the kerb, behind the other cyclists so in fact only one (maybe 2) person (people) are in the ASL box while everyone else is forced to queue in the cycle lane leading up to it. really does my nut.

or they just do as the op described

druidh – Member

From what you say on here regarding cycling in Edinburgh: the daily near-death incidents, cars trying to get you from all angles etc, you are not living in the same Edinburgh/universe as me but a parallel multiverse Edinburgh, and are somehow managing to connect to the internet and post on stw in this universe.

I’ve often thought this too, although there are other possibilities.

(a) I ride around in a bit of a daze and I’m completely unaware of the potential death surrounding me.

(b) Julie is still putting that “PLEASE KILL ME” sticker on TJs back when he leaves the house.

(c) He starts talking to them about stress aura’s/ helmets and their dangers/how some tyres are better than others/the advantages of tandems/definitions of mountainbiking and scares them into staying well away from him.

And once again the attacks come in about things I am supposed to have said but never have.

You really are a sad lot sometimes.

Its a joke TJ, a piece of gentle harmless whimsy on a grey windy day.

Even had guys who I’d overtaken more than once but caught me up at red light amble in front of me only for me to have to overtake them again once on our way.

Hang on, so they caught you up, and you just had to overtake them again because you’re faster? This is what makes me laugh with car drivers. They see a cyclist so just have to overtake, only for me to catch them up at the traffic lights.

You may be faster for the 100m between the lights, but if they’re catching you up, you’re not getting there faster than they are, you’re just getting sweatier. Or, if you’re a motorist, you’re wasting more petrol and being more dangerous. Good job! 🙄

And once again the attacks come in about things I am supposed to have said but never have.

You really are a sad lot sometimes.

diddums.

Perhaps TJ is to cyclecraft what glupton is to driving. We should honour his presence chaps. Cant afford to miss out on this level of patronising you know…

It’s people in the supermarket who get in the way with trolleys that really get my goat.

Especially when I’m doing 35 mph down the fresh fruit and veg aisle looking for yams and paw paws.

TandemJeremy – Member
And once again the attacks come in about things I am supposed to have said but never have.

You really are a sad lot sometimes.

I like being sad, but just sometimes. It makes the happy times seem even happier.

The real problems are AlturaJacketMan and FixieRidingTw@Monkey, as we all know.

IT’S NOT A RACE, IDIOTS!

FixieRidingTw@Monkey

I think they’ve all gone to ground for the winter here. Its a shame, watching them trying to get their machines underway with the olympic sized gear they’ve selected with all the leverage a 12″ dildo bar gives then never fails to give me the lol.

The lights change and off he ambles at 7.56mph.
Now I know this was one incident and it has not been peer reviewed but it got me thinking where does this leave TJ’s argument.

TJ what’s your response to the above then? It’s a perfectly valid point.

As for personal attacks…many of us are making valid points in humorous ways…no doubt I’ll be repeating this until I die: you have brought the “humorous pokes at TJ online” on yourself by repeatedly holding yourself out to be an expert on many topics in respect of which you have no basis to do so, of which road safety is probably the paradigm. If you chose to see these as personal attacks, up to you, no one else here behaves the way you do, and you are very different in real life, so IMO you have made your bed.

I say this to inform you as to how you come across, and with no malice whatsoever – what you do with it is up to you.

Nice justifying of your malicious and unpleasant behaviour. I have repeatedly asked you to stop both on and off forum but you won’t. Why can you not understand it is not funny?

So its all my fault for having opinions and daring to defend them in the face of your superior knowledge. I don’t pretend to be anything but what I am.

You have succeeded in having your lies about me accepted as the truth. well done

I hope you are really proud of yourself.