[Closed] The Fixie rider in the Charge ad video- dear oh dear...

[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-charge-bikes-video-just-came-out#post-136829 ].....[/url]

see also: any 4x4 advert that suggests that they're cool for nipping around in town, economic, good for tricking ladies into thinking you're the outdoorsy type.

[b]Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.[/b]

I'm all for cycling to be promoted as 'cool' and exciting, but this just makes cyclists look like selfish, inconsiderate people.

FWIW; the First STW London Pootle rode in similar places, yet we all acted with consideration for others. Slowed down/walked where necessary, din't tear about like nutters, or endanger anyone else. And we still had loads of fun. Needs to b a bit more of a sense of responsibility, in some people.

oohhh, i dunno, that kerb drop loooked pretty unhinged to me. 😉

I blame Israel/Germany/Iran

I blame Simon and Garfunkel.

yet we all acted with consideration for others. Slowed down/walked where necessary, din't tear about like nutters, or endanger anyone else

I'd be interested to know if absolutely every pedestrian you encountered on your London ride would concur - in my experience (being a Londoner and having done many similar sorts of rides), while we may ride in a safe way that we know is fully under control, pedestrians' perception is often that we don't and that we're coming too close/going too fast near them. In fact, I'll bet that plenty would see no difference between your riding and that in the Charge video.

So, if even one pedestrian considered that you weren't considerate/safe/etc, does that also make you selfish, inconsiderate people or is your perception the only one that decides right and wrong (rong!)?

s'right innit? Iss vem uvvers wot is rong.

Wot Big Dummy sed.

Only people that were arsey were a couple of car drivers, because we happened to be in 'their' way. Usual shit.

I'm not saying we're all perfect, but promoting something as 'hey, look, it pisses people off, how funny', is just stupid.

"promoting something as 'hey, look, it pisses people off, how funny', is just stupid"

well, there's the bogtrotters 'mass trespass' group rides sorted then.

Only people that were arsey were a couple of car drivers,

Because they were hiding in their metal boxes?

If they are supposed to be fixed bikes then how come one of the ride manuals his bike (before doing an almost wall ride thing)?

Is he using a freehub? Won't the other fixed riders shun him for that?

rudeboy and friends "acting like nobs"
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ywmtjm&outx=480&quality=70 [/img]
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=ywmtjl&outx=480&quality=70 [/img]

so it's ok for you but not anyone else to ride on the pavement.

Gary, do you have any photos from our little pub rides about London too?

It's a bit harsh blaming Art Garfunkel.

Hmm, I don't see any pedestrians in those pics, do you?

We didn't willfully endanger the safety of any other people. In the Charge vid, the rider tears about on that stupid bike, and in one bit, nearly goes into a bloke just walking along.

S'not abut 'riding on the pavement' or stuff like that- we rode the rong way up a few one-way streets. No-one about, no harm done. We acted responsibly. We gace other people space, slowed down when neccessary, and I even used my bell! On 'shared use' paths, we had to give way to people on foot.

Don't be going splitting hairs; you know what I'm on about. Anyone who regularly rides in London (or any city, I spose) knows what I'm on about.There's always some idiots that give the rest of us a bad name.

And a lot of them ride fixies...

I think you're missing the point that the average 'joe public' wouldnt be looking on the Charge bikes website, and although its not setting a good example for the youth, they will still go out and do it anyway after seeing someone else do it on pinkbike/another website/video.

A miss is as good as a mile. 🙂

How about, instead of wasting everyone's time bemoaning "dangerous" cyclists, you concentrate on the facts? How many people are killed or injured by fashion victims cycling on the pavement each year, versus numbers of people run over/dying from heart disease? I'm reliably informed that most "fixie" riders in London have freewheels or push their bikes everywhere anyway.

"Gary, do you have any photos from our little pub rides about London too? "

rudeboy. i haven't looked at the vid but at the end of the day you (or your co-riders) were happy to ride on the pavement for fun, i'm not interested in an argument of it being right or wrong (i don't ride on the pavement myself) but it's against the law and if plod had seen you then you would get fined. i can't believe that somebody like yourself would condone law breaking in a public place especially being visible to young and impressionable people.

There's always some idiots that give the rest of us a bad name.

And a lot of them ride fixies...

some of them ride mountainbikes too and hybrids. and shoppers...

i can't believe that somebody like yourself would condone law breaking in a public place especially being visible to young and impressionable people.

Oh shut up!

Ok so; riding on a pavement, when there's nobody else around, is still 'illegal', but hardly terrorism! Weaving in and out of pedestrians, at high speed, is both illegal and dangerous.

What if one of those fixie scum had hit and injured a little kiddie during the making of that vid? You lot would be calling for the reinstatement of the Death Penalty...

i haven't looked at the vid

Ahem...

it's against the law and if plod had seen you then you would get fined

Not necessarily.

Not necessarily.

What, against the law or you would get fined?

What, against the law or you would get fined?

Technically, it's against the law, but Home Office advice to police given at the time fixed penalty notices were introduced (which was repeated when PCSOs were allowed to issue fixed penalty notices) is to only issue tickets if the cycling is being done irresponsibly and recognised that there were times when a cyclist would perceive the pavement as being the safer option.

well that depends on the plod. if you say sorry and agree with everything they say then probably not

if you say

"Hmm, I don't see any pedestrians, do you?"

then you probably will. up to a fine of £500 (it says so on the sign outside my house) but most likely a fixed penalty of £30

Everything you could possibly want to know about this: http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

miketully - So it is against the law and the decision to fine you or not may rest with if the officer thought the way you hucked the staircase and then grinded the rail were irresponsible?

miketully - So it is against the law and the decision to fine you or not may rest with if the officer thought the way you hucked the staircase and then grinded the rail were irresponsible?

I was commenting on the general issue of pavement cycling which, along with helmets, seems to be a major issue for a lot of cyclists, when it probably isn't really that big an issue.

Grinding can probably never be done responsibly, but I'd have though some sort of charge for damaging the rail would be a better punishment than a fixed penalty notice.

If steps don't have anyone around, and you have a clear view, I don't see why riding down them would be automatically irresponsible (and if you didn't see the polis, you didn't have a clear view).

Oh shut up!

who made you the arbiter of acceptable opinion on here?
i'll not shut up thanks.

Even though you've completely missed the point?

the point of what? riding on the pavement?

No, you Sherbet Dib-Dab; riding in a manner that could endanger the safety of other people.

Forget the pavement thing. T'wasn't part of the point i was trying to make.

Watch the video Eric.

So to sum up: one rider rides on the pavement in a manner that is deifnitely illegal, and could be perceived to be irresponsible and antisocial. Nobody gets hurt, nobody dies. It's not clear whether anyone gets annoyed, entertained or homicidal as a result of such action, not counting this thread of course. The results are broadcast via the internet.

A group of other riders ride on the pavement in a manner that is definitely illegal, and could be perceived to be irresponsible and antisocial. Nobody gets hurt, nobody dies. Some people are mildly annoyed. Pictures of this are distributed via the internet.

i thought the point was about illegal riding on the pavement and how it was o.k for you to do it because your judgment of what is acceptable is above the law. and the reckless actions of others are to be condemned especially if they are practiced under the auspices of the 'fixie' trend by people who are evidently not of the same moral fiber as yourself?

Rudeboy's hypocrisy exposed? tut tut.

Someone will be along in a moment to tell us he's a kiddie fidler.

Methinks a certain little someone should get his own house in order before wagging his self-righteous finger at other minor misdemeanors.

🙄

You're obviously a very bored little man.

Hello AdamG! Aren't you sposed to be banned? 😉

For the hard of Thinking:

The point is not about riding on pavements. Or steps, or anywhere.

The point is about riding in a dangerous manner, where there are lots of other people around. Riding in a manner clearly designed to annoy people. A la the Charge video. Watch it. Learn.

There is a distinction between being a little naughty, yet causing no harm or offence, and acting like a selfish inconsiderate twunt.

Which I'm sure anyone who's given this more than a second's thought, will understand...
🙄

I watched that Charge video last night. I've run out and taken the brakes off my road bike, sprayed my rims purple, squeezed into some girl's jeans and was just about to go out and weave erratically through a big crowd of pedestrians, bash into them and laugh maniacally when I read this thread. Thank you Rudeboy, you've shown me the error of my ways.

It could be argued that by simply riding on the pavement, you are acting selfish and inconsideratley.

do you honestly think they were "riding in a manner clearly designed to annoy people"?
maybe it's just you they are out to annoy?
being the subject of a corporate hate campaign using the medium of internet video to attack you personally must be hard to endure.

Then you truly are lost, my child... 🙁

I actually think Rudeboys right. Sorry.

But i don't actually care that much either way.

those pics up there are both of me, and the others on the ride all tried to stop me and restrain me but i wouldn't listen. consequently, four innocent pedestrians lost their lives. i don't feel guilty though.

Then you truly are lost, my child... [:(]

thanks for your concern, worrying about the salvation of others is noble but seriously you should worry about your own paranoia.
put yourself first for a change and seek professional help.