Buffalo & Doozerie - The mild musings of two grumpy old men!

Alek

Salmon Koolstops are also great wet stoppers, but wear out quickly.

rollingscone

Alek wrote: »

Salmon Koolstops are also great wet stoppers, but wear out quickly.

Swisstops don't wear quickly. Ergo...

dreamerb

rollingscone wrote: »

If Road brakes then Swisstop Green are unbeatable.

Currently on sale on SwinCycleRun.

Brakes are Tektro R358 (Giant dash 2). Wiggle says I compatible if I "have a suitable Shimano pad carrier". Can anyone translate this for me - do I need something extra?

Eamonnator

.

nomdeboardie

Eamonnator wrote: »

.

I admire conciseness

Eamonnator

Brevity is the soul of wit.

rollingscone

dreamerb wrote: »

Brakes are Tektro R358 (Giant dash 2). Wiggle says I compatible if I "have a suitable Shimano pad carrier". Can anyone translate this for me - do I need something extra?

They're compatible with the Swisstop pads but you might have bolt on brake pads (onè solid piece of rubber on a bolt as opposed to Cartridge brakes where you can just slide the replacement pads into the cartridges and usually lock them into place with a wire clip or tiny bolt.

buffalo

One of those incidents this morning that inches me ever closer to mounting a camera... descending Whitworth Road with zero motor traffic on my side of the road. There's a Dublin bus pulling in on the far side, with a car directly behind it, and a large dumper truck behind that.

The car driver isn't quick enough to overtake for the truck driver, and he risks getting crushed by the truck, who instead blares the horn. Car gets past the bus and pulls back in as I approach, I have to slow down as the truck follows. Not in the dangerous territory exactly, but not a manoeuvre I imagine the driver would've done if I was also an approaching truck.

As the truck returns to the correct side of the road, I proceed down my side, only to hit the brakes. A van has followed the truck, despite having zero visibility of what's ahead. Behind the van is another van, then a landrover, and finally one more car. All driving straight into oncoming traffic with no visibility, heading for the red light 250m up the road.

There was one wave of apology, but no way anybody was going to slow down, never mind stop!

MediaMan

buffalo wrote: »

As the truck returns to the correct side of the road, I proceed down my side, only to hit the brakes. A van has followed the truck, despite having zero visibility of what's ahead. Behind the van is another van, then a landrover, and finally one more car. All driving straight into oncoming traffic with no visibility, heading for the red light 250m up the road.

There was one wave of apology, but no way anybody was going to slow down, never mind stop!

This raises the issue of herd mentality on the road. For example, I've found that if one misguided driver squeezes past me when it's unsafe to do so, a whole load more will follow. This is a big factor in lots of careless and occasionally downright dangerous road use, across all categories of transport. Conversely, if enough people were to drive/cycle safely at all times, and it became socially unacceptable not to do so, what wonderful streets we would have!

Leroy42

One thing I have worried about recently is the practice of cars, sitting in a line of traffic, letting cars on the opposite side turn right. It is a civil thing to do, but it seems that little regard is given to cyclists coming up the inside.

For the car turning right, they have very little visibility of a cyclist coming, especially if the vehicle giving them the space is a larger vehicle like a 4x4 or bigger.

Whilst that is bad enough, it also seems that if the first car does cross then it seems, and this ties back to the herd mentality mentioned above, that other vehicles in the que to turn right will simply follow without, in my experience, any additional checking.

magicbastarder

two peeves for this evening:
1 - people who lock their bikes to bus stops.
2 - when you've a lovely evening like we've had but you have to get up on the flat roof to fix holes in it instead of being out on the bike.

tigerboon

Maybe not the right place for this but twice in the last week saw cyclists using the M3 motorway. One evening last week some lad pedalling like crazy on a fold up type bike. This morning, in the fog, some guy stopped on the hard shoulder checking his phone/garmin/whatever. It's hard to know what to say about the complete stupidity of both of these

Chips Lovell

tigerboon wrote: »

This morning, in the fog, some guy stopped on the hard shoulder checking his phone/garmin/whatever.

There are probably rare Pokemon on the M3

Weepsie

Can't really put this in for just any one day, but the Bridge over the tolka at Fagan's on the Drumcondra road, everyday someone pulls into the lane without any sort of indicating and basically forces me to maneuver myself or brake so they don't take me and the bike out. Then I have to run this risk of being hit by the driver behind.

Also Drumcondra Rd/Swords Rd could be a cash cow for the Gardai if they just stationed a few there at rush hour. I'm sick of seeing drivers shooting up the bus, cycle, taxi lane, more so when they are beeping furiously at me. If I see a taxi or bus approaching behind, I will use the cycle lane and give a wave I'm getting out of their way. If I see a car coming up that lane, it can stay behind me.

Chuchote

tigerboon wrote: »

Maybe not the right place for this but twice in the last week saw cyclists using the M3 motorway.

Sounds like insanity, but may also be that they're using a satnav of some sort, having set it to cycle mode, and it's guided them onto the motorway. There are times you're safer with paper maps.

RobertFoster

With either paper or digital maps, there's still road signs telling you not to enter motorways on foot or pedal-cycles.

I passed two men walking side-by-side with their back to traffic on the M3 a few weeks back. Not the most comfortable of walking routes, so I wonder how they got there.

Chuchote

RobertFoster wrote: »

With either paper or digital maps, there's still road signs telling you not to enter motorways on foot or pedal-cycles.

I passed two men walking side-by-side with their back to traffic on the M3 a few weeks back. Not the most comfortable of walking routes, so I wonder how they got there.

Locals, maybe, and there's no easy way to bring a bike across?

CramCycle

Interesting experience this morning. You would know the schools are back as some people were more stupid than normal. Heading through Sandyford Industrial estate, I stay out on the road as I take a right turn up ahead and I am also keeping up with traffic.

There is a BMW a few yards in front of me, enough for me to slow and stop if the brake lights come on but they are not pulling away or dropping back. I can hear a car behind me getting close but the road is about to split into the right turn/straight ahead and there is not enough space in front of me to pass so it is what it is.

Needless to say the guy pulls up beside me in his very shiny 08 Jag, and very politely, points sidewards, like a garda trying to pull you over. He then shouts, but calm and politely, that there is a cycle lane over there. I shout back, I know but i am turning right just up ahead. He doesn't do it intentionally but he is now drifting in on top of me. I really don't think it was intentional anyway. He said you can turn right from the bike lane (you actually can't, you have to dismount and walk or go up the road and do a U turn). It just shocked me that he had no realisation of the absurdity of what he was doing. He obviously felt I was obstructing him but had paid so little attention that he had not realised there was nowhere to go. The lane fully splits and he has to tap on the brakes, I indicate, merge over. Still keeping up with the car in front. So much so that I actually make it to the solid white line at the same time as the car in front.

I realise none of this will register with the driver, I know it was not malicious (or I hope so). He will hold a grudge all cyclists on the road for the rest of the morning, probably tell his workmates what a selfish wanker he came across. I just hope, that maybe he does realise, maybe he will just shut his mouth and think, that was pointless, probably should not do it again.

Chuchote

CramCycle wrote: »

Interesting experience this morning. You would know the schools are back as some people were more stupid than normal. Heading through Sandyford Industrial estate, I stay out on the road as I take a right turn up ahead and I am also keeping up with traffic.

There is a BMW a few yards in front of me, enough for me to slow and stop if the brake lights come on but they are not pulling away or dropping back. I can hear a car behind me getting close but the road is about to split into the right turn/straight ahead and there is not enough space in front of me to pass so it is what it is.

Needless to say the guy pulls up beside me in his very shiny 08 Jag, and very politely, points sidewards, like a garda trying to pull you over. He then shouts, but calm and politely, that there is a cycle lane over there. I shout back, I know but i am turning right just up ahead. He doesn't do it intentionally but he is now drifting in on top of me. I really don't think it was intentional anyway. He said you can turn right from the bike lane (you actually can't, you have to dismount and walk or go up the road and do a U turn). It just shocked me that he had no realisation of the absurdity of what he was doing. He obviously felt I was obstructing him but had paid so little attention that he had not realised there was nowhere to go. The lane fully splits and he has to tap on the brakes, I indicate, merge over. Still keeping up with the car in front. So much so that I actually make it to the solid white line at the same time as the car in front.

I realise none of this will register with the driver, I know it was not malicious (or I hope so). He will hold a grudge all cyclists on the road for the rest of the morning, probably tell his workmates what a selfish wanker he came across. I just hope, that maybe he does realise, maybe he will just shut his mouth and think, that was pointless, probably should not do it again.

Cram, you have just had the mansplaining* experience. All women salute you, comrade.

* http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174918/

PaulieC

CramCycle wrote: »

Interesting experience this morning. You would know the schools are back as some people were more stupid than normal. Heading through Sandyford Industrial estate, I stay out on the road as I take a right turn up ahead and I am also keeping up with traffic.

There is a BMW a few yards in front of me, enough for me to slow and stop if the brake lights come on but they are not pulling away or dropping back. I can hear a car behind me getting close but the road is about to split into the right turn/straight ahead and there is not enough space in front of me to pass so it is what it is.

Needless to say the guy pulls up beside me in his very shiny 08 Jag, and very politely, points sidewards, like a garda trying to pull you over. He then shouts, but calm and politely, that there is a cycle lane over there. I shout back, I know but i am turning right just up ahead. He doesn't do it intentionally but he is now drifting in on top of me. I really don't think it was intentional anyway. He said you can turn right from the bike lane (you actually can't, you have to dismount and walk or go up the road and do a U turn). It just shocked me that he had no realisation of the absurdity of what he was doing. He obviously felt I was obstructing him but had paid so little attention that he had not realised there was nowhere to go. The lane fully splits and he has to tap on the brakes, I indicate, merge over. Still keeping up with the car in front. So much so that I actually make it to the solid white line at the same time as the car in front.

I realise none of this will register with the driver, I know it was not malicious (or I hope so). He will hold a grudge all cyclists on the road for the rest of the morning, probably tell his workmates what a selfish wanker he came across. I just hope, that maybe he does realise, maybe he will just shut his mouth and think, that was pointless, probably should not do it again.

was it a gold coloured Jag ? If so, I might have had a run in with him. Similar situation I was in the outside lane as I was turning right up ahead into South County Business Park. He was on the inside lane, but drifting out of his lane and into mine. As I passed him, I could see he was looking at his phone and not paying attention to his driving. As his window was opened I mentioned that he should get off his phone as I passed him.

He caught up with me at the lights as I was waiting to run and told me that I should be in the cycle lane. I pointed out that I was turning right and was in the correct place to do so. He kept repeating that I should be in the cycle lane. I was getting p1ssed off at this stage so I asked him was he justifying his bad driving by insisting that I should be in the cycle lane. His response to that was to offer to fight me at the side of the road . When I declined his offer, he said I was it was because I was a cycling pussy and drove off...

Chips Lovell

Why does nobody ever want to fight me?

Chuchote

A cycling pussy :pac:

CramCycle

PaulieC wrote: »

was it a gold coloured Jag ? If so, I might have had a run in with him. Similar situation I was in the outside lane as I was turning right up ahead into South County Business Park. He was on the inside lane, but drifting out of his lane and into mine. As I passed him, I could see he was looking at his phone and not paying attention to his driving. As his window was opened I mentioned that he should get off his phone as I passed him.

He caught up with me at the lights as I was waiting to run and told me that I should be in the cycle lane. I pointed out that I was turning right and was in the correct place to do so. He kept repeating that I should be in the cycle lane. I was getting p1ssed off at this stage so I asked him was he justifying his bad driving by insisting that I should be in the cycle lane. His response to that was to offer to fight me at the side of the road . When I declined his offer, he said I was it was because I was a cycling pussy and drove off...

It was black, XF, as my boss would say (a car fanatic), the slow ones (they are and can be extremely fast, and so far my experience of XF drivers is that tjhey tend to be quite polite, my only other experience being a gold one, who wound down his window to tell me I was quite fast). The man was very polite, only raising his voice so that I could hear him explain where I should be. He was not angry or aggressive, although if I was in the mood i could have taken it that way when he drifted over. He was quite rudely talking over his passenger.
I have never understood the offer of fighting. Why would you offer the choice? If the person wishes to fight, they might give warning but if they are not that committed on the first place that they ask you if you would be interested, I tend to feel that they are not really going to give it their all and I promptly leave. I do like to be an ass and try and look smug / superior, which normally probably has the effect that they think me a cycling "pussy". Such an astonishing insult, it is locked away as I have not heard anyone use it for 25 years.

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

Why does nobody ever want to fight me?

Your face is too pretty.

Chuchote wrote: »

A cycling pussy :pac:

A tag I would be happy for anyone to call me, it tends to make me giggle inside at their immaturity and just want to leave, so they can cry to themselves when they arrive home alone to look in the mirror and realise that, deep down, they have nothing to offer humanity.

Alek

A tag I would be happy for anyone to call me, it tends to make me giggle inside at their immaturity and just want to leave, so they can cry to themselves when they arrive home alone to look in the mirror and realise that, deep down, they have nothing to offer humanity.

Badum-tssss!

Rogue-Trooper

So, cycling down East Wall Road yesterday evening, a white Hiace Van came out of one of the side roads on the left just slightly ahead of me. The driver didn't even glance to her right to see if there was anything coming as she turned left onto the main road and slowly came out across my path. I hauled on the anchors and one of her passengers obviously copped me bearing down on them and she jammed on, coming to a stop half way around the corner. I swerved around the van shaking my head in disbelief only to have the passenger lean out of the window and roar at me to "Watch where you're fookin going"!!

Oops. My bad. Soz..............:rolleyes:

Chuchote

Bloggsie

leaping lasgane's Chucote, attacked by a moustache loving flying cat, lucky to escape with your whiskers intact!

Chuchote

Heh, not me, that's just a #CyclingPussy

Bloggsie

PaulieC wrote: »

was it a gold coloured Jag ? If so, I might have had a run in with him. Similar situation I was in the outside lane as I was turning right up ahead into South County Business Park. He was on the inside lane, but drifting out of his lane and into mine. As I passed him, I could see he was looking at his phone and not paying attention to his driving. As his window was opened I mentioned that he should get off his phone as I passed him.

He caught up with me at the lights as I was waiting to run and told me that I should be in the cycle lane. I pointed out that I was turning right and was in the correct place to do so. He kept repeating that I should be in the cycle lane. I was getting p1ssed off at this stage so I asked him was he justifying his bad driving by insisting that I should be in the cycle lane. His response to that was to offer to fight me at the side of the road . When I declined his offer, he said I was it was because I was a cycling pussy and drove off...

"do you wanna fight" funny.

does anyone remember snagglepuss from their childhood days, "put em up, put em up!"

check_six

Arrived at a slight squiggle in the road yesterday to notice that, even though I was squiggling to keep a constant line on the road, the car beside me was decidedly *not* squiggling and was, in fact, ploughing straight into the space I was about to occupy. A quick look at the driver revealed that they were too busy applying mascara to be bothered with the fripperies of driving such as holding the wheel to steer, or even looking out the windscreen to see where they were going.

Happily, a simple, shuddering, emergency, pull the levers through the handlebars and scream blue murder, gentle deceleration manoeuvre prevented me from interrupting the drivers morning routine.

I blame the radio and the tales of the self driving uber taxis. It's gotta be that, right?