More bikes - less experience

On 2006-08-17, SEGFTG (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Witnessed a guy riding 500+ metres in the gutter down the wrong side of
a busy suburban street, crossing over onto the footpath whenever a car
approached, not wearing a helmet...

Seems to me that there has been an increase in my area of new cyclists
with no regard for road rules and their safety. I am assuming this is a
result of petrol prices. I have always tried to be positive about almost
any cycling, but have to wonder what kind of image this portrays to the
non cycling public???

Anyone else noticing similair developments?

The guy riding home in the gutter of Burwood road the other evening?

No lights, weaving in and out of parked cars from the gutter to within
the door zone, without looking behind when pulling out, pedalling at
around 40-50rpm?

No no, I do not know of which you speak.

--
TimC
"I looked back and bikes and riders were flipping in the air. There
must have been 20-30+ riders in the pile."
-- overheard after Early Bird 4/5 race

TimC said:

On 2006-08-17, SEGFTG (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Witnessed a guy riding 500+ metres in the gutter down the wrong side of
a busy suburban street, crossing over onto the footpath whenever a car
approached, not wearing a helmet...

Seems to me that there has been an increase in my area of new cyclists
with no regard for road rules and their safety. I am assuming this is a
result of petrol prices. I have always tried to be positive about almost
any cycling, but have to wonder what kind of image this portrays to the
non cycling public???

Anyone else noticing similair developments?

The guy riding home in the gutter of Burwood road the other evening?

No lights, weaving in and out of parked cars from the gutter to within
the door zone, without looking behind when pulling out, pedalling at
around 40-50rpm?

No no, I do not know of which you speak.

--
TimC
"I looked back and bikes and riders were flipping in the air. There
must have been 20-30+ riders in the pile."
-- overheard after Early Bird 4/5 race

I am sure this kind of thing goes on all over the place. In the outer burbs, I dont see too many cyclists - unless they are heading for the hills, recently I have seen more than usual. Must have lost their licence, lost their car, cant afford petrol... lack of attire and ignorance of road rules suggests they are not regulars.

TimC said:

On 2006-08-17, SEGFTG (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Witnessed a guy riding 500+ metres in the gutter down the wrong side of
a busy suburban street, crossing over onto the footpath whenever a car
approached, not wearing a helmet...

Seems to me that there has been an increase in my area of new cyclists
with no regard for road rules and their safety. I am assuming this is a
result of petrol prices. I have always tried to be positive about almost
any cycling, but have to wonder what kind of image this portrays to the
non cycling public???

Anyone else noticing similair developments?

The guy riding home in the gutter of Burwood road the other evening?

No lights, weaving in and out of parked cars from the gutter to within
the door zone, without looking behind when pulling out, pedalling at
around 40-50rpm?

No no, I do not know of which you speak.

And riding at the limits of his design envelope at that 🙂

Dave

--
Frank
[email hidden]
Drop DACKS to reply
"SEGFTG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

On 2006-08-17, SEGFTG (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Quoted message said:

Witnessed a guy riding 500+ metres in the gutter down the wrong side

of

Quoted message said:

a busy suburban street, crossing over onto the footpath whenever a

car

Quoted message said:

approached, not wearing a helmet...

Seems to me that there has been an increase in my area of new

cyclists

Quoted message said:

with no regard for road rules and their safety. I am assuming this is

a

Quoted message said:

result of petrol prices. I have always tried to be positive about

almost

Quoted message said:

any cycling, but have to wonder what kind of image this portrays to

the

Quoted message said:

non cycling public???

Anyone else noticing similair developments?

The guy riding home in the gutter of Burwood road the other evening?

No lights, weaving in and out of parked cars from the gutter to within
the door zone, without looking behind when pulling out, pedalling at
around 40-50rpm?

No no, I do not know of which you speak.

--
TimC
"I looked back and bikes and riders were flipping in the air. There
must have been 20-30+ riders in the pile."
-- overheard after Early Bird 4/5 race

I am sure this kind of thing goes on all over the place. In the outer
burbs, I dont see too many cyclists - unless they are heading for the
hills, recently I have seen more than usual. Must have lost their
licence, lost their car, cant afford petrol... lack of attire and
ignorance of road rules suggests they are not regulars.

--
SEGFTG

Don't you think it's possible that many are just getting in to cycling
because they want to but are still learning how?
I know quite a few people who are being influenced by the 'obesity epidemic'
stuff, a resentment of high fuel prices (not that they can't afford it -
they don't want to pay) and so-on. All the things we laud as being good
because they push people toward alternative transport.
Unfortunately our culture sees cylists as second-class road users and it's
common (I'd guess almost universal) that part of the learning curve when
starting out on a bike is getting over thinking of oneself as a second-class
citizen, and doing all sorts of seemingly daft things to not inconvenience
car drivers while trying to find some advantage to riding a bike.
Many people haven't ridden since they were kids, and how did we teach them?
"Be careful - riding your bike is dangerous", "Stay on the footpath, away
from the traffic", and so-on. Any wonder people who return to cycling start
as though they were kids? In some respects they are.
I prefer to take a more charitable view of gumbies - I've been one. I often
ride up alongside someone who appears new and chat to them. Little tips like
"Gee, that looks like hard work. Try shifting down a gear or two and
pedalling a bit quicker but not so hard" or "Might be worth riding out a bit
further on the road - you'll avoid some clown opening the car door on you."
I have had no negative reactions to that, even with the flanny boyz I've
seen on bikes. Usually a "Thanks, mate" is what I get.
It gets a bit tired reading the disparaging view of newbies. Most people
don't want speed, efficiency, lycra and all the trappings of "proper"
cycling. They're just on their bike for all sorts of reasons.
If you don't want to help them along, leave them be - but enough of the
criticisms. We all started somewhere.

me (friend of the gumbies)

Plodder (remove DAKS to reply) said:

--
Frank
[email hidden]
Drop DACKS to reply
"SEGFTG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

TimC said:

On 2006-08-17, SEGFTG (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> Witnessed a guy riding 500+ metres in the gutter down the wrong side
of
> a busy suburban street, crossing over onto the footpath whenever a
car
> approached, not wearing a helmet...
>
> Seems to me that there has been an increase in my area of new
cyclists
> with no regard for road rules and their safety. I am assuming this is
a
> result of petrol prices. I have always tried to be positive about
almost
> any cycling, but have to wonder what kind of image this portrays to
the
> non cycling public???
>
> Anyone else noticing similair developments?

The guy riding home in the gutter of Burwood road the other evening?

No lights, weaving in and out of parked cars from the gutter to within
the door zone, without looking behind when pulling out, pedalling at
around 40-50rpm?

No no, I do not know of which you speak.

--
TimC
"I looked back and bikes and riders were flipping in the air. There
must have been 20-30+ riders in the pile."
-- overheard after Early Bird 4/5 race

I am sure this kind of thing goes on all over the place. In the outer
burbs, I dont see too many cyclists - unless they are heading for the
hills, recently I have seen more than usual. Must have lost their
licence, lost their car, cant afford petrol... lack of attire and
ignorance of road rules suggests they are not regulars.

--
SEGFTG

Don't you think it's possible that many are just getting in to cycling
because they want to but are still learning how?
I know quite a few people who are being influenced by the 'obesity epidemic'
stuff, a resentment of high fuel prices (not that they can't afford it -
they don't want to pay) and so-on. All the things we laud as being good
because they push people toward alternative transport.
Unfortunately our culture sees cylists as second-class road users and it's
common (I'd guess almost universal) that part of the learning curve when
starting out on a bike is getting over thinking of oneself as a second-class
citizen, and doing all sorts of seemingly daft things to not inconvenience
car drivers while trying to find some advantage to riding a bike.
Many people haven't ridden since they were kids, and how did we teach them?
"Be careful - riding your bike is dangerous", "Stay on the footpath, away
from the traffic", and so-on. Any wonder people who return to cycling start
as though they were kids? In some respects they are.
I prefer to take a more charitable view of gumbies - I've been one. I often
ride up alongside someone who appears new and chat to them. Little tips like
"Gee, that looks like hard work. Try shifting down a gear or two and
pedalling a bit quicker but not so hard" or "Might be worth riding out a bit
further on the road - you'll avoid some clown opening the car door on you."
I have had no negative reactions to that, even with the flanny boyz I've
seen on bikes. Usually a "Thanks, mate" is what I get.
It gets a bit tired reading the disparaging view of newbies. Most people
don't want speed, efficiency, lycra and all the trappings of "proper"
cycling. They're just on their bike for all sorts of reasons.
If you don't want to help them along, leave them be - but enough of the
criticisms. We all started somewhere.

me (friend of the gumbies)

Good on ya, Frank.

You're dead right - too many of us forget that we were all newbies
once, and for some reason, seem to believe that they shouldn't help
other riders get through the newbie stage. Then we moan that cycling is
dying!

Help and encourage, and more will ride, *and* they'll become better
riders.

Peace

Tony F

Plodder said:

--
It gets a bit tired reading the disparaging view of newbies. Most people
don't want speed, efficiency, lycra and all the trappings of "proper"
cycling. They're just on their bike for all sorts of reasons.
If you don't want to help them along, leave them be - but enough of the
criticisms. We all started somewhere.

me (friend of the gumbies)

Couldn't agree more - my point is that more so that they are breaking several laws (no helmet, wrong side of the road, on the footpath) which poses a danger to themselves and others, and could possibly give the non cycling public further reason to think *bloody cyclist*

SEGFTG said:

Couldn't agree more - my point is that more so that they are breaking several laws (no helmet, wrong side of the road, on the footpath) which poses a danger to themselves and others, and could possibly give the non cycling public further reason to think *bloody cyclist*

Many people start out with the car as their day to day transport and the bike as their week-end leisure transport, eg for a short ride around the river etc.

As the 'fever' grips them, that will reverse for many. The bike will be day to day transport and they will have a car for week-end leisure trips only.

"Oooh Mildred, I think we have saved up enough in the last month to take the car out for a drive this Sunday"

SteveA

--
Frank
[email hidden]
Drop DACKS to reply
"SEGFTG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Plodder said:

--
It gets a bit tired reading the disparaging view of newbies. Most
people
don't want speed, efficiency, lycra and all the trappings of "proper"
cycling. They're just on their bike for all sorts of reasons.
If you don't want to help them along, leave them be - but enough of the
criticisms. We all started somewhere.

me (friend of the gumbies)

Couldn't agree more - my point is that more so that they are breaking
several laws (no helmet, wrong side of the road, on the footpath) which
poses a danger to themselves and others, and could possibly give the non
cycling public further reason to think *bloody cyclist*

--
SEGFTG

And you said to him...???

For bad riding to exist all that is required is for good riders to say
nothing...

me

Plodder said:

--
Frank

And you said to him...???

For bad riding to exist all that is required is for good riders to say
nothing...

me

The *flanny boys* in your part of the world must be far more open to advice from strangers than in my area.

I think that riding down the wrong side of the road is more than just *bad riding* it is bloody stupid, not to mention dangerous.

Stupid is like ugly.
Doesn’t really fit into any generall genetic/socio/ethnic/generational/cultural stereotype.
Some people are just born stupid, like some are born ugly.
Some people try to change & some people are just too far gone.

Marx SS said:

Stupid is like ugly.
Doesn’t really fit into any generall genetic/socio/ethnic/generational/cultural stereotype.
Some people are just born stupid, like some are born ugly.
Some people try to change & some people are just too far gone.

And stupid is often self-limiting. If you are stupid enough, you die.

SteveA

On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:11:04 +1000, SEGFTG
<[email hidden]> wrote in aus.bicycle:

Quoted message said:

The *flanny boys* in your part of the world must be far more open to
advice from strangers than in my area.

I think that riding down the wrong side of the road is more than just
*bad riding* it is bloody stupid, not to mention dangerous.

It seems to be a somewhat common held view that this is the correct
way to ride among 'casual' riders ( I don't know any other way of
putting it). I have even heard it expressed as a view on the ABC radio
by a caller. God knows where the idea came from except that it is the
correct procedure for pedestrians when there is no footpath.

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/pedestrians/safepedestrian.html

Regards
Prickles

Timendi causa est nescire
This message only uses recycled electrons