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Cycling Tips

Get one of those condor pistas but with a freewheel. They're beautiful

CondorCycles-1.jpg


:( I've came again :(
 
Orang Utan said:
Not everyone, but it's wise to.
I got shouted at by another cyclist for not signalling that I was slowing down - I didn't even know there was a sign for it and still don't know what it is - I take the view that it's pointless making a sign that no-one will understand and if you crash into me if I slow down smoothly, you're too close to me anyway.
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I use the signal for slowing down (hand extended, moving up and down). It does work, traffic behind me slows down. I reckon that most people don't recognise it but slow down anyway (in a - what's this nutter about to do? - style).
I find it useful if I have to slow down in a hurry for something that might not be obvious to car drivers (like a big pothole, or a kid who looks likely to step off the curb, etc).
 
alsoknownas said:
I use the signal for slowing down (hand extended, moving up and down). It does work, traffic behind me slows down. I reckon that most people don't recognise it but slow down anyway (in a - what's this nutter about to do? - style).
I find it useful if I have to slow down in a hurry for something that might not be obvious to car drivers (like a big pothole, or a kid who looks likely to step off the curb, etc).
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surely if you're in a hurry then you don't have time to do the signal? :confused: you're too busy braking / swearing / falling off.
 
I signal most of the time unless I'm obviously going right and would more likely fall off or go out of line.

I don't get the slowing down one - if you've got to slow down in a hurry then doing the crazy arm jive ain't going to help you manage that. You ARE going to crash! :D
 
Orang Utan said:
Actually, a friend has just ordered one of those!
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how much was it? looks lovely but having just signed a huge mortgage it may be out of my reach for about thirty years. :(
 
tommers said:
surely if you're in a hurry then you don't have time to do the signal? :confused: you're too busy braking / swearing / falling off.
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Yes, there is a split-second calculation to be made between getting on with the braking and making the signal. But every so often it really is useful to be able to warn vehicles behind you that you are about to slow. Matter of judgement I suppose.
 
alsoknownas said:
Yes, there is a split-second calculation to be made between getting on with the braking and making the signal. But every so often it really is useful to be able to warn vehicles behind you that you are about to slow. Matter of judgement I suppose.
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yeah cool. must admit I didn't know that signal. you learn something new every day. :)
 
Orang Utan said:
Actually, a friend has just ordered one of those!
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Why'd you have to go and re-post that picture for? I just came again :( In a public library!!! :eek: :mad: :rolleyes:

And I've got no tissues :(
 
Herbsman. said:
£500? Is it second hand? Or did he get it tax free? The Pista's are £700 brand new!
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He ordered it from Condor Cycles on Gray's Inn Road - maybe I'm confused and it's a different bike but it's getting made for him specially.
ETA: now I think about it, maybe he said £1500!
 
Another question :) - what do you do on roundabouts? Do you stick to the left? Or treat them as you would if you were in a car???
 
beeboo said:
Another question :) - what do you do on roundabouts? Do you stick to the left? Or treat them as you would if you were in a car???
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Treat them as I would in a car.

I seem to remember that the Highway Code says that you can stay on the left even if turning right, but that seems very dangerous to me.

Imagine you're on a 2-lane roundabout with 5 exits, and you stay on the left to take the fourth exit. There's a driver next to you in the right hand lane, and he's going to take the third exit. Either you have to cross his path, or he has to cross yours. Potentially leading to a collision. If you had stayed on the right you would remain in front of him and no paths would have to be crossed for either of you to leave the roundabout...

Obviously if you keep signalling right until it's time to signal left to exit, you're less likely to confuse the driver... but who says they're going to be paying attention?
 
beeboo said:
Another question :) - what do you do on roundabouts? Do you stick to the left? Or treat them as you would if you were in a car???
Click to expand...

I treat them as I would if I was in a car but the Highway Code says it's acceptable for cyclists to stay on the left.

I just find that cars are less likely to cut you up if you are in what they consider the correct lane.
 
Speaking of roundabouts:

Theres one outside my base, with two lanes at the junction (but only one lane on the 2nd exit straight ahead). Drivers in the left lane rarely indicate left when they're turning left.

(I'm sure that) you are supposed to use the left lane for turning left and going straight ahead, unless everyone in the left lane is indicating left, in which case you can use the right hand lane to go straight on. Otherwise the right hand lane should only be used for turning right

At this roundabout, if you use the left lane to go straight ahead you can end up waiting for a long time behind a queue of drivers who you think are going straight ahead too. But really they're turning left without indicating. If they had indicated, you could have saved yourself loads of time by passing them in the right hand lane

However, if you decide to use the right hand lane because you know that most of the drivers in the left lane are ignorant fuckers who are turning left but can't be arsed to indicate, you will inevitably be caught out by one of the left-hand-lane drivers who is actually going straight on...

It is a very annoying experience indeed.

*they must assume that everyone else assumes that they're turning left just because they're in the left lane, so they assume that they don't need to indicate :mad: fuckwits.

Even worse is the junction facing the opposite direction, which has three lanes. Obviously the left one is for left turners, middle for straight ahead and right for turning right. But no, you get fuckwits going straight ahead from both the left and right lanes...
 
I find the best thing to do if not taking the first exit is do it like a car, but also constantly signal right as you go around the roundabout, and then signal left as you're about to leave. That way it's clear you're not just in the wrong place about to do something stupid.
 
Orang Utan said:
He ordered it from Condor Cycles on Gray's Inn Road - maybe I'm confused and it's a different bike but it's getting made for him specially.
ETA: now I think about it, maybe he said £1500!
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Condors do tend to be F.O. expensive - sounds more like it.
 
beeboo said:
ah - gears! Can someone explain in simple terms how gears work?

Is it high or low where you're legs are going like pinwheels but you're not getting anywhere? :o
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A tip about gears... go down into a low gear if you'e approaching a red light/junction that you have to stop at... then it's easier to set off again. I see loads of people struggling when they set off from lights - having to stand up and cycle etc... it's like a car pulling out in 3rd or 4th.
 
BiddlyBee said:
A tip about gears... go down into a low gear if you'e approaching a red light/junction that you have to stop at... then it's easier to set off again. I see loads of people struggling when they set off from lights - having to stand up and cycle etc... it's like a car pulling out in 3rd or 4th.
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good advice. before I started riding a singlespeed bike I always forgot to change gear when I had to stop suddenly (e.g. if a light unexpectedly changes or someone steps out in front of me).
 
mauvais said:
I find the best thing to do if not taking the first exit is do it like a car, but also constantly signal right as you go around the roundabout, and then signal left as you're about to leave. That way it's clear you're not just in the wrong place about to do something stupid.
Click to expand...

Yes.
In my opinion this is the best way. I often do elephant roundabout and havent
had any problems yet. (touch wood)

I'd also add that going along at a fair whack helps too (as long as you're still
in full control of your bike of course) This prevents many of the fuckwits that
think "oh i cant possibly wait behind this cyclist until my exit - i'll overtake
on the right of them and then swerve to the left across the front of them
when i realise - oops my exit is here already" Total fucking retards.

This is also a good reason for taking up the WHOLE lane on a roundabout -
something you really MUST do. It gives you space and makes that kind of
twattishness much more difficult for the idiot in a super powered range rover.

Final tip - and not just for roundabouts - keep looking around you.
Keep checking over your right shoulder. It should rarely be a surprise
to find some chav in a nova about to cut you up as as he passes - 4
times out of 5, you should have seen him coming with your regualr
glances behind. You learn to quickly spot a vehicle that's travelling
faster than most or shows no sign of letting you out in front of them.
You have then taken every possible precaution and you'll find you have
a lot less close calls.

Any near misses that then do occur are usually becasue the driver is
an impatient pig-headed c*nt. You can then camly smash the fuck out
of their windscreen or key the entire length of their car at the next lights.
 
Just re-read this thread - loads of good tips :cool:

I'm just getting to grips with this cycling lark and the thing I'm finding most difficult is knowing what to do/where to position yourself when approaching a junction/traffic lights with stationary traffic, esp if there is more than one lane? I've been trying to follow other cyclists where possible but sometimes people stick to the left and sometimes they ride up the outside on the right?
 
I ride up on the left, and if there is not enough room I just stick where I am and wait for the light to change. I do not ride up on the left in between the kerb and a bus or a lorry, always stay behind them. When at a junction, I also look at the driver and point where I'm going so they know where I'm going. This usually works, except for people on scooters, who seem to do whatever they feel like.

I've seen people pulling up through the middle of two lorries to get ahead of the cars at a traffic light, and I just cringe thinking, if that light turns green and those lorries start driving, that person could totally be squashed and they wouldn't even notice.

Always stay behind the lorries and buses, is my opinion!
 
Agreed.

Only go up the left if there's a cycle lane and an advanced stop zone. Even then, be very careful - cars don't always indicate.
 
That's pretty much what I've been doing if I'm turning left or going straight on, but what if you're turning right? :confused:
 
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