BICYCLE PET PEEVES

SUPER HOT CHICKS IN HEELS RIDING DEBENARDI'S

why in god's name

ppl who buy frames to hang on the wall
nice shit on shit frames
riser bars lol
utility belts
couriers' disdain
mechanics' disdain
brakeless disdain
dual suspension on the street
riding on the sidewalk
x2 if you are over 13
teenagers in bozeman pushing DH rigs worth more than my car

DONT GET ME STARTED ON UTILITY BELTS...THATS WHAT I MEANT BY FANNY PACKS.

LORD.

ALSO...NO OFFENSE TO PASH.....BUT IN NYC ITS A DIFFERENT STORY.

YUPPIES ON FOLDERS

ANY HARD PART THAT IS GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fake fur toptube pad

TOP TUBE PAD PERIOD!!!!!!!

SHORT & FAT, RIDING CARBON!!!!!

VANITY FRAME BUILDERS.....THAT MAKE BEAUTIFUL BICYCLES THAT I WILL NEVER BE ABLE OT AFFORD.

THX ASSHOLES!

don't get me started on fat people

I saw a fat guy out riding this morning with a bandanna on,,,was instantly aggravated.

PARKERS IN BIKE LANES
THE "RIGHT HOOK" SLAMMING ON BRAKES TO CUT YOU OFF
PEDESTRIANS WHO THINK THEY ONLY HAVE TO LOOK FOR CARS
POLICE CARS PULLING PEOPLE OVER INTO BIKE LANES
POLICE CARS (altho actually I have run many a red light in front of popo and they did nothing)
WEDDING PHOTOS BEING TAKEN IN BIKE LANE OF BKLYN BRIDGE
TRACKSTANDS WHEN THE LIGHT IS GOING TO BE RED FOR ANOTHER 3.5 MINUTES

At least since they resurfaced Bedford they put the bike lane on the left so you are away from BUSES. OH WAIT...

BUSES

TRACKSTANDS WHEN THE LIGHT IS GOING TO BE RED FOR ANOTHER 3.5 MINUTES

LAUREL OTM!!

WHEN THE TRACK BIKERS, QUIT!!!! GODTIMES, NICE TRY COCK FACE!!

ANY HARD PART THAT IS GOLD

Unless you found it in the used bin at the shop for $6 and it doesn't match anything else on yr bike.

CONSTRUCTIONS SITES TAKING UP SHOULDERS/HALF A LANE
LACK OF ANY STREETLIGHTS ON 3 BLOCKS OF FLUSHING
COBBLESTONES

TRACKSTANDS WHEN THE LIGHT IS GOING TO BE RED FOR ANOTHER 3.5 MINUTES

just cuz you can't do it

this thread = great times

i predict only the highest of heavenly ascension for all who post upon it.

PEOPLE RIDING WITH TH SEAT TOO OW< ON A HALF FLAT TYRE AND IN GRANNY GEAR
PEOPLE IN THE WRONG GEAR (GRNNY GEAR) IN GENERAL

PEOPLE IN THE WRONG GEAR (TOO HIGH) PULLING AWAY FROM LIGHTS
NO HANDERS
MTBERS ABUSING FOOTPATHS
THIS ONE PED XING ON MY COMMUTE THAT STAYS ON RED FOR LIKE FIVE MINUTES

Total trashing of standards over the last decade or so - hey look! now I have to stock four different styles of LH crank, why please, shimano?

Shimano in general and their endless relentless self-obselescenting of their old parts/repeated trashing of their "standards". I can't really begin to articulate just how much I hate shimano and what they have done to the bike trade over the last 20yrs.

People who "need" camel packs even though they're riding in urban, not v rural areas. CARRY A BOTTLE, IDIOT.

endless push to add more sprockets to the rear cluster WTF IS THE POINT WHEN YOU CAN'T USE ALL THE GEARS FFS. - narrower chain = increased wear/shorter service life (not that this matter, by the time yr chain does wear out, they'll have replaced it w/a new standard & you'll have to replace yr entire drivetrain anyway ok I exaggerate a litte) fiddlier to keep in correct adjustment, more complex. A prediction - in 2-4 years time, shimano and campag will offer a 12-sprocket cluster

Stupid bullshit disc brakes - "I need new pads for my discs" "certainly sir, which of the MORE THAN FIFTY DIFFERENT PAD STYLES, NONE OF WHICH ARE CROSS-COMPATIBLE would you like"

(poss UK only) common conception that a bike should cost basically as close to 0 as possible, and the way the UK bike trade bends over to accomodate this

Also dual sus/cable discs a standard on low-end bikes - IE if you're shopping for a low-price bike, they ALL have dual sus & cable discs - the discs DONT ACTUALLY WORK AT ALL when they're out of adjustment, so you can't stop, not that this matters when the bike is so heavy you can hardly move it and the suspension uses up 1/2 of yr pedalling energy anyway.

Also, the worst kind of scalper "customer" - phones you up, specs a bike for you, quotes the price that he is willing to pay, which is always LESS THAN YOUR TRADE PRICE, and acts like he's doing you a favour in the process, grrr.

Also there's this subset of classic bike collectors - "I saw this advert for a 50's bike frame from a village in cumbria, I went to take a look and it was a hetchins! (value:1000 dollars) it was an old lady, it belonged to her husband who'd just died, she had no idea what it was worth! She only wanted fifty quid for it, I managed to beat her down to thirty, aren't I great?"

sorry i'm turning this into bike repair man bleat thread, I'll stop now.

No wait - keep going!

Stopping in the bike lane to take a call. Either get off the road or talk while you cycle if you are cool.

PEOPLE WHO ARE CROSSING THE STREET BUT LOOK IN THE DIRECTION TRAFFIC IS GOING NOT COMING FROM.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?!?! ARGH!!

FRONT AND REAR TYRES THAT DON'T MATCH
SPD SANDALS
DOUCHEBAG STUDENTS WITH NO LIGHTS
PEOPLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT ARE GOING AT EXACTLY THE SAME SPEED AND MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE DRAFTING

HELMET COVERS

LOL I LOVE TO RIDE MY BICYCLE U MAD

COUNCILS THAT DON'T SWEEP CYCLE LANES OF LEAVES
WHY OH WHY OH WHY DO THE CYCLE LANES STOP WHEN YOU CROSS INTO WESTMINSTER -> OH YES THEY ARE TORY SCUM
DRIVERS THAT IGNORE THE CYCLE BOX AND STOP AT OUR STOPLINE NOT THEIRS

PEDESTRIANS
DRIVERS
OTHER CYCLISTS

PEOPLE WHO ARE CROSSING THE STREET BUT LOOK IN THE DIRECTION TRAFFIC IS GOING NOT COMING FROM.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?!?! ARGH!!

This || close to getting one of these this morning as I turned left into a side-road, I could see him waiting at the pavement, but I thought, 'it's fine, he'll look this way before walking out..', he did at least have the decency to look scared and go "oh shit!" as he ran out of the way. I wasn't expecting my back-end to skid out like that though, so it could've been much worse.

Actually, emsk said it better there, except for missing out motorcyclists, and worse, scooter riders who are slow, and block gaps in traffic.

TOURIST PEDESTRIANS WHO TAKE THE TROUBLE TO LOOK LEFT BEFORE CROSSING IN OXFORD OR STAND IN THE CYCLE LANE TAKING PICTURES OF BUILDINGS

BROKEN GLASS IN CYCLE LANES
MANHOLE COVERS IN CYCLE LANES
POTHOLES IN CYCLE LANES

NOT BEING ABLE TO SQUEEZE PAST WHEN MORE LANES OF STATIONARY TRAFFIC THAN CAN PROPERLY FIT if you get what i mean

BUSES PULLING OUT
BUSES PULLING IN
BUSES TURNING
BUSES STOPPED AT LIGHTS

BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES BENDY BUSES

PEDESTRIANS
DRIVERS
OTHER CYCLISTS

otm

Also, those tiny weeny handlebars used by hipster/courier nobbers where they've sawn off so much of the bar width that their fists are basically touching in the middle (I couldn't find a picture of this, if anyone else can I'd be grateful).

QUICK RELEASES POINTING EVERY WHICH WAY

GARY FISHER'S BEARD
MY INADEQUACY AT BUNNY HOPS

UNTRIMMED TREE BRANCHES DANGLING OVER THE STREET THAT THREATEN TO TEAR OFF MY FACE
GRAVEL WHERE GRAVEL SHOULDN'T BE
EVERYWHERE HERE IS A GODDAMN GINORMOUS HILL

XL CARGO SHORTS AND HUGE COTTON T-SHIRT FLAPPING IN THE WIND

wow, we have a lot of issues. but since we're griping:

anyone who passes me. i'm talking to you tri-chick who's on the border between thick and fat. some things can't be, and i'm sure youre real nice, and i'm being a jerk, but i will pass you back and drop your wide ass, even if i might risk sweating in my trousers.

CUTTY THIS IS BIKE PET PEEVES, NOT BIKE AWESOME GEAR!!!!!!!!!!

gross

U FORGOT, CONSTRUCTION BOOTS!!!!!!

construction boots on clipless pedals

Digging vegetables on your way to work??

Gotta make the most of the daylight. Man's got purple-sprouting broccoli to plant.

I am more and more impressed with yr lifestyle Nick!

LACK OF ANY STREETLIGHTS ON 3 BLOCKS OF FLUSHING

Yeah, I know. It's already been resurfaced almost everywhere that *I* take it, though. I could complain about Myrtle, too, but Willoughby & Greene are so nice, there's no reason to take Myrtle anyway.

the dudes at neighborhood shop who try to sell me new wheels every time I go in there -- I like your store, plz to stop making pitches

GUY ON VESPA IN BIKE LANE YELLING AT ME TO "MOOVE ASSHOLE!"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VESPA IN BIKE LANE

ALSO WHEN THERE IS A THRU LANE - BIKE LANE - TURN LANE ARRANGEMENT AND AUTOMOBILES ARE SLOPPILY HALF-AND-HALFING IT IN BIKE/TURN LANES

I RODE A BIKE.

OOPS WRONG THREAD....LETS SEE WHAT BUGGED ME TODAY.....HMMMMMMMM, OH....WHEN U LOCK YR BIKE UP.....COME BACK AND SHIT IS KNOCKED DOWN.

I locked across from Enid's once and came back and my CHAIN WAS OFF the chainring. How the fuck does that happen accidentally? Or even "accidentally". Shit.

fixie riding hipsters hating on overweight people on bikes who, if they thought about it are probably cycling to lose some of that weight.

I don't know if cutty rides fixed anymore, he is IN TRAINING.

i never hated on overweight people on bikes, so i'm sure he's not talking about me

those tiny weeny handlebars used by hipster/courier nobbers where they've sawn off so much of the bar width that their fists are basically touching in the middle

And then on Friday I did see a guy clutching the middle of his handlebars with both hands, one on top of the other - when riding down Oxford Street, this is. A Darwin Award winner in the making.

SELF BEING TOO LAZY AND LAME TO CYCLE TO WORK IN COLD WEATHER

how "cold" are we talking here?

Risibly warm. 10c. It's just, y'know, harder on a Monday. And the tube always seems more enticing until you actually get on it.

i dont know what a 10c is :(

either way, shame on you

10°c. 50°F.

i knew you were referring to celsius, i was just being purposefully obtuse

I knew that.

Tom I actually did cycle today, but if it gets significantly colder/windier then that's that for this year.

chicago: "44F, feels like 36F"

I AGREE. The day started beautiful, ended up windy and cold-ish. Tomorrow: SNOW

BICYCLE PET PEEVE: SNOW (unless you're just jamming around for wintertime funzone)

WHEN ALL THE RACKS ARE VERY BUSY AND SOMEONE GETS CONFUSED BY TOPOLOGY AND LOCKS THEIR BIKE TO YOURS AND YOU HAVE TO JUST COME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND HOPE THEY ARE GONE.

^^^ today.

write a nasty note--on their top tube

Ach, that must really suck!

Risibly warm. 10c. It's just, y'know, harder on a Monday. And the tube always seems more enticing until you actually get on it.

-- ledge, Monday, November 5, 2007 11:36 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

Tom I actually did cycle today, but if it gets significantly colder/windier then that's that for this year.

-- Mark C, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 12:32 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Link

u guys be crazy! this is PERFECT cycling to work weather! it ain't that cold - i'm still riding in a t-shirt, with gloves to start off with then taking gloves off after 15/20 minutes.

my pet peeve for the next 2 months is going to be the stupid bike parking provision in the car park under (well, ground floor of, i guess) our office building - yes thank you very much for making an effort anf installing 2 (two) sheffield stands in the carpark. that actually seems to be enough, except sometimes in summer, when you could do with 2 more. but why are they in THE ONLY PART OF THE CAR/BIKEPARK EXPOSED TO THE SKY AND THE RAIN? WHEN ALL THE CARS HAVE THEIR INTERNAL WORKINGS ALL PROTECTED AND ARE, YOU KNOW, WATERPROOF? AND THE BIKES HAVE THEIR CHAINS, SADDLES ETC ALL OUT FOR THE RAIN? AND ALSO DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUT THEM *QUITE* SO CLOSE TO THE WALL SO IF BOTH SPACES ON THE NON-WALL SIDE HAVE BEEN TAKEN YOU HAVE TO JAM YOURSELF IN BETWEEN THE WALL AND THE STAND TO LOCK YOUR BIKE? AND THEN HEAVEN FORFEND SOMEONE OPENS THE GATES WHICH SLIDE ALONG THE INSIDE OF THE WALL. ARGH ARGH ARGH. IS A ROOF TOO MUCH TO ASK?

srsly there are NEVER any more than like 3 cars in there absolute tops, and a couple of motorbikes, they could give one of the parking bays over to bicycles without causing any problems at all.

i'm still riding in a t-shirt

Woah you crazy. Base layer/mid/windproof this morning. A tad too warm, could do with a thinner mid layer. But yeah it wasn't too unpleasant. My ears do get v cold though.

My ears do get v cold though.

i got one of those under-helmet fleece things and it is LOVELY and toasty but then after like 10 minutes i'm all "yeech get it off get it off too hot too hot" and it's a pain in the arse because you have to loosen your helmet straps to fit it under helmet so when you take it off you have to tighten them again and it adds like 4 minutes onto your journey or something.

so THEN i got a fleecy snood - is that the right word? it looks wrong somehow - anyway one of those tunnel things that can go around your neck or over your head and up to your eyes or under your chin or any combination, and it is the best thing ever for winter (london winter anyway i realise montreal or wherever may be different) - put it up to your eyes and over your helmet when you start then when you get hot push it down so it's just around your neck, neck always gets cold in winter right? maybe i look like a dick but tbh i don't care.

me, yesterday:

http://www.smalldogclothing.com/images/SNOOD.jpg

except mine is not PINK, ugh

That is unsettling.

I have a great, gore windstopper earband for days like this, and lots of hair, of course.

I wear a thin Buff on my head when it's really cold, seems to keep the cold off my forehead and ears without being too hot. Not excessively bulky either.

we need a cycling clothing thread

make it so

The other bike was gone when I went to check at lunch. I had brought pen and paper in case though.

i was talking spray paint or magic marker ;)

FULL BLADDER ON A BIKE, HATE THAT!

i hate peeing before a long ass ride and having to pee again 10 minutes on the saddle :/

This is maybe different for girls, bike seating makes me have to pee LESS.

i don't know if it is the saddle as much as drinking fluids before a ride and not getting all the pee pee out before i go

It's when I get OFF bike that I'm like "HiNicetoMeetYouWhere'sYourBathroom?"

FULL BLADDER ON A BIKE, HATE THAT!

-- ddb, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 2:39 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Link

This is maybe different for girls, bike seating makes me have to pee LESS.

-- Laurel, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 3:35 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

It's when I get OFF bike that I'm like "HiNicetoMeetYouWhere'sYourBathroom?"

-- Laurel, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 3:49 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

holy shit you have no idea. i had to hold a full bladder for about 2.5 hours today, alternating between the relative relief of sitting on my bike (maybe i work like a girl in this respect), followed by excruciating pain, as i hopped from one foot to the other while shoving envelopes in people's face. people who, it should be noted, had been given strict instructions to never, ever let me or anyone like me to use the facilities.

there are only so many publicly available restrooms in the loop, and i am slowly but surely mapping them, by god.

starbucks?

definitely not all of them. mcdonald's, tho, ought to work in a pinch.