[Closed] To the two monkeys in RAF lycra riding through South Gosforth today:

Were they flying in formation?

it is no wonder other road users hate cyclists

worse stealth mode
I bet it was two abreast again

do the raf now use monkeys?
do they shave them? they sure must look funny with all that hair poking through the lycra.

How do you know they were monkeys, were they wearing their red berets?

One had tattoos.

One had tattoos.

[img] [/img]

backhander - Member
How do you know they were monkeys, were they wearing their red berets?

Rock Apes don't wear red berets. 😉

People have been tattooing monkeys?! I suppose they'd have to shave them first. This world is a sick place!

Did you make them play tennis?

They had shaved legs....their riding looked like they were lower primates. Shaved monkeys indeed.

[i]I suppose they'd have to shave them first[/i]

It's alright - they tried to tattoo rabbits on them but they ended up looking more like hares.

(although this doesn't work as well written down as it should)

Ah, RAF MPs wear white berets. Hence the term "snowdrop". I suppose they're not really monkeys then; that not so affectionate nickname is reserved for the army red beret wearing RMPs

Surely they'd be rockapes, not monkeys 😉

RAF MPs wear white berets

No they don't.

Why did they upset you so? What was your gripe with them?

Rock Apes don't wear red berets.

They wear maroon berets when attached to the Paras or SFSG. 😉

Apart from wearing lycra?

Why didn't you give chase and shoot them down?

Were they drinking champagne?

Zulu-Eleven - Member
Surely they'd be rockapes, not monkeys

Only if they where RAF Regiment..

Yep RAF regt (or SRDG) are rockapes.
Tootall, I have no gripe with RAF police (well no more than monkeys anyway).
I was wrong, they don't wear white berets they wear white HATS!

Snowdrops - RAF Feds, So called because of their White hats, which they wear so you can see them coming. See also Rozzers, Feds, and Scuffers.

Oh, and everyone gets a maroon beret if serving with airmobile bde (clerks, medics etc) regardless of P-coy or jumps status.

Was'nt this guy?
[img] [/img]

I didn't mean you - I want to know what they did to offend the OP.

Oh sorry.

Riding two abreast, Riding single file in the middle of the road. Wearing lycra.

Take your pick.

[i]Riding two abreast[/i]

perfectly legal.

SRDG

😆

there are situations where riding two abreast is fine. there are times when its not. the whole 'why should we get out of their way' arguement is flawed by the idiocy of some drivers. i know and respectthe fact that its peoples right to do it, there are just times when people are endangering themselves just to make a point.

[i]Wearing lycra.[/i]

Unfortunately also legal. 🙁

Wearing lycra?

Should be court marshalled.

Happened upon some idiots riding [b]3[/b] abreast in Watford the other day, at about 10mph. On a busy road, with a good half a mile of traffic behind them. They were doing on purpose as well - one of the cheeky ****ers gave me an ironic OTT wave when he looked behind and saw me glowering.

Look, I'm a cyclist, but [i]even I[/i] was seized by the desire to grab their stupid big-wheeled, skinny-tyred, carbon-framed, wierdly-barred things, chase them onto the pavement and repeatedly run over their bikes until little crisp carbon chippings were ground into the tarmac.

OK, I was in my mahoosive 4x4 at the time, thus rendering me liable to bike rage, but even so, these guys needed a thoroughly good smack round the chops with an oiled badger.

Legal or not is it really in the best interests of how the vast bulk of road users percieve cyclists? I am a cyclist (of sorts) and I was annoyed with their lack of consideration.
Have to admit I am becoming less and less sympathetic to hearing about cyclists stories of ill treatment on the roads. Karma in action?

I dread to think how many times I have had to defend cyclsits on a cycling forum for not breaking the law 🙄
Yes we slowed you down so we deserve poor treatment from random road users who may need to wait a few seconds longer to reach a traffic jam. Why not overtake ? Oh cars soming the other way why not rant about them instead?
Some cyclists are poor , some drivers are poor. the solutions is better better driving standards and respect by all road users. given your rage at someone doing something legal you are aprt of the problem not the solution and ranting on a cycling forum about it ****

Lets be honest, as annoying as it might be to be stuck behind cyclist cycling 2 abreast, the amount of time added to your journey is usually very small indeed, how often is that small delay of any consequence?

On top of that its often safer for cyclist to ride side by side to discourage other traffic from squeezing past and leaving little room. Riding single file in the middle of the road is the same. The far lhs of the road is often filled with stuff to give punctures and potholes. Use the other lane to over take when its clear and stop complaining.

Have to admit I am becoming less and less sympathetic to hearing about cyclists stories of ill treatment on the roads. Karma in action

Then you are an idiot. Getting run over more important than letting you by unsafely?

Clot.

I was annoyed with their lack of consideration.

I think that's the crunch. You can argue that most motorists aren't considerate to cyclists, but does being deliberately inconsiderate towards drivers help matters?

I would argue that it doesn't.

Pimpmaster Jazz - Member

I was annoyed with their lack of consideration.

I think that's the crunch. You can argue that most motorists aren't considerate to cyclists, but does being deliberately inconsiderate towards drivers help matters?

I would argue that it doesn't.

Someone who gets it.

 

@ScottCheg

The sad thing is you are being insulting to someone who happily sits behind cyclists and gives them a wide berth. When I am driving I treat cyclists like I would like to be treated when on my bike.

Ah **** it... can't be bothered typing any more.

Pimpmaster Jazz frequently gets it, but that's by the by.

When they were 2-abreast, if they'd been single file, would you have been able to overtake? Right there and then, or even within half a mile? Especially since they'd have been one in front of another and probably going at a reasonable speed, so i guess they were 2 abreast to make sure idiot drivers don't try to pass.
Roads round S. Gosforth are fairly narrow and usually busy (and rarely above cycling speed).

Its called riding assertivly. You make the assumption as a cyclist that all drivers are idiots and will try and overtake at daft moments which will put you at risk. Therefore, you make sure they really can't try unless you decide that its safe.

BUT: anyone who rides in RAF lycra is probably a mincer.

i get your point but i dont find it works like that. in the end annoyed drivers just try to overtake anyway. and drive off thinking cyclists are knobs. to you its assertive to them its confrontational and theyll meet confrontation with confrontation. and the last time i had a confrontation with a car, i lost.

Riding two abreast, Riding single file in the middle of the road. Wearing lycra.

Take your pick.

Depending on the road layout and the conditions, there may well have been a good reason for this. It discourages overtaking when there is bad roads, heading towards pinch points or in heavy traffic. You may not have seen what they did, so therefore you assume they are being deliberately obstructive, but in fact they are riding defensively in order to protect the fact that they are pretty vunerable road users *. A wee bit of patience does not go amiss. I even got a thumbs up last night from a 4x4 driver when I signaled clearly and changed lanes promptly.

* reserves the judgement that they might have just been eejits!

the last time i had a confrontation with a car, i lost

Same here, though I did destroy two doors and left a large dent in the roof when I landed.

So more of a score-draw.

Depending on the road layout and the conditions

Remember absolutely nothing should get in the way of the great god ‘Car’

So they were being considerate by ensuring you only had to have enough clear road to overtake 1 bike length? Reducing your time exposed to danger while on the wrong side of the road. Some people are never satisfied.

When considerate drivers stay patiently behind me on narrow country roads i tend to pull in at my nearest convenient point and let them past thanking them as they go, one good turn deserves another imo. Do get a bit of road rage from time to time when idiotic drivers pull into cycle lanes or cut me up suddenly - usually in my Royal Navy cycling top when out on the road bike so i'll keep an eye out for a 'to the idiot in the royal navy lycra top thread!'

Did you clean your windows as you drove past?

Where abouts in south Gosforth. Given the double roundabout and traffic islands I ride a good section of that in the middle of the road as there is not enough room to overtake safetly.

People in cars are effectively two abreast, so why shouldn't cyclists be?

*hands up*

I do ride in the middle of the road now and then - especially when turning right or avoiding parked cars. Your list of their crimes that attracted your displeasure is remarkably crap.

Sometimes when I shop I like to dawdle and check out what's in the windows but I'm always careful to check I'm not blundering in the way of people wanting to move a little faster as much as possible. There are times however when I want to move a little quicker and do find little old ladies getting in the way a bit annoying but I do my best not to bump into them. I'm a courteous shopper.

Sometimes when I swim I like to take it easy and warm down or do some drills but I'm always careful to check I'm not blundering in the way of people wanting to move a little faster as much as possible. There are times however when I want to move a little quicker and do find little old ladies getting in the way a bit annoying but I do my best not to bump into them. I'm a courteous swimmer.

Sometimes when I use the roads I like to use a slower vehicle and get some exercise but I'm always careful to check I'm not blundering in the way of people wanting to move a little faster as much as possible. There are times however when I want to move a little quicker in a faster vehicle and I do find those on their slower vehicles getting in the way a bit annoying but I do my best not to bump into them. I'm a courteous road user.

Some people are born courteous and some are not.

[img] [/img]

I really should have known better than even mentioning it. The lunatic fringe will never accept that cyclists also have to drive cars and can find the manners of other cyclists somewhat lacking.

For the record I was a few cars behind them coming down Mathew Bank, across the roundabouts and on towards the Findus factory. None of the cars in front of me tried to overtake down the bank or at the roundabouts to warrant any retribution. It was on the road to Findus before the dualled section that I thought they did themselves a dis-service.

I never felt the need to "wave" as I passed or toot or race past them. I just felt they did themselves and therefore cyclists in general a bit of poor PR.

Kids now in bed, I am off for a ride.

I think it is the way you have hinted at what they did wrong rather than just saying what it was. It has been a vague guessing game since your first post.

I thought it was spelt [b]RAPHA[/b]?

kennyp - Member
People in cars are effectively two abreast, so why shouldn't cyclists be?

You for real?

when I was an 'orrible little chav.. many many years ago.. if I was getting on me mums nerves she would tell me to go and play in the traffic...

[i]You for real?[/i]

About half and half. It is the case when you think about it though, isn't it? Most cyclists I know pay more tax towards road upkeep than motorists, so we have as much moral entitlement to use they road as they do.

came across a driving instructor and pupil practising rule 163 yesterday

I was driving the opposite way on a national speed limit narrow ratrun at probably well below the speed of many cars that use the route

Learner driver was giving very adequate room to pass cyclist but as it was on a blind bend my emergency stop coming the other way probably prevented injury as I'm sure the driving instructor would probably have also judged a sharp pull to the left appropriate in the same way as not prepared to slow cars following by waiting

that "rule 163" image above is just bollocks though

that car is giving the cyclist way more room than it would a car (at least 6ft clear space) - try that with another car and you'd be on the grass over the other side of the road

So the OP (a cyclist) is complaining about cyclists riding legally (2 abreast, single file, in lycra all legal) on a cycling forum.

It's no wonder people hate retarded forum users.

still doing it 🙄

really should have known better than even mentioning it. The lunatic fringe will never accept that cyclists also have to drive cars and can find the manners of other cyclists somewhat lacking.

Stalker!

I know it is getting worrying at least you can always outride me

Riding on the dual near findus?
fricking stupid full stop if you ask me.

It's just a bit of a delay
On my 16 mile commute I only do about 2 miles on the road, I reckon cars delay me by at least 5 minutes, purely on that 2 mile section. I delay them by oooh, mostly zero seconds because they just cane it past but lets be generous and say I add an extra 3 seconds onto 50 drivers drive home (which is bobbins because I just catch them at the next set of lights). I'm still held up more, a lot more.

Out of me and the car drivers, guess who looks the most angriest at the other.... I'll give you a hint, I get home feeling rather chirpy.

Actually I love drivers getting angry at me simply because I'm on a bike because they're 9 million percent wrong in every single thing they're angry about. They're a terribly sad parody of themselves.

Junkyard, I'm fully with you mate. It makes mr despair how car centric our society is that even cyclists hate themselves. I take solace in the fact that one day soon the whole automobile lifestyle will collapse and the fat and lazy will also have to cycle.