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Canberra Today 21°/25° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Grumpy / Morning’s peace lost to the lads in Lycra

IN this hot weather it is pleasurable to walk around the lake early in the morning. 

The lake is like glass, birds are chirping everywhere and the air is fresh and cool.

Unfortunately, all this beauty is marred by the Lycra-clad, mainly young men who hurtle round the lakeside paths going flat out. Usually the first indication one has of their presence is when they shoot past in a gust of air and often giving the walker a profound start.

All around the lake are notices exhorting cyclists to “give way to pedestrians” and to “sound their bell”. Most of the cyclists don’t have a bell, let alone sound it. Under these circumstances it is quite hazardous for little kiddies on bikes, elderly walkers and dogs on leads.
Perhaps if these cyclists walked instead of riding, they would enjoy the beauties of nature more as well as preserving the peaceful environment. As it is, their riding is more suited to a velodrome or the AIS.

 

Grumpy is an occasional column dedicated purely to things that get up your nose. Readers are invited to vent (no more than 300 words, please) at editor@citynews.com.au

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4 Responses to Grumpy / Morning’s peace lost to the lads in Lycra

Leon Arundell says: 31 January 2017 at 5:00 pm

I ride my bike to work because it would take two hours to walk. I make a habit of ringing my bell as I approach people who are walking in the same direction of me. Often I hear them say “thank you” as I pass.

Reply
Amanda says: 1 February 2017 at 1:39 pm

Interesting comments about the bell. I’m a female rider and I used to ring my bell prior to passing every pedestrian, especially around the lake or other populated areas. After being on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour by pedestrians for ringing my bell, including verbal abuse, being spat at, having bottles thrown at me and having bags swung at me, I am now much more cautious and sometimes don’t ring my bell. I make a judgement based on the person’s demographics. It is actually much safer to whizz past without any warning. Sad but true. I wish it wasn’t.

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Leon Arundell says: 1 February 2017 at 2:18 pm

Amanda, your experience is very different from mine. I try to ring as soon as I am within earshot, and then again just before I pass, in order to give an indication of my speed. In twenty years I have been abused only three times, by people who interpreted my bell as a command to get off the path.

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Amanda says: 4 February 2017 at 6:19 am

I’m pleased for you Leon. I suspect that being male (assuming from your name) you are less of a target. I’ve never had trouble when riding with a male friend. The aggression doesn’t happen often, but is awful when it does that it impacts my behaviour in future. I also do approx 300km a week, so go past a lot of pedestrians. I just wish people (of all transport modes) would calm down and SHARE the paths/roads.
Just wanted to give Brenda a view from the other side.

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