Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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15 comments
I dont't think I am a shoaler. I often see skiny women riding antic steel bikes overpassing me, sometimes because I stop at red lights, and sometimes because they truely are faster.
I get shoaled a lot in London, it's really frustrating as I'm rather rapid from a standing start, let alone cruising speed, this happens mostly because other selfish twunts go past the white line and stop in front of me and anyone else abiding by the rules. Cycle lanes simply aren't as wide as they should be. Vauxhall Bridge is a prime example, concrete/armco in one of the lanes.
Occasionally I pull up alongside other cyclists. I've yet to experience anyone who can keep up, though a couple have benefitted from a massive tow through Hyde Park I wouldn't behave like this if I was likely to be slowing people down though.
What I find worse though, is when I stop behind the car/van/taxi at the front of the queue at a red light (like you are supposed to), only for half a dozen dozy dawdling cyclists to amble past and stop past the white line. This then results in a gaggle of slow cyclists taking ages to get moving and the car/van/taxi having a sizeable delay to slower-than-usual forward motion, delaying everyone who is abiding by the rules. Only for the car/van/taxi and myself to overtake the lot of them about 50m later. Seriously guys, why can't you join the queue, it's not very British, is it!? I can understand why drivers get so frustrated by this at is does genuinely hold up traffic. ASL boxes at every appropriate traffic light would go a long way though.
I think that’s just it - especially in London you almost expect every set of lights to have an ASL so quite often cyclists are moving to the front purely because they know 90% of the time there is an ASL which is the safer place to be..
But the point is that shoaling is deeply selfish and ignorant. As are their closely related cousins, the RLJ'er. Very rarely are they travelling particularly fast...but they will overtake while you're stopped at the light and get in your way 50 foot further on. They'll do this multiple times without giving a toss.
They are car drivers but on a bike. No consideration for anyone but themselves...their journey times takes precedence over everything.
It's not cricket.
So, they're cyclists then.
no.
Are they, maybe, true scotsmen?
...but not cricketers.
Meh. You don't need CO2 for proper beer anyway.
I like my cider like I like my women: flat, dry and smelling of apples.
Wait a minute, that sounds wrong - I'll come in again.
How about strong, sweet and leaves a hole in your wallet
I like my cider like I like my women: cold, cheap and alcoholic.
Nope, still not right.
I prefer mine in the park on a bench, cheap and not too gassy.
.
.
.
But I don't drink cider.
Or proper cycling.