The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Another left hook on the way home last night. She was turning into her own drive, so I stopped and asked her why she thought it was necessary to nearly kill me.
She just swore at me a lot and went into her house. Took some photos and reported her to the Police. They probably won't do anything (I need to get myself a helmet cam!) but at least there will be a previous complaint against her on file if she does knock someone off badly.
She just swore at me a lot and went into her house. Took some photos and reported her to the Police. They probably won't do anything (I need to get myself a helmet cam!) but at least there will be a previous complaint against her on file if she does knock someone off badly.
S10GTA said:
Had similar Thesday morning. No idea why she decided to pass me tbh.
These people presumably just see "obstructions" such as people on bikes. These "Obstructions" are to be passed and then immediately forgotten. The turn-in/cut-up is a result of completely detached thinking. Passing the bike and turning left into a drive are not considered as one, at all.DeuxCentCinq said:
Another left hook on the way home last night. She was turning into her own drive, so I stopped and asked her why she thought it was necessary to nearly kill me.
She just swore at me a lot and went into her house. Took some photos and reported her to the Police. They probably won't do anything (I need to get myself a helmet cam!) but at least there will be a previous complaint against her on file if she does knock someone off badly.
I'm confused - do you mean you were travelling up the left of an indicating car (I presume not), or they passed you and swung left instantly? She just swore at me a lot and went into her house. Took some photos and reported her to the Police. They probably won't do anything (I need to get myself a helmet cam!) but at least there will be a previous complaint against her on file if she does knock someone off badly.
Vocal Minority said:
I'm confused - do you mean you were travelling up the left of an indicating car (I presume not), or they passed you and swung left instantly?
Yes, overtook me, then swung left into her drive almost immediately, causing me to emergency stop to avoid hitting the side of her car.I've had a couple where I would have been dragged under the wheels in the past, they were that close.
DeuxCentCinq said:
Yes, overtook me, then swung left into her drive almost immediately, causing me to emergency stop to avoid hitting the side of her car.
I've had a couple where I would have been dragged under the wheels in the past, they were that close.
JustWondering:I've had a couple where I would have been dragged under the wheels in the past, they were that close.
How visible are you? Do you ride quite slowly or close to the kerb?
MC Bodge said:
JustWondering:
How visible are you? Do you ride quite slowly or close to the kerb?
I wear an Altura Evo jacket in bright red, have a huge red light on the back, a flashing one on my bag, a yellow fluoro helmet, fluoro trouser clips, flouro tyres, flouro strips all over the bike and two massive front lights as well - one solid, one flashing.How visible are you? Do you ride quite slowly or close to the kerb?
In fact, one of my fellow commuters at the station remarked one evening as he passed me "that's a bit much isn't it?"
I ride at around 15-20 mph, more on the downhill sections, keeping a decent door gap passing parked cars and around 1-2ft from the kerb if able to. I went on a course to improve my urban riding, as this sort of crap kept happening. The instructor basically said I was doing everything correctly, only change made was to move to the middle of the road earlier on the two right turns I have to do on my commute.
I think part of the problem is my route is mainly residential roads with parked cars on either or both sides. Drivers think they can squeeze through when there isn't actually enough room, and when they get close to their house, they tend to switch off. Also get a few pulling out in front of me as parked cars obscure their view, but I can generally anticipate that and don't get too bothered as it's not really their fault.
MC Bodge said:
JustWondering:
How visible are you? Do you ride quite slowly or close to the kerb?
Doesn't matter what you wear, how many lights you have or where you ride in the road as some drivers either just ignore you or don't care. I had a girl last week pull out from a side road straight in front of me, sending me over the car's bonnet. Despite wearing a fluro-yellow jacket and absolutely nothing blocking her view of me while I was in primary position. What else can we do? Maybe the fact she has to tick a box on her insurance quote for the next five years and pay the increased premium will remind her to look more carefully in future, but I doubt it.How visible are you? Do you ride quite slowly or close to the kerb?
Fugazi said:
Doesn't matter what you wear, how many lights you have or where you ride in the road as some drivers either just ignore you or don't care. I had a girl last week pull out from a side road straight in front of me, sending me over the car's bonnet. Despite wearing a fluro-yellow jacket and absolutely nothing blocking her view of me while I was in primary position. What else can we do? Maybe the fact she has to tick a box on her insurance quote for the next five years and pay the increased premium will remind her to look more carefully in future, but I doubt it.
This must be the time of year for it! I had a an experience with a Focus driver appearing to my right with his left hand indicator on on tuesday. He stopped when he realised he wouldn't make the corner. I was actually taking the same left hand turn but not indicating at the time as I had a feeling this was going to happen and was covering both brakes. I did get ahead of him and tapped the side of my helmet suggesting he might want to use his head in future. Next thing I know he's next to me blasting his horn and gesturing for me to pull over! He was driving in the middle of the road and did evetually drive off after I pointed out the bus heading straight for him...... Fugazi said:
Doesn't matter what you wear, how many lights you have or where you ride in the road as some drivers either just ignore you or don't care. I had a girl last week pull out from a side road straight in front of me, sending me over the car's bonnet. Despite wearing a fluro-yellow jacket and absolutely nothing blocking her view of me while I was in primary position. What else can we do? Maybe the fact she has to tick a box on her insurance quote for the next five years and pay the increased premium will remind her to look more carefully in future, but I doubt it.
I know this, but I was just wondering in case the chap *was* riding in the gutter, wearing a black boiler suit and not using lights! He wasn't.As per my earlier post, some idiot buzzed me and cut me up at speed for no reason the other day -and I toowas well lit up and reflector equipped.
Hopefully he will think twice about such dangerous driving next time, having realised that a "cyclist" is actually a vulnerable person on the road and/or that the person on a bike might be a psycho, rather than just looking like one, to which the guilty driver could be very vulnerable.
G321 said:
I did get ahead of him and tapped the side of my helmet suggesting he might want to use his head in future. Next thing I know he's next to me blasting his horn and gesturing for me to pull over! He was driving in the middle of the road and did evetually drive off after I pointed out the bus heading straight for him......
"Hard men" in cars, with fragile egos, are very easily slighted it would seem.They seem to quickly forget that it was they who initiated the problem, though.
Best to tut, roll your eyes and ignore them, really, though.... In theory
MC Bodge said:
"Hard men" in cars, with fragile egos, are very easily slighted it would seem.
They seem to quickly forget that it was they who initiated the problem, though.
Best to tut, roll your eyes and ignore them, really, though.... In theory
I totally agree, the best course of action would be just to have ignored him and got on with my ride. Its just hard to do! will bite my tongue next time thoughThey seem to quickly forget that it was they who initiated the problem, though.
Best to tut, roll your eyes and ignore them, really, though.... In theory
Fortunately I had a 1250 bag sack of tea to deliver to the office from a CostCo shop yesterday, so I took the car. Only ever do it once a month to take in 4 lots of badminton kit, and bring 4 dirty lots home, and swap towels. (I play once a week on a lunchtime) but I really don't miss driving. Even with the kids on half term it was a torturous drive in, squeezed into the last space in the good park n ride, then the 
of a bus driver drove off 2 mins early, despite seeing me getting my ticket out of the machine and hotfooting it back to the car. Had to wait 17 mins for the next one. The trains are more regular!
TBH I don't mind riding in the rain, just make sure I'm wearing enough layers. It's the wind I hate.
of a bus driver drove off 2 mins early, despite seeing me getting my ticket out of the machine and hotfooting it back to the car. Had to wait 17 mins for the next one. The trains are more regular!TBH I don't mind riding in the rain, just make sure I'm wearing enough layers. It's the wind I hate.
Silly season in London. It's half term, so lots of people have come up to the South Bank to entertain the kids. Or, in the case of one lady, to try to get them killed, through the unsubtle method of wheeling her pushchair out into the road in front of me whilst looking the wrong way.
I pulled actually quite an impressive endo and stopped pretty much dead whilst shouting "MAUHFHGHGHUHHH", it was supposed to be "Watch out!" but it got a bit lost in translation.
As she continued her crossing of the road with a vacant smile on her face, I pulled myself together enough to shout "Use your fking eyes"... and she had the audacity to tut at me, presumably for swearing in front of her little darlings.
Seriously, if I hit her kid at 18-20mph, that kid is going to take some damage, pushchair or not. Don't people give a fk?!
I pulled actually quite an impressive endo and stopped pretty much dead whilst shouting "MAUHFHGHGHUHHH", it was supposed to be "Watch out!" but it got a bit lost in translation.
As she continued her crossing of the road with a vacant smile on her face, I pulled myself together enough to shout "Use your f
king eyes"... and she had the audacity to tut at me, presumably for swearing in front of her little darlings.Seriously, if I hit her kid at 18-20mph, that kid is going to take some damage, pushchair or not. Don't people give a f
k?!Usget said:
Silly season in London. It's half term, so lots of people have come up to the South Bank to entertain the kids. Or, in the case of one lady, to try to get them killed, through the unsubtle method of wheeling her pushchair out into the road in front of me whilst looking the wrong way.
I pulled actually quite an impressive endo and stopped pretty much dead whilst shouting "MAUHFHGHGHUHHH", it was supposed to be "Watch out!" but it got a bit lost in translation.
As she continued her crossing of the road with a vacant smile on her face, I pulled myself together enough to shout "Use your fking eyes"... and she had the audacity to tut at me, presumably for swearing in front of her little darlings.
Seriously, if I hit her kid at 18-20mph, that kid is going to take some damage, pushchair or not. Don't people give a fk?!
It's all 'me, me, me' now. It's a rarity to come across someone who at least apologizes. I pulled actually quite an impressive endo and stopped pretty much dead whilst shouting "MAUHFHGHGHUHHH", it was supposed to be "Watch out!" but it got a bit lost in translation.
As she continued her crossing of the road with a vacant smile on her face, I pulled myself together enough to shout "Use your f
king eyes"... and she had the audacity to tut at me, presumably for swearing in front of her little darlings.Seriously, if I hit her kid at 18-20mph, that kid is going to take some damage, pushchair or not. Don't people give a f
k?!
Todays commute to work was in two sections, with 'spreadeagled all over the road' occupying the middle bit.
With it being dry the main roads being OK it never occured to me the minor roads would still be covered in ice, until I took a corner at full speed.
I have a smashed front light and a few patches of road rash as a reward but nothing more serious thankfully. Doh...
With it being dry the main roads being OK it never occured to me the minor roads would still be covered in ice, until I took a corner at full speed.
I have a smashed front light and a few patches of road rash as a reward but nothing more serious thankfully. Doh...
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