The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
okgo said:
Hard to be safe with some of the folk out there.
I was riding along in Kingston the other day, I was front of the lights, set off at a decent pace, a bus overtook me (I was in the bus lane) and before he had even got half of his vehicle past me he put indicator on and began pulling in. I knew there was a stop there, hence going first and going at a decent rate so he would stay behind knowing he had to stop in 200 yards anyway. I put the brakes on knowing if I didn't I'd be heading towards the kerb via the bus.
I was pretty pissed off, rode by the driver side and walloped the wing mirror on my way, f
king dick, I don't get it, WHY do people overtake only to then straight away turn off or even worse, stop at a bus stop which he knew was there!
Yeah odd but common that one, some people just cant think aheadI was riding along in Kingston the other day, I was front of the lights, set off at a decent pace, a bus overtook me (I was in the bus lane) and before he had even got half of his vehicle past me he put indicator on and began pulling in. I knew there was a stop there, hence going first and going at a decent rate so he would stay behind knowing he had to stop in 200 yards anyway. I put the brakes on knowing if I didn't I'd be heading towards the kerb via the bus.
I was pretty pissed off, rode by the driver side and walloped the wing mirror on my way, f
king dick, I don't get it, WHY do people overtake only to then straight away turn off or even worse, stop at a bus stop which he knew was there!aclivity said:
I lost it today.
Almost got hit by a car - I was going past on a cycle lane, lady drove to her left, giving me nowhere to go between the fence and her car. Jammed on my brakes, banged her wing mirror.
I didn't get hit, didn't get hurt but my mind took over and I lost my breath and couldn't speak. I feel a bit guilty now, but my brain kept telling me I could have died.
Off the bike for a few days (after getting home!) but I can't tell my wife about it so you are getting it instead!
Why do you feel guilty?Almost got hit by a car - I was going past on a cycle lane, lady drove to her left, giving me nowhere to go between the fence and her car. Jammed on my brakes, banged her wing mirror.
I didn't get hit, didn't get hurt but my mind took over and I lost my breath and couldn't speak. I feel a bit guilty now, but my brain kept telling me I could have died.
Off the bike for a few days (after getting home!) but I can't tell my wife about it so you are getting it instead!
I had one last week (maybe week before?) on the approach to Elephant and Castle roundabout. Approaching from A201. As I come past the stationary buses parked up, the lane opens up for the roundabout and I move across towards the left and the roadworks. I manage 25 yards up the road white van man decides he needs to be in my spot, swerves over and puts me right up to the curb. Fortunately caught it and was able to get the brakes on, although I had nowhere to go at all. No idea what he was thinking and heard his passengers shout that I was there, causing him to stop in time.
All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
I'm not new to PH, but this is my first post in Pedal powered, so hello from me and allow me to tell you about my ride 
I commute most days, mostly via country lanes in Norfolk and do about 15-20 miles depending which way I go, sometimes a bit further if I can get out of the house early enough
The vast majority of the traffic I encounter is really well behaved but several of the tales above about conflicts with cars ring a bell, if you'll pardon the pun.
The most common thing that I see is a banana overtake directly into the path of an oncoming car, frequently just before a bend, which usually finishes with sudden braking, flashing lights, horns blowing or a combination of all three. Fortunately none of them have yet resulted in a collision but I think its only a matter of time before someone fails to miss the oncoming traffic.
I get the occasional more serious incident, typically people coming up alongside me then starting to turn left into a side road as I'm going straight on past it, or deciding the best way to pass me when approaching head-on down a narrow lane is to not slow down and try to force me out of the way.
I've only had one recent incident of deliberate aggression, which was this week when someone came up behind me on a blind bend, locked his wheels and then decided it must be my fault so took it out on me by trying to force me off the road, complete with horn blaring etc.
As a result of all the above I now ride with a helmet camera; it wont stop anyone hitting me but it might help prove who did what and to who. I don't upload any videos to youtube etc but i do keep a rogues gallery in case I have a repeat with the same car and want to show the police. So far nothing has got quite bad enough to be worth reporting although this week's came close.
Generally though, my rides are incident-free and I consider myself quite lucky to be able to be out and about on quiet roads with nice scenery and the occasional bit of wildlife, including deer, owls, buzzards and many other creatures
I commute most days, mostly via country lanes in Norfolk and do about 15-20 miles depending which way I go, sometimes a bit further if I can get out of the house early enough
The vast majority of the traffic I encounter is really well behaved but several of the tales above about conflicts with cars ring a bell, if you'll pardon the pun
. The most common thing that I see is a banana overtake directly into the path of an oncoming car, frequently just before a bend, which usually finishes with sudden braking, flashing lights, horns blowing or a combination of all three. Fortunately none of them have yet resulted in a collision but I think its only a matter of time before someone fails to miss the oncoming traffic.
I get the occasional more serious incident, typically people coming up alongside me then starting to turn left into a side road as I'm going straight on past it, or deciding the best way to pass me when approaching head-on down a narrow lane is to not slow down and try to force me out of the way.
I've only had one recent incident of deliberate aggression, which was this week when someone came up behind me on a blind bend, locked his wheels and then decided it must be my fault so took it out on me by trying to force me off the road, complete with horn blaring etc.
As a result of all the above I now ride with a helmet camera; it wont stop anyone hitting me but it might help prove who did what and to who. I don't upload any videos to youtube etc but i do keep a rogues gallery in case I have a repeat with the same car and want to show the police. So far nothing has got quite bad enough to be worth reporting although this week's came close.
Generally though, my rides are incident-free and I consider myself quite lucky to be able to be out and about on quiet roads with nice scenery and the occasional bit of wildlife, including deer, owls, buzzards and many other creatures
I had a nice ride in this morning again.
2 days ago, on the way home, I was riding around a roundabout when I saw a Ford Ka approaching the roundabout down a gradient at a speed that would have been difficult to stop from. I slowed down a lot and as the Ka entered the roundabout (without slowing) stared at the driver, who did then notice me -at the location where I would have been had I not slowed-. She looked aghast and mouthed "Sorry, sorry!" As she passed.
Everyone can make mistakes, but There is a distinct lack of thought and observation from many drivers. Had a car or motorbike entered the roundabout at speed from the road prior to the one she entered from she could not have stopped in time.
Something I have observed is that many drivers overtake cyclists very late and closely, in a 'banana' motion, and are still heading into the opposite lane after they pass the 'hazard'. Good overtakers move out in plenty of time, give sufficient room and are heading back to their lane as soon as is safe.
2 days ago, on the way home, I was riding around a roundabout when I saw a Ford Ka approaching the roundabout down a gradient at a speed that would have been difficult to stop from. I slowed down a lot and as the Ka entered the roundabout (without slowing) stared at the driver, who did then notice me -at the location where I would have been had I not slowed-. She looked aghast and mouthed "Sorry, sorry!" As she passed.
Everyone can make mistakes, but There is a distinct lack of thought and observation from many drivers. Had a car or motorbike entered the roundabout at speed from the road prior to the one she entered from she could not have stopped in time.
Something I have observed is that many drivers overtake cyclists very late and closely, in a 'banana' motion, and are still heading into the opposite lane after they pass the 'hazard'. Good overtakers move out in plenty of time, give sufficient room and are heading back to their lane as soon as is safe.
TwistingMyMelon said:
okgo said:
Hard to be safe with some of the folk out there.
I was riding along in Kingston the other day, I was front of the lights, set off at a decent pace, a bus overtook me (I was in the bus lane) and before he had even got half of his vehicle past me he put indicator on and began pulling in. I knew there was a stop there, hence going first and going at a decent rate so he would stay behind knowing he had to stop in 200 yards anyway. I put the brakes on knowing if I didn't I'd be heading towards the kerb via the bus.
I was pretty pissed off, rode by the driver side and walloped the wing mirror on my way, fking dick, I don't get it, WHY do people overtake only to then straight away turn off or even worse, stop at a bus stop which he knew was there!
Yeah odd but common that one, some people just cant think aheadI was riding along in Kingston the other day, I was front of the lights, set off at a decent pace, a bus overtook me (I was in the bus lane) and before he had even got half of his vehicle past me he put indicator on and began pulling in. I knew there was a stop there, hence going first and going at a decent rate so he would stay behind knowing he had to stop in 200 yards anyway. I put the brakes on knowing if I didn't I'd be heading towards the kerb via the bus.
I was pretty pissed off, rode by the driver side and walloped the wing mirror on my way, f
king dick, I don't get it, WHY do people overtake only to then straight away turn off or even worse, stop at a bus stop which he knew was there!At the time I was in race mode and the near miss gave me a nice adrenaline boost which resulted in a PB bike split, but looking back now I can see just how nasty the incident could have been. It seems that a lot of drivers feel they just 'have' to get past bikes no matter what their intentions may be a hundred metres or so up the road. Hence why lots of incidents like this and overtaking bikes into on-coming traffic etc.
blade runner said:
Does seem to be frighteningly common this one. Happened to me a number of times over the years, the worst one being half way through a triathlon race near Weston-Super-Mare. Flat, straight road with no oncoming traffic so I was down on the TT bars and traveling at somewhere around 25mph. Bint in a hatchback (forget what make) comes past and immediately stands on her brakes and turns left down a side road in front of me. I (just) managed to come off the bars in time to grab some rear brake and avoid hitting her side on. Rear wheel locks up, bike does a bit of a high-side but I manage to stay on while she proceeds down side road completely oblivious.
At the time I was in race mode and the near miss gave me a nice adrenaline boost which resulted in a PB bike split, but looking back now I can see just how nasty the incident could have been. It seems that a lot of drivers feel they just 'have' to get past bikes no matter what their intentions may be a hundred metres or so up the road. Hence why lots of incidents like this and overtaking bikes into on-coming traffic etc.
Nasty. At the time I was in race mode and the near miss gave me a nice adrenaline boost which resulted in a PB bike split, but looking back now I can see just how nasty the incident could have been. It seems that a lot of drivers feel they just 'have' to get past bikes no matter what their intentions may be a hundred metres or so up the road. Hence why lots of incidents like this and overtaking bikes into on-coming traffic etc.
For many people, driving is not systematic or treated as a process at all. It is more like a series of almost-calamities/near-misses that are only considered in isolation and without much in the way of conscious thought.
See bike = must overtake
There is no consideration of what might happen next.
See car in front = tailgate it
adamwri said:
I had one last week (maybe week before?) on the approach to Elephant and Castle roundabout. Approaching from A201. As I come past the stationary buses parked up, the lane opens up for the roundabout and I move across towards the left and the roadworks. I manage 25 yards up the road white van man decides he needs to be in my spot, swerves over and puts me right up to the curb. Fortunately caught it and was able to get the brakes on, although I had nowhere to go at all. No idea what he was thinking and heard his passengers shout that I was there, causing him to stop in time.
All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Elephant and Castle roundabout All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Avoid like the plague.
MC Bodge said:
Something I have observed is that many drivers overtake cyclists very late and closely, in a 'banana' motion, and are still heading into the opposite lane after they pass the 'hazard'. Good overtakers move out in plenty of time, give sufficient room and are heading back to their lane as soon as is safe.
MC Bodge said:
See bike = must overtake
There is no consideration of what might happen next.
I see this a lot, people just come up behind me and drive round without really thinking through what they are doing, then get a shock when someone comes the other way around the bend just ahead.There is no consideration of what might happen next.
My other pet hate is people who overtake despite me clearly signalling for a right turn; this seems to be mostly a male trait whereas there seems to be a more even male-female split for the inattentive overtake
Black can man said:
adamwri said:
I had one last week (maybe week before?) on the approach to Elephant and Castle roundabout. Approaching from A201. As I come past the stationary buses parked up, the lane opens up for the roundabout and I move across towards the left and the roadworks. I manage 25 yards up the road white van man decides he needs to be in my spot, swerves over and puts me right up to the curb. Fortunately caught it and was able to get the brakes on, although I had nowhere to go at all. No idea what he was thinking and heard his passengers shout that I was there, causing him to stop in time.
All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Elephant and Castle roundabout All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Avoid like the plague.
One from last night's extended ride home. Cycling along with lights on and a stream of cars coming towards me. Pretty standard width rural A road - not too wide and no run off area.
All of a sudden one car decides on an overtake past a couple of cars - whizzes right past me with a foot to spare at probably something near 60 - with me half blinded by headlights and trying to get a close as possible to the kerb doing 20 myself.
This probably happens about twice a year - sometimes day - this time night. Always too quick - or dark - to get a number.
On a better note - heading for 200 this week. That's a lot of extras coming home rather than the straight 3 mile route. Just wish my new guards had come - very wet and dirty rear end tonight.
All of a sudden one car decides on an overtake past a couple of cars - whizzes right past me with a foot to spare at probably something near 60 - with me half blinded by headlights and trying to get a close as possible to the kerb doing 20 myself.
This probably happens about twice a year - sometimes day - this time night. Always too quick - or dark - to get a number.
On a better note - heading for 200 this week. That's a lot of extras coming home rather than the straight 3 mile route. Just wish my new guards had come - very wet and dirty rear end tonight.
Funnily enough had a slight incident myself this morning with a complete dick in a van,plumber or sparky I think.Its normally a nice quiet lane not a lot of traffic but busy this morning as a road had been closed elsewhere.The lane is windy and quite narrow so passing a cyclist takes time & patience.I hear sthead coming up behind me engine revving dropping gears.He then hangs off my back wheel.We get round the bend where there is a very short straight and another blind bend and yes you guessed it he guns the engine and goes for it.At this point I can see whats going to happen and sure enough there is a car coming the other way.There is no chance he will make it so the car has to stamp on the brakes and he pushes in front of me.Fortunately I could seen this happening so im shaking my head in disbelief and laughing at the level of fkwittedness being displayed by this bastion of the white van man maintaining the tradition of 'fk you all'.
thead coming up behind me engine revving dropping gears.He then hangs off my back wheel.We get round the bend where there is a very short straight and another blind bend and yes you guessed it he guns the engine and goes for it.At this point I can see whats going to happen and sure enough there is a car coming the other way.There is no chance he will make it so the car has to stamp on the brakes and he pushes in front of me.Fortunately I could seen this happening so im shaking my head in disbelief and laughing at the level of fkwittedness being displayed by this bastion of the white van man maintaining the tradition of 'fk you all'. curtisl said:
Black can man said:
adamwri said:
I had one last week (maybe week before?) on the approach to Elephant and Castle roundabout. Approaching from A201. As I come past the stationary buses parked up, the lane opens up for the roundabout and I move across towards the left and the roadworks. I manage 25 yards up the road white van man decides he needs to be in my spot, swerves over and puts me right up to the curb. Fortunately caught it and was able to get the brakes on, although I had nowhere to go at all. No idea what he was thinking and heard his passengers shout that I was there, causing him to stop in time.
All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Elephant and Castle roundabout All 3 were very apologetic which was a surprise but not much consolation that I'd of been getting ran over had his passenger not seen me!
Todays van man seemed to have an issue with his patience and tried blocking my access over Tower Bridge. Feels like there is always someone with an issue while commuting through London!
Avoid like the plague.
Broke 100km this morning for the weeks commuting, first time I've managed it! Should end on about 125km by the end of the day once I factor in my ride home as well
The BBC, Google, Weathertron and Dark Sky all insisted there was to be 0% chance of precipitation this morning, yet I cycled in through light drizzle.
To whom do I submit my claim for compensation?
Also, I took a different route and I'm never cycling through Gerrards Cross at this time in the morning again. Ain't no need for that traffic.
To whom do I submit my claim for compensation?
Also, I took a different route and I'm never cycling through Gerrards Cross at this time in the morning again. Ain't no need for that traffic.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff