Do I have a death wish?

[JQ]

I cummute to work 4 days a week about a 16 mile round trip into Manchester City Centre, been doing this for about 8 weeks. I'm lit up like a Christmas Tree now with the evening commute now being in the dark, so I'm definately not invisible. I've started to find cars are trying to bully me off the road and I had my worst experience last night:

Cycling along a road with steady traffic, so not going that fast, and I can see a car on the left trying to force his way into the traffc flow, but no-one is letting him in. I can see him edging out as I approach, and then he just goes for it. Cue me putting the brakes full on and stopping a couple of millimetres of his front bumper. Both of us now stationary in the middle of the road, he then starts giving me aduse before wheel spinning away.

This has happened a few times to me but has been the closest to a full "off".

My question is - am I an idiot? When this type of situation and other bullying situations occur I always stand my ground (as if I'm in a car). Last night I could haved slowed down when approaching the car as I knew it was 50:50 that he was going to pull out on me. However, I carried on at the same speed with my fingers on the brakes waiting for my emergency top if he did pull out.

I just hate the thought of having to constantly adjust my speed to compensate for car drivers too lazy to wait their turn.

I have had a few other incidents where car drivers have not seen me and I accept that they are just genuine errors (non resulted in me coming off, but no doubt it's only a matter of time). What I'm talking about are situations where the car driver sees me, knows I'm there but still tries to force me to brake as they can't be bothered to wait their turn.

Sorry for the rant but the guy last night really wound me up - he could have knowingly killed me, and his reaction was to go nuts at me and wheelspin off almost taking me and bike with him. Meanwhile his passenger was apologising to me profusely.

[s.m.h.]

You are still on the main road and have right of way legally. Though saying that even in my car the times I have had to stop because people push out of side roads is getting ridiculous. Impatience basically.
When riding motorcycles you ride defencively else, which could have happened in your case,you end up the wrong way up!

I disagree with the cyclists are 2nd rate road users etc etc, and drivers like this ought to be reported.
Worst case senario you end up under the car. Not really worth that is it. Maybe if you bounce the pedal off his bumper they might think twice about doing it again....

[henrycrun]

If won't help with bullies but you might consider having a read of Cyclecraft (which is the cycling equivalent of Roadcraft)

[Marcellus]

Having learnt to ride a bike in Central London (so not too dissimilar) I was always told to treat every other road user as though they are a complete and utter idiot who would love to see you fly across their bonnet.

I did and even when being a cycle courier never tasted tarmac due to another road user.....

Ride defensively all the time, take the safe position at all opportunities, use other cars to protect you - a lot of drivers will force their way out on a cyclist when they wouldn't consider the same manouver on a car..

Also don't forget the energy used to get yourself back up to cruising altitude is far greater when you have stopped exchanged perspectives with a driver...

Final couple of thoughts; had you eased up a touch, moved to the middle of the road would you have overtaken the tosser?

If so, do so and maintain the middle of the road position for longer than necessary, totally pointless I know but used to give me a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I have now delayed the tosser longer than he gained by pulling out on me....

Also I have heard riders to be sooooo frightened by other roadusers actions that my their bidon has slipped....... or simply open their passenger door..... both only to be done if you are 100% sure you can lose the offender in the traffic/under pass/park/

[bigandclever]

JQ said:

I'm lit up like a Christmas Tree now with the evening commute now being in the dark, so I'm definately not invisible.

What do you have? In my experience, lights and so on don't have anything like the same kind of visibility as a bright yellow tt jacket.

JQ said:

My question is - am I an idiot?

Probably not But, you are a 'vulnerable road user' and as such should assume that everyone else is out to run you over.

JQ said:

I just hate the thought of having to constantly adjust my speed to compensate for car drivers too lazy to wait their turn.

You might have to, unless you can ride assertively enough that you act like you've got an engine. Not that that's a guarantee!

[JQ]

Cheers guys, I think I need to calm down a bit when on the bike then. Easier said than done but I'll give it a go tomorrow.

With regard to being "lit up", I pretty much have the works :

2 uber bright front lights (1 flashing, 1 static)
2 uber bright rear lights (1 flashing, 1 static)
Leg clips with hi-viz reflective material
Old fashioned orange reflectors in the wheels (2 in each wheel)
Altura winter gloves with hi-viz reflective patches
Altura night vision Jacket (bright yellow + lots of hi viz)
Rear seat bag with high viz strip
Frame bag with high viz strips
Almost forgot - my tyres have hi-viz on them too.

My god, I must look like a tosser - maybe people are actually using me as target practice?

[Gnarlybluesurf]

I have had similar problems with cars pulling out, doing U turns, sudden changes into the inside lane and I can honestly say the best £18 i've ever spent on bike stuff has largely sorted this. I haven't given a car driver a full blast that I haven't seen jump in their seat, swear with shock and stop instantly. Worth it for entertainment value alone...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

[JQ]

I could definately have some fun with that. I cycle through a pedestrianised town square every morning. There is a cycle path winding it's way through. I suspect the planners made the cycle path very bendy so as to discourage pedestrians from walking along it. As you would expect, it's full of pedestrians every morning, drives me mad - there is an entire square for them to walk on but they chose to treat the cycle lane as a pavement. A few toots on that should clear them.

I think I may ask Santa for one.

[cliff123]

I saw a similar thing happen once to a motorcyclist. Fella on a moped. The car must have seen him but still proceeded to just pulled out in front of him. Had the guy not been 100% alert the fella would have been under the car. The moped just stopped in time and the car driver just pulled in front of him and up to the next traffic lights. Where the fella on the moped proceed to put his fist through the rear window with one swift punch. I assume paded motor cycle gloves with solid knuckle covers, or just tough). I know this is sort of behaviour is not to be condoned but I think the driver learnt his lesson. And it was bl**dy interesting to watch.

[marine boy]

If you remember you are invisible, everyone else is an idiot, stay focused, make eye contact and look mean as hell and you should be ok.

I got hit by a car last year, while not wearing a helmet or day-glo jacket. 100% not my fault and I was very lucky to get away with it without being killed or turned into a jelly head.

I now wear a helmet, bright jacket and look behind me nearly as often as in front of me.

Some people swear by a helmet light as you can direct it at the drivers face if you think he will pull out, kind of gets their attention.

I have to negotiate one roundabout on my route and Italians don't understand the right of way on these even when they are not on their mobile phone at the time and weekly I get cut up so I will be buying one of those air horns.

[a11y_m]

marine boy said:

Some people swear by a helmet light as you can direct it at the drivers face if you think he will pull out, kind of gets their attention.

Not sure on the legality of using a helmet-mounted lamp while on the road - I got a talking to from the police for using my (admittedly very bright) helmet-mounted lamp whilst on my way to the offroad trails (I also had a flashy LED on the bars but felt safer having both on). I was told I risked blinding other road users and told not to use it again.

I have been known to ride with my bar-mounted commuting light aiming slightly high into someone's rear view mirror after they've pulled out in front of me though...

[blinkythefish]

Gnarlybluesurf said:

I have had similar problems with cars pulling out, doing U turns, sudden changes into the inside lane and I can honestly say the best £18 i've ever spent on bike stuff has largely sorted this. I haven't given a car driver a full blast that I haven't seen jump in their seat, swear with shock and stop instantly. Worth it for entertainment value alone...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

That reminds me I need to refit mine - I took it off during a rebuild. They are worth it just for the WTF momment from the driver.

[hondafanatic]

Three things happen at this time of year.

1) It's winter - everyone is fking miserable and tight assed about everything and cannot make eye contact so they lose the 'human touch'. In summer, i can see drivers faces and predict whether they've seen me or not, in the glare of oncoming lights, mine included, no-one cans see anyone's face.

2) Complete and utter fkwits continue to cycle wearing nothing but black clothes and no lights pissing off other car drivers that have near misses with them. They dress like a fking Ninja and wonder why they have near misses. To counter that, they then cycle on the pavement pissing off the iPeds.

3) People cannot judge a bike's speed from a flashing light up front or even a constant beam. Because of points 1) and 2), they have a 'fk it' attitude and go for it anyway. As you're the cyclist, it's your fault if anything fks up inbetween.

The above is not an anti-driver thread, it's an Anti- thread. I commute everyday on my bike and winter is a fking nightmare that brings out the ishness in otherwise normal people.

<breathe>

[AndyDRZ]

Hi,

Browsing the forum because I'm thinking about starting up cycling to work so I can only give me experience as a motorbike rider - sorry if it doesn't fit.

I always try to remember one thing in this situation - waiting for 2 seconds to avoid getting crashed into makes you 2 seconds late home... not waiting can mean you don't make it home.

The 2nd thing to remember is They'll get stuck in the queue which you can ride passed! So give the idiot a nice wave once you go by.

[JQ]

I think you've summed it up perfectly Hondafanatic. I ony started commuting this summer so it has been quite a surprise how much more dangerous it's got since it got dark. I've already asked Santa for one of the airhorns so I'll be looking forward to that in January.