Nearly a goner then

[944fan]

I do love cycling but it aint half ruined by the 90% of s on the road who can't drive.

Just nearly been completely wiped out. Coming down a hill I was going fast (within the speed limit but 25mph+). There is a junction on the right, and as soon as you come out the junction there is an island. Car pulls out of the junction right as I am coming, we basically reach the island at the same time and he is still coming across the road, I brake and somehow manage to squeeze through the gap, he then continues coming and then nearly pushed me in to a stationary car.

I have a potty mouth at the best of times but I unleashed every anlgo saxon word under the sun. Caught up with him a level crossing down the road. His window and sun-roof are open. I say (shout) "are you blind, you nearly killed me back there". He stares ahead trying to ignore me. I say it again and eventually he says "You saw my coming 20-30 yards out, it was your choice to ride fast". I said its my fking right of way" and he drove off.

Missed the opportunity to ask why he decided to pull out having admitted that he saw me coming. Wouldn't have been so bad if he just hadn't seen me but he clearly had. Stupid old wker.

Couldn't ride properly after that as my leg was trembling from all the adrenaline.

If anyone has a granndad who drives a blue VW Eos round Woburn way can you please take their license off them?

[boobles]

Perhaps he didn't realize the speed that you were travelling at? He may have thought that he had plenty of time?
Not defending but just trying to think from his point of view.

[Stickyfinger]

What is a bikes stopping distance @ 25mph down hill ?

[Nezquick]

Stickyfinger said:

What is a bikes stopping distance @ 25mph down hill ?

Less than 0.2 meters if you hit the side of an EOS.

[Stickyfinger]

LOL

[madzo14]

Had something like that happen to me last week, and it was the first proper sh*t the pants "I'm gona die here" moment for me in the 5 years I've been cycling.

Was travelling 35mph down hill and a car coming up the the road was stopped in the middle to turn across me, he sat but then decided to go when I was too close just about stopped in time while I pulled the brakes hard swerved away from him and just yelled "Fuuu***kkkk!!!" Was a close run thing! I didn't stop just carried on and took it easy going home.

As someone said above the driver couldn't or didn't judge my speed very well!

Edited by madzo14 on Thursday 18th August 14:53

[Stickyfinger]

Stickyfinger said:

What is a bikes stopping distance @ 25mph down hill ?

or 35mph ?

Really, would like to know, have bike (average) brake improved that much ?

[battered]

Stickyfinger said:

Stickyfinger said:

What is a bikes stopping distance @ 25mph down hill ?

or 35mph ?

Really, would like to know, have bike (average) brake improved that much ?

Dunno. Better than it used to be. Lots of variables - wet or dry, discs or rim brakes, etc. In the dry a well adjusted rim brake is pretty well as good as a disc. As in - it will stand a bike on its nose if you squeeze hard enough. In the wet rim brakes are all but useless. Tyres are variable too. Big chunky MTB tyres on road aren't great.

[okgo]

Thought this was going to end with a car keys out of ignition and into the nearest pond for a minute.

The people that stare ahead and try to ignore are the WORST.

[944fan]

okgo said:

Thought this was going to end with a car keys out of ignition and into the nearest pond for a minute.

The people that stare ahead and try to ignore are the WORST.

Ha. Was tempted. To be fair I'm 6'5" and 16 stone id probably ignore me hoping I go away.

[okgo]

944fan said:

Ha. Was tempted. To be fair I'm 6'5" and 16 stone id probably ignore me hoping I go away.

that's small for PH mate

[ALawson]

okgo said:

that's small for PH mate

Not a director yet?!

[944fan]

ALawson said:

Not a director yet?!

I was once! In name only, not a real one.

I used to be 19 stone but it was all fat.

[Some Gump]

TBH it's that classic "being right vs being flat" debate. I have this with some of my more mental ride buddies round Macc way sometimes.

Round my way, there's some great descents ruined by the probability of muppets on the road. The thing is, when you're in your car - say you're going down a road with lots of roundabouts. If you're making even the slightest bit of progress, wkers in Zafiras, sprinter vans and HGV's will regularly impede your exit of a roundabout having misjudged your speed. You have to compensate for their crap driving.

Likewise - if you're in London traffic, or e.g passing the M62-M6 junction, you KNOW some tt will cut in at the last second. You adjust your driving appropriately. There's no question that they're in the wrong not you, but it's easier to compensate for probability than react well to a bad situation. You drive more slowly so that you can stop / escape if (more likely when) some muppet dicks on you.

So, back to the various cool descents into Macclesfield from the Peak District. You've worked your arse off to climb 1400 feet. The reward is a fab 7 mile descent, that gets better and better as you go into Macc. Except you can't make the most of the reward. As you get to the twisty bits, there's 2 junctions from the right where put simply, drivers aren't expecting you to be going as fast as you are. The final drop into Macc is potentially perilous - it's slightly bumpy, which makes your stopping distance better, but there's junctions everywhere, shops, pedestrians on phones, the lot. If you chose to belt down at 40mph (reducing to 30) you'd be right according to the speed limit, but completely wrong on the "am I going too fast for the conditions?" - given that the conditions are "Road full of muppets in Zafiras".

OP, I'm not calling you out here - as you know you were right and he was wrong - but you're close to be being right whilst eating from a straw. IMO the take home should be to consider changing your riding to better anticipate other people's tttery - especially when e.g a junction is next to a bollard giving you no "out" only "stop".

[gareth h]

This is exactly why I ride off road!

[944fan]

Some Gump said:

OP, I'm not calling you out here - as you know you were right and he was wrong - but you're close to be being right whilst eating from a straw. IMO the take home should be to consider changing your riding to better anticipate other people's tttery - especially when e.g a junction is next to a bollard giving you no "out" only "stop".

Yeah its a good point. Earlier up on that stretch of road there is a junction on the left with a walled garden next to it. People often overshoot trying to see if something is coming and I keep well clear of that and approach slowly.

The bit this happened on is very open and flattened out and the sight lines are clear. He clearly saw me and a part of me thinks it was slightly intentional (not to hit me per see, but possibly to force me to break suddenly) as he did nothing to try an avoid it once it was clear we were close to hitting. As I mentioned in my OP he continues after the island and nearly forced me in to a parked car.

I generally am very aware of what people are doing and can predict their tttery. This guy hesitated before pulling out completely and I assumed he had seen me and decided to stop. He had seen me but thought fk it.

This is the first time in about 3000 miles I have come properly close to an accident. Had the odd close pass but this was proper frightening.

Its hard where I live because there are some nice wide quiet country roads to ride on but you have to make you way to them through some busy sections and towns.

[mcelliott]

I can confirm that cars pulling out of junctions is a very frightening experience, and indeed metal on skin can hurt somewhat. Sounds like you had a lucky escape.

[Stickyfinger]

Is this "SAFE" ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzyl0PqRJNU

[ian996]

I'm glad the OP survived with nothing worse than a large spike in their heart rate and (probably) a little bit less rubber on part of their rear tyre. I had a slightly lower speed version a couple of years ago - trying to go straight-ahead across/around a "midi" sized roundabout at the bottom of a 1 in 8 hill, a Corsa intentionally cut straight across me, I was going slow enough to nearly make the right turn to stay inside him, but couldn't keep enough control to stay upright, fortunately finding a soft landing in a rather fetching sponsored flowerbed on the edge of the roundabout.

Sadly, in addition to a brain-dead yoof having a laugh, there are so many reasons why a car driver might pull a homicidal move:

• Took test in 1973, hasn't had an eye test since, genuinely can't see anything smaller than a Nissan Micra (ideally in a bright colour).
• Has got passable eyesight, but eye-brain interface isn't interested in anything smaller than a car.
• Doesn't ride a bike, doesn't realise they go faster downhill than uphill.
• Doesn't ride a bike, expects them to be able to brake in a similar manner to a car.
• Is of the opinion that, as Cyclists don't pay "road-tax", they have no right to be on the road, so should give way/get out of the way in all scenarios.
• Makes a momentary lapse of judgement (which, to be fair, all of us do now and then), but then gets into a panic and does exactly the wrong thing in the heat of the moment.
• Is a total T**T.
• Any combination of the above.

[Type R Tom]

I once sat through a presentation by Professor John Wann on speed perception. Long story short most people can't judge speed very well, particularly with smaller objects like bikes. Be careful!