Team Sky Bus Nearly Knocks Cyclist Off The Road

[rohrl]

Amateur cyclist Andy Rolfe wasn't very happy when he was almost knocked off his bike by the Team Sky Tour Of Britain coach as it passed him dangerously closely.

Team Sky have admitted that the incident was "unacceptable" and have apologised to him.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX9_Ghf2UO0

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/te...

[longshot]

I don't think there's a lot the coach driver could have done.

To me it falls into the 'it happens' category.

[Pachydermus]

longshot said:

I don't think there's a lot the coach driver could have done.

wtf? How about not overtaking unless it's safe to do so for a start.

[lost in espace]

Pachydermus said:

wtf? How about not overtaking unless it's safe to do so for a start.

I don't think that the bus driver could see the truck when it started the overtake, but also the corner should really have made him think twice. Good job the truck stopped.

There is probably a lot of pressure on the bus driver to get to his next stop asap, we all make mistakes, but it was probably closer than it looks on the camera.

[longshot]

Pachydermus said:

longshot said:

I don't think there's a lot the coach driver could have done.

wtf? How about not overtaking unless it's safe to do so for a start.

Winding country road, big coach and a much slower bike is always going to bring up situations like this.

If the coach waited for a straight bit where he can see he could be waiting a very long time on some roads.

I'm a cyclist myself and don't like buses or trucks coming close but you have to be pragmatic about it.

[47p2]

longshot said:

Winding country road, big coach and a much slower bike is always going to bring up situations like this..

Only if the 'big coach' driver is an idiot

longshot said:

If the coach waited for a straight bit where he can see he could be waiting a very long time on some roads.

Have I missed something here?

[47p2]

Just waiting for it...



















'cyclist wasn't wearing hi-vis' 'cyclist wasn't wearing a helmet' 'cyclists don't pay road tax' 'cyclists don't require insurance' 'cyclist should have been in the cycle lane' 'cyclists should be required to sit an exam before being allowed on the road' 'cyclist got what he deserved' 'cyclist is a vigilante on a bike with a camera' 'cyclist shouldn't have been on the road' 'cyclist should have been cycling in the gutter'...

Feel free to add to the list above, therefore saving the anti cycling brigade the bother of typing it all out

[TheFungle]

47p2 said:

longshot said:

Winding country road, big coach and a much slower bike is always going to bring up situations like this..

Only if the 'big coach' driver is an idiot

longshot said:

If the coach waited for a straight bit where he can see he could be waiting a very long time on some roads.

Have I missed something here?

Yes, the cyclist didn't pull in to let the quicker moving vehicle pass.

Having driven a HGV behind a cyclist on a busy, twisty road, I can promise you they are an absolute nightmare to pass. The old evo magazine of Time Exposed to Danger certainly feels like a lifetime!

[NatAsp]

longshot said:

If the coach waited for a straight bit where he can see he could be waiting a very long time on some roads.

Ahhh.. I didn't know about this rule. What's the official waiting time before I can attempt a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre? 2 minutes? 5 minutes? Obviously the more time that passes, the more acceptable it is to put other people's lives at risk.

In all seriousness, whilst the footage is pretty shocking, I imagine it was just an honest mistake / poor judgement call by the driver who would give anything to go back and do it differently.

[s3fella]

The guy's reaction is very emotional, it's not great, but it isn't life and death. Of course, if it was, he'd not be able to ham it up to the camera like that, he'd be too busy saving his own life.

[47p2]

NatAsp said:

In all seriousness, whilst the footage is pretty shocking, I imagine it was just an honest mistake / poor judgement call by the driver who would give anything to go back and do it differently.

Yes we would all give anything to go back and do it differently... but only if we were caught in the first place

The driver is employed by one of the world's top cycling teams, he's around cyclists all day every day, he should have a clearer idea of what's correct and what's unacceptable when it comes to overtaking a cyclist, no ifs no buts...he should know

[frisbee]

NatAsp said:

Ahhh.. I didn't know about this rule. What's the official waiting time before I can attempt a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre? 2 minutes? 5 minutes? Obviously the more time that passes, the more acceptable it is to put other people's lives at risk.

In all seriousness, whilst the footage is pretty shocking, I imagine it was just an honest mistake / poor judgement call by the driver who would give anything to go back and do it differently.

Its an exponential scale based on the first letter of the manufacturers name. Audi about 0.0001 seconds, BMW about 0.5 seconds, all the way up to Volvo at precisely 3 years and 53 days. Now you might ask "what about Vauxhall, doesn't that break the rule?", well they actually start the overtake about 5 minutes before they see the cyclist, but take about 3 years to actually get past.

[768]

[SteveSteveson]

Like anyone waits. I was just following a group of cyclists down a road where I felt there was no passing space. I must have been delayed by less than ten seconds. There was no one behind me until 5 seconds before needing to pull off the road. The second I pulled off two people immediately made dangerous overtakes, as bad as that one, coming up to a roundabout and forcing cars coming the other way to swerve. Drivers just don't give a crap about cyclists, then wonder why we get angry. Just "I cannot be held up for a second!"

It's pissed me off quite a bit as I could see the anti bike knobs you get on here, I saw all of it, and I could see how unreasonable the drivers were being, and I know it was not be just having an emotional reaction as it can be when it is me cycling.

Edited by SteveSteveson on Thursday 8th September 19:55

[NatAsp]

47p2 said:

Yes we would all give anything to go back and do it differently... but only if we were caught in the first place

The driver is employed by one of the world's top cycling teams, he's around cyclists all day every day, he should have a clearer idea of what's correct and what's unacceptable when it comes to overtaking a cyclist, no ifs no buts...he should know

Misunderstood me. Not trying to excuse their actions, just saying that in all likeliness they are normally super cautious passing cyclists and made a really bad error on this occasion. Unlike a select few "pro" drivers who are genuinely careless and pull off moves like this on a regular basis - they are the minority but they do exist and it's seriously scary when you come across them.

[loudlashadjuster]

Some of the replies to the guy's original tweet. Lordy...

There's something about being on a bit of metal/plastic with a couple of wheels that seems to make normally sane people forget that a "cyclist" is just another human being, with family, friends, a job, a life, just like they do.

Missed by many is the fact that the bus enters a 30 zone not long after the overtake and there's very little chance he's doing less than that.

[longshot]

47p2 said:

longshot said:

Winding country road, big coach and a much slower bike is always going to bring up situations like this..

Only if the 'big coach' driver is an idiot

longshot said:

If the coach waited for a straight bit where he can see he could be waiting a very long time on some roads.

Have I missed something here?

Yes. This bit.....

'I'm a cyclist myself and don't like buses or trucks coming close but you have to be pragmatic about it.'

[Pachydermus]

longshot said:

Yes. This bit.....

'I'm a cyclist myself and don't like buses or trucks coming close but you have to be pragmatic about it.'

no, you're a fecking idiot. I just pray that you're not allowed to drive as well.
What this guy did, what so many idiots allowed behind the wheel do, is put someone's life at risk to save a few seconds and in most cases absolutely nothing as we end up passing them a minute later as they're back in one of the usual queues of motorised vehicles that actually do hold everyone up.

Edited by Pachydermus on Friday 9th September 00:25

[longshot]

Pachydermus said:

longshot said:

Yes. This bit.....

'I'm a cyclist myself and don't like buses or trucks coming close but you have to be pragmatic about it.'

no, you're a fecking idiot. I just pray that you're not allowed to drive as well.
What this guy did, what so many idiots allowed behind the wheel do, is put someone's life at risk to save a few seconds and in most cases absolutely nothing as we end up passing them a minute later as they're back in one of the usual queues of motorised vehicles that actually do hold everyone up.

Edited by Pachydermus on Friday 9th September 00:25

Yeah, yeah, blah, blah....

[Long Drax]

Don't tempt impatient motorists to gamble with your safety - On narrow roads, ride in the middle of "your" lane.

Where is Julian64 when you need him?