bad day yesterday...
jedster
Posts: 1,717
My commuting is usually quite uneventful but lots nearly went wrong yesterday. I'm wondering if I got a bit aggressive and my judgement became a little iffy.
On my way to work, going down a hill in a 30 zone, I was doing about 30mph. AT the bottom of the hill is a dip before another rise. In the dip, a road enters from the left. I'm always cautious here - out in primary, covering the brakes - in case a car pulls out on me from the left. It's a good seeing junction so it has never happened, until yesterday... Fortunately it was early enough that I could stop in time - bit touch and go, the backwheel locked and I just managed to keep the bike upright. The driver looked pretty shocked but we both went on our way. Not sure wether she didnt see me or just misjudged my speed. Might need to slowdown a bit in future.
In London I stopped at a red light in primary (I was going straight on). I always take primary here because otherwise there is a risk that following traffic assumes that I'm turning left and turns left across my bows as I'm heading straight on. In any case, there are usually parked cars the otherside of the junction so I would be moving out pretty soon. When the lights changed I crossed the junction and was closing on the parked cars when a moped undertook me. I gave him an earful "overtake on the outside mate, you tw@t". Not my finest hour. At the next lights we're together and he has a word "what are you doing shouting at me when I'm driving, you scared the sh1t out of me". Fraid to say that I didn't give him an elloquent explanation of why overtaking on the inside is not a good idea (mainly because I like most cyclists don't shoulder check inside before pulling from primary to secondary).
ON the way back from work was heading down hill towards a red light. As I freewheeled slowly towards the lights, I steered around a speed cushion on the outside (always in my lane). As I was returning to primary I nearly clipped the wing mirror of a vectra estate who had moved up inside me - it's not a wide lane. I shouted something in shock and the driver wound his window down. I asked what all that was about. He said "you were all over the road you idiot".
Me "what's the problem it's a red light".
Him "Yeah and I'm going left you're going right"
Me, nodding at the no right turn sign, "er no mate, it's left turn only, we're both going left"
Him "well you're a f@*$ing idiot all over the road"
Me, with a despairing look "listen mate, just go past, I don't want you behind me"
Him, stream of abuse as the lights changed and he headed off.
So part so me thinks, I should perhaps slow down a bit on the first hill, shouting at moped riders however good my case is probably not very productive and maybe I should just eat the at speed cushion rather than give the hard of thinking an invitation to squeeze inside me. The other part of me thinks - I've been using those tactics at those places (I mean road positioning rather than moped abuse!) with very good results for over a year and today was just a freak. Ho hum
J
On my way to work, going down a hill in a 30 zone, I was doing about 30mph. AT the bottom of the hill is a dip before another rise. In the dip, a road enters from the left. I'm always cautious here - out in primary, covering the brakes - in case a car pulls out on me from the left. It's a good seeing junction so it has never happened, until yesterday... Fortunately it was early enough that I could stop in time - bit touch and go, the backwheel locked and I just managed to keep the bike upright. The driver looked pretty shocked but we both went on our way. Not sure wether she didnt see me or just misjudged my speed. Might need to slowdown a bit in future.
In London I stopped at a red light in primary (I was going straight on). I always take primary here because otherwise there is a risk that following traffic assumes that I'm turning left and turns left across my bows as I'm heading straight on. In any case, there are usually parked cars the otherside of the junction so I would be moving out pretty soon. When the lights changed I crossed the junction and was closing on the parked cars when a moped undertook me. I gave him an earful "overtake on the outside mate, you tw@t". Not my finest hour. At the next lights we're together and he has a word "what are you doing shouting at me when I'm driving, you scared the sh1t out of me". Fraid to say that I didn't give him an elloquent explanation of why overtaking on the inside is not a good idea (mainly because I like most cyclists don't shoulder check inside before pulling from primary to secondary).
ON the way back from work was heading down hill towards a red light. As I freewheeled slowly towards the lights, I steered around a speed cushion on the outside (always in my lane). As I was returning to primary I nearly clipped the wing mirror of a vectra estate who had moved up inside me - it's not a wide lane. I shouted something in shock and the driver wound his window down. I asked what all that was about. He said "you were all over the road you idiot".
Me "what's the problem it's a red light".
Him "Yeah and I'm going left you're going right"
Me, nodding at the no right turn sign, "er no mate, it's left turn only, we're both going left"
Him "well you're a f@*$ing idiot all over the road"
Me, with a despairing look "listen mate, just go past, I don't want you behind me"
Him, stream of abuse as the lights changed and he headed off.
So part so me thinks, I should perhaps slow down a bit on the first hill, shouting at moped riders however good my case is probably not very productive and maybe I should just eat the at speed cushion rather than give the hard of thinking an invitation to squeeze inside me. The other part of me thinks - I've been using those tactics at those places (I mean road positioning rather than moped abuse!) with very good results for over a year and today was just a freak. Ho hum
J
0
Comments
-
-
Sorry to hear you've had a particularly bad day.
Not much advice to offer but on the speed cushion thing: personally if there's not much other traffic about I'll go around them, but if I've got traffic behind me I just go over them, rather than give them an excuse to have a go. Not that they need one but still.0 -
jedster wrote:Fraid to say that I didn't give him an elloquent explanation of why overtaking on the inside is not a good idea (mainly because I like most cyclists don't shoulder check inside before pulling from primary to secondary).
A lot of motorists don't either - the general idea of multi-lane roads is that the faster traffic is on the outside, not the inside, although that often doesn't count traffic situations.
I'd be freaked if someone came up my inside when I was on my bike....As I freewheeled slowly towards the lights, I steered around a speed cushion on the outside (always in my lane)..... He said "you were all over the road you idiot".
Surely if you were "all over the road" attempting to overtake you at that point was a bit moronic?0 -
1st point. Motorists often don't appreciate the speed you can do on a bike and this can lead to idiots pulling out in front of you thinking they have time when they clearly do not.
2nd The moped rider was a muppet however you should always look over either shoulder before adjusting your position on the road just in case of said muppet.
3rd Do you really gain anything going round the sleeping policeman rather than over it ? I think in your position unless the road was empty I would have gone over it and stayed in primary position.0 -
misterben wrote:I'd be freaked if someone came up my inside when I was on my bike....
Happens to me a fair bit in London. Mainly other cyclists. Sometimes if you are stopped at the lights in primary RLJers will bomb through on the inside, also if you've stopped and just pulled away on green but the other guy has had a run-up so is going faster
Obvious remedy is not to stop in primary but then taxis & buses try to squeeze past anyway.
Oh well it's all part of the fun<a>road</a>0 -
FatBlokeFromFelixstowe wrote:Do you really gain anything going round the sleeping policeman rather than over it ? I think in your position unless the road was empty I would have gone over it and stayed in primary position.
Maybe not on a hybrid or an MTB. Its more comfy to go round on a roady.
Apart from the undertaking, the guy was driving without observing rules 212 or 213 of the highway code0 -
Gambatte wrote:FatBlokeFromFelixstowe wrote:Do you really gain anything going round the sleeping policeman rather than over it ? I think in your position unless the road was empty I would have gone over it and stayed in primary position.
Maybe not on a hybrid or an MTB. Its more comfy to go round on a roady.
Apart from the undertaking, the guy was driving without observing rules 212 or 213 of the highway code
Many people driver without observing the highway code and of couse it is not right. However I would rather look over my shoulder to make sure I wont be hit rather than worry about what rule numbers of the highway code someone behind is breaking.0 -
FatBlokeFromFelixstowe wrote:Gambatte wrote:FatBlokeFromFelixstowe wrote:Do you really gain anything going round the sleeping policeman rather than over it ? I think in your position unless the road was empty I would have gone over it and stayed in primary position.
Maybe not on a hybrid or an MTB. Its more comfy to go round on a roady.
Apart from the undertaking, the guy was driving without observing rules 212 or 213 of the highway code
Many people driver without observing the highway code and of couse it is not right. However I would rather look over my shoulder to make sure I wont be hit rather than worry about what rule numbers of the highway code someone behind is breaking.
Yeah, but a quick lifesaver over the right shoulder possibly wouldn't show a vehicle coming up the inside??0 -
>>Yeah, but a quick lifesaver over the right shoulder possibly wouldn't show a vehicle coming up the inside??
mirrors, Mirrors, MIRRORS...what wonderful things they are .
PS. I refer to bicycle mirrors.0 -
cntl wrote:>>Yeah, but a quick lifesaver over the right shoulder possibly wouldn't show a vehicle coming up the inside??
mirrors, Mirrors, MIRRORS...what wonderful things they are .
PS. I refer to bicycle mirrors.
I keep thinking about one of those that fit on the downtube....0 -
However I would rather look over my shoulder to make sure I wont be hit rather than worry about what rule numbers of the highway code someone behind is breaking.
I totally agree with that. And I shoulder check a lot. But over my right shoulder. That's the problem, a right shoulder check doesn't show things coming up your inside (as Gambatte says).
Re the speed cushion - I've always assumed (and been right in the past) that the presence of a red light and right turn only just ahead would mean that noone would have any incentive to squeeze inside me. Just shows that assuming commonsense on the behalf of other roadusers is a luxury you can't afford on a bike. I'll be riding over that speed cushion in future if there is any following traffic.
Re the moped - I actually did hear him coming and check inside. As a result I left enough space inside so that we wouldn't have a problem at the parked car. I gave him the verbal because if I hadn't made space, it could have been sticky and he shouldn't have assumed I'd have made those allowances.
Anyway, completely uneventful ride in this morning (apart from the Bentley driving the wrong way up a road towards me but he was going very slow so that hardly counts).
Cheers
J0 -
It depends what sort of mood you're in. Ride aggessivly only if you're prepared for confrontation. Otherwise just relax and take it easy.
Having said that cycilists are any easy target for motorists to vent thier fury at, despite riding style.It's all good.0 -
Just read your first post on the eventful day, sounds like it was just a one off and I guess we all have days like that sometimes!
I've only ever flown on the handle with one driver, who seemed to think the bus lane was there for him to use to undertake the cars driving in the proper lane, narrowly missing hitting me twice and then pulling back in with no indicator! I confronted him (not very eloquently admittedly) but his rather large son/friend seemed to object to my calling the driver a f**king p****k - a rather stupid choice of words given the current problems with knife and gun crime but I was rather irrate!
As other posters have said on here I really don't think other road users (peds or drivers) appreciate just how fast you can get on a bike and so I think it then, unfortunately, falls on us to adjust our riding to the condions - if your coming down a fast hill towards a junction make allowances for that driver who hasn't seen you and things should turn out merry!0
