4x4 overtake

cntl

I am in the cycle lane, approaching a roundabout. Need to change lanes, as will be turing right. I look at the mirror, make sure it's safe to change lanes, indicate, start moving to the right and... the rest is history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg8WeTfY7DM

I showed this video at work. Everybody :shock: said I should always take the left lane on roundabouts when turning RIGHT.. Explanations about left-hooks fell on deaf ears. Who is right who is wrong?

Alibran

I would have taken the right lane to turn right, but I would probably have moved to the right side of my lane exactly where the bollards were to prevent an overtake as I was moving over, then held that position until the road opened out, and taken the middle of my lane. If some pillock decided to overtake on my left once I'd moved over, that would be up to him, but it wouldn't have affected me very much.

always_tyred

The notion of turning right from a left lane is lethal, idiotic and would get you killed.

I'm guessing that the people at your place of work either don't cycle or only cycle on sunny weekend afternoons along tow paths with innane "we're outside for the first time this year" expressions on their faces, thereby qualifying in their own minds as "cyclists".

The only think you might have done wrong (I can't tell from the video) is not signal for long enough to account for the speed differential. But to be honest, he comes through quite a while after you have started to move gradually across so he's most likely just a moron. I take it you weren't able to puncture his reverie by catching him up and hammering on his roof?

The exact same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago on a 2 lane each way urban road - a motorist about 5+ seconds after the immediate traffic had passed me just came right on through, like I wasn't there. I had to move into the oncoming lane to avoid her because by this time, people were coming through on the lane I'd just vacated.

Bassjunkieuk

I agree with Alibran, on a small roundabout like that I would have been looking to move into the right lane as soon as I could to show my intentions.
Taking it in the left lane would be very dangerous as from my experience the smaller the roundabout the less care drivers seem to take!

hamboman

the 4x4 driver looks like a total pr1ck to me, I'm fuming just watching that while sat in the office. What do people think about when they do that kind of driving?! nothing that's what.

phil_ss1

I know these cameras seem to exgerate(?) speed but it looks like if you did take the RH lane even more than you did we'd be asking where to send a card and grapes to you....

Something similar happened to me on my companies own site (large site with "proper" roads/signs etc.) The silly cow that overtook me when I was in the RH lane ended up bouncing her 4x4 over the central reservation!!

Phil

SmellTheGlove

Marginal - if that's any consolation.

Driver evidently a numpty would-be "property developer"; is there a more depressing sight on our streets?

cee

phil_ss1 wrote:

Something similar happened to me on my companies own site (large site with "proper" roads/signs etc.) The silly cow that overtook me when I was in the RH lane ended up bouncing her 4x4 over the central reservation!!

Phil

hahaha that happened to me too, but with a new audi tt. It got pedal scratch down its rear nearside wing, and a wrecked alloy wheel from where he mounted the central reservation!

Not a good night for him really, but it made me chuckle the rest of the way home!

Surf-Matt

CNTL - as long as you signalled your intention clearly, you were totally correct.
The turn is past "12 o'clock" so you take the middle/right lane. If it was before 12 o'clock, you would have needed to take the left lane.

That 4x4 driver is a complete pillock.

I am both Police and IAM trained as a driver and it's all about signalling your intentions, anticipating trouble and responding accordingly - that 4x4 wannabee yank tank needs it's wing mirrors kicking off.

graeme_s-2

Absolutely agree with everyone else. I'd have been in the right hand lane on that roundabout. This idea that bicycles should always use the left-most lane regardless of which exit they're taking is an excellent way to get yourself killed imo.

cee

Surf-Matt wrote:

that 4x4 wannabee yank tank needs it's wing mirrors kicking off.

fold 'em in....that really annoys folk!

Surf-Matt

Cee - not quite as destructive but a good "non damaging" technique!

Of course, all drivers of trucks like those are real men not to be messed with.... :roll:

BentMikey

Yup, you were correct to be in the right hand lane, that driver was simply an impatient and stupid idiot who didn't follow the highway code. I would have taken the whole lane before that pinch point, earlier than you did is all.

cee

Surf-Matt wrote:

Of course, all drivers of trucks like those are real men not to be messed with.... :roll:

I don't consider the L200 to be a real 4bi anyway....or those stupid Porsche Cayenne things!

Sure its a nice (if you are into that sort of thing) big car, but really thats all it is.....a car. They aren't even all that nice to drive! Wallowy is the word I would use.

My favourite thing about the Porsche is the low profile tyres needed to fit the big rims into the wheel arches! I have no idea why you would have all that power and 4bi action going on to throw it all away with those tyres and wheels!

Addages about small men and big cars!

Surf-Matt

Hangs head in shame - my outlaws have an X5 with 19" alloys and massive tyres.
And it is quite nice (and has a TV, and the biggest sunroof ever) to drive but about as useful off road as an F1 car. I only drive it when under heavy disguise.

I find those semi comfy 4x4 pick ups are often driven by muppets. If you must have one (and need one) why cover it in bull bars and chrome?

I appreciate a good proper 4x4 (used to drive Hi Luxs and LR Defenders very very off road as part of a job) but these pretend ones do get on my nerves.

cee

booooooooooooo X5

Nissan Patrol, Toyo Landcruiser and of course the indestructible Hilux.

Agree about the off-road fashion accessories for these cars. There really is no point. They grate on my nerves also.

I find the big fashion wagons are driven by muppets, but also by school runners, who should resit their driving test!

Surf-Matt

At least the Patrol and Landcruiser are decent off road (have green laned in a new LC Amazon - a truly bizarre experience driving up a "tractor only" lane in a fully leathered,
airconned luxury mega barge - but it did a fine job of it!). Hi-lux is okay but a bit light at the back end so struggles for grip. They do last forever though!

We have a rather gay but extremely capable Jimny (rag top too!!) for boat towing and off road larking about. Light, low emissions, tiny and kicks the behind of pretty much any standard 4x4 off road.

Then a mk5 Astra diesel (150PS) estate for mile bashing/ going surfing/slinging the bike in.

Both not that interesting but both do their jobs very well and without complaint. And neither shout "I HAVE A SMALL APPENDAGE BUT LOOK AT MY CAR"

cee

Surf-Matt wrote:

Both not that interesting but both do their jobs very well and without complaint. And neither shout "I HAVE A SMALL APPENDAGE BUT LOOK AT MY CAR"

I'll drink to that. Toyota Carina here...big enough to fit stuff in/on/hang out of, invisible to car thieves, no statements of appendagerie!

Surf-Matt

I had a semi flashy car for a while (mk4 Golf R32) - fine when we lived in London for a year, then it became target number 1 for wheel thieves when we moved to Bristol (no secure parking) - £3k in damage.

Suddenly my pride and joy was a complete liability and had to be sold - taught me not to worship cars and that although it's nice to have a fast motor, it's also very expensive, and maybe a bit sad.

As soon as I got my invisible Astra, my appendage grew by two inches...
And then another two when we got the Jimny

Bassjunkieuk

For truly huge off-roaders you can't really beat the Hummer H2 and I have seen a few of those around when I was driving everywhere in my previous job role! They make some other 4x4's look like toy cars!

I do remember sitting in my car in a lovely underground car park near Harley Street once watching with a certain smugness as an old couple (2 people) where struggling to find a space in the busy car park due to the fact they where in a VW Toureg :-) They had to find 2 empty bays next to each other as all the singles where to tight!!

Mike Healey

For what my opinion's worth, I'd have moved to the right a little earlier, and further to the right, than you did, simply to pre-empt that kind of overtaking.

One question, it's not easy to tell where a rider's eyes are looking from a headcam shot. When the camera panned to the right, were you able to see what was coming up behind (using the Mk I swivellng eyeball)? I ask, because, from the headcam shot alone, it seemed that you weren't looking far enough round to check for vehicles behind you.

hoathy

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

For truly huge off-roaders you can't really beat the Hummer H2

The Hummer H2 isn't an offroader, how many of these did you see OFF road???

BentMikey

On Sunday I saw a hummer limousine get stuck trying to make it round a corner on a small road. I laughed!

Bassjunkieuk

Hoathy wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

For truly huge off-roaders you can't really beat the Hummer H2

The Hummer H2 isn't an offroader, how many of these did you see OFF road???

At least 1 of them! Well it was a rather loose definition of "off-road" as it was parked in the person's front garden which is technically off road I suppose :-)

Surf-Matt

Strange fact - the environental impact (materials used, carbon footprint, etc) of a Hummer ans a Range Rover is under HALF that of a Toyota Prius due to the batteries in the Prius being so high in chemicals and being made all over the world.

I hate Priuis' with an almost unholy passion.

jedster

cntl,

god I hate it when that happens!

you were of course completely in the right.

this happens to me from time to time. When I think what I could have done differently, the only thing is to shoulder check, indicate, move earlier. Problem with that is that you "hold up" (in the eyes of a driver rather than reality) faster traffic for longer.

I had an incident a couple of months back approaching a larger, two lane roundabout. I was heading straight on (probably 11 or 12 oclock) and took the middle of the left hand lane on the approach. An X5 squuezed in between me and the car in the right hand lane! I gave a shout of alarm and he wound his window down - "you should be on the left". Imbecile. He had two young kids in the back so I resisted giving him both barrels but neither did I have the time to explain the left hook issue. Very frustrating.

J

el_presidente

Surf-Matt wrote:

I had a semi flashy car for a while (mk4 Golf R32) - fine when we lived in London for a year, then it became target number 1 for wheel thieves when we moved to Bristol (no secure parking) - £3k in damage.

Suddenly my pride and joy was a complete liability and had to be sold - taught me not to worship cars and that although it's nice to have a fast motor, it's also very expensive, and maybe a bit sad.

As soon as I got my invisible Astra, my appendage grew by two inches...
And then another two when we got the Jimny

I still miss my old R32, the fastest car I ever owned but a complete liability parked in central London; it had to go

Surf-Matt

El - what colour did you have?

Strictly speaking we both had 4x4s!

With hateful tax laws on anything vaguely interesting and petrol engined, I'm now glad it's gone but I still miss the noise, the power and... well everything really!

el_presidente

Surf-Matt wrote:

El - what colour did you have?

Strictly speaking we both had 4x4s!

With hateful tax laws on anything vaguely interesting and petrol engined, I'm now glad it's gone but I still miss the noise, the power and... well everything really!

Silver 3-door 53 reg, half leather.

Initially I really wanted a blue one but i got a great deal and the silver did grow on me. Lovely car and I still get nostalgic when I see one. Really individual compared to most of the mass-produced stuff. I don't feel at all the same about the MkV version though for some reason.

Surf-Matt

I was after black so got one - 53 reg, full leather, 5k miles on the clock when I got it.



Feel the same about the mk5 - just not very special and the grille and tailpipes just look plain wrong. Also now an emissions nightmare - the age of the quick but affordable car is fast disappearing - a real shame.

el_presidente

I run an oldish Mondeo ST220

still a v6 but nothing like the golf. More room for the bikes though!

not looking forward to my next tax bill though