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  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    bdave262000 wrote:
    Had a close pass from a driver on the Merton Road this morning then saw he was texting on his phone. Told him to put his phone down, he then proceeded to drive along side me whilst I was in the bus lane, shouting out his window and steering his car at me. Eventually he pulled in front of me and slammed on the brakes which I was anticipating, so cycled outside him whilst he got stuck in traffic.

    Make sure you report that sucker... you won't be the first , and you won't be the last he's done that to.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    bdave262000 wrote:
    Had a close pass from a driver on the Merton Road this morning then saw he was texting on his phone. Told him to put his phone down, he then proceeded to drive along side me whilst I was in the bus lane, shouting out his window and steering his car at me. Eventually he pulled in front of me and slammed on the brakes which I was anticipating, so cycled outside him whilst he got stuck in traffic.

    I find it amazing that he would want you to smash his rear window with your head.
  • bdave262000
    bdave262000 Posts: 270
    Wolfsbane2k wrote:
    bdave262000 wrote:
    Had a close pass from a driver on the Merton Road this morning then saw he was texting on his phone. Told him to put his phone down, he then proceeded to drive along side me whilst I was in the bus lane, shouting out his window and steering his car at me. Eventually he pulled in front of me and slammed on the brakes which I was anticipating, so cycled outside him whilst he got stuck in traffic.

    Make sure you report that sucker... you won't be the first , and you won't be the last he's done that to.

    Unfortunately I didn't get his number plate, but it was quite an unusual Mercedes so no doubt will see him again.
    Fat lads take longer to stop.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    New bars I bought on Thursday seemingly aren't needed to get rid of the creak, fitted them tonight and the creak is still there so removed stem and examined it for obvious cracks etc but couldn't see any so refitted it and now no creaks.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • mattsaw
    mattsaw Posts: 907
    A disastrous few days...

    Firstly the better halfs dad gets admitted to hospital with sepsis, he's rated as 50/50, although now, a few days later I'm hoping the odds have improved since he's looking a lot more perky and back on his food.

    The same day her car fails the MOT with two new suspension coils and a new tyre. Not the end of the world admittedly, but I suspect the tyre is malicious as several people in the road all seem to be convinced they're having the same issues with nails. That'll be twice for us in the past 6 months with an embedded nail in the rear tyre.

    Saturday night the central heating packs up, so queue mad rush out to get hold of some convection heaters in between trying to coordinate the kids being ferried to various sports training and rugby tournaments. I also discover that the immersion heater is kaput so no heating or hot water until the heading company decide that thy can make time for us.

    So I crawl out of bed a 4.30am this morning to ride through a freezing and deathly quiet RP in order to make it into the office for a 7am interview only to discover that the interviewee emailed me at 11.30 last night to cancel.

    200.gif
    Bianchi C2C - Ritte Bosberg - Cervelo R3
    Strava
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Mattsaw wrote:
    A disastrous few days...

    Firstly the better halfs dad gets admitted to hospital with sepsis, he's rated as 50/50, although now, a few days later I'm hoping the odds have improved since he's looking a lot more perky and back on his food.

    The same day her car fails the MOT with two new suspension coils and a new tyre. Not the end of the world admittedly, but I suspect the tyre is malicious as several people in the road all seem to be convinced they're having the same issues with nails. That'll be twice for us in the past 6 months with an embedded nail in the rear tyre.

    Saturday night the central heating packs up, so queue mad rush out to get hold of some convection heaters in between trying to coordinate the kids being ferried to various sports training and rugby tournaments. I also discover that the immersion heater is kaput so no heating or hot water until the heading company decide that thy can make time for us.

    So I crawl out of bed a 4.30am this morning to ride through a freezing and deathly quiet RP in order to make it into the office for a 7am interview only to discover that the interviewee emailed me at 11.30 last night to cancel.

    200.gif

    It all sounds like shittiest week ever! If your not-quite-in-law seems to be getting better, then that's something to hold on.

    BTW,I would be mad with that cancellation, _even_ with a good excuse.
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    On that cancellation, ask yourself whether you’d want to work for a company that felt it was acceptable to do that.
    GWS to the father outlaw.
    Location: ciderspace
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Fitting a new tubeless tyre ..........

    Aaarrrggghhh

    That is all.
  • mattsaw
    mattsaw Posts: 907
    DrLex wrote:
    On that cancellation, ask yourself whether you’d want to work for a company that felt it was acceptable to do that.
    GWS to the father outlaw.

    Thanks chaps, he seems to be doing much better today. I still think he'll be in there for a while, but seems to be out of the woods for now.

    I remember from my overnight in Kingston Hospital that a night on a ward is probably the least comfortable place for recovery and a good nights sleep.

    The cancellation was from a candidate, I was supposed to be interviewing them :D
    It's amazing how much work you get done when nobody else is in the office, so silver lining and all that..
    Bianchi C2C - Ritte Bosberg - Cervelo R3
    Strava
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    Oops - missed comprehending the word “interviewee”, there.
    Yeah - not keen on being in hospitals; they’re bright, busy places, full of ill people and their pathogens.
    Location: ciderspace
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    BBC weather, your forecast for my commute home was about 3 degrees, no precipitation. Instead I get -2 and driving snow. I was not dressed for that.

    Damnit, you had one job!
    FCN 9 || FCN 5
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    jds_1981 wrote:
    BBC weather, your forecast for my commute home was about 3 degrees, no precipitation. Instead I get -2 and driving snow. I was not dressed for that.

    Damnit, you had one job!

    The beeb derelicted that job when they stopped paying the Met Office for their forecasts.

    EDIT: Regardless, getting the temperature so wrong on the same day is kind of criminal
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    typical isnt it, the roads were unusually quiet on the way home tonight, which was actually great to cycle in, and I was thinking how nice and relaxing it was for a change.

    till Im less than a mile from home and I took the normal prime position in my lane as I approached a roundabout, but because there was so little traffic around meant this Dacia Sandero, basically an SUV, had the space to half lane cut across me and cut me up as we went through the roundabout, I was lucky what traffic there was exiting to the left which had momentarily stopped and blocked part of the lane, moved off again as else I was left heading for a narrowing gap of the boot of one car and the Dacias left wing as they tried to move across on me.

    if the traffic had been its busy normal level, theyd not have been able to do that as they wouldnt have been able to get into that position in the first place, just goes to show even when it feels quiet & safe it only takes a few seconds for a car driver not thinking properly to drop you in the meat grinder
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    I'm stopped at a set of red lights and I have a look around to see what's behind me and beside me. Looking behind I see a biker to my left, ie between me and the pavement which isn't surprising given I'm in the middle of the lane. Lights change and off we go to the next set 100yards away but this time I stop closer to the pavement giving ample space to go right and accelerate away when the lights change. No, the biker decides to stop right behind me, then as the lights change he moves into the right hand lane nearly becoming an Audi bonnet decoration.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,974
    messy gear change on my part this morning; shopping for a new front mech :oops:
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Fortnight old bartape ripped Saturday night when I had a clipless moment :( Only saving grace is it is cheap Boardman £10 tape.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,974
    getting really farked off with the close passes today and the tossers who think it's ok to overtake, when you've indicated your intention to turn right and are about to make said turn and then frackin well overtake, forcing you to take evasive measures...the fog sucks as well.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    Took the bus home last night. So much traffic that twice I got off and walked a couple of stops to get on the bus in front.

    Then when the bus did get moving for a few hundred yards, near Barnes station, the driver was behind a cyclist doing about 20mph. Driver honked him, and shouted at him to get out of the way. Then joined the next queue while the cyclist carried on.
  • xbnm
    xbnm Posts: 116
    bumped from behind while stationary at a mini roundabout no injuries new mudguard needed, wheel warped slightly, marathon winter looks undamaged, need to get the frame checked.

    Comedy gold moment can you turn the rear light off so i can take a picture of the damage its flashing too bright !
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    XBNM wrote:
    bumped from behind while stationary at a mini roundabout no injuries new mudguard needed, wheel warped slightly, marathon winter looks undamaged, need to get the frame checked.

    Comedy gold moment can you turn the rear light off so i can take a picture of the damage its flashing too bright !
    You may laugh, but one thing I've observed about flashing lights on bikes is that they can actually make it harder to judge the speed and direction of the bike they're attached to. This is particularly apparent when driving in rain, when your view is degraded by rain in the air, droplets on the windscreen or side window, and probably windscreen wipers. The brighter the light, the worse the effect. You see a very bright flash of something, followed by relative darkness, then you have to wait for at least the next flash before your brain can have any chance of estimating the light's direction and speed of movement. This means you may have to focus on this particular light for several flashes to figure out where it's going, during which time you may be less tuned into flashes from other lights. The same is apparent on the Embankment superhighway, when oncoming bikes can sometimes appear as a sea of randomly flashing lights (with other unlit cyclists hidden amongs them or alongside).

    I doubt this was the issue in your case, but flashing lights, especially really bright ones, don't always make it easier for drivers to see you. The only time I carry a flashing rear light is in daylight (where the flashing may help draw someone's attention, but doesn't stop them seeing me between flashes).
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    TGOTB wrote:
    XBNM wrote:
    bumped from behind while stationary at a mini roundabout no injuries new mudguard needed, wheel warped slightly, marathon winter looks undamaged, need to get the frame checked.

    Comedy gold moment can you turn the rear light off so i can take a picture of the damage its flashing too bright !
    You may laugh, but one thing I've observed about flashing lights on bikes is that they can actually make it harder to judge the speed and direction of the bike they're attached to. This is particularly apparent when driving in rain, when your view is degraded by rain in the air, droplets on the windscreen or side window, and probably windscreen wipers. The brighter the light, the worse the effect. You see a very bright flash of something, followed by relative darkness, then you have to wait for at least the next flash before your brain can have any chance of estimating the light's direction and speed of movement. This means you may have to focus on this particular light for several flashes to figure out where it's going, during which time you may be less tuned into flashes from other lights. The same is apparent on the Embankment superhighway, when oncoming bikes can sometimes appear as a sea of randomly flashing lights (with other unlit cyclists hidden amongs them or alongside).

    I doubt this was the issue in your case, but flashing lights, especially really bright ones, don't always make it easier for drivers to see you. The only time I carry a flashing rear light is in daylight (where the flashing may help draw someone's attention, but doesn't stop them seeing me between flashes).


    Aye, and indeed with flashing lights, because a human is concentrating on something, they are more likely to be driving at you - it's called the Moth effect, I seem to recall. It's believed to be a factor in why broken down vehicles on the side of the road are regularly hit, even if they are lit up light a Christmas tree.
    My rule of thumb is if you have a flashing light, always have a steady next to it, or something that pulses like cateye's hyperconstant.

    If you run the two rule rear light it's easy to get into the routine.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • awavey
    awavey Posts: 2,368
    TGOTB wrote:
    I doubt this was the issue in your case, but flashing lights, especially really bright ones, don't always make it easier for drivers to see you. The only time I carry a flashing rear light is in daylight (where the flashing may help draw someone's attention, but doesn't stop them seeing me between flashes).

    its a medical/scientific fact I believe the human brain cant estimate distances of flashing lights to the same degree of accuracy as a steady light,though I think theres more to it than it being light dark light effect on your eyes adjusting.

    but we are talking accuracy there, no one has ever sailed into a lighthouse, because they claimed they couldnt see it properly

    so even with flashing lights, drivers know you are there, they can see you, and your lights, and by the time they are in range to overtake safely their own lights should be providing the better wider view light.

    the only time I think bike lights create more danger to cyclists, are the ones who wear the helmet mounted super wattage illuminate a whole forest lights, because those not only hit the oncoming drivers eyes but are bobbing around and moving, and a driver really wont have much chance of picking out if youve just put your arm in the air to turn right infront of them
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    awavey wrote:
    so even with flashing lights, drivers know you are there, they can see you, and your lights, and by the time they are in range to overtake safely their own lights should be providing the better wider view light.
    That only describes one situation in which drivers can come into conflict with cyclists.

    One different example: turning right, out of a side road onto a major road, with intermittent traffic coming from both sides. In this situation the driver's looking for gaps in traffic from both sides, a cyclist isn't illuminated by the car, and it's critically important that the car driver doesn't misjudge the cyclist's speed/position. I experienced this once on a bike, trying to turn right onto a bridge across the Thames. I could clearly see that there were a number of cyclists (and other vehicles) approaching from the right; several had flashing lights, and all were backlit by buildings on the other side of the river, which meant their lights were the only way I could see them. It was impractical and unnecessary to wait until there were no cyclists; they were in an intermittent stream, some of them were up to 150m away. Conversely, the positions and speeds of the various cars, motorbikes, and bikes with constant lights were quite easy to judge. Now imagine I'd been in a car, with rain on the windows, in a bit of a hurry, and with a more cavalier attitude to risk taking...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    awavey wrote:
    its a medical/scientific fact I believe the human brain cant estimate distances of flashing lights to the same degree of accuracy as a steady light,though I think theres more to it than it being light dark light effect on your eyes adjusting.
    It's not surprising. Imagine walking/riding/driving along the street with your eyes closed, and only opening them for a split second at a time. Even if you do it a couple of times every second, your eyes are taking in a lot less information.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • The Nodder
    The Nodder Posts: 33
    Wolfsbane2k wrote:
    My rule of thumb is if you have a flashing light, always have a steady next to it

    Isn’t it better to separate the flashing light from the steady light? I always figured the more space between my rear lights, the easier it is for other road users to judge my distance and speed. And by having lights in different positions like helmet and seatpost, I’m more visible to other road users whose view of one of my light locations might be obscured.
  • xbnm
    xbnm Posts: 116
    While i appreciate the comments about flashing lights i run one solid one flashing for this exact reason and despite this we were both stationary at a roundabout waiting for a gap in traffic from the right why she ran into the back when there was no such gap i'm pretty sure had little to do with my lighting arrangements and much more to do with incompetence. No rear camera on the ice bike so cant check that for signs of phone but i wouldn't be surprised.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Hope RX4 caliper on the Pinnacle has started to crack, the section around the pad-retaining bolt has sheered off and there's some pitting to the caliper mount also. I've had it less than 18 months. Hope tell me it's not their fault as it's road salt caused it.

    Perhaps I should have looked into the properties of the 2014 aluminium they use before buying it? According to Wikipedia, "The corrosion resistance of this alloy is particularly poor.". Well, there you go.

    What the hell, Hope? I thought they made products they would stand by! :evil:
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    The issue of people pushing for testing and licencing of cyclists, who in the same breath, don't understand that this will lead to more cyclists in the centre of the lane for their own safety; when they've just rammed you off the road for being in the middle of the lane.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,660
    Guy parked on double yellows decided to pull out as I went past. Shin clipped his front arch, back wheel bounced out, went down on my side. No real injury, bartape is ripped, rear wheel a bit out of true and tyre deflated for some reason. Shifters and derailleur all scuffed up (that's annoying, doesn't seem worth getting a new shifter for a scuff but it will always annoy me when I see it). Taking it to a bike shop tomorrow to get it checked.

    He gave me his number and I took a photo of his car so not all bad.
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,227
    pangolin wrote:
    Guy parked on double yellows decided to pull out as I went past. Shin clipped his front arch, back wheel bounced out, went down on my side. No real injury, bartape is ripped, rear wheel a bit out of true and tyre deflated for some reason. Shifters and derailleur all scuffed up (that's annoying, doesn't seem worth getting a new shifter for a scuff but it will always annoy me when I see it). Taking it to a bike shop tomorrow to get it checked.

    He gave me his number and I took a photo of his car so not all bad.

    No real injury, or no injury?

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