Most dangerous thing to do on a bike

lost_in_thought

Hopefully this won't descend into a to-and-fro about legality, it's more a question of what do you think is the most dangerous activity you see others doing and think 'oooh that's really dangerous I wouldn't do that for all the tea in china...'

EDIT: for clarity, I mean most dangerous to yourself... or to the person committing the act if it's not you!

UnworthyPapaLazaru

I tried headphones whilst cycling for the first time the other week. Wasnt comfortable with it at all. Wont be doing it again and can see how it could be v.dangerous!

karl j

Ok, before i answer i'm not entirely sure what you're asking, dangerous to yourself or to other road-users, or simply dangerous to the person commiting* the act ?

(*and i use that term loosely, without any implied legal meaning)

robmanic1

UnworthyPapaLazaru wrote:

I tried headphones whilst cycling for the first time the other week. Wasnt comfortable with it at all. Wont be doing it again and can see how it could be v.dangerous!

Not sure about this one, I guess it depends if your riding in traffic. I ride mainly country roads and often wear 'phones, the way I see it is a car's coming up behind me and doesn't see me, hearing it appraching wouldn't save me. That said, I am very aware of my surroundings when I do wear them.

(Waits for the barrage)

Parkey

I have an earpiece in my left ear to listen to Radio 4. Doesn't stop me hearing the what's around me though. Certainly couldn't ride with buds in both ears and absolutely not with headphones that block out all sound.

lost_in_thought

For clarity, I mean most dangerous to yourself... or to the person committing the act if it's not you!

robmanic1

Parkey wrote:

I have an earpiece in my left ear to listen to Radio 4. Doesn't stop me hearing the what's around me though. Certainly couldn't ride with buds in both ears and absolutely not with headphones that block out all sound.

Yes, radio four could be considered dangerous listening, you could fall asleep at your handlebars!

abbots_mike

i dont think i could ride with two earphones in, but quite regularly ride with one, and always the left, so i can hear whats coming past on the right. never had problems so far.

Parkey

Robmanic1 wrote:

Yes, radio four could be considered dangerous listening, you could fall asleep at your handlebars!

Don't worry. I switch it off during thought for the day.

robmanic1

Just viewed the results so far, can't believe riding with music is considered to be more dangerous than carrying heavy cargo or riding without a helmet (no helmet safety debates puleeez!).

Watching this one with interest1

il_principe

I've cycled with my iPod for years. I can still hear everything around me and have had exactly 0 incidents related to the 'phones.

Bikerbaboon

Guys just a quick question. if you are a deaf rider does that make you more at risk that some one that can hear but rides through red lights ?

UnworthyPapaLazaru

A mate of mines uses his 'phone and its not a nice and quiet background radio4, its loud as **** euro techno. Dangerous and tasteless?

karl j

Ok, based on my own experience / observations i have voted for the carrying of heavy cargo. This is based on the bloke i often see on an old trade bike with fruit boxes balanced / bungeed up so high he can't see over the top so has to look around them to see where he's going.

Utterly amazing (or something like that)

Clever Pun

I nearly always wear headphones, not too loud

just assume there's always a car there and it's all gravy... I just lifesaver check before making a manouvre

girv73

Yet to see anyone get hit by a pavement cyclist, and there's a lot of it in central Belfast. Helmets are of debatable use (personally I'd rather have one than not). I don't think wearing headphones is too dangerous, though I do feel uncomfortable with them on myself. THE GAME is just riding faster.

It's a toss-up between RLJing and carrying things, I can't decide.

RLJing is crossing the streams of traffic, most of which is hard of seeing and made of harder stuff than you.

Heavy cargo severely affects control, making prangs more likely and all the worse when they happen (insert science part about energy or somesuch). If the cargo is children, it moves about and you get twofer prangs.

Maybe carrying children then?

il_principe

Exactly - wearing headphones doesn't prevent you from riding in a safe manner. I would never make a manoeuvre on the basis of sound alone, that way you end up clobbering fellow cyclists or stupid Honda Prius' I'd imagine...

CanterburyTailwind

I'm afraid I've done all of these at one time or another...only when it's safe to do so of course (ahem)...I certainly didn't feel too safe with the headphones, but maybe I just didn't give it enough time to aclimatise..

jedster

surely

"filtering inside long and/or articulated vehicles"

No?

il_principe

jedster wrote:

surely

"filtering inside long and/or articulated vehicles"

No?

+1

Vitessetortoise

I've only ridden with headphones in on a couple of occasions and both times I was actually quite drunk so in that case I would say the headphones made very little difference.

dennisn

I consider making eye contact with drivers, other cyclists, and pedestrians to be the
most important aspect of riding safely.

Dennis Noward

andrewc3142

None of the above? Obviously, any done stupidly will be dangerous but that's a different issue IMO

victor ludorum

Most dangerous in terms of accidents/near misses I've seen is innattentive filtering in heavy traffic and around junctions.

Particular favourites are:

People who seem to have a lemming-like desire to move up the inside of buses with a two foot gap to the pavement/railing. Or between buses in adjacent lanes FFS!

Trying to move down the outside of a lane and force one's way between cars and traffic islands when the traffic starts moving.

Anybody who tries to force their bike into a gap which is too small for it in slow moving/static traffic.

woodgob

I'm guilty of wearing headphones but one plus side of it in summer is no bugs flying into my ears! This happened when I was younger and caused me to flail around and fall off my bike (I don't like bugs...clearly). The bike was a Grifter so that should tell you how long ago this was
:P
I won't bang on about RLJing as this gets a lot of attention on these forums and most riders opinions seem to be pretty unanimous on this but for me it's #1 most dangerous thing to do.

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

jedster wrote:

surely

"filtering inside long and/or articulated vehicles"

No?

+1

Yep, you make a very valid point, missed that one off... now... I wonder if I can edit the poll!

snooks

I can't believe someone thinks playing The Game is dangerous....I would have thought rules 1 and 2 would have covered that:

1/ No Dangerous Manoeuvres (Don’t be a danger to any other road users or yourself) Falling off causes pain to you and others around you, don’t do it! (oh and you loose yer points)
2/ Don’t ride like a c0ck, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!

If yer talking about dangerous things taking away one of your senses can't be a bright thing to do...but going up the inside of any thing big (and smelly) ain't a great idea either!!

alan_sherman

Surely people racin gencorages other stupidity - be it undertaking, RLJing, going for gaps thar aren't really there.

Take a chill pill maaaaaaannnnnnn

_Brun_

The problem with this is that it's all very dependent on the extent to which people indulge in each of the options.

I'd venture that neither listening to music at relatively low volume, nor judiciously flouting the law at perfectly clear junctions are necessarily dangerous. Conversely, either listening to the latest Ministry of Sound at full whack or blithely sailing/tanking it through red lights are obviously both pretty daft.

I'd wager I could survive cycling round London for a day jumping red lights, wearing headphones but no helmet, occasionally using pavements and carrying a couple of shopping bags without killing myself. I would however draw the line at carrying children. Not for their safety mind, I just can't do with the little buggers.

chuckcork

jashburnham wrote:

jedster wrote:

surely

"filtering inside long and/or articulated vehicles"

No?

+1

How about filtering between a pair of articulated vehicles at a standstill, when one of them starts to move closer to the other?

Not sure who was more worried, me or the driver (could see his frantic reaction in his mirrors)

attica

chuckcork wrote:

How about filtering between a pair of articulated vehicles at a standstill, when one of them starts to move closer to the other?

Not sure who was more worried, me or the driver (could see his frantic reaction in his mirrors)

+1 For that, it's pretty much my worst nightmare, I usually pause and assess the situation before filtering between any two large vehicles articulated or not.