WTF cycling moments..........

Bassjunkieuk

I had one of these on the way home this evening and it really did make me wonder..........

I was riding down Kings Road, just coming into the shops near the Tesco Express. Got a guy on fast hybrid ahead who I'm chasing down. He's just ahead sitting just off the rear of a silver BMW. As I approach the Gold alongside me starts indicating to turn right, as I'm already clear of his front I'm not to worried and carry on.

Silver BMW driver then decides to indicate so I ease up anticipating that he's not seen me or fast hybrid guy. To my utter disbelief hybrid guy leaves it to the last minute to take evasive action and almost has his wheel taken out as he brakes (with discs!!!)

As I went round him (he'd had to put a foot down I think) I said "Can't expect them to have seen you!" and he replied "Yeah I know". What I really wanted to say was "WTF where you thinking! Do you want to be run over!"

I'm all for assertive riding and get pi$$ed off when drivers don't see me but then I've come to the conclusion that you should never assume a driver has seen you, even if you are right in front of them! This guys riding was extremely dangerous and was maybe another example of one of those that pollutes the cycling gene pool.

So has anyone else had one of these "WTF" moments with other cyclists?

rich-b

The guy I nearly hit head on yesterday. There's a one way section at the bottom of Greenwich Park that always has two lines of traffic. This idiot was filtering alongside the traffic going the wrong way up a one way street, leaving me with nowhere to go as I flitered iin the correct direction :shock: :shock: I was too shocked at his stupiity to say anything at the time :evil:

girv73

I saw a guy hop off the pavement into a five or six way, traffic light controlled junction then ride up the middle of two lanes of rush hour traffic the wrong way. Nothing happened, $DEITY was with him that day.

Christophe3967

Cheyne Walk turn off down to Chelsea Harbour is where I always ease off as various scooters, BMWs, taxis etc are wont to swing off sans indicators. Never seems to discourage some Darwin Award wannabees who refuse to admit they've been scalped and are still giving it the whole banana, thinking you've blown up. Its only a matter of time...

lost_in_thought

I have a few of these on High Street Ken, especially if I'm going the Chiswick way home. Some cyclists think crossing the junction between HSK and Holland/Addison/Warwick road against the lights is a great idea, I've had a few flinchy moments watching cars swerve to avoid them. :shock:

What's more, I see at least 3 cyclists a day leap onto the pavement and furiously cycle the 20 yards to get back on the road after the lights, then rejoining in front of fast-ish-moving cars. Seriously, people, why not just wait?

Also, fast filtering in heavy traffic on the Uxbridge road contributes to evolution... sadly many seem to take to the pavements in self-defence, then shout at the peds who get in their way... :roll:

boondog

I had one Friday night, top of Notting Hill Gate going down Holland Park.

About 1/3 of the way down and a Merc decides to swap into the left lane where I'm doing about 28mph. I brake, he slides past. Lights go red, so I pull alongside and ask him to use his indicator next time.

Set off and he's along side me again and edging forward, similar speed and the fcker does exactly the same. He's acknowledged me at the last lights, so I shout at him. He produces a wavy hand and kind of apologises.

Cue to the bottom of the Shepherds Bush roundabout by the hotel, he goes past and there's traffic at the lights, no room in the left lane for a car, but there is for a bike, I start to go on the inside and guess what ? He decides to move across and block it.

Seriously, he wasn't aggressive or out to get me, he was blissfully unaware. Those are the scary ones to avoid at all costs.

Feltup

Saw a local cycling through Mammoth Mtn with no gloves on. WTF! It was -5C and there was a gale blowing. I guess he likes frostbite.

(and yes I did want to brag that I had just been snowboarding in Mammoth )

boondog

Commute in west->east London today and saw a courier jump EVERY set of lights we came across.
Caught him up after every set, then he'd jump the next ones regardless of peds or traffic. Kind of a 1 man suicide mission.

At the lights at the top of NottingHill, he just flew through the crossing peds and red light. I stopped, shaking my head amazed.

Roastie

I'd been having a bit of SCR fun coming back over London Bridge when I started slowing for a red light. The dude I was trying to stay ahead of decided to jump it ... at speed. Or mabe he was so engrossed with the chase that he didn't notice it was red. Either way he was lucky that WVM was more careful than most and braked before what I thought was the inevitable collision.

Madness.

Bassjunkieuk

Had another one yesterday. I was waiting at a set of lights on the bus lane just off of Elephant and Castle that leads towards the roads that lead to Blackfriars and Waterloo.

I can see there is no ASL so I wait behind the bus who is at the front, not wanting to try and squeeze through the little gap in front of him and the traffic island in case the lights change and I get flattened.

Suddenly a cyclist (one I'd passed a while back) goes whipping past on the outside to try and run tha gauntlet. As he's coming down the lights go green and I wince, convinced I'm about to see this guy go on a drastic weight loss plan..........thankfully the bus driver doesn't move off to quickly and he's through safely but it could have ended REALLY badly.

nwallace

Passing some kids on BMX's on the pavement, one bunny hopped onto the road without looking, not sure exactly how far from my front tyre he was, but put it this way, I couldn't see the gap between the 2.