Y DO U NEED 2 B @ THE FRONT

feaseyrider

as a cyclist and a class 1 hgv driver , y do cyclist need 2 b at the front at every set of lights ....only 4 me in my BIG truck try to safely overtake u get in front and then .... ANOTHER SET OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS....... when i cycle 2 work i stay with the flow of the traffic ....judging by some of the U TUBE footage us cyclists think we have a certain domination over ME IN MY BIG TRUCK ..... this a general point i'd like to find out ,not a dig....
happy commuting
feaseyrider

always_tyred

As a lorry driver why do you have the urge to keep overtaking, only to stop at the next queue and force me to overtake you again. Can't you see that buzzing me in your BIG TRUCK doesn't save you any time, uses more fuel and puts me in danger?

Its all about perspectives dude.

feaseyrider

b coz DUDE my truck naturally travels fast than u so ... if yor already at the front of the Q ....but if i have OVERTAKEN YOU y weave yor way to the front ....u r gaining nothing ...coz my truck naturally travels faster than u ...DUDE....

always_tyred

feaseyrider wrote:

b coz DUDE my truck naturally travels fast than u so ... if yor already at the front of the Q ....but if i have OVERTAKEN YOU y weave yor way to the front ....u r gaining nothing ...coz my truck naturally travels faster than u ...DUDE....

If you are going faster than me, how come you have to overtake me more than once?

Oh, and have a go at full syntax so I can take you seriously.

What sort of bike do you have?

d21dga

What sort of bike do you have?

feaseyrider

b coz dude once i've overtaken u then u have been forgotten ....all i wanted too find out was a different perspective on being at the front of the queue ...?

my bike: it is a GIANT FCR ADVANCED....

and what is your bone shaker?

always_tyred

feaseyrider wrote:

b coz dude once i've overtaken u then u have been forgotten

Interesting comment.

For what its worth, I'll get to the front of the queue because I want to get to work quicker (there are some advantages to using a 42cm wide vehicle) but, as with a lot of experienced cyclists, I think twice about getting past an HGV. I absolutely do not want to be half way through getting to the front of the queue when the lights change.

Other reasons
- not sucking exhaust fumes.
- getting past the pinch point at the other side of the junction first

I don't think you can argue that a lot of drivers (and some bus and HGV drivers) overtake as a default without pausing to consider if its worthwhile before they have to stop again. ITs just not in the British driving psyche to achive the average speed by going at the average speed, if you see what I mean.

feaseyrider

sorry what sort of bike do you have?

cheers for the comments

redddraggon

feaseyrider wrote:

b coz dude once i've overtaken u then u have been forgotten ....all i wanted too find out was a different perspective on being at the front of the queue ...?

my bike: it is a GIANT FCR ADVANCED....

and what is your bone shaker?

I'm sorry, you are n00b.

Only n00bs ride flat barred road bikes.

always_tyred

feaseyrider wrote:

sorry what sort of bike do you have?

cheers for the comments

I dare not say, in case you seek retribution with your big truck.




(one of these - http://api.ning.com/files/RHlxfmmW2JMOM ... salsa1.jpg to commute on - and a Cramerotti for the annual sunny day)

tardington

He's got a point - Mr Feasey. Don't know you well enough to know you won't start spouting (probably vague) threats.

greg66_tri_v2.0

feaseyrider wrote:

b coz DUDE my truck naturally travels fast than u so ... if yor already at the front of the Q ....but if i have OVERTAKEN YOU y weave yor way to the front ....u r gaining nothing ...coz my truck naturally travels faster than u ...DUDE....

Did you txt this while you were driving your big rig (10-4, big daddy)?

Because you know that's against THE LAW, don't you?

<we got a brand new convoy, and we're from the seventies, oh yeah, we got a brand new convoy, God the seventies are sh!te...>

Bassjunkieuk

redddraggon wrote:

feaseyrider wrote:

b coz dude once i've overtaken u then u have been forgotten ....all i wanted too find out was a different perspective on being at the front of the queue ...?

my bike: it is a GIANT FCR ADVANCED....

and what is your bone shaker?

I'm sorry, you are n00b.

Only n00bs ride flat barred road bikes.

I'm more alarmed by the fact that someone who is allowed to drive a Class 1 HGV vehicle possibly on the same roads as me has to write on a forum in such a juvenile way.

Anyhow back to the question, as AT said I'll normally try to judge if my need to pass you is greater then my need to arrive at work alive. If I believe there is a safe path through and a gap at the front then I'll usually take it as I'd rather be in front then stuck behind or alongside. I can make a fairly rapid getaway and would say up to around 20mph I'd beat most HGV drivers off the mark and chances are your not even going to get up to that speed anyway if your in town before you need to start braking to join the back of the next queue.

MRadd

I was curious to know how old feasy rider was....

Only ask because i had to ask my 10 year old nephew to translate the txt (text/sms) phone speak to me! Oh, and before he's asks, i'm 25, so no. Not old enough not too understand it all. It's just past me by.


P.s. My good friend is a HGV1 license holder. He likes the fact cyclists move to the head of the queue, so he can see them and know to give them room. Especially as he knows that i'd give him a right rollocking!

amnezia

because i'd rather be in your way and visible than be crushed under one of your wheels. :shock:

lost_in_thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLnMH47kzro

lost_in_thought

But anyway...

I can see both sides of it - we get irritated when slower cyclists push in front of us at lights and make us overtake them repeatedly, but then essentially do the same to cars. So, therefore, we should just take our position in the traffic flow and wait.

OTOH, if we're in front of the vehicles in question, we can make sure we're seen, and if the OP is overtaking cyclists just to stop at red lights he should probably consider not overtaking them, irrespective of whether or not he is in a BIG TRUCK. He's not really gaining anything.

always_tyred

Am I the only one who is really disturbed by the contention that once you are overtaken, you are forgotten? Combine that attitude with a slight misjudgement.....Surely this is was the problem at Blackfriar's Bridge?

Besides, I rail againt the notion that despite not having a comfy chair, a/c and a nice sound system, and although taking up a fraction of the space and reducing the overall amount of traffic, and not holding up anyone else (if taken by overall journey time rather than time to the next queue), cyclists should somehow wait in line with all of the large vehicles which are holding each other up.

Sorry - but if you want me to wait in line, get on a bicycle and I'll happily sit behind you at the lights if you get there first.

Aidy

I'm going to say it.
I have a hard time remembering the last time I was overtaken by a truck.

Oh, and I filter to the safest point in the traffic where I'm not going to be caught by confused drivers. This is generally at the front.

lost_in_thought

Damn it, this is what I get for trying to provide a balanced view?

RIGHT. That's it.

Aidy

Ah, I'm sorry. Where I said overtaken by a truck, I of course meant, overtaken by a BIG TRUCK.

Roastie

Firstly:
9 times out of 10, even if the big truck/bus/car/whatever may re-pass me once or twice, the last I see of said truck/bus/car is leaving it behind stuck in a queue. On average, through town the only other vehicles that come close to the average speed of a bicycle are motorcycles - and when it gets really tight they get snarled up too.

Secondly:
I am safer if I am where you (the big truck driver) can see me, and often this is holding up your progress to the next queue (which, if you really think of it isn't holding you up at all).

I am less safe mixing it with the cars that are bunched up impatiently trying to get past behind you. So I'd much rather be in front where you can see me, thanks.

Bollocks you may say? I hate to use this argument, but it makes the point. Generally men will push in front of HGVs, and women will not. And we all know the consequences of this difference in approach. There is no question that it is safer to be in front rather than try to be considerate to HGVs. Perhaps HGV drivers need to learn a little patience and respect for vulnerable road users.

Boy, does this topic make me angry.

Tom Barton

I think this guy is mercifully on his own in a small group of drivers that unfortunately get alot of cyclists backs up because they are frankly... silly people. And these few give most normal sensible drivers a bad name...

I mean look at this guy - he can barely string a sentance together - it comes as no surprise at all that his views on anything that should be important are awfully misguided. I rarely ride on busy city streets but I do drive and I'm always considerate to keep half an eye on where the cyclists may be (not to mention, pedestrians, dogs, children and other veihcles.... So on, so forth...

chuckcork

Had a HGV pass me just out of Cobham, which I caught up to and passed in the traffic coming into Esher, and which I didn't see again.

Faster than me? Momentarily, but in terms of average speed in an urban area a bicycle can be way faster, I always bear that in mind when I've driving myself and getting caught behind a bike, there's little point in overtaking someone just to stop yourself 20 metres later.

Rockbuddy

Kind of agree with LiT here, it's not all black and white. Before I start the OP I don't agree with the OP and do completely see how dangerous HGVs can be.
However, I sometimes see bikes pointlessly filtering to get to the front of a short que at lights to put them selves infront of cars that have already overtaken them and will then shortly again. Depending on the roads cars can have a faster average speed. I think sometimes blindly filtering to the front can put cyclists in more danger, just my opinion though.
2 things, YES I do filter and no I am NOT pointing the finger, it's definately a judgement call for each cyclist to make for them selves. There's my 2p worth.

oscarbudgie

So the OP's 'BIG TRUCK' means he has the right to dominate other traffic as opposed to realising that he has an extra responsibility to other road users. Precisely the dickhead reasoning the causes accidents. And as for being a cyclist - who's ever heard the words 'sorry mate I didn't see you there - I'm a cyclist too' . Yeah me too.

whyamihere

Troll, feed, the, don't.

Rearrange the above.

Rockbuddy

Am I a Troll :oops:

Roastie

Rockbuddy wrote:

I think sometimes blindly filtering to the front can put cyclists in more danger, just my opinion though. ... There's my 2p worth.

I would agree with that.

Sometimes even if I know I'll be faster than the HGV (on average), I'll wait to pass it when stationary rather than do the pass/be passed/pass thing - but more often than not it is the HGV pushing past only to be repassed 50m later.

Rockbuddy

Roastie wrote:

but more often than not it is the HGV pushing past only to be repassed 50m later.

I agree, most of the time this is the case, was just playing devil's advocate :oops:

The Chingford Skinhead

Always Tyred wrote:

Am I the only one who is really disturbed by the contention that once you are overtaken, you are forgotten? Combine that attitude with a slight misjudgement.....Surely this is was the problem at Blackfriar's Bridge?

....

Absolutely not. When I read that it screamed "left hook" very loud and clear. The big vehicle passes you, you're forgotten and it then swings left across your path. The story of my tragic death appears in the news and then a bunch of bloggers to the paper accuse me of undertaking the vehicle... :roll: Sound familiar

Lots of reasons for moving to the front. As far as big HGV or LGVs are concerned they include not sucking up the exhaust fumes, being seen by the driver and at right turning junctions I find sitting behind vehicles I can't see over means I'm not seen by the cars coming the other way who invariable decide it is safe to move straight across as soon as the lorry has passed - meaning it's not safe for me to follow the truck but instead get stranded in the middle of the crossroads.