Life flashed before me

andy83

Ok well maybe a little bit of an exageration but I really felt like my time had come

Was cycling home last night into a kiler headwind but pleased with progress. I was cycling down country lanes but it was on an open bit of straight rode. It was single lanes with one going in either direction. I was cycling about a foot and half from curb due to potholes etc. I was clearly visable as it was only 4pm and at 6 foot 15 stone 9 im not really inconspiciuous (sp) I had reflectives on and ride a white bike.

Next thing I know a car is hurtling straight towards me, the said car had overtook a car and decided to jump on the opposite side of the road and head straight towards me, it wasnt a pretty sight, I just screamed like a big girl and froze, luckily the car driver realised and slowed down quite quick so the overtakeing car could cut back in, I really think had it not been for the driver I would have been gone. car was easily going 45 mph and head on dont think i would have stood much chance

Cafewanda

:shock: Oh my!

Roastie

Situations like that make me feel very vulnerable indeed. Not nice. Sadly too many idiots out there.

andy83

Thats what i thought when it happened. To be honest i havent even told my gf as I tell her most incidents but dont think she will like this one. Im going to go back down the road sometime today but hopefully when little less traffic. Worst thing was with me screaming it was like the driver really couldnt see me, he looked mean and actually drunk

rjsterry

Definitely a pull-over-sit-down-get-yourself-together moment there. Glad the other driver helped you out.

The Running Man

I recall a rant of mine some while ago and this is exactly what I meant by suggesting that cyclists should be entitled to mount automatic weaponry (or in this case rocket launchers) on their handlebars.

Very chastening experience andy. Glad the other driver showed some good road sense and that you're still here to write about it :roll:

andy83

I did actually stop very shortly after. Yes very grateful to the other driver

I blame the SCS thought, I had extended my commute by 10 miles cos i want to get in the top 30 lol

Thanks for comments, needed to get it off my chest and didnt want the "well you shouldnt be cycling on the road" response

roger_merriman

I had that once, in the car.

in that driving home, on the heads of valley road so 3 lane rd 2 lanes up 1 down.

overtaking some cars up the hill, someone over took a lorry coming down, ie I saw them coming though the spray, and thought "feck" I just cleared the cars and moved in but was close, very close indeed head on with combined speed of 120mph isn't likely a walk away crash.

andy83

bet that was even more scary, at least i thought i could have dived onto grass army style (not that i could do anything as like in snatch i classically froze)

I remember my ride up ditcling beacon at the end of the L2B in january and when admiring the view at the top I noticed a qasqhai with its wing mirrors folded in, this is done by a button so they have prob drove for miles without using their mirrors :?

I did manage to see the driver face that slowed down and they looked with shock. Think the thing that annoys me more is that it was an open road, I hadnt just come round a corner or anything

cee

roger merriman wrote:

I had that once, in the car.

in that driving home, on the heads of valley road so 3 lane rd 2 lanes up 1 down.

overtaking some cars up the hill, someone over took a lorry coming down, ie I saw them coming though the spray, and thought "feck" I just cleared the cars and moved in but was close, very close indeed head on with combined speed of 120mph isn't likely a walk away crash.

Exactly..this happened to me on the A1 southbound...60mph limit....i was going 60.

i go round a corner and there is a car overtaking a lorry right in front of me...i was glad there was no-one behind me, I stood on the brakes and slowed down and moved into the verge...

the guy coming towards me on my side of the road missed me by what felt like mm...

I had to stop the car and get myself together! Even worse if you are on the bike.

purple rain

Was cycling home down some country lanes yesterday and the majority of car drivers flew past like I didn't exist. Then up ahead I notice them slowing down to a crawl and oh look, they're deferentially easing past a single horse and rider walking at the side of the road, giving said horse LOTS of room and respect. wtf?

I'm gonna start sh!tting on the highway, if you can't beat em join em.

Kieran_Burns

purple rain wrote:

Was cycling home down some country lanes yesterday and the majority of car drivers flew past like I didn't exist. Then up ahead I notice them slowing down to a crawl and oh look, they're deferentially easing past a single horse and rider walking at the side of the road, giving said horse LOTS of room and respect. wtf?

I'm gonna start sh!tting on the highway, if you can't beat em join em.

This is because a 1/2 ton horse, when panicking, will kick out at anything near it and they can leave dent big enough to climb in - throw the rider, trample on them and go pelting down the road causing mayhem and manure as it passes.

Slightly more serious than a cyclist sticking one finger up and swearing a bit.



(all the above is a joke for the hard of humour today)

White Horse

Kieran_Burns wrote:

purple rain wrote:

Was cycling home down some country lanes yesterday and the majority of car drivers flew past like I didn't exist. Then up ahead I notice them slowing down to a crawl and oh look, they're deferentially easing past a single horse and rider walking at the side of the road, giving said horse LOTS of room and respect. wtf?

I'm gonna start sh!tting on the highway, if you can't beat em join em.

This is because a 1/2 ton horse, when panicking, will kick out at anything near it and they can leave dent big enough to climb in - throw the rider, trample on them and go pelting down the road causing mayhem and manure as it passes.

Slightly more serious than a cyclist sticking one finger up and swearing a bit.



(all the above is a joke for the hard of humour today)

Sadly, it's true though. Same reason peds step out inf ront of cyclists and not cars when the closing time is the same - the danger to themselves is minimal

vorsprung

One time I over took a horse box on the bike coming downhill
But I'd forgotten that the road narrowed
And there was a 4x4 coming the other way

I think I missed the 4x4 by about 6"
With a combined speed of 50mph+ it could have been not good
It isn't just cars that make poor judgement calls

marchant

Had one or two moments like that on the motorbike, ones where by the grace of God or luck, you do just the right thing to avoid a crash. I swear on one of them I managed to fit through a gap that was a foot narrower than the bike (unfamiliar road, one-way traffic over a narrowed bridge, artic coming the other way).

How it felt

MadammeMarie

andy83 wrote:

Ok well maybe a little bit of an exageration but I really felt like my time had come

Was cycling home last night into a kiler headwind but pleased with progress. I was cycling down country lanes but it was on an open bit of straight rode. It was single lanes with one going in either direction. I was cycling about a foot and half from curb due to potholes etc. I was clearly visable as it was only 4pm and at 6 foot 15 stone 9 im not really inconspiciuous (sp) I had reflectives on and ride a white bike.

Next thing I know a car is hurtling straight towards me, the said car had overtook a car and decided to jump on the opposite side of the road and head straight towards me, it wasnt a pretty sight, I just screamed like a big girl and froze, luckily the car driver realised and slowed down quite quick so the overtakeing car could cut back in, I really think had it not been for the driver I would have been gone. car was easily going 45 mph and head on dont think i would have stood much chance

Wow! Glad you are OK. That is downright dangerous. It's a "camera on helmet" moment!

Rich158

I've had a few moments like that, one particularly springs to mind when I heard the screaching brakes right behind me and just shut my eyes waiting for the impact. It still makes me go cold now. Strangely I feel far safer riding in central London than I do out in the sticks on my way home.

Glad you're ok though

andy83

cheers for responses

It does make me want a helmet camera for times like that. Felt really funny riding same road at first today but then got into groove. It actually affected me more than I thought, first 45 mins of ride I was quite worried and emotinal for some reason, fair to say I MTFU and carried on and ended up having a lovely ride

went into lbs to look at potential new bike, madone 4.5 was just so lovely

Rich ive had one of those aswell, I had no where to go and i saw person but he didnt see me and carried on driving, I just shut my eyes and waited for impact, still dont know what happened to this day but think he saw me at the very last minute.

reminds me my british cycling ran out the weekend, must renew when get money next week, well actually getting ctc as not happy with lack of emails (meant to be monthly) and the confusion with website etc.