How far up the road do you look?

DonDaddyD

So, I'm commuting up Tooting High street/Upper Tooting road towards Tooting Bec station. A car comes out of a side road on my right, joins my lane and immediately indicates to go up the side road on my left. So basically he is driving across a main to road from one side road to another. There is nothing wrong with that. I'm in the cycle superhighway a bus on my right, I overtake it. I slow down because I think a car is joining my lane (and he may overshoot the 'swerve' into my path). He doesn't look like he is shaping to join my lane, I start slowing down and check behind me - cyclists behind, close enough to see what is going on, his left indicator comes on and I come to an 'almost complete stop'. Cyclist behind me, all kinds of swearwords and skidding.

I'm thinking how can you not see that, how can you be so close to me as to need to skid at such a low speed. Do you not know the concept of anticipation?

So I ask, how far up the road do you look when cycling at your usual commuting speed.(Obviously the faster you go the further up the road you should look)

Kieran_Burns

Don - this is a "how long is a piece of string" question.

It entirely depends upon the circumstances. If there is a car directly in front of me, I am looking intently at the car and peripherally in front of him.

If I am on the open road (lots of them for me) I am looking basically to the horizon, with my peripheral vision looking immediately around me.

However, there is a caveat in that I unconsciously do "the checks" that any competent driver does. (in front, rear view, side view, speed) for a bike (in front, alongside, front wheel, speed)

ChrisLS

...I am always anticipating trouble, I keep an eye on what's going on the whole time...so I guess I check as far ahead as I can and watch all turnings and junctions very carefully..and that's on my rural commute...

Pufftmw

Whatever is in my sightline. Glance ahead as far as I can see the road to check conditions/lights ahead once every few seconds but spend most of my time looking at stopping distance + 5m checking for changing traffic lanes, hazards (potholes etc), side roads, pedestrians etc. Anything that happens within 3m of me gets dealt with on auto-pilot as its not in my safe zone so is a risk.

For instance, Loampit Vale coming under the bridge before the petrol station, I will check the traffic at the top of the hill and all the way down, check the pedestrian crossings on the way up, the location of buses, how much traffic is queuing the other side of the petrol station waiting to come out etc

DonDaddyD

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Don - this is a "how long is a piece of string" question.

It entirely depends upon the circumstances. If there is a car directly in front of me, I am looking intently at the car and peripherally in front of him.

If I am on the open road (lots of them for me) I am looking basically to the horizon, with my peripheral vision looking immediately around me.

However, there is a caveat in that I unconsciously do "the checks" that any competent driver does. (in front, rear view, side view, speed) for a bike (in front, alongside, front wheel, speed)

But you've managed to successfully answer it. My issue with many a cyclist in London is that they look no further than their front wheel and ride with an attitude of "Must go forward at all costs". These are the same cyclist that:

Ride up the left side of large vehicles on a bend or when they're turning,

Who bully their way to the front of the ASL and often get stuck in no mans land because they haven't anticpated or thought about the light sequence.

If they get to the ASL they position their bike ahead of you not thinking that they'll hold you up.

Who never or are incapable of giving way.

And there are many of these kind of cyclists. And you can often but it down to this: They lack foresight, judgement and anticipation. They also do not look far enough up the road to plan a route of least encounters.

il_principe

1000 yards.

EKE_38BPM

I find an quick and dirty was to assess another cyclist, regardless of FCN, is their head position. If they are looking down, just ahead of their front wheel, they are either a newbie or dangerously stupid. If they have their head up and making good observation, they are usually a bit more experienced and/or safer to share the road with.

jonginge

Il Principe wrote:

1000 yards.

jzed

If I'm slowing and think I have a cyclist behind I'll more often than not give a stop hand signal to indicate I'm slowing. I don't rely on people behind reading the road in front of me.

Sewinman

There is a lot to be said for knowing your route - sometimes when I take an alternative I am much more cautious and feel a little nervous, largely because I don't know where the dodgy bits are.

All a matter of experience really....they will learn, probably the hard way.

sketchley

I was looking far enough ahead this morning to spot a black Lexus with the number plate "3D" on the CS7 around Stockwell.

Was this my first ever spot of DDD?

Kieran_Burns

Sketchley wrote:

I was looking far enough ahead this morning to spot a black Lexus with the number plate "3D" on the CS7 around Stockwell.

Was this my first ever spot of DDD?

That's racilist that is.

gaz545

Sketchley wrote:

I was looking far enough ahead this morning to spot a black Lexus with the number plate "3D" on the CS7 around Stockwell.

Was this my first ever spot of DDD?

That car is on there daily. A poor choice of car considering the numberplate.

veronese68

Constantly scanning up and down the road and at anything that moves, occasional distraction by a nice aris.
You shouldn't be surprised people don't look forward. How many car drivers don't look past their own bonnet? You'd think the vulnerability of a cyclist would make someone on a bicycle more aware. Unfortunately many people are not very bright. If it really were a jungle ot there these people would be what is known as lunch due to the complete lack of common sense and self preservation.

MonkeyMonster

next year

sketchley

gaz545 wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

I was looking far enough ahead this morning to spot a black Lexus with the number plate "3D" on the CS7 around Stockwell.

Was this my first ever spot of DDD?

That car is on there daily. A poor choice of car considering the numberplate.

Agreed. When I first saw the number plate I looked to see what the car was, I was thinking Bentley, or maybe a nice Merc but no a Lexus. Unless the owner also has 1D, & 2D and this is in fact their third car just used for commuting....

gtvlusso

Was taught to ride a motorbike to 200 yards at least - so, thats what I do in the car and on my bicycle too.

ThatBikeGuy

On my commute i am purposely more aware of what is going on around me, cars in front/behind, where peds and other bikes are as well as what is coming up within the next few hundred yards, pinch points, junctions etc.
Problem with more urban areas i find is people's brains just go into autopilot and are oblivious to what is going on around them or simply assume that all other road users see them.

On my training rides on more rural roads i am more focused on my riding looking maybe 20 yards in front to where potholes/manholes are and rely on my hearing to figure where cars and other vehicles are coming from.

gaz545

gtvlusso wrote:

Was taught to ride a motorbike to 200 years at least - so, thats what I do in the car and on my bicycle too.

200years? Are you traveling at light speed?

gtvlusso

gaz545 wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Was taught to ride a motorbike to 200 years at least - so, thats what I do in the car and on my bicycle too.

200years? Are you traveling at light speed?

@edit: happens when some f*cker from Germany is bugging me on the phone about something I don't care about.....

Only travel a lightspeed on my fixie.....

jomoj

DonDaddyD wrote:

But you've managed to successfully answer it. My issue with many a cyclist in London is that they look no further than their front wheel and ride with an attitude of "Must go forward at all costs". These are the same cyclist that:

the same humans that drive badly when behind the wheel of a car. it's the same agression / incompetence / herd mentality that has people 2m off your bumper at 70mph.
Chances are your skidder may have learned their lesson.

Wrath Rob

I am constantly amazed by how little some cyclists look up the road. The classic one is the section of road just after the traffic lights at Embankment tube. There's a pedestrian crossing a little further up and then a combined coach/bus stop. The number of cyclists that set off like the clappers from the lights, only to then have to brake for the ped X is one, but then once they get going again the same people often suddenly spot the large bus or coach parked in their path and then have to violently swerve out into the path of other vehicles, including cyclists.

My trick, particularly with black cabs, is to look through the rear and front windscreens to try and anticipate any hazards in front of the vehicle that may cause issues. Of course, then a pedestrian sticks out their hand and the cabbie slams on his brakes with no indication, but that's another issue :P

meanredspider

I do look up between texts or selecting tracks on my iPod - mostly to check how I look in my reflection in shop windows...

On a more serious note, car racing has done wonders for me looking "through" corners and the whole anticipation malarky. Worked for me last Friday - van driver coming the other way on 90deg corner thought HE was Lewis Hamilton and apexed the corner on my side of the very narrow road - I'd already pretty much stopped and tucked myself into the hedge. Didn't stop me abusing him though.

Vino2007

straight at the ground

Jay dubbleU

Depends - commuting varies - car in front, next junction, lights crossing etc plus shoulder checking when I manouver - open road - next corner/junction or horizon - yesterday coming down Hackpen Hill I had my eyes shut

bails87

I 'look' as far as my white stick reaches.

rick_chasey

It depends on a couple things.

First: How hard are you burrying yourself?

Second: Are you on a sit-up and beg?

Applespider

Also depends on the state of the road surface. If it's particularly bumpy, I'm going to have a shorter range of view than on lovely fresh tarmac.

In general though I'm aware of what's 3-4 car lengths ahead - one reason why I hate getting stuck behind a tall van/truck since you lose that anticipation.

When going through parks etc, I extend that to the same distance on either side. Pedestrians holding dog leads with no dogs in sight for example mean it's time to play 'spot the dog' before it comes belting across your path.

SmellTheGlove

Riding into that bloody wind? Nose on the flipping crossbar.

Normal service: ears 20m behind, eyes up to 100 ahead, but always scanning the edges for an emergency stop. If I lived the rest of my life like I do when I rideI think I'd be permanently wired.

deptfordmarmoset

I look up the road until I get to the top of a hill. Then I look down the road on the way back down. But I look further down the road than I look up the road. When it's neither up nor down, I feel like the grand old duke of York.

Damn, I should never go out for early drinks...

iPete

Its not how far you look but your ability to know the road your on and anticipate the potential hazards, every situation is different.

I'm all for more people cycling but its beginning to become a real issue. Every time I slowed this morning for a potential hazard f*cking lemming cyclists would squeeze past.

Its not the slow people either, its the people who aren't happy you just breezed past them on the hoods on the open road. They need to realise I'm not slowing because my legs have gone but because I'm trying not to get right hooked, squashed by a bus or ride into a ped.

I shake my head every time I see a rider shoot up the inside of a bus only to hit the brakes and back out. There is a reason I'm waiting patiently behind FFS. [/rant]