A little left hook

snooks

I got left hooked this morning, no damage done, to me or bike or car, not really worth mentioning it...however, I will

I was going down the bus lane (google street map here) and ahead there are two cars, call them 1,2 and a people carrier 3.

I see car 1 indicate left from some way back, so I ease off, neither 2 or 3 show any signs of indicating, I'm coasting alongside behind the people carrier 3. 2 and 3 and me are slowing as 1 turns left, 2 carries on and 3 who is along side me indicates and turns left in one movement. I could see the driver of 3 in the rear view mirror. The first I saw was the orange flash of the indicator as he starts to turn across me, I try to scrub of as much speed as possible and follow him on the left turn before slamming not to hard into their rear nearside quarter. All slow speed, no one hurt, bike fine he waves sorry, I carry on.

A cyclist ahead asks if I'm alright? I'm fine I reply, he then says (and this is what's been bugging me) "You shouldn't go up the inside if they are even showing a hint of turning left" and followed on with "You should always go around the outside if they are indicating left"

Duly scolded I continued to work, as he overtook someone on the right indicating right.

May be if I was in his position (some way back) I would have seen the people carrier indicate left and been able to go around it, but from when I started to go up the inside of the three cars there was no indication either with lights or road position that either of them were going to turn left, which was why I was in the bus lane to begin with.

Contrary to his belief, I do actually know how to ride a bike. Hints include: wearing cycling kit, using spds and riding a spotless SS, I'm not some nodder that needs educating by a self-righteous cyclist pointing out the bleeding obvious.

If there was any hint that any of the cars were going to indicate or turn left I wouldn't have been there :roll:

Should I have put this in rants??? :?

davis

Maybe he saw something you didn't, purely because it's often easier from further back. Don't worry about it.

dhope

snooks wrote:

Hints include: wearing cycling kit, using spds and riding a spotless SS

C'mon, you know that none of those three mean anything. Mamil if ever I saw one

(Glad it was minor and you were aware enough to spot the turn when it came out of nowhere.)

Origamist

Glad you did not get taken down, Snooks.

Whilst the chap's advice was well meaning and sound in principle, it is easier to see a problem unfold if you're further back from the critical part of the junction and the "hook zone". Sometimes your only option will be to attempt to turn left with the vehicle as you did (staying upright can be difficult though - use your knee, shoulder and elbow if contact is unavoidable as you want to avoid contact with your front wheel if at all possible). In other situations, you will be able to stop before the junction or go around the vehicle's offside, if you have more time.

In this vid, a brake light was the clue to a left turn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UxfDyRx9xo

I also try to watch the left front wheel as some drivers steer before they indicate, however, sometimes there's not a lot you can do.

hoolio

It sounds like you did alright to me. The driver gave no signal until the last second and you were able to brake enough to not get hurt or damage the bike. To me that says that overall your speed, position and observation were good enough, even for the unexpected.

snooks

hoolio wrote:

It sounds like you did alright to me. The driver gave no signal until the last second and you were able to brake enough to not get hurt or damage the bike. To me that says that overall your speed, position and observation were good enough, even for the unexpected.

Thanks all, that's what I thought, but it all happened so quickly, so maybe the other cyclist's take was different, I only know what I saw, and the drivers "sorry" to me acknowledges he made a mistake.

I just wasn't expecting a bolting horse comment after I'd just hit the stable door

In hindsight maybe I was carrying a bit too much speed, and (now obviously) had too much of an overlap, but I was timing it to miss the rear bumper of car 1 while still leaving my options open.

jonny_trousers

Don't forget, all of us think we know better and ride better than any other cyclist on the road. And oh how we love to dish out advice.

Sounds like you handled the situation well and if I were you I would have been tempted to thank the guy for his concern and to suggest he kindly take his safety advice and shove it up his arse.

I was in the same position as you a little over a week ago only the left turning driver didn't indicate at all. He was entirely in the wrong for turning without indicating, yet I put myself in a dangerous situation by riding fast and on the inside and just behind him so that I had no time or distance to brake hard enough. Lesson learnt? Perhaps, but it cost me an epic bruise and about sixty quid in damage to my bike.

Glad you're ok.

snooks

dhope wrote:

Mamil if ever I saw one

For cycling kit read more MTB than Lycra, any Lycra I wear is covered by baggy mtb shorts

Don't you mamil me

daviesee

Modern driving techinique appears to (wrongly) be - flick the indicator as your hand passes it whilst turning the wheel :evil:
Gives no-one any "indication" of your intentions. I wonder where thay got the name "indicators" from? :roll:

Always assume the worst is going to happen........

nation

Drivers not checking bus lanes are clear when they turn across them is one of those things you can't really prepare for, beyond making sure you're aware of anything in the lane to your right.

The Rookie

Drivers don't check buslanes properly, its also quite possible you were in his side mirror blind spot when he/if he looked.

It's easy to be wise after the event, at the time and in that scenario I'm sure most people would have gone where you were, I will say that in those circumstances I try and cycle 'in the gap' so in your case get just ahead of car3 (the MPV) and just behind car2 so that if anyone comes across for the turning you know is there you increase the chance of them missing you.

Simon