Wing mirrors

extrusion

Hi

I managed to lightly scrape a car mirror whilst filtering between cars last night. It was very light and could only hvae been the plastic end cap and rubber grip of my flat bar hybrid but it did sound a bit scrapey.

Anyway they beeped me, i shouted sorry and had to carry on as the traffic was at a roundabout and i had to get across.

To be honest my first reaction was not oh no i should stop and apologise, more oh get over it. Thinking about it afterwards though of course i feel guilty and realise i would be pissed if a somebody did it to me.

There was also a moment a long time ago where i was squeezing down a cycle lane to the asl which was all partly blocked by a chav girl in her body kitted saxo. My foot managed to kick her massivo sticky out wheel arch and bloody hurt. Again my first reaction was "shouldnt be in the bloody asl, or cycle lane, and shouldnt have such stupid bodykit, and dont cry it was the top of my foot which was wearing nike frees, so nice and soft" although i did apologise after we shared some dialogue

So has this happene d to others? What did you do?

Massimo

The best thing to do would be to stop trying to squeeze through gaps that are too narrow for your bars.

If you don't think you can get through, don't do it - a gap will open soon enough and you'll be on your way. By the sounds of it you are way quicker than the traffic around you, it's okay to wait every now and again for a decent gap to open up.

Either that or saw an inch off the end of your bars....

EKE_38BPM

Massimo wrote:

The best thing to do would be to stop trying to squeeze through gaps that are too narrow for your bars.

+1

Massimo wrote:

If you don't think you can get through, don't do it - a gap will open soon enough and you'll be on your way. By the sounds of it you are way quicker than the traffic around you, it's okay to wait every now and again for a decent gap to open up.

Either that or saw an inch off the end of your bars....

Only an inch? Think bigger, or rather narrower!

Then you will fit in with the fakengers.

Massimo

That, my friend, is frikken awsome!

extrusion

Massimo wrote:

The best thing to do would be to stop trying to squeeze through gaps that are too narrow for your bars.

I didn't realise the gap was too tight until I went through. :? In all honesty I'm scratching my head trying to work out what part scraped the mirror as it sounded like metal on plastic, if it had been my brake lever surely I would have come to a sudden stop, or it would then have hit my bars, and if it had been my bars I would have had a lickle wobble. Either way I didn't notice anything other than the noise.

If I find out who it was im going to sue them for Guilt Associated Accident Syndrome. This is definitely genuine .

bdave262000

Took out an Addison Lee drivers wing mirror while filtering through traffic on the Mall, the gap was big enough but I had a short lapse in concentration so completely my fault. Smashed the indicator completely off. I picked up the pieces and made an attempt to reconstruct it while apoligising. I waited for the backlash from the driver but he just said don't worry about it mate as I handed him back all that was left of his wing mirror and drove off.

iPete

These things happen and this is why 3rd party insurance is a good idea...

mudcow007

extrusion wrote:

Massimo wrote:

The best thing to do would be to stop trying to squeeze through gaps that are too narrow for your bars.

I didn't realise the gap was too tight until I went through. :? In all honesty I'm scratching my head trying to work out what part scraped the mirror as it sounded like metal on plastic, if it had been my brake lever surely I would have come to a sudden stop, or it would then have hit my bars, and if it had been my bars I would have had a lickle wobble. Either way I didn't notice anything other than the noise.

If I find out who it was im going to sue them for Guilt Associated Accident Syndrome. This is definitely genuine .

straps on a backpack/ pannier?

t4tomo

Massimo wrote:

That, my friend, is frikken awsome!

No from where I'm looking that is ugly and illegal (2 forms of braking are needed). And white tyres? -come on thats teh cycling equivalent of white stillettoes.

cyclingprop

t4tomo wrote:

Massimo wrote:

That, my friend, is frikken awsome!

No from where I'm looking that is ugly and illegal (2 forms of braking are needed). And white tyres? -come on thats teh cycling equivalent of white stillettoes.

**PAGING WRATH ROB**

Tarty white mudgards etc.

bails87

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

rick_chasey

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

bails87

1.

only hvae been the plastic end cap and rubber grip of my flat bar hybrid

2. Really? I didn't know that. Will have to measure my shoulders as an excuse to get new bars....

extrusion

bails87 wrote:

1.

only hvae been the plastic end cap and rubber grip of my flat bar hybrid

2. Really? I didn't know that. Will have to measure my shoulders as an excuse to get new bars....

Hybrid trying to be a 29er mountain bike, bars are about six foot wide. However, as I know where my hands are I know where the bars end. Thought I did anyway :oops:

bails87

To be fair, I've done the same. Rode my MTB (710mm bars) after being on the road bike, I clipped a wing mirror while slowly passing a car waiting at the lights. I stopped and apologised but the driver just looked confused, he hadn't realised I'd done anything and there was no damage done in any case.

Although, surely the fact that you were passing traffic meant that it wasn't going that quickly?

Wrath Rob

cyclingprop wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

Massimo wrote:

That, my friend, is frikken awsome!

No from where I'm looking that is ugly and illegal (2 forms of braking are needed). And white tyres? -come on thats teh cycling equivalent of white stillettoes.

**PAGING WRATH ROB**

Tarty white mudgards etc.

I think the original quote is correct, white tyres = white stillettoes. White mudguards, white frame, black tyres and wheels = class. I'm sure JZed will come along with a pearl of wisdom too, but as he has now joined the white stillettoe masses his opinion no longer counts

mr_ribble

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

mr_ribble

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

dhope

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

Am I the only one tempted to go find a cat and trim its whiskers now?
Sorry, I'm a dog person.

mr_ribble

dhope wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

Am I the only one tempted to go find a cat and trim its whiskers now?
Sorry, I'm a dog person.

No. The reason why I know this is because when I was at school, the housemaster had a cat. And the cat ate a hamster that one of the pupils was keeping in his room. So a revenge attack took place and its whiskers were removed. The housemaster wasnt to pleased at this feline abuse and proceeded to lecture us on the purpose and importance of whiskers.

t4tomo

Aye aye, boys in boarding school , hamsters in rooms, nudge nudge.

Cat was just looking after your welfare you grubby beggars.

rick_chasey

That'd put them in IMMENSE pain, AFAIK.

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

That'd put them in IMMENSE pain, AFAIK.

Would it? Its only hair, is it not?

I would have thought that clipping their concealed weapons (claws) may have caused them discomfort, but not pain and this would be even less than cutting their whiskers.

corshamjim

It does irk me that most modern cars have colour-matched painted wing mirrors so even the slightest knock is going to cost £100s at a spray shop to put right. Half of me thinks it serves the prat right for buying such a poncy car in the first place, but pedantically yes the right thing would be to stop and apologise (but only if they're not looking like the sort of person that will thump you).

Initialised

I did this a while back, got yelled at, replied with an ironic "Sorry mate I didn't see you".

EKE_38BPM

Initialised wrote:

I did this a while back, got yelled at, replied with an ironic "Sorry mate I didn't see you".

Either LOL, or "Should have gone to Specsavers".

I'm hoping LOL

fossyant

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

What he says. Bloody expensive wing mirrors, so get some insurance while you are at it eh - just in case. And stop squeezing (your words) down gaps.

fossyant

corshamjim wrote:

It does irk me that most modern cars have colour-matched painted wing mirrors so even the slightest knock is going to cost £100s at a spray shop to put right. Half of me thinks it serves the prat right for buying such a poncy car in the first place, but pedantically yes the right thing would be to stop and apologise (but only if they're not looking like the sort of person that will thump you).

Eh, virtually all cars come with wing mirrors like this in the last 10 years - you even said it - you don't get the choice these days.

Drfabulous0

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

That's a myth, the length of whiskers has nothing to do with how fat the cat is.

Ben6899

Drfabulous0 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

bails87 wrote:

1. Learn how wide your bike is

2. If you hit someone else then stop to sort it out

3. Join British Cyling or CTC so that if you hit someone you don't have to pay

In theory if you have set up your handle bars correctly (on a road bike anyway) your hands should be as wide as your shoulders - in which case it's easy to work out/feel how wide you are.

Exactly like a cat's whiskers, and is one of the reasons why they have them. If their whiskers touch the side of a gap that they are trying to get trough, they know its smaller than thier body and its not a good idea to go down.

How the cat's DNA has evolved to ensure they grow only to the width of thier body is another thing. And do they grow a bit longer at Christmas??

That's a myth, the length of whiskers has nothing to do with how fat the cat is.

True. It depends on the width of the "shoulders". In quote marks because, technically, a cat doesn't have shoulders; there's some structural difference which means it's another type of joint. Technically.

Cats also have short whiskers down their neck and on the back of their legs.

Cats are ace.

rick_chasey

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

That'd put them in IMMENSE pain, AFAIK.

Would it? Its only hair, is it not?

I would have thought that clipping their concealed weapons (claws) may have caused them discomfort, but not pain and this would be even less than cutting their whiskers.

They have quite a few nerves in them IIRC.