20 cm from Death - Outcome
- Thread starter magnatom
- Start date
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2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Newton was right about something shocker? I can see the headlines now...
A thread has been started on another forum about the horrendous Italy and Cumbria tragedies and I added the Sunday Times article and magnatom's youtube vid. After seeing the vid, a couple of none-cyclists are now asking why the cycle path wasn't being used and why the roundabout was straight-lined - something I noticed myself to be honest. These are genuine questions, and the people asking them are just as horrified by the lorry driver's agressive driving as we are.
I'm trying to carry the torch for us cyclists so if I could go back with a couple of answers it would be great.
I'm trying to carry the torch for us cyclists so if I could go back with a couple of answers it would be great.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
Using the cycle path:
Cyclists are not required to use the cyclepath. In many cases they make life more dangerous for us, not less dangerous. In this specific case, it goes against National Standards cycle training, which suggests you should take the lane at most junctions and roundabouts just as if you were a car. Going in the cycle lane leaves you vulnerable to cars overtaking from behind you and then cutting across your path. It also makes you even less likely to be be seen by other users on the roundabout since you're not riding where they expect to see other road users. Sticking to the left and going around the roundabout is *extremely* bad advice, despite the fact that this used to be advice in the previous version of highway code. At the beginning of that video, the cycle lane also goes through the door zone of a parked car, and being doored is one of the big dangers for cyclists. There's also a manhole cover in that lane, and slippery wet metal is something to be avoided.
On the other hand, there's some merit to the idea of staying mostly in the cycle lane, and coming out for the above mentioned hazards. That brings its own hazard though, of needing to negotiate into the main traffic stream repeatedly (mirror-signal-manoeuvre) in a relatively short distance, so I think I would have done much the same as Magnatom here and stayed in the main lane.
"Straight-lining" the roundabout:
If I'm not mistaken, that is a single lane roundabout. Given the apparent damp road conditions, this makes good sense on a two-wheeled vehicle, we don't have as much traction available as motor vehicles. There's nothing wrong with doing this per se, and there was no other traffic to come into conflict with as a result of taking a straighter line.
Those people questioning Magnatom's riding in this particular video might like to think a little more carefully about car culture, and the wish to criticise cyclists before motorists. TRRL549, a govt. report, specifically mentions how most people tend to do exactly this, because we're nearly all motorists, and cyclists are an out-tribe, subject to what is in effect a form of racism. I'll say it again, there's nothing wrong with Magnatom's cycling in this clip. Sure, he makes mistakes, and I make plenty of mistakes of my own, we all do. Just not in this video clip.
I forgot about this video. It is the same cycle ane going in the other direction, and it explains some of the deficiencies.
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPDA5xM88-Q[/media]
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPDA5xM88-Q[/media]
wesa
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Sorry if this has already been posted, I didn't see it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-11935490
This article implies that it is only one cyclist using a camera, I do wish journalists would actually do some research
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-11935490
This article implies that it is only one cyclist using a camera, I do wish journalists would actually do some research
thomas
the tank engine
- Location
- Woking/Norwich
What is poor about the article is that it has about 4 lines of actually written content, and then just quotations.
Aye it is a poor article. In fact it is so poor, I'm not sure why the BBC bothered at all.
When I get feedback from the PF (they were supposed to acknowledge me within 3 working days....but I will let them off for now, due to the weather), I'll probably look for some further publicity. I will try and chose who to talk to as wisely as I can, but you can't control a story once it is out.
Dave
When I get feedback from the PF (they were supposed to acknowledge me within 3 working days....but I will let them off for now, due to the weather), I'll probably look for some further publicity. I will try and chose who to talk to as wisely as I can, but you can't control a story once it is out.
Dave
wesa
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Oxfordshire
Mags, when you refer to the PF I keep thinking of the Pun***re Fairy. "When I get feedback from the PF", feedback, that is one way of putting it!
I don't know why I still bother with the BBC. I recently had some first hand knowledge of an incident that they covered. I went through the article and found at least one error in every single paragraph.
I don't know why I still bother with the BBC. I recently had some first hand knowledge of an incident that they covered. I went through the article and found at least one error in every single paragraph.
400bhp
Guru
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
Are you disputing TRRL 549 then, 400bhp? It's easily downloadable, and is titled "Drivers perceptions of cyclists".
Sorry 400, but there's a well-quoted report from the Transport Research Laboratory (used to be public access, now you have to register?) that comes to this conclusion. From memory, I don't think it makes a direct link with racism, but the theory of out-groups that it uses can also be applied to racism, sexism, homophopia etc. A very interesting read if you can get hold. Origamist usually has this sort of thing at his fingertips.
