A lovely bit of cycling

[Angelfishsolo]

Well, it's probably more exciting !

 

[marzjennings]

hearing does work in the right circumstances and you can see a lot from the corner of your eye

Totally disagree, if you haven't looked then you haven't checked.

 

[BentMikey]

That said I see so many car drivers who use their brakes far to often, on downhill especially. On one occasion I was engine braking for around 2 minutes whilst the car in front had its brake lights on the entire time. They must have been at the point of complete failure due to friction build up.

You could be right! I'm thinking the OP meant they had to take substantial braking action given the alert drivers comment, rather than a bit of gentle slowdown.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

You could be right! I'm thinking the OP meant they had to take substantial braking action given the alert drivers comment, rather than a bit of gentle slowdown.

You are right. I wouldn't move from secondary to primary without looking either. It was just an OT comment about drivers using their brakes.

 

[Mad at urage]

With your keen hearing, I think you missed in the OP that two cars behind him had to put the brakes on as a result of his unexpected manoeuvre. I'm quite sceptical of the sort of cycling that doesn't involve lifesavers and indicating to change lane position when there's traffic close behind.

If they had to brake when the cyclist moved from secondary to primary, then the cyclist prevented a too-close overtake by moving across their sight-line and thus drawing their attention to him/herself.

Ho wdo you know the cyclist did not use a lifesaver? The OP simply didn't see a look over the shoulder: Hardly the same thing!

Edit, do you really shoulder-check behind every time you move a few inches across the lane? Because that is all that moving from secondary to primary is, a matter of inches - hendlebar-width at most.

 

[Ibbots]

Periscope?

 

[BentMikey]

I take your point, Mad@urage, but as I alluded to in my reply to Mr Angel, the OP implies that the drivers had be alert and brake hard, rather than just slowing up to wait behind a cyclist as you suggest.

How do I know the cyclist didn't do a life saver? Because the OP couldn't see one. A glance out of the corner of your eye doesn't cut the mustard, I'm afraid. Moving from secondary to primary might be a handlebar-width sometimes, but mostly it's rather a lot more than that. In a narrow 3m lane the movement is about 1m, assuming a 60cm secondary and 1.6m primary position. In a wider lane it'll be more than that, and most lanes are wider than 3m. Even if you just move out a handlebar's width, it's still essential to do a lifesaver, and to look back, and to signal.

I'll bet Angelfishsolo would like to tell you why all of those are important, since he knows his stuff.

 

[rowan 46]

I have to admit I was watching rather carefully as she was a rather pretty girl, she didn't look, didn't have mirrors and as for moving a handlebars width it was substantially more than that because of the lane filter. there are 2 lanes on this stretch of road. you have to come out of the left lane and move into the right to follow the road. but as you say no one was hurt perhaps I am making a mountain out of a molehill won't be the first time that has happened here. personally I think it wise to check before I make a movement out but then I'm not as brave as some.By the way the reason I noticed in the first place wasn't just that she was pretty It's unusual to see people take a good secondary position and thats what initially impressed me as she passed me I noticed how pretty she was.

 

[Mad at urage]

I take your point, Mad@urage, but as I alluded to in my reply to Mr Angel, the OP implies that the drivers had be alert and brake hard, rather than just slowing up to wait behind a cyclist as you suggest.

How do I know the cyclist didn't do a life saver? Because the OP couldn't see one. A glance out of the corner of your eye doesn't cut the mustard, I'm afraid. Moving from secondary to primary might be a handlebar-width sometimes, but mostly it's rather a lot more than that. In a narrow 3m lane the movement is about 1m, assuming a 60cm secondary and 1.6m primary position. In a wider lane it'll be more than that, and most lanes are wider than 3m. Even if you just move out a handlebar's width, it's still essential to do a lifesaver, and to look back, and to signal.

I'll bet Angelfishsolo would like to tell you why all of those are important, since he knows his stuff.

I'm certainly not saying that all cyclists are as aware of what is behind them as they should be, but shoulder-checks are not always what is wanted IME.

Cyclecraft covers basic shoulder-checks at level1. They are basic and need to be mastered; they are not the be-all and end-all of checking backwards though! Cyclecraft acknowledges this, because "Many drivers seem to think that because a cyclist has looked behind and seen them, they may immediately overtake ... There are two possible responses to this:
If conditions permit a longer look back, look the driver full in the face and establish eye contact. This will often cause the driver to be more careful.
Otherwise, it is useful to acquire the knack of looking behind discreetly, so that you can obtain information without making it obvious that you have seen a following driver. To do this, move your eyes to the extreme but your head as little as possible.

Rearward observation is usefully complemented by listening, especially in quieter traffic conditions. Learn to differentiate between normal sounds and those that warrant your attention"

Cyclecraft disagrees with the statement that looking out of the corner of you eye doesn't cut the mustard - I agree with Mr Franklin, sometimes that is exactly the right thing to do. It also reinforces the point that you have to practice listening for the important information (again covered at level1). That the OP didn't see a shoulder-check does not mean a lifesaver look was not done. In a filter-lane I'd possibly avoid looking over my shoulder; I'd likely have done that well before, meaning I would know there are cars there. I would not invite an overtake by letting them know was looking again.

Moving secondary to primary through a lane-filter sounds very like riding along the lane through which the traffic is moving. From 1 metre from the lane edge to centre of a 3metre lane is a 0.5 metre movement. following that into the centre of a filter lane is to remain in the centre of the traffic flow. Neither should require a signal, just good control of the traffic around you (which can mean forcing them to slow down). As it says in cyclecraft "Follow the traffic, not the edge of the road".

 

[rowan 46]

I know what I saw or didn't see there was no head movement at all but as has been said not that important in the scheme of things no harm came to anybody. It's being on this forum it makes you anal shoot me if I do it again

 

[fossyant]

I have to admit I was watching rather carefully as she was a rather pretty girl

You my son, are BUSTED !

Now we know why you were paying too much attention to another cyclist.

 

[rowan 46]

You my son, are BUSTED !

Now we know why you were paying too much attention to another cyclist.

I was a ped by the way but plead a little guilty

 

[marzjennings]

Rearward observation is usefully complemented by listening, especially in quieter traffic conditions. Learn to differentiate between normal sounds and those that warrant your attention"

It also reinforces the point that you have to practice listening for the important information (again covered at level1).

Sorry to pull these two comments out of your post, but is this really the level of bull crap to be found in Cyclecraft, to use your hearing to determine traffic safety or sounds that warrant attention. Really?

Last time I checked it's pretty hard to hear a cyclist doing 10mph more than you as they over take or hear an electric car in traffic. And to reiterate the point, if you haven't looked then you haven't checked. This is basic safety and audible observation is never a replacement or really augmentation for visual observation.

 

[4F]

You my son, are BUSTED !

Now we know why you were paying too much attention to another cyclist.

In one, I put it to the OP that he was so pre occupied at oggling the cyclist in question that he would not have noticed whether she looked over her shoulder or not.

 

[rowan 46]

In one, I put it to the OP that he was so pre occupied at oggling the cyclist in question that he would not have noticed whether she looked over her shoulder or not.

I put it to you you are wrong And as I pointed out it was the cycling that got the attention first. what is your problem. I saw something and i'm wrong cos I was a pedestrian and they were on a bike? I know what I saw I was there and you were not. you're entitled to your opinion but I'm neither a liar or mistaken