A white van approaches...

[BentMikey]

Magnatom, please don't take this the wrong way but I think you seem more pre-occupied with what other road users may be doing with your front and rear camera's rather than just getting out and enjoying the pleasures of being on 2 wheels.

I think you read him wrongly. It's a lot of fun getting video like this, and then analysing what you did right and wrong, and what the other drivers and road users did right and wrong also. It's a great way to learn and improve on your riding, much more quickly than you would just by riding on your own, and there's lots of pleasure to be had from that.

 

[BentMikey]

Interestingly, I've been modifying my own approach too lately. I've had more success with being much more decisive than before. Either I sit in secondary, or I signal and move out earlier and further, but with much more exaggerated body language and signals. Before this I was sometimes slightly tentative with my positioning, a little like Magnatom's video here.

 

[magnatom]

I think you read him wrongly. It's a lot of fun getting video like this, and then analysing what you did right and wrong, and what the other drivers and road users did right and wrong also. It's a great way to learn and improve on your riding, much more quickly than you would just by riding on your own, and there's lots of pleasure to be had from that.

+1

As Bentmikey says, I don't get stressed by this at all and I enjoy the discussions over my videos. As I have said before having the camera helps me enjoy my cycling. In the past I would get annoyed with the incidents and feel grumpy that I couldn't do anything about them. By filming, I am happy in the knowledge that when something like this happens I can post the video on the web and possibly make a difference.

 

[Cab]

It seems the general opinion is that Magnatom was a little off positioning (including Magnatom himself). I thought it was pretty good that he recognized the danger and reacted to it.

Which brings up a question: had Magnatom been in a primary, would he have been in more danger though? Would the guy have just ploughed through him? Or still tried to overtake? It seems we're placing a little faith (ok, in some ways very little faith!) in drivers being somewhat attentive around us.

Actually being rear-ended is a vanishingly rare accident. Primary position has the same (even more) 'get out space' than secondary position, so you can still move over, and more importantly few drivers are as homicidal as perhaps they'd like you to think. More importantly, by being in their line of sight, by being visible, you're not just 'part of the background noise'.

Is it a calculated risk? Maybe.

 

[domtyler]

Magnatom, please don't take this the wrong way but I think you seem more pre-occupied with what other road users may be doing with your front and rear camera's rather than just getting out and enjoying the pleasures of being on 2 wheels.

You might have a point, but in my eyes that makes what Magna does even more valiant as he is making a sacrifice. Whatever you say about him, he is still showing a lot of balls to put footage of his cycling onto a public internet forum for everyone to analyse and pick holes in his every move. I do believe that that alone is performing a valuable public service to the cycling community.

 

[domtyler]

+1

As Bentmikey says, I don't get stressed by this at all and I enjoy the discussions over my videos. As I have said before having the camera helps me enjoy my cycling. In the past I would get annoyed with the incidents and feel grumpy that I couldn't do anything about them. By filming, I am happy in the knowledge that when something like this happens I can post the video on the web and possibly make a difference.

I'd love to know what your other half thinks when she sees these films?

 

[Cab]

You might have a point, but in my eyes that makes what Magna does even more valiant as he is making a sacrifice. Whatever you say about him, he is still showing a lot of balls to put footage of his cycling onto a public internet forum for everyone to analyse and pick holes in his every move. I do believe that that alone is performing a valuable public service to the cycling community.

Add to that the fact that he posts examples where his own road position could have been better and, more entertainingly, he's gone ar$e over tit He's not posting videos that vindicate his actions in all situations, he's not arguing that he is always right, he's opening up his road performance for others to judge and to learn from. Thats actually rather decent of him.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Add to that the fact that he posts examples where his own road position could have been better and, more entertainingly, he's gone ar$e over tit He's not posting videos that vindicate his actions in all situations, he's not arguing that he is always right, he's opening up his road performance for others to judge and to learn from. Thats actually rather decent of him.

Add to that he is scottish and knowingly using cameras in Scotland is considered a black art that can result in being burned at the stake for.

 

[dodgy]

You might have a point, but in my eyes that makes what Magna does even more valiant as he is making a sacrifice. Whatever you say about him, he is still showing a lot of balls to put footage of his cycling onto a public internet forum for everyone to analyse and pick holes in his every move. I do believe that that alone is performing a valuable public service to the cycling community.

I think this is also true. Slightly obsessive perhaps, but I think Magna's heart is definitely in the right place. I really hope some dick head doesn't decide to take it out on him one day

Dave.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

<< can sense Mags basking in the well deserved glow of appreciation of his fellow forummers >>

 

[cupoftea]

Mag I’m sure I’m the only one, but it “appears” that this sort of thing constantly happens to you.

I and many others, cycle everyday without the apparent confrontations you appear to get yourself into.

Having looked at your video’s you appear to do nothing wrong, I can only assume you have something rude written on your back :-)

Seriously should we be working out how to avoid confrontations with other road users rather than anything else?

If so what is Mag doing wrong (if anything)?

I understand that road positioning is critical in ensuring our road safety but how come Mag has all these problems. I don’t think I’m a good cyclist just average and I make mistakes and as such I look to people like Mag for tips, but it appears that riding like this is causing as many problems as it solves, when I’ve looked at youtube it appears you’ve 54 video up at the moment, most of which appear to show some altercation or other.

I’m sure I’m missing the point.

 

[Cab]

Mag doesn't have more than I do, at least not many more.

 

[cupoftea]

Cab

I ride everyday (at the moment) around 30 miles through central london during rush hour, and yes sometimes I come across idiots, cars, bikes, buses etc.

I probably have a "close one" twice a year, do you have more than that? Why would you think you have more incidents? Is it the area?

Could we as cyclists do more to avoid them and improve our road safety?

 

[goo_mason]

Mag I’m sure I’m the only one, but it “appears” that this sort of thing constantly happens to you.

I and many others, cycle everyday without the apparent confrontations you appear to get yourself into.

Having looked at your video’s you appear to do nothing wrong, I can only assume you have something rude written on your back :-)

Seriously should we be working out how to avoid confrontations with other road users rather than anything else?

If so what is Mag doing wrong (if anything)?

I understand that road positioning is critical in ensuring our road safety but how come Mag has all these problems. I don’t think I’m a good cyclist just average and I make mistakes and as such I look to people like Mag for tips, but it appears that riding like this is causing as many problems as it solves, when I’ve looked at youtube it appears you’ve 54 video up at the moment, most of which appear to show some altercation or other.

I’m sure I’m missing the point.

54 videos out of 45 weeks a year for the last x years, and not all of them about poor driving or cycling (the peeing man for instance, or capturing drivers on mobiles), aren't that many if you think about it. For most of his commuting time Magnatom has a pretty uneventful and enjoyable time.

Cycling on busy roads daily in a built-up area is bound to lead to a number of 'events'. I certainly have had quite a few, but since I still haven't attached my camera to my helmet then they're never witnessed by anyone other than me. Some of them are my fault - I've not been totally in primary at pinch-points and a driver has decided to try to squeeze by when it's not safe to do so (traffic islands, for example). I've had drivers drifting left into me as they're too busy on their mobiles, looking the other way. Cars have pulled out on me from side roads. Cars have cut me up. Lorries have started reversing into me.

Sadly, riding safely can sometimes result in confrontation; some drivers fail to understand that me sitting for a minute or two in the middle of the lane until its safe to move back into secondary is not me trying to slow them down for a laugh. Some drivers also fail to realise that they're in control of a vehicle and are paying no attention to what's going on on the road around them. There are others out there on the roads who are so stressed and angry that merely being a cyclist on the road is enough of an excuse for them to have a go (whether they have reason to or not).

Most of the time though, we all have uneventful rides. We only get to see the bad moments in these videos, which tends to lead to the false impression that the cyclist is obviously out causing trouble and is the architect of his/her own misfortune !!

 

[hackbike 6]

The mentality on British roads seems to be so different to other countries.