Advice from the postman

[Auntie Helen]

Well I'm sure he didn't fancy me. I look like an alien with my helmet, buff, sunglasses, high-vis, trike...

I stopped to chat because I thought he was going to ask me the way to somewhere. I did thank him several times for his comments about my visibility but suggested, at the same time, that I thought there wasn't as much of a problem as he was making out. As the next lot of traffic came, so he said 'I've got to go', I thanked him again - because he was being polite and reasoned and attempting to be helpful.

It all hinges on whether he has ever seen me before, from behind, and found me difficult to make out. My gut feeling is 'no', he was just having a traditional motorists' pop at a recumbent rider. Think how many of us have swerved/braked for a cat or duck or dog in the road... even a rabbit or pigeon. I'm way bigger than all of those, and going in the same direction as the car rather than stationary in the road.

 

[Arch]

It all hinges on whether he has ever seen me before, from behind, and found me difficult to make out. My gut feeling is 'no', he was just having a traditional motorists' pop at a recumbent rider. Think how many of us have swerved/braked for a cat or duck or dog in the road... even a rabbit or pigeon. I'm way bigger than all of those, and going in the same direction as the car rather than stationary in the road.

Spot on. If they can't see you, they wouldn't see a toddler. Not many people would admit to not being able to potentially see a small child in the road, but it's ok to blame the cyclist....

 

[Yellow Fang]

Today as I was cycling home from Uni a postman in a transit van flashed at me and wound down his window, so I pulled over for a chat (quiet road).

No, you still don't catch my drift.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Sorry Yellow Fang, slow on the uptake as usual!

If only things that unusual happened in the daily life of Auntie Helen

 

[Mr Pig]

Think how many of us have swerved/braked for a cat or duck or dog in the road... even a rabbit or pigeon.

That's not a brilliant analogy as these creatures get run over all the time!

I honestly think that if you were to magically replace all of the bikes on the roads with bents there would be a lot more riders killed. It's kinda hard to argue that they do not have a visibility issue when you choose to stick massive flags on them!

I'm sure you're right about generally being given more room though as drivers are not used to bents, makes sense. I guess that's one advantage. You just need to make sure everyone else doesn't start riding them or you'll loose it ;0)

 

[Auntie Helen]

I don't believe there would be more road deaths if we all used bents, actually, as I don't think they are less safe - p'raps the opposite as you can't go over the handlebars if you have to do an emergency stop.

Lost of people don't use flags. I do as my recumbent is a bit lower down than some, and I often cycle in queues of traffic. I work on the assumption that the flag is there for the car behind the car behind me - the chap directly behind me knows I'm there, the person behind him can't see me so the flag gives him a hint. They can be a nuisance with horses though.

My small-animal-in-road analogy wasn't great. How about if there were a wheelie bin in the middle of the road on its side. Do you think you'd see it?

 

[Arch]

I honestly think that if you were to magically replace all of the bikes on the roads with bents there would be a lot more riders killed. It's kinda hard to argue that they do not have a visibility issue when you choose to stick massive flags on them!

Yeah, see, it's not only motorists who come out with ignorant guff about them either.

Flags are a perosnal choice, just like wearing hi-vis. A half competant driver with legal eye sight should still be able to see you - and they do - experience from most recumbent riders bears this out.

I have a flag, mainly so that I can promise my Mum I use it. Like my helmet... (which I wear about 50% of the time)

 

[Peter]

I think you are extremely vunerable as a recumbent rider. I've ridden behind you and have thought many times that I wouldn't want to be that close or low to the road. Drivers do not see you or anticipate your speed.
Hi-Vis on the rear a must

 

[summerdays]

It all hinges on whether he has ever seen me before, from behind, and found me difficult to make out. My gut feeling is 'no', he was just having a traditional motorists' pop at a recumbent rider. Think how many of us have swerved/braked for a cat or duck or dog in the road... even a rabbit or pigeon. I'm way bigger than all of those, and going in the same direction as the car rather than stationary in the road.

If you were on the way back from Uni - then perhaps on a regular route, as he may be, and the recumbent would be more recognisable as having seen you before (whereas I'm sure you have seen hundreds of postie's vans). So it could well be that he has seen you before, and so wanted you to know that HE thought you were less visible from the rear than from the front? (GIving him the benifit of doubt).

Anyway if you you felt it wasn't brilliant - I can't comment as I haven't cycled with you - but normally 'bents' stick out a mile on the road (as in different), then could you get a cheap reflective vest and put it on the seat itself (as some people do around rucsac's)?

 

[Mr Pig]

Lost of people don't use flags.

I don't know any upright cyclists who do.

 

[marinyork]

All this arguing? Could it just not be that the driver had never, ever seen a recumbent before? They were driving poorly and were bit spooked at seeing this thing. With this forum because several of the most famous forum members ride recumbents here it might be obscuring the general view that they are very rare out there in the bigger scheme of things.

With people surprised you get all kinds of odd comment rationalisations, I've had them myself.

 

[peanut]

I know I'm late to come in on this but I think the fact that he bothered to stop and tell you says he was obviously concerned for both you and him.

is important to remember that drivers attention is primarily focussed on the road ahead, oncoming traffic and potential hazards like parked cars and road junctions etc.

It is quite feasable that in the general clutter of visual information that he had to assimilate he may have thought that you and your trike didn't have the high visibility he thought you would both benefit from.

I thought the red bags were a very good idea and assumed that you chose them to increase your visibilty.
Have you thought about using a flashing led light ? they cost about £5.00 and are extremely effective in low light or overcast situations .

As a driver who drives 30,000+ miles per year I think i can say with some conviction that cyclists and pedestrians generally need to give some thought to being more visible .
If it is raining or overcast and cloudy or there is a canopy of trees etc it is very difficult to see people at the edge of the road sometimes . Particularly if at times you need to focus your attention on oncoming traffic or other potential hazards that can appear in seconds.

 

[colly]

For what it is worth if it were me that was flagged down and was told I was hard to see I would take it on board.

Even if he was just giving you a typical motorists opinion it's better to make damn sure you can be seen no matter what.

It won't do you any good shouting from under the wheel of a truck, with your arms and legs looking like a butchers waste bin.......HE SHOULD HAVE SEEN ME !!!

Stick some LED's on the back and have done with it.

 

[John the Monkey]

As a driver who drives 30,000+ miles per year I think i can say with some conviction that cyclists and pedestrians generally need to give some thought to being more visible .
If it is raining or overcast and cloudy or there is a canopy of trees etc it is very difficult to see people at the edge of the road sometimes . Particularly if at times you need to focus your attention on oncoming traffic or other potential hazards that can appear in seconds.

Or maybe, just maybe, in those conditions motorists need to give some thought to slowing down, and driving according to the conditions, at a speed where they are able to deal with hazards both on and off the road?

 

[colly]

Or maybe, just maybe, in those conditions motorists need to give some thought to slowing down, and driving according to the conditions, at a speed where they are able to deal with hazards both on and off the road?

Absolutely right they should, but we know it's a fact that most drivers (and I bet that includes us on here) drive along on 'autopilot' . Particularly when it's roads they know very well.

So anything you can do to make damn sure you can be seen has to work in your favour.

Recumbents aren't common and with a driver on 'autopilot' it may not register. He or she may be in the wrong and he or she may end up with a fine/points/losing a license but the poor schmuck who gets run over might be killed or crippled.

It is no good being 'in the right' if as a result you are also 'in a wheelchair'.