Bit of advice...?

[Andy_R]

Have to agree with AF on this, the coach driver had indicated that he was going to turn left. Undertaking ANY left turner is a recipe for disaster. What was wrong with coming out of the cycle lane and getting into primary behind the coach, as you both arrived at the r'bout at roughly the same time. The potential to save your life can cost just a couple of seconds, so it must be worth it, surely.

 

[Davidsw8]

There's a difference between undertaking and undertaking left turning vehicles, especially large vehicles. It's only my opinion, but I don't base my riding on what other cyclists do. Look at the statistics for cyclists killed and injured by large vehicles turning left. Some of those incidents will be the fault of the driver, but I have no doubt that others will be down to cyclists putting themselves in harms way.
Personally I try to return home safely at the end of the day, if that means waiting a few moments in traffic then so be it.

I totally agree, which is why I hung back behind the truck as I suspected he'd be turning left. But the bus was 15 seconds away from executing his turn, you can't hang back behind every vehicle that's indicating regardless of where they're doing it from.

If you look at the vid, I pass the coach at the 0.35 as he's crawling along, he doesn't get to my point until 0.50, a full 15 seconds later. There was nothing in front of him but me so I'm in no doubt he's aware of me until the point where he gets distracted by the taxi...

Again, I agree about keeping out of harm's way and I should've positioned myself a more assertively in the lane, but to hang back THAT far is a nonsense IMO.

 

[Davidsw8]

Have to agree with AF on this, the coach driver had indicated that he was going to turn left. Undertaking ANY left turner is a recipe for disaster. What was wrong with coming out of the cycle lane and getting into primary behind the coach, as you both arrived at the r'bout at roughly the same time. The potential to save your life can cost just a couple of seconds, so it must be worth it, surely.

Andy, it sounds good in theory but I'm not about to get in the middle of very slow moving traffic out of the cycle lane. Do I do that behind the first vehicle indicating left on the bridge? Half of them start indicating left at the start of the bridge, there may as well be no cycle lane in that case.

To be totally safe, I'd be walking to work...

 

[Andy_R]

If you know you are approaching the r'bout, it makes sense to move into traffic, just as it makes sense to move into primary as you approach a pinch point. It's all down to hazard perception and awareness. I wouldn't want to be over to the left of the lane at the roundabout. And as for "he doesn't get to my point until 0.50, a full 15 seconds later", I'm sorry but 15 seconds is not a long time in the scale of things, especially if it's going to stop you being mown down by a left turner who may or may not have been distracted.

 

[addictfreak]

Hey as I said its your call. But you ask for advice/opinions and thats what I gave. Fortunately the driver was aware of you, next time it could be different. I would rather you were a little late in arriving than not arriving at all.
We all asses risk differently, personally I prefer not to pass large vehicles on the left and certainly not if they are indicating left. I base my assessments on many years of cycling and driving which includes HGV and Buses.

Always hard to make effective assessments from video evidence. So we may have to agree to disagree.

 

[Davidsw8]

If you know you are approaching the r'bout, it makes sense to move into traffic, just as it makes sense to move into primary as you approach a pinch point. It's all down to hazard perception and awareness. I wouldn't want to be over to the left of the lane at the roundabout. And as for "he doesn't get to my point until 0.50, a full 15 seconds later", I'm sorry but 15 seconds is not a long time in the scale of things, especially if it's going to stop you being mown down by a left turner who may or may not have been distracted.

On the contrary, i think 15 secs is a lot of time in moving traffic.

As I said before, I agree, I should definitely have been more in primary at the RB, but definitely on front of the coach not after.

Id agree with you guys if Id attempted to pass the truck though.

 

[Davidsw8]

Hey as I said its your call. But you ask for advice/opinions and thats what I gave. Fortunately the driver was aware of you, next time it could be different. I would rather you were a little late in arriving than not arriving at all.
We all asses risk differently, personally I prefer not to pass large vehicles on the left and certainly not if they are indicating left. I base my assessments on many years of cycling and driving which includes HGV and Buses.

Always hard to make effective assessments from video evidence. So we may have to agree to disagree.

Thats fine to disagree and I appreciate your input, but the coach driver definitely was not aware of me at that point, no doubt about that one.

 

[addictfreak]

Thats fine to disagree and I appreciate your input, but the coach driver definitely was not aware of me at that point, no doubt about that one.

Again it's hard to make a judgement from video, but he must have been aware of you at some stage or you would have been under the bus.
But I think your comment goes a little way to proving my point. Although you could argue that the driver should be observant, you have no guarantee that he is. If he is observing traffic on the RB, he may not have even seen you on his left. All hypothetical of course, but too late for you in coroners court.

 

[Davidsw8]

Again it's hard to make a judgement from video, but he must have been aware of you at some stage or you would have been under the bus.
But I think your comment goes a little way to proving my point. Although you could argue that the driver should be observant, you have no guarantee that he is. If he is observing traffic on the RB, he may not have even seen you on his left. All hypothetical of course, but too late for you in coroners court.

As I say, he was aware of me until he got distracted by the taxi, hence his braking so hard.

Anyway... Learnt my lesson so hopefully I can avoid that kind of thing again.

 

[addictfreak]

As I say, he was aware of me until he got distracted by the taxi, hence his braking so hard.

Anyway... Learnt my lesson so hopefully I can avoid that kind of thing again.

Stay safe that's the main thing

 

[Andy_R]

Stay safe that's the main thing

+1

 

[AnotherEye]

I might try going a little more right, though as the road only goes from 1 to 2 lanes very briefly before the roundabout, it's often difficult to get from the cycle lane over to the right due to the heavy (and often very large) traffic.

Under all circumstances I would get out of the cycle lane before the road goes from 1 to 2 lanes; I would then be positioned to move into the right lane (or stay in the inside lane if I'm turning left). In your circumstance that would mean getting behind the coach & then (possibly) passing it on the outside.
Given that you passed the coach on the left you could have moved out as soon as you passed (at 38 secs: there is a gap behind the trailer).
I very rarely filter down the left; often when I hang back in primary I will be passed the cyclists who did filter as they are trying to get back into the traffic flow whereas I am accelerating at the same rate as the motor vehicles so I don't think that chosing safety first slows me down much on average.

 

[Bromptonaut]

Not been that way for several years so it's unknown territory for me but a few thoughts.

The bus driver had lost sight of you and forgotten you were there. Big bus - note the double rear axle - and he needs to swing wide.

I'd be riding further out on the bridge - secondary if not primary. That cycle lane is very narrow and a big chunk is taken up by potentially slippery red route lines. There are other hazards to being that close to kerb including close passes and pedestrian foolishness.

Having been a bit further out I'd have slipped behind the builders lorry/roller combo and followed him onto the junction overtaking as it became clear he was going down Millbank rather than Horseferry Rd.

In a queue, even with a nearside cycle lane, behaving like a car and overtaking offside is a better way of passing slow/stopped motor vehicles.

 

[Dommo]

Watched the video a couple more times and I think as stated by a couple people, getting in behind, but to the right side of the trailer would have been optimal. Easy to say when studying a video several times as opposed to real time! The concept of not undertaking a left indicating vehicle at any point is one I follow on many occasions but I think I would have done the same as you in this circumstance as it seemed a long way off for the coach to be making his turn. The only thing that put you in the compromised position was your correct assumption about the trailer going left.. The alternative was leaving as part of that trailer so take a positive from that and also that both you and the coach driver (after making the original mistake) prevented anything nasty from happening in the final reckoning.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Lesson 1 day 1 of my training as a psychiatric nurse was never assume anything.......and always expect the unexpected. This lesson has stood me well over the last 30 years and not just professionally.