Blind corner overtaking

[cardiac case]

I cycle mainly on unclassified roads through the villages of North Essex.
It seems that if a car/van catches me up as I approach, or am entering a blind bend it will overtake me,
irrespective of the possibility that something could be coming the other way. It happens almost every time I go out.
It's spoiling my ride, as at the first sound of a vehicle behind me all the possible scenarios start going through my head.
I know that on a country lane there isn't that much traffic, and the chances of meeting just at that exact spot
is low, but even if it's 0.1% that's an accident every 1000 cars that pass.

I'm running out of clean underwear.

Paul G

 

[mjr]

How narrow is it? Can you ride far enough out to discourage them? The blind bend I ride most, I swing out before it, cutting the apex in an almost racing-style, which is unnecessary at my speeds, but discourages most overtakers.

Is there a soft landing possible on the verge? Or at least softer than a motor vehicle? Mine has ferns with a slight possibility of brambles or a drainage ditch. Still probably better than a car rebounding off oncoming traffic. Never needed it yet, though.

And please, the car/van isn't overtaking you by itself - it's a muppet motorist making it. Blame them.

 

[G3CWI]

It is so common that I am beginning to think that many cars are fitted with round-the-corner radar.

 

[Lee_M]

It's caused by the fact it's in Essex. Happened to me a lot there too, hardly ever happens now I'm in Cheshire

 

[Markymark]

Hold a line towards the centre.

 

[coffeejo]

It's caused by the fact it's in Essex. Happened to me a lot there too, hardly ever happens now I'm in Cheshire

Definitely a thing in Somerset. Happens a lot. On the main road. At 60mph.

 

[Bazzer]

It's caused by the fact it's in Essex. Happened to me a lot there too, hardly ever happens now I'm in Cheshire

You ought to come to my part. On a road I regularly use, there is a blind bend, complete with double unbroken lines down the middle of the road. It is so common for cars to overtake me there, that last night on my commute home I was shocked when a car hung back and kept a decent distance from me. It even waited until there was no chance of a close pass after the bend.
As I heard it begin to overtake, I gave the driver a as a thank you.

 

[dim]

At the end of this month, I'm getting the Garmin Edge 1000 aswell as the garmin varia radar that connects to it

Hoping that the radar will give me more peace of mind, especially when there are sharp bends on roads that I'm not familiar with

 

[H-Bomb]

Happens to me as well

 

[newfhouse]

At the end of this month, I'm getting the Garmin Edge 1000 aswell as the garmin varia radar that connects to it

Hoping that the radar will give me more peace of mind, especially when there are sharp bends on roads that I'm not familiar with

I hope you don't rely on the technology to the exclusion of good general awareness. Does the radar even work round blind bends?

 

[Drago]

Sure, it has special electromagnetic rays that bend around corners.

 

[dim]

I hope you don't rely on the technology to the exclusion of good general awareness. Does the radar even work round blind bends?

Jeez .... no need to be anti everything you don't know about

from what I've read, it detects cars from approx 100 meters away .... obviously not if the car is around a bend .... even if it does not detect a car, I will still check by looking ....

I also thought it was a gimmick, but people who have them regard them highly .... (read the reviews on Wiggle)

it's better than not having one, and costs £138 from wiggle .... this is for the radar unit on it's own which connects to the Garmin Edge 1000 and similar. If you don't have a Garmin edge that syncs to it, you can get the bundle package which has the seperate display unit which attaches to you handlebars. The bundle costs £239.99 from Wiggle. The radar unit is also a light

I commute over 200 miles a week, so this will come in handy..... if you are 'tight fisted' or don't do high miles, then use your neck to check

 

[newfhouse]

Jeez .... no need to be anti everything you don't know about

from what I've read, it detects cars from approx 100 meters away .... obviously not if the car is around a bend .... even if it does not detect a car, I will still check by looking ....

I also thought it was a gimmick, but people who have them regard them highly .... (read the reviews on Wiggle)

it's better than not having one, and costs £138 from wiggle .... this is for the radar unit on it's own which connects to the Garmin Edge 1000 and similar. If you don't have a Garmin edge that syncs to it, you can get the bundle package which has the seperate display unit which attaches to you handlebars. The bundle costs £239.99 from Wiggle. The radar unit is also a light

I commute over 200 miles a week, so his will come in handy..... if you don't do high miles, then use your neck to check

Easy tiger. You posted in a thread about riding safely on roads with blind bends. I wondered whether your radar was a useful solution in these circumstances and suggested it may be a poor substitute for good road awareness and positioning. As for commuting 200 miles, well done I guess. Assuming similar road conditions it means you need to shoulder check nearly twice as many times as I do. Personally I wouldn't be relying on this device as a substitute but it's your choice.

 

[cardiac case]

How narrow is it? Can you ride far enough out to discourage them? The blind bend I ride most, I swing out before it, cutting the apex in an almost racing-style, which is unnecessary at my speeds, but discourages most overtakers.

Is there a soft landing possible on the verge? Or at least softer than a motor vehicle? Mine has ferns with a slight possibility of brambles or a drainage ditch. Still probably better than a car rebounding off oncoming traffic. Never needed it yet, though.

And please, the car/van isn't overtaking you by itself - it's a muppet motorist making it. Blame them.

The road is wide enough for two cars providing both are on the side.
It's a left hander, high hawthorn hedge to the left, pair of cottages on the right with a fence on the road edge.
I'll take a photo tomorrow.

 

[dim]

Easy tiger. You posted in a thread about riding safely on roads with blind bends. I wondered whether your radar was a useful solution in these circumstances and suggested it may be a poor substitute for good road awareness and positioning. As for commuting 200 miles, well done I guess. Assuming similar road conditions it means you need to shoulder check nearly twice as many times as I do. Personally I wouldn't be relying on this device as a substitute but it's your choice.

thanks .... it will come in handy .... there is nothing worse than going around a bend, and looking behind you at the same time, especially if you are on unfamiliar roads with potholes. there's also this rearviz mirror thingy that I might buy as it's cheap:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RearViz-W...991246?hash=item2a721ae38e:g:KsUAAOSwQTVV~1zz