Closest overtake ever

[Cab]

What is unconstructive...

Spending time on a complete stranger who has asked me to do something from a starting stance whicm implies that such would be a waste of time.

 

[magnatom]

Just had my latest threat of violence on this video. Just admitted he would assault me.

 

[tdr1nka]

The main factor I can see, after all is said and done, is that if the overtaking car had simply held back it would have been able to pull over to the next junction without any hint of harm to Magnatom.

Again a driver making a massively dangerous move only to gain seconds on their journey.

I've watched the clip over again and I totally agree with Mag that a primary position is needed for the pinch point at the railings, it appears to be a fast piece of road and if you didn't hold that primary you might as well get off and walk. The Vauxhall one way system in South London is very much the same beast IMO.

Obviously, we are all different cyclists from very different cities, Cab rides where the bike is in the majority but drivers are angier, Magnatom rides in Glasgow where bikes are in the minority and not best respected by some motorists and I ride in London which is a bit of a mix of the two but where for the most part bikes are rising in number in the face of animosity from drivers.

And this is where the filtering issue falls flat. The junction that Magnatom filters down is wider than most that I encounter but from my own experience I would be retisent to filter this way.

For the record, a car filtering down the outer lane only to then barge its nose into a gap in the left hand lane, jumping the queue, is a fairly regular sight in London and is considered bad form from any vehicle.

 

[Cab]

Just had my latest threat of violence on this video. Just admitted he would assault me.

Another one to take to the police then!

 

[Nigeyy]

Well in that case according to Cab you're admitting that you will reinforce erroneous behaviour (sorry couldn't resist!). Back on point Magnatom, I want to add I really enjoy -well enjoy in terms of learning from them and based on what people post -your cycling videos. Keep up the good work -I think you're pretty brave to open up your cycling to critique.

To be quite honest, I probably didn't need to filter there. I was only going to be a few cars back. I will in future try and hold back. It was my, probably, unjustified dislike for being the last in that queue that encouraged me to filter (revving cars at lights behind). I didn't filter today, however there were only three cars in front of me anyway.

 

[HJ]

The other video that I want to comment on was the one of the Peugot pulling out of the road on the right -

View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pCT-vtLqw_0
. Were you aware by the position of the car that she may pull out? Did you adjust your speed and position? If not, why not? Please do not say that you had 'right of way', St Peter at the Pearly Gates is getting sick of that excuse!
Does the camera lie? Yes, it does! When I have time, I will compile a video of my apparent near-misses.

The Peugot was turning minor to major, the driver had to give way by law not just moral one, it was a classic example of bad driving. Why should cyclist have to apologise for being on the road?

 

[BentMikey]

I think hippo boy is trying to suggest that magnatom wasn't riding defensively in the Peugeot incident. Looks fine to me, he made enough of a correction for her bad driving that there wasn't an issue.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

There's two reasons for that kind of behaviour, inattention to the point of stupor or it was a deliberate act of aggression to "teach someone a lesson".

Both inexcusable.

And filtering isn't like picking fights in pubs nor is it illegal, don't be absurd.

Er, maybe my little stab at humour on this rather serious thread fell flat on its face - I meant to give a little-devil-on-the-shoulder type prod that when Magnatom reports this he might consider letting slip that at the time he did question the sobiety of the oxygen-thief in question.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

The main factor I can see, after all is said and done, is that if the overtaking car had simply held back it would have been able to pull over to the next junction without any hint of harm to Magnatom.

Again a driver making a massively dangerous move only to gain seconds on their journey.

I've watched the clip over again and I totally agree with Mag that a primary position is needed for the pinch point at the railings, it appears to be a fast piece of road and if you didn't hold that primary you might as well get off and walk. The Vauxhall one way system in South London is very much the same beast IMO.

Obviously, we are all different cyclists from very different cities, Cab rides where the bike is in the majority but drivers are angier, Magnatom rides in Glasgow where bikes are in the minority and not best respected by some motorists and I ride in London which is a bit of a mix of the two but where for the most part bikes are rising in number in the face of animosity from drivers.

And this is where the filtering issue falls flat. The junction that Magnatom filters down is wider than most that I encounter but from my own experience I would be retisent to filter this way.

For the record, a car filtering down the outer lane only to then barge its nose into a gap in the left hand lane, jumping the queue, is a fairly regular sight in London and is considered bad form from any vehicle.

I ride in London pretty often, and have to say, I filter the same way as Magnatom did there. It is essentially the same as riding a motorbike, except I don't go to the front and zoom away, I stop a couple of cars back just like Magnatom did, and pull away with the rest of the cars.

I don't think this is antagonistic, and have never had a problem doing it, sometimes we are just unlucky. This behaviour, that a few people here are calling antagonistic has never caused me any problems, but simply cycling has seen 2 seperate instances of passengers leaning out of the car to hit me.

 

[BentMikey]

For the record, a car filtering down the outer lane only to then barge its nose into a gap in the left hand lane, jumping the queue, is a fairly regular sight in London and is considered bad form from any vehicle.

That's certainly true for a car, but incorrect for any two wheeler. I take it you never filter at all, assuming you really follow your own viewpoint based on that paragraph.

 

[nethalus]

I ride in London pretty often, and have to say, I filter the same way as Magnatom did there. It is essentially the same as riding a motorbike, except I don't go to the front and zoom away, I stop a couple of cars back just like Magnatom did, and pull away with the rest of the cars.

I don't think this is antagonistic, and have never had a problem doing it, sometimes we are just unlucky. This behaviour, that a few people here are calling antagonistic has never caused me any problems, but simply cycling has seen 2 seperate instances of passengers leaning out of the car to hit me.

I remember when me and my sister were in our teens. We were riding on our bikes along Capel Road in Forest Gate in London. A car came quite close to us and the passenger leaned out of the car window and tried to grab my sister's backside. Fortunately she manged to swerve away from him. Bloody pervert he was.

 

[tdr1nka]

That's certainly true for a car, but incorrect for any two(or three)wheeler. I take it you never filter at all, assuming you really follow your own viewpoint based on that paragraph.

I can honestly say, hand on my heart that I don't filter into traffic viz OT, I prefer to hold a primary position in a queue, the cars around having more chance of knowing I'm there, time to make eye contact, etc.

The only times I might filter would be down the outside of a static line of traffic if I need to turn right or on the near side if the distance is short and my way is clear to enter an ASL, otherwise I just don't do it.

I would hope that no one can say my riding is incorrect as I do this for my own piece of mind and in the end it should inconvenience no one but myself and also encourage drivers to respect my taking my place on the road without being 'a bit cheeky'.

 

[atbman]

He isn't a car. Cars cannot filter through traffic like that, it is not safe to do so, it is therefore not allowed.

Bikes can. Its allowed, it is not rude, it is not unreasonable, and it adds nothign to the journey time of other road users, nor does it increase risk for them.

You would find it discourteous? Change your viewpoint then, because it is not supported by law, common sense or utility.

Cab, I was not referring to Magnatom filtering up between the two lines of traffic, but to his cutting in front of the vehicle that later overtook him. I was using the example of being in a car and leaving a car's length in front (for safety) and then having another car come along and cut in front.

In similar circumstances, if I wished to cut in, I'd have made eye contact, simply as a matter of courtesy.

Assumption:

1. the driver waits at the lights, leaving a smallish gap in front of him
2. filtering (nothing wrong with that) cyclist drops into that gap
3. then, when the lights change, sets off more slowly than the driver would have done, tho' he only loses a few seconds
4. driver gets annoyed and overtakes far too closely in order to express that annoyance or, alternatively, is simply a plonker with no consideration

One common belief I've seen expressed is that is a dog-eat-dog world and cyclists have to ride accordingly. If that were the case, then traffic wouldn't work at all, but, in reality, the vast majority of road users co-operate with each other. Admittedly, not on every occasion, but sufficiently to enable traffic to flow reasonably smoothly.

While Magnatom has every right to regard that piece of overtaking as appallingly and dangerously close, I am of the opinion that his own riding contributed to the circumstances of that overtaking (assuming that I'm correct in assuming that the driver was expressing his/her irritation - if I'm not, then the overtaking was simply the driver being a plonker, as I've said), even tho' the assumed reaction was wrong.

I've done a few pretty stupid things in my time, because of impulse or lack of concentration, and I've had to thank the alertness and care taken by a driver with various reactions ranging from eyes-to-heaven to fluent anglo-saxon.

I had a fairly similar road set-up on my pre-retirement commute and I usually stayed in the lane-splitting position, unless I could move in without creating the kind of "delay" which the more immature/ill-tempered driver would respond unfavourably to. I behaved like that, not because I believe that I shouldn't ever annoy a driver, but because it made the flow of my ride smoother and safer.

On a very few occasions, I did stick my ground when a driver was being impatient/ignorant/stupid, because I have always believed that we should cycle assertively, but within a broad framework of give-and-take, since courtesy costs nothing.

 

[gambatte]

So, Mags, did you report it?

 

[BentMikey]

I was using the example of being in a car and leaving a car's length in front (for safety) and then having another car come along and cut in front.

I've heard this a few times now and want to point out that it's an incorrect assumption. Safety space for what? The car isn't moving, it doesn't need any space in front for safety.

I am of the opinion that his own riding contributed to the circumstances of that overtaking

Wrong - filtering is both legal and accepted practice, as in what Magnatom did there. Even if it wasn't, it'd still be no justification whatsoever for that overtake.