Critique my ride...

[BentMikey]

Here's a little bit of my commute. What do you think of the positioning, and would you change anything?


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABEMi4A9Ebw

 

[fossyant]

You are a bit low

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I'd say that was pretty good Mike, I only have one area I picked up on.

The first pinch point / ped refuge in the vid, about 13secs in, it looks a little as though you have suffered from something I also get every now and then in similar situations.

Because of the fairly wide road, it seems ridiculous and dangerous to go to full primary, and you end up doing a kind of low primary - which as we see, lets drivers take advantage.

Would you say that was a fair comment? Or has the video distored the distances involved, so that the car actually passed you comfortably?

 

[magnatom]

I think I would probably ride it the same Maybe when passing some of the traffic islands it would be better to be further out to avoid being squeezed, however, as it is a fast road and the road looks fairly wide, so you probably have plenty of escape route if anything goes wrong, then secondary is probably fine.

Is there any reason why you wanted a critique on this particular section of your commute?

 

[4F]

Hard to say, your knees kept getting in the way of the camera shot. What did you do with all the traffic ?, I counted about 6 cars in total

 

[Crackle]

Me personally for the majority of the straight sections where there's no hazards (hatching, islands etc..) I'd be a little more to the left. So at the end of the film where you go over the SLOW, you rode across the L whereas I'd probably ride across the middle of the S.

Also riding in the centre goes against a long ingrained motorbike habit that probably doesn't apply these days but I used to think of it as the 'oil slick line' where all the crud off engines gets dripped and not cleared by car tyres - old habits.

That car seemed to pass quite close at the island though you had room to your left.

 

[BentMikey]

I'd say that was pretty good Mike, I only have one area I picked up on.

The first pinch point / ped refuge in the vid, about 13secs in, it looks a little as though you have suffered from something I also get every now and then in similar situations.

Because of the fairly wide road, it seems ridiculous and dangerous to go to full primary, and you end up doing a kind of low primary - which as we see, lets drivers take advantage.

Would you say that was a fair comment? Or has the video distored the distances involved, so that the car actually passed you comfortably?

It's a good point. You're right, it's one of those in-between widths, so I choose what to do depending on the level of traffic and what vehicles are behind me. Any kind of relatively narrow car like in this instant I tend to stay in a strong secondary, and let them through. OTOH if there was a bus or lorry, or someone turning right just before that refuge, I'd own the lane.

 

[BentMikey]

Hard to say, your knees kept getting in the way of the camera shot. What did you do with all the traffic ?, I counted about 6 cars in total

LOL, yeah, this was a Sunday morning at 07.30 or something. It can get pretty busy during rush hour, it's the main through route Bromley-Westerham.

 

[BentMikey]

Me personally for the majority of the straight sections where there's no hazards (hatching, islands etc..) I'd be a little more to the left. So at the end of the film where you go over the SLOW, you rode across the L whereas I'd probably ride across the middle of the S.

Yes, it's a fair point. I used to ride there when we first moved, but with time and experience I'm finding I get fewer stupid overtakes when I'm further out. I'm also doing between 20-32mph throughout this video, and just over 25mph in the last section. It's a very fast road with a 30 limit, but most people do 45 along it.

Also riding in the centre goes against a long ingrained motorbike habit that probably doesn't apply these days but I used to think of it as the 'oil slick line' where all the crud off engines gets dripped and not cleared by car tyres - old habits.

You're right, and it may not be so easy to see on the youtube quality, but for most of the video I'm riding in the left hand tyre track.

 

[BentMikey]

Is there any reason why you wanted a critique on this particular section of your commute?

Most of my experience is more urban than this fast road, so I wanted to see what you guys think of what I'm doing. It's taken a bit of experimentation to see what seems to work best for me, I used to ride a much more submissive secondary which didn't work so well.

 

[Crackle]

If the speed differential between you and the passing vehicles was greater would you still ride in the same position?

 

[BentMikey]

It depends I guess. In some cases I would ride a little further out, in others a little closer in.

 

[tdr1nka]

Ah, Biggin 'ill! I know this stretch, but going the other way, uphill on my way out to Brighton.

I'd only comment, as has been said before, on the island pinch point point.
Beaula Hill in Upper Norwood is the same but winding as well. I go wide thru these points, depending on the level an approaching speed of traffic from behind.
Other than that it is clear you are in the left tyre track and goin great guns!

 

[Crackle]

It does depend, doesn't it. Depends on speed, weather, type of bike and a whole host of things. For instance I think I would ride a trike in an entirely different position to a two wheel bike and so on. I definetly tend to move more to the left on faster roads, except approaching percieved hazards. In general terms I'm quite comfortable in the middle of the road in traffic and cities, far less so on faster roads where I tend to fear a driver may not see me. Whereas if I'm to the left and they don't see me, well they'll miss me, I hope.

 

[Trillian]

did you not notice that your bike's bottom bracket has escaped? it seems to be trying to run away down the road.

what are the recumbents like to ride?