Dense Fog, One eyed Monsters, and Stealth Cyclists

[very-near]

Coincidence?

Bad timing. It could have been 1/2 minute later, and him ending up under my wheels. Given I wasn't the only one on the road outside the newsagents, he showed no sign of slowing down. He was definately a candidate for the Darwin award.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Why is there a thread about car lights in commuting?

Good point well made...
probably because too many car obsessees on a cycling forum for its own good

 

[very-near]

Good point well made...
probably because too many car obsessees on a cycling forum for its own good

Whadayamean. All people want to do is talk about cars on the roads anyway on here - even when they are talking about cycling.

 

[stowie]

In all fairness to this, the foot brake acts on all the wheels under much greater forces, the handbrake only acts on one axle, and the cable stretch, linkages can sieze . Watch a MOT brake test and you will see that the handbrake efficiency is far lower than the footbrake.

If you still are doubting, apply the handbrake at 30 mph, and see how much weaker it is in comparison to the foot brake.

Whilst annoying, the foot brakes are actually safer for this reason.

Applying the handbrake at 30mph may have lots of interesting effects. Forwards motion being turned rapidly into sideways motion being on of them.

I guess the problem is that a driver may well slip off the footbrake in a rear-end shunt, and the handbrake is better than nothing.

I always sit in traffic on the footbrake. Partly because I used to drive autos for a long time, so it become a habit. I have never thought that the rear lights may be a nuisance, I will look to use the handbrake a bit more. Incidentally, auto car drivers are much less likely to have a rear-end shunt because they start braking earlier (no engine braking on an auto) and keep their foot on the brake for longer, even whilst stopped - so the brake lights are on earlier and longer. So maybe the fact that a driver using only a footbrake may slip off of it is counteracted by the fact the the rear lights are on and so a rear-end shunt is less likely?

 

[very-near]

Applying the handbrake at 30mph may have lots of interesting effects. Forwards motion being turned rapidly into sideways motion being on of them.

I guess the problem is that a driver may well slip off the footbrake in a rear-end shunt, and the handbrake is better than nothing.

I always sit in traffic on the footbrake. Partly because I used to drive autos for a long time, so it become a habit. I have never thought that the rear lights may be a nuisance, I will look to use the handbrake a bit more. Incidentally, auto car drivers are much less likely to have a rear-end shunt because they start braking earlier (no engine braking on an auto) and keep their foot on the brake for longer, even whilst stopped - so the brake lights are on earlier and longer. So maybe the fact that a driver using only a footbrake may slip off of it is counteracted by the fact the the rear lights are on and so a rear-end shunt is less likely?

Hmm, not sure about this. My Mitsubishis is an auto (i'm using it today) and it definitely has engine braking - even more so if I drop drop the overdrive button on hill descents, or put he gear lever into '2' or '1'. I never leave it in drive at lights unless momentarily stopping as this heats up the transmission fluid (and reduces MPG) and can on hot days mess with the torque converter lockup speed on the overdrive (which affects MPG again)
.

I have been shunted a couple of times in the past. One time the car was shunted nearly its entire length when I pulled up to a red light in the rain and the car behind me thought I was going to run it . It wrote ff the front of her Maestro, but as I has a towbar on mine, got away with a cracked rear fog lamp.

My experiences are that the impact happens so fast, you habve either already enough pressure on the pedal or not, and a foot slipping off would be very much an 'after the event' action.

 

[GrasB]

How do you manage on an unlit road when a car appears from around a bend with full beam on?

1. Most main beam headlights while delivering more lumen actually have a lower lux over a much bigger area, this IME means the dazzling effect of a car on full beam is far less of a problem than someone aiming a hope vision 1/Exposure Joystick at eye level on max brightness. This is both in immediate dazzling & also in after effects terms.
   
2. Car with main beams coming round the corner is very easy before they've got anywhere near dazzling you thus you can put your hand up to shield your eyes from being dazzled by the lights. In this regard I have more of a problem with badly aligned dipped headlights because I don't shield my eyes thus get dazzled.
   
3. the speeds are far lower so you can slow down/stop in far less space
   
4. If cycling & you're positioned correctly on the road you have far more effective road space to drift around in.
   
5. A cars main beam actually does gives the `victim` a reasonable amount of flood fill where a bike light has little to no flood fill. This means the dynamic range of your vision isn't being stretched as far.

 

[very-near]

On my way in this morning, it was sleeting hard, very poor visibility on the country lane, Cars coming the other way and one in the distance has its high beam on. I flash it to warn that they are dazzling, still on high beam, I flash again as it is getting closer, and it dips its beam - to side lights. Both dip beam bulbs were out

 

[stowie]

Hmm, not sure about this. My Mitsubishis is an auto (i'm using it today) and it definitely has engine braking - even more so if I drop drop the overdrive button on hill descents, or put he gear lever into '2' or '1'. I never leave it in drive at lights unless momentarily stopping as this heats up the transmission fluid (and reduces MPG) and can on hot days mess with the torque converter lockup speed on the overdrive (which affects MPG again)
.

I have been shunted a couple of times in the past. One time the car was shunted nearly its entire length when I pulled up to a red light in the rain and the car behind me thought I was going to run it . It wrote ff the front of her Maestro, but as I has a towbar on mine, got away with a cracked rear fog lamp.

My experiences are that the impact happens so fast, you habve either already enough pressure on the pedal or not, and a foot slipping off would be very much an 'after the event' action.

If you put the auto car into 2 or 1 then you are acting like a manual car - if you leave it in normal drive, you need to brake to slow down, the gears may drop as the speed reduces, but you initiate this by braking, and continuing to brake.

The rear-end shunt fact was told to me at an advanced driving course that work made all us company car drivers go on to reduce their insurance. It was said by the instructors - all ex-police pursuit drivers - and I have no reason to doubt it is true. There were lots of things taught that were intially a little counter-intuitative, but in practice worked well. Mostly about road positioning and assertive, but defensive, driving. Surprisingly like the advice given to us cyclists on where to be on the road, even stuff like making eye contact before turning etc. All the advice was to do with controlling the traffic behind you and giving yourself time to make good decisions by using space in front of you. Everything a cyclist tends to do! I maintain that cycling is invaluable to learning how to drive a car better.

 

[very-near]

If you put the auto car into 2 or 1 then you are acting like a manual car - if you leave it in normal drive, you need to brake to slow down, the gears may drop as the speed reduces, but you initiate this by braking, and continuing to brake.

The rear-end shunt fact was told to me at an advanced driving course that work made all us company car drivers go on to reduce their insurance. It was said by the instructors - all ex-police pursuit drivers - and I have no reason to doubt it is true. There were lots of things taught that were intially a little counter-intuitative, but in practice worked well. Mostly about road positioning and assertive, but defensive, driving. Surprisingly like the advice given to us cyclists on where to be on the road, even stuff like making eye contact before turning etc. All the advice was to do with controlling the traffic behind you and giving yourself time to make good decisions by using space in front of you. Everything a cyclist tends to do! I maintain that cycling is invaluable to learning how to drive a car better.

In relation to auto box cars, this is the only one I've used at length. It does hang onto the gears when you lift off, but does change down.

Agree about the advanced training. I've had a bit on a m/cycle and it has helped me with all modes be them cycle, m/cycle and car.

 

[wafflycat]

So once again, we have a thread where Linf ends up extolling the virtues of his motors and how he's a saviour to all with his motoring skills? What a surprise.

 

[mr_cellophane]

If I am on a flat piece of road, I don't use hand or foot brake when I am stationary. Foot brake annoys the driver behind and if you put any brake on just increases the damage that can be caused if someone hits you from the rear. I also leave enough room in front in case I get shunted forward.

I am sure all the cars I have owned with fog lights turn the front fogs off when main beam is on.

 

[BentMikey]

Clearly you've still not found your missing sandwiches then Linf.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

In all fairness to this, the foot brake acts on all the wheels under much greater forces, the handbrake only acts on one axle, and the cable stretch, linkages can sieze . Watch a MOT brake test and you will see that the handbrake efficiency is far lower than the footbrake.

If you still are doubting, apply the handbrake at 30 mph, and see how much weaker it is in comparison to the foot brake.

Whilst annoying, the foot brakes are actually safer for this reason.

Not if you're sitting at traffic lights, they're not. If someone shunts you up the jacksie, the first thing that happens is your foot comes off the brake pedal. How effective is your footbrake then?

 

[BentMikey]

I reckon whatever brake you have on makes 'k all difference to the initial impact. You might slow the car down more quickly after it's been bowling balled, but that's probably about it.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I reckon whatever brake you have on makes 'k all difference to the initial impact. You might slow the car down more quickly after it's been bowling balled, but that's probably about it.

Exactly. Let's imagine you're waiting at a pedestrian crossing and someone shunts you. Handbrake on: you leap forward a yard or so and stop. Footbrake on: you leap forward and continue rolling over the homeless orphans crossing the road.