Disappointed

[gaz]

This might not be a popular opinion, but I think most people who get into lots of scrapes and who post lots of videos of their scrapes to the Internet are cycling poorly (which is a big part of why they get into so many scrapes in the first place), but they think they're cycling well (which is why they post the videos).

In almost every video I see where the cyclist thinks a driver is 100% to blame, the cyclist is contributing in some way to the problem, whether it's just incorrect lane positioning or something else.

I once considered attaching a camera to the bike (but I didn't) and I bought an Airzound horn - all because I was going through a phase of fearing cars, but after three months of not using it I decided to dump it.

If you're relatively careful on the road, I tend to think you won't get into enough scrapes to warrant attaching a camera or using a horn.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

Got any examples of such videos?

 

[Matthew_T]

This might not be a popular opinion, but I think most people who get into lots of scrapes and who post lots of videos of their scrapes to the Internet are cycling poorly (which is a big part of why they get into so many scrapes in the first place), but they think they're cycling well (which is why they post the videos).

In almost every video I see where the cyclist thinks a driver is 100% to blame, the cyclist is contributing in some way to the problem, whether it's just incorrect lane positioning or something else.

I once considered attaching a camera to the bike (but I didn't) and I bought an Airzound horn - all because I was going through a phase of fearing cars, but after three months of not using it I decided to dump it.

If you're relatively careful on the road, I tend to think you won't get into enough scrapes to warrant attaching a camera or using a horn.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

When I used to have my handlebar cam, I got so many close passes. But then people started saying that I need to take primary a lot more. That and me upping my speed has severely reduced the amount of incidents I get into.
I ofcourse still get the odd SMIDSY and close pass but the main use for my camera now is to capture the club runs. I am currently in the middle of putting together last nights club run and then I am going to put together the vid of the olympic torch.

 

[Matthew_T]

For the final time, people have various reasons for posting videos of their incidents online. I don't believe that doing it to get page views, likes, subs and other imaginary internet points to get some feeling of importance is one of them. And if there are such people, there certainly aren't 'a lot' of them as you claim. And if there are a lot of these people that I haven't found, they definitely don't constitute most camera users as some people claim.

If you look on my channel, the most recent videos I have uploaded are club runs, cycling through McDonalds, falling off my bike, and a guy who had some kind of mental health problem.

Oh, and a very close pass by a bus which I could have possibly prevented by being in primary but as I was on my MTB, I expected a strong secondary to be enough. It clearly wasnt. And I still havent got a reply from the complaint I sent.

 

[caimg]

Sigh.



For the final time, people have various reasons for posting videos of their incidents online. I don't believe that doing it to get page views, likes, subs and other imaginary internet points to get some feeling of importance is one of them. And if there are such people, there certainly aren't 'a lot' of them as you claim. And if there are a lot of these people that I haven't found, they definitely don't constitute most camera users as some people claim.

'sigh'?

I definitely didn't say most, I've seen a lot but not most. Fair play anyway, you believe those aren't motives for some and I believe they are. Forum debating win!

 

[locker]

If you look on my channel, the most recent videos I have uploaded are club runs, cycling through McDonalds, falling off my bike, and a guy who had some kind of mental health problem.

Oh, and a very close pass by a bus which I could have possibly prevented by being in primary but as I was on my MTB, I expected a strong secondary to be enough. It clearly wasnt. And I still havent got a reply from the complaint I sent.

"and a guy who had some kind of mental health problem." I`ve never been to your neck of the woods........

I wondered why my "internet points" were up, tried to cash them in the other day for a £5 Adsa voucher but all I got was a voucher for 1p off a litre of petrol

 

[Ian Cooper]

Got any examples of such videos?

To be honest, when I posted, I was thinking of a few Youtube videos I saw a good while ago, including one or two by a cyclist Called Gaz545. I hope that isn't you. This is a cyclist who I admire (I am subscribed to his videos), but his tendency to filter and to ride in secondary when I think he ought to take primary frightens me to death.

I see a lot of videos from the UK - especially in London - that frighten the bejeezus out of me. So many UK cyclists ride in the gutter. In my opinion, British roads are too narrow to make a habit out of that.

 

[caimg]

To be honest, when I posted, I was thinking of a few Youtube videos I saw a good while ago, including one or two by a cyclist Called Gaz545. I hope that isn't you. This is a cyclist who I admire (I am subscribed to his videos), but his tendency to filter and to ride in secondary when I think he ought to take primary frightens me to death.

I see a lot of videos from the UK - especially in London - that frighten the bejeezus out of me. So many UK cyclists ride in the gutter. In my opinion, British roads are too narrow to make a habit out of that.

One and the same guy my man...

 

[HovR]

including one or two by a cyclist Called Gaz545. I hope that isn't you.

 

[Ian Cooper]

But when people actually apportion blame upon the cyclist for not doing such things to potentially prevent the incident occuring - I have a real problem with that. It is still entirely the fault of the motorist who performed the dangerous/illegal maneuver - the nasty close pass, pulling out etc - because they did it.

I agree, but there is a dangerous tendency on the part of cyclists, when assessing a collision, to avoid recognizing cyclist errors that can contribute to an accident and instead to look only at the motorist's fault. This may lead to an unwillingness to look towards improving one's own cycling.

Here's an example:
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2011/11/30/classic-left-cross/

Is that wholly the motorist's fault? Wholly the cyclist's fault? The motorist is technically/legally at fault, because he entered a lane of traffic (the bike lane) without checking to make sure it was clear. But both could have done certain things to avoid the problem, as the discussion on the webpage shows. Interestingly, after I commented on his original video, the person who uploaded it (the cyclist's boyfriend/husband) barred comments on it, presumably because he wasn't willing to hear criticism of the cyclist's behaviour. So I can only assume Ana (if her experience didn't sour her on cycing altogether) is still filtering past queues of slow/stopped vehicles at high speed and thereby risking similar incidents.

There's a big difference between errors that contribute to an accident and the fault of the person who was the primary cause of the accident. No accident is black and white, with one person carrying all the blame while the other is entirely blameless. I'd say that, except for cases that involve excessive speed or poor weather conditions, in 99% of accidents that happen on the road, it takes two to tango: one is leading the dance, for sure, but the other person is not exactly sitting it out.

 

[Ian Cooper]

Nope. I'm just not gonna go there. Sorry. I'm out, LOL.

 

[daSmirnov]

including one or two by a cyclist Called Gaz545. I hope that isn't you.

Yeah that Gaz545 bloke is a trouble-maker. Why can't he be more like CycleGaz? He's much nicer.

 

[BentMikey]

To be honest, when I posted, I was thinking of a few Youtube videos I saw a good while ago, including one or two by a cyclist Called Gaz545. I hope that isn't you. This is a cyclist who I admire (I am subscribed to his videos), but his tendency to filter and to ride in secondary when I think he ought to take primary frightens me to death.

I see a lot of videos from the UK - especially in London - that frighten the bejeezus out of me. So many UK cyclists ride in the gutter. In my opinion, British roads are too narrow to make a habit out of that.

Aaaaaaahaaahaaaahaaaahaahaahahaha!!! That is the first time I've EVER seen Gaz accused of riding in secondary too much!!!!!!!!!1111

As for the filtering, well, we'll forgive you your leftpondian views.

 

[Matthew_T]

Aaaaaaahaaahaaaahaaaahaahaahahaha!!! That is the first time I've EVER seen Gaz accused of riding in secondary too much!!!!!!!!!

I am still waiting for Gaz to resusitate himself from the shock and come up with a reply to that. Out of all the cam cyclists on YouTube to pick on, you chose Gaz!!! I wouldnt blame you for choosing me or the cyclist in the OP but GAZ!!!!!!????????? OMG

 

[Ian Cooper]

As for the filtering, well, we'll forgive you your leftpondian views.

Remember, I'm English, and I cycled for at least 15 years and over 10,000 miles in Europe before moving to the US. I've almost certainly cycled more in Europe than I have in the US. I understand why people in Europe filter. Heck, people do it here too, where roads are packed with gridlocked cars. I just think it's suicidal. I enjoy life too much to do it.

I'm not surprised Gaz is regarded as one of the least likely to be accused of riding too far left too often. As I said, I admire his riding and I am not going to get into what might become a heated argument over what I've already said were only a couple of instances. And I am admittedly a hyper-critical bastard. What I will say is that these gutter-riding and filtering-at-speed issues seem to be at pandemic proportions. I think many people who routinely filter at speed really need to reconsider their riding habits. Is getting home a few minutes earlier really that important?

 

[Matthew_T]

I'm not surprised Gaz is regarded as one of the least likely to be accused of riding too far left too often. As I said, I admire his riding and I am not going to get into what might become a heated argument over what I've already said were only a couple of instances. And I am admittedly a hyper-critical bastard. What I will say is that these gutter-riding and filtering-at-speed issues seem to be at pandemic proportions. I think many people who routinely filter at speed really need to reconsider their riding habits. Is getting home a few minutes earlier really that important?

I think you need to remember the broad spectrum of cyclist and that not all of us ride safely all the time. You have probably been watching videos just of london and congested cities where filtering is mandatory for cyclists to get anywhere. Yes there are times when it is pointless and unsafe to filter, like up the inside of a bus, but not all cyclists do this.
And then picking on a cyclist who is the only one to actually name and blame these unlawful and unsafe cyclists by creating 'Silly Cyclists' is a bit odd.

You are probably comparing the roads in the UK with the US. They are very different. I have watched many videos of cyclists in the US and the worst thing that happens to them is that they are either passed slightly too closely or someone right hooks them. Other than that, the width of the lanes is advantageous in terms of drivers giving you space, but disadvantageous in terms of it being difficult to take primary.
Cyclists in the UK have to be very defensive with their cycling because the lanes are too narrow for a cycle and vehicle to fit in at the same time. That as well as the moronity of some drivers causes so many dangerous incidents which could have been averted if the driver had been more patient and the cyclist had been more defensive.

*And breathe*