Glad I moved from primary

[Bollo]

Saw this one coming. This is a blind bend as the inside of the curve has a large mound that obscures your view. Coming the other way I've been overtaken many times by cars that have nearly had a head-on with oncoming traffic. This time I was the oncoming traffic!

The irony is that this was my first cycle commute since my accident in November.

Anyway, because I know the road I'd moved out of primary to give any overtaking cars coming the other way some room. As you can see, matey was going with purpose, despite the 30mph limit. Look out how compressed his offside suspension is. If I'd have been in primary, or in a car, this could have been uglier.

 

[Tynan]

you'd have to be some self-gratification artist to overtake on a blind bend

good riding

 

[PrettyboyTim]

Glad to hear you're back on the saddle, Bollo!

It looks like he was overtaking those two parked vans on the other side of the road, but considering it was a bling bend, he should have defintely been going a little slower!

 

[Terminator]

You can't move from primary BM will never like that.

 

[magnatom]

Why were the parked vans there? I hope they had good reason. It looks like a very dangerous place to park.

A good cyclist should always know the trouble spots (on a regular route) and cycle accordingly. That's exactly what you did here. I have about 3 or 4 places where I know there can be conflict and I try to ride accordingly (not that I am suggesting that I am a good cyclist )

Nice riding.

 

[BentMikey]

Crikey Bollo! I'm glad that wasn't more serious. You seem to be getting all the exciting footage lately, I hope you don't keep on going like this.

You can't move from primary BM will never like that.

Oh yes I would!

 

[Arch]

Why were the parked vans there? I hope they had good reason. It looks like a very dangerous place to park.

They look to me like they might be electricity or water company vans, so maybe parking close to the site of some work. Why they couldn't park better though, I dunno... All that verge to park on...

 

[Keith Oates]

I agree that the vans added to the problem but the way the car was over on his left side suggested some very high speed and he shouldn't have done that with the vans blocking some of his side of the road.
The main thing is Bollo, that with thoughtful and sensible riding you are safe and that is important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arch]

Actually, with that sort of attitude, I suspect he'd have just cut the corner anyway, vans or not...

 

[domtyler]

Young selfish arrogant boy racer behind the wheel, no care for anyone's safety or life. Shouldn't be on the road and yet he is.

 

[Tynan]

the vans are parked n the outside of the bend so they're plenty visible and drivers should deal with them safely

 

[simonali]

you'd have to be some self-gratification artist to overtake on a blind bend

What were they supposed to do, turn around and go a different way? The driver of the car had no way of seeing the OP due to the grass bank and was already pulling back in by the time they had a view of each other. A dab of the brakes (the bikes) would've made that vid look a whole lot less hairy than it does due to the bike not slowing at all.

 

[Bollo]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. Yes, I'm tentatively back in the saddle, although I'm still having some shoulder and neck problems from my accident.

I forgot to mention that I'd backed-off quite a lot as well. I'm going slightly downhill, so its easy to hit this corner at well over 20mph, even on my new Spanky New Racing Green Thorn Sports Tour (I've probably just voided the warranty by going over 20 and riding without a beard!)

The vans appear to be working on some recuring lecky fault in the area, as they've been there before and appear to be back again today. Like Mr Magnatom said, when you ride a route every day you learn all the subtle dangers and traffic behaviours.

The corner is as blind as the video shows, so when he appears is when I first see him and he sees me. If I'd have been in a car this would have been a head-on! Thank you bicycle!

 

[Bollo]

OK simonali, I agree a wasn't in any particular danger, partly because I'd approached the situation with a certain amount of care. If I'd have been in a car, I would have slowed down, even though it was my right of way.

What he should have done coming the other way is slow down, assess the danger and pass the vans slowly, so that he could react to any car (or lorry from some of the warehouses down here) approaching the other way and pull in quickly if necessary- Just like the car coming after him did. Insterad he chose to cane it around the vans, probably thinking that the quicker he cleared the obstacle, the less chance there'd be of meeting something coming the other way. Like I said, look at the compression of his off-side front wheel. If he'd have hit the brakes hard he'd have skidded and lost control.

Replace my 15mph ish POV with a 40 tonner doing 25mph and what do you get. Probably a dead Fiesta driver.

Poor driving. End of.

 

[Tynan]

What were they supposed to do, turn around and go a different way? The driver of the car had no way of seeing the OP due to the grass bank and was already pulling back in by the time they had a view of each other. A dab of the brakes (the bikes) would've made that vid look a whole lot less hairy than it does due to the bike not slowing at all.

His speed and line are completely inappropriate, he can pass those parked vehicles and still leave plenty of space for oncoming traffic and allow himself time to stop, the whole point of a blind bend is that you prepare for the worse, not gun round it like a lunatic