Helmet cam not on, so guess what happened.....encounter with idiot

[captain nemo1701]

Why do these incidents happen when my helmet cam is offline?. Sat at the lights this morning, in right hand lane to go ahead. Lights change, so I set off. I’m about half way across the junction when a speeding motorcyclist, doing about 40 in a 30mph zone, shot through on my inside, undertaking. He must have come down the left turn lane at the junction, then decided to go straight ahead and cut me up. It frightened me to the point where I shouted ‘F**k’ out loud . I believe a similar thing happened recently to Sonofthewinds on Youtube – undertaken by a speeding idiot on motorbike.

The helmet cam wasn’t on as I discovered by the beeping noise that the card was full. If I had it on video, it’d be up on my channel no problem. I managed to catch up with the idiot at the next lights and had a quick ‘word’ with him – I basically said that he illegally cut me up and his riding was s**t. The adrenalin was still running high at this point and, to be honest, as it’s the third time I’ve been cut up like this, (two bikers, one car) I felt like kicking him. I managed to pull myself back though, fortunately. I think he was surprised I caught up with him.

Don’t these twits realise that a split-second shock like that can bring someone off the bike?. A former member of staff was killed in a cycling accident a couple of years ago when she hit a pothole and fell off in heavy traffic. I shudder to think what might have happened if I lost control at that point and fell off with vehicles behind me.

Is that Roadsafe scheme national or just London?. In case anyone is interested (I believe there is someone on this forum who works in the nearby petrol station adjacent to Bart Spices?), the incident happened at the junction of York Road and St Lukes Road, Bristol. The left hand turn lane is clearly marked, but this twat just decided to use it to undertake everyone.

Not a good way to start my working day…..

 

[Gez73]

Sorry to hear that. Try to put it behind you and enjoy your day and any future rides! I encounter a lot of that myself, never with a speeding motorbike though! Take care Gez

 

[Matthew_T]

Now if this was one of my threads and I had posted exactly the same, I would already have 15 pages of "constructive criticism".

 

[PocketFrog]

Definitely not a good way to start your day mate... but like Gez says, try to let it go and put it down to poor upbringing

I usually have pretty positive experiences with our motorised cousins, unless there is an L plate on the back and the rider is wearing trackies...

 

[jarlrmai]

I find bikers can overtake a little close for my liking and with some engines I can't tell by the sound if it's a car or not, really scares you if there is oncoming traffic.

Mostly they are decent though, much like anyone.

 

[PK99]

had a quick ‘word’ with him – I basically said that he illegally cut me up and his riding was s**t. The adrenalin was still running high at this point and, to be honest, as it’s the third time I’ve been cut up like this, (two bikers, one car) I felt like kicking him. I managed to pull myself back though, fortunately. I think he was surprised I caught up with him.


Don’t these twits realise that a split-second shock like that can bring someone off the bike?. A former member of staff was killed in a cycling accident a couple of years ago when she hit a pothole and fell off in heavy traffic. I shudder to think what might have happened if I lost control at that point and fell off with vehicles behind me.

..

I appreciate the difficulty in keeping cool immediately after a bowels to water moment. In the past I have taken a very similar line with some twot who has cut me up. But found the slanging matches did little good for by blood pressure and even worse for my concentration and cycling as I rode on - reliving the interaction and cycling too hard and fast rather than giving the road and traffic my proper attention. Adrenaline has weird effects.

Also, do you think the interaction left him feeling better or worse disposed to you or to cyclists in general?

My approach now? In the circumstances you describe: <with a smile> "S'cuse me mate, do you realise you scared the shoot out of me by that undertake back there? Please give cyclists more room!" If he is a reasonable guy, he is more likely to heed that approach than the adrenaline rush approach, if he is a twot it will make no difference.

A while ago, I was cycling on the main road to a t-junction with a guy in an open top sports car waiting to come out from my left. It looked to me as if he was looking only left and had not seen me approaching, so I called out "Look out please!" Turned out he thought I was a dit of a dick for doing that, however did not sound his horn or swear at me, but at the roundabout a couple of hundred yards ahead, he pulled up along side and asked calmly, with a very puzzled look on his face, why I had shouted out. I said I needed to be certain he knew I was there as falling off a bike tends to hurt. His response "I knew you were there! But I take your point" A couple of further moments of chat and we moved on.

I could have sworn at him "Look where you are fecking going!" or he could have sworn at me - instead two reasonable people rode and drove on enjoying their outing on a sunny day.

 

[Gez73]

Now if this was one of my threads and I had posted exactly the same, I would already have 15 pages of "constructive criticism".

You'd have a lot more than 15 pages! :-)

 

[akb]

Now if this was one of my threads and I had posted exactly the same, I would already have 15 pages of "constructive criticism".

If the OP had the attitude like you do with motorists, there may well be pages and pages of contributors to the forum pointing out the error of his ways. But he handled it well IMO.

 

[Mile195]

Never a good start to the day - I agree.

You say it's happened three times. Do you mean at the same junction? Obviously I don't know the exact layout of the junction, but maybe it would pay you to ride further in to the left-turn lane but go straight on like the other party on this occasion. This might discourage people from trying to sneak through. It does depend of course on how much room there is to get back in lane once you've crossed the junction.

Sounds like it's a route you know well though. I would just say be aware that it could happen, and almost come to expect it, so it doesn't take you by surprise next time. Part of my commuting route I've been using for 5 years. As such I know exactly where to expect "encounters" both with apparently blind pedestrians, and drivers with no lane-control, and ride defensively to avoid them. Sometimes that's all you can do.

Also - don't let this experience tar all bikers with the same brush. I ride a motorbike too when I'm not on my road bike, and you'll find most of us are quite respectful of cyclists (since in many ways we're just as vunerable). Unfortunately it's always the bad ones that people remember though.

 

[Boris Bajic]

My sympathy. That is unpleasant and the motorcyclist may have left his head at home.

I do wonder about the 40mph bit... I was a courier for many years ands did the most stupid, most dangerous things, but I'd have been amazed if I'd crossed a newly-green light at 40. It is jolly hard to time these things, especially in slow-moving traffic.

Even at 20mph he'd have scared the living wotsits out of you... Glad you weren't hurt. I'm with PK99 in terms of keeping things mellow, although I didn't necessarly hold to that in my youth.

If this has happened a few times in a short timespan, dial it into your mindset and look or listen for it. Adapt your road behaviour (within reason) to eliminate as much as you can of the threat or shock.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Normally, this sort of thing hardly ever happens here. I have posted a screenshot of the road and the red arrow indicates my position. It was 7.30am, hardly any cars on the road. I was sat in the ASL, patiently waiting for the lights to change. As you can all see from the shot, the left turn lane is very clearly indicated. As the lights changed, I went forwards in the right hand lane which is for going straight on. I was just over the crossing when Mr Dimwit shot past on my left. It wasn't like 30mph, looked more like 40mph. He braked when he caught up with the line of cars and then swerved to overtake them all on the right. If you follow the road on Google Maps, you'll see it curves around to the right before straightening out. This guy was in a hurry and took one big risk in overtaking on a bend.
He stopped at the lights at the end, so as I came down the left lane (I work around the corner) still fuming, I managed to control myself which, to be honest, I sometimes find difficult in encounters like this. I think it's probably the heady mix of adrenalin and testosterone.

I had a few seconds before the lights changed, so this is what I said:

"Excuse me, you cut me up back there. It's dangrous and illegal, your riding is shoot, don't do it again"

Which I think is about as controlled as I could be with heart still racing. He looked genuinly suprised to see me, so I hope he gave it some thought. Anyway, made me feel better at chastising him.

By odd coincidence, my helmet cam was not running - full SD card. If it had been, I would have said this:

"Excuse me mate, you illegally cut me up back there. It's dangerous and I would search for your number plate on Youtube tonight"

On the other encounters, one was with an L-plated biker who, just nipped through as the lights changed and was a fair distance from me, but undertook all the same. The car driver who did it to me learnt his lesson - almost went into the back of stationary cars on the other side of the junction. This junction got redesigned a few years ago when a new gas main was installed. It used to have a rubbish little cycle lane down the left, but now the road splits into two lanes just before the petrol station.

Anyway, that's my tuppence worth. I shall heed your advice Gaz and try to be cool about things. Oddly enough, with the helmet cam on my head, hardly anything happens.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Oops...meant to say thanks to Gez.

Memo to self: Download videos the night before.....

 

[Gez73]

Hard to stay calm and ride away when you're annoyed and just a little angry. All's well and all that!

 

[Matthew_T]

Memo to self: Download videos the night before.....

I am in the habit of plugging everything (cameras and Garmin) into the computer whenever I get home. I have a lot of memory available but Just dont want to risk the camera being useless when it is needed most (if I got knocked off).

 

[captain nemo1701]

Hard to stay calm and ride away when you're annoyed and just a little angry. All's well and all that!

Thankyou.