I am fed up of lorrys and close overtakes!

[thomas]

On the way to work this morning, I was holding a very strong primary as every time I go along the road I was on I get a lot of close overtakes and I didn't fancy one this morning. A smallish lorry was behind me and I didn't want him coming past close so I held my ground.

I was going at a reasonable pace, got to a bit where there are some junctions and traffic islands between. He starts to overtake and I know he doesn't have enough power to get past in time (without either hitting me, or running over the traffic island). I slam the brakes on and swerve in to avoid him. I use the airzound and yell. The road then goes up hill and I managed to keep up with him for about half of it and...well, I've hda so many close overtake recently I lost it a bit, and stared in the wing mirror and started yelling, asking what on earth he was trying to pull...and signalled how close he was.

About half a mile down the road I catch him up...suprise, suprise, he's stuck in traffic. This next bit, I should probably have just cycled on, but I was still very annoyed with him, so I stopped and asked what the hell he was doing and how close he was. I can't exactly remember what I said...but his response was "what gives you the right to be in the middle of the road?"...I know i yelled something back about trying to stop stupid overtakes like yours, then the traffic had started moving so I carried on.

I beat him to the other side of the town, and then he has to overtake again. I signalled to the helmet camera and the other side of the road. When he overtook again the front of the truck was on the otherside, but I slowed down sharpish and pulled in as I was paranoid he was going to try and teach me a lesson, and I'm reasonably sure the rear of the trailer would have been close.

I'm pretty sure I've caught it on the helmet camera so I'll probably upload it when I'm back from work. I explained to the people later on who saw me having the argument with him that he'd nearly hit me later on, so hopefully they don't think I was just causing a nusance. They did smile and seem like they understood.

It really annoyed me. I never normally catch them up so don't get a chance to argue. Normally, I'd just cycle on, but I've had too many close lorry overtakes recently and they're bloody dangerous!

I've calmed down now anyway.

 

[magnatom]

It comes in waves thomas. I've had a good few weeks now, and (apart from having to use my old bike on rainy days) I am enjoying my commuting.

Do you use your hand to dissuade overtakes? If I hear a car/van etc starting something I know is dangerous I stick my right arm out, palm facing the overtaker and look back. I've found that really useful in stopping such overtakes.

Of course, you can't anticipate and stop every dangerous maneuver.

 

[Will1985]

I explained to the people later on who saw me having the argument with him that he'd nearly hit me later on, so hopefully they don't think I was just causing a nusance.

Don't you mean earlier? If not, what are the lottery numbers for this weekend?

The best policy with lorries is to keep well away. Sometimes lorries have pulled in on me unintentionally after thinking that they had cleared their back end, and others they've deliberately run close if I've been purposefully blocking their pass. Either way, you don't want to end up underneath so slowing down/pulling in was the best policy.

 

[HLaB]

Touch wood I've not had an incident with a lorry for quite a while and on the whole I find them good drivers. It's the ned'ish (chavy) sars that are annoying me just now they seem to deliberately go at you, grining as they do so whereas other people it seems to be a genuine mistake and can be avoided with road positioning etc; you can't avoid neds (chavs) however

 

[kitw]

I think it's the biggest problem I face - drivers simply don't understand why cyclists take primary. Rather than the Govt. wasting money painting pavements green and finding 50 yards of road to paint a cycle lane on, they should add a paragraph about primary to the highway code, then make the police prosecute any drivers who still try to squeeze past.

 

[ianrauk]

Thomas you need to chill down a little mate. With your Airzound and your camera it seems that you are building yourself knowing you will have an altercation on your commute, almost expecting one. So when something does happen (at no fault of your own) you just let rip & make things worse for yourself.
Get rid of the airzound and Camera and concentrate on and enjoy your cycling. Close passing is a matter of life on a commute. Over the years I have learnt to just let it slide..it happens, call the passer a nice rude name and get over it.
IMHO of course...

 

[thomas]

It comes in waves thomas. I've had a good few weeks now, and (apart from having to use my old bike on rainy days) I am enjoying my commuting.

Do you use your hand to dissuade overtakes? If I hear a car/van etc starting something I know is dangerous I stick my right arm out, palm facing the overtaker and look back. I've found that really useful in stopping such overtakes.

Of course, you can't anticipate and stop every dangerous maneuver.

I didn't use my arm then, but later on I did just to warn a van driver a car was coming. It is something I do do sometimes.

Don't you mean earlier? If not, what are the lottery numbers for this weekend?

The best policy with lorries is to keep well away. Sometimes lorries have pulled in on me unintentionally after thinking that they had cleared their back end, and others they've deliberately run close if I've been purposefully blocking their pass. Either way, you don't want to end up underneath so slowing down/pulling in was the best policy.

Not sure what I meant . Basically there was a car waiting to pull out just before me on a side road where I was argueing with the lorry driver. I thought it'd be good just to explain what had happened so they got some background on what actually happened, rather than a cyclist holding everyone up.

I'm hoping the video actually shows what happened. The camera wasn't set up for my mountain bike, so it might not be the best angle. I'll have a look later and probably upload it (I don't want it on there if it doesn't really represent what happened very well, and it looks like I'm just yelling over nothing - it might not pick up how I swerved very well, just have to wait and see).

 

[thomas]

Thomas you need to chill down a little mate. With your Airzound and your camera it seems that you are building yourself knowing you will have an altercation on your commute, almost expecting one. So when something does happen (at no fault of your own) you just let rip & make things worse for yourself.
Get rid of the airzound and Camera and concentrate on and enjoy your cycling. Close passing is a matter of life on a commute. Over the years I have learnt to just let it slide..it happens, call the passer a nice rude name and get over it.
IMHO of course...

On my commute I do expect problems, when I'm out in the countryside I don't. It's just one of those things, and though I maybe over reacted today, I've had numerous close passes recently and I just got a bit fed up with it all.

 

[ianrauk]

Fully understand what you are saying. I get fed up with it too. But I have learnt to live with it. Even though we shouldn't have to. Get back to enjoying your cycling commute.

 

[magnatom]

Fully understand what you are saying. I get fed up with it too. But I have learnt to live with it. Even though we shouldn't have to. Get back to enjoying your cycling commute.

I think there can be a middle ground. Live with it, but do something about it. That's what I do. I'll admit it is a fine balance, but it is certainly possible.

 

[fossyant]

I had a pull out on me this morning - know the junction well - driver on right looks at me, pulls out....

My problem, I'm doing 30........, so take evasive action, swing out overtake the car, and shout "Cheers" through the open window.....driver jumped.... I carried on and overtook the car in front of him, as I had that much momentum...legs going like billy...

Never saw him again...but I know where abouts he lives.....

 

[thomas]

Fully understand what you are saying. I get fed up with it too. But I have learnt to live with it. Even though we shouldn't have to. Get back to enjoying your cycling commute.

Yep, most of the time I do and the only complaints are things that I don't think about after - they happen, give me a fright and I carry on. Just with this lorry, I do not fancy going under the side of it, and had a few close lorry overtakes and I'm really getting sick of them.

I don't cycle around looking for problems, but do occasionally get a sixth sense about them. A lot of those potential problems can be sorted with a short toot of the horn (eg. at junctions) which is why I like it.

 

[ianrauk]

Absolutely agree Mags,

but from what I have seen with Thomas' based on his videos he seems to be winding himself up needlessley. Needs to calm down a little imho.

Where as you, when you have an altercation don't seem to get wound up or let it affect you as much.

I think there can be a middle ground. Live with it, but do something about it. That's what I do. I'll admit it is a fine balance, but it is certainly possible.

 

[J4CKO]

I had a worrying one this morning, one where the drive was plenty over but his trailer on a right hand bend was drifting towards me, I am sure they sit there wondering whether they have squashed you.

I tend to just let HGV's go, get them as far away from me as possible, if it means stopping to get rid of them, then so be it, the stakes are too high, though I do enjoy the nice empty (but foul smelling) air they leave behind.

 

[Crankarm]

Touch wood I've not had an incident with a lorry for quite a while and on the whole I find them good drivers. It's the ned'ish (chavy) sars that are annoying me just now they seem to deliberately go at you, grining as they do so whereas other people it seems to be a genuine mistake and can be avoided with road positioning etc; you can't avoid neds (chavs) however

I have found proper HGV drivers 40 tonnes to be the most courteous on the road. They always pass me with plenty of space. It is the 7.5 tonne brigade typically the parcel delivery trucks that are the most dangerous along with their smaller 3.5 tonne vans. If you see either of these behind you take extra care to make sure they give you plenty of space when they pass. Very bad are the 6 wheeler aggregate or scrap metal trucks. They don't care if they drive over you so best pull off the road to adjust your kit or feign looking in your panniers .