If this is going to be a typical commute ..

[mr_cellophane]

If you look at the bus clip, I am about a bus length from the start of the bus stop when he starts to pass me and he is only half way past by the time he gets to the stop. If I hadn't slowed down (and he had left me enough room) I would have been level with the front door when he stopped. As it was, we were both in the bus area at the same time. Most bus drivers I come across are good and realise that there is no point in trying to pass too close to a stop. This guy was an idiot and I will change my possitioning a bit in front of buses now.

 

[bryce]

I can't help seeing the blue title screens without thinking of Mags' descriptions...

No. 1. It was a Vauxhall Cavalier. The steed of middle-aged unsuccessful angry guys. Don't feel bad for yourself, more him. These are worse than BMWs. I've always found Audi drivers pretty good actually - fast, a little aggressive but not dangerous or stupid.

 

[purplepolly]

My sincere appologies.

The bus was signalling 'left' to indicate it was stopping.
The bus's nose was ahead of the cyclist before the bus stop.

Read rule 168 again.

Or how about -

overtake only when safe to do so

you should not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake

allow plenty of room

DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other roadusers

DO NOT overtake just before you turn left (I'm assuming that would also apply to pulling in and stopping)


As for avoiding in future - there's a lot of buses on my route so I always check for them when approaching a bus stop. If there's one that could be arriving at the stop at the same time as me, I pull out. Very occassionally they're not stopping but they don't seem to mind.

 

[cycling fisherman]

hmmmm...

I can not believe that no one has mentioned your speed... please don't take this the wrong way but you are very very slow, i'm not saying there is anything wrong in being slow on the correct roads.

There is such a thing as being dangerously slow especially on bike.

(i know that sounds like i'm having a go but i'm not at all)

just my take on it.

 

[MadoneRider1991]

I'll give up now.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyvZs8OECNo

wtf the commute looks awful for you i would hate to have to do it

 

[mr_cellophane]

I can not believe that no one has mentioned your speed... please don't take this the wrong way but you are very very slow, i'm not saying there is anything wrong in being slow on the correct roads.

There is such a thing as being dangerously slow especially on bike.

(i know that sounds like i'm having a go but i'm not at all)

just my take on it.

Being a bit careful as just gone down to 32mm tyres and I forgot a water bottle . Most of those were about 15 mph (I averaged 12 over the 16 miles). Not as fast as most people on here. My target is to do it in an hour by Easter.

 

[jimboalee]

Being a bit careful as just gone down to 32mm tyres and I forgot a water bottle . Most of those were about 15 mph (I averaged 12 over the 16 miles). Not as fast as most people on here. My target is to do it in an hour by Easter.

Don't try to beat your 'peronal best' when commuting. It takes as long as it takes.
Trying to achieve a quicker time ultimately leads to risk-taking. Jumping lights, passing on the kerbside through narrow gaps, Not stopping at left TJs, etc.
There will be one risk too far.

 

[mr_cellophane]

RLJ moi ?

 

[Moose]

I find it really difficult to justify any of the actions carried out by those drivers. Mr Cellophane's speed is irrelevant, if there is no cycle path then the road is the only place for a cyclist to be. At no point was his riding erratic or dangerous and there were no rapid changes in speed (either accelerating or decelerating). The drivers on the other hand made some very poor judgements each of which were easily avoidable.

 

[jimboalee]

The bus driver did what bus drivers do.
The motorists just want to get past.

These were typical instances of city traffic round a cyclist.

We ( the cycling community ) cannot stop this type of driving.
Even so, the attitude of motorists will not be changed while cyclists with helmet cams publicly criticise motorists and Public Transport Vehicle operators.

You have your rights to free speech, yes; but consider the thoughts of motorists when and if they view the videos. They will look upon cyclists as on a crusade to rule the road, and react by driving in an attempt to defeat us.

The moral of my little story was that there are rewards for good manners. A cheery wave got me accepted as NOT a militant, and subsequent enquiries about carrying my bike were fruitful.

If you insist on displaying an individual's Registration No. on YouTube; and he sees a cyclist with a helmet cam, that cyclist may end up taking video of A&E. He might be waiting with a large stick.

 

[col]

The bus driver did what bus drivers do.
The motorists just want to get past.

These were typical instances of city traffic round a cyclist.

We ( the cycling community ) cannot stop this type of driving.
Even so, the attitude of motorists will not be changed while cyclists with helmet cams publicly criticise motorists and Public Transport Vehicle operators.

You have your rights to free speech, yes; but consider the thoughts of motorists when and if they view the videos. They will look upon cyclists as on a crusade to rule the road, and react by driving in an attempt to defeat us.

The moral of my little story was that there are rewards for good manners. A cheery wave got me accepted as NOT a militant, and subsequent enquiries about carrying my bike were fruitful.

If you insist on displaying an individual's Registration No. on YouTube; and he sees a cyclist with a helmet cam, that cyclist may end up taking video of A&E. He might be waiting with a large stick.

You make good points jimboalee, and Im gussing that most see the plus side to good manners and giving way sometimes, even when it seems the knee jerk reaction is to shout. But it seems there are those that force their what they believe to be rights, and expect all other road users to give them what they want on the road, even if this means causing danger or confrontation. Granted there are times when we need to say something to a dangerous driver, but I dont think most of these instances are not down to a vindictive train of thought, but simply mistakes and should be treated as such.
We all know how driving on the roads can see these sort of things happen all the time, and aggressive or rightious behaviour from a cyclist doesnt do anything to make other cyclists lives easier on the roads, in fact it can make drivers attitudes worse as you have said.
The cyclists that feel they have just as much right to taking a position on the road, no matter what , will never see the sensible side, as they really believe they are right . I await reports of such cyclists accident and probable injury, but no doubt there will be very good reason and rights on their side, and they didnt do anything to help cause it.

 

[Bollo]

We ( the cycling community ) cannot stop this type of driving.
Even so, the attitude of motorists will not be changed while cyclists with helmet cams publicly criticise motorists and Public Transport Vehicle operators.

That doesn't make any sense. If the attitude of drivers can't be changed (first sentence), then it makes no difference whether a cyclist videos them or not (second sentence). Which is it?

 

[col]

That doesn't make any sense. If the attitude of drivers can't be changed (first sentence), then it makes no difference whether a cyclist videos them or not (second sentence). Which is it?

A typical response from you.

 

[rog]

A typical response from you.

Handbags aside, it's still a fair question...

 

[Bollo]

Ok, its turned into a standard cammer thread. For now I'll go with it.

First - cyclists DO have as much right to the road as any other type of vehicle operator. It's just that the right is rarely recognised or enforced.

Secondly, most cammers will put up incidents where they've been put in danger by the actions of others for whatever reason - revenge, education, campaigning, whatever. But in between these there'll be days, weeks or, in my case, months between anything that could be called serious. Why? Do you think it might be because the same cammer is riding in a considerate, careful, self-preserving manner while being treated in a careful considerate manner by other road users?

I've just had a look at my last long commute on Monday. Its a 25mile ride along mainly country back-roads. In that last ride I waited 5 times at passing places for oncoming vehicles and was thanked 4 times, was ceded priority twice and thanked the driver both times and was passed once closer than I would have liked. Typical ride, but not good television. That's why I get hacked off at the suggestion that carrying a cam automatically makes someone a sensation-seeking, selfish, inconsiderate road user. It doesn't follow.