Nearly knobbled by a cyclist

[addictfreak]

Just got back from a rather windy 35 mile ride. No problems with cars/lorries etc, but almost taken down by another cyclist.
Cycling along I can see a guy on the pavement to my left and ahead of me. I'm in the cycle lane at the side of the road, as I'm just coming up behind him he decides that he no longer wants to be on the path. He comes off the kerb and into the cycle lane right in front of me. He didn't look to check the road was clear before his kamikaze dive for the road. Anyway no time for me to brake, and just managed to steer round him. Fortunately no cars behind me. He was totally oblivious to my presence, until I shouted 'Try looking over your F**king shoulder' as I steered round him. The look on his face was worth it, he certainly got a bigger fright than me!

 

[Dave 123]

I read the thread title and missed the "L" out of knobbled....
Glad to know that you got through it, whatever happened!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I had a bad cyclist incident last night. I was looking out for cars that don't signal on roundabouts when Mr chav dressed in black,with zilch lights and zilch high viz/reflectors came at me! The ~@~#! wasn't stopping for anyone, and what peed me off was that a police car came from his direction a few seconds before, therefore the copper must have seen him, even though it was very hard to do so, and ignored his law breaking!

 

[addictfreak]

I read the thread title and missed the "L" out of knobbled....
Glad to know that you got through it, whatever happened!

He would have had to be behind me for that lol

 

[annedonnelly]

Just got back from a rather windy 35 mile ride. No problems with cars/lorries etc, but almost taken down by another cyclist.
Cycling along I can see a guy on the pavement to my left and ahead of me. I'm in the cycle lane at the side of the road, as I'm just coming up behind him he decides that he no longer wants to be on the path. He comes off the kerb and into the cycle lane right in front of me. He didn't look to check the road was clear before his kamikaze dive for the road. Anyway no time for me to brake, and just managed to steer round him. Fortunately no cars behind me. He was totally oblivious to my presence, until I shouted 'Try looking over your F**king shoulder' as I steered round him. The look on his face was worth it, he certainly got a bigger fright than me!

They do that all the time. Whenever I see a pavement cyclist I'm waiting for them to leap off onto the road - usually in front of traffic and often heading diagonally across the road. I don't know how so many of them survive!

 

[screenman]

I am waiting for what Adrian says about this before I comment.

Years of driving, motorcycling and cycling have told me to expect the unexpected and that everyone out there will do their best to take me out regardless of their mode of transportation. This is something the police taught me in training as well on the motorbike.

 

[Sandra6]

I'm with Anne Donnelly - I almost expect anyone on the pavement - pedestrian or person on a bike - to leap out at any second.

 

[SomethingLikeThat]

Saw a guy earlier on my ride doing the same thing, except it was in front of a car and the driver had to slam the brakes on to avoid a collision.

 

[Demonclimber]

I am waiting for what Adrian says about this before I comment.

Years of driving, motorcycling and cycling have told me to expect the unexpected and that everyone out there will do their best to take me out regardless of their mode of transportation. This is something the police taught me in training as well on the motorbike.

Phew, a kindred spirit - I too drive, ride a motorbike and cycle and think I have pretty goad road sense. Every road user should be obliged to do so (or be carted off to the Tower) - I wonder how much safer our roads might be seeing from another (often more vulnerable) perspective.

 

[Stewart H]

Another high miles Driver, Motorcyclist, and returning cyclist here, I used to cycle a lot on the roads but Drivers were a little more polite from memory, Motorcycle training has taught me to treat all of them like homicidal maniacs waiting for their opportunity to do me harm, at one time I would frown upon cyclists using the pavement, these days I use it myself where possible, I do give way to pedestrians when doing so and often have a friendly response, if there are a lot of pedestrians then I take to the road and behave as a proper road user, but I can spend enough time avoiding trouble with 1100ccs and sufficient power to hold my own to realise that modern drivers are often on the phone or texting or high on something or doing their makeup or just far too busy to drive properly, they occasionally recognise something that is large enough to do them harm, like a 7.5 tonne truck but anything smaller is likely to be overlooked.