Official Closest pass video

[magnatom]

Do yout think that hitting the side of the car was a good example of chilled behaviour?

Lee, for goodness sake, read my post! It was a reaction, instant and not thought out. Sure it didn't help, but it was a reaction. Do you have reactions.

Now go and read my previous post to you. Bejezzus!

 

[magnatom]

LOL! Oh aye, I am really worried about what the police would say. I react to a car within cms of knocking me down by putting my hand out as a very normal reaction to thinking you are about to be hit. Yes that really does undermine all of my campaigning.

So bentmikey, can you seriously not agree that this is trolling?

 

[BentMikey]

Hitting the car is defo wrong, but it happens to the best of us at times, or are you trying to claim you've never hit the side of a car, Lee? I think the same of your post as of sweetpea's above, btw.

 

[BentMikey]

So what do you say Bentmikey, is 10 seconds till the pinch (remembering that I was cycling a bit slower that day due to the conditions so probably 8 seconds is closer to the norm) really a major hold up?

10 seconds shows that it's easily long enough for you to move over and slow to let him pass. I think you need to accept that you could have done that, rather than defending yourself into a corner. And that's coming from someone who rides more assertively than most people I've ridden with, I believe.

 

[swee'pea99]

How you figger, BM? How can you possibly know, given that you've not the slightest idea how many 'altercations' I have?

 

[BentMikey]

Because even the tamest and least confrontational cyclists I know have far more incidents than you claim, and that's in London and surrounds. You're either testiculating [1] or you're setting the bar at which you call "incident" far higher than magnatom's videos.

[1] Waving your arms around and talking bollocks. (c) Adam Hart Davis, I think.

 

[rnscotch]

wow this is still going on... pmsl some people need to get a life. I cant believe you are still entertaining these folk mag.

 

[swee'pea99]

Gosh, you must know some very fierce 'tame' riders BM.

Maybe I'll try it. Grrrr.

 

[magnatom]

10 seconds shows that it's easily long enough for you to move over and slow to let him pass. I think you need to accept that you could have done that, rather than defending yourself into a corner. And that's coming from someone who rides more assertively than most people I've ridden with, I believe.

I'm backing nowhere BM. -3C, that road isn't used much and this could have black ice on it. I also perceived no threat. So why, in this very situation, should I have moved over?


swee'pea99, I've previously calculated in the past that I have incidents on 3% of my commutes (remember a lot of my videos are of numpty cyclists, people weeing on cycle lanes etc). So your perception of me is wrong. In the 3 months leading up to this incident, I had one door open on me, and one taxi swerve a bit towards me (possibly accidental) both of which I dealt with appropriately.

 

[magnatom]

wow this is still going on... pmsl some people need to get a life. I cant believe you are still entertaining these folk mag.

I hate loose ends. I hate people thinking that I run away from an argument just because it gets difficult (and this hasn't been difficult). My reputation (aye right!) depends on the fact that I try and be honest, I try and answer my critics and I admit mistakes. Now I have in the past admitted mistakes, and even here admit I could have ridden differently (more primary), but I have yet to find any argument that has convinced me that secondary in THIS particular situation would have been better. I am contrary to what has been suggested here more thatn willing to get out of the way, when I think it is needed and in my and others best interests as this video demonstrates.

 

[BentMikey]

Because that would be careful and tolerant riding, and letting others past when you safely can, as is required in the highway code. I think you're making far too much of imagining it's not safe to be riding in secondary there.

Sure, you have every right to own the lane if you feel you need to, but that's not what makes others lives' pleasant when it's unnecessary. Like I said earlier, you either need to ride faster to justify your use of primary (and take a stronger primary rather than this half primary), or to ride slower and go secondary. I'm currently getting the impression of aggressive cyclist asserting rights beyond what is necessary, rather than fair cyclist and tolerance.

OTOH I'd be the first to admit it's easy in hindsight, and that actually doing it yourself without the benefit of video is nowhere near so easy. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd take the lesson from this experience for future rides through here.

 

[magnatom]

The cyclist that overtook you in the tunnel? Would you not class that as an incident?

Not really, no. I posted it because he was being a numpty, not because I felt in any danger. In the tunnel he would likely be the one who would have been hit by any oncoming cyclist not me.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

...As it is, the cabbie will be down the local cafe in the morning having a laugh about the cyclist who thought he owned the road and then hit my car as I squeezed past him teaching him a lesson.

You have done yourself no favours or any other cyclist for that matter by reacting the way you did.

Oooh, nice one Lee... you do us all so many favours with your riding-with-no-lights and RLJing though, don't you?

 

[magnatom]

Sure, you have every right to own the lane if you feel you need to, but that's not what makes others lives' pleasant when it's unnecessary. Like I said earlier, you either need to ride faster to justify your use of primary (and take a stronger primary rather than this half primary), or to ride slower and go secondary. I'm currently getting the impression of aggressive cyclist asserting rights beyond what is necessary, rather than fair cyclist and tolerance.

That's your impression fair enough, but as you point out later you are analysing a split second decision, so going into such detail is a bit disingenuous.

In other situations and other road conditions of course I would be willing to move out the way. See my previous post and the video it contains. I have done it before and I would do it again. However, look back at all the posts, they are with regards to this incident, and in this situation with the information I had at my disposal I would not have ridden in the secondary position. With hindsight, maybe, but as I have stressed often, -3C possible black ice, so possibly not.

Also I probably haven't stressed this before, but on my first look back upon leaving the roundabout he would have been a distance back on the roundabout. Most cars on that roundabout continue onto the next turn off and so it was at that time likely that he was not coming my way. So I had no reason to pull over at that time. Within 7 seconds he was upon me. So if I was to then decide to move over, it would have been a quick change of direction, which in these conditions would be unwise, IMO.

 

[magnatom]

The occurence of people riding without lights and RLJing far exceeds people hitting the side of a car because they have had a close overtake.

Precisely why it is more of a menace!