Rear Ended Again

[benborp]

I was hit from behind today after pulling up in traffic. I wasn't hit particularly hard but did have my rear wheel knocked out of true. This is at least the fourth time in the last couple of years. This is the second time in nearly the same spot - approaching the main roundabout from the south at Elephant and Castle. In all cases I was in primary and in three I was stationary behind queuing traffic. Two of the four I'm sure were caused by the following drivers' inattention and I have a suspicion that the other two were either malicious or that the drivers didn't have the faculties to deal with a cyclist in a road position they don't expect to be filled with cyclist (todays driver was attempting to pass despite there being no room in front or to the side of me).
I'm really not keen on splitting lanes in moving traffic and definitely not at E&C. I also dislike pulling to one side or the other to squeeze in to too small a gap to filter through queuing traffic just to negotiate back into the lane when it starts rolling again. Unfortunately these are the only ways I can see of having avoided these thumps.
I have a robust steel frame to deal with knocks like this and I've settled on a pair of wheels that so far have taken to being thumped or driven over remarkably well. What else can I do?

 

[BentMikey]

Always claim on their insurance - it won't help you, but those drivers will then get the only punishment that means anything, in their wallets via increased insurance premiums and/or the excess.

 

[the reluctant cyclist]

Always claim on their insurance - it won't help you, but those drivers will then get the only punishment that means anything, in their wallets via increased insurance premiums and/or the excess.

Yes I agree - I was hit from behind in the same manner and I settled it without insurance involved - cost the driver £28 but he moaned - yes MOANED that I had claimed any money at all and had the cheek to tell my husband he "hadn't hit me very hard"! I would never settle again with a twat like that!

Sorry to hear of your incident by the way and have no clues how to stop it - presume you are already high vissed up?

 

[magnatom]

I think your only weapon is a pressure activated cruise missile with registration plate guidance.

A little heavy to wheel up hills admittedly.

Seriously though, I'm not sure there is anything that you can do. How hard were you hit on the other occasions?

 

[benborp]

How hard were you hit on the other occasions?

The first I was hit hard enough to taco the rear wheel. This was also on the approach to Elephant and Castle but unlike today the road was clear and I was struck by the one other vehicle travelling between the two roundabouts - they were switching across three lanes as I was travelling at about 25mph ahead of them. I was fortunate to stay on the bike seeing as it's fixed and the wheel no longer passed between any of the stays.

The second time I was hit hard enough to be thrown clear over the bars. No damage to the bike though and the pain was embarrassing but transitory. I'd been stationary for about twenty seconds at the back of a queue of about 5 cars - the sixth drove into the back of me and I landed in the gap between myself and the car in front.

The third time I was rolling along in primary in traffic at about 20mph. A set of lights changed to red and I rolled to a stop behind the third car in the queue. I got a solid thump from the car behind and as I dismounted I found that my bike was wedged upright under the bumper of a landrover. The driver was surprisingly aggressive and I assume he was teaching me a lesson for as he put it "being all over the road". No damage to the bike or the rear wheel.

Today was the fourth, although now I put my mind to it I can remember a couple more most definitely deliberate 'nibbles' people have taken at my back wheel.

After the first hit the wheels are Mavic Ellipse. They appear to be extremely strong - the rear has also had it's rim pinned under a car tyre and received a hefty kick (which was the only time I needed to re-true them and that took about twenty seconds). Todays incident appears to have knocked the wheel in the dropouts rather than buckled it.

As to reluctant's reference to being hi-vizzed I deliberately avoid yellow but go for other bright primaries in order to stand out. I don't think visibility was an issue in any of these incidents as I know that all but the second driver were well aware of my presence before the impact and in all cases the difference in speed was low giving them plenty of time to see and recognise a cyclist directly in front of their vehicle.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I have a 100% fail-safe tool on my bike to help avoid being rear-ended - a mirror.

I can see vehicles approaching, and if they look like they are getting too close, I can move out of the way into the safety zone I always maintain to the nearside.

 

[Norm]

... or that the drivers didn't have the faculties to deal with a cyclist in a road position they don't expect to be filled with cyclist (todays driver was attempting to pass despite there being no room in front or to the side of me).

I had one try that on me in Lower Sunbury yesterday, trying to overtake me when I was only a couple of metres from the car I was following. He seemed surprised that I not only didn't give way but I actually moved further to the right. Although he did stare at me for a bit, he unfortunately looked forward again before ramming the traffic island.

Mirrors may help, a good old-fashioned Paddington Stare will get most drivers off your back wheel but, sadly, it's not only cyclists who think they can teach a lesson to other road users with emotional or overtly aggressive actions.

 

[benborp]

Are you talking more about observation behind while on the open road ComedyPilot? The problems I have had have generally been in slow moving traffic and at junctions. Places where there hasn't been space to preserve as a safety zone and where I don't have the manoeuvrability to get out of the way of a car in stop start traffic that closes the last five feet suddenly. On the open road I frequently use the space on my nearside to retreat out of the way of those determined to pass close.

 

[Bigsharn]

A bumper?

Depending on the bike of course, you might be able to fit a bumper going around the back of the wheel, then if it happens again at least that gets destroyed and not the rear wheel... I'm looking into making one for my trike for the same reason (I've been rear-ended twice in the past week, both while being stationary in traffic)

 

[BentMikey]

I have a 100% fail-safe tool on my bike to help avoid being rear-ended - a mirror. I can see vehicles approaching, and if they look like they are getting too close, I can move out of the way into the safety zone I always maintain to the nearside.

On the contrary, a mirror is just a tool for looking - what you really mean is you just do a lot of rear observation. Do that slightly too much in busy traffic in London, and you'll be the one hitting the vehicle in front. Besides which, having seen just how excellent a rider Ben is, I doubt that your rearward observation would have done anything at all to affect the outcome of his incidents.

 

[downfader]

Ben. Go to the press with this. Try and get them to run a human interest story on it. You're not a slow rider by any means and you're road craft is pretty good from my observation of your vids.

Theres little you can do to stop a rear ending. I suspect you're right about some kind of malicious element in one or two of them, but the fact remains if someone goes into the back of a stationary vehicle or moving then they have generally done something wrong. Even the insurers tend to agree.

And thats the thing really. If they rear end you get their insurance.If they wont fobb it over call the Police.

 

[jimboalee]

Although it says in cycling advise manuals that you should approach a junction in 'Primary' where following motorists can see you, those following motorists DON'T always see you; as you have found out.

Personally, I am not trusting enough with the abilities of motorists in cities, so don't put myself directly in their path.

At the approach to a junction or island, I stop in a position where if the following vehicle fails to stop, it will roll past me harmlessly into the rear end of the vehicle at my side.

 

[Davidc]

I totally agree with jimboalee, and with loads of rearward observation. An escape route is more valuable than a 'primary' position.

I can't prove if it helps or not, but I also have a bright flashing red light showing, day and night, in the hope that it may get noticed during a pause in the mobile phone chat. (Estimated running cost <1p per week, well worth it).

 

[BSRU]

I always go into primary, if a driver behind me cannot see my Dinotte 400R then they need a guide dog.

 

[PpPete]

Anyone know how effective CTC insurance is at helping in a claim against a moton's insurance?

I'd want at least:
cost of new handbuilt wheel,
cost of rear derailleur (it "might" be bent of course)
ultrasonic inspection of frame to check for cracks,
cost of a couple of weeks car hire because I can't possibly ride with whiplash injury...

Anyone think of anything else?