Rider do... spun out

[GrasB]

Well done to the trike rider this morning doing some serious speed down Madingley hill. The rider was doing a fair pace down when a driver pulled across the road heading towards Madingley to early clipping his rear wheel. The trike got very sideways but the rider recovered.

Sorry for not stopping but I didn't want to brake any harder due to the car behind me that decided his horn, that you probably heard, was an alternative to the brake pedal & steering wheel thus right on my rear wheel. By the time I got a chance to turn round & make my way back both you & the car had gone. I've checked & have the incident on video in good quality if you want PM me & I can set you a copy or 2.

 

[BentMikey]

Oooh mate, please upload that one! *begs begs begs*

Cambridge too, I'm sure Vike would like to have a words with both drivers.

 

[GrasB]

Possibly but I'm not an uploader etc.

No PM so I'm assuming not a CC user.

 

[Camgreen]

Madingley Road seems to have been a bit of an accident blackspot this morning http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Hom...ies-as-key-Cambridge-road-closed-01032012.htm Perhaps something to do with the fog and busy commuter traffic for a Thursday

 

[gaz]

Possibly but I'm not an uploader etc.

No PM so I'm assuming not a CC user.

You have to start somewhere.

 

[GrasB]

You have to start somewhere.

Sure but usually you start getting the funky bikes after you join CC not before.

I side stepped that one right!

 

[GrasB]

Madingley Road seems to have been a bit of an accident blackspot this morning http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Hom...ies-as-key-Cambridge-road-closed-01032012.htm Perhaps something to do with the fog and busy commuter traffic for a Thursday

Yeah I was lots of cyclists about with basic lights which didn't cut through the mist when walking going over to the Vetschool.

 

[BentMikey]

If you don't want to upload it, pretty please let me? With a cherry on top? Obv. credit and all as you want.

 

[semislickstick]

Yeah I was lots of cyclists about with basic lights which didn't cut through the mist when walking going over to the Vetschool.

This woman had a bad experience there too!(from CEN comments)

_________
Sara - I was knocked off my bike on this road - by a driver setting off while texting. As I lay on the road in front of his car, he prodded me with his foot and asked me to move. No expression of concern, nothing. He told the police I'd had 'appeared out of nowhere'. I've not cycled since. I hope this poor woman recovers well and doesn't lose her confidence.
01/03/2012 18:10

 

[GrasB]

Madingley Road is an `interesting' bit of road from the top of the hill down to the Park & Ride turn off. The hill allows a cyclist to be getting up to 30 mph as you cross the Coton/Madingley junction & past the pedestrian refuge after the bus-stop. A bit further down the road there's then the short bus lane which cyclists can use but the merging is bad if you stick to the near side of the bus lane which bypasses the traffic lights as it can make you look like you're on the (& I use the term with deep reserve) `cycle path'. Then almost immediately after that you've got vehicles moving to the right to get onto the M11 (step a few frames backwards towards Cambridge & watch the van) & other vehicles going straight on into Cambridge. Then finally you have cyclists tending to ride over the hashed out area before the park & ride lights, completely out of the motorists scanning area, they'll then arrive at the traffic lights in the wrong lane & suddenly the motorist is dealing with a cyclist pulling onto their lane at the last second as they steer around the kerb line.

It's a classic case of hold a swift pace, take the lane & hold the lane (keeping a really good eye out for muppets undertaking you but going straight on at the P&R lights), motorists be damned, or meekly cycle down the cycle path at 5mph. My aim is to hit about 40-45mph down the hill, keep it up in the mid-30s through the buss lane holding secondary off the right hand kerb. I'll then be able to maintain low to mid 30mph through to the lights in primary.

Also the main University West site entrance area is a mess & the recent `improvements' & the moving of the speed limit change point have made things worse, especially for pedestrians crossing the road at this point despite the huge traffic island. Again this section of road has a hashed out area that cyclists habitually use instead of keeping in the lane. This results in cars coming out of JJ Thomson Ave. turning up `Madingley Rise' to suddenly find a cyclist where they're not expecting it.