RLJing buddy wants to cycle-commute... what to do?

[dondare]

Astoundingly, really, really bad cyclists just seem to go on getting away with it.
Perhaps his luck will save him.

 

[Arch]

For the record, I set a perfectly lovely example (careful filtering, no RLJs, etc) for which I was rewarded with "well, that was quicker than expected, and I reckon I'll be even quicker when I'm on my own and can go through gaps that you can't."

May I suggest the phrase "Mate, you may be fast, but you ride like a muppet!"

Does he have wife, family, mother? Could be worth playing the "How would they feel if you were killed?" card if so.

 

[arallsopp]

Update: He now has my copy of cyclecraft, and (hopefully) a much better idea of how things work out there. He did a few test rides within commuting hours last week (job started today) to get the hang of things. I rode in with him on Thurs, and things seemed to be much improved. One altercation with a car (pinch point with buddy too close to kerb), one case of threatening behaviour from a lorry (avoidable, I suspect, as I was on the same road and pretty close but had no issues), a couple of RLJs, but nothing that would stand out as being any more hideous than lots I've seen.

On the whole, I think he may just survive long enough to get the hang of this.

"I have something for you" (hands copy of cyclecraft)
"Ha Ha. Is this to make sure I don't kill myself?"
"No. Its an attempt to absolve myself of guilt if you do."
"Oh. Cheers."
"No problem"

Things are getting better out there. Maybe it'll stick. I hope so.

 

[HaloJ]

"I have something for you" (hands copy of cyclecraft)
"Ha Ha. Is this to make sure I don't kill myself?"
"No. Its an attempt to absolve myself of guilt if you do."
"Oh. Cheers."
"No problem"

 

[Twiggy]

I think you might be looking at the problems as sepperate issues, but from what you've said it all seems connected.

Wrong gear selection towards lights, leading to it being harder to get away from lights. I suspect that if your friend was given some training on gear shifting, and proper downshifting many of the bad habbits would start to desolve.
People don't like to stop on their bikes when it feels like a real slog to get going again, they'll wobble all over the place which effects confidence in their own ablities, and discourages them from moving further out.

Eh, just another tac to try.

 

[arallsopp]

Wrong gear selection towards lights, leading to it being harder to get away from lights. I suspect that if your friend was given some training on gear shifting, and proper downshifting many of the bad habbits would start to desolve.
People don't like to stop on their bikes when it feels like a real slog to get going again, they'll wobble all over the place which effects confidence in their own ablities, and discourages them from moving further out.

That's a very good observation. I'll mention it to him, as he seems to be taking advice. Cheers!

 

[Jezston]

"I have something for you" (hands copy of cyclecraft)
"Ha Ha. Is this to make sure I don't kill myself?"
"No. Its an attempt to absolve myself of guilt if you do."
"Oh. Cheers."
"No problem"

Haha I can just see his face drop after that line. That'll wake him up. Good job

 

[arallsopp]

Ah... Poops. He got SMIDSY'd in the middle of last week, on a local road. A people carrier pulled out on him and caught his panniers in the front number plate. Ripped the rack off and dumped him on the tarmac.
He's OK, but maintains it was entirely the driver's fault, saying he saw her coming out, but had nowhere to go.

Tricky. On the one hand, some SMIDSYs are near impossible to avoid, and it would be grossly unfair to hold him even partly accountable. On the other hand, if you're hugging the kerb, don't get eye contact, don't have run off space, and don't slow down, you're probably a contributing factor.

Poor sod. Oh well. He's upright again now.

 

[taxing]

Ah... Poops. He got SMIDSY'd in the middle of last week, on a local road. A people carrier pulled out on him and caught his panniers in the front number plate. Ripped the rack off and dumped him on the tarmac.
He's OK, but maintains it was entirely the driver's fault, saying he saw her coming out, but had nowhere to go.

Tricky. On the one hand, some SMIDSYs are near impossible to avoid, and it would be grossly unfair to hold him even partly accountable. On the other hand, if you're hugging the kerb, don't get eye contact, don't have run off space, and don't slow down, you're probably a contributing factor.

They caught his panniers in their front number plate?! Surely there's nothing he could have done to stop that, is there? He must have been right in front of them.

 

[arallsopp]

They caught his panniers in their front number plate?! Surely there's nothing he could have done to stop that, is there? He must have been right in front of them.

As he describes it, they only really glanced his way before pulling out still looking at the oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. Two ways to negate that:

1. Be further from the kerb. There was no traffic behind him, so a little weave can do wonders to register 'threat' to the waiting driver.
2. Clock that they haven't looked, and cover the brakes / slow down.

He had a clear view of the waiting car on the approach, but was riding on the dotted line dividing the turning from the main road. When the car he suspected hadn't seen him began to pull out, a few inches was all the space he had left himself. With a clear road behind, I'd have been way over near the centre line, eyes on her wheels, and slowing.

As before, I may be being wildly unfair. Sometimes these things happen, and they can happen to any of us. Anything we can do to avoid it, we probably should.

 

[ianrauk]

It was only a matter of time Andy that this was going to happen.
Glad he's ok though. Let's hope it's a wake up call for him.

 

[jimboalee]

Buy a short length of chain and a big spray can of white paint.

Show them to him along with a photo of a 'Ghost bike', and ask him "Are you feeling lucky, punk? Well, are you?"

 

[CopperBrompton]

Having that minor accident may well have been the best thing that could have happened.

Personally when I need to deliver the kind of news you'd describe, I try to phrase it along the lines of "There's so much crap driving out there, you really have to do their thinking for them". So with inappropriate filtering, for example, it would be "People just don't check their wing-mirrors before they pull away or change lane, so they can easily squish you". That way you're making the same point but not criticising him.

 

[hackbike 666]

What happened?

 

[ianrauk]

Harsh but fair methinks Lee.

For sure a smidsy can happen to anyone, myself included last year, however I hope / am sure this will be a lesson learned for Andy's chum that you have to be more aware of (your) surroundings/cars/people/other cyclists when commuting..

[QUOTE 1118511"]
I think that's a wee bit harsh. Granted he could have done a few things to mitigate the risk but riding along the road like that you shouldn't have people pull out on you although they obviously do.

Remember he is a beginner, don't let the fact that he is a RLJer and ''It's not my fault'' cloud people's judgement on the guy.
[/quote]