Roundabout scenario...what would you have done...

[Twanger]

Crossing last night from Horseferry Road onto Lambeth Bridge. I am on the roundabout and just approaching the turnoff over the bridge. Road bike/full lycra is coming tearing along Abingdon street, down from Westminster, and shows no sign of stopping - hands on hoods, OK, but pedalling like mad (aka maintaining cadence) about 5 metres from the stop line. If I continue, he might well hit me from the left. If I brake, the car on my tail might well hit me from behind (I have been knocked off my bike twice in my life, both times tailgaters failing to brake - bikes have no brake lights, and motorists don't realise you are breaking till it's too late).

Would you trust the cyclist or the motorist?

Let's get some answers before I tell you what I did...

 

[gaz]

if there is nothing coming from your right, then you go on the roundabout, if the cyclists hits you he is a fool and needs to cycle the road and not his training schedule.
basically not trusting the car. as he isn't going to expect you to stop on what i presume is a clear roundabout bar the cylcists on the left.

 

[4F]

Would you trust the cyclist or the motorist?

I trust no-one

 

[mr_cellophane]

I had a cyclist do that to me when I was driving. Lucky for him a saw that he didn't ease up on the pedalling.

 

[John the Monkey]

If I was on the roundabout, I think I'd move a bit further out in the lane and cover the brakes - look over the shoulder for a possible escape route to the right!

 

[botchjob]

is the answer that the train would reach the station 45 minutes before the car?

 

[Origamist]

In these scenarios you really need to be there. Where are you on the RaB? Had the cyclist clocked you? When did you first spot him? What was his speed? etc

If you can't get eye-contact with the Cancellara wanna-be, very loudly shout: WHOOOA (or something more colourful if you prefer) and slow/change position and prepare to take avoiding action - this way, you now have a better idea of whether to brake, swerve to the left or right, or continue...

 

[jonny jeez]

Given that we dont have all the facts as Orgamist say's i can only draw a sketchy conclusion.

From what you say, I'd have stamped hard on the pedals and got out, if Mr car behind was too close (and not stopping also), then the speedy cyclist would have him to deal with and not your rear wheel.

Failing that, I'd stop, pull out my blackberry get on the CC website and call in an air strike!!!!


So what did you do...shout "go-go Helicopter!" and close your eyes?

Jonny

 

[BentMikey]

Me, I would be less trusting of the car, so would continue onto the roundabout. There's usually more space to avoid a cyclist, and it's likely to hurt less than a car.

if there is nothing coming from your right, then you go on the roundabout, if the cyclists hits you he is a fool and needs to cycle the road and not his training schedule.
basically not trusting the car. as he isn't going to expect you to stop on what i presume is a clear roundabout bar the cylcists on the left.

You need to be careful about that - if someone else is to your left, and is on the roundabout before you are, then you need to give way to them as well. It's give way to people on the roundabout, not only give way to the right.

 

[gaz]

You need to be careful about that - if someone else is to your left, and is on the roundabout before you are, then you need to give way to them as well. It's give way to people on the roundabout, not only give way to the right.

i'm not sure what you mean here? you give way to traffic on your right and already on the round about. if he isn't on your right, and isn't on the roundabout. it's your right of way. or am i missing something

 

[Arch]

I'd be wary of both, but I think it's probably easier for the other bike to avoid you than the car, just because of the relative width.

Having said that, I'd probably brake, out of habit or instinct. Probably while shouting Whoooa! like Origamist says. Or I'd be going slowly so that it wasn't so much of an issue - depending on the RAB and the scope of vision, I'd be assuming I was going to need to stop anyway.

 

[garrilla]

The only action I'd take would be to try give the cyclist sufficient room to take a line inside of me and then to shoulder the **** off.

 

[sunnyjim]

+1 for keep going as you were. The system works (sort of) because there is a set of rules and expected behaviours. A shout at the cyclist might be in order. I assume you and were indicaing / making obviouds moves left to exit the roundabout, so he couldn't have been planning to go round on your outside.

 

[BentMikey]

i'm not sure what you mean here? you give way to traffic on your right and already on the round about. if he isn't on your right, and isn't on the roundabout. it's your right of way. or am i missing something

It's entirely possible that the other cyclist would have been on the roundabout before the OP and thus the OP would have had to give way.

 

[Origamist]

It's entirely possible that the other cyclist would have been on the roundabout before the OP and thus the OP would have had to give way.

The OP was on the RaB - the other cyclist was 5m from the give way line - accoriding to Twanger's post.