Started commuting to work yesterday, knocked off my bike this evening

[2pies]

I was coming down Fulham Road at 5:30pm in heavy traffic. I was next to the curb going a little faster than the cars. A White Van suddenly turns left into a side road across me, plainly without indicating. I hit him just as he was beginning to turn so kind of slid along him at a 45 degree angle, taking his wing-mirror clear off. Then I fell in to the side-road.

I got up quickly and was more dazed than angry. I shouted at the driver and he mumbled something in a thick east european accent. He seemed to look me up and down and seeing that I looked OK just shrugged and drove off. I was too flustered to get his reg no. and the van was completely unmarked.

Fortunately I'm perfectly fine, aside from some minor grazes and a slightly bruised knee. My brand new bike (Spec. Tricross) is mostly OK as well; the front wheel is buckled and cracked so will need replacing but the fork, frame and other components seem unscathed. Had to call a taxi to get home.

Being a noob to commuting, I wonder whether there was anything I could have done to avoid it? Or do I just chalk it up to bad luck by being at that place when an arse-hole driver was in a rush to get home and couldn't be bothered to look in his mirrors or indicate.

Maybe I was going a little quicker than I should in that traffic or maybe I should try to find to quieter routes. Would be tough though between Kensington and Putney Bridge.

I kind of expected to have some sort of altercation, but not so soon.

 

[rusky]

Glad you're with us to tell the tale!

I don't know what you could have done to avoid it as I wasn't there. perhaps ride further out from the kurb/ride slower??

you may well benifit from reading cyclecraft, then you might be in a position to answer your own question.

GWS!

 

[rusky]

Personally, I would want the forks replaced too as they are carbon.

 

[corshamjim]

If it's any consolation almost exactly the same thing happened to a work-mate of mine the very first day he started commuting in to work after he moved house last year.

I won't try to advise you what the right thing to do is, as I've never cycled in London myself - it seems to me from the little time I've spent there as a pedestrian that different rules apply there than to the rest of the country! One thing I can recommend though is to get a copy of (and read) the book "Cyclecraft" by John Franklin - it's full of lots of good advice on how to cycle safely and claim your rightful place on the road.

 

[Bman]

Just be more careful filtering on the inside when approaching side roads. In fact, just be very careful filtering in all situations.

Doors, pedestrians or left hooks could happen at a moments notice.

Glad your ok and hope you get your bike sorted and get back out there again soon

 

[cloggsy]

Time to get a Helmet Cam!

I wouldn't even consider riding in a city without one...

Bearing in mind where you were, there is bound to be CCTV footage of your 'incident' if you wish to take further action!

 

[cyberknight]

Glad your ok, i would definitely look at the forks because if they have damage then they need chucking.

We cannot really say how to prevent the accident as all we have is a description but how slow were the cars going? if they were moving i would not have filtered untill they had stopped and to be very aware of the dangers of left hooks etc.

I never cycle next to the kerb as you are in the gutter riding in the the crud that cars throw up and you have no room for maneuver if some one overtakes really closely ,you are also riding where most of the drains are and this can be hazardous as they can cause you to fall if you catch it wrong.
As a rule ride in the left hand part of the road where the inner wheel of the car has left a clear surface as this gives you room to escape from close passes , keeps you out of the gutter crud + drains and puts you in the area where drivers are looking so they have to think about going around you rather than just barging through without a thought.
When coming to a pinchpoint where there are bollards in a road that reduce road width,dangerous bends etc etc where your safety can be out at risk then a better approach if you can do it is called "primary" position which is near enough slap bang in the middle or even further over on of your side of the road to prevent overtake from happening at all.

 

[2Loose]

I really hope you got some details from him, else the cctv idea needs following up sharpish.

Glad you are relatively ok.

 

[2pies]

Thanks for the advice.

To clarify, I was riding on the main road and going maybe 14-15 mph, the cars were going about 8-10. The Van was ahead of me and simply turned left into a side road across me without indicating. I wasn't filtering in and had no real cause for concern until I saw him turning right in front of me. If he'd signalled I would have been fine.

I'll have a look at that book but I suspect that riding slower is the best idea when cycling along the side of the road in heavy traffic.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I agree with all the advice given so far.

As a relative newcomer (only 2,500 miles commuting, since September), I can still remember the fast learning curve that I have had to climb. I soon learned that the kerb is not a friend, and keep well away from it. At first I used to filter up the inside a lot (after all, that's where cyclists belong, right?), but I find I am much more out in the traffic and I tend to filter up the outside in a lot of places now.

I had quite a few near miss left hooks in those early days, but it doesn't happen so much now, and I believe this is down to adopting a stronger road position, plus a lot more shoulder checks, especially when approaching left side roads.

Here is a video of my filtering now, on a road where I previously would have gone up the inside. In this case, I am going between the lanes of traffic, and I do find that most of the time drivers move over to let me through. I am still particularly cautious around buses and trucks, and to some extent vans. Even with the truck that I passed in this video, I slowed down first, and made sure that (a) there was virtually no likelihood of him moving right and (b) there was space in the traffic to my right if he did, and even then it could be criticised. (I am sure my filtering technique could be improved, by the way, so don't take this as perfection by any means.)

Hope you are OK, and that your bike is OK. Don't let this put you off.

Note that this is actually a hit-and-run, so even if you don't have the reg, you ought to report it to the Police.

 

[I like Skol]

IMO riding up the left of vehicles that are moving is asking for trouble. With more experience you will develop a sixth sense for such incidents and will perhaps be more cautious in similar situations in future.

Chalk this down to experience and learn a lesson that you seem to have gained at little cost (no serious injuries).

 

[BrumJim]

Everyone has an incident like this at some time. Chalk up the fact that it happened on your second day to bad luck.

OK, you are always learning, always finding more signals that may indicate someone cutting across your path without obvious warning, but there will always be one that you just don't predict.

Get back on your bike as soon as possible, and start to look for those hints - the slight hesitation which means "I'm not really concentrating", or looking for potential incidents and not being happy until you are sure that the driver has seen you.

Oh, and what you have just experienced is a "Hit and Run", and therefore a crime. When something similar happened to me, the driver took me down to the bike shop and didn't leave me until my bike was repaired and roadworthy again. This, I'd say, is the minimum that you should expect. Calling me up a couple of times to check I was OK was something extra. And nice.

 

[John90]

I agree with other comments. 14 - 15 mph is way to fast when travelling on the inside of traffic. Drivers just don't expect something to be on that side of them (should, but don't) and you need to give yourself enough reaction time for when someone turns off left or just opens a door. If the traffic was going at 8 - 10 mph then you should have been in the flow and keeping to that speed. Overtaking traffic, even on the outside, that's moving at above walking speed is always a risk and certainly a bad idea on the inside at that speed. Cyclecraft does cover this point - it is a good book but I have to say the only way I really learnt is through personal experience.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Cyclecraft does cover this point - it is a good book but I have to say the only way I really learnt is through personal experience.

+1. You need to combine theory and practice.

I think it is a good idea to look at some of the YouTube video channels as well. Particularly Gaz545 (especially his Silly Cyclists series) and MrOrigamist (his Defensive Cycling videos), but there are other good ones.

 

[DrSquirrel]

Passing on the left of a vehicle (a big one at that) next to a junction is stupid...

You say you were going too fast, it sounds you were.

Pass on the right whenever possible.



I'm not sure if I should be sympathetic here...