stowie
Legendary Member
Does anyone else find that cycling on the road on a Sunday to be far worse than any other day?
I was cycling this morning around the A10 and Tottenham Hale Gyratory, which for those that don't know it, is "challenging" enough at the best of times - three lanes of fast moving traffic with lanes branching off to other roads. I was in the inside lane, there happened to be two other cyclists in front of me, when a car doing over 30mph came so close that it must have been only an inch from my handlebars. This, when the traffic wasn't heavy, and every other car was moving into the next lane to overtake.
It is the closest have been to being knocked off at speed on my bicycle. Inevitably, I caught up with the car driver at the next lights - an elderly man, who felt his driving was exemplary and I had plenty of space. I was concerned by the way he was squinting at me that he might no be able to see as far as his bonnet, and he seemed to have such difficulty operating the electric windows, that one wondered if a tonne of moving machinery was really in safe hands with him.
Every time I go out on a Sunday, I am on the receiving end of some really appalling driving. Even in the rush hour in the dark, car drivers seem to be more considerate in the week. What is wrong with people? Before today, I hadn't felt that I had ever been close to serious injury, or worse, on a bicycle but after this incident, I am feeling pretty militant about the quality of driving of some people, the crap cycle lanes that go nowhere and the complete lack of secure bicycle parking on major roads. Where do I sign up for the revolution?!
I was cycling this morning around the A10 and Tottenham Hale Gyratory, which for those that don't know it, is "challenging" enough at the best of times - three lanes of fast moving traffic with lanes branching off to other roads. I was in the inside lane, there happened to be two other cyclists in front of me, when a car doing over 30mph came so close that it must have been only an inch from my handlebars. This, when the traffic wasn't heavy, and every other car was moving into the next lane to overtake.
It is the closest have been to being knocked off at speed on my bicycle. Inevitably, I caught up with the car driver at the next lights - an elderly man, who felt his driving was exemplary and I had plenty of space. I was concerned by the way he was squinting at me that he might no be able to see as far as his bonnet, and he seemed to have such difficulty operating the electric windows, that one wondered if a tonne of moving machinery was really in safe hands with him.
Every time I go out on a Sunday, I am on the receiving end of some really appalling driving. Even in the rush hour in the dark, car drivers seem to be more considerate in the week. What is wrong with people? Before today, I hadn't felt that I had ever been close to serious injury, or worse, on a bicycle but after this incident, I am feeling pretty militant about the quality of driving of some people, the crap cycle lanes that go nowhere and the complete lack of secure bicycle parking on major roads. Where do I sign up for the revolution?!
