Which is fine.
Some drivers will react better to a signal, some to a backwards look, most won't care about your existence beyond the few seconds they feel you have delayed their journey.
Why did you have to spoil everything?
- Thread starter Matthew_T
- Start date
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Some drivers will react better to a signal, some to a backwards look, most won't care about your existence beyond the few seconds they feel you have delayed their journey.
mr_hippo
Living Legend & Old Fart
You can take a horse to water... Being able to propel a bicycle from point A to Point B by means of a pedalling action does not make you a cyclist! You also need the attitude and aptitude. Where would you youngsters be with video cameras or the internet forums? You would have tolearn the art by doing what I and millions of others did - get out there, ride and learn!
What is with all these videos where the poster comments "I think I should have been out further". Well remember where that was and next time perhaps adjust your position - it is not rocket surgery, is it?
You think that I should not post here, why? I go out cycling and enjoy it, yes people do make mistakes - cyclists, drivers and pedestrians and it is how you deal with it that colours your attitude.
I started a thread here a while ago about happy incidents with few replies, why? I have tried toet posters to use their video cameras to good use - no takers! All people seem to upload is virtually unwatchable footage of everyday, unimportant 'incidents'.
I know that you want to buy a new video camera and when you do, video a short ride - Rhyl, Pretatyn, Talacre, Mostyn, just beyond Mostyn there's a right turn that will take you the back way to Prestatyn. You do not need to keep the video switched on, just a few two minute bursts to give people the flavour of the area.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
Well today I went out and didnt pull out as early as I have been doing for pinch points. There was one incident with a taxi at one where he would have passed me very closely if I hadnt stuck my arm out, and another at a junction where I was turning right and some douchebag overtook me very closely for no reason.
Apart from that, nothing really happened (it was only 7.5 miles).
I constantly change my road positioning day to day to try and find the best possible solution. But there is always those few cases where a vehicle will pass you no matter what you are doing.
Apart from that, nothing really happened (it was only 7.5 miles).
I constantly change my road positioning day to day to try and find the best possible solution. But there is always those few cases where a vehicle will pass you no matter what you are doing.
Hip Priest
Veteran
I had my closest pass ever this morning. About an inch between bars and wing mirror. It was a doddery old couple in one of those boxy Malaysian cars you can pick up for about 4k brand new. I gave the involuntary "Woah! F-in' hell" and left it at that. It was low speed so not too scary.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
Wankelschrauben
Guest
...except the car was French and the cyclist completely lost her temper when she told the driver off.
Hip Priest
Veteran
Yes, it was similarly close. My incident was on an empty country lane though, which made the closeness of the pass even more surprising! I did actually pass the car again shortly afterwards (they'd pulled into a car park) but decided against having a word.
It'd would've ruined my ride and possibly their morning.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
Excuse me? I am not female. I simply have a very high pitched voice when I shout.
Mugshot
Cracking a solo.
"It'd would've ruined my ride and possibly their morning"
Got me thinking.
Thing is though that a lot of these old dodderers don't realise how bad they've become....I mean they only nip out to the shops a couple of times a week.
At the same time they've got relatives who are sat in the background wondering how to broach the subject with them. How do you say "Do you think you're still safe to drive?" to your Dad/Grandad etc.
As a teenager I was in that situation. Hadn't been out in my grandads car for over a year. He'd got deteriorating eyesight and kept asking the optician if he was still OK to drive. I'd heard others say his driving was poor. I didn't realise how bad till I got a lift and he was doing 15 in a 40mph area. Eventually he did get his licence withdrawn, via the doctor. But IMO it should ahve been sooner. Maybe being made aware of incidents would make them query their position, maybe save someone? Maybe save them from an even worse morning
Got me thinking.
Thing is though that a lot of these old dodderers don't realise how bad they've become....I mean they only nip out to the shops a couple of times a week.
At the same time they've got relatives who are sat in the background wondering how to broach the subject with them. How do you say "Do you think you're still safe to drive?" to your Dad/Grandad etc.
As a teenager I was in that situation. Hadn't been out in my grandads car for over a year. He'd got deteriorating eyesight and kept asking the optician if he was still OK to drive. I'd heard others say his driving was poor. I didn't realise how bad till I got a lift and he was doing 15 in a 40mph area. Eventually he did get his licence withdrawn, via the doctor. But IMO it should ahve been sooner. Maybe being made aware of incidents would make them query their position, maybe save someone? Maybe save them from an even worse morning
Hip Priest
Veteran
Interesting points, though I think my initial reaction may have alerted them to their error! I guess I'm just not the sort to go looking for confrontation.
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
Unlike me.
Speedywheelsjeans
Active Member
I must say it happens to me all the time. I try and ride quite offensively while im commuting in busy traffic. I know my bike speed is fast enough to not hold traffic up so i tend to take the centre of the road, the same positions I would take on my motorbike so i don't allow cars to pass me in unreasonable situations. Obviously I move to the left when traffic speed is significant again. ive had a few people beep at me and give me abuse, but at the end of the day I couldnt care less, my safety is priority. If they cant wait 5 seconds for me to roll to the lights so i can pull of seamlessly, then they can wait even longer for me to find my clipless and pick my speed back up.
Primal Scream
Get your rocks off
- Location
- On the road to hell
Mr T, I hope you wont be offended by my offering you some advice.
I have read several of your posts and watched your videos and I can say without any doubt you are heading for a serious beating, you may be in the right but it will not hurt any less for all that.
The reason I am certain you will get hurt is that if you had confronted me like you have some in your videos 35 years ago I would have told you to go forth and multiply or something similiar followed by a back hander if you did not comply, at that time I would not have cared if you were in the right or not.
I am not proud of the temper I had in those days and as a mellow 61 year old I do regret some of the actions of my younger self.
I have posted this not so as to preach to you but as a warning, there are some nasty people on OUR roads.
I have read several of your posts and watched your videos and I can say without any doubt you are heading for a serious beating, you may be in the right but it will not hurt any less for all that.
The reason I am certain you will get hurt is that if you had confronted me like you have some in your videos 35 years ago I would have told you to go forth and multiply or something similiar followed by a back hander if you did not comply, at that time I would not have cared if you were in the right or not.
I am not proud of the temper I had in those days and as a mellow 61 year old I do regret some of the actions of my younger self.
I have posted this not so as to preach to you but as a warning, there are some nasty people on OUR roads.
