Cyclist knocked down on O'Connell St. at 5.30 today

ridertothesea · 29-09-2009 9:07pm #1

I passed a cyclist who was lying unconcious on the road right outside the GPO on O'Connell Street at 5.30 today - lots of people round him so I kept moving. Just wondering if anyone knows if he's alright? I didnt see the incident but there was a bike nearby with a seriously mangled front wheel. Didn't see any other participants or vehicles beside him.

NeilMcEoigheann · 29-09-2009 10:06pm

jeasus thats my route, hope their ok. i don't like O'connel st heading north to many left turns...

Gavin · 30-09-2009 9:16am

Staying on the right hand side on O'C St is grand.

buffalo · 30-09-2009 9:20am

It's the same as any street, just with more pedestrians.

NeilMcEoigheann wrote: »

jeasus thats my route, hope their ok. i don't like O'connel st heading north to many left turns...

Abbey Street, Princes Street... Henry Street?

gamgsam · 01-10-2009 7:11pm

Yes, I saw him after, front wheel was completely buckled and the rim actually broke.
Asked him if he was ok ( he was, had a helmet aswell)
What happened was that a pedestrian walked out in front of him. He had no way out except over the bars. Poor chap, the bikes destroyed.
Pedestrian continued on their business apparently. Id be rightly p****d if my wheel was broke

Bit of a wake up for pedestrians, I hope the word spreads, you know how fast that route is

uberwolf · 01-10-2009 7:29pm

htf his his wheel broke. Aim for the softest part of your obstruction (presuming young and healthy looking) tbh.

DirkVoodoo · 01-10-2009 8:39pm

I was cycling down carysfort avenue yesterday, going at a good speed, but still well below a car travelling within the speed limit and these two women pushed their prams out in front of me and crossed the road. I didn't shout or say how stupid I thought they were, would they have done the same if it were a car or why not cross at the lights further down...but I can see why it happens, I think a lot of people see "bike" and assume it's going slowly enough that they can stroll out and cross the road safely.

ollaetta · 01-10-2009 8:58pm

It never ceases to amaze me how other road users and pedestrians totally underestimate the speed of bikes. Cars coming out of side roads and jay walkers are the worst.

I commute along Clanbrassil Street/New Street in the mornings and I have never seen a worse stretch anywhere for jay walking (luckily, I don't need to use O'Connell Street).

Chips Lovell · 01-10-2009 9:04pm

I end up in the right hand lane most of the time on O'Connell Street. You avoid the pedestrians walking out in front of you and the constnat stoppages due to buses pulling in and out.

SerialComplaint · 01-10-2009 9:42pm

I find lots of cars underestimate my speed, and overtake me then cut me off. A blue Merc pulled past me on the bottom of Dundrum Road yesterday, just over Milltown Bridge and then forced me to brake as he turned into Whitebeam.

seamus · 02-10-2009 11:24am

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I find lots of cars underestimate my speed, and overtake me then cut me off. A blue Merc pulled past me on the bottom of Dundrum Road yesterday, just over Milltown Bridge and then forced me to brake as he turned into Whitebeam.

Motorcyclists have the same problem with pedestrians and other vehicles. The narrow front profile of bikes and motorbikes makes it more difficult to correctly estimate their speed, yet most people aren't aware of this and assume that a singe glance will tell them, when in fact a quick glance will usually result in a severe underestimation of the rider's speed.

Jip · 02-10-2009 12:10pm

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

would they have done the same if it were a car or why not cross at the lights further down...but I can see why it happens, I think a lot of people see "bike" and assume it's going slowly enough that they can stroll out and cross the road safely.

Absolutely, I only had an 'incident' yesterday evening in Blanchardstown Village. Coming towards the junction at the Bell pub from the direction of Scotts Roundabout and had the green light. It still didn't stop the stupid bitch coming from the village side waiting to turn right pulling across infront of me causing me to slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the junction even though it was obvious to her I was coming. She had one of those sheepish faces that said she knew she was doing wrong but the silly cow still continued on through. Her passenger worded 'sorry' to me but it didn't stop me telling her what I thought of her.

penexpers · 02-10-2009 3:02pm

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I find lots of cars underestimate my speed, and overtake me then cut me off. A blue Merc pulled past me on the bottom of Dundrum Road yesterday, just over Milltown Bridge and then forced me to brake as he turned into Whitebeam.

Taking the lane whenever there's a left turn coming up greatly decreases the occurance of this I find.

TimAllen · 02-10-2009 3:23pm

@Penexpers: Are you saying that you deliberately "take the lane" if you see a left turn coming up - just in case someone wishes to use it - bearing in mind that the traffic behind you might just want to go straight ahead?

seamus · 02-10-2009 3:26pm

TimAllen wrote: »

@Penexpers: Are you saying that you deliberately "take the lane" if you see a left turn coming up - just in case someone wishes to use it - bearing in mind that the traffic behind you might just want to go straight ahead?

I'll certainly do it in particular circumstances, not all of them, but particularly in heavy traffic or where the turn is a busy one, taking the lane about 50m before the turn is better for everyone.

TimAllen · 02-10-2009 3:29pm

seamus wrote: »

I'll certainly do it in particular circumstances, not all of them, but particularly in heavy traffic or where the turn is a busy one, taking the lane about 50m before the turn is better for everyone.

better for everyone ???? That takes some beating for tunnel vision!

Lumen · 02-10-2009 3:31pm

petethedrummer · 02-10-2009 3:33pm

TimAllen wrote: »

@Penexpers: Are you saying that you deliberately "take the lane" if you see a left turn coming up - just in case someone wishes to use it - bearing in mind that the traffic behind you might just want to go straight ahead?

When you are coming up to a left turn and it is safe to do so you move out a little or alot to the right, to make a car think twice about cutting you up. Of course it depends on the turn in question and previous experience of being cut up. most left turns are grand to go past close to the kerb. Is it that hard to visualise?

Anyways, when are you buying a bike Tim? For the amount of time you spend on here I really think you should take the plunge.

markpb · 02-10-2009 3:34pm

TimAllen wrote: »

@Penexpers: Are you saying that you deliberately "take the lane" if you see a left turn coming up - just in case someone wishes to use it - bearing in mind that the traffic behind you might just want to go straight ahead?

Is he saying he will take the legally correct road position in order to make himself visible to motorists behind thus preventing an accident? Yes.

Will you next complaint be that cyclists "appear out of nowhere" and "filter carelessly through traffic"?

seamus · 02-10-2009 3:36pm

TimAllen wrote: »

better for everyone ???? That takes some beating for tunnel vision!

A driver approaching a left turn (with the intention of taking it), sees the cyclist and can often be undecided or not completely sure about whether it would be possible to overtake in time. Taking the lane effectively makes the decision for him, making sure that everyone's safer. Not taking the lane will often result in the driver making the wrong decision and overtaking when it is not safe to do so, or needlessly sitting behind the cyclist while cursing himself about the ample time he had to perform the manouver.

A driver approaching a left turn without the intention of taking it can equally be uneasy about the presence of a cyclist because a cyclist's road position or approach often changes at the junction due to the road conditions (or sometimes they're drifters/idiots). If the cyclist takes the lane, all doubt is removed as to the cyclists intentions and returning to the side of the road after the junction (known as the secondary position) allows the driver to proceed on his merry way.

In the latter case, the driver loses two seconds of his life but all chances of anyone being injured are eliminated. Better for everyone.

petethedrummer · 02-10-2009 3:37pm

TimAllen wrote: »

better for everyone ???? That takes some beating for tunnel vision!

well the greater good might be better served by a cyclist not being side swiped and the motorist not having a side swiped cyclist lying on the ground to deal with. But if 10/20 seconds of delay outweighs this, then you have very different priorities than I.

Of course you ghave taken a simple post and assumed the cyclist only has the delaying of motorists on his mind.

Jumpy · 02-10-2009 3:38pm

TimAllen wrote: »

better for everyone ???? That takes some beating for tunnel vision!

Who the F@%k said his name?

Chips Lovell · 02-10-2009 3:46pm

Cautious Cyclist Causes Minor Delay? Stop the pressess. Honestly lads, it's a very poor excuse for a row.

petethedrummer · 02-10-2009 3:52pm

el tonto wrote: »

Cautious Cyclist causes minor delay? Stop the pressess. Honestly lads, it's a very poor excuse for a row.

Is there another parallel universe where TimAllen didn't run out of petrol and some dope didn't cycle into the back of him and he isn't posting on the boards cycling forum?

If yes, how do I get there?

alfalad · 02-10-2009 3:54pm

el tonto wrote: »

Honestly lads, it's a very poor excuse for a row.

It is Friday though.

The Oggmonster · 02-10-2009 3:55pm

Out for my lunch, and just outside Arnotts at the Abbey Street side a women stepped right out in front of a cyclist. They both ended up in a tangle on the ground and the pedestrian wasn't moving her arm. Looks like she could have sprained or even broke it.

Why do people think that because they can't hear a car there must be nothing coming? I always look both ways when crossing a road, even on a one way street.

When I'm cycling, I always cycle fairly slowly when I see people up ahead as I know they could just step out without warning.

petethedrummer · 02-10-2009 4:00pm

el tonto wrote: »

Cautious Cyclist causes minor delay? Stop the pressess. Honestly lads, it's a very poor excuse for a row.

Maybe the driver was in a rush to get to a computer to complain about cyclists on boards.

blorg · 02-10-2009 4:07pm

cosmic · 02-10-2009 4:07pm

The Oggmonster wrote: »

When I'm cycling, I always cycle fairly slowly when I see people up ahead as I know they could just step out without warning.

I use a bell! It's one of those really tinny loud old school ones. I ding it any time I see a pedestrian who looks like they're going to take that step down. It may be a bit obnoxious but most of the time it works. It's also handy to just ding away sometimes if I'm in the bike lane cycling alongside lines and lines of stopped traffic - pedestrians weaving in and out of these cars to cross the road are lethal if you're going at speed and with unnecessary jeeps and suvs sometimes you can't see over them.

Ding ding...

happy_acid_face · 02-10-2009 4:10pm

The Oggmonster wrote: »

When I'm cycling, I always cycle fairly slowly when I see people up ahead as I know they could just step out without warning.

Yeah, for all the stupid pedestrians I find there is awful lot of stupid cyclists that speed through town, in particular O'Connell Street. As the advert goes, expect the unexpected...

DirkVoodoo · 02-10-2009 4:14pm

I was cycling along a cycle path I don't normally use the other day and a bus driver let someone out in traffic, not at a stop. He popped off gingerly in front of me. Cue swerving and cursing.

If you were let out (illegally) in traffic, why would you not look before getting off the bus? Pedestrians simply turn their backs as if "if I can't see it, it can't hurt me".

Cyclist knocked down on O'Connell St. at 5.30 today

Comments