Near Misses Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

I missing being passed into a head wind with their passenger window rolled down and being asked if I want a tow. Haven't had that happen in a fair few years but I've taken them up a few times when asked

John Hutton

Just on people beeping behind you, it used to really stress me and make me flustered, until I realised that it's a good thing, it means they can see me and won't squash me

CramCycle

07Lapierre wrote: »

Can't believe a guy driving a Civic Type R couldn't overtake a van and a few cyclists! Drivers today are too soft! In my day we overtook anything and everything! .

I could do it in an Opel Kadett back in the day, I really think that we should start removing licences from people whose posts on social media clearly imply they can't drive

Deleted User wrote: »

I missing being passed into a head wind with their passenger window rolled down and being asked if I want a tow. Haven't had that happen in a fair few years but I've taken them up a few times when asked

I used to love it, in my youth a young lad on a Massey Ferguson, a 165 or 185 was great as they'd overrev in 3rd gear so you could just coast behind. I get the odd DB driver who gives the nod and slows enough to tag on and then gradually accelerates. I love it.

magicbastarder

i mentioned a case yesterday where me and my wife were being blown at by asshole drivers; thankfully i had her prepared; if someone blows the horn at you, react as if you think they're being friendly. big smiles, thumbs up, you name it. wave at them. if you keep your cool and they don't, they won't thank you for it at the time, but in maybe 20% (or insert your own guess) of the time, they might think when they've cooled down, AITA?
(young person speak for 'am i the asshole?')

BoardsMember

magicbastarder wrote: »

i mentioned a case yesterday where me and my wife were being blown at by asshole drivers; thankfully i had her prepared; if someone blows the horn at you, react as if you think they're being friendly. big smiles, thumbs up, you name it. wave at them. if you keep your cool and they don't, they won't thank you for it at the time, but in maybe 20% (or insert your own guess) of the time, they might think when they've cooled down, AITA?
(young person speak for 'am i the asshole?')

There's a danger this could be construed as trying to wind the driver up, potentially putting you at more risk. That said, I am more inclined to do this type of thing when in city traffic, not sure why.

When out for a proper spin I tend to try to be a "better citizen", I'm more conscious of the "us versus them" mentality. I tend to just hold a hand up, which can be interpreted as a number of things: sorry but I am not moving/can't move, hang on there, stop etc. But it is less inclined to escalate than waving & smiling to someone who is already annoyed.

Mc Love

07Lapierre wrote: »

Worth mentioning too that taking the lane should only be done in certain circumstances.

3 Examples:

if there are parked cars on the left side of the road.
If there is a "pinch point" (traffic island) ahead.
If your approaching a junction and intend turning right.

But if your cycling along a road that has no junctions, no parked cars and your simply taking the lane to prevent traffic overtaking...well you know what happens.

It also helps if you can ride at pace and if the traffic behind can see why you are taking the lane.

Even when you do all this, you'll still get muppets honking horns and driving aggressively.

Hope this helps.

I'd like to add an example to this:

Better to ride (IMHO) in primary on roads that a have a single white line and situated on blind bends. I do this for my own safety as well as oncoming traffic as well as the impatient gowls behind me

kenmm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i'd be tempted to start a poll in the cyclists forum to see how many of us are drivers, but there's no option to limit it to 'regulars' of the cycling forum so no way to keep the poll honest.

but i'd wager 90%+ of the people on here are also drivers.

Of course!

Me - I'm a person that used the roads and most (all) of the skills that make me a good (in my opinion ) driver apply to cycling, and vice vesra. There are a few situations that are unique to either vehicle, but in general its awareness and hazard perception and that doesn't matter what you are moving in/on.

kenmm

magicbastarder wrote: »

if someone blows the horn at you, react as if you think they're being friendly. big smiles, thumbs up, you name it. wave at them.

Better just all out ignoring them (assuming of course you have checked they aren't one of the 0.1% of people that use the horn to alert you to something genuinely useful).

Waving sarcastically could be read as passive aggressive and may escalate a situation (not saying I haven't done it, nor lost the rag and gave chase or other stupid reactions to idiots..)

5uspect

07Lapierre wrote: »

Can't believe a guy driving a Civic Type R couldn't overtake a van and a few cyclists! Drivers today are too soft! In my day we overtook anything and everything! .

The road was about 7km! SEVEN! He would have to drive at 30 km/h for a whole four minutes! The horror.

07Lapierre

Mc Love wrote: »

I'd like to add an example to this:

Better to ride (IMHO) in primary on roads that a have a single white line and situated on blind bends. I do this for my own safety as well as oncoming traffic as well as the impatient gowls behind me

My commute brings me along this road and I do the same as you at the solid white line sections and as i approach the junction with the Malahide Road. Its almost automatic/instinctive now as i've been doing it for years. But I still get the odd close pass/shave. People just don't like having to slow down for any reason!

07Lapierre

5uspect wrote: »

The road was about 7km! SEVEN! He would have to drive at 30 km/h for a whole four minutes! The horror.

I've yet to be stuck behind any "Traffic" for that length of time! I'd love to know what road he was referring to.

magicbastarder

07Lapierre wrote: »

My commute brings me along this road and I do the same as you at the solid white line sections

i think it was on baskin lane or chapel road that a cyclist taking the lane (cough... weepsie) *forced* an SUV driver to overtake on a white line into my path, and me being caught on camera by said cyclist gesturing angrily.

Chips Lovell

The other circumstance where primary is appropriate is when you're keeping pace with the vehicle in front of you.

AndrewJRenko

Deleted User wrote: »

The recommended position on the road for a bike is 0.75m or roughly arms length from the left or in line with passenger side wheels of a vehicle (I hate referencing RSA guidelines) .

The RSA also advise cyclists to 'take the space you need to cycle safely. You are as entitled to your road space as any other road user.'.

kenmm

Chips Lovell wrote: »

The other circumstance where primary is appropriate is when you're keeping pace with the vehicle in front of you.

This one seems to ind me up the most, when people try to overtake, not realising I am going "slow" because the cars 2 seconds in front of me are going at that pace. Some people see bike and don't look ahead/ beyond at all.

CramCycle

kenmm wrote: »

This one seems to ind me up the most, when people try to overtake, not realising I am going "slow" because the cars 2 seconds in front of me are going at that pace. Some people see bike and don't look ahead/ beyond at all.

The number of times I have had a car attempt an overtake only to realise that there isn't space in front of me after they start. It is insanity. I thought we were all taught to look ahead to 2 or 3 cars in front to prepare or unexpected changes of behaviour. Alot of drivers can only see the vehicle in front and I find it bizarre.

kenmm

I keep saying it - but general observation skills / hazard perception (or lack of) is the biggest issue we have on the roads these days.

There was even someone posting a clip about a slow cyclist winding through a housing estate a few weeks back (The cyclist was following a car for most of it), but I see the video has now been removed..
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=112881062&postcount=1403

kenmm

And that goes for everyone btw - cyclists, drivers, peds, scooters, horses (but they tend to wear blinkers so can forgive them..)

My dad was always of the view that he's a better driver because he cycles and he's a better cyclist because he drives. It'd tend to share that view to a degree.

Seth Brundle

Club spin this morning and on the last leg before the coffee stop off there were three of us moving in single file at a decent pace between Kilbride and Clonee.
I was at the front and coming to an S-bend where there's a left and then a right turn, I went to slow down.
My left hand had locked with numbness and with the wet road I couldn't slow down enough and ended crossing well into the oncoming lane. The lad behind me was following my wheel and so followed my line into the oncoming lane.
To make it worse, there was a home heating oil lorry coming towards us but thankfully he had slowed sufficiently for the bends and disaster was averted.
I'll review my camera footage and drop the oil company a note to explain h thank the driver for being careful but it just shows how something can happen so easily.

WashYourHands

I saw a cyclist (young, 18-20) do a close pass on another cyclist (deliveroo cyclist) today. I was shocked at the speed the young cyclist was doing up the hill and how close he got to the deliveroo cyclist!

magicbastarder

he might have been on an e-bike.

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS!

Not the worst but still too close for my liking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcIXotNvOIU

Acquiescence

CramCycle wrote: »

I thought we were all taught to look ahead to 2 or 3 cars in front to prepare or unexpected changes of behaviour. Alot of drivers can only see the vehicle in front and I find it bizarre.

Years back when myself and the better half started going out I always found it odd how many distinct steering inputs she used on any sort of bend. I discovered she was basically looking just ahead of the bonnet.

Fully licenced and had received a decent amount of professional instruction.

MojoMaker

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! wrote: »

Not the worst but still too close for my liking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcIXotNvOIU

If that's as bad as it ever gets for you, you'll be fine.

That is pretty normal. It's the fcukers that don't make *any* attempt to move to the right you're going to come to hate.

Seth Brundle

Sent to me via WhatsApp (neither driver nor cyclist is me )...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVmLNWoEcp4

Pinch Flat

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Sent to me via WhatsApp (neither driver nor cyclist is me )...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVmLNWoEcp4

Jesus that was close. :eek:

magicbastarder

why was the cyclist trying to avoid the checkpoint?

Etc

magicbastarder wrote: »

why was the cyclist trying to avoid the checkpoint?

Possibly to far from home

Seth Brundle

magicbastarder wrote: »

why was the cyclist trying to avoid the checkpoint?

His road tax had expired!