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

looks like it’s the Grange road in Baldoyle, the lanes are a disaster up there, they swerve in and around parking spots as well as the crossings causing pinch points

2 conversations in the last week that I wasn't expecting.

First my father, who is an excellent driver, hyper observant and has driven all sorts of hgv and machinery on the roads. Has 2 cyclist sons. "You'll never guess where I saw 2 cyclists today" I was genuinely expecting the m50 or similar. "on the road between Colpe cross and Donecarney, holding up a line of traffic and then having then all squeeze past them" Told him I often use that road and asked what if they just lived in Donecarney? Flummoxed with that one tbh.

Another just now in a cafe in duleek. Pair of bikers asking a cyclist why he didn't have hi-viz. He pointed to the reflective strips on his black jacket and told them he did. When I told them I never worn a yellow vest either they were awful put out. "sure if you're doing 140 around a bend you'll never see a fella in black...." FML.

Then " sure cyclists be fine if they just did what they should" what's that? " Cycle tight to the ditch and stick to good roads, not twisty backroads".

I fuckin give up ....

On your first point while I'd never question the right to use any road by bicycle it's beyond me the choices most leisure cyclists repeatedly use for a spin.

Dropped pin

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CtEzUvZnD8zk16ph9

I was driving to Tralee last week and met a lad riding east solo on that section with 10-15 vehicles behind him including a couple of HGVS. How the fcuk is that enjoyable?

There is a really simple alternative on the other side of Blackwater (as they there nearly always is with a major river).

There was a serious accident on the R671/672 Clonmel Dungarvan road. I counted up the fatalities on that road in the last 50 years and some of the serious incidents and it is pretty jaw dropping. Yet it is hugely popular with leisure cyclists, even on days with traffic volumes will be mental (Waterford playing in Thurles on a hot day with half of Tipperary heading south to the beach for example).

Again there is close to perfect cycling routes on both sides of main road where on a busy day you might encounter 5-10 cars on a busy day between Clonmel and Dungarvan. I've often done it without seeing a car.

Ironically one of the big traffic drivers now on weekends is people driving to Greenway for a cycle.

Yep really weird Google maps fcuk up.

Fixed now it's the N72 between Mallow and Rathmore

As a driver who doesn't cycle myself I'd be watching any bikes like a hawk along there as they just simply have to pull out, and suddenly too. What an absolutely atrotious bit of design.

Nonetheless, it just fuels the sentiment that bicycles are *not really* valid forms of transport and *shouldn't really* be there at all.

With a long queue behind, on a road with limited safe overtaking opportunities, the safest option for the cyclist is to pull in and allow the queue behind to overtake. It's the lowest risk option for the cyclist!

You could conceivably do both things. Take primary position until there was the opportunity to allow the faster traffic past

As I said already, it's possible to do both of the things suggested here. What you choose to do in any situation, is, of course, up to you. I just don't think it has to be a binary position.

I understand primary position, and use it myself when needed. But if I have the opportunity to move aside and allow traffic to pass me, particularly on a national road, I'll happily do that too.