Do I feel like my life is in danger when I’m riding on the road? Yes, frequently, but there’s also the rational part of my mind which reminds me that very few people die while cycling, and that if I stopped doing it my quality of life would decline.

I’m pretty sure that roads get safer as more people cycle. If people stop cycling out of fear, it’ll only make the roads more dangerous.

you may hear a vehicle behind, but you cannot tell if it’s going to hit or just overtake…

I find that I can. Not that any have ever hit me to find out, but I can usually tell if someone’s going to pass too close by the engine noise. You can also tell if it’s going to be a bigger vehicle, which is useful if you’re approaching a narrowing in the road.

Did I fear for my life the rest of the commute? No

the question was “do you feel your life is in danger whilst road cycling”. To which I say, yes, most of the time. Fear doesn’t come into it. I’m not scared of dying. I may die today, but it’s unlikely.

I dont ride on the road, far too dangerous, I ride on the pavement, yes…the pavement. And f*ck anyone who takes offense. I’d rather risk a £30 fine than my life. 99% of my riding is off road so I’m not willing to risk 1% on some **** driving into me. A local cyclist was knocked down and killed on Christmas eve in Enfield whilst riding on the road, so f*ck anyone who thinks I shouldnt protect myself. F*ck ’em all.

Been commuting daily in London for 11+ years now. I think drivers have got more aware of cyclists – there are a hell of a lot of bike commuters on the road in rush hour these days – wall to wall fluoro yellow)

I guess once or twice a week I have *proper* “Oh Sh!t” moments, Usually from drivers on the phone, or ones who haven’t clicked that a bike can go at more than 5mph.

One of the joys (for want of a better word) of London commuting is that the traffic is moving so slowly that the fastest thing on the road is generally me. That give me a LOT more control over the situation. Not sure if I ride defensively, or offensively, but it’s definitely about taking control over the situation and making the drivers do what you want them to.

I do a bit of “proper” road riding too. I do tend to stay away from main roads unless they’re necessary. The idea of riding on a 70mph dual carriageway A-road really doesn’t appeal.

how often do you feel your life is in danger whilst road cycling
very, very rarely. a lot of annoyances that often make me a bit shouty, but can only think of three notable incidents ( involving vehicles two due to poor driving, one deliberate attempt to skim me) and one with a pothole that have damaged me, kit or bike over 10 years/50000 miles.

caveat: very little city riding in there – work on the western edge of Edinburgh and commuted to Linlithgow/Burntisland, mainly on A-class roads and dual carriageway.

i avoid cycle lanes / segregated facilities at all costs. no safer than the roads IME.

if the UK was really serious about safety for all road users it should:
a) be much harder to obtain a driving licence
b) be much, much easier to lose it

Just got in to work after my daily commute in……….only felt in danger three times this morning which isnt bad. I just hope the silly b*tch who pulled out right in front of me and then took the next left cutting me up feels offended all day – “fkn ugle bint” was all I could shout at her whilst trying to catch my breath, I dont think I’ve ever used that phrase before, but she was and it felt good!

The taxi driver trying to pull out of side road was just a complete kn*b the way he was expecting me to stop so he could join main road i was on. Fk him i thought, not worth the trouble

By the time the two attractive female students stepped off the pavement infront of me I was ready for anything so a quick ‘aye aye’ making thenm jump and squeal put me in a good mood for the day ahead!

Cant wait for return journey!!

Like TJ and Swadey said, you’ve got to assume that everyone on the road is an idiot. Think for them. In a strange way it’s almost a sixth sense that you develop. I even ride with headphones on and rarely feel threatend. However there is *no* mitigation against the dickhead speeding along either texting or on the phone and ploughing into you.

Mr Agreeable – Member
…but there’s also the rational part of my mind which reminds me that very few people die while cycling, and that if I stopped doing it my quality of life would decline.

I’m pretty sure that roads get safer as more people cycle. If people stop cycling out of fear, it’ll only make the roads more dangerous.

well put – was hopeful that last years rise in cycle commuting and higher numbers would assist

find it hard to reconcile – as for example i rarely ride the Woodhead pass (sheffield/Manchester) road though is a convenient loop as drivers are far too impatient and the risk seems high relative to the reward (or lack of it)

was sort of surprised last year did a ride into Barmouth on road – wet and windy and the think it is the A470 and it is the only road route – saturday afternoon holiday traffic on a road not wide enough for cars to easily pass – was repeatedly passed close and cut back in on – including by many cars loaded with bikes – can only assume people who never ride on the road because it is too dangerous!

– as well as the aggressive don’t care about anyone else (car/bike or ped) drivers we now have a generation that was driven everywhere and has never ridden a bike on the road driving – i’m sure many believe that since there are cycle paths – bikes don’t belong on the road and if it is a hassle to pass safely then it is the cyclists fault for putting themselves in danger

back to original post – awareness and consideration are the key issues – but that will mean a big change in attitudes

As well as [list]SMIDSY’s[/list] you also get [list]BIGAB’s[/list] (But I’ve Got A Bike), who seem a bit affronted when I ask them if they’d like me to go home, get my car and a spare bike, put them on it and then cut them up/ pull across them/ squeeze them into the kerb (delete as applicable) that they just did to me.

I sold my road bike. I wasn’t using it anymore for fear of my life. I’m reluctant to allow either of my children to use bikes on the public highway when they’re old enough. They will of course, be inducted into the way of dirt at the earliest opportunity!

I’d say out of an average week with 4 days commuting of 6 miles each way.
I think that at least one car each day is inconsiderate and one a week a real danger.

so 1 life risking, in 48 miles. the drivers in hampshire are shocking.

as a side note; it was a bus which tried to take me out this morning. When it went past the ad on the back was a watch out for bikes poster! Oh the irony!

I find that with a knog front flasher, a cateye flasher and a Dinotte 5W flasher I still get cars pulling out on me

Use a bright steady and a smaller flasher. Don’t only use flashers, and especially don’t use a load of really bright ones. It just looks like a horrible flashing mess and you can’t see bugger all as a driver. As a driver, you need to gauge movement and position of objects, and a slew of madly flashing lights makes this much harder.

Use one bright rear light on steady, and a small one on flashing because drivers are used to flashing lights meaning cyclist. And wear bright clothing and reflective bits – this really helps (speaking as a motorist).

As for wearing headphones, it’s lunacy. Yes, you don’t know if a car is going to hit you or not, but when you hear an engine approaching quickly you can turn round and make eye contact (or at least show your face to the driver) – it makes a massive amount of difference. I often have cars that are about to squeeze by in a tight spot, but when I turn round and look they drop back and wait.

I do ok for road cycling down here in Cardiff. When commuting things really are fine, and when I’m out road biking I stick to wider roads and I often find if it’s busy then it’s easier, since people are going slower and everyone is pulling out to overtake so people can see you by other people’s actions.

I have noticed though that every time I drive up north the standard of driving is shocking. Way worse than it is down here, and tbh kind of frightening.

I am likely to get flamed for this, but I feel safer riding my Brompton or the cargo bike than I do on my faster bikes. I tend not to wear a helmet on those jauuts, and keep the speed to a fairly sedate, not-working-up-a-sweat pace. I don’t jostle at junctions, rush to catch lights or weave through moving traffic, just amble along 2.5 times as fast as I could walk, and slightly quicker than the bus. It is relaxing, speed is at all times well within the limits of the brakes, I’m closer to the speed that the dozy expect me to be going and I don’t look like a “lycra lout”. Quite nice.

🙂

drivers struggle to see what speed a ‘road’ bike can do, so often misjudge their overtaking.
i feel much safer on an mtb on the road – but where is the fun in that.

im in danger twice a day, on my way to work and on my way home

Well, I have a meeting in Notting Hill this afternoon – I shall Brompton there and back and report back on quite how awful it was compared to riding my road bike which was how I got into work this morning.

on my commute i feel at risk once or twice a day but never in risk of my life, just at risk of being clipped. yesterday a van cut across me in straightline a left hand curve in the road and another car stopped 2 foot past the give way line on the side road when i was in the cycle lane which is only about 2 foot wide at that point. i gave him a gesture to suggest he didnt stop before the give way line as he should have done and he just stared back at me blankly, not even a hand up to apologise.

on my leisure rides at weekends and after the rush hour in the week i find people are much more curtious and i dont really feel at danger on the country lanes.

Perhaps they were blinded by your 700 lumen light – I’d imagine most cars drivers are too. Yes you need to be seen but you also need to be careful you’re not blinding other road users.

A) Car headlights are far brighter

B) The light is aimed downwards 5 feet in front of the bike

C) It was in flashmode

C) It was in flashmode

Again – flashing is horrible for motorists. How are you supposed to track movement when it’s only on half the time?

Again – flashing is horrible for motorists. How are you supposed to track movement when it’s only on half the time?

Car headlights are a nightmare for cyclists but I wouldn’t expect drivers to only drive with side lights on.

And it’s a strobe flash which should be easy to “track” and make me far more visible to peds and drivers, which is always a bonus.

And it’s a strobe flash which should be easy to “track”

I disagree (speaking as a motorist). Our eyes notice movement very well in peripheral vision. If your light is off for part of the time, there’s a good chance that it’ll be off at that crucial split second when a driver throws a cursory glance your way – eyes move very fast. If you are seen, it’ll take twice as long for a driver’s brain to work out your vector and where you’ll end up if the light’s off for half the time.

Yes, you don’t know if a car is going to hit you or not, but when you hear an engine approaching quickly you can turn round and make eye contact (or at least show your face to the driver) – it makes a massive amount of difference. I often have cars that are about to squeeze by in a tight spot, but when I turn round and look they drop back and wait.

I just don’t get this! Do you turn round and look at every car you hear coming up behind you? If they’re not looking you in the eye, do you leap off onto the verge? And you can tell that they were going to squeeze past too close before you look round or they’ve even reached you? I’m impressed – your spatial awareness must be awesome! 😉

I commute 10 miles a day on some pretty busy roads, and I think I’d go mad if I worried that much about what was behind me. I just make myself visible, don’t try and hide in the gutter, and use my eyes if I have to turn or move out into the road or something. Other than that, I don’t worry about what’s behind me, I don’t believe there’s a damn thing I could do about it anyway. I rarely feel like I’m in danger and don’t get easily spooked by “near misses”; I don’t think I’d ride to work if I did.