Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 42 total)
  • Do you ever think 'is this the ride I get hit' before you go out
  • adsh
    Free Member

    Well unfortunately I do. A bout of insomnia saw me out for 3 hours in the wee hours this morning. As I was leaving I thought about the 2 riders recently killed in Purley and thought about the note I’d just left for my wife.

    2 hours later as I head on a single track lane towards a junction onto the A4170, a Landrover cuts the junction into the lane to beat an oncoming car has to do a full blooded emergency stop and me throw myself further left. Luckily I was already left and slow not trying to go wide and minimise the corner. About a second seperated me and a large blunt metal object at speed.

    I’ve already given up normal road riding, mainly do MTB and stick to minor roads when I do venture onto tarmac but even then there are occasional near death moments and it really pisses me off.

    Maybe I should take a leaf out of the time triallist who commutes the A4170 at rush hour through the ’13 bends of death’ and get onto the major fast A roads….

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Nopes…. never.

    ndthornton
    Free Member

    no

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    ton
    Full Member

    no, just like I don’t think this will be the day I get run over/have a stroke/ get cancer/shyte my pants/so on and so forth………… 😀

    tonyd
    Full Member

    I sometimes do. Less so now my commute has changed, I used to ride about 10 of 18 miles on fast B roads – cars doing 60+ mph, narrow, bendy, tree/bush lined road with nowhere to go. Terrifying.

    brooess
    Free Member

    Sometimes. But I’ve been proven wrong every time so far – 100% failure rate 😯

    I find that the ‘assume every vehicle you can see is about to pull off the stupidest, most dangerous manoeuvre you can think of’ strategy tends to help here e.g. assume any vehicle turning in will cut or overshoot the corner; assume the car sitting in the side turning is going to pull out regardless of the fact I’m already there…

    ThePinkster
    Full Member

    No, although a long time ago I was going through a particularly dark period mentally and used to hope I would get hit commuting into work so I wouldn’t have to go into the office.

    Thankfully those days are over.

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    every morning, just as i’m leaving the house.

    i hate riding to work.

    ndthornton
    Free Member

    Fag packet calculation says you’re over 200 times more likely to die of cancer – so I would worry about that if I were you 🙂

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    What ton said.

    I refuse to adopt a victim mentality, I’ll save it for the day I finally need it.

    That’s not to say that I don’t take care when riding on the road, but I lime to think of it as being proactive re route choice, speed,
    positioning etc

    Mister-P
    Free Member

    Nope, not even the day I did actually get hit.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Yes a lot. Friend wants me to join him in 100mile event in a few months but the idea of training on Surrey roads these days fills me with dread. I took up MTB largely as a result.

    mrbelowski
    Free Member

    I get it occasionally when I go out on the road bike. I’ve been biking (road and mtb) for 30 years and I can’t shake the feeling that the roads are far more dangerous than they’ve ever been. The number of near-misses & fag-paper width passes I’ve had over the last year or two is just **** ridiculous

    tonyd
    Full Member

    I refuse to adopt a victim mentality

    I wouldn’t say it’s a victim mentality, if you feel there is a risk then it’s understandable to worry. My old commute scared the bejeesus out of me some days, particularly on cold, dark, rainy, winter evenings but I still rode it three times a week. I’d say that makes me nails, not a victim.

    hora
    Free Member

    Everytime I commuted to work in Manchester. Now Trafford Council have made radical road marking changes taking the current 2 lanes each way (in reality 1.5 car widths) to just 1 car width. Bold move and during the painting I was critical. It looks like it’ll work.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    No ridiculous thing to think about.
    You have no control over other people, why bother thinking about them

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    Yes, I regularly ride out of London towards the south east and I’ve had a few moments when people have almost hit me and have been genuinely amazed that they nearly caused an accident when I caught up with them. Pinch points are flippin’ lethal and it’s time that something was done to make them safer as three out of four near misses have happened next to one.

    I always assume that someone is about to take me out and I always ride with politeness and assertiveness in mind.

    emanuel
    Free Member

    used to in Spain.
    Drivers are about as bad in Italy, but the roads where I am now are much quieter.

    Try changing time you go out? or routes?

    I think a lot of the gravel stuff is just road riders wanting a bit more peace and quiet.

    khani
    Free Member

    No, you might stay in and fall down stairs, you might go for a walk and get mugged raped and killed, you might take up jogging and have a heart attack, whatever you do there’s a risk of something..
    As long as you don’t invite death or injury by acting like a berk then just do what you want, what will be will be..

    cfinnimore
    Free Member

    No but whenever I’m on a plane I imagine the scenario of it not taking off properly.

    And during landing that the landing gear fails.

    Keeps me entertained. Love a good risk assessment.

    Chance of Consequence=10 Consequence 1= Death

    MSP
    Full Member

    A couple of times I have started off up the road into a low sun, realised how much I was squinting, and thought I just don’t trust drivers in these conditions, so turned round and went home.

    Drac
    Full Member

    No.

    IanW
    Free Member

    Thornton – you need a new fag packet, road cycling has a increases the chance of your life being unnaturally shortened over not cycling all but only whilst actually cycling. The added fitness during the bits of your time when your not cycling means the net effect is likely to prolong your life.

    Anyway I feel a little thanks every time I get home sometimes subconsciously which is a lot of thanks after 8000 road km a year .

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    No, after 36 yrs of cycling (and thankfully only two non-lethal strikes by vehicles)I have eyes in the back of my head and spidey-sense 8) At least enough to be sure that you can’t plan for eejuts or unseen obstacles but you can be awesome and reduce the risk of hitting them or them hitting you by riding like a champ with a toolbox full of moves!

    Two weeks back I was nipping down a town hill to the pool, some driver looked one way from a side road (not my way)and pulled out right in front, I’d clocked them at the last minute so had hands on brakes already, but it was a near thing, made me feel sick as it was a steep hill. But the point is I clocked them.

    Saying that I spent whole youth cycling A roads, now I stay off them unless unavoidable, things have changed in 20 yrs. A lot. Have in recent years had to walk half a mile verge on pinch spots/bends and get off them rather than risk cycling it. Since being a driver my spidey sense has ramped up regarding cycle safety it has to be said, made me far more cautious and enjoy offroad and country lane riding all the more.

    tenfoot
    Full Member

    Quite often. Especially if I’m going out alone.

    I was talking to someone at work who bought up the “road tax” reason for not liking cyclists. All the time there are people like him on the road, I’ll have that thought.

    I rode to school every day for 5 years, with no problem, but there seems to be less consideration for others out on the road, no matter what their mode of transport is, in these busy times.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Today I got overtaken on those yellow decrease your speed bumps on the way into my village.. it’s narrowish and just dangerous to overtake… It’s close when you can touch the car.
    People just don’t realise how close they are or just don’t give a shit.
    Didn’t want to start recording my commute but might start just incase some tool takes me out.
    I don’t have legal insurance either.. is it the BCA or CTC that’s best?

    amedias
    Free Member

    No, but today it was unfortunately, off down the Police station in a moment to fill in all the forms then possibly A+E to get wrist looked at 🙁

    remoterob
    Free Member

    I worry more about which cars I am going to hit today.

    ndthornton
    Free Member

    The added fitness during the bits of your time when your not cycling means the net effect is likely to prolong your life

    prolong your life yes but my figures were specifically for cancer. While cycling may or may not have an effect on cancer I think its far more likely to prevent heart disease and strokes etc

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Amedias… Hope nothing is broken. How’s the bike?

    slowjo
    Free Member

    Over the bank holiday we were wending our way back home from deepest, darkest Kent. We had decided on a detour to ‘Batemans’ as we had never been there. Nice afternoon, and we left the village.

    A few miles on, we were going through another small-ish hamlet and I spotted a cyclist coming the other way. He was fairly hacking along, taking a good road position. There were two cars behind us and that was it.

    Behind the cyclist however, was this idiot in a big, shiny 4×4, you know the sort, Clydella checked shirt, florid face, body warmer. Anyway, he was obviously far too important to wait for the traffic to clear.

    Neither of us could believe our eyes when he took to the pavement and through what looked like lavender hedges to undertake the cyclist. Hooting his horn and shaking his fist he thundered along. The cyclist nearly fell off his bike with surprise. Where oh where are the traffic cops when you need them?

    No one was hurt but I was dumbfounded at what I had just seen. Cue Mrs Slowjo saying I shouldn’t really ride on the road any more! Fortunately, things are less frantic in sleepy Suffolk.

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    cloudnine – Member

    I don’t have legal insurance either.. is it the BCA or CTC that’s best?

    there’s a good argument to be had over which is best, BCF or CTC. but really, there’s little between them for the average punter (like me).

    but joining one is miles better than joining neither…

    amedias
    Free Member

    thanks Cloudnine, I’m fine, wrist is just a bit sore this morning, and a few mild scrapes from when I barrel-rolled to a stop.

    Bike survived surprisingly well actually, but is now sporting a slight new un-intentional sweep to the bars that’s not part of the manufacturer spec and I tore a 3 inch section of rubber right off the carcass (down to threads) trying to stop before we collided.

    For those that are interested…

    I was coming down a hill at ~25 – 30mph, clear visibility on a wide and straight road, half way down this road is a turning on the right (minor road joining this one), there’s a mini roundabout a bit further past the turning so I’m already starting to slow a bit for that, and as I’m coming down the hill, about 20 – 30 ft from the junction, a blue Van wizzes up to the junction, he briefly slows down, but its obvious he’s not going to stop and he pulls out in front of me, I’m already hard on the anchors at this point and veering left to try and avoid what is now an imminent collision, I bounce off the side of his van just behind his passenger door as he’s at about 45 degrees to me, I’m probably only doing about 10mph by this point fortunately but it bounces me sideways into the kerb and I take a tumble over the bars onto the pavement.

    What amazes me a this point as I pick myself up is that he has continued on and driven off!

    A motorcylist that was either behind the van or behind me, I don’t actually know which stops to ask if I’m OK, I let him know I’m OK and ask him if he can go get the vans reg for me, he zooms off after the van.

    I pick my bike up and give it a really quick check, jump on and the follow them both hoping to catch up with the Van as there’s a good chance he’s stuck at the light further down.

    I do manage to catch up with him at the lights, give the side off the van a slap as he starts to pull away to make him stop and then as I’m still not sure if he was trying to do a runner or didn’t realise what he’s done, put my bike down in front of him in the road, the motorcyclist stops in front of him too as another block.

    We then had what was actually quite a civil discussion given what had happened, I’m more than a little grumpy but manage not to swear, and open by telling him that he knocked me off and that he’s given me the fright of my life and shaken me up a bit, opening with that rather than a shouty attack seemed to have the right effect and he is massively apologetic, and seemed genuinely distraught at what he’d done, I genuinely believe he didn’t realise what he’d done, he obviously hadn’t seen me and thought the bump noise was his tools moving around in the back of the Van. He gave me his details immediately and wasn’t in any way unpleasant. I got the motorcyclists details too for ref and we all parted ways.

    As I’m wheeling my bike back onto the pavement the tyre suddenly goes ‘Bang! pssssssssssst’ as the tube lets go where it had bulged throguh the threads. Bloody lucky that didn’t happen as I was chasing him down or I’d have likely been off again!

    Ring for a lift and go back up to the junction to take pictures showing visibility etc just in case. By now I’m starting to ache a bit so after getting lift home decide to go down to the Police Station to report and fill in the forms.

    The reporting officer called the chap while we were in the Station just to confirm to him that it was being reported and that insurance was all OK etc. He offered to pay for any damage to the bike and seemed genuinely terrified I was going to put a claim in and tell his boss as it’s a company vehicle. Not sure what to do now to be honest, might give him a call alter and have a chat, I’m not going to be an arse about it an involve insurance if it’s not needed and for once it seems that the perp is genuinely remorseful and mortified by what he’s done, which makes a change…

    brooess
    Free Member

    Nearly today…

    Coming up to traffic lights by Lambeth Bridge – lights change to amber so I came to a stop. Car driver behind me, however, either wasn’t looking or was planning to run the light (straight into gridlocked traffic on the main road – the usual pointlessness)

    He was less than a metre from my rear wheel after he’d stood on his brakes…

    prawny
    Full Member

    Too often these days.That’s why I’m selling the road bike and going full time off road.

    shame really I love riding on the road but with how popular it is now, drivers have already made up their minds that I’m scum.

    Not worth it

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    last time i cycled a fast rural A road was descending into bromyard, an artic decided to overtake and beat me to a pedestrian refuge/pinch spot, realising the error (and the slower volvo in front) said truck driver slammed on the air brakes and I got literally whited out in tyre smoke. nearly shit my pants the screech was so loud, had to make a blind emergency stop not knowing wtf was going to happen. I meant to call haulage co and tell them how I liked their driving…but never did. Now I’ll take the footpath if clear.

    Pete-B
    Free Member

    Having had friends, family & aquaintances die of horrible natural causes, sometimes long before the age I’m at, I’m not about to stop doing what I love to sit on a sofa. And yes, I’ve been knocked off (a bit of an understatement for being launched) & had plenty of sphincter clenching moments.

    cookeaa
    Full Member

    …I thought about the 2 riders recently killed in Purley…

    I rode past that spot on Sunday, I do at least a couple of times a month, the flowers all seem to be gone, there’s a lamp post is still bent over…

    passing that spot is probably the only time I really think about how vulnerable I am when riding on the roads…

    ‘er indoors thinks I’m doing something dangerous, but as I keep explaining getting squished under a car is actually the exception not the rule for cyclists…

    IanW
    Free Member

    ndthornton – Member

    The added fitness during the bits of your time when your not cycling means the net effect is likely to prolong your life

    prolong your life yes but my figures were specifically for cancer. While cycling may or may not have an effect on cancer I think its far more likely to prevent heart disease and strokes etc

    Sorry chap, I didn’t make my point very well and was timed out on the edit.

    What I hoped to convey was that actually some kind of road traffic accident is the most likely cause of death for a great deal of our lives.
    Something like between the ages of 7/8/9yr old when we start to venture out to our early fifties when other age related causes start to take over the most common reason for death is getting squished in some kind of traffic accident.

    Its as much to do with an absence of other reasons as it is risky lifestyle although the impulsive nature of youth particularly males means they do take more risks than others would consider wise.

    All that said, I cycle everyday because the alternative (zombie car worship) is worse.

    Keep on pedalling!

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 42 total)

The topic ‘Do you ever think 'is this the ride I get hit' before you go out’ is closed to new replies.