I rode Bolton to Piccadilly yesterday on my newly built up Singular Gryphon and had a hoot – chunky 29er tyres soaking up the sh!tty road condition, single speed (gearing spot on – by pure luck), the brighter night, net downhill and simply a brill ride. The Gryphon feels like a big, nimble BMX that just hits the spot on loads of fronts. HUGELY POSITIVE!

HUGELY NEGATIVE – Rode the return leg this am. (06:15) and coming through Salford Crescent before the bike lane re-appears I got buzzed by a bus (despite being lit up like a Christmas tree). Never mind I think but then I overtake said bus as he’s picking up/dropping off and I hear him coming again. This time he gets so close as to clip me (the outer edge of the Midge bars I’m running). I basically cack my pants a bit but I had the presence of mind to lean into the bus to keep upright then shoulder myself off it and keep rolling. I was fuming but happily in one piece and upright.
As it happened I caught up with him outside Salford Central station at the lights and pulled into the box in front of him. I turned to share my disquiet with him and the fact that he’d hit me and he told me through the glass that I was taking up too much room and that I was riding in his lane. He then edged his bus right up to touch my wheel. I was going to go the karmic route of thumbs up and ironic thanks but he was such an ar$e I lost my rag and gave him some commentary with added hand signals. The only thing I got from the encounter was him missing his green and me nipping off over the pavement and onto the road parallel – I took this evasive manoeuvre as I honestly thought he’d have another go!

Karma eh – great bike, great ride off-set in less than 12 hours by a raging bell-end!!

Yin & Yang.

Report it

I know it’s easy with hindsight, after a driver I remonstrated with got cautioned for the subsequent assault, but with a bus I’d be taking the registration and getting his boss involved. Using social media if necessary to get a response.

Report him to the company he works for,buses record their journey now,so it will be on tape/disc if you do it soon. With an attitude like his,the next person may well not be niche,sorry, experienced enough to lean his drop barred SS into the bus and may end up flat.He is also recorded so his bosses will hear him describing his punishment pass as well.

If it makes an experienced cack themselves think of how anyone else would feel. Report it. Simply no excuse for intimidation of other road users.

(Him not you I mean!)

Report it for all of us, a person like that should not be driving a bus.

I’ve dropped an email to the bus company with the bus route number and a description of the driver. A passenger came forward to see what was going on and caught the end of the exchange i.e. my florid gesticulations – so it might be 50/50 with regard to disciplinary!??

I was thinking last night how good the buses in Manc seemed to be with regard to room given. I’m hoping this chap is the exception to the rule.

“Sighs deeply”.

crescent isn’t great for bikes, the stupid weaving in/out the buslane does creates opportunities for bus/bike interaction, I mostly ride primary in the buslane. Daft bit of road. Loads of bus lane abuse by drivers heading into manchester in the mornings too

Fingers crossed bus company take it seriously.

[With an attitude like his,the next person may well not be niche,sorry, experienced]

Duckman – deffo! I had a Salsa Mariachi SS that I should never have sold and I think that I may’ve found a worthy successor in both ride and looks. Sweeet niche.

I was thinking last night how good the buses in Manc seemed to be with regard to room given.

Bahahahahahahaha! *Head falls off*

In case you can’t guess, that’s not entirely my experience.

Out of interest, which company was it? Guessing First in that part of town?

Yep – a big First Double Decker (my favourite bus and chocolate treat)

Also my experience of Manc. bus drivers is less than favouring them.