Be careful out the lads.

Alanstrainor

I'm sitting here in work counting my lucky stars after being knocked down on the way into work this morning. Was travelling at a fair pace on the inside of a line of traffic, when Mr.NoIndicator decides he wants to go left. I had zero time to react, next thing i knew i was flipping head first over his bonnet. Fair dues to him, he was out like a shot making sure i was alright, etc etc. And we exchaged details. Luckily i think i'm alright, bit of a busted knee, few cuts and bruises. I'm glad i had the helmet on, as i landed on me noggin. But in short i just wanted to say, be careful out there lads.

Billy Whizz

Personally I never ever go down the left of any vehicles, far too dangerous. Overtake slow moving traffic on the right-hand side when/if safe to do so, where you are visible to all road users.

Caroline_ie

Thank F you're ok.

MadHatter

Billy Whizz wrote: »

Personally I never ever go down the left of any vehicles, far too dangerous. Overtake slow moving traffic on the right-hand side when/if safe to do so, where you are visible to all road users.

Nothing inherently wrong with cycling up the inside of cars as long as you're prepared for exactly what happened to the OP. Expect drivers to do stupid things and behave accordingly, you'll be fine.

@OP - hope your injuries aren't too bad and you're back on the back soon. Sounds like the driver is 100% at fault but that doesn't make you heal any quicker. Maybe take it a bit easier when passing on inside in future to avoid a similar situation.

Lumen

Billy Whizz wrote: »

Personally I never ever go down the left of any vehicles, far too dangerous. Overtake slow moving traffic on the right-hand side when/if safe to do so, where you are visible to all road users.

There is a section of my commute between Castleknock and Blanch village where there are no left turns, and all the cars pull to the right, leaving plenty of space for cyclists. In this instance, would you sit in a stationary queue of traffic for 5 mins, ride on the wrong side of the road (with a long blind left turn bend), or use the space on the LHS?

blorg

You have to be prepared for it to happen; overtaking on the right is certainly no safer, indeed it happened to me before, overtaking on the right when a car suddenly swung into an entrance on the other side of the road, clipped my back wheel and I went flying.

Sounds like this driver was at least good about it.

Caroline_ie

Lumen wrote: »

There is a section of my commute between Castleknock and Blanch village where there are no left turns, and all the cars pull to the right, leaving plenty of space for cyclists. ?

You can't go anywhere on Blanch main road and Castlenock road in rush hour or saturdays when people head to the shopping centre. I cycle on the inside all the time, otherwise, you're just sitting there ... meh

Alanstrainor

the driver was very good about it, he gave me a call about an hour later to see how i was. I'll be heading to the docs later to get things checked out. As for me passing on the inside, i'm an experienced cyclist with years of dublin cycling under my belt, so i knew the dangers. Imho they are far less than overtaking on the right, for one you still have the risk of cars turning right, two, you also have the danger of oncoming motorists. Just be safe out there lads. PS i think it's new helmet time!

Turbulent Bill

Lumen wrote: »

There is a section of my commute between Castleknock and Blanch village where there are no left turns, and all the cars pull to the right, leaving plenty of space for cyclists. In this instance, would you sit in a stationary queue of traffic for 5 mins, ride on the wrong side of the road (with a long blind left turn bend), or use the space on the LHS?

I think I do the same run (from Blanch Main St. to Castleknock Rd. in the mornings?), and generally I find drivers keep left enough to pass them on the right safely. There are a few tight sections (like the railway bridge) where you have to stay in the traffic flow, and I'm careful with speed here (a canny excuse for being slow). I miss most of the rush hour on the way back so it might be better then.

The road surface along the Castleknock stretch is a complete joke, far more dangerous than the traffic.

Genghis

Alanstrainor, thats one shocking incident I am sure, good luck with the doctor.

Was the car stationary before he decided to go left, or was he like other drivers I've seen that actually pass you by one second and cut you off the next?

Awareness, Anticipation and a good helmet are vital to safe cycling - you certainly had all three.

Civilian_Target

How did you manage to land on your head?!

This one's a major source of accidents, if it had been a van you could easily have died, so it's good that you came off with only some scrapes.

Don't go up the left of slow moving traffic.

Alanstrainor

Civilian_Target wrote: »

How did you manage to land on your head?!

Picture the scene, me on the inside, a car just turning left, ie half the bonnet across my path and my hitting the front left panel of the car, flying head first over the bonnet. Landing on my head/back, hard to picture exactly what happened, but that's pretty much it. Helmet is smashed in half.
EDIT: just to clarilfy, the car turned when i was along side him, it wasn't like i could see the car turning as i approached. It was just BAM i'm turning!

Civilian_Target wrote: »

This one's a major source of accidents, if it had been a van you could easily have died, so it's good that you came off with only some scrapes.

Don't go up the left of slow moving traffic.

All cycle lanes occupy the left of the road. Imho overtaking on the right, although i do it at times, is more dangerous. It brings on-coming traffic into the equation as well as cars turning right. Unless you're suggesting i sit in traffic like cars have to?
Cycling is dangerous, that's not something i only realised today. I know everyday i cycle to work there is an element of danger. I am very observant and i'd like to think i react well to most situations. The trouble is, in such a situation there was no time to react. I know some might argue i should crawl up the inside of traffic, but that's easier said than done, as i'm sure most of you can relate. I came out of it with minimal injuries and i was lucky to.

BostonB

I had a similar tumble last year. Was fine that evening, but the over the next couple of days I went black and blue. My neck started acting up 2 weeks later and now about 5 mnths later I still get twinges from the neck. Makes me go cold just thinking of it.

Last week nearly had a repeat, with some guy suddenly launching out of a stopped queue of cars, left into the cycle lane and directly acoss my path. No idea how I stopped in time.

Blue_Wolf

Same thing happened to uber_wolf, surprised he's not replying here. Poor guy :eek::D

daymobrew

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

I think I do the same run (from Blanch Main St. to Castleknock Rd. in the mornings?)

Would taking the ped bridge over M50 (marked Talbot Court) and Navan Road be an okay alternate?

You could either turn off Castleknock Road at the canal or continue on Main Street and turn right into Talbot estate.

fletch

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

The road surface along the Castleknock stretch is a complete joke, far more dangerous than the traffic.

It is isn't it! I think I'm going to complain to the council. There are so many potholes and the surface is so rough I have to swerve dangerously most of the way through Castleknock.

Blue_Wolf

Take pictures of the holes.

I was driving and fell into a pothole, took a picture and attached it to a letter of complaint with a copy of the bill of repairing. Hole was fixed few days later, was on a back road. I'm not 100% sure if our road tax we pay is directly funding the roads that we are driving on. I always thought it was until my brother who's a civil engineer that designs new roads, mainly motorways said that it doesn't. Now he doesn't work in the tax office so I didn't take his word as gospel.

Anyone else know?

Eoin D

Blue_Wolf wrote: »

Take pictures of the holes.

I was driving and fell into a pothole, took a picture and attached it to a letter of complaint with a copy of the bill of repairing. Hole was fixed few days later, was on a back road. I'm not 100% sure if our road tax we pay is directly funding the roads that we are driving on. I always thought it was until my brother who's a civil engineer that designs new roads, mainly motorways said that it doesn't. Now he doesn't work in the tax office so I didn't take his word as gospel.

Anyone else know?

Yes, I know. We don't pay road tax

Blue_Wolf

Ya that is quite obvious mate. My point if you read it again was to send in a letter of complaint accompanied with a picture of the pothole and the damage caused than they will fix it.

My second point was actually a question whether someone can clarify if road tax is to directly fund road maintenance. Although all of you cycle, alot of you have cars/motorbikes as well.

Lumen

Blue_Wolf wrote: »

My second point was actually a question whether someone can clarify if road tax is to directly fund road maintenance. Although all of you cycle, alot of you have cars/motorbikes as well.

I assume Eoin D meant "no-one pays road tax".

Blue_Wolf

car tax/road tax.....tomatoe/tomatoe?!

In theory a higher size litre engine causes more damage to the roads.
Our car tax increases in cost if our litre engine size increases.
So are they not implying that our car tax is to maintain the roads?

Take the toll and a bike is charged less than a car, as is a lorry charged more than a car. So litre engine/ Size of vehicle is charged more as it causes more damage.

I'm just a little confused about it, slightly off topic to the OP.
Sorry about that!

Chips Lovell

Blue_Wolf wrote: »

My second point was actually a question whether someone can clarify if road tax is to directly fund road maintenance. Although all of you cycle, alot of you have cars/motorbikes as well.

Motor tax goes directly into the local government fund. While motor tax revenues account for a good proportion of the fund, it is also financed by monies from central government. The fund is then divvied out among local authorities. Local authorities will spend a lot of their budget on building and maintaining non-national roads. So no, it isn't ring fenced for roads, but a good proportion of it will end up being spent on roads.

Turbulent Bill

daymobrew wrote: »

Would taking the ped bridge over M50 (marked Talbot Court) and Navan Road be an okay alternate?

You could either turn off Castleknock Road at the canal or continue on Main Street and turn right into Talbot estate.

Unfortunately not - I turn off Castleknock Rd. onto College Rd. at Myo's as I'm going towards Chapelizod, so the ped bridge is a bit of a detour. It's handy for gentle spins to the Park though when you want to stay off the main roads.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Turbulent Bill

fletch wrote: »

It is isn't it! I think I'm going to complain to the council. There are so many potholes and the surface is so rough I have to swerve dangerously most of the way through Castleknock.

+1, I think I'll do the same. The biggest problem is that it's very difficult to have a consistent road position as you're constantly dodging holes and gaps, hence you have to weave around in the lane. From a driver's perspective it probably looks like you're messing around.

Turbulent Bill

Blue_Wolf wrote: »

In theory a higher size litre engine causes more damage to the roads.
Our car tax increases in cost if our litre engine size increases.
So are they not implying that our car tax is to maintain the roads?

Take the toll and a bike is charged less than a car, as is a lorry charged more than a car. So litre engine/ Size of vehicle is charged more as it causes more damage.

Road damage has nothing to do with engine size. It roughly increases with the 4th power of the vehicle weight, so a 1500kg car causes about 77,000 times the damage of a 90kg cyclist and bike.

mmclo

daymobrew wrote: »

Would taking the ped bridge over M50 (marked Talbot Court) and Navan Road be an okay alternate?

You could either turn off Castleknock Road at the canal or continue on Main Street and turn right into Talbot estate.

Please be considerate to parents and children going to educate together school this way, it is effectively shared between peds and cyclists (as far as I can see). A bit of give and take makes it easier for all, unfortunately one or two cyclists don't see it that way and there is the capacity for a lot of speed with the downhill at the start

Civilian_Target

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Picture the scene, me on the inside, a car just turning left, ie half the bonnet across my path and my hitting the front left panel of the car, flying head first over the bonnet. Landing on my head/back, hard to picture exactly what happened, but that's pretty much it. Helmet is smashed in half.
EDIT: just to clarilfy, the car turned when i was along side him, it wasn't like i could see the car turning as i approached. It was just BAM i'm turning!

Hmm... ok, when this happened to me I got knocked sideways and landed on my feet. The reason I ask is because I am starting to wonder if helmets don't actually act as a contributing factor to hitting your head. I have only ever hit my head on a bike while wearing a helmet.

All cycle lanes occupy the left of the road. Imho overtaking on the right, although i do it at times, is more dangerous. It brings on-coming traffic into the equation as well as cars turning right. Unless you're suggesting i sit in traffic like cars have to?

No, I'm exactly suggesting that you overtake slow moving traffic on the right. I always pass like this. Oncoming cars can see you.
The only time to overtake on the left is if there is a turn to the right in front of you and you want to go left.

NeilMcEoigheann

two girls stepped out onto the cycle lane bye harolds cross this morning without looking i was just behind another cyclist and nobody was hurt but there was alot of braking and such, still only 3 metres or so to react.

BostonB

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Hmm... ok, when this happened to me I got knocked sideways and landed on my feet. The reason I ask is because I am starting to wonder if helmets don't actually act as a contributing factor to hitting your head. I have only ever hit my head on a bike while wearing a helmet.

Don't open that can of worms.

Civilian_Target wrote: »

No, I'm exactly suggesting that you overtake slow moving traffic on the right. I always pass like this. Oncoming cars can see you.
The only time to overtake on the left is if there is a turn to the right in front of you and you want to go left.

If a car pulls out you'll be knocked out, or deflected into the path of oncoming traffic. I'd say that will scuff your hemet just a little.

buffalo

fletch wrote: »

It is isn't it! I think I'm going to complain to the council. There are so many potholes and the surface is so rough I have to swerve dangerously most of the way through Castleknock.

Sent an email to South Dublin CoCo about two weeks ago about a particular stretch of road on my commute. Got a comprehensive email back yesterday explaining what work was being carried out, when they expected to be finished, and when the road would be permanently resurfaced.

In the meantime, they patched up the worst bits of it. No harm in drawing attention to any road faults.

fugazied

The motorist was obviously in the wrong

However it's tricky for motorists with bikes on the left, when people turn left they rarely check left side mirror. At least this crash didn't involve a motorist looks at you, doing that 'blank stare' where they don't seem to see you and then pulling out in front of your bike.

Alanstrainor

Civilian_Target wrote: »

Hmm... ok, when this happened to me I got knocked sideways and landed on my feet. The reason I ask is because I am starting to wonder if helmets don't actually act as a contributing factor to hitting your head. I have only ever hit my head on a bike while wearing a helmet.




No, I'm exactly suggesting that you overtake slow moving traffic on the right. I always pass like this. Oncoming cars can see you.
The only time to overtake on the left is if there is a turn to the right in front of you and you want to go left.

First of all, if there was any chance for me to bail out of that situation and land on my feet i would have. I have to emphasise the "zero time to react bit". With a car bonnet suddenly across your path, not even enough time to think about breaking, it was literally 1 second and i was mid air.
My second point regarding overtaking on the right points out that you are also at danger from cars turning right across your path, had i been on the right hand side of the road i would have been on the ground directly in the path of an oncoming car.

kenmc

fugazied wrote: »

However it's tricky for motorists with bikes on the left,

No it's not. I've never even NEARLY turned left into a cyclist when driving.

when people turn left they rarely check left side mirror.

It's one of the most basic driving skills, and driving testers pick you up on it instantly during the test. No excuse for not looking both in your mirror and over your shoulder for blind spots. If a driver is not capable of performing such a simple operation, they should be nowhere near a road whilst behind the wheel.

milod

Alanstrainor wrote: »

First of all, if there was any chance for me to bail out of that situation and land on my feet i would have. I have to emphasise the "zero time to react bit". With a car bonnet suddenly across your path, not even enough time to think about breaking, it was literally 1 second and i was mid air.
My second point regarding overtaking on the right points out that you are also at danger from cars turning right across your path, had i been on the right hand side of the road i would have been on the ground directly in the path of an oncoming car.

+1 I'd go left every time. I've had a few near misses passing on the left, but my major accident was a car cutting across me going to the right. Like you, I had zero reaction time - the bike hit the car and stopped. I went for a short flight over the bonnet and landed on my head and shoulder splitting the helmet too. It's over two years later and my shoulder still isn't right, so make sure get checked out properly...

daymobrew

mmclo wrote: »

Please be considerate to parents and children going to educate together school this way, it is effectively shared between peds and cyclists (as far as I can see). A bit of give and take makes it easier for all, unfortunately one or two cyclists don't see it that way and there is the capacity for a lot of speed with the downhill at the start

It's always "one or two" that tarnish the reputation of the rest of us.
I tend to me quite meek and cycle slowly or stop when behind pedestrians on the bridge.

Yes, it is a shared route - IIRC there is even a bicycle symbol at either end.

BostonB

kenmc wrote: »

No it's not. I've never even NEARLY turned left into a cyclist when driving.
It's one of the most basic driving skills, and driving testers pick you up on it instantly during the test. No excuse for not looking both in your mirror and over your shoulder for blind spots. If a driver is not capable of performing such a simple operation, they should be nowhere near a road whilst behind the wheel.

From my experience people not looking or more likely not seeing you on their inside is very common. You can be inside someone bind spot and not be seen in the mirror. If you are looking over your should you are not looking in front at a pedestrian stepping out in front, or a car cutting in. You can't see 360 all at the time, its just impossible. Even the best driver or cyclist can make a poor decision, and in a split second thats all it takes.

BostonB

milod wrote: »

+....I had zero reaction time - the bike hit the car and stopped. I went for a short flight over the bonnet and landed on my head and shoulder splitting the helmet too. It's over two years later and my shoulder still isn't right, so make sure get checked out properly...

Same here. Instant missile. Low speed, and low impact. But also still not right. Months after.

uglyjohn

in just over a year cycling i've has 2 near misses.

one involved a silly bint trying to overtake me and turn left through me at the same time. visibility want an issue, she came from behind me.

the other more serious one happened when someone opened the door of their jeep (quickly and fully) as i was cyclying by. i barely managed to swerve out of the way. if it had been a split second sooner i would have gone straight into the door.

dont get me started on drivers at roundabouts.

fletch

fletch wrote: »

It is isn't it! I think I'm going to complain to the council. There are so many potholes and the surface is so rough I have to swerve dangerously most of the way through Castleknock.

Dear fletch,

Thank you for your email in relation to Castlecknock Road.

No specific provision is included in current road works programmes to resurface Castleknock Road. The issues raised in your email in relation to the maintenance and repair of the road are being brought to the notice of our roads maintenance staff with a view to having the road examined and arrangements made to have any repairs deemed necessary carried out as soon as resources permit.


Transportation Department

Lumen

Fletch,

How am I going to win commuter races against the geared racer types if you go about systematically eroding the advantages of my fat-tyred singlespeed cross bike?

Down with this sort of thing.

thebouldwhacker

As always I am open to correction but as far as I know once notified they become liabile for damage caused by the road. IE if you crack yourself because of a pothole on this road now you MAY be able to address the costs to them...

Apparntly Cowen is going to change the status of roads to luxury items and tax their usage @45% the worth of the vehicle's in the budget so it doesn't matter... bikes are going to be Taxed at 16.5% of the number of gears. and walkers by the cost of their shoes....

BostonB

Someone in the UK just recently won compensation from injuries caused by a pothole.

http://www.accidentsdirect.com/Public-Liability-News/12750115-Public-Liability-claim-successful-for-pothole-cyclist.aspx

DirkVoodoo

I've seen a few really bad ones recently, most notably the southbound N11 bus stop outside UCD is riddled with craters.