FOR SALE - My invisibilty cloak

SubLuminal

This week have avoided three accidents by realising that the other party hadn't seen me. Example 1) car pulling out in front of me, looking left not right and if I hadn't slowed down i'd have been over the bonnet. He looked right as he began to pull out and got a shock and jammed on the brakes when he saw me, but i'd already slowed down so as it wouldnt have mattered if he didn't. Second one, woman deciding to reverse out of her driveway, did that thing where she puts her arm over the passenger seat and looks backwards, thinks she's checked but has only checked one side - waited patiently next to her window and waited for her to notice me - her: "Oh, I'm sorry" - me: "thats ok, just lucky I saw you.. - she looked a little sheepish. Oh well, everyone makes mistakes, that one wasn't so bad. - Last night, O'Connell st., the cycle-laney bit near the bridge with the cone things that stick up out of the road, a couple step into the cycle lane without even looking, was riding someone elses bike that I'd just fixed for them, good job my brake fixes were effective because I only just didn't hit them - they got a good shouting at which made them jump back a foot which was the distance I didnt hit them by, really didn't have much time to react on that one. The guy looked annoyed at *me*! Tosser.

Thusly, It is my sad determination that the invisibility cloak must go. Its quite rainproof, and if you can cope with people somehow missing a cyclist (with flashing lights!) then i'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Anyone else got examples of near misses caused by idiotic cagers/peds not looking where they're going, or tips/tricks on how to avoid / tell when people havent seen you? I always notice if there are kids in the car and expect a mum to be distracted, perhaps thats unfair but if being unfair keeps me unsquished then I am happy to be very very unfair!

Macha

I'm pretty sure I'm invisible when I cycle down the quays - pedestrians look right at me and carry on walking - in broad daylight.

There are only so many flashing/beeping/reflective ornaments I can weigh myself down with before the onus starts being on the other party to open their eyes.

blorg

Don't cycle close to the kerb (this includes cycle lanes) and at night use a stupidly blinding torch (or two.) If using a Fenix cars do not cut across you at night, they may be confused as to exactly what you are but it just does not happen.

Be ready for other road users to do stupid things.

Had a near miss myself today when a jogger, headphones in, just ran across the road. In fairness traffic was very slow (probably stopped at that point) and I was filtering- so my responsibility too to look out. Thanks largely to there being a commissare's car who beeped loudly I was alerted and an accident avoided (thanks!)

SubLuminal

blorg wrote: »

Don't cycle close to the kerb (this includes cycle lanes) and at night use a stupidly blinding torch (or two.) If using a Fenix cars do not cut across you at night, they may be confused as to exactly what you are but it just does not happen.

+1 on the kerb tip, I do the same for parked cars, I ride pretty "agressivley defensive" on account of formerley being a motorbike rider, it may get their backs up but I usually do things like stay out of 'instant dooring' range of parked cars and moving to the middle of the road when I decide there isnt enough space for a car to overtake me safely (sorry cagers, its my life on the line, I'd rather risk a punch up at the lights than an accidental squish between a parked car and your ford transit on the straights)

Just freaks me out, i'm wearing bright colours on a bike with flashing lights on it and shouting at people and they still step out infront of me - the cycle lane couple being a prime example, the fact they still stepped out infront of me despite my best panic-inspired bellowing just goes to show how little people think.

That said +1 to the cager who didn't smash me off my bike the other day when I f**ked up doing my over the shoulder check coming off a junction - everybody makes mistakes!

With that last point in mind, here's a new question - does anyone ever give car drivers (cagers) a hard time for making a mistake and being dangerous, i.e acting like you're really angry when actually you're not really, just so as to put the fear of god into them so that next time they might be a little bit more careful? In London me and my mates used to do it and it was a fairly common thing/thinking amongst the motorbike community, the feeling being its better to be unfair and scary to a cager than to just let them off and have them make the same mistake again and leave one of us in a wheelchair..

TLDR; cloak still up for grabs, price reduced to free on account of the fact it seems like all my other brother cyclists already have one!


EDIT -

What is this mythical fenix you speak of sire?

monument

Do you have and use a bell?

It differs from person to person, but I find generally a large percentage of pedestrians take some kind of note of the bell.

Also useful for warning other cyclists and in some cases it works to warn motorists too. I'm fairly sure it has warned a few drivers who would have otherwise pull out in front of me. Use it all the time near the driver's window when overtaking stopped buses.

coolbeans

SubLuminal wrote: »

+1 on the kerb tip, I do the same for parked cars, I ride pretty "agressivley defensive" on account of formerley being a motorbike rider, it may get their backs up but I usually do things like stay out of 'instant dooring' range of parked cars and moving to the middle of the road when I decide there isnt enough space for a car to overtake me safely (sorry cagers, its my life on the line, I'd rather risk a punch up at the lights than an accidental squish between a parked car and your ford transit on the straights)

Just freaks me out, i'm wearing bright colours on a bike with flashing lights on it and shouting at people and they still step out infront of me - the cycle lane couple being a prime example, the fact they still stepped out infront of me despite my best panic-inspired bellowing just goes to show how little people think.

That said +1 to the cager who didn't smash me off my bike the other day when I f**ked up doing my over the shoulder check coming off a junction - everybody makes mistakes!

With that last point in mind, here's a new question - does anyone ever give car drivers (cagers) a hard time for making a mistake and being dangerous, i.e acting like you're really angry when actually you're not really, just so as to put the fear of god into them so that next time they might be a little bit more careful? In London me and my mates used to do it and it was a fairly common thing/thinking amongst the motorbike community, the feeling being its better to be unfair and scary to a cager than to just let them off and have them make the same mistake again and leave one of us in a wheelchair..

TLDR; cloak still up for grabs, price reduced to free on account of the fact it seems like all my other brother cyclists already have one!


EDIT -

What is this mythical fenix you speak of sire?

As a former courier and a commuter leisure cyclist I bristle when I hear of cyclists trying to scare the bejaysus out of "cagers" as you call them. Don't get me wrong I do understand your actions (I went through a similar phase) but it really achieves very little and breeds hostility among motorists/peds and a psyche of them and us which in reality doesn't really exist.. A bell really does do an awful lot to solve the problem and its use can usually never be construed as aggressive in any way. A fenix is a very bright front mounted light.

SubLuminal

SubLuminal wrote: »

What is this mythical fenix you speak of sire?

This is the fenix. It is retina scorchingly bright to look at.

Lumen

SubLuminal wrote: »

With that last point in mind, here's a new question - does anyone ever give car drivers (cagers) a hard time for making a mistake and being dangerous, i.e acting like you're really angry when actually you're not really, just so as to put the fear of god into them so that next time they might be a little bit more careful?

No. But then London is full of people acting like cnts, so I'd expect that sort of thing there.

victorcarrera

SubLuminal wrote: »

Example 1) car pulling out in front of me, looking left not right and if I hadn't slowed down i'd have been over the bonnet.

Unless I see them looking my way I always prepare to stop in situations like that even when driving the car. I regularly pass a shopping centre which has an exit on to a main rd. It's so bad there now that the shoppers have me convinced they have the right of way.
I have nearly been caught out approaching roundabouts where there is full visability too and I think it is because cyclists can get hidden from view behind the door pillar of the car at certain angles and in some situations behind the larger mirrors of trucks and busses.

SubLuminal

Lumen wrote: »

No. But then London is full of people acting like cnts, so I'd expect that sort of thing there.

Ra, I must have really stirred it up to get one of the mods to be so judicial! Fair play, each to their own. I freely admit I've acted like a cvnt on numerous occasions to car drivers who've been silly, but I have to say, I feel its justified because when it comes to big lumps of metal vs 2 wheelers, its us that ends up squished when someone makes a mistake.

us vs. them - I don't really see it that way, I just feel like cagers are lulled into a false sense of security by their big metal boxes. A short sharp shock every now and then serves to keep them aware of the fact that they have the potential to really badly f double star k us up in the forefront of their minds. A car is a lethal weapon.

I've (strangely) never ever actually been angry at a box (car) for doing something stupid, - I'm pretty detached while riding, its actually why I like it - in my experience its never ever been deliberate, and everybody makes mistakes, I just feel that by being a bit shouty and slightly scary (no women no kids rule on that though..) I'll make some kind of indent in the mind of a car driver in the same way that they make an indent in mine when I have a near miss - and potentially next time maybe they'll doublecheck their over the shoulder look in future..

I guess what I'm trying to say is this = When we have a near miss, we feel it and its f**king scary. We run over it 20, 30, 60 times in our head, and we make sure we make sure we don't make the same mistake again. Our lives are on the line. If we raise the stakes for cagers, if we turn an "oh, oops" near miss, into an "oh my ****ing god that scared the **** out of me" near miss (the kind we experience every time, having not the benefit of a big steel box) then we force them to go through the 20 or 30 re-imaginations of what could have been safer, thusly we force the car driving public to check that blind spot next time, and maybe save lives. Would I ever actually hit someone or go ape**** physically over a dangerous mistake? heck no, we're all human - and I've already mentioned a time where I got it wrong and it was due to a cagers dilligence that I didnt get hit - however do I think its benificial to shock people who could have killed me so that they don't do the same thing again. Its not even distribution but nor are the survival odds.

So yes, I'm from london and I sometimes act like a cvnt. Doesn't mean I am one, and there's a big difference between shouting at someone to drill a lesson home, and actually losing control and crossing a line. Its not a line I'd ever cross. But I'd sure as sheet have a shout at someone who knocked me off my bike, 90% of the time I'd be sliding across tarmac if I hadn't seen them being a dcik, I've earned the right to raise my voice...

Argumentative stance aside, much love to all, not trying to cause a 'flame war' or owt, just responding

SubLuminal

victorcarrera wrote: »

Unless I see them looking my way I always prepare to stop in situations like that even when driving the car. I regularly pass a shopping centre which has an exit on to a main rd. It's so bad there now that the shoppers have me convinced they have the right of way.
I have nearly been caught out approaching roundabouts where there is full visability too and I think it is because cyclists can get hidden from view behind the door pillar of the car at certain angles and in some situations behind the larger mirrors of trucks and busses.

+1, I actually think it'd be lovely if people who didn't have a demonstrable need of a car (most people) were forced to either ride a 'cycle or moped, then they'd learn to check for the spots where 2 wheelers are.. fair enough mum needs a car to take the kids to school, and sparky needs a van to get his tools to work, but does suit and boot really, really need a 5 series to do the morning commute? does he fcuk, get that fatboy 2 wheels better and watch our roads get free!

Lumen

SubLuminal wrote: »

I feel its justified because when it comes to big lumps of metal vs 2 wheelers, its us that ends up squished when someone makes a mistake.

Yes, but we freely choose a mode of transportation without crumple zones and seatbelts and therefore must be prepared for the possibility of getting seriously injured as a result of someone else's mistake.

If we can't accept those risks without behaving aggressively when the inevitable happens and someone makes a mistake then we should have chosen a safer mode of transport in the first place.

Aside from which, I honestly don't think those "lessons" really change anything. My wife was driving out of London one morning, and a motorcyclist pulled up beside her and went completely postal, banging on the window so hard she thought it would break, visor down. She was terrified and learnt nothing from the incident; I wouldn't have been surprised if she had subsequently had an accident on that journey because she was so shaky. She's a completely average driver, with one accident in 20ish years of driving (just after she passed her test).

Perhaps your shouting was more comprehensible, but I just don't think that aggression is a great way to teach people anything, or else we'd be employing drill sergeants as primary school teachers.

serendip

One of my pet peeves is tinted driver-side windows. They may have stopped, but if you can't see their eyes then you've no idea if they've seen you. I'd be very happy to see tinted front windows banned on a safety basis.

BostonB

Even highly trained fighter pilots work in pairs to cover what the other misses/can't see. So don't expect the impossible.

BostonB

Heading out of town late, 10pm. No traffic, see in the distance a taxi pull up to the left side of the road but indicating right. After a delay passenger gets out, I'm getting closer have two front lights one a flasher and a viz jacket and in the middle of three lanes. Taxi pulls out from curb as if to move into my lane but then stops. I get a bit closer assuming he's waiting for me. Then as I draw level with driver he suddenly does a 180 across me. Bang over the bonnet. Solid white line here too so no U turns. Claims he never saw me. Even a pedestrian commented to the driver how could you not see him he's lit like a Xmas tree.

Sometimes it's simply just a bad driver who doesn't look at all.

Lumen

BostonB wrote: »

Heading out of town late, 10pm. No traffic, see in the distance a taxi pull up to the left side of the road but indicating right. After a delay passenger gets out, I'm getting closer have two front lights one a flasher and a viz jacket and in the middle of three lanes. Taxi pulls out from curb as if to move into my lane but then stops. I get a bit closer assuming he's waiting for me. Then as I draw level with driver he suddenly does a 180 across me. Bang over the bonnet. Solid white line here too so no U turns.

That deserves prosecution.

BostonB

Thats a story for a different day. My only point is don't expect people to behave logically or predictably. Especially taxi's. People are flawed and often have poor observation skills.

oflahero

SubLuminal wrote: »

does anyone ever give car drivers (cagers) a hard time for making a mistake and being dangerous

What the hell is this, Point Break?

CramCycle

SubLuminal wrote: »

does anyone ever give car drivers (cagers) a hard time for making a mistake and being dangerous, i.e acting like you're really angry when actually you're not really, just so as to put the fear of god into them so that next time they might be a little bit more careful?

I used to but found that people tend to go on the defensive immediately and never admit their fault. I have found nowadays that if possible you should try and catch them and pull them over and just say what they done wrong. maybe I'm just lucky but 9/10 times if you remain nice they will apologise, and I hope learn a lesson. That said if that's impossible or too risky, fire away.

I don't think I have a right to be abusive, as I make horrific mistakes as well, not often, but sometimes.

Then again, sometimes a quick bellow, loud as you can at someone can make you feel alot better about nearly dying

blorg

http://bit.ly/bdxYID

SleepDoc

2 flashing cats eye front lights (on helmet and crossbars)

1 orange high vis.

6 and a half feet of a stunningly unathletic, inefficient cyclist.

Well lit main road 6.30 pm

Car turning right onto the main road nearly side swipes me. Then beeps at me. Cause obviously it's my fault for being on the road and being completely invisible (to blind morons).

Jawgap

3 examples of near misses:-

1. My most recent one - heading into the village where I live when I see the local estate agent's jeep in front of me. Creep-in-a-jeep pulls in and parks outside house. As I approach I move to the outside to overtake when creep-in-a-jeep decides he's at the wrong house and pulls out forcing me to swerve to the opposite side of the road and into path of oncoming school bus who brakes (thankfully) as I steer back to my side of the road in front of the jeep. I stopped the bike turned around to say something only to find that the bus driver had beaten me to it. I let them away with it.

2. Nearest near miss - commuter racing down the north quays having started said race at Islandbridge. I took the inside lane and the opposition took the middle route. He's beginning to pull away so I really put the hammer down to try and keep the gap respectable. As we came up to St Paul's Chruch (I think) just before the Four Courts, he turns and lets a roar at me to stop. I applied the brakes and saw a van turning from the outside lane across the traffic - applied the brakes harder and skidded into the van while managing to keep the bike upright. The driver and passenger got out and started giving out yards to me for denting the van. I pointed out the illegality of their turn and went to the front to get their insurance details only to find the van's insurance disc and tax were out of date. told them to f&ck off before I phoned the Guards and then phoned the Traffic Corps anyway.

3. Favourite near miss - up by Christchurch a black jeep turning right nearly wiped me out. Motorbike Guard saw the whole thing - took off after her and long story short - eventually prosecuted her - 500 yoyos and 5 points for careless driving!!!

blorg

SleepDoc wrote: »

Car turning right onto the main road nearly side swipes me. Then beeps at me. Cause obviously it's my fault for being on the road and being completely invisible (to blind morons).

As a cyclist you are meant to yield right of way at any junction to the motorised vehicle, that is how they see it.

Jawgap wrote: »

3. Favourite near miss - up by Christchurch a black jeep turning right nearly wiped me out. Motorbike Guard saw the whole thing - took off after her and long story short - eventually prosecuted her - 500 yoyos and 5 points for careless driving!!!

Problem is this sort of thing happens all the time but only the rare time will a garda see it.

CramCycle

blorg wrote: »

As a cyclist you are meant to yield right of way at any junction to the motorised vehicle, that is how they see it.

Sorry Blorg, but your wrong here. If I have interpreted it right that is. I presume from the original quote that the cyclist was on the main road and the car was turning onto it. In this case the vehicle on the main road i.e. the cyclist, has the right of way.

That said I may have misinterpreted the original quote from sleepDoc

BostonB

I think you missed the sarcasm there...

blorg

CramCycle wrote: »

Sorry Blorg, but your wrong here. If I have interpreted it right that is. I presume from the original quote that the cyclist was on the main road and the car was turning onto it. In this case the vehicle on the main road i.e. the cyclist, has the right of way.

That said I may have misinterpreted the original quote from sleepDoc

That is how many drivers seem to see it, that was my point. I think some genuinely seem to believe it.

CramCycle

Sorry, it sounded a bit sarcastic but just in case.

Met a driver the other day who pulled a handbrake at speed just in front of me. I stopped then proceeded cautiously as he then grinded into reverse and straight for me, then took off, only for I'd swung out I'd be plastered all over the road. When I caught up with him, at heavier traffic, he said he first never saw me and then that he was still in the right even though he had saw me?!? I should have paid him due diligence (his words) and stayed off the road.

I just took his plate and reported him, so dumbstruck was I that words were not even possible.

Maybe he was right?

CramCycle

Now thats sarcasm

Jawgap

blorg wrote: »

Problem is this sort of thing happens all the time but only the rare time will a garda see it.

I was "lucky" - although on the day in question in court the Guard told me she had been pleading not guilty - she (and presumably her solicitor) were gambling on me not turning up. When I arrived she didn't even recognise me. The Guard went over and told the solicitor the "star" witness had arrived!

As soon as the case was called, the solicitor shot to his feet and said they were changing their plea - to which the judge with some sarcasm added that he assumed that meant the witnesses were present but he accepted the plea then hit her up for the 5 and 5!!

blorg

CramCycle wrote: »

When I caught up with him, at heavier traffic, he said he first never saw me and then that he was still in the right even though he had saw me?!? I should have paid him due diligence (his words) and stayed off the road.

That is pretty much the attitude I'm referring to all right!

serendip

blorg wrote: »

That is how many drivers seem to see it, that was my point. I think some genuinely seem to believe it.

That may be it in part. But in some cases drivers seem also to wholly misjudge how fast a bike is approaching. Bikes are slow! I've plenty of time to get out.

BostonB

serendip wrote: »

That may be it in part. But in some cases drivers seem also to wholly misjudge how fast a bike is approaching. Bikes are slow! I've plenty of time to get out.

One day you'll be wrong.

Harrybelafonte

People seem to be having great difficulty with the concept of sarcasm on this thread.

BostonB

My bad, lol.

IM0

SubLuminal wrote: »

Anyone else got examples of near misses caused by idiotic cagers/peds not looking where they're going, or tips/tricks on how to avoid / tell when people havent seen you? I always notice if there are kids in the car and expect a mum to be distracted, perhaps thats unfair but if being unfair keeps me unsquished then I am happy to be very very unfair!

your new this I take it , it goes with the territory Im afraid, and the faster and more risks you take the more near misses you will have, also the more you try to second guess others to the point of becoming over anxious and over defensive, then it swings the other way, you actually increase your chances of things to *happen*.

Be vigilant and treat everyone like a muppet until they show you otherwise, look into the eyes of people especially in cars, you know straight away if they have seen you or not, tinted windows are a bit of a dice roll though, you never know if the fkcuwit has seen you until its too late.

jaqian

blorg wrote: »

http://bit.ly/bdxYID

That is just nuts.

chakattack

Jawgap wrote: »

3 examples of near misses:-

1. My most recent one - heading into the village where I live when I see the local estate agent's jeep in front of me. Creep-in-a-jeep pulls in and parks outside house. As I approach I move to the outside to overtake when creep-in-a-jeep decides he's at the wrong house and pulls out forcing me to swerve to the opposite side of the road and into path of oncoming school bus who brakes (thankfully) as I steer back to my side of the road in front of the jeep. I stopped the bike turned around to say something only to find that the bus driver had beaten me to it. I let them away with it.

2. Nearest near miss - commuter racing down the north quays having started said race at Islandbridge. I took the inside lane and the opposition took the middle route. He's beginning to pull away so I really put the hammer down to try and keep the gap respectable. As we came up to St Paul's Chruch (I think) just before the Four Courts, he turns and lets a roar at me to stop. I applied the brakes and saw a van turning from the outside lane across the traffic - applied the brakes harder and skidded into the van while managing to keep the bike upright. The driver and passenger got out and started giving out yards to me for denting the van. I pointed out the illegality of their turn and went to the front to get their insurance details only to find the van's insurance disc and tax were out of date. told them to f&ck off before I phoned the Guards and then phoned the Traffic Corps anyway.

3. Favourite near miss - up by Christchurch a black jeep turning right nearly wiped me out. Motorbike Guard saw the whole thing - took off after her and long story short - eventually prosecuted her - 500 yoyos and 5 points for careless driving!!!

Woah...great story on number two. Sounds like you really owe your opponent for saving your bacon. Does he get bonus points?

I love the buzz of commuter racing but racing down the quays with lots of stopped traffic is asking for trouble

blorg

chakattack wrote: »

I love the buzz of commuter racing but racing down the quays with lots of stopped traffic is asking for trouble

You really need to do it on a fixie with no breaks. Hones the skills, you learn to find the gaps.

Garlic Suplmnt

FYI, those coney things on O'Connell street mentioned in the OP, the first one in the series (at the junction with abbey street) was taken out somehow or other about 3 months ago, leaving it's barely visible base behind. I went straight over it coming home from work just before christmas while making a line for the cycle lane and nearly went over the handlebars. Also jarred my hand badly while grasping to keep control of the bike. Still there to this day, the main thoroughfare of the city :rolleyes:

SubLuminal

Thanks for the tip man, I hadn't noticed that - I'll bear it in mind in future!

Gavin

Garlic Suplmnt wrote: »

FYI, those coney things on O'Connell street mentioned in the OP, the first one in the series (at the junction with abbey street) was taken out somehow or other about 3 months ago, leaving it's barely visible base behind. I went straight over it coming home from work just before christmas while making a line for the cycle lane and nearly went over the handlebars. Also jarred my hand badly while grasping to keep control of the bike. Still there to this day, the main thoroughfare of the city :rolleyes:

Did you make a complaint to the corpo ?

Jawgap

chakattack wrote: »

Woah...great story on number two. Sounds like you really owe your opponent for saving your bacon. Does he get bonus points?

I love the buzz of commuter racing but racing down the quays with lots of stopped traffic is asking for trouble

He got the victory - what more could he have wanted - although I'd concede he'd deserve a beer or two by way of thanks!:)

Yeah, I love zipping down the Quays and looking for the gaps, but that day was a bit nuts and I'd be the first to accept it was stupid to be hitting the speeds we were hitting (37km/h + according to the Garmin) along a crowded spot like that. I put it down to an excess of testosterone!!!

superrdave

Lumen wrote: »

Yes, but we freely choose a mode of transportation without crumple zones and seatbelts and therefore must be prepared for the possibility of getting seriously injured as a result of someone else's mistake.

Well, not necessarily 'freely' choose. Some of us can't afford cars and bikes are considerably more efficient than the public transport in this city.

coolbeans wrote: »

As a former courier and a commuter leisure cyclist I bristle when I hear of cyclists trying to scare the bejaysus out of "cagers" as you call them. Don't get me wrong I do understand your actions (I went through a similar phase) but it really achieves very little and breeds hostility among motorists/peds and a psyche of them and us which in reality doesn't really exist.. A bell really does do an awful lot to solve the problem and its use can usually never be construed as aggressive in any way. A fenix is a very bright front mounted light.

While a bell is useful for warning pedestrians, it serves no purpose against motorists, especially in lorries and buses. Catching up with the motorist and remonstrating with them certainly has its uses, especially (as is often the case) if they have not even copped the near miss themselves.

BostonB wrote: »

Heading out of town late, 10pm. No traffic, see in the distance a taxi pull up to the left side of the road but indicating right. After a delay passenger gets out, I'm getting closer have two front lights one a flasher and a viz jacket and in the middle of three lanes. Taxi pulls out from curb as if to move into my lane but then stops. I get a bit closer assuming he's waiting for me. Then as I draw level with driver he suddenly does a 180 across me. Bang over the bonnet. Solid white line here too so no U turns. Claims he never saw me. Even a pedestrian commented to the driver how could you not see him he's lit like a Xmas tree.

Sometimes it's simply just a bad driver who doesn't look at all.

I had a similar one where a taxi pulled right across steven's green where he was coming from the south onto the east and I was coming from leeson street going north. He was pulling into the car park (the entrance is right by that yellow box) obviously right across a solid white line. Didn't even think to look in my direction. I hit the back right corner of his taxi and went flying, though I landed on my feet as I had almost stopped. Completely bent the frame of my bike though, which I only realised as I cycled off, him having given me twenty quid for a new wheel cos I told him it had buckled in the collision (it was already buckled). In short, he wasn't looking. I didn't shout at him or anything and he accepted right away he was in the wrong. Once they do that, there is absolutely no need to get aggressive. Only worth doing if they don't see you at all / get arsey.

SubLuminal wrote: »

Last night, O'Connell st., the cycle-laney bit near the bridge with the cone things that stick up out of the road, a couple step into the cycle lane without even looking, was riding someone elses bike that I'd just fixed for them, good job my brake fixes were effective because I only just didn't hit them - they got a good shouting at which made them jump back a foot which was the distance I didnt hit them by, really didn't have much time to react on that one. The guy looked annoyed at *me*! Tosser.

Two or three weeks ago I was bombing round college green (about 30-35kph) when a ped steps straight onto the road (right about here) in front of me. I would have swerved, except for the taxi right up my arse and I had no bell. I shouted at him and he jumped straight back. I'm not sure I even applied the brakes but even if I had I would have absolutely creamed him, ruined my bike and been off in front of the taxi. It would have been very very nasty. Anyway, shouting made him jump back pretty sharpish.

The other thing to remember is opening doors. When I first moved to Dublin and was unfamiliar with city traffic, I nearly got caught out coming down parkgate street with an opening door. Just give parked cars a good wide berth. If that means cycling so far out that the cars behind can't overtake / try risky overtaking / get angry with you, then so be it. You are only looking out for yourself after all. As are they, if they try to overtake you.

Garlic Suplmnt

Gavin wrote: »

Did you make a complaint to the corpo ?

Nah I didn't, and I really should do that kind of thing in future as someone else could split themselves. I did grass a scumbag up to the garda today who was scoping out cars on railway street from what was probably a stolen mountain bike, so I restored some semblance of balance to the force hopefully.

CramCycle

superrdave wrote: »

The other thing to remember is opening doors. When I first moved to Dublin and was unfamiliar with city traffic, I nearly got caught out coming down parkgate street with an opening door. Just give parked cars a good wide berth. If that means cycling so far out that the cars behind can't overtake / try risky overtaking / get angry with you, then so be it. You are only looking out for yourself after all. As are they, if they try to overtake you.

I do the same but to my knowledge the onus is on the driver to look for you if doors are being opened, regardless of who is opening them. If a driver or passenger opens a door and it comes anywhere near to hitting me. I have no problems stopping, getting off my bike and going back to tell the in a calm voice what a muppet (pry in a nicer tone) they are.

If I make a mistake, I don't expect people to let me off, I expect the same treatment. But like I said my life means more than the law but if you don't point it out people will never learn.

jaqian

superrdave wrote: »

While a bell is useful for warning pedestrians, it serves no purpose against motorists, especially in lorries and buses.

ChainReactionCycles do a bicycle air-horn which makes cars take notice. You refill it using a bike pump. Thinking of getting one myself if nothing else it will make peds take notice.

monument

superrdave wrote: »

While a bell is useful for warning pedestrians, it serves no purpose against motorists, especially in lorries and buses. Catching up with the motorist and remonstrating with them certainly has its uses, especially (as is often the case) if they have not even copped the near miss themselves.

I strongly disagree.

My bell is in the mid range for loudness of bells (its quite louder than a Dublin Bike bell, but notable not as loud as a bell on a friend's bike), and it proves useful for me on a near daily bases to warn motorists. Moreover, it seem to even sometime work in helping to warn bus drivers -- mostly when near the bus driver's window -- but I would always advice extrema caution around buses.

SubLuminal

Garlic Suplmnt wrote: »

FYI, those coney things on O'Connell street mentioned in the OP, the first one in the series (at the junction with abbey street) was taken out somehow or other about 3 months ago, leaving it's barely visible base behind. I went straight over it coming home from work just before christmas while making a line for the cycle lane and nearly went over the handlebars. Also jarred my hand badly while grasping to keep control of the bike. Still there to this day, the main thoroughfare of the city :rolleyes:

Reported this to my local TD just now - not particularly local to O'Connell st. but maybe its enough, all he has to do is make a call to the corpo hopefully.

If everyone does the same thing? Only takes a second, most of the TD's are on facebook now!

SerialComplaint

SubLuminal wrote: »

Reported this to my local TD just now - not particularly local to O'Connell st. but maybe its enough, all he has to do is make a call to the corpo hopefully.

If everyone does the same thing? Only takes a second, most of the TD's are on facebook now!

Why involve a TD? In fairness to DCC, I've generally found them fairly responsive to issues like this. Here's their contact details;

http://www.dublincity.ie/YourCouncil/AbouttheCouncil/CouncilDepartments/Pages/CustomerServices.aspx

Andrew33

taconnol wrote: »

I'm pretty sure I'm invisible when I cycle down the quays - pedestrians look right at me and carry on walking - in broad daylight..

It ain't just you guys, people stare straight at my taxi or sometimes stare me straight in the eye and then pull out in front anyway!

tomasrojo

superrdave wrote: »

While a bell is useful for warning pedestrians, it serves no purpose against motorists, especially in lorries and buses.

I tried a bell for a while, and I found that motorists couldn't hear it and that pedestrians generally imitiated the bell back at me and laughed when I used it to warn them

So I gave up on it and just gave polite verbal warnings of my approach to pedestrians and a sharp, brief shout in alarming situations with dozy motorists. The second type of warning has led to very occasional unpleasant confrontations though, when a dozy motorist turns into an outraged motorist hell-bent on teaching an "uppity" cyclist a lesson, so I've largely given up on that too, except when I'm really taken by surprise.

Pace @monument, maybe it was a lousy bell and better bells can be heard by motorists. It would be nice to have an alternative to the short shout that cannot be misinterpreted as aggression.