First Crash/Close Call

ZiabR

So yesterday evening I had my first crash on the bike. On a narrow road I was essentially squeezed by two cars, hit a kerb and went over the handle bars. Car behind me tried to get past me before an oncoming car passed me and timed it wrong. I had nowhere to go. My left knee and arm took all of the impact, very sore today but nothing broken.

Bike is only new and took a battering, left gear lever was pushed inside the handle bar arms and the gear levers are scratched. Minor frame scratches. Fixed the gear lever positioning last night.

Cars both kept going and never stopped.

Rightly pi**ed off and sore.

rollingscone

That's brutal man. Two more B licences that should be thrown on the "to shred" pile.

Tenzor07

Sorry to hear that, hope no bad injuries..

Were you close into the left side of the road at the time?

ZiabR

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Sorry to hear that, hope no bad injuries..

Were you close into the left side of the road at the time?

Yes, I was as far in as I could go, I do respect cars and know that I don't own the road when I cycle.

SCOOP 64

i think every cyclist should have of those web cameras.

mackeminexile

Hope you're ok, luckily it wasn't worse. Go to the hospital and get checked out anyway then make a report to the Gardai. Did you get driver details, car reg's etc?

droidus

logik wrote: »

Yes, I was as far in as I could go, I do respect cars and know that I don't own the road when I cycle.

And that, right there is your problem. You should've been further out and then they wouldn't have been able to ***k you and drive away.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I hope you are ok. Pretty reckless overtaking from what you have said. Did the car hit you? Think is it possible they just didn't see you fall (i highly doubt this).

I have had a couple of close calls like that. One woman in an SUV overtook me, I was doing about 30MPH and a car was coming towards us, she couldn't overtake me so turned into me, pushing me towards a long line of parked cars. Why she didn't stop and go behind me I don't know, especially since the lights ahead were red and she had nowhere to go.

Another lady clipped me while I was overtaking a parked car. She tried to overtake me while I was overtaking the parked car with oncoming traffic, again she had nowhere to go but into me. She drove for about 10-20 meters and stopped to apologise. You know what she said? I didn't think you would come out that far. What? Was I supposed to bunny hop over the car? You seen me pull out, I was ahead of you and you STILL decided to overtake me. She was really shook up and as she said sorry I let it go with a brief lecture.

This morning this motorbike passed me in the bus lane but as he overtook me he had his left hand extended out as if to reach me. He wasn't indicating as his indicators were working and there were no turns on this stretch of road. Think was this malicious or is it some sort of procedure I am unaware of? I think he was pissed off as I was at the right hand side of the bike lane, which puts me roughly in the middle of the bus lane. I do this so buses/taxis/other cars cannot overtake me as it's too dangerous here (Rock road before Blackrock clinic going towards Dublin city). Any ideas why he would do this?

ZiabR

It happened so fast that I didnt see the cars reg. The car didn't hit me and yes I suppose it is possible that the cars didn't see me fall. You are right, maybe staying to close to the side opens the door for these things to happen. I am ok, just annoyed that it happened.

It is the same route I cycle usually so I will keep an eye out for the car.

07Lapierre

logik wrote: »

Yes, I was as far in as I could go, I do respect cars and know that I don't own the road when I cycle.

Glad your OK, but on narrow roads, don't be shy about moving out from the kerb. You won't be popular with motorists, but helps avoid these situations.

Chips Lovell

Yes, to echo others, don't hog the kerb in situations like that. Nobody's saying the accident was your fault, but staying well out will help prevent people trying reckless stuff like that.

ZiabR

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Yes, to echo others, don't hog the kerb in situations like that. Nobody's saying the accident was your fault, but staying well out will help prevent people trying reckless stuff like that.

Thanks for the input guys.

idiottje

Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope your okay. I had a few close calls, and thought about a video camera. I did not want to be "that guy" so I got a bullet cam, and mounted it on the underside of the helmet edge, on the right hand side . It was not really visible. I had an incident with a motorist where they just pulled left into a bus lane to skip a queue of traffic, and took a tumble against a kerb. The mounting came off, so I remounted it high on the top center of the helmet to stop it being damaged or breaking in a fall. It is quite visible. My friends and family laugh at it. But the amount of space overtaking bus, taxi and truck drivers give me now is unreal. People at junctions turning left into my lane of traffic seem to be less likely to take the chance when they see the camera also. It is really obvious I have it on. I would recommend wearing one as a visual deterrent. I am still expecting to come across a knob head, but I am quite shocked as to how drivers react to seeing me using it.

buffalo

idiottje wrote: »

I would recommend wearing one as a visual deterrent. I am still expecting to come across a knob head, but I am quite shocked as to how drivers react to seeing me using it.

I must start mounting a light on my helmet, see if anything changes.

shar01

+ 1 to helmet cam. Not only does it act as a deterrent to other roadusers who might act the maggot, it also modifies your own behaviour.

I like to think I'm a considerate driver but since getting a dashcam, I find myself being extra careful - kinda like "Even though I'm in the "right", how would my actions look to a stranger viewing the footage?"

I really don't get people who overtake inappropriately - all for the sake of a few seconds.

cdaly_

buffalo wrote: »

I must start mounting a light on my helmet, see if anything changes.

I have one on mine (it's handy for reading audax route sheets at night). I also rarely get close passes but, then again, I always occupy as much road as I think I need...

Seaswimmer

Landon Red Fingerprint wrote: »

This morning this motorbike passed me in the bus lane but as he overtook me he had his left hand extended out as if to reach me. He wasn't indicating as his indicators were working and there were no turns on this stretch of road. Think was this malicious or is it some sort of procedure I am unaware of? I think he was pissed off as I was at the right hand side of the bike lane, which puts me roughly in the middle of the bus lane. I do this so buses/taxis/other cars cannot overtake me as it's too dangerous here (Rock road before Blackrock clinic going towards Dublin city). Any ideas why he would do this?

No idea. I use that stretch of road everyday and find mopeds/motorbikes to be generally fine.

however bottom line is that you are entitled to be in the bus lane......they are not..

Macy0161

Seaswimmer wrote: »

No idea. I use that stretch of road everyday and find mopeds/motorbikes to be generally fine.

I haven't had any issue with motorbikes/ mopeds on that route either - my "too close for comfort" moments on that route have been private coaches (both times an aircoach actually). After it happened the second time (in what was my first couple of weeks commuting) I'm more confident about taking the lane now when necessary.

rollingscone

logik wrote: »

Thanks for the input guys.

Cars don't have a special right to the road. Remember that.

Obviously everyone should try to be helpful to other road users but there are some situations where you have to put your safety ahead of trying to be unobtrusive.

I always try to take a metre or so from the edge of the road to give myself survival space, good motorists don't have a problem overtaking safely as if they were passing another car (It's the way my now 70 year old father taught me to drive so it can't be that new a concept), when I'm on fast descents I tend to push out even further because the last thing I want is some idiot skimming by me when I'm doing 50+.

TLDR: You can be welcoming to other road users without being a doormat.

not yet

rollingscone wrote: »

That's brutal man. Two more B licences that should be thrown on the "to shred" pile.

By B I hope you mean b0llox's...

rollingscone

not yet wrote: »

By B I hope you mean b0llox's...

If we had to license those, we'd be a lot further ahead as a society.

Colonel Panic

I never ride in the gutter/close to the kerb now. I ride primary and people seem to almost always give a wide berth when overtaking. I did have one guy pass me insanely close twice today. Tapped on his window at the lights to tell him it was dangerous and he just shrugged at me.

He seemed like an awful driver, when the lights changed, he sped on and was hugging the kerb so close, I'm amazed I didn't hear his alloys grind. His passenger was mortified.

onimpulse

logik wrote: »

Yes, I was as far in as I could go, I do respect cars and know that I don't own the road when I cycle.

I think you need to change your perspective for your own sake. Legally the car behind you is only allowed pass if it is safe to do so. You have a right to cycle on the road.

Cycling as far in on the left as possible while fine on a road with room for cars to pass becomes dangerous on narrow roads where cars will attempt to squeeze past regardless of if there is room or not & with no thought to your safety.

You have to look after your own safety & be more assertive on the road, if the road isn't wide enough for a car to safely pass move out & hold the lane. When oncoming traffic passes / the road widens & it becomes safe for a car to pass again move back into the left.

Don't put your life in danger because you're bullied into the side of the road.

Pinch Flat

Had some stupid b!nt come against me while overtaking a fellow cyclist in fog and on the wrong side of the road on the strawberry beds earlier.

My 200 lux flashing light was obviously too weak for her to see me. It's ok though - she flashed her lights continuously at me. I think that means "I'm a motorist, outta my way".