Near misses - mod warning 22/04 - see OP/post 822

BrianHenryIE

I posted on Reddit asking for advice on buying a camera, basically asking how to keep the camera permanently attached and secure. Advice welcome:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/comments/9cgdqn/gopro_session_prepurchase_mountscases_antitheft/

I've been considering the GoPro Session but am open to advice on alternatives.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/ is pretty good for those who read this thread!

buffalo

Seems like it's dark enough in the mornings at 7.45 to start using the front light again, or it may have been my lack of hi-viz...

Effects

Had a guy on a bike almost collide with me on Friday. He was cycling the wrong way up Francis St., on his right hand side of the street.
When I stopped and had a word, he was pretty aggressive and informed me that one way road rules don't apply to bicycles, only cars.
I guess cycling on the left hand side of the road only applies to cars as well.

site_owner

mdae the 5km journey out to portmarnock beach at the weekend from baldoyle.
had the kids so not a hope of bringing them on that road so forced to use the car.

at least 3 close passes from my view, by oncoming cars buzzing cyclists.

in expectation of catching up to a cyclist or meeting someone headon i drive around 45kmh, rather than the 60kmh limit, but well below the more common 80kmh on the road and dont overtake on blind bends so i have cars hanging off my bumper the whole way to encourage me to go faster.

as comon enough, we catch up to a cyclist (lone, ~15-20kmh) so will pass when ready (i generally dont pass groups, or cyclists going 30+) there are only about 3 or 4 spots on that road that i consider safe to pass so i'll hang back until then and if i miss it due to oncoming cyclists or cars i'll just wait it out.

anyway, overtake this guy after maybe 20 seconds of holding off, of course 2 or 3 cars follow me, long after its safe
and then we get to portmarnock village where we all just sit in mass traffic anyway.

from red arches roundabout to portmarnock roundabout is 2.1km
thats 6mins at 20kmh vs about 2 mins at 60kmh.
if i was stuck behing a cyclist from end to end, it wouls cost me 4 effing minutes. am i such a prick that i cant wait 4 mins?

i honestly cannot wait until they build the greenway but i really think they could do something about that stretch. maybe one of them signs they have in europe

Alanstrainor

buffalo wrote: »

Seems like it's dark enough in the mornings at 7.45 to start using the front light again, or it may have been my lack of hi-viz...

Stupid driving altogether. I feel bad for the bus drivers who have to deal with that ****e almost every 30 seconds. I've taken to using a front flashing light all year round. It doesn't have to be anything terribly powerful, but I think it helps. As for the reg, I reckon it's a 2008 or 2009 reg, that model car wasn't out on 2003. The original video clip will have better clarity, youtube compresses things.

buffalo

Alanstrainor wrote: »

As for the reg, I reckon it's a 2008 or 2009 reg, that model car wasn't out on 2003. The original video clip will have better clarity, youtube compresses things.

I'll post a screenshot later, but the reg number looked like it was drawn on.

Ray Bloody Purchase

I had a near miss this morning, the guy behind me got knocked over and i think the person in front of me got tipped too.

Coming up the hill towards Christ Church where the cycle lane splits, i looked over my shoulder, indicated right to get into the lane for straight ahead and saw a white berlingo type van coming up behind me. He wasn't going at any great speed, but he came up from behind, cut across me and two other cyclists. We were already in the lane to go ahead at this stage.

I think he may have tipped the person in front of me, he definitely hit the guy behind me and knocked him over. It was one of those ones that happened in slow motion. I lashed the side of the van to get him to stop. It was if he didn't see us at all (which is probably the case).

The lad behind me definitely got hit, I'm not sure if he fell over fully, but as i left he was giving him a piece of his mind. I let a few 'fcuks' out of me at him as well, but i was a bit gassed from the hill. :D

Fcuking left me a bit rattled.

Danjamin1

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

I had a near miss this morning, the guy behind me got knocked over and i think the person in front of me got tipped too.

Coming up the hill towards Christ Church where the cycle lane splits, i looked over my shoulder, indicated right to get into the lane for straight ahead and saw a white berlingo type van coming up behind me. He wasn't going at any great speed, but he came up from behind, cut across me and two other cyclists. We were already in the lane to go ahead at this stage.

I think he may have tipped the person in front of me, he definitely hit the guy behind me and knocked him over. It was one of those ones that happened in slow motion. I lashed the side of the van to get him to stop. It was if he didn't see us at all (which is probably the case).

The lad behind me definitely got hit, I'm not sure if he fell over fully, but as i left he was giving him a piece of his mind. I let a few 'fcuks' out of me at him as well, but i was a bit gassed from the hill. :D

Fcuking left me a bit rattled.

Hate that junction, it’s on my route as well. It’s awful from Kevin street onwards as you’ve got two lanes merging to one because of the bus lane, then one lane suddenly becoming three lanes after the traffic lights and the left lane catering for both straight on & left turning traffic. The cycle lane layout is poor there too. All that aside if someone’s just not paying attention the road layout doesn’t matter much.

Ray Bloody Purchase

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Hate that junction, it’s on my route as well. It’s awful from Kevin street onwards as you’ve got two lanes merging to one because of the bus lane, then one lane suddenly becoming three lanes after the traffic lights and the left lane catering for both straight on & left turning traffic. The cycle lane layout is poor there too. All that aside if someone’s just not paying attention the road layout doesn’t matter much.

Yeah, i really hate it too. It just seems like a bit of a free for all coming up that hill. Drivers are always really aggressive when they are trying to get into that left lane.

buffalo

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Hate that junction, it’s on my route as well. It’s awful from Kevin street onwards as you’ve got two lanes merging to one because of the bus lane, then one lane suddenly becoming three lanes after the traffic lights and the left lane catering for both straight on & left turning traffic. The cycle lane layout is poor there too. All that aside if someone’s just not paying attention the road layout doesn’t matter much.

I think that's a junction that'd really benefit from an advance green for cyclists. Give everyone a chance to get into the correct lane and then up the hill. It's a pain if you're trying to turn right onto Dame St unless you get lucky with the light sequence.

site_owner

one of my pannier clips broke this morning and my bag got sucked into the rear wheel. brought me to a pretty abrupt stop.
luckily there was no one behind me and it was a wider section of road so the cars could ignore/laugh at me me in peace.

Alanstrainor

brian.henry wrote: »

I posted on Reddit asking for advice on buying a camera, basically asking how to keep the camera permanently attached and secure. Advice welcome:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/comments/9cgdqn/gopro_session_prepurchase_mountscases_antitheft/

I've been considering the GoPro Session but am open to advice on alternatives.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/ is pretty good for those who read this thread!

There's no way you're going to be able to leave the camera(s) on the bike. Just as you would with a garmin/light, you'll have to take them off when going into the shops. The under-saddle screw-on mount will allow you to remove the camera with a thumb screw, and the session is tiny.

I do think the Session is a good camera, with plenty of mounts/larger battery options. Just so long as the price is right.

ED E

brian.henry wrote: »

I posted on Reddit asking for advice on buying a camera, basically asking how to keep the camera permanently attached and secure. Advice welcome:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/comments/9cgdqn/gopro_session_prepurchase_mountscases_antitheft/

I've been considering the GoPro Session but am open to advice on alternatives.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeCammers/ is pretty good for those who read this thread!

I'm with Al here - this is a non runner. Even if you can secure the camera its presence will attract attention. Scrotes love to kick wheels in to return for bikes later when the owner can't ride home etc. Not fun.

Use a Session myself. The cage mount is about 10x faster than a full size waterproof clamper on regular GoPros. Takes about 1.5s to pull and pocket the GoPro. Yes it'd be nice to not have to but its really not an issue.


Innnnn any case - you can't dump GoPro over USB or the dates get messed up on your files. Gotta use a card reader to get it right. That means pulling the camera at home.

mr spuckler

heading down Haddington road last night I got left hooked for the 2nd time in about 2 weeks at the same spot. just after the lights at Baggot st bridge a car overtook me then cut left straight away to turn into Percy place. once again no acknowledgement or seeming interest when I shouted after him.

it was getting dark and I was running 2 bright lights on the back, maybe he had his hi-hiz filter on and would only have seen me if I was wearing that?

Danjamin1

Saw a fella in front of me nearly get wiped out on Cypress Grove Road inbound this monring, the road was gridlocked so both he & I were using the cycle lane, one which I would normally avoid. As he approached a junction he nearly got creamed as he proceeded through the crossing as a car turned left at the same time. He should have yielded and got off lucky, but that's one of the main reasons I try not to use that cycle lane, you lose priority at every junction. I'd say he'd have been neither the first nor the last to get hit in that manner along that stretch.

site_owner

tedpan wrote: »

Close one for the cyclist..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoX6q6iNHh8

Stolen from the car forum dashcam thread.
I'm sure they'll dissect the cyclists lack of flashing headgear and foghorn in due course

site_owner

site_owner wrote: »

Stolen from the car forum dashcam thread.
I'm sure they'll dissect the cyclists lack of flashing headgear and foghorn in due course

Not sure it comes across in the video but it's a slight down hill there so can do a decent clip along there. Guy might have been lucky he wasn't going faster.

Ray Bloody Purchase

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Saw a fella in front of me nearly get wiped out on Cypress Grove Road inbound this monring, the road was gridlocked so both he & I were using the cycle lane, one which I would normally avoid. As he approached a junction he nearly got creamed as he proceeded through the crossing as a car turned left at the same time. He should have yielded and got off lucky, but that's one of the main reasons I try not to use that cycle lane, you lose priority at every junction. I'd say he'd have been neither the first nor the last to get hit in that manner along that stretch.

That's a dodgy spot there. The cycle lane lends itself to people zipping onto the roundabout. Anyone turning left isn't checking for cyclists either.

CramCycle

Nearly seen an e-bike getting taken out of it yesterday evening in Bray. I was about 10m back and I seen the car indicating for awhile. It was close to the turn but it really wasn't clear if he was letting people past or just not clear to go yet. I slowed down anyway, you never know and as I pulled out right to go round the car, it turned in on the e bike that didn't take the more cautious line. He let a roar, and to be fair to the biker, he acknowledged he should have not gone with the indicator on but it really was a hard call from where I was. Glad I chose the more cautious route.

At the next lights, I heard him and the other e bike talking about how much their bikes cost, jaysus.

site_owner

i should have just kept the lane, i didnt expect the car hanging out in the cycle lane or the mondeo to be inches off my wheel. got a proper fright.

passed the mondeo 40m ahead (along with plenty of other cars) and didnt see it again until the hill, when i lost some steam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rulKxfBdNo

mr spuckler

that rear view is hard to watch tbh.

site_owner

mr spuckler wrote: »

that rear view is hard to watch tbh.

Quality wise?

Steoller

site_owner wrote: »

mr spuckler wrote: »

that rear view is hard to watch tbh.

Quality wise?

Pucker-factor wise.

mr spuckler

site_owner wrote: »

Quality wise?

sorry no, not that at all.
I have the same trailer for my 2 1/2 year old and am watching that almost as if it was my own. I always think of the trailer as safer for a multitude of reasons, primarily the extra space that cars tend to give us when we're using the trailer. the mondeo pretty much shaves the wheel in that clip.

it shows as well though the dangers of people causally occupying cycle lanes - the car parked in the lane forces you out into traffic where the mondeo driver then drives way too close to you than any reasonable person would consider to be safe.

Kop Idol

Not only is that Mondeo driver hanging just off the back of the trailer but they look like they almost brush mirrors with the oncoming car who is nearly on the white line themselves to avoid parked cars on their side of the road. Absolutely bonkers !

John Hutton

That's a few videos from that stretch of road in Baldoyle. I cycle it regularly and I try and take the lane there due to idiots like your driver and other idiots pulling out of Lidl

site_owner

John Hutton wrote: »

That's a few videos from that stretch of road in Baldoyle. I cycle it regularly and I try and take the lane there due to idiots like your driver and other idiots pulling out of Lidl

its me posting most of them i'd say !
i've tried every tactic and they all lead to dodgy overtakes on certain occasions. its only ever in hindsight that i can say something would have worked better. dragging a large trailer means different decisions than if i was just sprinting through.

for example, taking the lane on that speed bump usually means a sharp deceleration and acceleration from the car in front. i can be rolling at 35k as seen in this video, but i cant accelerate to that as quickly as a car once weve stopped dead, leaving me exposed to aggressive driving from behind. i also have to weigh up where they are going to try their next overtake if i try hold the lane here.

the constant in every single incident i've had is that its drivers behaving impatiently, not my position, speed, acceleration, visibility, maneuvering, whatever.

comanche_cor

site_owner wrote: »

its me posting most of them i'd say !

I've seen you post a few of these and that one was genuinely scary!

First off I believe that this warrant a report to the guards as its dangerous driving.

Secondly, it seems like no change in behavior on your part is having any effect on drivers behaviour on this stretch of road. You should not have to change behaviour but from the clips shown I fear that if something does not change that then you will be involved in an incident. Is there an alternative route you can take, can you travel at a different time? I'd assume you are having the same thoughts?

site_owner

comanche_cor wrote: »

. Is there an alternative route you can take, can you travel at a different time? I'd assume you are having the same thoughts?

thanks for the suggestions. unfortunately the route is the safest option open to me. mostly due to bad suburban planning.

the council have designed all parks around here with "kissing gates" and have not responded to my requests to remove them
and iarnrod eireann designed clongriffin dart station like a bike proof fortress rather than a nice open plan plaza (leading to more anti-social behavior IMO)

the alternate route would be to head out towards portmarnock and then back down the moyne road....

time wise, my videos are from every hour of the day, that doesnt make a difference unfortunately. one thing that sometimes helps with the overtakes is heavier traffic, but that has other negatives (blocked roads, blind junctions, etc)

since i started cycling i now see 3 other trailers and 2 cargo bikes on the route along with a lot more child seats so i like to think things will get better

comanche_cor

site_owner wrote: »

the council have designed all parks around here with "kissing gates" and have not responded to my requests to remove them

Have your contacted your local TDs offices with a copy of the original communication and the video evidence of why you would like the gates opened?