A very sad tale

[flecc]

I've always had a different opinion on "Hi-Viz" wear Barry, particularly in town, and as you see from the above, it's served me well. We live in a multi-coloured urban world where the multiple colours of much hi-viz can just merge with all the background, and I firmly believe that with a small target like a two wheeled user, a single colour over everything is best. Since nearly all tyres are black, having the entire outfit, bike and rider all over black, creates a maximum size of single area to be noticed. Even at night in urban conditions a larger black target can block the multiplicity of lighting and make the shape apparent, and of course the two wheelers lighting/reflectors being to a high standard is essential.

If as I do, you follow Moto GP and Superbike on TV, you'll soon see that the rider easiest to identify in a bunch is the one with the maximum of bike and rider all one colour. Valentino Rossi's predominantly yellow attire and bike are usually by far the easiest to identify what position he's in after a start for example, but the occasional all black race outfit is also easy to identify. The worst to identify is one of the many with multi-coloured leathers and helmet, them being lost into their background.

Accordingly I think the worst possible outfit is the multi coloured patchwork that so many motorcyclists wear, and the high incidence of drivers not seeing them doesn't surprise me.

I do fully agree on road position dominance though and frequently control the following traffic on my e-bike where it's necessary for safety. Few drivers object to that when the purpose is clear by decisive action and accompanying equally clear hand signals when necessary. It's dithering and nervousness that drivers hate, leaving them not knowing what the cyclist is going to do next and sometimes impatient in consequence.

I also cycle on two lane and completely unmarked national speed limit roads freely and always have done, and in my area if I didn't I wouldn't be able to cycle at all!
.

 

[Mussels]

I've hardly had any problem with people not seeing me but sod's law it would happen this morning. It was before dawn and I have a very bright flashing light on the front that is obvious from a hundred yards away, I was dominating the single lane round a small roundabout and a woman pulled out right in front of me. It was close but we both stopped in time, she was apologetic and had just looked right through me.
Apart from that my near misses involve people behind me who aren't paying attention at junctions, on the phone or chatting to passengers and fail to see something happen on the junction that forces me to stop. A brake light would be good.

 

[daniel.weck]

somehow hi-viz is not seen a 'cool', but ultimately cyclists have to take some responsiblity for alerting motorists to their presence, as the alternative could be A&E..

There is a very dangerous long stretch of road just outside of our local village. Steep, narrow, twisty with blind corners. I often see a guy in his late 40's mid 50's struggling to cycle up, swerving painfully and dangerously. He wears no helmet, dark clothes and has no lights. Unbelievable !

Having little or no money is no excuse, as yellow fluorescent jackets are dead-cheap (so are high-visibility arm bands) and LED lights are affordable nowadays. I think he's just lazy and unaware of the consequences of his acts. He may well be endangering motorists too, who could drive off-lane just to spare his life, and as a result create an accident with the oncoming traffic.

I don't mind looking un-cool with all my hi-viz gear. I value my life/health more than my sex-appeal I'd rather come-across as a responsible cyclist than oblivious to the sad reality of our poor-quality car-centric road network.

Happy cycling !
Cheers, Dan

 

[Bigbee]

There is a very dangerous long stretch of road just outside of our local village. Steep, narrow, twisty with blind corners. I often see a guy in his late 40's mid 50's struggling to cycle up, swerving painfully and dangerously. He wears no helmet, dark clothes and has no lights. Unbelievable !

Have you suggested an e-bike to him?

 

[Footie]

It's very sad when a young life is lost through the actions of such a grossly incompetent driver.
Personally I have no room for someone who acts in that way (hit and run) - that's the lowest of the low.

Barrycoll
.... I definitely will avoid cycling on any national speed limit 2 lane country road...the closing speed of 2 approaching cars could be 120 mph, and being the cycling meat in the sandwich does not appeal!! ....

Unfortunately, those of us living in "narrow road" Cornwall don't have much choice at playing the part of potential cycle meat sandwich.
Defensive riding (taking up correct position on road / taking charge of lanes) is a must in this part of the Country - there's no gutter’s on our roads only ditches
I'm colour matched to the bike (red and black) and have flashing lights on all the time, so I present a big (in your face) picture.
I may be soft (flesh and bone) but my chunky MTB ebike (35KG monster) will make a real mess of any fool who try’s to mess with me

-----------------------------------------------
Cougar Mountain Electric Bike 36v 200w rear wheel Hub motor (Jul07)
fitted with 10 Ah LiFePo4 battery (Apr08)
Maximum range (road/hills - Cornwall) 18 miles
Maximum range (on flat) 25 miles
.

 

[Alex728]

to put it further into perspective there are also some much bleaker and sadder tales - in todays Britain a young lady of that age is at far more risk of being hurt or even killed by someone she considered to be a soulmate or a friend, than a stranger, either on or off the roads.

A lot of young ladies now drive everywhere to get a bit of independence from controlling partners or unwanted advances from strangers/to go out as a group - but at the same time they still chance it with partying, alcohol and drugs or even their own risky and aggressive driving (ladette culture) and are increasingly involved in injury/fatal RTCs, often with a group of such girls being killed because their driver insisted on getting behind the wheel after having a drink. then there's also the "young girl with slightly older boyfriend (late teens/20s) with nice car" and that often ends up in carnage...

Worse, domestic violence amongst teens and 20-somethings (virtually unheard of during my own youth) has shot through the roof in recent times and is probably a worse threat these days than roads....

 

[Alex728]

I
Fortunately, my chunky MTB ebike will make a real mess of any fool who try’s to mess with me

I've seen the aftermath of car vs pedestrian/cyclist RTCs and because of this am less paranoid about taking "assertive" road positions, particularly with older owners of high value cars and even with many younger gary boys/girls. Even if the drivers hate you and do not feel you should be there, many do not want to damage their pride and joy by crashing into you!

 

[daniel.weck]

Have you suggested an e-bike to him?

We shouldn't judge people only from their appearance, but in this case there is no choice: I would say that this lad doesn't have much money, looking at the bicycle, clothing and haircut...The man is brave enough to take on the climb, fair play to him. My intuition tells me that he doesn't have a car and that he is "forced" to relying on human power. I could be wrong though. It is such a shame that he doesn't go the extra mile (so to speak) to purchase some cheap hi-viz gear. I am worried that one day someone will run him over. I would speak to him if I knew where he lived.

 

[barrycoll]

I appreciate that the majority of subscribers to this site are keen cyclists, assisted, or otherwise....
using national speed limit roads is a Must for some country folk, and my appeal again would be to make yourself as visible as possible...its when one sees the sort of driving errors made by people who are ostensibly keen to do their best, that one realises how vulnerable the cyclist is...especially as not everybody is keen, fully awake, or even interested!!!!
the basis of IAM training is for the driver to be in the 'right' position on the road, travelling at the 'right speed' for the circumstance (which might be 60mph or 15mph), and able to stop safely on his (or her!) side of the road, in the distance they can see to be clear....if you can drive with this parameters intact for 1-2 hours, you will Pass your advanced test
the most frequently written word on crash (NOT accident!) claim forms is SUDDENLY....but things dont happen suddenly, they develop, and other than a blow out or mechanical failure, they develop at a speed that can be accomodated to, if the individual is anticipating, and focussed ...distracted people 'suddenly' see a cyclist!!!
so once again we can help by making our selves visible as early as possible, but I cant go along with Flecc's analysis that black is the colour of choice...white maybe, but not black..
when I was still commuting to work on my bike ( still young and vigorous!), I wore a white crash hat, a red cycling jersey and a yellow Sam Brown belt, and I attached a flashing LED to my right ankle to double its visbility from behind, and to the right hand side...
but vehicles emerging from the left are the real problem, and even if you think that you have made eye contact you may not have been 'seen'....so have a contingency plan in the back of your mind, and cover those brake levers!!!
as you can guess, reading Roadcraft, the Polce Drivers Handbook is my daily fare, and in fact it is a good read too, for all roadusers including cyclists
safe cycling

 

[flecc]

but vehicles emerging from the left are the real problem, and even if you think that you have made eye contact you may not have been 'seen'....so have a contingency plan in the back of your mind, and cover those brake levers!!!

Absolutely, particularly for motorcyclists whose deaths are most frequently caused by this, and it emphasizes that one's safety is chiefly in one's own hands. Realising that and desisting from trying to blaming others at every opportunity is the best recipe for a trouble free road using life. That attitude has not only kept me alive and completely unharmed over so many years and often with very high mileages, it's also economic through the enjoyment of non-stop full no claims bonus on motorbikes and cars.
.

 

[the_killjoy]

The main problem is with young (then everyone is to me) riders who have no lights or hi-vis at dusk or early when it is misty.

The trouble is that they are of an age which doesn't yet drive a car and don't realize that from in a car the driver's visibility is much less than theirs.

 

[Dynamic Position]

Super bright rear flashing lights and high visibility vests are usually great so that you can be seen while cycling, but a cyclist could easily convince themselves that they are being seen all the time: This is not the case when the sun is shining low and renders the precautions useless
I find that a low sun is blinding even while cycling. When driving, I tend to drive slightly further from the kerb just in case.
If you are getting blinded by the sun while cycling it would be wise to assume that the the people behind you are also being blinded and might not see you.

 

[flecc]

but I cant go along with Flecc's analysis that black is the colour of choice...white maybe, but not black..

To get noticed is why Batman has his car all black :

Batmobile

take your cue from the film industry where they usually rely on large single colour masses to get attention, black being a particular favourite. Darth Vader wouldn't get half so much attention if he wore a patchwork quilt.

That said, it's for motorcycles I've relied on black, partly because almost all my riding has been in daylight hours when a large black area is particularly noticeable. At nights all two wheelers are so especially vulnerable that I prefer to avoid any riding after dark whenever possible.

P.S. My main car is all black too.
.

 

[Phil [OnBike]]

What a sad story to hear indeed!

Drivers mostly just look out for cars and therefore that's all that's on their radar

I rode home from a friend's house last night and an impatient car actually over took me as I was about to go across an island - he squeezed between me and one of those small islands for pedestrians to cross onto leaving me about an inch of room

He received a complimentary two-finger salute!

 

[Alex728]

What a sad story to hear indeed!

Drivers mostly just look out for cars and therefore that's all that's on their radar

I rode home from a friend's house last night and an impatient car actually over took me as I was about to go across an island - he squeezed between me and one of those small islands for pedestrians to cross onto leaving me about an inch of room

Ever noticed that some drivers seem to get angrier if you are riding fast on your e-bike? firstly they misjudge your speed (15+mph) and seem annoyed you can actually get that fast...

 

[Barnowl]

Ever noticed that some drivers seem to get angrier if you are riding fast on your e-bike? firstly they misjudge your speed (15+mph) and seem annoyed you can actually get that fast...

In a run up to an fairly busy island I freqent I find it helps to get my speed up to the same as the traffic 23 - 27 mph. This would be the equivalent on most car speedos of about 26 - 31 mph. I can't say I've noticed anyone getting angry but I am seriously alert for drivers on the left misjudging my speed.

 

[Alex728]

I've found the anger occasionally manifests itself in the drivers still stubbornly pulling out (as if in complete denial a "pushbike" can go that fast) and/or a blast on the horn...

thankfully traffic flows in East Anglia are not as bad so this happens very rarely...

barry the advanced driving instructor mentions the errors made by drivers trying to do their best, so those who just don't care are going to be far worse..

 

[Phil the drill]

As one who has suffered at the hands of other road users (once knocked off my bike 3 times on one trip alone - to work - a very bad day indeed), and once been largely responsible for my own big smash (I hit a white van head on in a steep narrow lane at 30mph + and actually cleared the roof of the van to eventually "face plant" on the road behind it), I would have to admit to being a little fatalistic in my outlook nowadays...
Accidents (or 'incidents' as some prefer to call them) happen. Some you can avoid, some you can't. You just can't let fear rule your life, or you won't have much of one to live .
You can learn from your mistakes and those of others but you can't always plan for every eventuality.
When I was a kid sitting in the front passenger seat next to my father ((who wasn't exactly a slow driver ), a guy in a Aston Martin flew up behind us, instantly overtaking on a blind bend as we crested a hill. It was a fast two lane A road. As the car just passed us a big motorcycle came over the hill top, probably doing a bout 60mph. He wasn't going too fast for the conditions, and he probably barely had time to see the car before they hit. The car was virtually cut in two and the driver killed outright, the motorcyclist was too and we found him a long way down the road form the site of the collision. It had a profound effect on me. Mostly, I have always held the view, be reasonably cautious by all means, but no matter what you can't control everything just don't let it bother you.
Planes (very occasionally) fall out of the sky, lightning strikes can be unpredictable, terrorist are a fact of life (even here, as we all know). What the heck. Life is for the living .

 

[tenderbehind]

A sad incident indeed, I wish the young lady all the best.
I've just started motorcycling again after 20 or so years and really enjoying it, a friend of mine who is a bit outspoken said I looked like a belisha beacon dressed up in jaket and trousers each with bright yellow on, and he a former mcyclist himself! Of course I retorted with the obvious, better that way than not being seen. Like Flecc I have never fallen off an e bike or motor bike except when the motor bike has been stationery. This happens when I am trying to make a tight turn especially where the road or lane is narrow, slippery or on a slope, or all three. If I'm careless, or my foot slips, the bike tips to one side while I'm trying to turn it and is too heavy to save it from going right over, and is very heavy to put upright again, still, I am learning not to get into this situation though it happened again last sunday, - felt a right twit, couldn't get the bike upright fast enough and get out of an embarrasing situation.
On the M or e bike approaching junctions, cross roads, side roads into main roads and roundabouts, in fact anywhere where you are or could be ''threatened'' by an emerging vechile, can I offer the following tip? I.E. look at the WHEELS of the vechile more than the vechile itself. I find it much easier to see if the vechile is moving or starting to move by watching the wheels which are usually sculptured or patterened, rather than an overall vechile, even a slow and small movement can be seen.
As all know of course, wear high visibilty gear, concentrate, anticipate, drive for the other driver, use clear signals, bright lights, keep within all speed limits, (m bikes), use your mirrors fequently if you have them, glance behind you before manouvering, etc etc what else can you do?
As Phil the Drill says, there is of course risk in our activities but I for one could never say ''I'm not going to in case it happens to me'', it might not, and you would have missed a lot if you don't take the risk.

 

[the_killjoy]

... and of course at junctions always try and make eye contact with the driver.