This van came up along side me yesterday just approaching a crossing that has been narrowed, and with busy traffic going both ways there wasn't really room for two cars and a bike so to keep myself from being squeezed into the kerb I kept going and tried to stay in front, but looking at the video at what I couldn't see at the time and seeing this van was actually wanting to turn left, I feel I was quite lucky here and perhaps I should have slowed and stopped to let this person go.. Or did the small child tell the driver I was there? I am finding this more and more with drivers overtaking so close to where they want t turn left..

The van driver should have hung back, but drivers often don't expect a bike to be going as fast as we often do on our e-bikes, so think they'll get well past before turning.

 

You were lucky there though that someone was paying attention in the van. Personally I always play safe and give way to anyone, my philosophy now being that as I'm retired, I've got all the time in the world.

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The van driver should have hung back, but drivers often don't expect a bike to be going as fast as we often do on our e-bikes, so think they'll get well past before turning.

 

You were lucky there though that someone was paying attention in the van. Personally I always play safe and give way to anyone, my philosophy now being that as I'm retired, I've got all the time in the world.

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Just bear in mind that the rear facing camera gives a view that wasn't available to me at the time.

Just bear in mind that the rear facing camera gives a view that wasn't available to me at the time.

 

I tend to forget that, since I only ever ride with a good mirror and always use it. Means I have no bother anticipating and giving way.

 

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I think it's typical of a lot of blinkered drivers today, they see a bicycle and have to get past even if they are going to turn. In my view a poor decision by the driver just because he was being held up for 10 seconds.

 

Simply they don't read the road or are to ignorant and of self importance to act in any other way, generally standards of driving is poor.

 

I hang back if turning at any junction when a cyclist is in front, being a cyclist makes the decision easy.

I tend to forget that, since I only ever ride with a good mirror and always use it. Means I have no bother anticipating and giving way.

 

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I have one like yours on the MTB but its not so easy to get a usable one on the road bike due to the drop bars. I have a bar end one but I need to look down to be able to see in it so its not a lot of good.

That was just an ignorant driver

As already said he should have hung back knowing he was turning left

Typical attitude towards cyclists

Not good driving by the van driver, but you could have helped yourself by taking primary position. You were riding too close to the kerb and hence inviting dangerous overtaking by following traffic.

 

Personally I always take primary position wherever the road narrows.

Poor driving, as an ADI i feel confident thst if sny of my pupils pulled that on a test they would have been dualled by the examiner. Poor forward planning, after all they were turning left anyway. Dangerous etc.

 

I have it all the time on my bike round here.

Not good driving by the van driver, but you could have helped yourself by taking primary position. You were riding too close to the kerb and hence inviting dangerous overtaking by following traffic.

 

Personally I always take primary position wherever the road narrows.

I understand the concept of "own the road" and have received horn blasts and other abuse for doing it.. I don't normally ride the road bike into town for this very reason as it's much easier on the mtb to keep track of trafic and take evasive action when needed . The drop bar road bike isnt so good for this and i have been caught out a few times now wheras the bar end mirror on the mtb was an excellent edition and on that cars rarely take me by surprise.

Well I'd far rather put up with an ignorant blast of the horn than risk a close pass and turn in! If you get a horn blast, serenely ignore it and ride safe in the knowledge the driver has seen you.

Well I'd far rather put up with an ignorant blast of the horn than risk a close pass and turn in! If you get a horn blast, serenely ignore it and ride safe in the knowledge the driver has seen you.

The fact that someone feels the need to horn blast I tend to think I might be riding without due consideration for other road users..

This van came up along side me yesterday just approaching a crossing that has been narrowed, and with busy traffic going both ways there wasn't really room for two cars and a bike so to keep myself from being squeezed into the kerb I kept going and tried to stay in front, but looking at the video at what I couldn't see at the time and seeing this van was actually wanting to turn left, I feel I was quite lucky here and perhaps I should have slowed and stopped to let this person go.. Or did the small child tell the driver I was there? I am finding this more and more with drivers overtaking so close to where they want t turn left..

 

Happens to me quite often, despite me being in the near side cycle lane.

I don’t give way, they need to learn to drive...they shouldn’t expect you to slam your brakes on because they cut in front at the last minute and turn left.

Obviously you need to be prepared to stop quick just in case....

 

 

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The fact that someone feels the need to horn blast I tend to think I might be riding without due consideration for other road users..

 

Unfortunately that's what many drivers think of cyclists who take command of narrow roads or lanes for safety. They very wrongly regard a bicycle as an inferior road vehicle with less rights than larger motor vehicles.

 

Of course if they bothered to read the Hignway Code they'd soon realise how wrong they are. Maybe retests of the theory part of the driving test at certain intervals in driving life would expose their failings, since there's no way most would pass without extensive study or revision.

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You have as much right to be on the road as anyone else in or on whatever vehicle. If, for your own safety you delay someone else's journey, it will be for a few seconds at the most. Those few seconds they may have saved had you not held them up may well have resulted in a major delay to them and you should an accident occur. I'm sure you value your own skin above a few seconds delay for an impatient motorist?

 

Get hold of a copy of this book:

 

http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/

 

It is the road cyclist's bible and you will gain much confidence if you put this system into practice.

Unfortunately that's what many drivers think of cyclists who take command of narrow roads or lanes for safety.

 

This is where I regularly have someone right on my tail - and I need to turn right which is actually a two-way road. Further, I have to be absolutely crawling in case anyone is driving out of that junction. They often do!

 

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8000304,-4.9706171,3a,75y,342.71h,79.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_XZ98RFeC1YYhfjj2aibqg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?dcr=0

 

(Overall, most local drivers are fine. Just a few are rather impatient.)

This is where I regularly have someone right on my tail - and I need to turn right which is actually a two-way road. Further, I have to be absolutely crawling in case anyone is driving out of that junction. They often do!

 

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8000304,-4.9706171,3a,75y,342.71h,79.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_XZ98RFeC1YYhfjj2aibqg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?dcr=0

 

(Overall, most local drivers are fine. Just a few are rather impatient.)

 

Streetview of the other end of that road shows why an ebike is essential for the likes of me! It is also a real problem if anyone is driving in the opposite direction.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8017417,-4.9690739,3a,75y,160.18h,78.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdIv35pEdY9tG0x4qIbaoBQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?dcr=0

I cycle that stretch a lot in beechcliffe,some of the drivers in Keighley are a discrase especially taxi drivers

Your safety first, even if it feels wrong and other road users are inconvenienced, because you have just as much right to use the roads as they do. It's hard sometimes for lenient riders to accept that though me being one of them.

 

Sometimes though you need to get in the way of people just to avoid catastrophe

You don't need to tell me about it,!

 

It seems basically, that cyclists are considered an interior vehicle, and we must be an obstacle to be driven around.

 

These idiots need to be educated, perhaps Drivers need a refresh test as mentioned earlier, 2 things this would do.

Ensure they are competent to drive

 

Raise funds for the government, it isn't likely they would do this,without incentive.

You don't need to tell me about it,!

 

It seems basically, that cyclists are considered an interior vehicle, and we must be an obstacle to be driven around.

 

These idiots need to be educated, perhaps Drivers need a refresh test as mentioned earlier, 2 things this would do.

Ensure they are competent to drive

 

Raise funds for the government, it isn't likely they would do this,without incentive.

Stick them on a bike for a month

That’s education

I think we are viewed a bit like a bus about to pull out from a bus stop. Get past at any cost to avoid being stuck behind for the next 200 miles... er, sorry I meant 200 seconds.

Having taken my turn as a driver being the scourge of cyclists in the past, I would not take any chances with any driver in any vehicle.

Has anyone come across another breed of driver? One who goes completely the other way by refusing to pass until they feel the road is wide enough to be ultra safe giving me two or three meters of space. The unfortunate effect this has on the rest of the long queue of following cars is to make them even more impatient, blaming me for the first drivers reticence.

You are riding in the wrong country... In Spain the distance defined in the road code is 1.50 m and very widely respected, people will wait until they can pass safely. Yes there are cyclist deaths in Spain, many seem to be concentrated around Madrid (where there is the most trafic?) or other larger cities.

 

Then you have the Saturday morning groups riding their bikes 3-4 abreast and blocking very long lines of cars on busy road, running red lights, etc... So over there it is pretty much six of one and half a dozen of...