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And the last/worst incident I actually avoided a front on strike with an emergency stop that led to me being run over by a cyclist
Is that the one where you did a whip skid because you didn't know how to work your front brake effectively?
I mean this in the nicest possible way, you seem like a decent guy and you're generally well-liked round these parts, which is maybe why people don't question you on these things much. But from your descriptions of the scrapes you get into, it sounds like you ride like a complete and utter chopper. Have you actually had cycle training yourself,or are you just using it as a stick to beat all those other incompetent cyclists over the head with? If you haven't been trained, then I'd hate to see the anti-training people use you as an example of a cyclist who rides to the national standard and who has been verified as doing so by a qualified professional.
There isn't really any way for me to say all that without sounding like a bit of a dick, but it's something that I really think ought to be said at this point, because I'd hate for cycle training (which is a genuinely useful tool) to be misrepresented like this.
bothwell-
Woah wait, here's my quote:
why don't you use your voice to make the people of Hackney/London aware that there are free cycle training courses available to empower cyclists by teaching them how to use the road safely?
To answer your question, no I didn't do cycle training. 4 years ago when I decided to just go out, jump on my new "fixeh" and take off on the road and see what happens, I genuinely didn't know cycle training even was a thing. This is my point, would I have taken it then if I knew it existed? Instead of learning how to actually use a road the hard way all on my own, probably obliviously nearly get killed a lot? Yes.
4 Years later, I've had one traffic incident with a vehicle (someone tried to park on me) and two verbal bust ups. I don't cup people up, piss people off, get beeped at, flashed at, shouted at by other cyclists, I just go with the flow in my own line and not put myself into the path of any madness.
I've never said I'm a good cyclist, I never will, I just personally feel safer on main roads with fast moving traffic. For e.g Me and a mate did the West Way after work/before SE's this Tuesday just for laughs because we hadn't done it since summer. It's a cool fast road where we can be free amongst it all without busses pulling out/peds etc. Just cars going in a straight line, lots of fun, kept us on our toes.
In answer to your other q about my whip skid, yes I could have handled this differently, probably a lot better if I had cycle training.
This morning's commute and other commuting stories
in General •
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I had an accident earlier this year on Whitehall involving an pedestrian and a cyclist. A ped walked out on me on a green light for traffic, I pulled a massive emergency stop which left me dead still at 45 degrees in the road only for a second later to be struck by a cyclist. I initially thought that he had clipped my back wheel so I felt really guilty about my stopping technique, 2 days later a massive yellow/black/blue tyre mark bruise on my leg appeared that lasted for two months. This put him right on my rear wheel, he was drafting me. The crash trapped my leg between his front tyre and me top tube, couldn't walk properly for about 3 weeks...
And no you don't sound like a dick, I think you're super cool and I get you for calling me out.
Antidotes
4 of which were peds running into the side of me, not actually coming into contact with my bike but effectively crashing side on into me.
2 front on strikes, peds running out on me from stationary traffic into non stationary traffic, one other cyclist went down in one of these incidents.
1 which ran out in front of me and a motorcyclist, striking the motorcyclist and then me. That was a bad night.
And the last/worst incident I actually avoided a front on strike with an emergency stop that led to me being run over by a cyclist.... Broken rib, cracked another one, lots of my blood on Westminster Sq, couldn't walk for a week etc. Maybe he can repost that.