2009-10-10 Sat - Circle Line Ride (Meet 21:30, Depart 22:00)

-1 to this. Certainly look out in front and to the sides, indicate and make your moves in a clear and smooth manner - but those behind you need to look out for themselves. I appreciate this might not sound very right on but it's more realistic. If everyone spent the night looking over their shoulder in a pack that large I think there might have been many more crashes.

Generally I think in most crash situations (as a cyclist, motorist, pedestrian and skateboarder with a good few crashes in my past) everyone is way too reluctant to take responsibility. Of course you can always blame the other guy/girl, and usually one party is a bit more at fault. BUT - if you get in a crash, you almost always had some sort of opportunity to prevent or avoid it which you didn't see or chose not to take. Understandably, it's very difficult to take this view in the heat of the moment.

Just one person's opinion.
Of course thi

Lets think about that a second...
Lets imagine that you have just passed me on my right (overtaken on the correct side) and your back wheel axle is in line with my front axle. You move across left to avoid a pothole/car/whatever, without looking behind to see where I am, simply assuming that you are well clear of me. In doing so, your back wheel collides with my front, throwing me off into the path of the other riders.

I wish I was making this up, but that exact scenario has happened to me (not on a ride from this forum, I must add)... It's scary as fuck. If the other rider had shoulder checked, injuries might not have happened...

Moral of that story: it IS a good idea and you SHOULD check behind you before you move in a group. Think ahead and move as early and predictably as you can.