"Oh Shit" moments...

^^ agreed -
this from the famous "how to win friends and influence people": “Criticism is futile because it puts a man on the defensive, and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a man’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses his resentment.”

as I rode to meet stonehedge at the pub last night my chain jumped off just as I was exiting the roundabout by museum of london in heavy traffic I did a tiny hop skid and it wrapped itself around the hub/sprocket and killed my rear wheel in one fell swoop. busted spokes galore and the chain is still so firmly wedged in between sprocket and hub the bike can only be carried as the wheel wont turn.

I only tensioned the chain 2 days ago but the fucking shit rear wheel must keep slipping in the dropouts. in a weird turn of fortune I had actually ordered a brand new wheelset only that morning but I'm on the brompton now til that arrives and in true wiggle fashion paying the £3,99 for priority dispatch amounts to them taking longer than they normally do to get stuff sent out. FFS.

Cruising along a side road near Whitechapel this morning and a lady pulled out from a road on the right straight across my path without a single glance in my direction. I bellowed a big "oi" to get her attention... no response, still coming, me hard on the brakes... right up nice and snug to her passenger window still in clips, leaning on her car to stay upright in a side on skid, still bellowing very angrily indeed with some naughty and unmentionable language. She finally clocked me, shat herself, waved at me which led to my adrenaline unleashing a bit more annoyance. I rode off slowly, shaking, she pulled over behind me and had a big cry!

I have to admit I felt bad that she was so upset and wanted to go back to explain that without a horn all I have is my indignation to alert her to nearly hospitalising me, but I figured she'd think I was coming to have another go at her, so I just made a puffy cheeked "you nearly took me out" type face at her and went to work. Man I was shaking though.

But this is always the problem. What is a small, momentary, meaningless lapse in concentration for a motorist is always a possible lengthy, painful period of 'down-time' for the cyclist. Sometimes I talk calmly to the motorist to settle nerves and sometimes everything ends amicably, but, more times than not I've just ended up being on the receiving end of more threats of violence- - invariably men in German cars.

My girlfreind got hit by the side of a caravan the other day! the driver let it drift half way in the cycle lane, bruised her arm and shoulder, hurt her wrist and scared the shit out of her, in tears n' everything, she could of come off and got run over!

she was riding behind me, didn't know what was wrong or what happened til' we got back to my house, getting her a helmet asap.

had many close calls my self and i'm used to it by now, but when it happens to my girlfreind, that is a oh shit moment!

An arm, shoulder and wrist helmet? Glad it wasn't worse though, sounds like it could of been bad.

Caravans are fucking liabilities. I'm all for freedom to do what you want, but I would not be sad to see those things off the road.

I rode past as it wasn't moving (timed the green light just right) and it barely fit in the lane, apprently it was swinging all over the place when it was up to speed, i'm sure the side windswasn't helping either, not safe for any one on the road.

Big, boxy vehicles balanced on tiny (what may as well be) bicycle wheels, which block everyone's view, sway around and get stuck in awkward places.

Get yourself a tent or stay at home: you can't have a camping holiday with all of home's creature comforts so please stop trying and pissing everyone else off in the process.

Honestly, caravans... Passing them in a car is terrifying enough, let alone being passed by one while on a bike!

Car swerving into me head on at 20mph. I was also doing 20. Results weren't pretty.

Big, boxy vehicles balanced on tiny (what may as well be) bicycle wheels, which block everyone's view, sway around and get stuck in awkward places.

Get yourself a tent or stay at home: you can't have a camping holiday with all of home's creature comforts so please stop trying and pissing everyone else off in the process.

Honestly, caravans... Passing them in a car is terrifying enough, let alone being passed by one while on a bike!

Our family goes camping with 3 estate cars full off tents and luggage, we end up with a small village when its all up haha, great fun.

Well after months with no "Oh Shit" moments, two in one 15 minute ride yesterday. First some stupid tourist teenage boys ran at me trying to knock me over as I was going round Marble Arch, and I had to swerve to avoid them. Cunts.

Then going down Piccadilly five minutes later, I set off from a lights and picked up speed, and before I'd got my left foot into its strap, I hit a huge pothole that I hadn't noticed. My foot came flying forward off the pedal, my body lurched forward and I involuntarily kicked one of the spokes in the front wheel really hard. It made a really loud 'ping' and luckily my foot rebounded straight back onto the pedal, and I didn't lose my balance, and was able to keep going.

I feel like I really dodged a bullet, there's only 20 radial spokes in my front wheel so there was a distinct possibility my foot could have gone in between the spokes and lots of really nasty shit would have happened.

Incidentally the spoke is not at all bent and the wheel is perfectly true - Shimano R500 wheels ftw.

A good example to give people who think riding in sandals is fine

Just rode home in the rain, stupidly skidding on a big wet drain, left foot forward, right foot pedal striked which some how kicked me up and i stayed on!

Car swerving into me head on at 20mph. I was also doing 20. Results weren't pretty.

Elaborate.

I thought I'd take advantage of a day off work and head out into Essex - I'm in Stratford - on the road bike.

Towards the end of the ride - cut short because traffic was shit - a Golf overtakes just as we approach a traffic island, he realises his error and swerves towards me to avoid it. I was left with about three inches between my wheel and the kerb and his wing mirror drifting in front of my right elbow. I shout 'fucking hell, move you cunt' into his open passenger window, hoping to not die. I was terrified for five seconds or so, until we passed the traffic island and he speeded up.

He stops hard and jumps out. He's screaming about something and holding what looks like a small wooden bat. I roll past him in the other lane.

As I assume he's now going to chase me I ride up on the empty pavement and slow down. He pulls alongside, up a drive, and cuts me off. I dismount and ask him politely through the passenger window 'what the fuck are you doing mate?', he responds, explaining he was upset at my swearing and was rather intent on murdering me for it. In hindsight, the level of profanity in his explanation was somewhat ironic.

I apologise, and explain it was only a result of him nearly killing me. His tone changes and he claims he did no such thing, I explain in detail what happened from my perspective and why it's so dangerous to overtake a cyclist with an obstruction ahead. It was very civil.

He kindly accepts my apology and pulls the 'bat' up from the lap of the blonde sitting in the passenger seat. It's a brown leather knife sheath about a foot long, he takes out a hunting knife and leans over pointing it at me. He says that under the circumstances he will ignore what I had said, but on any other day he'd of 'cut me into little fucking pieces pal'.

He leans back, reverses out and drives off.

Nice chap.

I thought I'd take advantage of a day off work and head out into Essex - I'm in Stratford - on the road bike.

Towards the end of the ride - cut short because traffic was shit - a Golf overtakes just as we approach a traffic island, he realises his error and swerves towards me to avoid it. I was left with about three inches between my wheel and the kerb and his wing mirror drifting in front of my right elbow. I shout 'fucking hell, move you cunt' into his open passenger window, hoping to not die. I was terrified for five seconds or so, until we passed the traffic island and he speeded up.

He stops hard and jumps out. He's screaming about something and holding what looks like a small wooden bat. I roll past him in the other lane.

As I assume he's now going to chase me I ride up on the empty pavement and slow down. He pulls alongside, up a drive, and cuts me off. I dismount and ask him politely through the passenger window 'what the fuck are you doing mate?', he responds, explaining he was upset at my swearing and was rather intent on murdering me for it. In hindsight, the level of profanity in his explanation was somewhat ironic.

I apologise, and explain it was only a result of him nearly killing me. His tone changes and he claims he did no such thing, I explain in detail what happened from my perspective and why it's so dangerous to overtake a cyclist with an obstruction ahead. It was very civil.

He kindly accepts my apology and pulls the 'bat' up from the lap of the blonde sitting in the passenger seat. It's a brown leather knife sheath about a foot long, he takes out a hunting knife and leans over pointing it at me. He says that under the circumstances he will ignore what I had said, but on any other day he'd of 'cut me into little fucking pieces pal'.

He leans back, reverses out and drives off.

Nice chap.

To the cop shop with you, now. It's an offence just to have something like that, let alone threaten someone with it.

On approach look over shoulder and then move into primary.

I did, quite early. I swerved away from primary when he swerved towards me and was forced to ride in the gutter. But thanks for the advice, I didn't make my position apparent in the original post.

I thought I'd take advantage of a day off work and head out into Essex - I'm in Stratford - on the road bike.

He kindly accepts my apology and pulls the 'bat' up from the lap of the blonde sitting in the passenger seat. It's a brown leather knife sheath about a foot long, he takes out a hunting knife and leans over pointing it at me. He says that under the circumstances he will ignore what I had said, but on any other day he'd of 'cut me into little fucking pieces pal'.

He leans back, reverses out and drives off.

Nice chap.

fuuuuuck

To the cop shop with you, now. It's an offence just to have something like that, let alone threaten someone with it.

No it's not. Fixed blade, it's no different from a large kitchen knife, machete or something.

Definitely illegal for him to threaten with it, though (obviously). I'd definitely go to the cops.

This is from Direct.gov...

**Basic rules on knives

**If you’re planning to buy or carry a knife, it’s important to know the rules. Anyone found breaking these laws can face up to four years in prison.
These include:

[]it is illegal for any shop to sell a knife of any kind (including cutlery and kitchen knives) to anyone under the age of 18
[]it is a crime to carry a knife in public without good reason – for example, if you work as a chef
[]the maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is four years in prison and a fine of £5000
[]it is illegal to carry, buy or sell any type of knife banned by the government (the list of banned knives is below)
[]knives with folding blades, like Swiss Army knives, are not illegal as long as the blade is three inches long (7.62 cm) or less
[]if any knife is used in a threatening way (even a legal knife, such as a Swiss Army knife), it is regarded as an 'offensive weapon' by the law
[*]any sharp instrument – even a screwdriver – can be viewed by the police as an illegal offensive weapon if you do not have a good reason for carrying it

I think that shows quite obviously that it's illegal for him to carry that type of knife.

Yes, illegal to carry (without 'good reason') but not to own.

I'm no stranger to the UK knife laws (which are, frankly, utterly nonsensical and have resulted in me cutting my own finger down to the bone on one occasion). I guess I misunderstood what you meant by him 'having' it.

Horrible. But maybe the blonde had something to do with it? Twice similar things have happened to me, and both times there's been a partner in the passenger seat. Maybe the level of aggression is increased because they don't want to be seen to 'take it' from a cyclist in front of their girl?*

*If anyone wants to call me out for being horrendously sexist, etc., fair enough

Horrible. But maybe the blonde had something to do with it? Twice similar things have happened to me, and both times there's been a partner in the passenger seat. Maybe the level of aggression is increased because they don't want to be seen to 'take it' from a cyclist in front of their girl?*

*If anyone wants to call me out for being horrendously sexist, etc., fair enough

I think if there had been a male passenger it would have been the same. Idiots don't like being made to look like idiots in front of others.

Cycling along single track road. Horse up ahead. Slow right down and ride wide to avoid spooking the horse (and chance to exchange pleasantries with the rider). Car comes up behind, sits on my rear wheel honking, has obviously failed to see horse. I point at horse. More honking. I pass horse, car scrapes past horse, honking. Horse goes insane and jumps out in front of car. Rider almost falls off. Car stops, driver gets out, rider immediately bellows at driver, I bellow at driver, driver gets back in car having not said a word.

I don't know how someone can actually drive past a horse without realising it. It was about a foot away from the car.

Going along the towpath beside grand union canal yesterday. I was doing about 15mph, not excessive really, when I smash into a guy on a blind corner (also a cyclist). We both tumble off, and I roll toward the canal trying to keep my bike out the water. I get up and he's already left...

I claim joint responsibility, but I had to ride home with wet bartape...