"Oh Shit" moments...

Heading north along the A23 just before the junction where it joins the A3, vehicle to my right pushing to the very edge of the left hand lane (where the bike lane is in the picture) and nearly pushing me into the curb. Realise pretty quick there is no bike lane there anymore. This is going to cause havoc at an already horrible series of intersections.

Advised not to ride on the cycle lane, either primary, or overtake, especially in that junction.

It was handy to have the cycle lane to filter - agreed on taking primary!

Filter on the right, or just wait in the queue of traffic.

It was handy to have the cycle lane to filter

It's not, it put you at more risk than you think.

I sort of agree with both of you. Having the cycle lane all the way from the junction before was helpful for ensuring traffic formed up in an orderly manner at the next red light, and there was consequently usually plenty of space down the nearside to filter when the traffic was (inevitably) stopped at the lights.

However the closer you get to the junction with the A23 the more dangerous it became and it often encouraged some really dangerous behaviour from cyclists trying to get to the ASL. I have to say it definitely feels like a backward step for them to have removed it.

Heading north along the A23 just before the junction where it joins the A3, vehicle to my right pushing to the very edge of the left hand lane (where the bike lane is in the picture) and nearly pushing me into the curb. Realise pretty quick there is no bike lane there anymore. This is going to cause havoc at an already horrible series of intersections.

Belfast is riddled with such lanes, unfortunately. I tend to just go primary for my safety.

Lanes all turning right = drivers never check the left = death.

I have to say it definitely feels like a backward step for them to have removed it.

Couldn't agree more - it was never "good" to begin with, but now seems worse. I guess time will tell.

I always found that cars in the right hand lane (back on Brixton Rd, near the church) would speed off as the lights changed, to get ahead to get into the left lane, as they would want to head left on Kennington Rd further on. A shit intersection for everyone. I don't envy the people trying to sort these things out.

Even the traffic light does not account for the time it take for a cyclists to cross, by the time they reach halfway, the other traffic start moving.

Silly "Oh Shit" moment from the Summer of 2006. I was with a bunch of folk riding from Paris to London, and we'd just piled off the ferry at Dover and navigated our way up and over the A2 near Lydden. I'd taken the trouble to look at a map beforehand, and so was confident about the route ahead.

I paused with some other riders at a crossroads; they seemed unsure about which way to go, so I showed them my map and pointed out the route; they bickered and quibbled and blethered until I grew impatient, snatched the map back off them and headed across. A bit more adrenaline had got into my bloodstream as a result of the bickering, quibbling and blethering, and I was soon belting along a shady country lane at quite a lick.

I was just taking a sweeping right-hand bend when the presence of a vehicle, on my side of the road and facing towards me and definitely not stationary, caused my slightly fried brain to register that, in my anger at the crossroads, I'd switched back to riding on the right hand side of the road.

Thank heavens for decent brakes, as both car and bike managed to screech to a halt with about a yard to spare. I waddled my bike round to the driver's window and apologised profusely, and warned him that there might be other confused cyclists along shortly.

definitely "oh shit" there!

Heading north along the A23 just before the junction where it joins the A3, vehicle to my right pushing to the very edge of the left hand lane (where the bike lane is in the picture) and nearly pushing me into the curb. Realise pretty quick there is no bike lane there anymore. This is going to cause havoc at an already horrible series of intersections.

Maybe but the fact it has been resurfaced in the last 24 hours it was lovely and smooth.

I had my "Oh shit" moment this morning coming round a corner, back wheel over a manhole cover, nothing too dicey but the wheel goes out, correct it but then look up as a taxi is coming at me the wrong side of the road and I'm still not quite 100% in control. Yank it over and manage to stay up right and not get hit so double win.

I wasn't paying attention due to rushing between hospitals, and going over a junction I thought I knew, got the light timings reversed (assumed it was going green)
Saw the traffic starting from my right, jammed on the anchors, and stopped about a mm into the main road.

Totally my fault, essentially jumping a red light, etc.
Scared the shit out of me as the brakes didn't exactly engage properly, so had a slow stop, but this conversely was also good in that I didn;'t go flying over my handlebars.

Felt a right cunt though.

Today I was coming up to a crosswalk and I tried to stop my bike because a woman with her dog on a leash tried to cross. Apparently I didn't use enough force when mounting my rear wheel because when I tried to stop my rear wheel locked. It slipped and my tire was stuck against my chain stay. My rear wheel stopped but was able to hold it. Luckily I wasn't going full speed because there is a roundabout right after the crosswalk.

Two weeks ago I was cycling towards the pub (still sober). Some guy in front of me on a bicycle was in the middle of the cycling path (one way) and I was not able to pass him. I made the sound of a bell three times and even asked him with words to move. After that he moved to the side of the cycling path and I tried to pass him. He was riding with swept back handlebars and as soon as I tried to pass him he swerved to the left (we pass on the left on this side of the sea). He got his handlebars hooked unto my right arm and he fell and I was still on my bike.

Discovered this morning that bike maintenance is essential. Slack chain comes off + no brake blocks makes for a shitty wake up call

#brakeblockaredeath

#brakeblockaredead

ftfy

Cycling down a narrow street with double parked cars and on coming traffic, enough for us both to get through safely. I slow down due to the inevitable car door opening. funny enough a car door opens a few cm in front of me and I swerve sharply to the right while shouting 'bloody hell'. the woman shut the door again and I don't think she opened it for a while.

Go out of my house and get to the annoying lights at the end of the road at exactly the wrong time, sit and wait patiently through the 90 second light sequence, pull away when it's properly green (no sneaky amber take off), slowly roll round the wide corner, nearly get t-boned by car just happily driving through the red.

I pedaled harder and got out of the way but she didn't slow down at all and when I made the universal "wtf are you doing" gesture she just did it back at me. I asked why she did that when she stopped at the back of the next queue of cars and she claimed there are no lights at that junction...

wac

^^ Kidney punch or D lock?

D-lock kidney punch FTW.

Shat on bonnet?

Descending College Road in Dulwich, about 400m from the toll barrier, the combi van that had just overtaken me decided to suddenly swerve left and pull a u-turn back up the hill.

Cue locking up both brakes, fishtailing the back wheel, and using my shoulder to lean into the side of the van as I just about managed to stay upright.

Me: What the fuck are you doing?
Passenger: Get off the road!
Me: You nearly killed me!
Passenger: I didn't see you, I was on the phone
Me: But you weren't even driving!
Passenger: The driver's on the phone too!