"Oh Shit" moments...

Fuck cycling along that road.

Don't drive a truck in Russia, there's mental cyclists around.

I think the truck was in the wrong, no? Using the slip / exit road to undertake the cyclists.

^ this. Although the rider should have shoulder checked anyway, because Russia. I imagine they must be on that road because there's no other option - it's hellish.

Seems like it's used by a lot of cyclists too. Brave cycling there is all I can say.

Yesterday afternoon I was swanning along clear road with cars parked all along left hand side facing a fence / park (parked at large angle to road, almost perpendicular.) There was a solitary car with reversing lights on backing straight down the middle of the road towards me slowly. It was a 2 lane road with many speed bumps so I tried to make eye contact in mirror (driver should have been looking!), gave up and hurried / slipped between the passenger side and the row of parked cars... This stupid driver wasn't looking backwards, rather at the cars, and I had 1 meter gap easy.

As sooon as I was in the gap I saw some reversing lights come on 2 cars infront to my left...

The driver was reversing for a soon to be free parking space, and the parkee wanted to get out(!) Doh!

If there had been indicating or correct driving by reverser I wouldnt have made the mistake I did. As it was, there was no contact or impact, and the reversing car did not come back as the other car was still going past... looked like a slick move rush hour style and left a wake of awe.

/csb

tldr: Careful swanning around, dont nip between cars and other cars if you can avoid.. drivers dont look but sometimes they do and its ok.

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When the hgv accelerated and veered left without indication some months ago. (He was getting around a car rather than waiting a few seconds).

Not sure there was time for a heart in mouth moment there!

In work and one of the builders has cut his arm almost in half removing a window frame. Blood everywhere. He is at A+E now and said to be stable but it was close when paramedics turned up.

^Shit!

Two proper 'Oh shit' moments last night

First coming around the E&C roundabout heading towards Kennington massive HGV on the right of me and loads of buses on the left, I drop back so that the lorry is in front as I'm not sure which way he wants to go as I was level at one point and couldn't see his indicators also unsure if a bus is going to pull out. Three cyclist just keep on going as both HGV and buss narrow the angle as they come together, all three just managed to squeeze between the path of the HGV and we are talking no more then a bike width between the two. Felt quite sick for good 15 minutes.

Second again along Kennington Rd, just coming up to the bit where you go straight to Clapham or bear left for Brixton. All clear in the bus lane as I'm hurtling along at a fair old pace, car to my left is indicating left but I know that they need to go around the traffic island before turning left so I continue at pace. Car decides they aren't going to make the left in this set of lights so decide to pull across me and through the bus lane entry, they managed to get through just as I was going through I would say 2 foot between me ending up in the side of there car.

Took the rest of the journey slowly from then on.

Coming off London Bridge southbound this lunchtime, two cars pull across me going East onto Tooley St. Proper skid to a stop and end with with both feel out the pedals. Adrenaline shakes all the way home. Fucks sake.

Going home last night up the hill behind clapham north tube, 4x4 overtakes me. Kid in front of both of us looks at the car, blatently doesn't see it at all, and steps out. Went down pretty hard. Driver stops, ambulance called, people gather, and thankfully he seemed to be ok.

Driving home from Stansted after 10 days away with my girlfriend on Sunday afternoon on the M11. Something not feeing quite right so I pull into the slow lane, going about 60. Suddenly we have a blow out. The passenger side suspension spring has snapped and jammed into the tyre. Squeeky bum moment.
RAC/tow truck drivers were excellent. Car dropped at garage and then dropped home by the benevolent driver. Best possible outcome.

This didn't happen recently, but just remembered this as I was browsing this thread.

Going north over Southwark Bridge one morning and I decide not to bother with the big blue segregated cycle lane. Not a great call, as it turns out, because as I pull on to the bridge I realise the traffic is backed up half way across. OK, no problem, I can filter on the right. I have a quick look, don't see anything, and start to make my way down the right hand side.

Problem is, I wasn't quick enough across, and as I'm filtering I see a massive-fuck-off-lorry (TM) pulling onto the bridge and headed straight for me - and I can't see any gaps in the northbound traffic jam to pull into.

My only option was to tuck into a sort-of-gap behind an HGV and hope that the oncoming lorry had space to squeeze past. Luckily he did (with less than a metre to spare, though), and at the next available opportunity I got the fuck out of there by dismounting and hopping over the little concrete barrier that separates the CS7 from the rest of the road.

Pretty shaky morning at work considering what could have happened as a result of a series of pretty questionable decisions on my part.

Anyway, lived and learned.

So this has just happened.....
I'm in the middle of a regular loop that takes me along the river stort onto the river lee to see me old mum in Waltham abbey....cruising down a deserted bit near Harlow, I see two young ladies, a dog and a toddler. I slow right down and ding my bell and they turn and acknowledge me, whilst guarding the dog....not paying attention to the toddler, who steps backwards and disappears down the embankment, towards the river. All I know next, is that I stamped on the pedals till I was about 15 feet away, grabbed a handful of front brake, and went over the bars in a kind of supermanesque pose, to grab the child's leg as her head touched the water!
The mother's first words were " cor....you did a sort of commando thing there!".

I said something about grabbing her daughter off me please, before taking stock of the situation......
Bearing in mind I'm a water rescue technician, I don't normally see this bit.....!

#heropost

Good work!

Nicely done mate! Wasn't that you in 'The Untouchables' ;-)

Ha!
I've had a bit to calm down now, but instinct took over...I thought she was in the oggin, so I was fully prepared to launch myself in, so when I spotted the bottom of her pink trousers, I just launched at that and hoped for the best! I don't talk about work on here, but suffice to say that I'm normally on the scene after this type of thing has happened.....and the river stort has had plenty over the last few years...like stepping stones, they were at one point.

Well done :D

This is the most repworthy thing ever.
I hope CCTV footage of this turns up on youtube

^All this. Boast post, but totally justified boast post. Good work fella.

Fantastic action!

Rep indeed! I look forward to Rod Liddle writing about how this proves all cyclists are heroes and if they weren't all so awesome we would be able to stop buying them drinks.

Nice one fella!