"Oh Shit" moments...

yes, barely ever but it happened last week two weeks ago, dude wasnt looking in his mirrors, doesnt even indicate and just moves out into the right lane. me being on the inside of the right lane to turn right. i shout to make sure he knows im there and he stops turning, i then accelerate quickly to get in front of me and he does it again! he obviously wasnt looking at all, twice. so after nearly getting hit twice im shocked and angry, ride up the street, get off my bike and sit down for a moment, the guy had actually parked and i ran up to him and just started shouting at him, i was so pissed off, especially as he kept on telling me that because he had signalled, i had to get out of his way and that if he hit me then it was my own fault.

Two weeks ago while I was out in Suffolk on a century ride I was enjoying some rapid descents down the few short but steep hills you have round there on the essex border

Whereabouts? When I visit my parents I often go out cycling around Nayland/Bures/Earls Colne.

he kept on telling me that because he had signalled, i had to get out of his way and that if he hit me then it was my own fault.

Do people actually believe this? I think there is a very strong case for having to pass a test on a periodic basis. A belief that signalling and swerving into them is OK is not compatible with having a licence to drive a car, or shouldn't be.

^As a driver as well, I'd happily accept the call for regular testing / refresher courses for drivers. Truth be told I wasn't really taught to drive, simply taught to pass the test. From that point drivers go off on some radically differing tangents - those who generally seek to improve their skills and drive well and the more selfish, self involved types who are the bane of other road users lives. Take those 'skills' back to a review test drive and see an improvement I say.

No one has the guts.

russel brand

Just remembered a horrible moment from the other week. I can never remember the stories even by the end of the ride.

Going down a hill on the way to polo I can see a few cars waiting to pull out from a junction on the left. Now this hill is one where I've clocked 60km/h previously and have also set off the speed camera so I'm not exactly hanging about. I see the cars pull out, nae problemo. Then a Hummer limo comes along and pull across both lanes of the road. Que screaming realising I'm not going to make the turn properly to instead decide to shoulder charge it. I somehow stayed on the bike but was forced onto the wrong side of the road just as cars were leaving a set of traffic lights. Pretty lucky with those traffic lights.

Didn't go back as I was so angry thinking what might have happened had it not been someone as experienced as me.

^As a driver as well, I'd happily accept the call for regular testing / refresher courses for drivers. Truth be told I wasn't really taught to drive, simply taught to pass the test. From that point drivers go off on some radically differing tangents - those who generally seek to improve their skills and drive well and the more selfish, self involved types who are the bane of other road users lives. Take those 'skills' back to a review test drive and see an improvement I say.

^^^this
Exactly what I've been thinking.

Hatbeard was behind me at the time and for some reason thought I was showing off by doing some kind of flashy "tail wagging" manouver.

Hatbeard, what is this 'Tail Wagging manouver'? Pls PM me with pics/vids. x

Decided to take on my mates on their road bikes around richmond park - first time around it so you can probably see where this was goin.....
got to the huge steep hill and stupidly thought it would be a great idea to bomb it on a 52x17
got to about 200 rpm and then bam legs blew and had to unclip....at this point i really wish i hadnt lost my brake caliper bolt in the garage and had it on
my 15 years of living flashed before me and then bam i remembered this that was posted earlier this week
YouTube - Bomb Bay! With Ted Shred

who ever the forumer who posted this was, thanks for saving my life :P

Hatbeard, what is this 'Tail Wagging manouver'? Pls PM me with pics/vids. x

JAMIE is the best person to demonstrate I believe I described his riding style going up blackheath hill 20 minutes previous to stonehedges descent as being akin to 'a salmon trying to swim up stream'

..

Can't resist...like a salmon maybe but a slow salmon :D

I'm hoping it was just someone being a bit clumsy in the bike racks.

I don't see how brakes can be released accidentally, just by someone moving or bumping into your bike. Pretty fucked up but I suspect someone done it deliberately.

Also, not to go against ideas for more than one driving test, but sadly I know a few people who are really into driving, have done advanced courses and stuff, but have apalling attitudes to cyclists. For instance thinking 'scaring' vulnerable road users is acceptable or even entertaining response to being annoyed. Believing cyclists should not be on the road if there is a shared use footpath. Thinking not being able to overtake a cyclist prior to a traffic jam means they are being held up. Basic stuff that I wish was more commonly understood. I know some good advanced drivers, but many seem to have an even more developed sense of entitlement. Wish more drivers would just chill the fuck out. /rant over

I don't see how brakes can be released accidentally, just by someone moving or bumping into your bike. Pretty fucked up but I suspect someone done it deliberately.

Quick release has accidentally disengaged both on my shimano deore v-brakes and on my shimano 105s. It does happen but I agree unlikely in the case of normal activity at a bike stand.

Hasn't happened to me for a while but normally happened when quick release got caught on clothing or when sitting with bike on train and knocking it somehow...

Huh, okay. Would prefer it to have been accidental. Depressing if someone done it as a joke.

52x17
got to about 200 rpm

^Excellent!

A mere 47.9 mph at that cadence on that gear ratio

I reckon he was doing 60 mph

Fixie skiddas iz well fast and shit

Hang on, does that mean that my Garmin cadence metre gets it wrong when it clocks me at 200rpm descending on my geared bike?

Thats the only reason I estimate that I can do similar fixed going downhill...I will revise my claims if this is totally unrealistic!

EDIT: on 48 x 18 that is. Certainly feels like I'm spinning at maximum that I can on a geared bike...

Just to be clear, what exactly is spinning at 200 rpm or 3.3 rotations per second? The colourful little pinwheel mounted on the handlebar?

The magnet attached to my cranks according to my Garmin. If that is totally unrelastic when giving it the beans going down a steep hill then fair dos. Obviously made the mistake of believing the technology. Given that is what Garmin says on my racer, I assumed that ~200rpm would be the max I could do downhill on fixed in theory.

If that figure is wrong, then I humbly stand corrected.

A quick google throws up plenty of people managing to break 200rpm for a second or two on fast descents and at Rollapaluza. Measured by Garmin or otherwise. Just saying. MIght not be that unrealistic for very short bursts.

EDIT: And given that my earlier post was about me losing control due to descending as fast as I can this explains perfectly why I nearly lost it on my fixed bike. If I am clocked at 200rpm for a second or two on a geared descent, then if I touch that on a fixed with the added effect of gravity no wonder I nearly lost it!

As I say though, I'm not exactly hugely experienced on fixed and genuinely asking if I am being unrealistic.

It's do-able. I've hit 210 on easy gear sprints on a road bike.

I lolled because of the likelyhood of some brakless fixie skidder managing it and doing 49mph down test hill in RP.

Garmins are notoriously out of whack with cadence though, best way is to know your gear and your speed then work it out. Also hitting 200rpm on wheel replacement rollers with very little resistance is much easier than in the "real world"

Vid of Theo Bos doing revouts in a big gear behind a motor doing 140kmph!
YouTube - Wielrennen - Theo Bos met 140 km per uur op Mallorca

Cool video. Sheeeeat!

I have no idea what I can manage on the flat...I don't think I've given it the beans on the Pinarello before. Only one way to find out!

I knew Garmins were dodgy for most things apart from distance but thought even Garmin couldn't mess up counting how many times a magnet goes past in a minute!

Maybe I should go and bomb it down Blackheath hill again this time with a decent cadence meter.