The daily Close Call

can i have a copy?

When I say bird I mean "old woman".. come on man.. driving a Jag? She's not gonna be 20 is she?

Quote:

  Originally Posted by **hippy** [![](http://static.londonfgss.com/images/londonfgss/buttons_lite/viewpost.gif)](http://www.londonfgss.com/post634003.html#post634003) 

*My workmate arrived today on his 2 week old Condor Cross bike. Buckled front wheel and snapped fork. Some bird in a Jag had done a U-turn in front of him without looking. He's got all her details and will follow it up.*

 Snapped the fork? How did that happen? Nasty. She pulled a U and then what?

The way he explained it, she didn't see him and did a u-turn, he plowed into her front wheel and went over the bonnet whereas the bike was on the ground and she rolled over it before stopping. It was her driving over the wheel/fork that caused the snappage, not him hitting the car.

Treadders, it's really a case of getting used to the feel of the brakes, the more you rie it, the more you can able to feel how much braking power going onto the rims.

once you get the feel of it, you should able to have a good idea on estimating your stopping distance base on what you learn.

I must say that most cycle lanes are marked against the pavement or near side where parked cars are. I prefer to ride down the centre of the road facing on coming traffic, because all of my close calls are nearside...

classic close call.. driver ahead stops nearside just before tee junction, blocking my view and car waiting (or not) and fuck.. near miss when car pulls out.

I have right of way but no protection or time to manouvre, many front grilles tattooed with my left pedal.. peace

just a thought and shoot me down in flames, but to share/spread the word on dodgy accident hotspots, would it be possible to have a google map (similar to the bike shop map) with dodgy locations marked to either highlight awareness or make riders think about re-planning routes to avoid dangerous locations e.g. north end of Blackfriars Bridge

Identifying collision blackspots is not usually a suitable methodology for assessing the relative safety of cyclists at different locations. It stems from the assumption that locations where there are more collisions are more 'dangerous', but that is rarely the case. A high incidence of collisions tends to indicate high flows of cyclists, so that it is natural to expect more collisions.

There are a few odd exceptions to this rule--but I'd estimate that in London there are likely to be no more than a dozen or so. These are locations where local circumstances and design faults mean a greater than normal likelihood of crashes. For instance, the junction of Shacklewell Lane and St Mark's Rise, E8, used to be such a location before Hackney Cyclists campaigned successfully to have it redesigned. There used to be about fifteen crashes a year with flows of only about 200 riders in the morning peak. This was way off the scale and was caused by rat-running drivers turning left fast into St Mark's Rise across cyclists mostly wanting to go straight on (or rather, right around a strange pseudo-roundabout design) along Shacklewell Lane. All sorted now.

I can tell you now there's gonna be some more accidents on Uxbridge Rd just west of Askew Rd..
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tesco+acton&sll=51.535026,-0.47916&sspn=0.041057,0.11158&ie=UTF8&ll=51.508288,-0.242085&spn=0.02054,0.05579&z=15&iwloc=A

They've opened a Tesco down a side street and every cockwit and his mother is doing their very best to speed down the lane to get to Tesco in a hurry to get through gaps in outbound traffic and obviously not catching site of invisi-cyclists.

Anyway.. be careful just west of Askew Rd.. cars and their stupid squishy contents don't look where they're going.

Treadders, it's really a case of getting used to the feel of the brakes, the more you rie it, the more you can able to feel how much braking power going onto the rims.

once you get the feel of it, you should able to have a good idea on estimating your stopping distance base on what you learn.

Cheers. I think I can probably speak for most newbies when I say that these forums have been a gold mine of useful information for improving riding pleasure and (most importantly) safety.

yesterday after seeing some forumengers on comm rd, i was riding along with a citysprint moped just infront of me, as he drifted over to the left to take my space filtering between the cars and the paving...oh did i mention he was texting rather than looking at the road...I yelled OI! very loudly, shoulder barged him out of my way, whilst telling him to "get the fuck out of my way".
God i love polo, it really does up your skillz.

ha, nice one B!

I think I would have flipped over the bars or lost the front wheel if I braked so I instinctively swerved instead. But as I said I should have adjusted my speed approaching the junction... I was going too fast...guilty!

No squeeze! Unless you run disc brakes it is very unlikely you will go over the bars. As soon as the rear wheel lifts then let go, then apply the brake again as needed. Approach as fast as you want, as long as you can slow down again!

I think I need to adjust my brakes if you can go over the front on a Fuji track, I've never even had the back wheel lift off on a road bike. I've ridden mountain bikes a lot, and from an hydraulic, 8 inch rotor disc brake, it's quite scary how little force a caliper actually gives you. With any brake you very quickly get used to modulating your braking so you don't go over the front, but slowing down when you see possible hazards is the most important thing.

I can confirm that a Track with Campag Veloce front caliper, Crossstop lever and Kool Stop salmon pads can easily lift the back wheel, and with enough control that you can spin the cranks back to a nice starting position while just coming to a stop.

Properly adjusted road calipers are fine.
If they can stop 90kg of Magnus Backstedt from 100kph you lot will only have issues with your technique.

The harder you brake with the front the further you need to push your weight back. So when emergency braking you need to push your arse over the back of the saddle at the same time you squeeze the front brake, preventing rear wheel lift.

Some times it's beneficial to use both brakes and turn with the car that's just cut you up. If it's from high speed you will slide the bike sideways with the turn and are less likely to contact the car. If you do contact the car the impact will be lessened.

There's loads of little bits and pieces to learn... just crash more and you'll work 'em all out. :)

I think I need to adjust my brakes if you can go over the front on a Fuji track, I've never even had the back wheel lift off on a road bike. I've ridden mountain bikes a lot, and from an hydraulic, 8 inch rotor disc brake, it's quite scary how little force a caliper actually gives you. With any brake you very quickly get used to modulating your braking so you don't go over the front, but slowing down when you see possible hazards is the most important thing.

Mountain Bikes have always been my bread and butter and I have always set up my cantilever brakes with as little travel as possible, without rubbing of course (It helps that I'm obsessive about maintaining the trueness of my wheels). As long as it's not too muddy I just don't see the point in lots of travel. I then adjust the throw of the brake lever to as little as possible (there is a wee bolt you screw in on the side). As long as you use good cantilever brake sets (LX or XT par example) the result are brakes that are *very *effective (although obviously not great in heavy mud or for down hill).
I have carried the same principles over to my fuji (with shimano 105 caliper) and I can very easily get the back wheel up under braking (it probably helps that I am very skinny at only 70kg). I am very confident emergency stopping my MTB, I built it myself and have ridden it for 1000's of miles. However, I have found the main difference with the fuji is the amount of rubber on the road, the weight of bike and the fact that there is no sus forks to soak up my momentum.

I move my weight to the back of the bike under heavy braking but make sure I keep enough weight on the front to prevent it going light and locking up. It's this feel for balance and the modulation of the brake that I am improving now.

I think I need to adjust my brakes if you can go over the front on a Fuji track, I've never even had the back wheel lift off on a road bike. I've ridden mountain bikes a lot, and from an hydraulic, 8 inch rotor disc brake, it's quite scary how little force a caliper actually gives you. With any brake you very quickly get used to modulating your braking so you don't go over the front, but slowing down when you see possible hazards is the most important thing.

Hard to go over the bars, but you should be able to lift the rear. Depends on the brakes and more so the pads, those kinda red/orange coloured ones seem the best, forget what they are called.

Today. Great Eastern Street x Shoreditch High Street. Cycling straight over the junction, when some madam decided to go left at the junction without indication. My front wheel literally rubbed against her bumper, I managed to stay on the bike. Caught her on the next traffic light, banged on the window and told her off. She was well scared and apologized a few times, while I was telling her why I'm so pissed off.

This was very close call. Bit less closer happens everyday

taken from another forum

So i'm at the lights in shoreditch about to go left on top kingsland road there on red, handbrake on in netral low traffic two cars ahead two behind... minding me own business when a cyclist bunnyhops off the kerb and crashes into the side of the car wacking the mirror and falling over the bonnet...

so obviuosly i stick on the harazrds leap out and say you ok and wtf...

to which i get a tirade of stupdity I'm goning to call the cops you're driving dangerously

by being stopped at red lights?

then he starts to get lary and aggressive, and more and more irate about the accident which he's just caused and how it's my dfault and i wasn't paying attention again i'm pointing out that i was stationary and the twat still goes on and on...

in the end i lost it and siad if you don't fuck off now i'm going to get the jack handle from the back of the car...

i mean WTF seriously, if you're out there crashing into others makes it your fault if i was a cyclist and you were a car then that kind of action would have killed me, tbh as i was turning left if you'd done that on green the resulting crash might have put you under my wheels and it'd have been another dead cyclist...

ffs...

rah!!

really pissed off now tho, anyone that saw it would either think fucking dangerous cyclists or if they hadn't witnessed the hit then would have tought i had actually hit him not that the car of course goes sideways at the passenger door but hey....

why is it that there are sooo many wankers on the road on or in both transport types?

ffs take some responsiblity for the fact you are using something which can and does cause injury to you and others around you if you use it improperly...

still in terms of damage the doors scuffed up and the mirrors a wreak but his front wheel looked fucked and buckled....

still no doubt he'll be recount his terrible dice with the looney car driver...

my close call today is too good not to share, it happened before I left the house. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.

I had an important meeting this morning, and was running a bit late, I'm leaving the shower and every thing is fine, then, I'm on the ground, the shower curtain is on top of me, my head and my foot hurt, bad.

I get up slowly, feel a bit faint and dizzy, get my feet under me, look at my hands which are shaking too much to shave. I have a mark on my forehead, but no blood. I get dressed, leave the bike as I'm still a bit dizzy, and take the train over to Manhattan, then jump in a cab to the office where we are meeting.

I come in, take the elevator up to the right floor, check in at reception, and sit and wait for the guy I'm meeting. He comes out, I go to stand up, this does not make my body happy. I manage to stand after a seccond, then say "Excuse me, I hit my head this morning, and I think I need to go to the hospital right now". we agree to meet again Thursday, and I go to the doctor.

$160 and a few hours later I have a level 2 concussion, and I'm not allowed to drink any alcohol, or to bang my head on anything.

I think that I was up for something in my rush this morning, and I'm gald that I'm ok, and that I didn't fall any harder, or fall after I got on my bike.

lessons learned: get health insurance, there is a 2in rise that you have to step over to get out of our shower, brains are fragile and I need to stop hittig mine with things.

bounds green road yesterday, stationary moron indicating to right to do a 3 point turn, gets fed up of waiting decides to do a fast sharp left instead. shouted at the top of my voice as he had window down. nearly went over his bonnet.

left hand driving, turkish, mercedes driving, borat sounding tosspot.

Idiot bus driver on Warwick Road / Earls Court last night.
On the phone.
Changing lanes without signalling or looking it would seem.
So i point and shout "get off the phone" after narrowly avoiding a left sideswiping.
Next set of lights, and this must have been diliberate, the git then overtakes and immediately cuts me off to stop at the tesco bus stand. Thanks for nearly killing me!

Cycling to work this morning following a car, me about 2 foot from the curb, slowed down as we approached a left hand turning as I'm always second guessing cars as to whether or not they will turn with out indicating.

Lo and behold, the car indicated unbelievably late, I pulled on the brake slowing my legs down and my brake cable snapped. Monumental sense of terror as I continued going, kind of slammed into the side wing and bounced round the front of the car as she stopped. Luckily I didn't come off and wasn't going too fast to cause any damage to me, my bike and no real damage to the car. Rest of the ride to work spent brakeless. What a great commute.

Idiot bus driver on Warwick Road / Earls Court last night.
On the phone.
Changing lanes without signalling or looking it would seem.
So i point and shout "get off the phone" after narrowly avoiding a left sideswiping.
Next set of lights, and this must have been diliberate, the git then overtakes and immediately cuts me off to stop at the tesco bus stand. Thanks for nearly killing me!

Get their address and send them dogshit through the post. Always works for me.

taken from another forum

what forum? we owe them an apology on behalf of cyclists...

Some fucko in a 4x4 turning right in Acton, across me. I'd slowed expecting some fucktard to make that very move so I avoided him. Abuse.. go.

Not a close call as a collision occurred but I ended up in the Canal this morning on the way to work,
body,bag and bike all went in. I don't have accidents with cars just other cyclists.
My phone is dead and the other guys front wheel is now in 4 pieces things could have been alot worse. The guy was a Exenger and was cool we pass each other every day.

Get their address and send them dogshit through the post. Always works for me.

I have it on good authority that tossing a ceramic spark plus over your shoulder into an oncoming windscreen can also be quite effective.