Ouch - Head on with another cyclist - Black eye

[Smokin Joe]

When I had my 'bent trike I came close to a head on with a cyclist on a 1.5 metre wide cycle path. He was following his mate and fiddling with whatever piece of electronic junk he had on his handlebars. Only a loud shout of "Look out mate" woke him up in time to get out of the way. A collision between a recumbent and an upright would have left no winners.

Walking the dogs along the same path I have lost count of the number of cyclists who have whizzed past from behind without any warning at all, putting all of us at risk should one of the dogs or myself twitch from a straight line. We moan about motorists, but from what I've seen since the cycling boom if the average standard of driving was the same as the average standard of cycling the death toll on the roads would rocket.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

When I had my 'bent trike I came close to a head on with a cyclist on a 1.5 metre wide cycle path. He was following his mate and fiddling with whatever piece of electronic junk he had on his handlebars. Only a loud shout of "Look out mate" woke him up in time to get out of the way. A collision between a recumbent and an upright would have left no winners.

Walking the dogs along the same path I have lost count of the number of cyclists who have whizzed past from behind without any warning at all, putting all of us at risk should one of the dogs or myself twitch from a straight line. We moan about motorists, but from what I've seen since the cycling boom if the average standard of driving was the same as the average standard of cycling the death toll on the roads would rocket.

I do have a bell which I use to warn when i'm approaching from behind, however.... I don't like to ring it for the sake of it, say a walker is to one side and there is no turning or deviation, then I will just pass with caution. Perhaps I should just keep it a ringin' from now on.

 

[Drago]

I do have a bell which I use to warn when i'm approaching from behind

Ooh er Matron!

 

[winjim]

I've encountered many cyclists that dont seem to understand keeping to the left when approaching another cyclist coming towards them on a shared path.

Well there's no rule about it, it's just convention transferred over from using the roads.

 

[Pale Rider]

Oh dear, this sorry tale proves the old saying that on a bicycle you are never more than a split second away from a catastrophe.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I do have a bell which I use to warn when i'm approaching from behind, however.... I don't like to ring it for the sake of it, say a walker is to one side and there is no turning or deviation, then I will just pass with caution. Perhaps I should just keep it a ringin' from now on.

Always warn when approaching a pedestrian from behind, they will appreciate it. There is nothing worse than strolling along and being made to jump out of your skin by a bike suddenly appearing beside you. I prefer to use a friendly "Bike behind" shout rather than a bell.

 

[winjim]

Ooh er Matron!

Ding dong.

 

[Milzy]

#Bloody cyclists

 

[ColinJ]

I have a lovely shiner today. On my commute home from Reading yesterday, I was passing under a bridge on a cycle towpath, I was on the left hand side and another cyclist came hurtling around the corner and smacked into me on my side of the underpass. The other cylist apologised and said sorry, my brakes aren't very good. No shoot Sherlock. I was not going at any speed but the other person was flyin'. My cycling glasses whacked my face and it is cut and bruised on one side.
I try commuting by bike (along cycle paths) at least three times a week and it is soul destroying to have this sort of thing happen.
Anyway, the black eye will pass and i'll be back on it next week.

Ouch! I suppose it could have been worse though. Try not to let it put you off.

I once encouraged someone to start cycling by letting him buy my old bike for £100 when I could probably have got £200+ for it. Over a couple of years I heard reports that he was really enjoying riding it. I finally met up with him again and asked if he was still riding. Unfortunately not... He had been out enjoying riding on a sunny day when a teenager on a cheap heavy bike came bombing downhill round a blind bend towards him on the wrong side of the road!!! The inevitable collision wrote off both bikes and messed up the riders pretty badly too. The teenager said that it wasn't his fault though because he couldn't see round the bend...

 

[swee'pea99]

We moan about motorists, but from what I've seen since the cycling boom if the average standard of driving was the same as the average standard of cycling the death toll on the roads would rocket.

The teenager said

I see cycling on an almost daily basis that beggars belief. I do wonder whether it simply (or maybe 'mainly') reflects the relative youth of many cyclists. 16 year old boys in particular - many utterly gormless; all, of course, immortal.

 

[ColinJ]

I see cycling on an almost daily basis that beggars belief. I do wonder whether it simply (or maybe 'mainly') reflects the relative youth of many cyclists. 16 year old boys in particular - many utterly gormless; all, of course, immortal.

I confess to doing some stupid things at that age, but at least when I screwed up I took responsibility for it!

Mind you, abdication of responsibility isn't the sole preserve of teenagers... @Littgull got home from one bike ride to find that his parked car had been written off by a driver who had driven straight into it. She said that it wasn't her fault though - she had been dazzled by the low sun so she couldn't see the parked car in front of her!

 

[Gunk]

I nearly got taken out on a Zebra crossing today, cars both directions stopped but a bellend cyclist decided getting to work 10 seconds earlier was far more important than stopping.

 

[12boy]

I hate to admit it but I am one of the fools who will slog away head down into a headwind and have had other cyclists tell me to look out. There aren't many cyclists here but that is no excuse for having my head so far up my butt I endanger others. Got to do better...

 

[Globalti]

I've been posting on CC for years that it's shite cycling by an idiot minority that makes drivers hate us and every time I get flamed for it by the holier-than-thou crew. Here are at least four posts saying the same thing yet not a word of dissent.

My cycling buddy got taken out by some birdbrain riding on the wrong side of a country lane. Her injuries: none. His injuries: broken hand, knocked unconscious, a night in hospital.

I always call out "Bike!" when approaching walkers from behind especially those with dogs, also other cyclists and horse riders.

 

[Milzy]

I nearly got taken out on a Zebra crossing today, cars both directions stopped but a bellend cyclist decided getting to work 10 seconds earlier was far more important than stopping.

I believe the highway code teaches you to stop there but it's not actually illegal if you don't.