I took a turn through the park on the way home last night thinking that staying away fron the road would be safer. Hah!
I heard a funny cracking sound to my left and a huge tree was uprooted by the wind and came crashing down, luckily away from me but it scared the c%%%p outta me.
I took up a LOT of the road on the rest of the way home and the drivers were magnificent (there, I've said it!) oh, except for the driving instructor who blasted his horn at me for being well out in the lane (on a DC). Thanks mate, I wish I'd had the spare capacity to note your telephone number and make some crank appointments for lessons! Excitement.
I took up a LOT of the road on the rest of the way home and the drivers were magnificent (there, I've said it!) oh, except for the driving instructor who blasted his horn at me for being well out in the lane (on a DC).
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads, though one would expect the opposite. No idea why, though I guess it must make sense to the irate cagers responsible.
On 12 Jan 2005 03:23:00 -0800 someone who may be "BigRab" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-
Quoted message said:
I took up a LOT of the road on the rest of the way home and the drivers were magnificent (there, I've said it!) oh, except for the driving instructor who blasted his horn at me for being well out in the lane (on a DC).
There do seem to be rather a high proportion of driving instructors who should not even be driving a car, let alone teaching others how to do so.
-- David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads
Abuse? You might be able to modify your road placement to stop this. I generally ride in the left hand "tyre track". I get plenty of space when cagers are overtaking and it doesn't seem to confuse the poor things as much as riding over on the right side of my lane (I think they think you're about to do a right turn when over on the right of a lane). Never had any abuse.
On 12 Jan 2005 03:23:00 -0800, "BigRab" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
except for the driving instructor who blasted his horn at me for being well out in the lane (on a DC).
I'm sure he was merely "warning you of his presence".
A polite "thank you" wave is the standard reply.
-- Amazon: "If you are interested in 'Asimov's I-Robot', you may also be interested in 'Garfield - The Movie'. ... erm, how do they figure that one out?
On 12 Jan 2005 03:23:00 -0800, "BigRab" <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
except for the driving instructor who blasted his horn at me for being well out in the lane (on a DC).
I'm sure he was merely "warning you of his presence".
A polite "thank you" wave is the standard reply.
I usually take it as an observation that I am not riding in the primary riding position so I move out to the primary position and wave my thanks for their observation ;-)
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads
It's because the poor dears find it harder to overtake you, you're forcing them to take extra exercise. If it's single lane, they only have to keep looking ahead to spot a gap in oncoming traffic to overtake in. If there's two lanes, they have to go to all the effort of swivelling their eyeballs a few degrees to check the mirror to make sure someone's not coming up in the right hand lane as well.
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads, though one would expect the opposite. No idea why, though I guess it must make sense to the irate cagers responsible.
It's because the poor dears (like novice cyclists) are far more afraid of what's behind than what's in front. Moving into a lane full of traffic going the other way is easy, as you can watch them all the time. Moving into a lane of traffic approaching from behind is far more complicated, and you might have to make someone slow down, or even get hooted.
This fear of the unseen behind seems to be an ingrained human instinct. Is it realistic to expect people to learn to deal with it?
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads, though one would expect the opposite. No idea why, though I guess it must make sense to the irate cagers responsible.
It's because the poor dears (like novice cyclists) are far more afraid of what's behind than what's in front. Moving into a lane full of traffic going the other way is easy, as you can watch them all the time. Moving into a lane of traffic approaching from behind is far more complicated, and you might have to make someone slow down, or even get hooted.
This fear of the unseen behind seems to be an ingrained human instinct. Is it realistic to expect people to learn to deal with it?
This fear of the unseen behind seems to be an ingrained human instinct. Is it realistic to expect people to learn to deal with it?
Colin McKenzie
Yes, it's really not that hard - if it was, cyclists'd have to stop cycling, and anything not single-carriageway'd have been long since abandoned...
Fear of the unseen behind is completely different to the ability to mesh into a lane of overtaking traffic, IMO. I think the inability to mesh is a lot more about not being so aware of speed and distance and spatial awareness stuff.
Plus, there's a lot fewer courteous drivers these days. Many *many* will pass you and not let you pull into *their* lane. Sometimes I've done it anyway when it's clear they're just being bloody-minded (deliberately closing a potential gap, for example) - much to their disgust.
Oh how I wish one could press a button and give the offending tosspot (yes, I realise this might occasionally be me!) a quick blat of static electricity from his/her seat :-)
I seem to get more abuse for taking the lane where there's an additional lane for following vehicles to overtake than on single carriageway roads
Abuse?
Muffled yelling from rolled down windows, horns and the like. By the time they've done all that, they would've been able to overtake in the next lane over, hence my puzzlement.
Quoted message said:
You might be able to modify your road placement to stop this. I generally ride in the left hand "tyre track".
That is where generally I ride when I wish to take the lane, or slightly further right in certain situations (e.g. heavy traffic, or I want to turn). That way I just suffer occasional abuse rather than repeated murder attempts. 🙂
Quoted message said:
I get plenty of space when cagers are overtaking and it doesn't seem to confuse the poor things as much as riding over on the right side of my lane (I think they think you're about to do a right turn when over on the right of a lane). Never had any abuse.
It may be a behaviour peculiar to Lincoln[shire], vile place that it is. I don't recall it happening more than once in Durham. That said, it's hardly common even here.
It may be a behaviour peculiar to Lincoln[shire], vile place that it is. I don't recall it happening more than once in Durham. That said, it's hardly common even here.
I've had a handful or two of incidents in Durham. Almost all were on the A690 in the Crook direction with a couple in the town centre.
It's because the poor dears (like novice cyclists) are far more afraid of what's behind than what's in front. Moving into a lane full of traffic going the other way is easy, as you can watch them all the time. Moving into a lane of traffic approaching from behind is far more complicated, and you might have to make someone slow down, or even get hooted.
Ah, that makes sense. Weird, twisted sense, mind... 🙂
Depending on many things, a 100mph wind does not preclude cycling.
Pushies include trikes and a recumbent trike would (I imagine) be more shielded from crosswinds and less susceptible to unintentional movement.
Since the wind keeps many cars off the roads, there is a lot less grief to be had from other cars, and those that are left seem more inclined to leave room.
Calling someone a "[censored]" for choosing (Or having little choice) to ride a bike in strong winds, without any knowledge of their skill or the circumstances marks you as an example of name calling between various kitchen heating receptacles. Try writing more than two sentences and an insult in a post. The resulting time delay may make you reconsider your words.
