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I drove to work today to help get rid of a cold. Luckily.
This is on my commute, over the Waimakariri river
Note the wide, braided river. It's probably 0.7 k across the span, the speed limit is 80 km/h and the lanes are not wide enough for a bike + 2 lanes of motor vehicles. It's barely wide enough for 2 lanes of cars or trucks.
I've had a few close ones with cars overtaking recklessly or slamming brakes on at the mast moment but I do what I can - high-vis, reflective stuff, lights (in pretty much all weather), be aware of traffic around me (I have a rear-view mirror to make the checks more frequent) but I know I'll always be at the mercy of the patience and attentiveness of drivers.
Then this morning
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fortunately(!) the river was in massive flood so the victim didn't fall on to the rocks and survived after clinging to branches after 40 minutes in the river. Pretty incredible they survived.
Dunno why I'm venting - it's just going to be hard to get back on the road bike tomorrow.
rat runs are the most dangerous part of my commute.
The most dangerous part of my commute is the few minutes between waking up and sinking my first brew..
wow, a tale of two bellends - scary
That bridge has "primary position" and "strava" written all over it, though 🙂
Manhole covers. Metallic, slippery bastards.
The most dangerous part of my commute is the few minutes between waking up and sinking my first brew..
Raised a smile, thanks 😀
The most dangerous part of my commute is cycling home after a PM shift at around 3am in the morning. Drivers just don't seem expect to see a cyclist on the road at that time.
The road home is unlit, undulating and twisty so there are lots of blind corners and crests.
I've had quite a few near misses.
Tooting High Street, heading south in the evening,
It feels like a video game as you head down there with all kinds of cars, buses, pedestrians etc. jumping out on you form left and right, in front and behind.
Regularly see other riders down there i.e. lying on the deck having been taken out by something.
It's like a war zone.
That bridge has "primary position" written all over it
Absolutely.
That bridge has "strava" written all over it
Funnily enough there always seems to be a headwind going over 😕 I don't think you'll find me on the leaderboards for those segments
There is a drop off that is at least 14"...
Some gnarly air time on my my commute home...dude
not so fun on the way there
When I enter my work place yard @ the end of my commute!
I'm off on my first US cycle commute tomorrow, there's a 2.5-mile section that I've mentally earmarked as 'dodgy as ****'
whenever it rains.
at a time when people should be more careful, they take more risks.
idiots.
Operating the kettle before the first cup of tea
Walking in lycra past the 'ladies' on reception.
I hit myself in the face with the bike shed door a couple of weeks ago.
Addison Lea taxis 🙄
Riding down the A55 at night
Passing the chip shop without calling in for some.
My least favorite bits are u the two fast downhill bits. People in cars have no concept of how quick a bike can travel. Have to admit I have slowed down on these bits now to compensate. I don't think I have ever not been seen but I have seen a couple of 'oh shit' faces when someone has pulled out and realised I am going at 30 mph not 10mph (in a 40).
I still wince turning right just before my office where I got knocked off in August.
The ride back up the hill, there's a blind kink in the road where divs seem obsessed with trying to overtake even though you can't see the oncoming traffic (and there is ALWAYS oncoming traffic, it's not a quiet road). The same bloody car's done it 3 times in the last few months.
Ironically it gets much safer at night because of the headlight spill, makes it clear that there's traffic coming down.
Klunk - Member
rat runs are the most dangerous part of my commute.
^^^ This. The 5 miles at the start/end of my commute is an unlit B road used as a rat run between East Bristol and the M4. The lane is barely wide enough for 2 cars, yet every morning people will be doing 70mph in either direction under the assumption that bikes/cars/horses/pedestrians won't be there.
Even lit up like a Christmas tree (5 front and 4 rear including a Hope District) I've had more close calls than I can count without taking my shoes off and have ended up in the ditch on more than one occasion thanks to a wing mirror or bumper.
Whenever I'm near the mums on the school run, there bonkers and on a mission.
It used to be the bus journey from Port Harcourt in Nigeria to the Heliport, but soon itll be the same journey only in East Timor instead. I get to all the nice places!
Having to slow down on my BMX when it's wet cos it only has the rear brake...
Telling the mrs she has to catch the bus.
A bit near Welham green & Hatfield where the road narrows.
plus Sunday morning pissheads ,near High Barnet usually.
A bit where two lanes become three on the approach to a roundabout. People insist on moving into the middle lane from the right when I am already in it, despite the fact that there is no other traffic around ( and the R/h lane would suit their purposes equally well).
The 5 miles at the start/end of my commute is an unlit B road used as a rat run between East Bristol and the M4. The lane is barely wide enough for 2 cars, yet every morning people will be doing 70mph in either direction under the assumption that bikes/cars/horses/pedestrians won't be there.
yep mine's the unofficial town bypass luckily I've only a mile to go on it but it's just crazy with a blind z bend halfway along. Lost count of the number of on coming cars forced into the verge.
The tram tracks that I have to cross at a really shallow angle on 23mm tyres. Terrifies me every day.
I was contemplating this on my ride in this morning. Before today I would have said the slow ride up a well used, but narrow hill with limited visibility for cars to overtake.
However it would appear to be when approaching any junction - cars just don't seem to see me approach, and this despite a 300 lumen front light.
All I can assume is that drivers look way down the road for approaching traffic and fail to notice something immediately in front of them.
Always been wary of this as I've had a few close calls on early morning commutes, but after being caught today by a van pulling out (hit my front wheel, was fortunate) I'd say junctions are definately on the high danger list.
The bit that feels the most dangerous is the a331 crossing by Aldershot, pick a gap and sprint for it. Been beeped a few times, but nothing I'd call close, and frankly if you wait for a huge gap you'll wait for ever - plus if you've got time to beep me instead of concentrating on missing me, chances are you saw me a bit earlier and are moaning because I went across, rather than anything else. Yes, you know who you are, on the phone girl.....
The bit that probably IS the most dangerous is the a road between Guildford and Aldershot, with lorries, buses and cars all coming past at high speed. Hopefully they're all paying proper attention......
It's different each way for me. I've devised my commute so it removes as much danger as possible. Adds on a couple of miles but I'm OK with that.
Coming to work it's a left hand turn where everyone sees me (doing around 25 in a 30 zone) and absolutely MUST get past before the corner. Loads of left hook near misses there. If I could avoid that junction I would, it's awful. Absolutely shocking driving can be seen there every morning.
Coming home it's the school run traffic through Lowton. I'm on red alert all the way through the village. So many people with their heads in the clouds.
through bushy park when the deer are frisky and its pitch black... please dont post the video of the rider taken out by the wildlife, it give me nightmares.
but honestly nothing as bad as the other posts on here except the road I have to cross over kingston bridge, I use a zebra crossing to avoid the round about ten feet further up and cars usually dont see you crossing as they've been too hot an bothered about actually getting onto the roundabout in the queues. Almost every day they brake hard/late as they spot you.
Superficial - MemberThe tram tracks that I have to cross at a really shallow angle on 23mm tyres. Terrifies me every day.
this ^^^ the wheels on my old road bike went in the tram tracks one day as I was moving across them at a busy Y junction and I had to pull an instant wheelie to drag the wheel out and avoid going over in front of the traffic and then ride out of the junction with my handlebars at a 45% angle to the wheel (as a result of pulling the wheel out) until I could safely stop to fix them.
I was shaking and didn't use the roadie after that, use the mountain bike now as those wheels aint goin in no tram tracks! - although those iron tracks are super slippy in the wet and you have to cross them with care anyway.
Tooting High Street, heading south in the evening,
It feels like a video game as you head down there with all kinds of cars, buses, pedestrians etc. jumping out on you form left and right, in front and behind.
Regularly see other riders down there i.e. lying on the deck having been taken out by something.
It's like a war zone.
Do you reckon? Personally I've never actually seen anyone down there, although I agree it's not pleasant, particularly as it's downhill.
Personally there's a bit between Merton and Ewell I hate - several sets of lights, all on which are on a slight incline, two lines of traffic becoming one, back to two etc, lots of side roads, a couple of fast bits, and slow traffic flashing cars out of junctions etc.
I dunno if it's [i]dangerous[/i], but it's bloody annoying - there's a section of road parallel to the main road, which is where mums come to drop their kids off to the nearby school.
They seem oblivious to the fact that this road has kids walking on it, riding on it and other traffic - when the sun is low, like this morning, it's behind me and they don't even look to see what's coming.
I'm ready for it and slow down, so haven't had any major incidents. This morning was a good one though - had to slalom through a car in the middle of the road, then one on the wrong side of the road!
I had my cam on, so may have caught it on vid. Will have a look and upload.
The dangerous bits are the "cycle paths" (sections of road painted a different colour) - where drivers overtake, turn into a goldfish, forget there was a bike next to them 3 seconds ago and turn left, or stop to let someone out of the junction cutting across the cycle path.
passing a school...gotta be on defcon 2 when passing.
defcon 1 if there are a lot of mirca driving ninja.
a few close ones with cars overtaking recklessly or slamming brakes on at the last moment
standard NZ driving. At least the bridge has 2 lanes so you stand a chance!
In my experience, kiwi drivers are the worst for cyclist awareness as a national average, in the world.
As for my present commute, the present tricky bit is [url= http://goo.gl/maps/umkUx ]this right turn[/url] but only because I'm teaching my 5 year old son road awareness and he rides in front of me. He's getting the hang of it. 🙂
Avoiding the MAMIL races on the Etape du Embankment. Asshats.
Harehills Rd, Leeds, at anytime but particularly when dark. It's a straight road with rows of terrace houses either side and the holders of [b]the[/b] communal driving licence seem to have no idea what GIVE WAY signs/lines are for. Them and the Q7/Cayenne/Range Rover driving drug dealers... 😐
Passing Stockport Grammar School.
It's already on a dual lane carriageway (the A6 heading north towards Stockport which is two narrow lanes in each direction at that point) but then factor in that every child clearly needs dropping right at the school door means all the Range Rovers and Audi Q7s are trying to turn in across 2 busy lanes of traffic while the mother tries to look over the steering wheel, shout at little Tarquin and Tabitha in the back and talk on the phone to her hairdresser all at the same time. Carnage.
Erewash Canal towpath just below the Sea Scout building. Bloody swans squeezed a nest between the track and the water, got quite irate with anyone trying to get past when the cygnets were there.....
+1 for crossing tram tracks in the rain.
Perpendicular approach to reduce the contact area, easy does it speed.
I have 14 miles of country lanes where I might see half a dozen cars on a busy day, followed by a mile of "racetrack" which will only get worse if they ever decide to build Hinkley C.
Crossing the tram tracks at newly reopened Haymarket Junction - so no one really knows where they are going yet (self included) and there is either a shallow angle to cross or slow turn to get to ninety degrees. Not decided what best option is just yet.
Maltravers Road, Sheffield.
it's a '20' - but noone's told the chavs and drug-dealers who hoon along at 50.
it's made worse by the lane-seperating islands, and the 'pillow' speed bumps, which mean the speeding 'kwits cut in at the last [s]minute[/s] split-second to avoid the islands / get their wheels either side of the bump.
it seems designed to kill cyclists/me.
after that, it's every bit of road with a left-hand-junction coming up. When i'm in charge 'left-hookers' will get shot.
Meeting the local hunt pack of hounds being taken out for a walk on the lanes.
Damn they're big scary things when they swarm round you and a few stop to sniff you.
They leave some big parcels on the lanes as well. Rider beware!
rat runs are the most dangerous part of my commute.
I'll see your rat run and raise you a [b]LORRY rat run[/b]. Ritchings Park is a run for lorries to a Tarmac site. Not to mention the industrial estate near Iver and Heathrow World Distribution Site (see previous thread).
I tend to add on an extra few miles and go via Heathrow instead. Fewer lorries around Colnbrook. Cars don't really bother me.
I have a pretty good commute in general, worst bit is the mini roundabout that's almost outside my house. 3 schools nearby, so there's always a lot of parked cars and also people dashing off to work after dropping the kids off. Visibility approaching the roundabout from the left or right in this picture isn't great and from the right it's quite a downhill approach. People always seem to approach with no though to having to stop 🙁
I'm heading down the road in a morning, had a few close shaves with dozy mums and dads. I may have shouted some rude words in front of kids at some point too 😳
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Most dangerous part of my commute is the leafy suburb where the posh private school is. Dodging tiny yummy-mummies in mahoosive Range Rovers they can't see over, and the odd occasional football randomly stopping to let their son out.
Though come fireworks night it all changes for a couple of days to the sink estate I have to skirt past - always wear glasses for that one just in case of the random firework in my direction 😯
Going through Pamplona
The tram tracks that I have to cross at a really shallow angle on 23mm tyres. Terrifies me every day.
Not part of my commute, but had a bad accident involving those earlier in the year. Can no longer ride a road bike with drop bars because of it.
Camera was running this morning, so here's the incident referred to in my post ^^^ up there.
Morons!
There is a major junction near the train station in Geneva that is a big 5 way crossroads, covered in tram lines that you have to cross at angles while cars motorbikes moped buses and trams cross lanes etc. In the wet and dark its a bit scary as if the lights are green I hit it going downhill at some speed as well....
saw this yesterday morning in St. John's Wood in London, tree surgeons got their calculations a little wrong?
would have been nasty if passing on a bike...
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or a tree fell over, and a tree surgeon tidied up?
Makes my leaves on the cycle track seem limp 😉
Any section of the A590 [s]with a speed limit of over 20mph.[/s]
DezB - Member
Camera was running this morning, so here's the incident referred to in my post ^^^ up there.
That is bonkers, very rarely get anything that bad on my commute.
When i was doing my apprenticeship, a cycle up a 1 in 7 hill, lorries used to have to struggle up the hill so i got into the hang of hanging onto the back, one missed his gear and started rolling back onto me, really scary, then there where the security who would lower the barrier as you approached to try and stop you riding into work, once in you had diesel shunters trundling round pulling wagons of steel scrap and very hot ingots, fly shunted wagons, with a man running at the side pinning down brakes, slippy rail lines,and lorry drivers opening cab doors, got knocked off once, by one nearly took my head and shoulders off due to the height of the cab door, and one of my mates got lassoed by a driver, roping and sheeting a load threw the rope over load and caught mates handlebars and he was off.
But somehow i survived 6 years of it.