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Like many people I get close passes most weeks and whilst it makes me angry I just accept it, but yesterday whilst out riding I had the worst experience yet.
Two ****ts who were racing each other managed the closest pass yet, narrowing missing me and an oncoming motor cyclist, they either didn't see us or didn't give a shit.
I am the least aggressive person you could meet, very laid back and easy going, luckily I managed to catch up with the idiots and confronted them, I can honestly say I almost lost it and could have easily punched one of them, but I made sure I got their faces and cars on a good close up. They then a few minutes drove past me hurling abuse.
Being honest, it left me shaking for quite sometime, I even considered calling my partner to come and pick me up, I'd had enough! I was so angry that it just ruined the ride and the day.
Luckily for me I have the whole event on camera and it will be going to the police, if they dont take any action then there is no point having the camera.
This is probably the first time I have really thought about quitting cycling. I have during the last year or so picked my routes carefully, but sometimes its difficult to avoid certain roads and places.
The whole event has knocked my confidence and left me thinking about quitting. Anyone else thought about quitting cycling?
Sorry, just getting some anger and frustration out! 🙁
I used to ride everywhere on my bike, it was my transport.
And road/mtb for fun.
Nowadays, I basically never ride on road, can’t be arsed with the danger.
It matters not whether it’s intentional, the end result is the same.
And quite a number of my (mid 50s) friends say the same.
I’d say your feelings are understandable.
I found that making sure it spoils their day more than mine is the key. Mock them. Belittle them then ride off smiling with a cheery wave leaving them angry and upset
I used to get angry and upset. Its counterproductive.
I found that making sure it spoils their day more than mine is the key
This, which if the footage is good is what you'll do.
Nowadays, I basically never ride on road, can’t be arsed with the danger.
Depends on where you're based but my approach is that I'm not going to let the bastards win. Sometimes there's also an element of having to manage those around you by road positioning and not appearing too competent (Obree's look wobbly) which can detract from the mind in neutral aspect of some road rides.
Nowadays, I basically never ride on road, can’t be arsed with the danger.
Tbh everything has risks,last year had 113 of us getting killed but compare that against 364 pedestrians and 686 car occupants.
Course you could just sit at home and hide but 6000 people die a year from home related accidents,so you can’t really win 🙂
I think the decision for the cyclist is in picking the right routes to ride on and be sure if you want to play in traffic you are a competent and confident enough rider to do so(tricky mix).
I used to ride everywhere on my bike, it was my transport.
Me too, for years. Around a major UK city and into the peak district for fun. In all that time I can't recall being the victim of a 'close pass'. Just wondering what they are? How close is too close? I remember the odd time on a dual carriageway getting buffeted by big trucks, but cars? As long as they've not hit you then..? I did generally ride in the middle of my lane though which I suppose makes getting past a bit harder.
What was common was people on their phones drifting into me, I had to kick a few wing mirrors.
The whole event has knocked my confidence and left me thinking about quitting. Anyone else thought about quitting cycling?
Nah, it's a passing thought and if you chop it in they've "Won" and bullied you off of the roads. While I recognise the sentiment, and I've been (literally) run off the road a couple of times by people in cars, if you quit riding on roads altogether then they've gotten everything they want and simply had their mindset reinforced. As lame as it sounds exercising your right to ride a bicycle on the roads your taxes paid for is an act of righteous bloody defiance these days.
One thing I will say is it's never worth chasing them down or attempting a conversation, it's always an utterly fruitless exercise...
As for the video you got, the police might do something (anecdotally it's a bit of a postcode lottery) there's no guarantees though. Somewhat counterintuitively, I do wonder sometimes if gathering video is all that beneficial or simply adds to the stress. Yes You have 'evidence' but what is it really worth, the authorities have to take it seriously, or you throw it on YouTube and it just fuels the road rage culture war...
Automotive bellendery isn't new and despite its increasing financial costs doesn't seem to be fading away. But I do believe ultimately the sheer cost of being a committed car-**** will make it a non-viable lifestyle choice where riding bikes is definitely on the up.
People on bikes win in the long term, so long as we don't allow ourselves to be bullied off the roads...
had to kick a few wing mirrors.
If they're close enough for you to kick their wing mirror I reckon that's a 'close pass'...
Had a fire engine overtake at a pinch point. Apparently 30cm gap at speed is acceptable if you complain.
I don't even think the investigation looked ay the footage.
Which I intend to follow up ss i have very distinctive bar tape, so will be asking what colour it was.
I have found shouting at the muppets makrs me more angry so i try to avoid escalation if possible
If they’re close enough for you to kick their wing mirror I reckon that’s a ‘close pass’…
Right, so anything coming close to you is a 'close pass'? Just trying to understand it. In my examples it doesn't seem an accurate description. There was no 'passing'. They would've driven into me had I not re-focussed their attention away from their phone. This is in dense slow city traffic.
Anything under 1.5m clearance is a close pass. Half that is dangerous driving
Right, cheers for clearing that up tj. In that case I was 'close-passed' every single day for years. By pretty much every vehicle.
I think it's only in recent years where I've noticed cars making a big dramatic show of slowing, signalling, then slowly pulling out to the far side of the road before reversing the procedure half a mile in front. Which is a good thing I guess.
Do you use a mirror? I rarely get close passes but when I do I see them coming and move left increasing the passing distance enough that I don't feel in danger.
If you have no room to move left you are riding too close to the kerb.
Years ago before I began using a mirror I had a couple of real heartstopper close passes. Both genuinely very close and worse because of the shock of the unexpected.
Closest pass i had was someones wing mirror smashing off the end of my handlebar on the A85 going to work a long time ago, they must have been doing 60-70mph and it sounded like a shotgun going off at my ear, completely destroyed their wing mirror and ripped it off as well, not really sure how it never took me off the bike or left any damage, the guy went even faster after it, probably thought he'd hit me and didn't have a wing mirror to check 😂
As for confidence, have to say i've never really put much faith in what happens behind me, i can work out what is in front of me, but nothing i can do if i get hit from behind, i see it every day with cars, yesterday someone overtakes a cyclist closely to then just turn left in front of them, they could wait 5 seconds behind that bike and then turn, but no, there's just too many in a hurry to join the queue of traffic just down the road unfortunately.
Around here there are just some roads that are not cycle friendly as other routes, picking the route is as important as safety gear for a fair few journeys here!
Do you use a mirror? I rarely get close passes but when I do I see them coming and move left increasing the passing distance enough that I don’t feel in danger.
Why do you need a mirror? If it's safe to pass then you should already be 'over' without needing to move there reactively; if it's not safe to pass then you should be in primary to stop them from doing so.
No?
My commute is pretty long, on fast A road, over the last ten years of doing it on and off I’ve only had one pass that I thought ‘**** me’.
The roads are wide, and the sight lines are very long, but I know I’m pretty lucky.
Exposure on the helmet and on the back so even in day light I think they are bright enough for the half aware to think ‘bike’.
I find having a camera and submitting videos to the police helps to keep me calmer during the incidents. I feel less desire to rip the drivers throat out if I am able to take action in another way. The police response is horribly variable though.
Exposure on the helmet and on the back so even in day light I think they are bright enough for the half aware to think ‘bike’.
Anecdotally (sample size of one etc) but I found that doing commutes with a Diablo on my helmet for the dark evenings led to far more considerate overtakes, I'm assuming because people thought it was a helmet mounted camera. In daytime, it's very obvious that there's something "not helmet" there.
There's been much more publicity in the last few years about bike cams, footage from them (often clickbait with the tagline "who's side are you on?!") but it has at least made drivers aware of the potential outcomes.
You need a mirror so you know a close pass is coming and can react. You should never be so close to the kerb that you can't move left in an emergency. Not just overtakes. If you are riding 3 feet from the kerb you have swerve room both for close passes and to dodge a pothole on the inside if you are being overtaken when you see it. No natter where youvare in the lane you will in very rare occasions get close passed by an arse hole. I prefer to see it coming.
But yes, if I need to I will ride right in the centre of the lane to blick overtakes like on approach to traffic islands.
My mirror also allowed me to ride off the road to avoid being hit by a speeding camper. Moving left wasn't enough (or right actually as it was in the USA) as the camper filled the lane and didn't move at all. Luckily although the adjacent ground was gravel it was relatively flat and as I was on a stable tourer I stsyed upright.
Cameras are fine for evidence later on but I think knowing what is going on behind me is essential for safety on the road.
You need a mirror so you know a close pass is coming and can react
If its a real close pass you can do **** all about it.
I ride a road to work that puts a lot of people at my place off riding. The most dangerous are buses. They start to pass then realise something coming the other way is too close and move in before they've completely passed. Mirrors can't help you there. And with a camera you can report them. And bus companies do something about it.
And nothing is going to stop me riding to work. I've changed my route home to avoid the shitty road (well, to avoid the shit drivers) and am not going to let the bastards win!
+1 for a mirror, it helps a lot on the road seeing what's coming up behind, and how fast--let's face it, in a car or on a motorbike we'd use rear-view mirrors all the time without a second thought (or ought to anyway!), and fitting one on my bike handlebar end seems natural enough for the same reason.
I prefer to look over my shoulder - partly because a mirror vibrates so much on a bike bar that it's near useless plus it's small anyway and partly because turning your head allows a much better appreciation of the scene and potentially the option for eye contact.
It also shows the driver that you, as the cyclist, are aware of their presence which seems to ward off a lot of the more idiot moves.
yes indeed, a mirror is not a replacement for looking over the shoulder, just as in driving a car--and also a full on eye-contact look in the eyes of an approaching driver is important on a bike, I do it all the time, a mirror just gives that added bit of spatial awareness.
If its a real close pass you can do **** all about it.
Not at all. For example. I saw a motorbiker deliberately try to buzz past very close to me. He left the road and moved onto the hard shoulder I was riding in the middle of. I waited until he was close enough he couldn't swerve again then moved 3 ft towards the edge of the road. Solved.
Another example. 4 lane urban dual carriageway. Narrow lanes. So I was right in th middle of the nearside lane. It was too narrow to share. A boy racer who had objected to me using a lane, rather than go into the offside lane like every other car deliberately went as close to me as he could. Saw it coming in the mirror and moved left at the last minute to give safe clearance.
Cyclists as a group rightly criticise many drivers. If you don't use a mirror you are trusting those same drivers to pass safely. With a mirror you can react before the pass.
Don't get me wrong. Mlost times I am out on the bike the mirror makes no differnce. Most drivers are OK. But knowing when the dickhead is coming before he brushes you elbow helps.
It's second nature. There is a reason mirrors are a legal requirement in cars. It helpif you know what traffic behind you is doing.
As for vibration? You need to get the right mirror. On flat bar bikes a cheap Decathlon mirror works for me. Drop bar is more problematic. Because I use bar end levers I have a brake hood mounted mirrir which has a steel arm and is rock steady. Long out of production. But I have them in both UK and USA versions, LH and RH mounts. The Rhode Gear Mirror. Nice real glass clear mirror.
Steady unless the road is really bad. A pic here of someone else's.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/1trek4me/5985704749
Makes sense. I think I want one myself now.
I want those gloves.
Highway Code: 61% of drivers have not read new guidance, AA survey suggests
I'm surprised as many as 39% have!
I am surprised at your maths.
Oops. Corrected. It was a typo honest! I'm still surprised that many have.
Highway Code: 61% of drivers have not read new guidance, AA survey suggests
I’m surprised as many as 39% have!
I'd be genuinely surprised if that many knew the old guidance.
I’d be genuinely surprised if that many knew the old guidance.
One of the many reasons that drivers do close passes or shout abuse is because they're working off what they think they HC says or what they'd like it to say rather than what it actually does say.
Interestingly, they never seem as bothered about yelling to other drivers for the far more numerous breaches of the HC... Weird huh?!
I know. I don't even pay road tax.
I know. I don’t even pay road tax.
Liz Truss is PM now, you'll be lucky not to get branded and allowed on public roads between 0700-2100!
I prefer to look over my shoulder
I'm always stunned how unrealistic some of the suggestions on here are! I mean, you look over your shoulder at EVERY vehicle? Just some? Just the one's that "sound close"? Or you constantly look, every few seconds, just in case??
I've never seen a rider doing any of those things and I certainly don't myself.
Being confident, as the OP puts it, just means riding sensibly, defensively and just getting on with it. Not pandering to the morons in their cars.
I’m always stunned how unrealistic some of the suggestions on here are! I mean, you look over your shoulder at EVERY vehicle? Just some? Just the one’s that “sound close”? Or you constantly look, every few seconds, just in case??
I’ve never seen a rider doing any of those things and I certainly don’t myself.
I gave up on road riding a few years back (just enjoyed MTB more, and have trails from the back door, so never used it).
Route selection will play a part in this, and so I guess cant apply to rush hour commuters, but yes, I would look behind for every car, and then once I knew roughly where they were, listen for the tyre and engine noise as they pass.
Still do when mtb rides include sections on road.
I’m always stunned how unrealistic some of the suggestions on here are! I mean, you look over your shoulder at EVERY vehicle? Just some? Just the one’s that “sound close”? Or you constantly look, every few seconds, just in case??
I’ve never seen a rider doing any of those things and I certainly don’t myself.
Being confident, as the OP puts it, just means riding sensibly, defensively and just getting on with it. Not pandering to the morons in their cars
Exactly - threads like this make you realise just how many misfits there are on STW. 98% of the road cycling population doesn't have a mirror and isn't constantly looking over their shoulder at the car behind, and neither do they ride 3 feet out from the curb and thereby make themselves an obstacle.
Occasional close passes are unpleasant but unavoidable. There is nothing to be done so they are not worth getting upset by. My approach is to thank the offening driver for the assisting draft and carry on my merry way. As long as you're not weaving all over the road then the chance of actually getting hit is miniscule. You're far more likely to get injured on an MTB ride but nobody seems too fazed by that risk.
You’re far more likely to get injured on an MTB ride but nobody seems too fazed by that risk.
But in the vast majority of cases, that's entirely up to me - I can choose to slow down, get off and walk... Basically I can mitigate the risks.
On road, it's almost entirely up to others - I can manage the risk to a certain extent but I'm more or less in the hands of every overtaking driver to behave themselves.
I have just been contacted by the police, they are going to prosecute the drivers!
excellent news
Great! 🙂
You need a mirror so you know a close pass is coming and can react.
Sorry its been a tough day - is this a troll? You see someone coming up behind you so deliberately put yourself in more danger by moving left and encouraging them to push on past you?
Doesn't this just mean the driver now thinks cyclist should pull over for me reinforcing their view they own the road and everyone should move out of the their way?