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Lorry close pass revelation

by kil0ran
Tue, Aug 27, 2019 10:53
11

First time I've had an insanely close pass from an full-length artic at speed - the classic "I've forgotten about you because my cab has gone past" squeeze into the kerb.

Whilst wondering whether I was going to end up under the rear wheels or in the hedge it occured to me just how helpless you are in that situation. I was doing a decent speed in the drops and my bike handling is such that touching the brakes would have likely brought me closer to the trailer. So I had to sit tight, breathe in, and hope for the best.

I remember that TfL ad a few years back with the bus overtaking the cyclist at a junction - the thing is it's not that easy to drop speed and grab the brakes if it happens, because that's inevitably going to change your line/make you less stable. Maybe I lack delicacy and finesse on the bike...

Shortly afterwards I had the "overtake on blind bend and turn immediately left into a driveway" pass. No big deal with that one as it was uphill, I didn't even have to touch the brakes. Amazes me how willing some car drivers are willing to put themselves in danger. She gave me loads of room to be fair, and it was at slow speed but what's the point?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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11 comments

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Scottish Scrutineer | 4 years ago
2 likes

Another reason to "Ride Primary" giving yourself more space on the near(kerb) side to move into if you are squeezed. Take enough of the lane to make it obvous that there's not enough room to try and squueze past.

Avatar
HarryTrauts replied to Scottish Scrutineer | 4 years ago
1 like

Scottish Scrutineer wrote:

Another reason to "Ride Primary" giving yourself more space on the near(kerb) side to move into if you are squeezed. Take enough of the lane to make it obvous that there's not enough room to try and squueze past.

The problem with this approach is there are plenty of motorists who simply can't see how obvious it is and still try to squeeze past.

Avatar
vonhelmet replied to HarryTrauts | 4 years ago
1 like
harragan wrote:

Scottish Scrutineer wrote:

Another reason to "Ride Primary" giving yourself more space on the near(kerb) side to move into if you are squeezed. Take enough of the lane to make it obvous that there's not enough room to try and squueze past.

The problem with this approach is there are plenty of motorists who simply can't see how obvious it is and still try to squeeze past.

Drivers think they own the road and that we should ride in the gutter, so take major offence if you ride in primary.

Avatar
CXR94Di2 replied to HarryTrauts | 4 years ago
1 like

harragan wrote:

Scottish Scrutineer wrote:

Another reason to "Ride Primary" giving yourself more space on the near(kerb) side to move into if you are squeezed. Take enough of the lane to make it obvous that there's not enough room to try and squueze past.

The problem with this approach is there are plenty of motorists who simply can't see how obvious it is and still try to squeeze past.

 

I have been riding 12" from centre (primary) for a while now.  Its actually much better, very few vehicles try pass.  Drivers now invaribly move over completely to the other lane to pass me. 

I get very few drive by punishment passes, also the drivers who are just in a non attentive mode are broken out of it by having to slow down and think about how to get by. These second group are far worse because if you ride in the kerb they will become sheep and follow what the lead drivers does, without thought.

I will if a car driver shows respect by waiting to pass move back in a little when I deem it safe to let them by.

There is a larger safety gap to your left incase you do come across a psychopath.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to CXR94Di2 | 4 years ago
0 likes
CXR94Di2 wrote:

harragan wrote:

Scottish Scrutineer wrote:

Another reason to "Ride Primary" giving yourself more space on the near(kerb) side to move into if you are squeezed. Take enough of the lane to make it obvous that there's not enough room to try and squueze past.

The problem with this approach is there are plenty of motorists who simply can't see how obvious it is and still try to squeeze past.

 

I have been riding 12" from centre (primary) for a while now.  Its actually much better, very few vehicles try pass.  Drivers now invaribly move over completely to the other lane to pass me. 

I get very few drive by punishment passes, also the drivers who are just in a non attentive mode are broken out of it by having to slow down and think about how to get by. These second group are far worse because if you ride in the kerb they will become sheep and follow what the lead drivers does, without thought.

I will if a car driver shows respect by waiting to pass move back in a little when I deem it safe to let them by.

There is a larger safety gap to your left incase you do come across a psychopath.

I tend to do the same but in this case had drifted towards the kerb - it was a slightly uphill very gentle S bend and I'd taken the shortest line, eating my gap

Avatar
kil0ran | 4 years ago
2 likes

I like the Balfour Beatty vans in Southampton (BB have the contract to maintain the roads, including cyclepaths). Stickers on small Corsa-sized vans warning pedestrians not to walk near the van.

Avatar
zero_trooper replied to kil0ran | 4 years ago
1 like

kil0ran wrote:

I like the Balfour Beatty vans in Southampton (BB have the contract to maintain the roads, including cyclepaths). Stickers on small Corsa-sized vans warning pedestrians not to walk near the van.

My work vans had very similar stickers. My complaint was that if pedestrians weren’t supposed to walk near the vehicle, how was the ‘driver’ meant to get in it? Teleport?!?  

Our tippers also had the classic ‘cyclists do not pass on the nearside’ stickers. My long list of circumstances where cyclists could quite legally (and safely) ‘pass on the nearside’ sadly fell on deaf ears 

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
2 likes

I saw one of those signs on the back of a bus, "cyclists, beware of passing this bus on the inside". Got me thinking about just what it means to be "inside" the bus!

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

 kil0ran, did the artic have one of those ironic warnings on the back, about cyclists, specifically YOU putting yourself in their dangerous blind spot.

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brooksby replied to ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

ktache wrote:

 kil0ran, did the artic have one of those ironic warnings on the back, about cyclists, specifically YOU putting yourself in their dangerous blind spot.

You mean the ones that can so easily become "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" ?

Avatar
zero_trooper replied to ktache | 4 years ago
4 likes

ktache wrote:

 kil0ran, did the artic have one of those ironic warnings on the back, about cyclists, specifically YOU putting yourself in their dangerous blind spot.

Do you think that there’s ever a contrasting sticker inside the cab saying ‘Beware cyclists in your blind spot’. You would like to think so.

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