I've had a crash, go EASY folks :¬( !!!

R

Robertkelly123

New member
Local time
10:24 AM
Joined
Feb 27, 2021
Messages
6
I crashed into a car in town as approaching a mini roundabout, I am all beat up, left leg cchest
Fractured index finger,Handlebars bent although I have fixed them now and am back on the bike.
Invested in HIGH VIZ vest, crash Helmet. Go easy Folks, car drivers aren't caring or attentive enough.
I have an injury claim in process with a solicitor, so who know I may get a cheque, will become a car driver again
then ;¬) Take care folks, its a minefield out there.
Rob
 
Thanks, got to be careful out there it's minefield, I getting a lot better and am even back on my ebike (fixed bent handlebars) I got a High Viz vest and a crash Helmet, Wise investments if you don't have them get them.

I got a Smallden 28,000 mah battery on order from Aliexpress, if it's the capacity as advertised I should roughly treble my mileage from
bike, which would be great 3 *5 miles = 15.

I even got a claim in with a personal injury solicitor, if I get say £1500 or so I will be getting a nice car pronto!!! Could be a blessing in disguise, GOT TO BE SAFE from now on though, it can be so dangerous out there. You stay safe too on your ebike.

Rob
 
yeah you really gotta watch all the time in city w/lots of cars. car drivers sometimes get as close to hitting you as possible, today was very close. big truck came barrelling down road about 3 in. away from me. he didnt move over at all. almost like he did it for his own amusement to see how close he could come to almost hitting me. i bike thru city to get to forested area with bike trail
 
The basic problem is having roads shared by a 150 lb cyclist traveling at 10-15 mph and a 4,000 lb motor vehicle traveling at 35-75 mph. Unfortunately bicyclist education on how to be safe is either non existant or dead wrong as with school children bicycling against traffic which quite common.

John Forester wrote the first safety guide in 1977 while he was living in Palo Alto California and it was needed then and it is still needed today. Bike lanes continue to be used where they are a recipe for death for cyclists. I avoid bike lanes altogether as they are less safe than the other routes through towns. I would do the same with respect to roundabouts, especially in the USA where they are a novelty and most motorist panic when approaching them.


Above all else I want my behavior on the road to be predictable to motorists approaching from any direction which is why it is foolish to ride through controlled intersections and ignore the stop signs or lights. The same goes for riding against the flow of traffic or being in a bike lane that has a car blocking it and waiting until the last minute to swerve around it.

Inattentive drivers has become a much greater problem with the advent of cheap cell phones with many motorists so distracted that they might as well be drunk or stoned.
 
Calsun said:
The basic problem is having roads shared by a 150 lb cyclist traveling at 10-15 mph and a 4,000 lb motor vehicle traveling at 35-75 mph. Unfortunately bicyclist education on how to be safe is either non existant or dead wrong as with school children bicycling against traffic which quite common.

John Forester wrote the first safety guide in 1977 while he was living in Palo Alto California and it was needed then and it is still needed today. Bike lanes continue to be used where they are a recipe for death for cyclists. I avoid bike lanes altogether as they are less safe than the other routes through towns. I would do the same with respect to roundabouts, especially in the USA where they are a novelty and most motorist panic when approaching them.


Above all else I want my behavior on the road to be predictable to motorists approaching from any direction which is why it is foolish to ride through controlled intersections and ignore the stop signs or lights. The same goes for riding against the flow of traffic or being in a bike lane that has a car blocking it and waiting until the last minute to swerve around it.

Inattentive drivers has become a much greater problem with the advent of cheap cell phones with many motorists so distracted that they might as well be drunk or stoned.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Bike Lanes without Guard Rails are simply putting cyclists lives up for grabs. I would bet a dollar that if politicians were forced to make really safe and fun bike lanes for communing they would become massively popular. But then they'd have to reinvent commuting taxation.
 
Robertkelly123 said:
I crashed into a car in town as approaching a mini roundabout, I am all beat up, left leg cchest
Fractured index finger,Handlebars bent although I have fixed them now and am back on the bike.
Invested in HIGH VIZ vest, crash Helmet. Go easy Folks, car drivers aren't caring or attentive enough.
I have an injury claim in process with a solicitor, so who know I may get a cheque, will become a car driver again
then ;¬) Take care folks, its a minefield out there.
Rob
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your crash. I have ridden motorcycles for over 50 years on the streets that has taught never to trust what someone in a car is going to do. Keep your head on a swivel and always look for avenues of escape just in case.
 
I only ride against the flow of traffic or on the sidewalk if possible. There is no way I'm riding with these idiots coming up behind me. You have no time to react when hit from behind even with mirrors. Always better to see the cars coming towards you so you have time to get out of the way if needed. Riding with the flow is just asinine.
 
John Forester started writing about bicycle safety for cyclists after seeing the problems in Palo Alto CA where he lived. His Effective Cycling guide is a free download and worthwhile for those riding in traffic. Most of the advice provided by non-cyclists is wrong and dangerous. It has resulted in bike lanes alongside parked cars and these are inherently dangerous to cyclists.

Palo Alto mandated that bicyclists ride on the sidewalks and the result was so many collisions with people walking who did not expect a bicycle to be on the sidewalk that the city officials had to quickly reverse the ordinance. People walking out of their yard or a shop or office do not expect to have a bicyclist going past at 15 mph and who does not have time to brake and avoid a collision.

A bicycle rider on the road needs to behave like a motorist and riding against traffic is stupid. A motorist making a turn or pulling out of parking space or a parking lot or leaving a highway off ramp is looking for traffic approach from behind and not in front. If I am riding along at 20 mph in a traffic lane and going the correct direction then a motorist approaching from the rear needs to allow for my presence and adjust accordingly. I need to be predictible and not be in a bike lane and have an inattentive motorist open the door in front of me and then have to pull out into the traffic lane at the last moment. That is what results in cyclist injuries and deaths.

With so many people hand holding cell phones or a bagel or cup of coffee or smoking the number of attentive drivers has plummeted over the years. Unfortunately these inattentive drivers kill thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians in the USA each year. The motorist survives the encounter and so they get to tell their story to the police who will attribute the collision to cyclist error.
 
Calsun said:
A bicycle rider on the road needs to behave like a motorist and riding against traffic is smart and only safe way to ride nowadays.
Click to expand...
I fixed the misinformation for you. John Forester seems to lack the common sense to stay safe out there in these distracted driving times.
Who the hell wants a distracted driver on a phone coming up behind you and you have no time to react. Think about it, if their in front of you, you'll at least see them and have time to react and save yourself. Why are people so lacking in this common sense????? HIMIRICK is rewriting the rules and saving lives! ;)
 
Calsun said:
John Forester started writing about bicycle safety for cyclists after seeing the problems in Palo Alto CA where he lived. His Effective Cycling guide is a free download and worthwhile for those riding in traffic. Most of the advice provided by non-cyclists is wrong and dangerous. It has resulted in bike lanes alongside parked cars and these are inherently dangerous to cyclists.

Palo Alto mandated that bicyclists ride on the sidewalks and the result was so many collisions with people walking who did not expect a bicycle to be on the sidewalk that the city officials had to quickly reverse the ordinance. People walking out of their yard or a shop or office do not expect to have a bicyclist going past at 15 mph and who does not have time to brake and avoid a collision.

A bicycle rider on the road needs to behave like a motorist and riding against traffic is stupid. A motorist making a turn or pulling out of parking space or a parking lot or leaving a highway off ramp is looking for traffic approach from behind and not in front. If I am riding along at 20 mph in a traffic lane and going the correct direction then a motorist approaching from the rear needs to allow for my presence and adjust accordingly. I need to be predictible and not be in a bike lane and have an inattentive motorist open the door in front of me and then have to pull out into the traffic lane at the last moment. That is what results in cyclist injuries and deaths.

With so many people hand holding cell phones or a bagel or cup of coffee or smoking the number of attentive drivers has plummeted over the years. Unfortunately these inattentive drivers kill thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians in the USA each year. The motorist survives the encounter and so they get to tell their story to the police who will attribute the collision to cyclist error.
Click to expand...
I understand your point of view but after riding street motorcycles for over 50 years in every possible types of road/highway environments I can tell you that it is fully on the cyclist to remain safe.

I will take slight exception to your comment about distracted drivers. From my point of view and observation from with cars/trucks and motorcycles drinking, eating or smoking are no problems the damn stupid people with their needs to text while driving is the real issue.

Sure wish they attach criminal charges for anyone caught doing it with big fines as well. I drive a twenty two year old Mustang and I have full hands free in my car. There is no excuse except pure laziness or being to stupid to figure out how to use hands free in the car.
 
HIMI-RICK said:
I only ride against the flow of traffic or on the sidewalk if possible. There is no way I'm riding with these idiots coming up behind me. You have no time to react when hit from behind even with mirrors. Always better to see the cars coming towards you so you have time to get out of the way if needed. Riding with the flow is just asinine.
Click to expand...
Here in the States is the law to ride with the traffic, have same rights to road as cars, however, we usually err
on the side of caution by staying as far right as possible. The recumbent trikes like I ride seem to get more clearance because if the novelty..... thinking we're all handicapped and penalties for killing one of us old duffers would be most severe! Not so with the uprights. Many are aggressive with the cars, fools, and many drivers are hateful as they perceive the cyclists hold things up. They aren't aware that it's legal to pass cyclists on double lines in no passing areas if the uploading lanes are clear. More education is needed for car drivers and cyclists alike then respect for each other's rights.
 
Im surprised every time I see people riding in New York City without a multitude of blinking lights...I would commute without my helmet before I commuted without my blinking lights
 
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