No exaggeration, no melodrama. Scared the live crap out of me.

Cycling into work at the moment (14 ish miles mainly flat each way) and I almost got flattened by a lorry.

I'm going onto a roundabout which goes under a dual carriageway and look over to make sure it's clear, it is so I swing onto it - there's a slip road coming down from the dual carriageway next and I look up (as I always do, to check....) and there's a lorry coming down - I'm cycling round, checked over my shoulder to make sure everything is still clear - it is and I look back at the lorry, still coming not slowing down.

I kind of think that I need to be 'aware' at this point and looking straight at the driver see him glance over his shoulder and drive straight onto the roundabout and straight at me.

I swerved out to the inside of the roundabout (thankfully still clear) and clear out of his path, he's not looking and I'm screaming and shouting at him - totally oblivious. I'm literally 2 foot from the side of his cab and I'm shouting my head off at him - nothing.

Then he glances around when his cab is front of me and I'm trying to avoid the trailer and he FINALLY sees me.

All I get is a little wave and off he goes.

For Gods sake - if *I* hadn't been more aware and just cycled round the roundabout assuming I was in the clear; I swear I'd be a statistic, my wife would be a widow and he'd be getting done for death by dangerous driving.

Absolutely scared the hell out of me. I kept having flashes of me going under the cab and getting smeared on the road - and then my wife who drives that way to work today would see the accident and find me dead.

I decided to take the longer and slower cycle route to work after that as the normal route takes me down a busy A road and I couldn't face it.

Sorry for the tale, but as others here have found - it's a bit of a catharthis to type it out and get it off your chest. I've not had a near miss for a long time and this kind of thing really shakes you up.

I've decided I'm not going to tell my wife as she worries as it is, and this would just scare her for no gain.

 

graphic

 

How do you get almost killed? Either you were or you werent, its like being almost pregnant....

Glad you're OK though, cycling seems to be getting more and more riskey. Perhaps you should use your car more.

Dont you think councils should provide more cycle lanes, there are much better provisions on the continent.

 

Maybe it was your wife in the lorry?

 

driving too slow to be my wife - she's a nutter on the road

 

Existing cycle lanes are perfectly adequate!!

http://takethetooker.ca/wp-content/u...harddlewis.jpg

 

Cant see what the problem is - he missed you right..!

 

Nothing sexier than a woman that drives like her flaps are on fire.

 

One reason why I would never cycle anywhere, especially in London

Lucky escape though

 

Kieran

Never nice having a near miss....

Assume that you were wearing full yellow hi vis clothing etc etc....

I still use lights during the summer as well, seems to me that motorcyles are forced by law to run lights 24/7 for a reason and it makes sense to me to do the same on my push bike.....

I'd wear a flashing 10 ft neon sign on my head if I could get away with it when cycling on the roads in and around Edinburgh ....

 

glad your ok mate

I got hit in a van a few years ago by a lorry driver, who was completely ignorant to the fact he had done it.

As a cyclist you would have just been a bump in the road!!
Idiot driver

 

Another reason or two, Swiss?

http://www.cyclelicio.us/uploaded_im...jpg-788347.jpg

http://www.cherryflava.com/photos/un...30/cyclist.jpg

Watch out for that pedestrian crossing....ouch!

YouTube - Cyclist falls on her face !!! - OUCH !

 

At least you can always rely on friendly London bus drivers

YouTube - Bus incident

 

Its a frightener alright. I was once nearly mashed by a lorry which overtook me when on my bike and then turned left into me into a side road. His wheel just missed going over my right hand pedal, if it hadn't I would have been dragged under the wheels.

Its the sort of thing you wake up screaming in the night about!

Les

 

no, that is just because you rolled over and saw Mrs Leslie


* logs off SN, shuts down computer, locks up office, packs bags and heads to airport *

 

I wear a top that has set off light sensitive traffic lights in the past. I would show a photo but it burns out camera lens.

I stand 6 and half foot tall on the bike but I am now thinking about that neon sign myself now

 

A cyclist was killed on my route to work a few months ago

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Edinburgh, East and Fife | Cyclist dies in truck collision

...and when I mentioned the incident to a fellow cyclist at work (I had just passed the scene, so was a bit shaken myself) she said that she would be 'extra careful on the way home that day'

I pointed out that 'extra careful' even 'outright paranoia' was needed every day when cycling anywhere in traffic

 

Cycling on Britain's roads is becoming more and more dangerous. Lorries have always been a problem but now that around 50% of lorries are driven by Johnny Foreigner, and he's sitting on the "wrong" side, it's just a joke.

I was once nearly squashed by a lorry on a roundabout, he was looking OVER me for traffic and failed to see me. When I had the "cheek" to shout at him, he got out of his lorry and threatened me

Pavement is the best place for cyclists. And I stand ready to be flamed for saying that.

I used to cycle to and from work, but the roundabout near home, I walked across via a pedestrian crossing at the entrance/exit.

Alcazar

 

It might be safer for cyclists if you did though

 

it wasnt me well I dont think so

 

is it mandatory to say that when your name is 'shaggy'

 

Motorcycles are not required by law to run lights 24/7. They don't even need a headlight for use with a day time MOT. I personally don't use my head light during the day, or hi-vis gear, mainly because I like to ride like everyone is out to kill me.

HTH.

 

lol yes it just pops out err officer

 

What scares me is motorists disregard for cyclists either deliberately or not. There are some scumtards who are ignorant of cyclists and try to justify there crapness by saying cyclists should pay road tax or shouldnt ride two abreast or on pavements as if that justified crap driving...

I am just glad you are ok fella. I am just a 1000 miles a year cyclist, have the odd almost near miss, have "discussed" some drivers behaviour at the road side with them and have thanked those who give me room etc...

Keep on wearing the helmet and the high viz and maybe go back and do that route again maybe on Sunday afternoon when it's quiet and try to get the flashbacks out nice and quick before they stick.

All the best.

 

My mistake RIP, thought it was law.

I also ride as if everyone is out to get me, constant awareness etc is the key, but I still like to give myself EVERY chance with high vis as well

 

Would this not help?

 

The office mother insisted I wear a hi-vis waist coat on the way home as well...

I was like this bright yellow radiation warning on wheels going home

Make that soaking wet bright yellow.... 'cos it p*ssed it down on the way home!

I did go back to the roundabout (there is an alternate route I could've taken) as I figured I should exorcise the demons as it were... and I almost got knocked down by some idiot 'pro' cyclist!!!

Anyone want to buy a bike?

 

Whoa, glad you are alright fella, thats scary, just spotted this after posting my thoughts after a month of commuting by bike, I try to avoid busy roads wherever possible and do find that the cycling is the easy bit, its the mental stress of second guessing every **** on the road, old chavved up beemers ar arseholes, women in big old 4 by 4s dont have a clue and are too worried about their horses, Mitsubishi Animals are driven by Animals.

 

You know - apart from this morning, the biggest issue I have is pedestrians just stepping onto the road right in front of you and then hurling abuse at YOU for just missing them! Argh!

Drivers generally are okay - idiots walking without looking are the pain.

 

Here's my list of 'threats' in order.

1 Taxi Drivers - Utter C**nts, no exceptions

2 Other Cyclists - Jump off kerbs in front of you, pull out to overtake things without noticing you etc, tend to be students, non helmeted, no lights, wearing black (or tarmac camouflage clothing) around Edinburgh

3 40/50 something blonde, heavily made up, overweight female 4x4 drivers, normally on phone and accompanied by zero spacial awareness

4 Private Coach Drivers/lorry drivers (private haulage firms by far the worst wher I come from) -

5 Bus drivers (Most are ok but become more irate and impatient as the temperature rises and the traffic increases during the festival in the summer)

6 Pedestrians (especially ipod wearing and seemingly blind)

7 Car drivers - 99% are really good and considerate but obviously you only remember the one c**t who nearly took you out (normally when they are on their phone)

Everyone else is fine