CyclingMikey

I think some formal cycle training would considerably change your mind on correct road positioning. I'm totally happy to help others to pass me, but when I feel I need to take the lane for my safety, my safety comes before their convenience.

Riding too far left and too submissively is known as being a gutter nutter, and it's known for leading to more risk. I used to do this, but it's National Standards cycle training that teaches more assertive riding, and it does indeed reduce the risk to me.

In my experience when someone says to ride more to the left, they usually mean nothing more than "keep out of my way, I'm impatient and don't want to share the road."

Well, that's fair enough, but if we all keep quiet about bad driving, nothing will change. I don't choose to keep quiet about risky stuff, and I don't see why anyone has to accept poor behaviour. Cameras allow me to bring consequences to this.

I'm very chilled, much more so than some other helmet camera cyclists, and have repeatedly been told how other cyclists were seriously impressed how I managed to keep my calm. If you want some angry cyclists, I could certainly point out some channels for you.

Secondly, my videos aren't pointless to me. Bad driving might seem like nothing to you when you're in a car, but be on a bike when some eedjit risks your life and you'll find a whole lot of adrenaline and fear turning up.

As for not "targetting" cyclists or motorcyclists, I just haven't seen much bad behaviour from them, nothing like the sort of danger that drivers regularly feel quite comfortable with putting me in. That said, I have a few bad cyclist videos, particularly the one on my channel home page that tries to commit suicide by skip lorry. There will be another good one coming in Gaz's next Silly Cyclists video episode too, of a cyclist being extremely thick around a Morrison's lorry.

Steve001

iTrader: (7)

the car in the ASL had nothing to do with my comments yes, even though he was breaking the law.

I must admit that I have entered ASL's, (be it only by a couple of feet) but I don't consider myself a bad driver for it, for example sometimes lights change to red as you approach, you have a car that is too close behind, what do I do? Slam on or brake slower to avoid a rear end crash and just enter the ASL? Or do i run the red light?

I have only reviewed a couple of your vids and this one suggests that YOU need to get YOUR house in order (as do some car drivers BTW)!! not only did you NOT have to swerve out of the way as you claimed, you started in the left (lane 1) so you were NOT 'forced' there in addition, you wanted to move to lane 2, SO WHY DID'NT YOU INDICATE YOUR INTENSIONS???? Don't say you did because your right hand NEVER moved from the handle bars

TinyTim

iTrader: (3)

Interesting vid, and I think it applies to alot of motorists too.

For some reason, there's a roundabout down the road from me (Nothing special, just an ordinary roundabout) where drivers seem intent on pulling out without looking... as a result, im always covering the break when crossing it. Happened yesterday on my way home... I pulled out onto the roundabout, and some woman at the next exit/entrance went to pull out, then looked.

It would help if people looked for longer, to gain a sense of speed of oncoming cars/bikes etc, not just to see if they're close or not.

CyclingMikey

I wouldn't consider you a bad driver for that either.

It's certainly true enough that I can be a better road user, and like most I'm learning all the time. That has no relevance to this video though.

I don't need to indicate any intentions, as I'm not crossing any lane dividers - it's my lane splitting into two, not his. The errant car driver, though, crosses from his lane into mine and forces me to go further left than I wanted to be, and forces me to brake as well.

Really, you're on a hiding to nothing here, and it seems pointless to continue further debate with you on this issue. I suggest you read TRL549 and realise that your behaviour conforms quite nicely to treating cyclists as an out-tribe.

CyclingMikey

It's a good video, the loom effect, and a weave to break it, nice post Kieran. I sometimes use that on my bicycle, and wish I'd known about it when I used to ride motorcycles.

To be honest, the biggest two things to reduce SMIDSYs for me was to take the lane through junctions as taught in Bikeability, and also to change from an upright bike to a recumbent.

RuskyV

I think if I were to attach a camera to the front and rear of my car I think I would see the same kind of inconsiderate driving that is shown in your videos on a day to day occurrence (not excluding myself). But you are a smaller than a car and given some of the overtaking that I have seen in your videos you could say they (drivers) are being dangerous, And with the close attention you seem to pay to the highway code and the general rules of the road you would probably get a 10/10.

The biggest danger to yourself is you my friend and taking a hard line on the right and wrongs of the road and sticking to your moral ground as a cyclist could be where you come unstuck, there are people out there that not only dont give a **** about how their driving but would object seriously to having themselves filmed by you let alone telling them that you are putting them onto the internet ( Is there a privacy issue here?).
I know you are doing things for the "greater good" but the behaviour of people on "Our" roads is not uncommon and is part and parcel of being a road user, sometime for the sake of self preservation its better not to tango with a car or worst its driver in the worst circumstances.

At the end of the day I can hammer out a dent in my wing and it not be a life changing event but what of the person who made that dent what do you think happens to them? video camera or no video camera!

stringostar

no one pays road tax? so that little round disc in my car window is for show is it?? i PAY road tax, which gives me the right to whinge at cyclists.. i PAY over the odds for my car insurance.. i also PAY council tax, which technically speaking should go on making the roads a better driving experience.... all these payments put together should keep things off the road, like cyclists... most of the cyclists i see, have no helmet, no lights at night, and clog up the road worst than caravans do... so yeah, this level of ignorance still exists... if cyclist want to moan about the state of car drivers.. firstly, pay for that honour... and secondly, cyclist insurance should be compulsary. they are of a biggest threat as anything else on that road... if a cyclist hit your car at 25mph, then come with your "this ignorance still exists" routine, and let me know who ends up paying for it... because from what i have seen on this thread, the motorist is at fault and not the cyclist.

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

...sigh....