Idiot cyclist tonight on Commonside

[Squiggs]

I can't understand them either.

I have 3 forwards and 2 rear lights. I'd rather give motorists every chance to see me!

 

^This

 

Plus when I had to jump off a kerb to avoid a car driving along the cycle path and happened to land hitting a pothole, my rear light flew off without my noticing (I assume it was then), it meant I still had a rear light plus the one on my backpack.

 

And if a front light battery goes flat I have a reserve

 

 

.....now if only motorists carried spare bulbs and checked their lights (or took notice of the warnings now coming as standard to an increasing number of cars)......

[WalkleyIan]

I can't understand them either.

I have 3 forwards and 2 rear lights. I'd rather give motorists every chance to see me!

 

 

I have 3 front, 2 rear and an amber side light. Last Tuesday an idiot motorist on Commonside failed to see me. He was coming out of Sidney Road I had to bail to the side of the road by the bus stop. Maybe he did see me and decided his journey was more important than mine. The bloke behind offered his camera footage but no point as we had no reg number

 

Was hit by a taxi (private cab) on Commonside a few year back. He swore blind I had no lights till the witness in the car behind pointed out that I had lights and a hiviz jacket. He changed his story to something about being distracted by the shop lights before handing over his address details.

 

I’m not convinced the whole lights and hiviz mantra makes a blind bit of difference to some drivers but ill carry on riding round like a Christmas tree if only to stop these threads on forums. And yes the unlit riders annoy me as much everyone else.

 

Compulsory eye test every 5 years to keep your licence maybe?

As west midlands police say, don’t assume the driver has seen you even if you make eye contact, look at the wheels of the vehicle in question.

[Chazndave]

If you'd have hit him though it would have been your fault. I always see signs 'think bike'. However I see more and more moron bikers everyday! Whether that be on a cycle or motorbike, however the focus is always on the car driver to 'think bike'. Why not on the biker to 'ride safely!!'

[wibbles]

I haven't been on the forum for a while however feel this needs mentioning in order to both protect another innocent motorist from the small number of idiots who ride bikes and who give the majority of good cyclists who ride bikes very well bad press.

 

This specifically relates to the person on Commonside at Walkley on the junction of Barber Road tonight at 17.15 (Friday 2nd December). If you are reading this I gave way to a car (it was a ford focus) at the junction however I never saw you for the following reasons:

 

You had no front light on your bike and it was dark

 

The street lighting just there was quite poor (just at the top past PA before it drops down into the dip)

 

I note you did however have a head camera....but no front light

 

You are very good at hand signals which could've been avoided had you had a bright top on and a front light

 

You were dressed entirely in one those tight lycra things however it was black in colour hence I didn't see you

 

I only saw very briefly your backlight hence I braked suddenly to avoid you which I thought was rather commendable though your hand signals said otherwise

 

The next time you may not be so lucky, go to a shop and buy one of those bright yellow tops (yes you can buy them in skin tight lycra for just a few Pounds) and a front light before you end up protesting your innocence having been knocked off your bike. Maybe the yellow top may clash with the black lycra thing and you may look like a wasp but its significantly better than being knocked off your bike, unless of course you do have a death wish?

 

Also it should be mentioned had it been someone else with a different view to mine they may have stopped you further on and asked you to explain your hand signals in more detail and face to face, think about that the next time

 

Its not rocket science, a couple of hundred metres on their were two cyclists both with visible tops on and lights front and rear. I like everyone else can see them. You however are an accident waiting to happen!

 

To say you couldn't see the cyclist, you observed quite a lot about them. Nothing like a bit of embellishment to add substance to your utterly pointless observation.

[mickey finn]

As a cyclist myself I am appalled at the number of cyclist that seem to be oblivious to the fact that the dark nights have drawn in and have not lit themselves up, I see them every single day to and from work and I'm amazed at how many there are.

[Cyclone]

If you'd have hit him though it would have been your fault. I always see signs 'think bike'. However I see more and more moron bikers everyday! Whether that be on a cycle or motorbike, however the focus is always on the car driver to 'think bike'. Why not on the biker to 'ride safely!!'

 

Riding safely can't protect you from a car driver who "doesn't see you" and kills you.

Car drivers on the other hand are mostly immune from the consequences of inattention. In most situations where they might encounter a cyclist the worst that happens to the car driver is an expensive repair bill.

 

That's why.

[mickey finn]

Riding safely can't protect you from a car driver who "doesn't see you" and kills you.

Car drivers on the other hand are mostly immune from the consequences of inattention. In most situations where they might encounter a cyclist the worst that happens to the car driver is an expensive repair bill.

 

That's why.

 

I'm doing it

[birobasher]

Can I ask, what is your avatar picture??

 

It's my foot in a cast from when I broke a bone in my foot, falling downstairs. When I glanced at the pic it momentarily resembled some kind of fruit. I thought it would make a good icon. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

[Isabelle]

It is possible that he didn't notice his front light wasn't working, but this is the reason why you should have a least two very visible lights on each end of the bike.

I've seen so many cyclists lately with tiny pathetic lights. Yes, they fulfil the legal requirements, but they won't get you seen! Although having said that, I was knocked off whilst running two front lights, one of them 2000lumen (on half power slow flash so as not to dazzle drivers).

[birobasher]

Seeing as the original poster made this thread specifically about one person who doesn't cycle safely, it'd be nice if it weren't derailed into the usual stereotyped bashing of all people who use bikes. 'Cyclists' don't exist. Nor 'motorists'. There are just people who use kinds of transport, sometimes multiple kinds. You can't make blanket assumptions about their behaviour or character.