1. Tailgating No fun in a car, terrifying if you’re on a bike. It’s amazing how often some drivers think it’s OK to drive an inch behind your rear wheel. The example in the video was a particularly bad one – the driver concerned seemed to think I should have been in the bus lane, even though it was occupied further down, and tried to more or less shove me off the road. 2. The close pass A hugely common experience, generally carried out by drivers who feel compelled to overtake no matter what the risks. Obviously, fast close passes are the most scary, but they are always a shock, as shown by the startled yelp I generally give in the examples above. 3. The overtake-and-cut-off Another routine occurrence, often requiring you to slam on the brakes. The example above features a motorbike rider, who tailgated me down a narrow 20mph street where it was clearly unsafe to overtake, beeping the horn, before pulling across me to turn, seemingly as much for punishment as convenience. Don’t turn up the volume too loud at work, as I’m afraid I swore. 4. Speeding This is ubiquitous, and as mentioned above, is much more of a problem on quieter roads. Even in London at less congested times, for example during the night, speeding is the norm. The example above shows that even when it’s a moped, an over-fast overtake can be startling. 5. Stopping in the bike lane It is amazing how many drivers think cycle lanes are some form of emergency parking. The video snippet above features a sight I see several times a week – a 24-hour bike lane near where I live blocked by someone who has decided to pop into the adjoining shop, forcing riders to pull out into the centre of a busy road while going up a hill. 6. The lane squeeze This seems linked to some drivers’ belief that cyclists should be squeezed into the gutter, and that if they’re not it’s fine to edge into the rider’s lane to try and nudge them over. In the example above, I was deliberately in the centre of the lane on the roundabout in question, as I was turning right immediately afterwards. 7. The pinch point push Advertisement Every cyclist knows this one: as the road narrows, usually for a pedestrian traffic island, someone in a vehicle tries to overtake at the last minute, obliging the cyclist to brake heavily to avoid being forced into the kerb, or worse. 8. Annexing the advanced stop zone Used in many cities, these painted boxes at the front of traffic lights are designed to allow cyclists to set off from a green light in full view of others, not trapped among a stream of vehicles. Sadly, quite a few drivers ignore this, forcing cyclists either to wait behind or edge even further ahead. 9. Jumping the lights There is much popular fuss about this habit among some cyclists. But watch most junctions carefully and you’ll see just as many drivers ignoring the red. This is often done at speed – many accelerate across as the lights change – and causes many more deaths and injuries. As ever, it’s all about the physics. 10. Hogging the road It’s common as a cyclist to have vehicles occupying space which isn’t strictly theirs. The example in the video shows one of the many ways the residential street shown is unpleasant to ride on – right-turning drivers cutting the corner, veering heavily into the opposite lane. If you’re coming the other way in a car this can be unsettling. Do so on a bike and it’s downright scary. Source: The Guardian
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AuthorWelcome to the Cycling blog. Covering all things cycling for anyone that loves to ride. No matter the discipline we have advice, news & reviews for you. Archives
November 2019
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