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PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 08:28 
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 13:55
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Location: middlish
Related to dash cams thread I have, mostly for my own geeky amusement, bought a camera for my bike.
Although I quite like the idea of having the first & last 20mins of a journey recorded as this will be the highest risk urban bit.

Not as big fan of helmet mounts due to extra weight & crash risk, but the current under bars mount isn't too interesting most of the time.

Thought it might be nice to post the occasional ordinary riding a bike video without rlj & being confrontational just to prove it's possible :scratchchin:
I could already make a compilation of questionable decisions/behaviour by other road users but none ended in disaster cos i'll have probably known it was coming before they did it ... disaster avoided ... no confrontation needed.

So here's a brief quick experiment:
http://vimeo.com/97761030
- Note sensible placement of cycle lane where large bike/car speed differential
- Note almost impossible end to cycle lane with no good merge back into faster traffic (and my unique solution)
- Note quite easy to match traffic speeds on descents / across junctions with a bit of effort :wink:

Video quality has been cranked right down there to save bandwidth as you can tell from the grainy overlays, i'm sure you can find the other higher res video from there.

I might spare you the full 2 hours of 50mile time trial from last weekend :lol:


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 22:33 
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That's great thanks ed :)

I have thought about getting one for my motorbike.

It's sad to think the world has come to it, but in this litigious society it seems ever more necessary.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:56 
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Having a cam is really great fun for recording your own abilities and where improvements can be made. That's what I've always used (for years) on occasion. I have never had a camera on to record my actions vs another's.
I have used a cam to record another persons actions (usu a suspect drunk) but yesterday I wished that I'd had one, due to (sadly) a police car was causing mayhem, by being stuck in L2 and seemingly refusing to budge from a 59mph speed. If I could have recorded that, I would have notified their Chief and requested some additional training!

My honest comments are :
I liked the circle back to ensure drivers had a good chance to observe you and see that you were going to rejoin.
You keep nicely 'in', along the main road and 'off the pedals' for the junction although 24mph might have had me braking a bit, just in case the car pulled out. Appreciate perhaps that, that was unlikely, and perhaps with the downhill you didn't want to lose speed?
Whilst you were 'in' for much of the road (and I cannot see what was coming up behind you), I don't know why you were 'out' coming up to the roundabout and then stay out in L1 (although I totally understand straightening your line), but what was behind you pls?

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 10:09 
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Thanks, always interesting to read. The camera cost enough that I don't plan on getting a rear facing one just yet!

SafeSpeedv2 wrote:
My honest comments are :
I liked the circle back to ensure drivers had a good chance to observe you and see that you were going to rejoin.


More for my benefit than theirs, sometimes it only needs a quick over shoulder check to see it's clear.

SafeSpeedv2 wrote:
You keep nicely 'in', along the main road and 'off the pedals' for the junction although 24mph might have had me braking a bit, just in case the car pulled out. Appreciate perhaps that, that was unlikely, and perhaps with the downhill you didn't want to lose speed?


Kind of risk trade off really, eye contact & sensitivity to the road position & movement of the cars most likely implied there wasn't an issue here. Will have been covering the brakes and a maybe few bail out options in my head.

SafeSpeedv2 wrote:
Whilst you were 'in' for much of the road (and I cannot see what was coming up behind you), I don't know why you were 'out' coming up to the roundabout and then stay out in L1 (although I totally understand straightening your line), but what was behind you pls?


Main hazards for me on that section are: cars overtaking on the downhill section approaching the roundabout without forward planning, and then cutting in to their chosen lane, left turning cars pulling up alongside and side-swiping you & cars in the left hand lane going to 2nd exit not giving enough room either on the roundabout and/or straight lining the exit.
So I'm quite happy that the safest place for me to be across the junction is in the middle of the lane making my intentions clear & not leaving an opportunity to get squeezed by a car using the same lane.

On the way off the roundabout there's two lanes for a short way before they merge, there's a way around me and i'd rather i get that space than get squeezed as usual, position may have been different with denser traffic & cars behind, I don't recall. Never normally an issue there.

Interestingly that choice of position is based on speed & ability, I've cycled with more "leisure" cyclists and junctions like that are pretty scary as you really can't justify taking those positions/lines, take longer to get through the hazard & pinch points & feel much more exposed & open to being squeezed.


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