Steve wrote:
I can see the usual comments building: “
It doesn’t look like he is going that fast, etc.”
My
objective experience with these videos shows that the apparent speed of vehicles can be very deceptive, particularly when viewed through a long focal length lens and the direction of travel of the vehicle is very close to the axis of view (of the camera). ...
I too figured that the foreshortening is extreme and that he is a far old distance away. This will seem, as you say, like he cannot possibly be going that fast, within the perceived distance and gaps except withit being so far the gaps are much larger and potentially possible.
Steve wrote:
A quick glance suggests the vehicle in front of the bike is a considerable distance away, so the biker could easily stop in time if the vehicle in front decided to brake hard; even though the road is wet, hence I am not concerned about this. Also, the bend of the road is obviously very weak.
I estimate a 6sec gap from when the last car, ahead of the bike, passes the tree/post on the left, and when the biker gets there. I assume that the Camop heard him and then tried to find him, hence the camera wobble and the difficulty that he had in trying to land on him.
Steve wrote:
However, I am concerned about drivers in the opposite carriageway who could be thinking about overtaking. That large gap in front of the bike may lead the drivers in the other carriageway to believe their overtake is safe, more than it actually is due to the extremely unusually high closing speed of the biker.
An interesting point. With the oncoming stream of traffic, it is a rare overtaker in such circumstance and with it being a right hand bend (for them) the view is better to their oncoming traffic and the head light of the bike is likely to be more visible. His white helmet will stand out against the car (less so), and the blue van behind him, and I really cannot see anyone attempting it, but I take your point. The road is wide enough for 3 vehicles if required.
Certainly those who travel more quickly ought to have enough alertness and awareness (etc) and ready to react immediately at the very first sign that others may easily misinterpret/misread their actions & speed.
To travel this fast within this much traffic is dangerous. I wonder for just how long it actually lasted for? Is it a quick bike that might have only been reaching this 'top speed' for 1 sec or less and within some feet be back doing 60mph ? He is sitting up a lot more, after only what looks like a very brief 'low sitting position'?