Safe Speed Forums

Must be another slow day at the bridge, I guess the billy goats gruff are on holiday or something.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Funny how it was you who mentioned the 'speed's.......You've even done it again.
The original issue was one of judgement (or potential lack of).

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Roger

I don't really understand why you were 'looking way to the distance again' before you got past the other car?

Surely you should keep a close watch on him until you are safely past.

Hey BC. I didn't know you were an SS member too

Strictly speaking, Roger did keep enough of a watch on the other car otherwise he would not have been successful with his avoidance. Perhaps the real issue (aside from the numpty driver) is the lack of margin for error?

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Oh no - now Mr Paul\jub jub will be all over this thread like a rash.

Yes you may be right smeggy. My driving instructor taught me to 'always expect the unexpected'. Sound advice.

love it...

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

Please try to keep the insults down on Jub Jub. We need sensible opposing arguments in here, and no matter how straightforward it is to debunk what has been put forward in this thread, taking the pi$$ - even in a fairly friendly way (I'm hoping it is taken in that way - I see lots of smileys) simply strengthen the resolve of others who may have more germaine material to contribute to keep away.
I don't think so. It was - as BC mentions later - my poor choice of observation priority given that, despite my earlier considerable observation snapshots of numpty, the road lie (untl the point I'd taken my eye off him for the last time until the near miss) was straight, thereby NOT eliminating asleep-at-the-wheel.

No. Whether I'd maintained constant speed of circa 15mph between overtakes or zoomed up to 120 at peak (which I didn't BTW - I doubt I increased by more than 10 mph in the gaps) and braked to 15mph (but been ABLE to brake to a differential of 0) by the time I reached the next car is immaterial, provided my observation of the nearest hazard is up to the mark and able to deal with the unexpected (or, in retrospect, the possibly predictable) comfortably.
Thank you. My learning from this incident now is, I think, compplete. The thing I've added to the arsenal is to recheck unknown drivers on curving roads if only previously observed on dead straight ones before diagnosing them as alert.
I am more than willing to discuss this - and any other aspect I have posted about on here with anyone. I post to learn - and I've learned thanks to several people on here, both on this one and a number of others.

I should certainly have kept more of an eye on the vehicle I was passing until I'd confirmed he was taking rather than straightening the bend. Had I done so - just one extra glace about a second or a second and a half before vehicle overlap would have done it - I'd have easily been able to get in behind him with very minimal braking had I done that and seen him not with it. My reason for looking ahead early was to do what I'd already done to numpty (and got wrong) , namely, appraise the quality of the drivers/riders in front of me plus any activity on any slip roads up ahead etc. for as long as practicable (read that as often as practicable because I was "scanning") to note which ones can be very safely taken at a decent differential committing perhaps 2 - 3 seconds before overlapping, and those which need last minute commitment with a burst on the loud pedal having slowed to almost their speed in case of unforeseen activity - with the range in between these two extremes. The more glances at all of the moving and stationary hazards I can take in, the better the picture I can paint and the smoother the progress I can make at the lowest practicable risk.

Does this make sense to both of you?

No. I didn't. Had the angle of attack from the sleeper been slightly greater, or had I been in June's car (less horses), I would have braked - gently - to deliberately keep opposite him and almost certainly had a "cymbals clash" to avoid either of us being PITted. Had I almost made it and he clipped my back end, Christ only knows what would have happened. Me braking hard would have done the same to him - arguably even worse as he would not have expected it.

I messed up - by misjudgement of competence/awakeness of the other person, not inappropriate speed - and the horses - and skillful needle-threading - bailed me out.

As admirable as your sentiments may be mate, my acerbic comments (not insults I hope you note) towards the lizard are truly heartfelt, smileys or no. Whilst I agree with you in principle, I have made the mistake of attempting rational debate with the Jubs before, and have been stung with the fact that he indeed has no interest in sensible discussion, only in advancing his own warped agenda to the detriment of all. Hence my, and others', utter lack of interest in engaging with him on this, or any other subsequent matter.

If my comments, and their vindication by others, has left Jub Jub with the feeling that his input is not welcome here, then perhaps he has got the message at last.

I am glad you feel that the input herein has improved your driving, and am relieved that any off-topic input has not detracted from this end result.

The errant driver has nodded off. Just sound your horn and keep sounding your horn until the driver wakes up and corrects their line. I've had to do this on several instances, usually on a motorway.
Hopefully they will see sense stop and take a rest.
If you don't alert them, there is a danger that they will not recover and crash into someone else, possibly with a tragic ending.

My horn was sounding from the moment I realised the problem until the sudden direction correction approx 2 - 3 seconds later after I was passed.

Robin: In retrospect "insults" does not apply to your posts. Thank you for the correction.

Surely he is now suggesting that riding a bicycle is a dangerous activity

Only dangerous if you fail to use COAST skills.

Might I suggest you actually read the magazine which recently contained pieces on cycle craft which rather echo COAST values and more or less read the same as IG has posted up in the past.

(Very much off topic .. sorry Paul and Roger - but this thread is being discussed by these idiots on the for cyclists only forum .. with the usual tirade of petty insult )

BUT....

Perhaps these trolls would do better to actually ride rather than post endless insults on their own little playgrounds and then complain if someone mildly criticises or dares to disagree with them.

I refer of course to the latest nonsense posted on their own little playground and I am surprised they find the time to ride the big rides as they claim.

I have notched up just over 2000 posts over three years ... mostly clustered and posted in one binge posting blast. The rest of the time .. I work ,, or play with my cars, bikes and kids. Likewise my wife who makes a couple of posts to PH as she finishes off her morning coffee and maybe has a bit of fun after dinner as and when. These people have made three times that on each cycling site plus reading every thread on here. I cannot find the time to do that.. and it tells me all I really need to know..

that

1. they do not ride a bike let alone drive a car
2. they criticise John(sher) and disbelieve he is riding the Etape as he posted on here ... but then the 24/7 typing in the virtual world of an internet chatroom is not exactly training to do these rides or even commuting to work either

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got a URL?

But back to your "near miss" - Roger..

Driver ahead possibly not concentrating on the S bend .. you are expecting him to "straighten" it as perhaps you are observing the other drivers doing. You are also looking ahead for a gap once you have passed him safely. Bearing in mind he's at .. what 63 mph and you are perhaps 73-77 mph and closing in on the outer lane - when you note that he is or appears to be straying to his right... you also have to be aware of what is behind you too.. so you have to make a snap decision based on that particular circumstance .. and the only really safe one would appear from your original post to get past him sooner rather than later. Even if you had been approaching at 70 mph .. he may have even been easing off and braking into that S bend and you may even have been in exactly the same situation.

Wildy had one numpty a bit back on the local M6,.. she was overtaking a few caravans in convoy. The final one in the overtake decided to acclerate just as her rear wing drew level with his front wing. (She posted this up on PH ages ago and tied von up in knots and took him through a few swings and roundabouts and he had to concede that she had a valid point ..) Anyway Wildy's point was that she had to take the car up to 77 mph to complete this overtake and move into the L1 gap ahead with a suficient 3 second timing courtesy to the overtakee. She could not keep it legal as this would have been a sort of "elephant race" with a chap towing a caravan.


We then had one lorry on the A14 last Friday. (Leics) Had pulled into L3 to overtake slower traffic in L2. (was at 67 mph) Car vertook this HGV Was at 65 mph as knew a Truvelo was ahead and traffic conditions were around this speed anyways . L2 car was barely past him when lorry chose to pull out into L2. car ahead of me and another in the L2 were both anchoring for a Truvelo as well. Neither was anyhere near 70 mph .. but shaved off a further 10 mph anyway I thought this was rather a tight squeeze for all concerned there and it sure led to some buinching and I later heard on the radio that the traffic had in fact jammed up behind me.. and I think it was because of the brake wave to 50 -55mph that did it

(Apart from that.. we had no serious issues with the drive down and it was flowing nice and easy and steady. I did not notice anyone tooling it on any motorway or NSL at any one point .. but did meet the middle lane moron on occasions )

Must have chosen a good day cos everyone behaved for us! Or was it our COAST skills

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Don't bother. I've not been there for a while, I've got better things to do than waste time on such small minded individuals. The only people who take them seriously are themselves. I've deliberately held myself back what I could have posted here; my last visit under the bridge was very productive.......

Reason cannot emanate from where it cannot penetrate.

_________________
Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

cycling plus thread .. apparently one person who used to be a member was complaining that his subs were refused and then he admits he only did so to access our " club class lounge" Will tell you all about it in private but think fair to put on here so's he knows about it .. and will wonder what I gossipped about

The other is acf. It's in the hidden bit .. and you have to be a devious old so and so like Joachim to access that site

Poor Sam Walker has not sussed Joachim and is not likely too as he appears to be a "fwend" when he posts up and he only joined to find out what was going on there in secret too

Tis a funny old world - this virtual one. You could not make it up. But we get discussed on there as well. They must lead such sad lives if we are the only highlight I think we should be flattered at such a following

But ..

Why don't they just talk about their first bike? Mine was a trike by the way.. then I got a trike with 26" wheels and when I passed the exam to the Juniors (twas a posh direct grant school and you had to be dead clever and a bit of a swot to go there ) .. I got a neat two wheel bike.. a Raleigh and then an even bigger and faster bike with oooooh! it was my first racing bike when I got in the "Seniors". I proudly rode that bike to and from school to when I did not have too many books and a guitar to hump around!

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

No. Until I retraced the road, and despite having travelled the road for 15 + years, I'd not realised there WAS a bend! Also remember it is an S - and the first part is LEFT - and that's where we were - almost through the left bit.


No again. Nothing gaining on me (or even close to matching me) behind on this dual carriageway and my "off" was not for another 2 - 3 miles.
Something of that order - and I'm overlapping a little by now.

That's how I judged it. There was no worry behind me; the only danger of braking was that I couldn't get behind him in time before his rear corner clipped me. I was VERY worried about pitting him. I didn't mention (until now) that the car was an escort-sized one - I was in my Accord - and with weight on the front wheels braking could have completely unhinged him.

No! "Bend" is too strong - one could easily keep to lane at any speed in any (roadworthy) car flat out.

Maybe it was he at 63, me at 75. Maybe it was 53/65 - or maybe it was 77/90. The latter is unlikely but possible - it is a fairly fast stretch of road and I had not checked the speedo for a while. I do know that when I threaded the needle I did so balls out until I was clear of the car before backing off. I daresay the full-tilt accelleration took only a couple of seconds - but it felt longer!

I saw a few of those brake-waves at the Truevelos on the A14 coming back from Loughborough today. I also was pleased to see the SPECS cameras all black bagged on the M11
We must've been travelling at different times

I'll take MM and Smeggy's judgement and not pop across the road. I was interested to know if I could learn any more from the incident, but from what you both say it is just a bit of mud-sliniging.

do they really? They can always wander down to GB Cycles and ask them if I exist! Or turn up at an Addiscombe club run (or even look here) and have a chat to Monty, but I guess they don't want reality to get in the way of their fantasies.