When I was still biking, there was only one guy I’d ride with and we rode together A LOT. We once did LEJOG and to amuse ourselves we used to see how many miles we could ride without putting our feet down and/or braking.
With practice we managed 30+ miles - in Scotland - and considered braking to be a failure of good observation. To such an extent that my IAM observer told me to feather the rear brake into a corner so cars didn’t run up my backside.
I’ve carried this discipline through to driving my MX5 and can’t help but notice how many drivers seem completely unable to anticipate hazards and drive on the throttle.
Well today, I experienced the perfect example of horrifically bad driving!
I had done a 130 mile round trip in my lovely little red MK2, with no issues, and having enjoyed the Dorset countryside in the sunshine, etc. Then when I got to about ten miles from home, and a van started tailgating me in a 30mph limit.
I was following another car, and whilst going up a hill, wihen it was not possible to see past me, or the car in front of me, the van driver decided to overtake both of us (whilst still in the 30mph limit)
At that point the car in front of me indicated right, to take the turning that was not far in front of him, and the van driver continued to overtake, squeezing past the car that was about to turn right, then jammed on the brakes, in front of the poor guy ahead of me, and cut back in, before promptly turning right himself??!!
I have to say, at that stage, I decided the best course of action was to take a different route home, in case this van driver caused another accident - having narrowly missed causing one pretty much right in front of me!
Jemster, that bought back memories… Many years ago (like 40+) we had a game of driving back from my Aunt in Hurstpierpoint (near Brighton) all the way back to the Angel in central London without stopping. This was before the M23 etc. We did it twice, slowly rolling up to traffic lights etc. Couldn’t do 100 yards these days.
Talking of playing these fun challenges, I used to work in Port Madog and lived in cheshire. There was a stretch on the way home that was about 5 miles long and downhill, but with a few corners. I found that if I tried hard, I could do the whole of that 5 mile section in neutral, with a few carefully applied brakes on the sharp corners. Unfortunately it ended in a t junction, so could not extend the section. I never saw another car on that section when I was doing it, so it was fairly safe and I was always well below the speed limit… It became a regular weekly challenge to do it every time…
I have a favourite stretch of road to do the same.
Interesting thing is that my BMW Touring is noticeably better at it than my MX5.
Must be a weight versus wind resistance thing…
An Italian friend of mine always sat a couple of feet behind HGVs in his TDI Golf, to save fuel in the slipstream. Nutter.
One lift with him was enough, never again.
Helps enormously in any insurance claim as it stops “he said she said” arguments. Also if you are rear ended it makes it easier to prove a point. It used to be the car at the end of the nose-to-tail pile up was to blame, but not in these ligitious times. £30 well spent, £150 one at the front. Insurers are happy as well and some offer discounts if they are fitted.
Light blue touch paper….
Agree, however I am for the first time considering a front and rear camera for my car, not so much for issues with other vehicles but specifically pushbikes.
After witnessing one aggressive psycholist falsely accusing the following driver of running into him and knocking him off at a T junction, and another banging his fist into the roof of the car behind me (two separate incidents) after apparently not leaving enough space when overtaking I’ve realised just how much of an unaccountable, untraceable menace some psycholists are. They are completely out of control.
I’m thinking of starting a petition to the government that will force them to carry visible id (number plates) have insurance, and a licence so they can be penalised for not following the Highway Code.
Oh, and banning Lycra. If only they realised how f@cling laughable some of them look wearing it.
Any takers
I’ve seen plenty of that on my way back from Devon today in steady traffic. Not in the MX5, though, but in my red Audi. Maybe that has the same effect on them. It wasn’t just the one behind, though. I watched the car ahead in steady traffic for several miles. I didn’t use the brakes once, but, as you say, his brake lights were regularly coming on. Well, two out of three were. He clearly wears out bulbs as quickly as brake pads.
JS
I’ll second that. I am a casual cyclist but understand I’m a second class citizen when on a pushbike and ride accordingly. Never seem to have a problem with cars either. Vans, however…
That said I have some nice lanes nearby and I am sick to death of mamils who ride 2 or even three abreast whilst chatting, oblivious that they are blocking the whole width of the road. A blip of the horn to advise them of your presence would prove to them that i am a cyclist hater!
Also hate the ones that undertake on pavements, try to overtake the queue at temporary lights then get stuck in a single lane for 500 yards holding the cars up and going the wrong way down one way streets. As for cyclist with earphones.
