Dear fellow bike riders - Blind spots!

[schrodingers cat]

Fellow Bike Riders:
When you are out enjoying the nice weather, riding your bike with your shiny new riding gear on, and I am not - instead having to be driving my behemouth POS work vehicle DON'T RIDE IN MY FUCKING BLIND SPOT.

I'd seen you coming and I knew you were still there cause I had my windows down and could hear your chain.
One day you'll get cleaned up and it will be all the 'cage' drivers fault for not seeing you.

TWAT

[Berries]

You should have indicated and then given him a squeeze. He is more likely to learn from that than reading on here and not even realising you are talking about him.

[Road kill]

If you'd seen him and could hear him,and therefore knew he was there.

Wants the problem ?,,,,ok, pissed off you were at work an he wasn't,,I get it now<_<

[schrodingers cat]

If you'd seen him and could hear him,and therefore knew he was there.

Wants the problem ?,,,,ok, pissed off you were at work an he wasn't,,I get it now<_<

Actually no I wasn't pissed off. My point is that I am very bike aware. It has been pointed out ad nauseum that most other road users aren't.
Its not me he has to fear.

The point is a gentle reminder to all - don't put yourself in blind spots.
If you can't see the drivers face in their mirrors they can't see you.

Nice point about the indicate and move Berries - I don't know that I'm comfortable with intentionally giving someone a fright even if it is for their own good.

[Rhys]

The point is a gentle reminder to all - don't put yourself in blind spots.
If you can't see the drivers face in their mirrors they can't see you.


Some people need to learn how to look in the mirror first !

Got cut of twice by the same lady with in 1 Km :facepalm:
First she pull out from being parked on the side of the road (100kph zone) without indicator or looking (thank you ABS) then 500 m up the road she pulled into the passing lane that I was in (she was only traveling at 70kph) again cutting me off, there wasn't any car for her to overtake! I should have guested that she would do that :laugh:

[neels]

Well I know it wasn't me, there's nothing shiny about my gear or the bike I was riding today.

[Berries]

Nice point about the indicate and move Berries - I don't know that I'm comfortable with intentionally giving someone a fright even if it is for their own good.
Better to learn from a fright than it being your last lesson. I don't mind sitting in a cars blind spot, they pull out often enough when I am clearly visible that it makes no difference to me. I wouldn't spend long behind a bus or truck though. A lesson that I have always remembered was me going for a fang along the A93 in Scotland when I was a relative newbie. I caught up with a couple of cars and pulled out to overtake. As soon as I had committted to it the rear car started to indicate right and moved to the centreline. Woops. When I finally made the pass I turned and saw the driver giving me the finger, it was a bike riding work colleague who did it on purpose. The thought of that has saved me a couple of times when it has happened for real.

[AllanB]

Meh if he/she was behind you whats the biff? If they run up ya arse and bin it it's not your problem. Unless you have a habit of chucking it into reverse for no reason.

[Road kill]

Actually no I wasn't pissed off. My point is that I am very bike aware. It has been pointed out ad nauseum that most other road users aren't.
Its not me he has to fear.

The point is a gentle reminder to all - don't put yourself in blind spots.
If you can't see the drivers face in their mirrors they can't see you.

Nice point about the indicate and move Berries - I don't know that I'm comfortable with intentionally giving someone a fright even if it is for their own good.

So why didn't you just say that without the bullshit ?

[Banditbandit]

Fellow Bike Riders:
When you are out enjoying the nice weather, riding your bike with your shiny new riding gear on, and I am not - instead having to be driving my behemouth POS work vehicle DON'T RIDE IN MY FUCKING BLIND SPOT.

I'd seen you coming and I knew you were still there cause I had my windows down and could hear your chain.
One day you'll get cleaned up and it will be all the 'cage' drivers fault for not seeing you.

TWAT

Shit .. it's almost impossible to ride where a truck driver can alwasy see you. Most trucks only have wing mirrors - which mean you either sit out close to the white line or sit close to the left side of the road ... neither of which are good places to be ...

I tend to drift in and out so the driver always knows I'm there ...

[PrincessBandit]

When traveling down to Wanganui and back last week I noticed a heap of billboards aimed at motorcyclists, including "don't ride in the blind spot" ones. I'd have thought riding in the blind spot wouldn't be the wisest of options because generally it means you're close enough to the vehicle in front of you that following distance is minimal --> increased potential for crap to happen.

Each to their own I guess, but I wouldn't do it as a matter of course. Riders bitch and moan enough about smidsys that deliberately putting yourself into that type of equation simply doesn't make sense.

[willytheekid]

...it could have been one of these guys!....its a new game similar to planking :yes:
http://kingdomriders.com/wrecks/MotorcycleHeadache300.jpg
...but ya only get one shot at it:sick:

[Phantom Limb]

Riding in any vehicles blind spot is bound to cause shit. Yes they should check their blind spot before pulling out, but I reckon less than 1% of drivers actually do this.
Generally if I'm doing the same speed or passing a vehicle very slowly due to slow traffic in the fast lane, I will either leave a larger gap in front of me or giv er' some throttle to get out of the blind spot pronto. Every second spent in that blind spot is a second closer to death.

[mashman]

Fellow Bike Riders:
When you are out enjoying the nice weather, riding your bike with your shiny new riding gear on, and I am not - instead having to be driving my behemouth POS work vehicle DON'T RIDE IN MY FUCKING BLIND SPOT.

I'd seen you coming and I knew you were still there cause I had my windows down and could hear your chain.
One day you'll get cleaned up and it will be all the 'cage' drivers fault for not seeing you.

TWAT

Get better mirrors

DICK...

Genuine question, well kinda :shifty:... but how the hell can you tell that you're in the blind spot of a vehicle? We had a friends car whilst he was oota the country for a few weeks and it's one of the first cars I've driven with a glaringly obvious blind spot. How is a motorcyclist to know where the blindspot is for any given vehicle type?

[Katman]

Genuine question, well kinda :shifty:... but how the hell can you tell that you're in the blind spot of a vehicle? We had a friends car whilst he was oota the country for a few weeks and it's one of the first cars I've driven with a glaringly obvious blind spot. How is a motorcyclist to know where the blindspot is for any given vehicle type?

I thought it was fairly obvious.

If you're behind a vehicle and can't see the driver's face in any of their mirrors there's a good chance that you're in their blind spot.

[Phantom Limb]

Get better mirrors

DICK...

Genuine question, well kinda :shifty:... but how the hell can you tell that you're in the blind spot of a vehicle? We had a friends car whilst he was oota the country for a few weeks and it's one of the first cars I've driven with a glaringly obvious blind spot. How is a motorcyclist to know where the blindspot is for any given vehicle type?


If you don't know how to tell when you're in a vehicle's blind spot, then you should be finding out how to do so right quick. It's one of the fundamentals of riding a bike in traffic............ at least I thought it was anyway!

[schrodingers cat]

Well I know it wasn't me, there's nothing shiny about my gear or the bike I was riding today.

No it wasn't you. And I think you ride better than that anyhoo

[mashman]

I thought it was fairly obvious.

If you're behind a vehicle and can't see the driver's face in any of their mirrors there's a good chance that you're in their blind spot.

Obvious? Oddly enough I would have thought given the height we sit at in relation to cars and the angle of the mirrors of cars it'd be nigh on impossible to see the face of the driver unless you were in THE perfect spot. My wife stands at the bathroom door and I can turn my head and look at her in the mirror, yet she can't see my face in the mirror. It isn't that obvious to me at all.


If you don't know how to tell when you're in a vehicle's blind spot, then you should be finding out how to do so right quick. It's one of the fundamentals of riding a bike in traffic............ at least I thought it was anyway!

That may well be the case, but I look at the driver and the driving, not the vehicles mirrors.

[Katman]

Obvious? Oddly enough I would have thought given the height we sit at in relation to cars and the angle of the mirrors of cars it'd be nigh on impossible to see the face of the driver unless you were in THE perfect spot.

Have you never looked at a car's mirror to determine whether the car driver is able to see you behind them?

You sound like a statistic waiting to happen.

[mashman]

Have you never looked at a car's mirror to determine whether the car driver is able to see you behind them?

You sound like a statistic waiting to happen.

I hardly use my own so I fail to see why I'd use the mirrors of another vehicle to see how fine I look.

[haydes55]

You should have indicated and then given him a squeeze. He is more likely to learn from that than reading on here and not even realising you are talking about him.

I do that but backwards, when I drive my cage twice within about 2 weeks I've driven on the freeway where 1 lane goes to 2 lanes, a slow car and another car stuck behind the slow twat in front of me, I pull out to overtake as soon as the lane opens for me. I get almost nose to drivers door of the 1st car stuck behind slow twat and they start pulling into my lane (I don't give a shit about my POS cage) so I stayed where I was and wait til they get really into my lane then honk the horn. The first guy I did that to looked like he saw a ghost and pulled back pretty quick but the second time I did that the elderly lady almost went off on the grass!

I drive like an asshole to teach bigger assholes to not be such assholes.

Next planned move is to go 20km/h slower than a car going 20km/h slower than the speed limit is once I get in front, see how they like their own medicine?

:corn:

[PrincessBandit]

I drive like an asshole to teach bigger assholes to not be such assholes.

Next planned move is to go 20km/h slower than a car going 20km/h slower than the speed limit is once I get in front, see how they like their own medicine?

:corn:

Yeah, it's much easier to go down that route when in the comparative safety of your metal box on wheels. Not a great idea for motorcyclists to emulate, although I'm sure you were not suggesting that at all in that post.

[Marmoot]

Motorbicyclists that think driving a car properly is a lot easier than riding a bike really need a reality check.

[Berries]

Motorbicyclists that think driving a car properly is a lot easier than riding a bike really need a reality check.
You're going to have to explain that one. I think that driving a car properly is far easier than riding a bike - which is easy in itself. Having two hands on a large steering wheel, two or three pedals under your feet, a relaxed seating position, peripheral vision, stability through having a wheel in each corner, protection from the elements, a presence on the road etc etc.

[Maha]

You're going to have to explain that one. I think that driving a car properly is far easier than riding a bike - which is easy in itself. Having two hands on a large steering wheel, two or three pedals under your feet, a relaxed seating position, peripheral vision, stability through having a wheel in each corner, protection from the elements, a presence on the road etc etc.

...and a coffee holder..:cool:

[Phantom Limb]

Motorbicyclists that think driving a car properly is a lot easier than riding a bike really need a reality check.

Not sure I agree with that one.
Cars have a much larger 'margin for error' when compared to a bike. So it really is easier to drive a car properly compared to a bike. Also having spent a fair amount of time on race tracks in cars I can say that without guesswork, you can throw a car at corners like a complete ham fisted fool, yet there is usually some way to correct and keep it on the tarseal, not so on a bike, very few options for recovery once shit gets real.

[Banditbandit]

Was following what looked like a Kwaka 650 Ninja home last night ... FUCK what appalling mirriors it had. The mirrors looked standard.

The rider was about average size - I was riding a good distance back and all I could see was his elbows ... I could not see his miirrors at all until I moved hard left onto the white line, and he was sitting hard right close to the centre line ... what appalling rear vision that bike has ... it took him a very long time to notice I was there. Must have a massive blind spot ...

[DEATH_INC.]

Fellow Bike Riders:
When you are out etc...

Don't waste your breath, I posted up story about some dick that just about ran into the side of the work ute on a bike, and got shit about it. Bikers can do no wrong...

[Marmoot]

Not sure I agree with that one.
Cars have a much larger 'margin for error' when compared to a bike. So it really is easier to drive a car properly compared to a bike. Also having spent a fair amount of time on race tracks in cars I can say that without guesswork, you can throw a car at corners like a complete ham fisted fool, yet there is usually some way to correct and keep it on the tarseal, not so on a bike, very few options for recovery once shit gets real.

Not falling off in a car is definitely easy.

Not hitting anything in traffic 2 x 365 times a year while having idiots around you is the hard bit.

And whoever says peripheral vision is better in a car than in a bike definitely needs a better bike helmet!

[Berries]

And whoever says peripheral vision is better in a car than in a bike definitely needs a better bike helmet!
I never realised you could get them with a visor that went all the way around.

[G4L4XY]

Must get in front of all cars!!!! Safest place :P

[caspernz]

Have you never looked at a car's mirror to determine whether the car driver is able to see you behind them?

You sound like a statistic waiting to happen.

Wise words...falling on deaf ears...:brick:

[Marmoot]

I never realised you could get them with a visor that went all the way around.

Are you an owl?