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Thread: Sometimes it seems the universe wants to kill me

  1. #16
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    6th June 2008 - 17:24
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    As regards people filling your gap. So someone you don't know and never will driving a car you'll never see again takes the space ahead of you. So what. It's not a contest.
    It's not as simple as that Rastuscat. Overtakers have a habit of moving into one's lane without sufficient clearance between themselves and you. "Only fool breaks the two second rule"? Ha. I find myself taking evasive action all too often after being overtaken. If the driver ahead gives me a couple of cycles of the indicator I will make space and avoid the problem. I have no objection to doing this - it's just good manners. But most of the time I don't get that chance.

    Distances between vehicles ought to be partly the responsibility of the person overtaking as well as that of the overtaken.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by slofox View Post
    It's not as simple as that Rastuscat. Overtakers have a habit of moving into one's lane without sufficient clearance between themselves and you. "Only fool breaks the two second rule"? Ha. I find myself taking evasive action all too often after being overtaken. If the driver ahead gives me a couple of cycles of the indicator I will make space and avoid the problem. I have no objection to doing this - it's just good manners. But most of the time I don't get that chance.

    Distances between vehicles ought to be partly the responsibility of the person overtaking as well as that of the overtaken.
    Following distance is rarely a constant thing. It's a dynamic thing, in need of constant attention.

    When two lanes merge, it's normal for following distances to be reduced. All it takes is for a prudent driver to let the distance drift out, then resume normal service. When a car ahead of me slows down, I start slowing down early, and rarely have to brake. Just dropping a gear or two normally is enough, before the cars ahead move off again, and so do I.

    In fact, I critique my own riding based on how much braking I have to do. The less braking I use, the better I'm dealing with traffic around me. The more distance I leave ahead of me, the less braking I have to do.

    Look for solutions, Obiwan, rather than focusing on the problem.

  3. #18
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    I'm generally in agreement with Ratuscat about leaving space ahead and chilling out when a vehicle pulls into that space.
    However, in my only "incident" in the last 30 years, a ute towing a double axle caged trailer shot across from a side street into SH1 north of Wellington to completely fill the space in front of me. I braked safely. However, about 50m later he braked hard and pulled into a side street on the left. A car pulling out of that side street saw a gap in the commuting traffic, but didn't see me right behind the trailer. When the driver did, s/he braked across the road leaving me nowhere to go...
    So yes, gaps in front are important for safety and I have erred on the conservative side, but this incident highlighted the risks of generous gaps.

  4. #19
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    If the traffic is flowing reasonably well, I leave a large gap - 4 or 5 seconds. You have great vision of what's going on in front, no drama if someone pulls in front of you, and plenty of buffer to slow down if you need it.

    And I always use the left lane when it's clear.

    The only drawback is sometimes the person following gets a bit antsy and closes up the gap, so I either close my gap a little or let them pass. But it doesn't happen very often.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by SaferRides View Post
    If the traffic is flowing reasonably well, I leave a large gap - 4 or 5 seconds. You have great vision of what's going on in front, no drama if someone pulls in front of you, and plenty of buffer to slow down if you need it.

    And I always use the left lane when it's clear.

    The only drawback is sometimes the person following gets a bit antsy and closes up the gap, so I either close my gap a little or let them pass. But it doesn't happen very often.
    I've always asked folk to use the left lane unless there's a reason to use the right hand lane.

    Often I find it easier to make progress in the left lane, as everyone hogs the right lane thinking it to be faster. But it's often not, coz everyone hogs it.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    I've always asked folk to use the left lane unless there's a reason to use the right hand lane.

    Often I find it easier to make progress in the left lane, as everyone hogs the right lane thinking it to be faster. But it's often not, coz everyone hogs it.
    If traffic is flowing reasonably freely, I'm always in the right lane, travelling a little faster than the average flow. This keeps me active, rather than reactive. I've twice been in the left lane when some wally in the right lane has just seen an exit and suddenly crossed two lanes to get out, including the one I was in. Drivers in the right side have less visibiity out of the left side of the car so there's a bigger blind spot on the left. I also keep a good view in my mirrors because a couple of times I've had fast cars come up behind, in which case I move to the left and let them past.

    If traffic is congested, I will select whichever lane is flowing, or will split if the traffic is real slow.

  7. #22
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    10th February 2017 - 15:01
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    "X happened to me once so now I always do Y" is irrational.

    I fell off my bike and scraped my knee when I was 10. I always walk.

    I was tailgated once. I always speed up to get away.

    I skidded on gravel at a junction. I always expect to skid out of control at every junction.

    A weld gave way on my frame. I always carry a welder.

    I heard about someone who knew a person whose dentist told a story about a patient whose wife rolled the car and couldn't escape her seatbelt. I always put the seatbelt behind me.

    ...

  8. #23
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    25th January 2008 - 17:56
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    Quote Originally Posted by GazzaH View Post
    "X happened to me once so now I always do Y" is irrational.

    I fell off my bike and scraped my knee when I was 10. I always walk.

    I was tailgated once. I always speed up to get away.

    I skidded on gravel at a junction. I always expect to skid out of control at every junction.

    A weld gave way on my frame. I always carry a welder.

    I heard about someone who knew a person whose dentist told a story about a patient whose wife rolled the car and couldn't escape her seatbelt. I always put the seatbelt behind me.

    ...
    Is that you cassina?
    Every day above ground is a good day!:

  9. #24
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    10th February 2017 - 15:01
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    Channeling ...

  10. #25
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    7th February 2014 - 21:02
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    Update

    Some great comments so I am just going to reply to the thread now I've had some time to think about it more.

    It takes me 50-75 minutes five days a week each way to get to work. I just updated my bike at 1130,000 kms in about 3 years and two months. Been doing that for around four years so maybe 160,00 but I'd say more because I ride other bikes and not just to work. Lots of Kms and lots of time on the seat. So you want to live and you don't want to piss around all day or go to sleep.

    I use to carry a rule to always be moving through the traffic. Or have all traffic approaching from the front. Which served me well but I did get two speeding tickets going just a bit faster than the speeding traffic around me. However it pass cars a lot. I am not out for a five days a week two times a day hour long cruise I'm going to or from work.

    I love it really it is a great time of the day. If I ride to slow (such as with others) I often get sleepy and find it hard to concentrate. It almost (which means at times over all that riding) never happens when clipping through the traffic. I don't recommend it but it works for me so far.

    If you are always passing you are not always two seconds back. I am backing off more in more situations but I soon released you cannot pass a car or 50 by being two seconds behind them, just don't do it where you cannot pass. It seems you can pass in a lot of placed if you are motivated and use to doing it.

    Therefore I updated the Fireblade. It for me is the right bike for the job and will give me a full college try at escaping calamity (though it does feel inevitable at times I'm counting on being wrong). There is on train from here and its to early and comes home at a set time (I've not been on it in years). Driving a cage from here would take closer to 2 painfully slow and expensive hours. Riding the bike is fun (rain, hail and driving wind).

    Clearly we try and ride within out limits and those of the bike we are on. So distance is still important and I am continuing to improve it but lots of times it is just unavoidable if you want to stay awake and move through the slow ass cages. You cannot filter at a distance and I need to filter a lot (it must save me 40 minutes of being a rare end target as can happen to bikes sitting verses splitting). I'm hardly the only one splitting at a pace coming into Wellington there are many dedicated to the sport.

    Stay staff and if you are on the cruise or stuck then go for distance. But if you pass and split you essentially take the risk and accept it, which I do and will for some time hopefully yet (perhaps with more days off and from home would be nice).

  11. #26
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    3rd October 2006 - 21:21
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    I am struggling to make sense of some of this sorry, "stay staff and if you are on the cruise or stuck then go for distance" "a full college try at escaping calamity"
    Predictive text not helping here maybe?
    Only a Rat can win a Rat Race!

  12. #27
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    What is it with overtaking drivers-I recently got caught behind a slower driver with nowhere safe to pass-twas a nice day so chilled and bided my time-next thing there is a car passing me in my lane,I could just see his outside wheels move over the centre line, just.Half a click up the road was a stop sign so I took advantage to tap on his window and give an earful,most unlike me as I am normally pretty laid back.
    I reckon he was no more than two feet from my bar ends and at 90k a bit scary,arsehole,I now feel a bit for cyclists (but only a bit)

  13. #28
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    13th July 2008 - 20:48
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    Just came across this gem of advice.

    If you like riding fast on public roads, remember that crashing really ruins your average speed.

  14. #29
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    10th February 2017 - 15:01
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    I think he knows it.

    Just a matter of time before his luck runs out.

    Let's hope he has enough time and working appendages to tell us.

  15. #30
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    1st September 2007 - 21:01
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Knight View Post
    ... I reckon he was no more than two feet from my bar ends and at 90k a bit scary,arsehole,I now feel a bit for cyclists (but only a bit)
    To put it into perspective ... those that lane split on the motorway will seldom have that much clearance on both sides (combined) ... and they tell us it's perfectly safe ...

    Harden up ...
    When life throws you a curve ... Lean into it ...

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