njkayaker

Nice and simple.

Some people get it.

njkayaker

No, he's trying real hard to be a "gutter bunny". He should actually be "in front" by clearly taking the lane.

It's awful riding. He waits until too late to dodge around hazards. Repeatedly. He isn't "keeping a line" at all. And, it seems, it's a road he's familiar with.

mr_bill

A year ago. Nagog Hill Road Acton/Littleton line, also 25 mph speed limit, so I'm holding 25 mph. (It's a speed limit.)

The road is also wet. I made a very different mistake that luckily also ended up just an oopsies.

BTW, to those who think that you should ride center of the lane, that's where most of the oil is. On a wet road that can be very very slick.


-mr. bill

OriginalFerbie

Another vote for absolutely should have taken the lane. That was some seriously erratic riding, there were stretches where you were actually on the shoulder (encourages people to pass).

As for the car that passed you, there were probably a few things going on. The motorist probably grossly underestimated your speed, as many have no clue that a bike could be going FASTER than the speed limit. I'm guessing that's why they ended up pacing you there, they were like "oh ****, I'm going super fast to pass this guy". The other factor I see is the fork. They may have thought you were going straight, particularly because you were so far to the right on the approach to the fork. Even watching the video, I kind of thought you were going straight there.

Ummmmmm...... passing on a blind corner? That car had no way of seeing if another car was going to meet it head on halfway through that turn.

This. That's the reason why motorcycles always ride in either the right or left tire track and avoid the centre like the plague. Centre of the lane is BAD.

Camilo

This is what I thought too.

The driver passed safely - in my opinion

Sure, the driver made a right soon after, but it looked to me like the driver used the turn signal, and there was plenty of room ahead for the cyclist to see the turn signal and either slow or move to the left. Just as you'd do if you were in a car. It's just part of being on the road - bikes and cars have steering and brakes and they are used as a normal part of driving among other road users.

I didn't see anything particularly dangerous about the car in question. I did see awful grates which were potentially more dangerous than the car. If the cyclist is familiar with the road, he or she should just pick a safe line and not swerve left and right to avoid the grates. You should ride more predictably than that.

SHBR

Wet roads and and erratic riding (or driving) don't mix so well in my experience. Just ask Joeyduck, he was riding a fully loaded touring bike in heavy traffic at close to 30MPH on a wet road, tried to swerve to avoid a bus that was stopping to pick up passengers, clipped the rear corner, lost control, and then got run over by a truck.

Northwestrider

At that speed, just take the lane, IMO it's way safer .

rumrunn6

sorry, I missed your "mistake"

rumrunn6

not sure why video clip didn't get embedded I thought (after the website revision) you just have to use the insert link button and the website is smart enough to know it's a video?

CB HI

In google chrome, just copy and paste the video link into the post text has worked for me for embedding.

CB HI

Not really so much the case these days with much tighter tolerances on engine construction now.

Center is certainly better than riding on cracked and broken pavement.

Rollfast

No, it's NOT. We're here in ADVOCACY AND SAFETY talking about dirty tricks we play with other drivers while in a car? Getting someone to jump a light and get a ticket or even get hurt simply isn't cool. Please leave those kinds of things out of a thread. Not the BF Way.


Some people think I act like a moderator but it's just not cool, stuff like that. PLEASE. I don't like how it looks to others basically.

CB HI

The only dirty trick is the jerk on their phone not paying attention to lights and traffic which endangers all of us.

You do need to change your BF name to "Want To Be A Mod" WTBAM.

1989Pre 

Let me get this straight: You are riding faster than your ability to control your bike allows, and you admit to the possibilty of hitting on-coming cars.., and you ask if it is allright to "take the lane"?
This may be the first really insane post I've seen on Bike Forums. Yeah, dude. Get out in the middle of the road next time, so that you are a bit closer to on-coming traffic.
To the rest of you.., Slow Traffic Keep Right!!!

AngeloDolce

The whole point is that he wasn't slow traffic and wouldn't have problems with control or oncoming traffic if he just stayed away from the storm drains and found a path with clear road surface.

I didn't see that many cars pass in the video, and those that did hadplenty of space - even if he weren't going the speed limit (not legally required) he's not holding up traffic and has no reason to hug the storm drain for traffic that isn't there.

rumrunn6

after a week to think about it, I rode the hill yesterday morning again. checking for following traffic (a lot) there was none, so I took the lane & this time added a little speed with a few seconds of peddling getting up to 34mph (9mph over the limit) there was no oncoming traffic either for the whole stretch. the hill has a new problem tho, this time of year, blinding low sun light. drivers approaching me from behind (they would have to be going really fast to overtake me) might not see me, even if I am a solid black silohuette w 2 rear strobes. probably safer going faster than prevailing traffic (so I don't have to worry about someone passing me) if I slow to the 25mph limit & stay right (a consistent track clear of the grates) then a car will likely overtake & because of the sun, possibly not see me. the construction & poor pavement at the bottom of the hill is unpleasant, even moreso the faster I'm going. I suppose I can reduce my speed to the 25mph limit & still take the lane forcing any overtaking cars to slow & follow me the whole length of the hill, but that's likely to cause anger & resentment & perhaps encourage getting buzzed at the bottom just as I hit the bad pavement. if I take the lane at the slower speed & they don't see me due to the blinding low sun, I might get hit

no vid from yesterday due to cam mount issue

JoeyBike

No "probably" about it my friend. I have been preaching this around here since I joined BF in 2007. I do whatever it takes to limit, ideally to zero, the numbers of vehicles encountered during my commute/rides. This might be as benign as taking a bike path or alternate route or as aggressive as running red lights and existing in the gaps created by those red lights.

One of my old 7 mile long commute routes was classic: If I cycled at 12-15mph, I would be overtaken by 100+ cars. If I kept my speed to low 20s mph AND selectively ran red lights, I could often cover the 7 miles with ZERO auto passes. Mostly I could keep the number below 10 passes. How could anyone argue that 10 car interactions is not safer than 100+?

If that road surface is satisfactory for speed, and you feel comfortable with speed, and crossing traffic, driveways, etc., is not an issue, then you are most certainly safer excluding overtaking cars from your decent on that hill.

The car that isn't there can not hit you.

Rock on!
.
.
.

1989Pre 

Ok.., I'm only going to say this once: Slow down. Stay Right. Watch where you're going. Are we on the same page?

phoebeisis

Bikes don't have ABS-cars can dramatically outbreak you on downhills-you'll lock a wheel and crash
Was that street WET? Hard to tell since asphalt sometimes looks wet when it isn't.
Bikes are not really dead stable at higher speeds-slight side slip of tire-you can crash-

Too fast
hold your line -at 9mph over the speed limit most won't be that inclined to pass you(drivers have no hesitation about crossing the yellow if needed-your passer probably did)
ride farther left on downhills with grates- maybe 18" left of grates
cars regularly cross the yellow to pass-(another reason LANE CONTROL doesn't work-they just swing more left-or worse squirt by on the right)
Cars can dramatically outbrake you on downhills(avoiding kids deer cats dogs squirrels)-and you will crash

PS (I FRAP- don't think lane taking is a great idea in the TEXTING ERA(it puts you in the highest probability guided and unguided car path-)

Mostly just too fast for a downhill and hold a more left line with those grates-not so many abrupt inputs on a potentially wet road

mr_bill

Too fast for conditions. Watch my right hand at 0:15 or so. Ruberized asphalt sealant is slippery.




(BTW, so too is paint. Please be careful crossing the white line in the wet.)

That's such a myth. Vehicles still leave lubricant on the road, and it ends up off line, primarily between the tire tracks. (Do you not ride in the rain? Do you not clean your bike?)

A hard and fast rain can wash the lubricants into the gutters and down the drain. A light rain, particularly the first few minutes after many days of no rain, just leaves a non-emulsified water-lubricant mix on the surface - makes for very slippery conditions.

Except for very worn and polished roads, the best traction is typically either the left or right tire track.

-mr. bill

Camilo

There's dark, oily areas in the middle of most paved roads that I'm familiar with. Tighter tolerances, maybe, but oil still drips from some cars some of the time. It adds up. Remember, the average age of cars on the road is older than in the past, and even the best cars tend to develop minor drips as they age.

I agree except, I'd say "off center" rather than "center" if there's a visible oily area or if it's wet (which obscures the oil under the wetness).

phoebeisis

Oil still is lost out exhaust pipes
even with the closer tolerances
some gets past the rings-into the combustion chamber-not all of it burns
and the cat con doesn't burn all of it either-especially for a few minutes after start up-especially in colder climates

CB HI

I think you guys are just looking for something else to stay fearful. In the 60s to 80s, oil lines were very dark. These days they are not even visible on most roads other than roads farmers drive tractors and other heavy farm equipment. Concrete freeways are white and they hardly show any oil. In light rains these days, the heat from car engines dries the center of the lane, making it the best place to right on my 35+ downhill ride.

But all you folks just keep thinking it is a myth.

As to the exhaust pipe oil, that means most of the road oil should be near the tire tracks, Oh MY.

Rollfast

My name is Steven. I don't think you know me so I'm taking the time to introduce myself.

CB HI

OK, BF name to "Want To Be A Mod Steven" WTBAMS then.