Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm an avid road cyclist (I'd like to get a motorcycle some day too) and I have terrible trouble with people "not seeing" me. As a cyclist I'm a lot thinner than most motorcycles, never mind cars, and, although I try to make myself as visible as possible with reflective strips and whatnot, people are still often completley oblivious to me.
A few months ago it was wet and I was riding in my fluorescent yellow rain jersey. As I was cycling down the main road into my town an SUV was coming towards me with its indicator on, ready to pull across my lane into a side road I was about to pass. Cautiously I touched the brakes but the woman made full and sustained eye-contact with me and waited for a few seconds. I must point out that my waterproof cycling jacket isn't just bright, it's the kind of thing that could give you a migrane at 30 paces, so there's no way anyone even half concentrating on what they're doing could miss it. Anyway, so I'm sure she's waiting now and relax somewhat and then suddenly at the last second she pulls right across the front of me! I swear my heart missed about 5 beats. All I can do is thank my lucky stars that there was nobody on the outside of me because I had to make the most almighty swerve to miss her and actually hit my shoulder on the back corner of her vehicle. It makes me so angry that people can't be bothered to use their head when it comes to motorcycles and bikes because if we do go down at speed, we're not always just going to pop back up.
I'm an avid road cyclist (I'd like to get a motorcycle some day too) and I have terrible trouble with people "not seeing" me. As a cyclist I'm a lot thinner than most motorcycles, never mind cars, and, although I try to make myself as visible as possible with reflective strips and whatnot, people are still often completley oblivious to me.
A few months ago it was wet and I was riding in my fluorescent yellow rain jersey. As I was cycling down the main road into my town an SUV was coming towards me with its indicator on, ready to pull across my lane into a side road I was about to pass. Cautiously I touched the brakes but the woman made full and sustained eye-contact with me and waited for a few seconds. I must point out that my waterproof cycling jacket isn't just bright, it's the kind of thing that could give you a migrane at 30 paces, so there's no way anyone even half concentrating on what they're doing could miss it. Anyway, so I'm sure she's waiting now and relax somewhat and then suddenly at the last second she pulls right across the front of me! I swear my heart missed about 5 beats. All I can do is thank my lucky stars that there was nobody on the outside of me because I had to make the most almighty swerve to miss her and actually hit my shoulder on the back corner of her vehicle. It makes me so angry that people can't be bothered to use their head when it comes to motorcycles and bikes because if we do go down at speed, we're not always just going to pop back up.
now imagine what it's like to be on a 900lb glodwing and someone does that. your heart would stop because i think mine has many times
now imagine what it's like to be on a 900lb glodwing and someone does that. your heart would stop because i think mine has many times
Absolutely. I ride a nimble road bike made of carbon fibre so I was able to flick it out of the way but if I'd have been riding something the size of a Goldwing I'd have been eating door.
Absolutely. I ride a nimble road bike made of carbon fibre so I was able to flick it out of the way but if I'd have been riding something the size of a Goldwing I'd have been eating door.
if you read one of my earlier posts you will see a heart stopping event that happend to me and my wife on my golwing a week ago. and let me tell you it was heart stopping.
I remember about a year or two ago on I-65 a truck driver ran into the back of a motorcycle. The bike got stuck to the front bumper and the truck driver never noticed. The man screamed for the truck driver to stop but he never heard him. He drove along for another 20 miles with the bike (and rider) stuck to his bumper. The man on the bike had to carefully steer the bike so the truck wouldn't go right over him.
I here what your saying. this is what the back of my bike looks like in the day time and at night it's just a red glow.
if someone can't see this then they need to stop driving because they are blind
It's all a two way discussion. As a claims adjuster and someone who both drivers & rides, it drivers that are preoccupied with their music & cell phones (or just plain not paying attention) as well as cyclists flaunting rules of the road and placing themselves in harm's way due to sheer stupidity.
My step son did a study for a feshman college class. He and 3 others went to a bust intersection frequented by a lot of bicylists and kept a tally from 4 corners the number of cars & cyclists and the number of traffic infractions and then placed it into a precentage. It was over 90% for the cyclists abd 30% for the auto drivers.
Bottom line, people just don't care to be safe or obey the rules of the road. And, sadly, since the cyclists are so exposed they end up taking the beating.
Yep, that does sound similar. The incident I mentioned with the bike happened late at night, so I doubt anyone even noticed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
bikes are every where so open your eyes
