Getting knocked down

[MrJacques]

Yes katy but if the car hits you at 80 km from behind or 120 from the front you can still take evasive action, you can see it coming

 

Solution:

 

http://www.mirrycle.com/home_product_images/road_mirror.jpg

Edited November 9, 2011 by Jacquers

[gogo@]

the biggest issue I think is drivers don't expect to see you there so may not take notice of you, and I would say if you are knocked over on the wrong side of the road, you could end up with insurance issues as you would effectively be contravening the law.

 

There's two.

 

Three. Do you ride at 12/14km per hour max??Maybe it will work like that...but I still think it's plain stupid. Basic physics is three: add 60km + 30km per hour you get impact at 90km per hour for a head-on. Add 60km + (-30km) per hour for cycling with traffic and you get 30km per hour at which impact happens... That's quite a difference.

THEN four, ride against traffic and you don't have a single legal inch of space to ride in.

FIVE. Riding with traffic is a skill in which you can learn to 'manage' your space and anticipate what you might need to react to. For instance I'm pretty sure that after the first car in a stream passes me the second (etc) is going to drive closer to me in passing - something to do with how they perceive the gap seeing the first car pass you in front of them... there's lots I could add so ask if you think I'm not giving good enough reasons.

Think about it, if it were really safer to cycle against traffic, then why is the law the way it is???

Really, you have to be suicidal to do this regularly, so PLEASE DON'T ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO JOIN YOU

[Falco]

If you're going at any appreciable speed, then the force of the collision will be a lot worse if you're going against traffic. E.g. if you're going at 40km/hr and you hit a car going at 80km/hr head-on, then the speed at which you hit each other is basically 120km/hr. If you were both going in the same direction it would be 40km/hr.

I agree completely.

If you're gonna get whacked off the bike, rather be doing 40 and get hit by a 80k car in the SAME direction, than in the opposite direction.

Neither is ideal, both will hurt, but head-on will probably be fatal.

[gogo@]

If you're going at any appreciable speed, then the force of the collision will be a lot worse if you're going against traffic. E.g. if you're going at 40km/hr and you hit a car going at 80km/hr head-on, then the speed at which you hit each other is basically 120km/hr. If you were both going in the same direction it would be 40km/hr.

My point too - slow on posting.

[gogo@]

Yes katy but if the car hits you at 80 km from behind or 120 from the front you can still take evasive action, you can see it coming

I doubt your reactions will be fast enough!

[The Drongo]

Yes katy but if the car hits you at 80 km from behind or 120 from the front you can still take evasive action, you can see it coming

 

If you can see trouble coming at 120kph, then you should be able to feel it coming at 80 Mr Matrix.

If a car hits you at 80 from behind or 120 front tha front brother, you're bugsplat anyway.

 

NOW BACK TO LEARNING FOR YOUR DRIVING TEST....

[Nettie R]

Those of you in other provinces might have the luxury of an emergency lane being just that: an emergency lane. Here in Joburg it's used as a second lane, left overtake lane, taxi and bus stops, parking for broken down vehicles,etc.

I'd rather stick to the rules of the road and stay in one piece.

[chris_w_65]

I can't imagine going through a big intersection and turning left while riding on the wrong side of the road, I shudder to think about it

[Hairy]

Over time I have developed a good sense for where vehicles are in proximity to me by listening and being tuned into traffic around me. You can "feel" the car approaching from behind.

 

Not sure I would like to ride into the flow of traffic though.

 

Slightly off Topic.

 

There a chop on a roadie bike last night with a very faint white light on the back of his seatpost and very dark cycling kit riding on the road between Paarden Eiland and the bridge into Milnerton at about 8:30pm .... this section has NO shoulder to ride on, it is dark, there are lots of cars moving at speed on this stretch and there is a VERY good and well lit cycle path 3m to his left that he could have been riding on instead.

[Niner]

There's two.Three. Do you ride at 12/14km per hour max??Maybe it will work like that...but I still think it's plain stupid. Basic physics is three: add 60km + 30km per hour you get impact at 90km per hour for a head-on. Add 60km + (-30km) per hour for cycling with traffic and you get 30km per hour at which impact happens... That's quite a difference.THEN four, ride against traffic and you don't have a single legal inch of space to ride in.FIVE. Riding with traffic is a skill in which you can learn to 'manage' your space and anticipate what you might need to react to. For instance I'm pretty sure that after the first car in a stream passes me the second (etc) is going to drive closer to me in passing - something to do with how they perceive the gap seeing the first car pass you in front of them... there's lots I could add so ask if you think I'm not giving good enough reasons.Think about it, if it were really safer to cycle against traffic, then why is the law the way it is???Really, you have to be suicidal to do this regularly, so PLEASE DON'T ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO JOIN YOU

What about runners? They sometimes do 20km/h or even 25?

How can you not have space when facing the traffic but not when going with it? Space on the side of the road is space does not matter if you are facing North or South

 

I agree completely. If you're gonna get whacked off the bike, rather be doing 40 and get hit by a 80k car in the SAME direction, than in the opposite direction.Neither is ideal, both will hurt, but head-on will probably be fatal.

How often do you or most people here get above 25 km/h in traffic?

 

If you can see trouble coming at 120kph, then you should be able to feel it coming at 80 Mr Matrix.If a car hits you at 80 from behind or 120 front tha front brother, you're bugsplat anyway.NOW BACK TO LEARNING FOR YOUR DRIVING TEST....

Fully agree

 

I can't imagine going through a big intersection and turning left while riding on the wrong side of the road, I shudder to think about it

Excatly the same way you currently turn right....

[TNT1]

Strangely, a few months ago I was turteling down the road (going with the flow of traffic) and at the time it was very busy, when a traffic officer pulled up next to me and told me to ride on the other side of the road facing the traffic and move over.

 

 

Me? I would have taken his force number and a copy of the most recent RTA and laid a charge with the ICD.

[chris_w_65]

What about runners? They sometimes do 20km/h or even 25?

How can you not have space when facing the traffic but not when going with it? Space on the side of the road is space does not matter if you are facing North or South

 

 

How often do you or most people here get above 25 km/h in traffic?

 

 

Fully agree

 

 

Excatly the same way you currently turn right....

 

But surely the robots and the filters will be all wrong?

[TNT1]

Yes katy but if the car hits you at 80 km from behind or 120 from the front you can still take evasive action, you can see it coming

 

Fark steaks.

 

There's stupid, and then there's this guy.

 

If you're ever in JHB, please see me for a beer and a talk.

[FanieFiets]

I would think dodging other cyclists riding in the right direction might be a problem as well.

[Lucky Luke.]

I often her about cyclists getting knocked over and unfortunately, sometimes killed. Now I'm not a roadie but often cycle to and from the various trails in and around Durbanville, so I'm on the road a few times.

 

Why not just cycle in the yellow lane into oncoming traffic? At least you'll see the danger coming. Runners do it, and yes I know about road traffic rules but I say screw em.

 

[chris_w_65]

 

+1