CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

The Emergency (Crash) Stop.

(5 posts)
  • Started 13 years ago by ruggtomcat
  • Latest reply from cb
  • poll: On avarage I have to make an emergency stop every:
    never : (0 votes)
    day : (0 votes)
    week : (5 votes)
    36 %
    month : (3 votes)
    21 %
    year : (2 votes)
    14 %
    blue moon : (4 votes)
    29 %

    14 votes


  1. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Worth a thread.

    11 years ago riding the paths of Melbourne down by the river, there is a steep incline to a sharp left hand made entirely blind by the buttress of the bridge above. Going nearly too fast when another cyclist appears I lock both wheels for a meter or so, come almost to halt, scoot ashamedly by and pedal off with my heart in my mouth. That was the first test for me.

    This is where all the mountain bikers laugh at me.. but I think its a good excuse for ninja-death-avoidance-stories, and maybe something to think about when it comes to adult urban cycle training.

    T

    Posted 13 years ago #

  2. rosscbrown
    Member

    Probably once a week. Mostly for pedestrians in the City centre that either 1) walk out into the road without looking or 2) misjudge my speed and stop dead in the roadway when they see me fast approaching.

    Other uses tend to be on roundabouts, where drivers fail to spot me. I swear I would be dead if I stuck the the marked cycle lane around the outer edge of the roundabout.

    And my favourite emergency stop as to be when riding ahead of some traffic when the driver behind me signals a car on the opposing side of the road to make a manoeuvre that will encroach on my/our side of the road, completely disregarding the fact that I am or will very soon be in the space the opposing driver wishes to use.

    For example I'm riding in front of a car and there is a van on the other side of the road signalling to turn right across my/our path. The driver behind gives a flash of the lights to indicate his will make space for the van to cross. Um, what about me? I'm in front of the car so it is my call - but drivers seem only to negotiate with other drivers and I don't have the advantage of some really strong headlights I can flash!

    </rant>

    Posted 13 years ago #

  3. Greenroofer
    Member

    About once a month and always under a bridge on the towpath. However cautiously you take the blind corner and ting-ting as you approach, there's usually one idiot each month who comes round too fast and forces me to put my brakes on very hard.

    I'm not sure this counts as a genuine emergency, as I tend to trickle round the corners under the bridges and it doesn't generally cause locked wheels and heart in mouth moments (for me at least). The fact that I have to come to a halt because someone else is travelling too fast makes it an unplanned halt that could loosely be described as an emergency stop.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  4. ruggtomcat
    Member

    well everyone has their own threshold,I think Im talking more about the moments where you body takes over because things happen too fast for concious control.

    Posted 13 years ago #

  5. cb
    Member

    Telfer underpass is the most likely place for me. Probably similar to the canal bridges.

    You really have to go around the bottom corner at not much more than walking speed but the occasional cyclist will be going too fast (and sometimes on the wrong side of the path too).

    Just last week as I was heading uphill a cyclist came flying around the corner and had to slam on the brakes. His rear wheel lifted a good foot off the ground - it actually looked quite funny.

    He had a green LED front light too so he's utterly condemded in my opinion now.

    Posted 13 years ago #

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