Tonights incident was more bizarre than bad. Had come down Henderson Terrace and onto Gorgie road. Doing about 20 mph and was behind a black Vauhxall Zafira. I normally don't catch the names of cars but I was at his back left corner for some time as he wasn't going any faster. My bikey-sense had started to tingle that something just wasn't quite right here. Lo and behold, he puts his indicator on to pull in left as we're heading under the railway bridge at Tynecastle. He didn't slow down at all so he was at least being nice and giving me a decent warning. Now I'd been towards the left so I swished my head round and checked to pull out and overtake. What happened next went really fast....seen a taxi a little bit back, plenty of space and not getting any closer given my speed, so I pull out just as the Vauxhall begins to slow to pull in. No problems so far. Next, the taxi beeps, as I pull back in to the left in front of the Vauxhall. I got the impression he'd beeped at the Vauxhall pulling in as he came round the somewhat blind corner.
So, slightly hair raising overtake but I survived. Now still doing 20 along Gorgie road past the park when the taxi pulls alongside and the window lowers. Uh-oh. Except...the driver looked really apologetic and was saying 'I didn't see you...I didn't see you...' OK I couldn't read the conversation that well given I was also looking at the upcoming pinchpoint and also being shaken to bits on the potholes but he really didn't seem to be aggressive. Thing is, I don't know what he was sorry about, and I don't see where he was supposed to have not seen me. Maybe I got lost in the glare of the Vauxhall as he came round? I don't know. I sort of mumbled 'err...no problems then!' and gave a cheery thumbs up as he let me in front at the traffic island pinch. He overtook slightly later and that was the end.
For the avoidance of doubt on the visibility issue, here's how me and the bike are lit up:
At the back we have 2 Edinburgh Bikes 5 LED lights, one steady, one flashing on each side of a Smart Lunar R1. Since I value other peoples retinas I run the 2 little LEDs on the R1 only in town, saving the main 1 watt light for unlit roads. Also have a little 3 LED light on the pannier and a 1/2 watt light on constant on the back of the helmet. Up front, I actually have one of those absurdly powerful Cree XML T6 lights, again for the unlit roads and off in town. Main front lights are Raleigh RX1.0s at 3 watts each and they are bright - so bright I have them dipped down to splash light all over the road, again one constant and one flashing. On top of the helmet is a Electron micro 5, bright enough that there's no doubt that when I look back people have seen it.
Adding in the spoke straw reflectors and reflective sidewalls, a reflective vest and the mudguard stripe exactly how probable is a SMIDSY?
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