Be careful out there!

Riding tips, guides, safety gear, IAM, ROSPA and anything related to keeping riders alive longer !
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Cousin Jack
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Be careful out there!

Post by Cousin Jack »

Be careful out there! Earlier today I almost pulled out in front of a motorcycle. Me in a big Lexus, him on a Royal Enfield, it would not have been a fair fight.

The reason that I almost did this heinous SMIDSY is that I really didn't see him, and IMO that was about 50% his fault. He was riding a RE, all done up in British Army green, and was wearing a woodland cammo jacket. He had modified the bike so the headlight was off, although the tail light was still on. Anyway, as the MOD will undoubtedly confirm, army green and woodland cammo is quite difficult to spot in deep shade under trees, and that's exactly where he was. He was probably a Walt, but bike-riding Walts don't deserve to be wiped out.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by wheelnut »

Bloody cagers ;)
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Count Steer »

Cousin Jack wrote: Mon Jan 16, 2023 3:22 pm Be careful out there! Earlier today I almost pulled out in front of a motorcycle. Me in a big Lexus, him on a Royal Enfield, it would not have been a fair fight.

The reason that I almost did this heinous SMIDSY is that I really didn't see him, and IMO that was about 50% his fault. He was riding a RE, all done up in British Army green, and was wearing a woodland cammo jacket. He had modified the bike so the headlight was off, although the tail light was still on. Anyway, as the MOD will undoubtedly confirm, army green and woodland cammo is quite difficult to spot in deep shade under trees, and that's exactly where he was. He was probably a Walt, but bike-riding Walts don't deserve to be wiped out.
Lemmings don't need much help really. :thumbup: No great loss but it would be a shame to scratch your car. :(
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by iansoady »

It would be interesting to hear the rider's account of this incident....

My bikes don't have automatic headlights but I do use the headlight in the circumstances you describe. And I wear mostly black kit.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by gremlin »

I always wear black. It's very slimming.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Trinity765 »

gremlin wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:02 pm I always wear black. It's very slimming.
And it's faster :thumbup:
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Yorick »

gremlin wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:02 pm I always wear black. It's very slimming.
You need to ask for a refund.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Cousin Jack »

I don't mind black. It is the whole cammo/army green thing that gets me. FFS, it is designed to be low-viz
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Horse »

Cousin Jack wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 3:10 pm I don't mind black. It is the whole cammo/army green thing that gets me. FFS, it is designed to be low-viz
;)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7098111.stm

A woman has been taken to hospital in Bristol after her car was involved in a crash with a police motorcyclist.

Eyewitnesses said several police cars, motorbikes and a van were travelling along Whiteladies Road, Bristol, when the crash happened.

...

"It is understood the car driver pulled across the road when the collision happened.


SMMMMMIDSYYYYYYYY
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Cousin Jack wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 3:10 pm I don't mind black. It is the whole cammo/army green thing that gets me. FFS, it is designed to be low-viz
LOL LOL
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Bigjawa »

If people will pull out on a 15 foot high, 8 foot wide double decker painted bright bloody pink, they'll pull out on a bike no matter what you'll do,
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Scootabout »

Look once, look twice, look three times, think camo :D

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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Horse »

Nearly had a cyclist this evening while turning right out of a T.

Rider had a headlamp - as in a lamp on his head. And that light aligned nicely with the streetlamps further up the road.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by iansoady »

Some years ago I was driving home in the dark after taking my ageing mother to hospital about 40 miles away. She was in a bad way and I was pretty stressed. I was intending to turn right from a poorly lit suburban major road into a side road near home. I could see a procession of car headlights coming towards me and it seemed that I had plenty of time to make the turn, however something made me hesitate. As I did a motorcycle appeared in front of me. It had been in front of the queue of cars and its headlight had merged with those of the leading car.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Rockburner »

iansoady wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:13 am Some years ago I was driving home in the dark after taking my ageing mother to hospital about 40 miles away. She was in a bad way and I was pretty stressed. I was intending to turn right from a poorly lit suburban major road into a side road near home. I could see a procession of car headlights coming towards me and it seemed that I had plenty of time to make the turn, however something made me hesitate. As I did a motorcycle appeared in front of me. It had been in front of the queue of cars and its headlight had merged with those of the leading car.
Seen that happen a few times, I'm very cautious pulling across oncoming traffic these days both going into and out of side-roads. I find it's sometimes difficult to judge the speed of approaching traffic, especially on country roads where they could be doing anything between 35 to 70.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Skub »

.
Last edited by Skub on Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Skub »

Horse wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:37 pm
Rider had a headlamp - as in a lamp on his head. And that light aligned nicely with the streetlamps further up the road.
Fuck me,is that a thing now along with the bloody Xmas Denali lights? :wtf:
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Skub wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:23 pm
Horse wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:37 pm
Rider had a headlamp - as in a lamp on his head. And that light aligned nicely with the streetlamps further up the road.
Fuck me,is that a thing now along with the bloody Xmas Denali lights? :wtf:
Yep... the thinking is that you can look at someone so they 'see' you...

...what the rider who did that to me had forgotten was that it also dazzles the person coming the other way.

Off-road, they make a lot of sense... you can pick your way through obstacles like trees and rocks more easily. On road, they are a PITA.
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Horse »

Skub wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2023 1:23 pm
Horse wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:37 pm
Rider had a headlamp - as in a lamp on his head. And that light aligned nicely with the streetlamps further up the road.
Fuck me,is that a thing now along with the bloody Xmas Denali lights? :wtf:
Is that like these?
20230124_180110.jpg
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Re: Be careful out there!

Post by Skub »

Horse wrote: Tue Jan 24, 2023 6:01 pm Is that like these?
Might as well be.
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