The real solution to close passes

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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The utility cyclist
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The real solution to close passes

Post by The utility cyclist »

I cycled to the next town to get the next size up bike for my grandson, a 'star wars' BMX type. I bungee strapped it onto the pannier rack and cycled the 4 miles back to drop it off.

Not since I strapped my sons lawnmower on the back late spring have I had such good overtakes, I wonder why that is :roll:
CUK should have gone this route, strap something much wider than yourself that looks like it will damage a persons vehicle and motorists are more likely to slow and overtake in the correct and lawfully bound manner they should, far more often than without.
That said the wheel wouldn't be more than 20cm max further out than my pannier!

From now on I'll be cycling with half a childs bike strapped to the rack and projecting to the offside :lol:
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reohn2
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by reohn2 »

I've been thinking of a telescopic rod of some kind with a bright flag/ribbon,etc on the end that sticks out about a metre to my right as a "defence" strategy :?
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fastpedaller
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by fastpedaller »

:idea: Policeman 'cutout figure' strapped to the rack :lol:
roberts8
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by roberts8 »

I have a redundant tent pole that could be used with a small flashing light on the end. How far away from the bike would it be legal to protruding?
peetee
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by peetee »

I am now trying to think of a way I can get plastic scimitar blades powered by the wheel that will rotate outboard of the frame dropouts.
Should get round a problem or two on shared paths too.
Mwaaa-ha-ha-haaa!
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The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
rjb
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by rjb »

Heres another idea, a telescopic aerial attached to the end of you handlebars, straight bars would be ideal, with a ribbon on the end. You could extend it to whatever length you feel comfortable with. :wink:
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The utility cyclist
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by The utility cyclist »

I think it's the oddness and irregular shape that throws people and that it has some solidity to it, that's why I think flags, sticks, aerial's and other assorted thin sticky out things won't work as effectively. I'm thinking of getting a plastic frame made up and painted to look like a solid bike or find a way to project a solid looking three dimensional image which would be much lighter and way more aero :lol:
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by [XAP]Bob »

roberts8 wrote:I have a redundant tent pole that could be used with a small flashing light on the end. How far away from the bike would it be legal to protruding?

It is part of the bike, and therefore not protruding. There is no (to my knowledge) maximum width of a pedal cycle - but more than 6’ and you run into lane width issues.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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gaz
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by gaz »

[XAP]Bob wrote:It is part of the bike, and therefore not protruding.

Is it? I'd not be confident that a redundant tent pole counts as "part of the bike".

OTOH the handlebars most definitely are and the redundant tent pole could extend up to 305mm either side of the width of the handlebars.

Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
IV B 82
...
(2) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, no load shall be carried on a vehicle so that—

(a) the load has a lateral projection or projections on either side exceeding 305mm; or
(b) the overall width of the vehicle and of any lateral projection or projections of its load exceeds 2.9m.
...
Postboxer
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by Postboxer »

Horizontal fence post, wrapped with barbed wire?

Vertical fence post with dangling wrecking ball, or something that looks like one?
peetee
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by peetee »

GOT IT !
Stabiliser wheels are part of a bike...and you could fit scimitar blades to them.
Legal and lethal. What's not to like?
Who was it with the canal tow path issue a few weeks back?
The older I get the more I’m inclined to act my shoe size, not my age.
drossall
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by drossall »

The utility cyclist wrote:I think it's the oddness and irregular shape that throws people and that it has some solidity to it, that's why I think flags, sticks, aerial's and other assorted thin sticky out things won't work as effectively. I'm thinking of getting a plastic frame made up and painted to look like a solid bike or find a way to project a solid looking three dimensional image which would be much lighter and way more aero :lol:

I have a suspicion that drivers fall into the habit of judging overtakes from the off-side wheel. On a bike, of course, the off-side wheel is on the centre-line of the vehicle, so you get closer overtakes. Compare that with a trike, which isn't really wider than a bike (because it's only inches wider than the rider's shoulders), but seems to get better overtakes - because the off-side wheel is in the "normal" place.

But yes, it could just be anything that's unusual that gets more attention. I'm pretty sure that happens too. It's one of the points in the visibility debate; the actual aim is not to be visible at all, but to be seen, and to do that, you need to stand out from the crowd. So, whilst hi-vis does no harm, once it becomes commonplace then it loses some effect - it's still easier to see than black, but it no longer stands out, if you see what I mean.
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elPedro666
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by elPedro666 »

peetee wrote:GOT IT !
Stabiliser wheels are part of a bike...and you could fit scimitar blades to them.
Legal and lethal. What's not to like?
Who was it with the canal tow path issue a few weeks back?
Happy to volunteer for prototype testing (as the rider!) [emoji23]

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Tigerbiten
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by Tigerbiten »

drossall wrote:I have a suspicion that drivers fall into the habit of judging overtakes from the off-side wheel. On a bike, of course, the off-side wheel is on the centre-line of the vehicle, so you get closer overtakes. Compare that with a trike, which isn't really wider than a bike (because it's only inches wider than the rider's shoulders), but seems to get better overtakes - because the off-side wheel is in the "normal" place.

I agree with how a driver judges how wide a bike is.

If your going through a gap, then I agree, bikes and trikes are almost the same width.
But I've found that on the road my bent trike rides a lot wider than a bike.
I took me a bit to work out why.
I could ride with the back wheel on the same line as a bike wheel and again be roughly the same width.
But that puts my left hand wheel in the gutter where all the crud and potholes are.
So my left hand wheel goes where a bikes wheel goes.
That makes the end of the bikes handlebars almost level with the trikes center line.
This makes the right hand wheel sticking ~18" further out than any parts of a bike.
Plus if you're wider then you tend to get better overtakes rather than close passes.
9494arnold
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Re: The real solution to close passes

Post by 9494arnold »

Trikes have something of a prescence on the road.
I do however still have the fly nuts I used to have on my Conversion many years ago (as a bit of a laugh to be honest) complete with paint off a Rover that came a bit too close! . Quite hairy at the time, I only just avoided falling off, and he didn't have the decency to stop and apologise. Mind you I might not have reacted well had he stopped !
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