Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:39 pm

Finally joined the "came a gutsa" club on the way to work this morning. Luckily, just some bruising and slightly damaged pride :|

Situation was that a motorist (2nd car in front of me) decided to be a kindly person and stop for traffic waiting to join from James Rd (T intersection), despite no need to as it's not required. The work tray top ute in front of me just stopped in time, but I couldn't quite. 11% down hill slope, wet roads and a bit too much speed don't equal good stopping distance. Even with discs.

I managed to slow down enough to almost fit between the LHS of the ute and the Armco, but as I'm not a slim lad, shouldered the back of the ute, bounced off the Armco a bit and went AoT.

The ute driver checked on me and offered to get the details of the driver that started the reaction, but as the crash was equally my fault, thanked him muchly and waved him on. Another motorist slowed (with a bike on top) and asked if I was OK whilst I gathered my thoughts.

Many thanks to those kind gents. Brickbat to plonker that stopped, despite his intentions.

Lesson learned.

Beware of plonkers that sop where they don't need to despite their best intentions ..... :roll:

All good in the end, could have been worse :mrgreen: 8)

User avatar
biker jk
Posts: 6998
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby biker jk » Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:50 pm

Glad to hear you weren't badly injured. You probably knew before the accident but cars can stop much more quickly than bicycles, even those with disc brakes. That's why it pays to leave extra distance to any cars in front when riding on the road. I've been on group rides when the lead riders have gotten too close to cars and so I've yelled for them to back off. I also once witnessed a commuter cyclist riding within a few metres of a car through an intersection and the car traffic then stopped suddenly leaving the closely following cyclist with soiled knicks.

you cannot be sirrus
Posts: 936
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:33 pm

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby you cannot be sirrus » Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:57 pm

Glad all is well Michael, that's what happens when you the the scenic route to work. :wink:

User avatar
Bartek
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:43 pm
Location: Waikiki, Western Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby Bartek » Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:18 pm

MichaelB wrote: but as the crash was equally my fault,

Hope your body and pride is on the mend, the bad news is the crash wasn't equally your fault it was all your fault. Sorry, but if you run into the back of someone it's your fault, try to leave a bigger gap between you and the vehicle in front especially in the wet!
Sinner Mango Sport RE
KMX Viper
Trek 350

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Wed Aug 05, 2015 4:07 pm

you cannot be sirrus wrote:Glad all is well Michael, that's what happens when you the the scenic route to work. :wink:
100%

Re bartek - you are right, but I wonder if it is an offence to stop on a road where it is not required ?

Meh, knew I'm at fault for not stopping in time. Was close though. The gap was just a tad tooooo small :P

battler2
Posts: 358
Joined: Mon May 12, 2014 10:04 pm

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby battler2 » Wed Aug 05, 2015 4:34 pm

MichaelB wrote:but I wonder if it is an offence to stop on a road where it is not required ?
causing a hazard for another vehicle is an offence. so i'd imagine yes, unless he put his hazard lights on and had a genuine problem. but i think following too close is the one that is more likely to be enforced (and is usually).

i don't like descending old belair, or anything steep in the wet for that matter. old belair for new belair is kind of the old norton for norton, more cars there and no passing ops. it's pretty bad going up as well, as high traffic and narrow roads (no shoulder either) makes for closes passes happening more often, especially annoying when you're suffering with higher gradient.

remember, it gets feral down south, despite some good hills, need to be careful.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:07 pm

Descending Old Belair is not a problem (normally :roll: ), but going up is a different story.

There are roads that I ride on happily all the time, those only at certain times (usually avoid post work traffic till 6:30pm) and some roads I don't ride on at all.

Key takeout from today is to keep a bit more distance going down Old Belair ( usually wait for a gap so I don't have to worry about traffic) but will now be aware of polite meaning plonkers at the James Rd intersection.

rustychisel
Posts: 3493
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:39 pm

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby rustychisel » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:41 am

Glad to hear you're okay, even after testing the limits of disk brakes. (it's all about the contact patch, always was, always will be)

User avatar
biker jk
Posts: 6998
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby biker jk » Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:10 pm

rustychisel wrote:Glad to hear you're okay, even after testing the limits of disk brakes. (it's all about the contact patch, always was, always will be)
Did he say he broke traction? His stopping distance would have been longer with rim brakes if the rims were wet.

User avatar
PA
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby PA » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:52 am

Lived at Belair and went to Urrbrae High School. Used to ride down the Old Belair Road or Windy Point going to school 40 years ago on my Malvern Star Chopper. Don't laugh it was cool.

One morning on the Old Belair Road as I ws braking for the first sharp right hander my back brakes locked on. The back end did several flicks from one side to the other until I was spat off. Remember grabbing my bike as I laid on the road and dragging it over me so the car behind wouldn't run over it. He did stop before he got to me.

Another morning the cars were banked up and going slowly so I was overtaking them (hey I was young) and as I went past a Mini Moke I said nice day for a walk to the driver, his poor head almost spun off.
Mouse magnet

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:37 am

Chopper down OBR - BRAVE !!!!

User avatar
PA
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:08 pm
Location: South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby PA » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:27 pm

I used to ride it up Ackland Hill Road to Cherry Gardens with it's 3 speed Stermey Archer. Wouldn't want to ride that hill now with three speeds.
Mouse magnet

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:36 am

PA wrote:I used to ride it up Ackland Hill Road to Cherry Gardens with it's 3 speed Stermey Archer. Wouldn't want to ride that hill now with three speeds.
It's a nice climb, if not a bit rough. Would love that to be resurfaced

frankn
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 7:01 am

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby frankn » Mon Aug 10, 2015 2:16 pm

Michael good to hear you came out okay. From the bloke with the bike on top.

User avatar
MichaelB
Posts: 14752
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:29 am
Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Re: Thanks to the motorist on Old Belair Rd this morning

Postby MichaelB » Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:46 pm

frankn wrote:Michael good to hear you came out okay. From the bloke with the bike on top.
Well hello again !!!

Did I buy a crankset off you recently ? (guy had the same car).

Yep, all good, bruising is really starting to colour up now :shock:

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users