Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

FYI, those who saw and have been wondering how the cyclist is...

Al B. from Vets cycling club was hit from behind by a motorbike at the second slip lane down onto Parkes way as he headed up Commonwealth Ave. on his way to work. He has a 'complicated' fracture of the left leg and was undergoing surgery today. Fingers crossed for a full recovery.

That sounds nasty, crossing those slip lanes always makes me nervous. I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.

Always love the "green strip of death" - cars that can't work out whether to speed up and get in front of slow down and go behind so end up trying both.

This wasn't your average accy, from the skid marks the motorbike appears to have been cutting across multiple lanes and cleaned him up at speed. I'm a huge advocate of "be seen, be safe", but in this case I doubt it would have made a difference.

But I too dislike the green lanes, car drivers suck at judging speed differences - the one where Belconnen Way splits to Barry Drv. being very bad.

Ironically, I find this section easiest when there's massive amount of traffic between 5-6pm. There are so many cars that if you can do the majority of the uphill stretch at 35-40km/h, then you are definitely going faster than the traffic and then your problem becomes just dodging cars exiting in front of you.

I find that looking back and getting eye contact with drivers intending to exit just before the exit slip helps in establishing your right of way and that they have to wait. It doesn't work 100% but I've noticed it a lot - I think I read that advice here in the ACT section. So whoever said that - thanks.

That said, it'll never stop what happened in this case if it was a motorcyclist cutting across multiple lanes to exit and not seeing the cyclist.

It's a pain in the arse, at the end of a long day to haul at that speed up that long uphill stretch, but it makes me feel safer... I often see the slower riders getting into more trouble because some cars just assume they are so slow, they have massive amounts of time to cut in, in front of them, or tail them so close at speeds of 15km/h that it causes traffic problems with other cars, and thus frustration, and I for one do not want cars to become increasingly frustrated with cyclists at the end of a long stressful work day - who knows what could happen.

Al is recovering post-op and is finally getting to test out titanium without having to buy a complete bike.

Apparently he asked the motorbike rider if he was O.K. before realising his leg was munted.

Alan is a good bloke and sorry to hear that.


I have relos that refer to those green strips as "the killing zones" unfortunately I have started to use that term in some context too some time.... eg - the killing zone where the cotter road turns off, or the killing zone where....



i hope the motorbike driver gets severely hauled over the coals for his decisions and actions...