Crash on Barry Dr this morning

[Fletcher]

I wasn't sufficiently organised and had to drive this morning. Driving from West Belconnen to the city passed a cyclist on Belconnen Way riding a nice looking roadie with an old-ish black Shogun frame. I took a very quick detour past my olds' place in Aranda to collect something, got back on Belconnen way to resume my drive to work, and that same cyclist had crashed on Barry drive while passing the ANU. He was lying on the grass with his bike lying next to him. It didn't look badly trashed, and he was conscious and talking with the people who had stopped on the footpath to help. There is nowhere to stop a car there so I kept driving, feeling bad for him.

Has anybody heard anything about this? NO car had stopped that I could see so I doubt he collided with one (unless it was hit and run of course). I hope he's ok. ONe of my work colleagues who listened to local radio on his way in heard of an 'accident involving a cyclist on Barry Dr' but had no more information.

It's a pretty unsafe stretch of road to ride on in peak hour, I"m on it every day and try to get past the congested bit at the uni as quickly as possible. I use my taillight during daylight hours too now, after hearing these horror stories of cyclists getting collected from behind.

[impluvium]

Yeah, I try to avoid that stretch of road, too -- what with the merged lanes and people trying to cross many lanes of traffic, drivers seem to be looking everywhere but at the road in front of them. I'd rather turn left or right at the ANU traffic lights and take a one-block detour through either the ANU or O'Connor.

I hope this rider is OK and am glad that people stopped to help (even if no drivers).

[Fletcher]

Yep, and it's dodgy from either direction. At peak hour you've either just belted down the hill from Black Mtn into 3 lanes of almost-stationary traffic, and no cycle lane. The outside edge of the left lane is a gutter, and the adjacent footpath is busy with pedestrians. If you're heading in the other direction there's heaps of buses in the outside lane to contend with, as well as the merging traffic turning left into Clunies Ross Dr.

[twizzle]

I made the mistake of going down Barry all the way to the ANU one day, ended up in the bus lane (:oops:) due to slowing traffic and then the lights turned red and I discovered that 50kph + damp road + diesel from buses = can't stop before the stop line (although I didn't cross the ped. crossing line). Scared the crap out of myself and a cyclist & a pedestrian who were on the crossing. I don't go that way any more, I always turn off into Dryanadra Street and use the back roads. Then I only have to deal with almost getting cleaned up every time at the Masson/McCaughey roundabout.

[Fletcher]

I made the mistake of going down Barry all the way to the ANU one day, ended up in the bus lane (:oops:) due to slowing traffic and then the lights turned red and I discovered that 50kph + damp road + diesel from buses = can't stop before the stop line (although I didn't cross the ped. crossing line). Scared the crap out of myself and a cyclist & a pedestrian who were on the crossing. I don't go that way any more, I always turn off into Dryanadra Street and use the back roads. Then I only have to deal with almost getting cleaned up every time at the Masson/McCaughey roundabout.

Yes I can totally understand. My most alarming was a few weeks after I started riding to work. One morning, the light was stationary green, I was in top gear huffing and puffing, pedalling fast, glancing down hoping to see 60km/h indicated on the Repco supercomputer when a ped waiting with his bike sort of half stepped out without seeing me right into my path onto the road and I went and the word don't came out of my mouth very loudly and somehow he stopped and we missed each other and I was past going phew. *

* I was in the bus lane. It's the left lane, no sign indicates bikes are excluded and I was frequently passed by scooters and motorcycles. Once, early in the piece and ignorant I found a bus sitting on my back wheel going ho hum for a hundred metres or so. Nowadays I turn off well before this intersection and rejoin at the next set of lights.

[twizzle]

There's a 'No bikes' sign hidden to the left just before the start of the bus lane. I only rode that way twice, once in the traffic and the second time I used the bus lane... and made my diesel discovery. Must have been spectacular for the cars, watching me cadence-brake the rear wheel for the last 20 metres.

[Fletcher]

There's a 'No bikes' sign hidden to the left just before the start of the bus lane. I only rode that way twice, once in the traffic and the second time I used the bus lane... and made my diesel discovery. Must have been spectacular for the cars, watching me cadence-brake the rear wheel for the last 20 metres.

Crikey I rode that way lots of times, and can't say I've seen it. I turn off into Boldrewood St now and rejoin after the end of the bus lane.

Cadence brake, I'm not familiar with that term. Is like they teach you on a motorbike where you apply max pressure, back off a bit, max pressure, back off a bit, and so on as to avoid locking up? Diesel is hell slippery, it's very fortunate you stayed upright.

[twizzle]

There's a 'No bikes' sign hidden to the left just before the start of the bus lane. I only rode that way twice, once in the traffic and the second time I used the bus lane... and made my diesel discovery. Must have been spectacular for the cars, watching me cadence-brake the rear wheel for the last 20 metres.

Crikey I rode that way lots of times, and can't say I've seen it. I turn off into Boldrewood St now and rejoin after the end of the bus lane.

Cadence brake, I'm not familiar with that term. Is like they teach you on a motorbike where you apply max pressure, back off a bit, max pressure, back off a bit, and so on as to avoid locking up? Diesel is hell slippery, it's very fortunate you stayed upright.

Basically, the rear was on the point of lockup the entire time, so I was on-and-off the rear brake trying to maintain some grip. Thought I was going to flatten this poor pedestrian for sure, but I managed to pull up about one metre past the line. Haven't done anything that dumb since.

[Fletcher]

Yep, that's a big moment.

I checked the sign when out for a ride yesterday. It's abundantly clear actually, can't believe I ignored it for so long It's more of a detour sign - a bike, an arrow, CITY CYCLISTS THIS WAY.

[twizzle]

Yep, that's a big moment.

I checked the sign when out for a ride yesterday. It's abundantly clear actually, can't believe I ignored it for so long It's more of a detour sign - a bike, an arrow, CITY CYCLISTS THIS WAY.

No - that's the OBVIOUS sign. If you continue on down the hill to where the bus lane starts, that's where you find the 'No Bicycles' sign for the bus lane.

Kind of like the cycle lane on Hindmarsh drive that disappears just after you get to the dangerous part. If they had put a sign up at the last set of lights saying "Cycle lane disappears ahead and leaves you in the traffic", I wouldn't have gone that way.

[Sia]

So it's you guys who overtake me everyday?!

I know the sign Twizzle's talking about. What's funny is that I haven't seen this other OBVIOUS sign you guys mentioned!

[Fletcher]

Can't say I've seen the sneaky one. Then again, it took me months to notice the the one right in front of my face!
I get overtaken nearly as much as I overtake too.

[Ross]

* I was in the bus lane. It's the left lane, no sign indicates bikes are excluded and I was frequently passed by scooters and motorcycles. Once, early in the piece and ignorant I found a bus sitting on my back wheel going ho hum for a hundred metres or so. Nowadays I turn off well before this intersection and rejoin at the next set of lights.

Motorcyclists are permitted to use bus lanes, no idea why though. Bus drivers can be arrogant/ignorant (more so than general motorists) so best not to tangle with them. Good move to use the back streets instead, much safer.