Obelix   11 #1 Posted December 31, 2014 This is one of those public service messages that everyone gets so agitated about.....  I managed to catch me a cyclist tonight. More through his deeds than mine I think.  He decided to jump a red light and shoot over behind me as I went through a crossroads that was light controlled. I didn't see him till the last split second - black clothes, hidden behind railings and no light on the front. There was one on the back of his bike, much good that was to him...  The same railings that hid him also meant he didn't see the flatbed trailer I was towing until it was way way too late. All I heard was a despairing squeak... if I hadn't have seen him I'd have carried on and towed a 2 ton trailer right over him. I didn't feel a thing when he hit the side...  He was very apologetic all told. I couldn't even find any damage on the trailer. His bike on the other hand is something else... He got off with nothing more than hurt pride. I have no idea how - he ended up wrapped around the jockey wheel with one leg stuck up over my rear axle....  I'll say this for the blue light brigade. When you tell them there's guy under your Landrover they send *everybody* to the party....  Don't jump red lights please people. I might be towing another flatbed trailer one day you don't see, and you might not be as lucky as he was. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
tzijlstra   11 #2 Posted December 31, 2014 that must have had your heart racing for a while Obelix. Good job you were switched on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
maccapacca   10 #3 Posted December 31, 2014 Well done for being so observant. Sounds like it could've ended up far worse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
El Cid   218 #4 Posted December 31, 2014 no light on the front. There was one on the back of his bike, much good that was to him...  I dont think front lights help cyclist see where they are going, he was probably just taking too many risks by cycling furiously. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Isabelle   10 #5 Posted December 31, 2014 I dont think front lights help cyclist see where they are going, he was probably just taking too many risks by cycling furiously.  They do if, like me, part of your journey is on unlit roads, but on lit roads the lights are to help you be seen. Not that it works, I still got knocked off from the front with my bright light on  I hope the cyclist has learnt from what happened. It is too dangerous to take silly risks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
altus   540 #6 Posted December 31, 2014 He was an idiot and has hopefully learned a lesson - perhaps some others will learn from it too.  Well done for being so observant and reacting so quickly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Obelix   11 #7 Posted December 31, 2014 I dont think front lights help cyclist see where they are going, he was probably just taking too many risks by cycling furiously.  They do in the countryside. Moreover if he'd had one fitted I'd have seen him coming far sooner than I did I think and might even have managed to avoid hitting him.  ---------- Post added 31-12-2014 at 10:12 ----------  that must have had your heart racing for a while Obelix. Good job you were switched on.  I was fine just afterwards no problem at all. This morning was a different matter though, if I didn't have a client visit I'd have stayed home and had a whiskey and cornflakes! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
onewheeldave   22 #8 Posted December 31, 2014  The same railings that hid him also meant he didn't see the flatbed trailer I was towing until it was way way too late.  Worth mentioning to anyone towing flatbed trailers, that the £shops stock bicycle rear red lights (cost £1), a few of which could be easily attached to the sides of a trailer and render it much more visible (not only to red light running cyclists, but a host of other situations where a life could be saved by the trailer being visible). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Obelix   11 #9 Posted December 31, 2014 It had running lights and a reflective stripe down the side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
onewheeldave   22 #10 Posted December 31, 2014 It had running lights and a reflective stripe down the side.  Yes- I suggested cycle lights cos, maybe I'm wrong, correct me if so, but I thought 'running lights' were located on the rear of the trailer as opposed to the side (the visibility problem here occurring cos the cyclist was heading towards the trailer side, which therefore was not highly visible).  And reflective strips, while great for motor vehicles casting out large amounts of light from their powerfull headlights, aren't actually that visible in the absence of such light.  So my thought was that 3 or 4 cycle lights down each side, perhaps set in flashing mode (increases visibility) would be an easy way of removing the 'lack of visibility' full stop, making the trailer very easy to see for those who don't have headlights attached, e.g. cyclists and pedestrians.  I'm not being funny here, and I'm certainly not excusing or condoning the cyclists lack of road sense; simply, for those who might be interested in making their low visibility flatbed trailers much more visible, offering a very cheap, easy and practical solution. That's one of the positives about being aspergic, we tend to be very good at thinking 'out of the box' and coming up with solutions where NTs often don't even see the problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Obelix   11 #11 Posted December 31, 2014 The running lights are amber LED's five down each side from memory visible from the sides.  The simple solution of course is not fitting more lights, it's people not running red lights.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Manchild   10 #12 Posted December 31, 2014 (edited) He was an idiot and has hopefully learned a lesson - perhaps some others will learn from it too. Well done for being so observant and reacting so quickly.  I 100% agree with this. Edited December 31, 2014 by Manchild Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
