Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - so im a dick head

yeah, ive only been riding around melbourne city for like a week now on my ss that i just built and cant get enough riding on and im too close to the taxi in front of me. i just assume, like a penis cranium, that he'll run it just like i will. he stops, i stop....sort of and almost face plant into his back window (it was a station wagon taxi). so im ok, his car is ok, everything is ok. i pull around him and wait for the green light. it goes green and i take off. someone who had been pulled out a bit to far when the light turned red decided to go and then i almost hit them. again, im fine, there door is untouched and everythings ok, but how stupid am i?! almost two wrecks in like 30 seconds. look before you take a green light, dont assume taxis will run yellows. dont panic stop on your front and only brake while leaning over it.
just thought id tell everyone why im a dick head, lol.

smooth.
you didn't have tell us what you are though, I'm sure we would have figured it out sooner or later

yeah, but just in case

On a SS I would recommend a back brake in addition to the front. It happens, I almost got plowed BAD the other night. It served to remind me that helmet and lights need to go on EVERY trip and not just the long ones. I still don't know where he came from, but he was moving and didn't veer at all so he never saw me. I was about 1 foot away from big badness. It was all my fault too. Reality. Mortality...don't F with it.

I'm usually between lanes or on the sidewalk running down pedestrians. :) Seriously though, that happened to me one time where a car stopped short in front of me and I ran into them a little bit. Funny thing is that I think if I was relying on brakes to stop it would have been worse since I would have had to move my hands down and everything..

The last crash I had was because a car stopped when I didn't think he would. He was turning right at a light so I went to the left of him. However, when I looked back up the car had stopped and my angel and speed were all wrong to clear. Hit my front (and only) brake and then hit the pavement. The next week week I took off the brake and haven't crashed since (it's been 10 months or so now). That guy was a dickhead :rolleyes: ;)

Mate the taxi drivers in Melbourne are mental.

Would definitely recommend getting a rear brake if you're doing lots of riding in the city. Especially down Collins St (between Exhibition & Swanston) where every man and his dog thinks it's a great place to do a u-turn.

I've been riding a SS for a little while now, don't see heaps of them around Melbourne though. If the rain isn't too torrential I'm gonna check out Critical Mass this Friday. Expect to see a few SS and fixies there.

what and where and when is Critical Mass?
as for the back brake idea. it sounds good, i just havent bothered. until i get one i will just keep an extra eye out for crazy people who dont run yellow lights. if im relying on my brakes to keep me out of the hospital then im not riding right in the first place.

aekeroo, that's the best laugh I've had all day. Bad luck, mate - next time watch the brake lights!

youre welcome. at least someone had a good laugh about it, lol.

Cool, More Aussies on the board. Pop into 'The Aussie Thread' in the roadie section and say hi ( It's okay if you're not a roadie. I'm a mountain biker disguised as a roadie and nobody has noticed yet ).

Oh, and yeah, you're a d¡ckhead! :D

So you're lost in your own juiced up space and you had an accident. The second one happened because the first one rattled you. After a mishap, pull over and take a minute to chill. I've had similar series of almost-accidents in traffic for the same reason. First one suprises you, then you're not thinking, or thinking about how some dickhead just missed you or hit you. Then Bam- Words of wisdom from my old soccer coach ( I was an occasional substitute goalkeeper, and I sucked BAD- midfield was where I belonged) When someone scores on you, take a minute to shake it off and pull yer sheot together.

Pop into 'The Aussie Thread' in the roadie section and say hi ( It's okay if you're not a roadie. I'm a mountain biker disguised as a roadie and nobody has noticed yet ).
D

SPRUNG!!!

The second one happened because the first one rattled you.

Been there! One guy nearly hit me - it sure shook me up, and then he did for real. Our mutual error, most likely. Glad I'm not alone here.