acidfast7

Like I said, they're both in the wrong. He did squeeze that BMX guy with the rear end of the bus. He also should have paid attention when the BMX guy was getting close enough to kick his wheel.

London is NOT Nebraska. I think that you have no frame of reference.

acidfast7

It's a dickhead move to NOT give the BMX bandit space here ... not sure it's worth a kick later ... but it's not good commuting nonetheless. The argument about looking the other way is quite weak as well. Either be in control of your bike or don't ride ... the BMX Bandit was obviously in good control of his bike as he could kick while maintaining control

Brennan

He didn't see the BMX rider, because like any safe cyclist on a road where vehicles stay to the left, he was concentrating on the traffic to his right when he was about to overtake a parked bus, not looking to his left for weaselly punks who are trying to undercut him from the wrong side. This is ALL on the BMX rider.

He was in perfect control of his bike...until the BMXer kicked it!!

mrodgers

You always pass on the inside just as you would in a car on the road. That would be pass on the left in right side countries such as the US and on the right in left side countries such as the UK.

acidfast7

It's dense bike traffic. Anything goes, personally I don't he should've been kicked ... but the BMXer should have made his presence known.

The Racer wasn't in control because he was looking over his shoulder.

Both people were being idiots and got what they deserved.

Brennan

Personally I have no problem with someone passing me on the wrong side, as long as there is room for them to make the maneuver and I don't have to self-correct to accommodate them. But watch the video again. The BMXer comes up on the left side of other rider as they approach the bus, and he's just coasting alongside him instead of making the pass! With that bus upcoming, he should have pedaled to get ahead of the other rider and then moved into the lane, or he should have slowed and moved in behind the other rider. Instead, he just rides alongside the other rider until they reach the bus, causing the conflict. It's all on the BMX rider, from beginning to end.

acidfast7

Disagree.

Perhaps, I'm more of a considerate rider than you. If the roadie was paying attention, he could have slowed down and prevented getting kicked.

It's not my loss, nor is it how I would handle things, from either rider.

I see both being to blame, but it doesn't matter as only one ended up on the ground.

Brennan

I can also see that the BMX'er is not looking to his right or his left. He's only looking straight ahead as they approach the bus. So you think the other rider should be responsible for looking to his right and his left so that the BMXer can ride blissfully along looking only straight ahead? Boy, it really seems like you are reaching in a major way.

Now that I watch the video again, it actually looks to me like the BMXer may be purposely trying to cause the conflict. I wonder if there was some sort of altercation before this.

At any rate, I can find no fault with the cam rider, no matter how many times I watch.

achoo

Well, not always.

But you sure don't expect a wrong-side pass that pushes you out into traffic, like the BMXer tried to pull.

Not sure how you can come to the conclusion the roadie was being a dick in any way. The BMXer tried to pass with no room, then he got pissed?

I'd say deliberately causing someone to crash on a bicycle would be a felony - seems like it's a form of assault or assault and battery. Amazing how people here are condoning that.

likebike23

I'm sorry, but the guy with the camera was riding like crap. If you look at the slower rider in front with the white shirt, he pretty much maintains a constant speed. As the guy and BMX'er approach the bus, the guy with the camera is speeding up as he almost rear ends the cyclist in front of him. Was he speeding up to pass the cyclist in front? Not really, as he applies the brakes just as he is about to pass and pulls left and slows way down. It is possible that the guy with the camera sped up to disallow the BMX'er to pass almost sending him into the bus? He then slowed way down in front of the BMX guy, maybe brake checking him? Was it right for the BMX guy to react that way? No, but he probably felt like he was being messed with.

Hypno Toad

There is no justification for the BMX-biker's escalation. At worse, the camera-biker blocked BMX-biker from cutting him off - this is not a physical attack. BMX-biker kicking the camera-biker's front wheel... that, that right there is a physical attack.

For reference, I ride busy urban areas in Minneapolis. Nothing quite like London, that city is packed!

Brennan

We know who is in the wrong because he ran away and is hiding like a coward. If he had a single leg to stand on, he'd step up and defend his actions. But he doesn't, so he won't.

Hypno Toad

BTW - Camera-biker does move right to give space to BMX-biker, at the last second, but he does move over.

In this environment, I'm with video-biker, my biggest threat is cars behind me and to my right and that is where my eyes will be.

BMX-biker total d-bag in this video, he created the conflict and then over-reacted.

Bike Gremlin

This. +1

Medic Zero

+1

popcorn.gif

the sci guy 

I think some of you are missing the point.
This isn't really a case of "whose fault it is." It's more a case of "the guy riding the BMX knowingly and willfully acted in a manor to intentionally cause harm to someone."

People get cut off or boxed out in [car] traffic all the time. It's just the way it goes with the flow of traffic. Maybe you come up behind a bus letting people off, and you just have to stop and wait to go around, or a utility vehicle doing roadwork or power line work. When the natural flow of the cars in the other lanes prevents you from getting over, you don't act out at that car or cars.

The kid is clearly a grade-A ******bag and while the road biker could have moved right sooner, it's up to the BMX guy to pay attention to what's going on around and in front of him.

Anyone blaming the guy who got kicked is out of their minds.

wphamilton

Two different events. Perhaps BMX carried a grudge over the attempted pass, or maybe he just didn't like Racer. Maybe he's out of control and kicks at anyone who looks like an easy target. Who knows.

If we really want to guess, I'd say they were most likely already fighting before the video started. You pass on the wrong side with not enough room, you can't make it and drop back, that's your own lookout. You don't flip out over it, unless you're already steamed about something. Or the other guy, someone gets in your space and doesn't have room for the bus coming up, you give him room. Of course. It's unlikely that this all happened in isolation.

Bike Gremlin

Not really blaming, but he is also responsible. When you ride in the street, sometimes you get street rules, not the lawful ones. One must be aware of that. IMO the BMX guy over reacted.

Hypno Toad

This ^^^^

RPK79

You're signature is very apropos.

Hypno Toad

achoo

So you're condoning felony assault and battery because it's "street rules"?

Gotcha.

FrenchFit 

Good call.

likebike23

Who's blaming the guy? I'm saying that there is evidence of possible provocation on the part of the victim. The BMX guy was wrong to kick out his wheel, the guy could have been killed. Lesson to be learned: don't play games on the road, stay alert to clueless riders, and yield to idiocy when possible.

Spider

Were this to wind up in court, the judge would consider everything that preceded the assault to be irrelevant, and rightly so. There is no excuse for what the BMX'er did.