Originally Posted by
raywood
On the other hand, I think the relatively rigid crates are more noticeable than some of those options. Like, in the photo of the Distanciador, I had to look hard to see the reflecting device. I also wonder whether a driver would be more hesitant to hit something that might look like it could scratch his/her vehicle. A big truck or a pickup with a heavy front bumper? Probably not. And big trucks have come very close on a couple of occasions. Even there, though, they didn't actually hit me. Would they have cut it a bit less close if they’d had to calculate a squeeze past the crates rather than the handlebars?
Agreed, the picture on their website is very poor. I know mine is quite visible and I've seen pictures of at least one with silver foil strips draped over it. I originally found out about it on CrazyGuyOnABike. Maybe check over there.
I've dug up one of mine from last year. The Distanciador is hardly extended.
Originally Posted by
raywood
Tourist in MSN -- I hear you. As a driver, I have been irked by the rare bicyclist who has claimed a lane. I remember somebody doing that on a mountain road near Boulder. Even as a fellow bicyclist behind the wheel, my unfamiliarity with mountain roads left me lacking in empathy for his concern that, otherwise, cars would try to pass too close. Absent good driver education, good cameras, and stiff penalties for drivers who hit bicyclists, I suppose this tension will continue. Of course, that’s not the situation you describe, where there was a shoulder. On that, we see no justice: those riders carry on, while good bikers, following the rules, get hit.
HobbesOnTour -- great name; frightful thought. Seriously, thanks. A guy’s got to get back in the saddle. Re PTSD, the therapy recommendation is not a bad one. It requires health insurance. As for the suggestion of making eye contact, I agree, but it’s not really an option for drivers coming up from behind, not unless I want to add to the residue of asphalt embedded in my right knee. I mean, a person may want to watch where he’s going. Re practicing: not sure what I’d practice. Protection from racing cyclists: sad to hear there’s the insertion of unnecessary risk, even in the bike nirvana of Holland.
Like I said, what seemed to me to be an "extreme" diagnosis was dealt with relatively simply & quickly - 2 sessions.
By practise, all I meant was to practise doing what makes you uncomfortable. If that is taking the lane, take 10 minutes and cycle "in the lane". Build up resilience, hopefully and reduce discomfort. You can also spend a bit of time thinking about how to react to other traffic. It's not a day's touring, it's 10 minutes a few times a week. The fact that you're not thinking about how many hours this is going to go on for means that you've the time before, during and after to think about exactly how you want to do it.
You stated in your OP you wanted advice on taking the lane. My advice is to start slow, a few minutes at a time. Figure out ways to reduce and deal with the retaliation you're expecting.
As for eye contact, I didn't mean that you cycle facing backwards.
For example, I reckon the cyclist seen by TouristInMSN didn't acknowledge him once. Result? One pissed off driver.
In a lot of cases like that, the driver will race past at their first opportunity, perhaps cutting too close to the biker....reinforcing the biker's idea that the driver behind was an a-hole and he was right to take the lane. Rinse & repeat.
Originally Posted by
raywood
Andrewclaus & HobbesOnTour -- I was wondering whether the scruffy nature of the milk crates might be more psychologically effective than a sleek BOB trailer, or a nice set of bike packs. Now I’m wondering whether maybe I should swap that big American flag concept for a Budweiser banner.
Cheers!
To be honest, I'd be afraid that scruffy crates hanging off a bike might create the impression of a vagabond and therefore a less valuable life (Not that I subscribe to that theory).
A disabled sticker, or perhaps a crutch strapped to the rack might be better at creating a psychologically effective deterrent.
I've read that on quiet roads weaving from one side to the other can be effective in being noticed earlier and given a wider berth because the driver has seen for a while that the cyclist is erratic. Of course, some drivers will see that as a challenge!
I've also read that in cyclist v motorist debates (and not just those) the protagonists are dehumanised - driver v biker - the key is to re-establish the humanity in the equation. Hence the eye contact, waves etc.
A lot of the suggestions you've received has been about increasing visibility, but I don't think that's what you're looking for. I think you're looking for something that will stop cars hitting you. Short of a Police escort, I don't know of any such thing.
I'm not sure of your premise that many cyclists have been hit by vehicles. I've never been hit by a vehicle. I have, however, ploughed headlong into one - totally my own fault. I've had a few near misses which could have been much worse if I hadn't followed my road motto: Everybody else is a dumbass - expect them to behave accordingly.
You specifically asked for no comments on other possible drawbacks of your design, but I'm reminded of the old joke of the man stopped trying to board a plane with a bomb. He explained that he was terrified of dying in an exploding plane, so he brought a bomb, because what were the chances of 2 people having a bomb on the same plane.....
You can't prevent someone who wants to pass too close to you, or even hit you, if that's what they want to do. But you can reassess the potential risk and manage it so that it doesn't overpower you.
Alternatively, fly to Northern Spain & cycle there! Quiet roads, excellent, patient drivers. France is good, too! :-)
By the way, what's the scary thought of HobbesOn Tour?
Frank