The irony of when I’m trying to explain why staying in primary position is a safer thing to do, I get really close passed! This one was reported and that’s why it’s blurred out.
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41 Comments
It's good that you still keep some bike stuff on the main channel, because sometimes the four wheel + motorists will remain educated about cycling or motorcycling as a particular issue and keep them sharp on this topic, even if they are not a particular bike fan.
I remember my grandfather did the advanced motorists exam (way back in the 60's) and he explained that during the exam he was required to provide a running commentary on his driving as the test progressed. This reminded me of that.
on dual lane roads when taking up primary, cars in the second lane are still technically too close when going past. does the highway code allow for these over takes when done safely, otherwise dual lanes when cyclist ride actually become one lane so shouldn’t you straddle middle of both lanes like a wide load (answers no but to just put the hypothetical out there)
Who designed the Engwe logo?? It looks like a um… diagram of a body part?
Nice ride . At 17:46 you should move to the left prior to give reversing guy more room in case he didn't see you. Why not to use any part of the lane if it's safer. During my rides sometimes when i saw potential hazard i started to weaving the bike to catch the attention and it worked pretty well. I see these bikes are heavier but after some practicing should be nimble too
12:40 that was a bad pass, low speed, but too close. However, I noticed you turned your head to stare at the passing vehicle, just as the cyclist in the 'driving instructor close pass' video did. You admonished that cyclist for doing that, as they took their eyes off the road ahead! I hope you can see that it's actually a natural reaction to danger.
Also, you could have swerved left, but failed to do so. Primary position is often not enough to prevent a close pass, but it does create space to move left and away from the danger. An experienced cyclist would have at least anticipated this pass and swerved into the space on the left. More likely they would have just moved over and facilitated the pass as there was quite a big gap between the parked vehicles.
Primary, secondary etc. special terminology of driving instructors…
Few thoughts on the bike:
How do you change the belt as it goes through the frame?
In the 90s there used to be "Superglide" that worked like a CVT, but it never became widely available, just saw it on the IFMA. Great idea with a variable master wheel instead of a tooth wheel.
Guess it can't do regenerative braking to top up the battery as the motor is not on the wheel, right?
I think the laws should change to give people more freedom in their options and mods on electric bikes, so the one you had before would be legal.
Finally: I actually prefer Km/h over mph.
On educating motorists:
I'm not so hopeful that the bad guys will listen to your video. It's their entitlement attitude that's the issue.
How about sending trainee motorists out on a bike for a day?
Why are you not wearing gloves? My nephew got clipped by a car and ended up sliding along the road partially on his hands de-skinning them . 5 years later he’s still having problems . Wear Gloves on push bike!!
I like that you blurred that car, even though you didn't have to because its perfectly legal to post their faces and personal details on Youtube as it is "journalism" even when you report them.
I agree with most of what you say but as the car passed you at 12:43, there was plenty of room for you to move left, into the gap, to allow traffic flow. On the whole, if every cyclist knew what was going on around them and rode accordingly, there wouldn't be a problem. Sadly, many cyclists obey traffic rules, when it suits them and they often ride headlong into danger.
And you wonder why cyclist you see are poor at being commanding and then 30s later you get a close pass 🤔. No doubt if you were "analysing" someone else's riding you would say they weren't far enough out 😄
Hi Ashley, this was a good tutorial for motorists who don’t recognise the vulnerability of cyclists, I’m an HGV Driver and as part of my employers requirements for driving in urban settings within the UK, this is FORS (freight operators recognition scheme) if you see the signage displayed on a vehicle that will tell you that the driver and operator have completed a safety course including riding a bicycle through a town/city obviously this demonstrates that they have been in the position of a cyclist and aware of their responsibility to them, my biggest gripe with cyclists is that they need to make themselves more visible very often we see them wearing their peel off suits of dark materials with no hi-viz, nobody would expect to be allowed on a building site or airport setting etc without any suitable workwear so why would you put yourself in harms way by having inappropriate clothing, I really don’t mind if a cyclist is using the middle of the road it gives everyone the information they need and demonstrates their confidence in their ability, thanks for that and I may even consider getting a bike.
I see more and more motorists heading towards me on the wrong side of the road, whilst passing cyclists.
The brakes are an easy fix. The hoses can be swapped around for less than £10 in parts.
It is too bad that the limit is not on watts but speed. That way you could have lots of extra assistance on uphill to maintain a reasonable speed.
My world the speed limit going up hill would be 20mph so that you could move a traffic speed in town, but no assistance on the level or downhill.
One thing I would comment on is signalling. I like to say signal boldly and clearly. One of the worst things I see (from some cyclists) is a little flick down near the seat, are just not good enough.
One thing that came across was the complete lack of cycling infrastructure. It looks safe (probably down to the way you ride), but many people would still be intimidated. Are there no cycle paths near you? 90% of my commute is off roads
12:39 Were you breaking the rule of momentum over safety there, Mr Neal.
One of the big mistakes a cyclist can do is to give a driver ALMOST ENOUGH room to pass.
You can give every logical reason until you're blue in the face, you'll still get idiots telling you that you don't pay road tax. It's a pointless fight.
I remember you mentioning you were going to make a video on primary/secondary positions etc, so was looking forward to this.
Nice video, and really liked the auto-gear changing system combined with the belt drive. And good to see you got over all the points I was expecting – and sadly suffered that awful pass too.
Ashley, have you tried riding with Garmin Varia radar? A very useful tool for seeing what's coming up behind you (number of cars, speed and gives you all clear when all cars are passed). I wouldn't ride without one now, especially in windy conditions. It means I can take the primary position most of the time and I have plenty of time to assess the situation and move over to secondary if safe. It detects cars approx 100m back.
Failed my 1st motorcycle test in1977 because 'I was riding too far out in the road', when I questioned it I was told I should keep to the left of the lane. Being a cocky 17 year old I asked if he wanted me to ride in the gutter with the grit and the glass. We had a bit of a fall out and he suggested I used the other test centre in town when I next took the test. Was a bit gutted but my dad and biking peers all said you've got to maintain your lane position which is how I had learned to ride. Passed riding the same way but had asked the examiner beforehand if he was ok with that. I was riding a CB200 Honda which had no problem maintaining traffic speeds and may have had a bad examiner on the 1st one.
I don't think 3 gears are enough on a bike the human body has a very short power band a bit like a diesel engine and you need to keep a reasonably high cadence to be comfortable for your legs, you looked as though you were pedalling far too slow at one point setting away, my bike has 14 gears Rohloff hub.
I'm sorry I couldn't cycle so non-defencively as you do I'm not going to try and force drivers to drive how I think they should drive and suffer the consequences there's a difference between being right and being DEAD Right!
Some clarification on secondary position:
The Highway Code says no less than 50 cm from the kerb. Just as you measure a car from its door/mirror, not its gear level, so you measure that 50 cm from the end of the handlebar, not the wheels.
For that reason, ‘secondary’ can amount to primary in some lanes.
As always, those positions are tools, not rules; and they are for the cyclist to judge and determine, not the driver behind. The cyclist can choose to vary the application of those tools as the circumstances require.
I sometimes wonder if drivers (who are physically able) should be required to spend a certain amount of time cycling in traffic as part of their car driving test. The fact that I used to be a regular cyclist has probably had a more positive impact on my driving than almost anything. A lot of the bad behaviours directed at cyclists by drivers often seems to come from ignorance rather than malice (e.g. "2 foot is plenty for a 40mph pass" "why aren't you on that ungritted cycle lane full of broken glass" etc.). They're frustrated and in a hurry and genuinely think you're just being difficult. If they'd just try cycling, they'd know.
Not all behaviours are ignorant though. I've had a few punishment passes which verged on attempted murder and it's a shame such behaviour isn't prosecuted more harshly. Note I said I "used to be a regular cyclist" – this sort of thing is part of the reason.
Your signal needs to be more assertive.. looks like your just giving someone a wave… Straight arm out.
I always say that a good cyclist makes a great driver, as they have a better awareness of other more vulnerable road users.
Your a typical eb bike rider , no cadence plod plod plod.
Very easy to swap over the brake levers to how we traditional have it set in the uk. Plenty of YouTube tutorials, even if they were hydraulic. Or any good bike bike shop should do it in about 10mins. I would have thought any bike on sale in uk should have the right hand as the front brake as standard though.
Thru word of mouth I found a semi local bike/electric bike specialist shop. About 35min drive-fairly easy to get to.
Apart from the automatic (first time I’ve seen one or one with a belt drive) that’s similar and similar price to what I looked at about 2y ago. For my work run, this is the sort of spec I would need…enough to soak up 2 big hills & 9 miles each way & not need charging every night.
But £2,500-£3,000 is a lot of money and that would go a significant way to replacing the car.
And I would still need a car as well….for the other journeys I make.
Would like the assistance to go beyond 15mph, remember I would on the A4 in 40/50/60 zones.
On swapping the brake handles: With standard brakes, it should be an easy matter of popping the bulbous end bits of the Bowden cables from the brake handles and re-attaching them to the other side.
I never seem to be able to find roads with so little traffic when i am out on my bike. not tried an electric bike yet but i might give it a go, where i live in Thornhill Dewsbury there are some very steep hills, i look like i have been in a sauna when i get home, price puts me off but my age encourages me.
I would guess that driver was saying to themselves (or passengers) – 'Look at this guy holding me up, thinks he owns the road'. No consideration for the dangers you are in.
Bike does look very nice. That DT would require very little maintenance. Like the auto changing too.
I wanna thank you Ashley. I completed my CBT today. Been a road cyclist for a year. Used your videos to help me know how to keep safe. My instructor today said I've got a brilliant highway code knowledge even though I don't have my theory, I told him I've watched you religiously for around a year yet again. I fully believe you're the reason my safety and highway code knowledge were so good. So thank you for making these videos. Thank you so much. I'm still gonna keep watching. Still a lot more to learn :]
That close pass i would of just gotten out of the way to the left, No point trying to argue with a metal box,
And a idiot driving it.
Sorry, but "danerous" pass – 12:43 you got your eyes off the road looking at that car, you did cover the brakes, but kept pedalling instead of using them and were more concerned about "staying in my position being positive" than getting out of the situation.
It's pretty much everything you called out the cyclist for in the learner close pass video last week…
again another great educational video thank you. the break leavers are set up for the European market if there is plenty of hose it is just a matter of swapping them, if not it is a simple job for your local bike shop.
Do these bikes have any form of regeneration, or are they entirely reliant on plugging in to charge them?