Thursday, January 31, 2013

Another Close Call

Wow what are people thinking. I have been on days for just over two months and I have lost count of the close calls. I worked second shift for two years with 2 incidents. Now it happens all the time. People are just doing some stupid things for the savings of a couple of seconds. In this video you will see the woman had to see me. Why? Because she is going into the oncoming lane on the road she is turning into just so that she wouldn't have to wait on me!


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Close Call Tonight!

I have complained twice now to the Town of Cary about how much sand they have put down on some roads and tonight I was missed by mere inches tonight for some bozo that was only going another 30 seconds? You want to take the chance on hitting someone and you are barely stopped at your house by the time I get to the same spot! Just insane people. They claim they are cleaning it up but come on. You put down so much sand on Madison that it is like a dirt road. Put that road on top of your clean up list!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Impatient people

Ok so on my way to work this morning I have this car that decided to cut me off so that they could make a right turn. Rather then come in behind me they felt they should pull in front then hit the brakes. They could have just slipped in behind me and did the same thing. But so many people see cyclists as obstacles/inconvenience. They of them don't understand someone might get hurt with their actions. I believe that was the case this morning. The driver seemed surprised that I was next to her window yelling at her. It was like where did you come from? You just cut me off lady at 30+ MPH.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Careless drivers and bullies

Well I had a very careless School bus driver this morning just push me off my line coming to a corner. I mean I was in the center of my lane and this driver just gets next to me and then moves over!


Then on the way home a driver wanted to let me know he does not like cyclists. I mean he was not held up but he felt the need to lay on the horn to let me know he was not my friend! Video is below!



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Strange things drivers do

Well I had this happen this morning but you can't see it in the video so no point in posting it to show you since it was taking place behind me. I move over to take full control of the lane. When I say that I was really maybe 1 1/2 feet from the double yellow line with my arm out indication I am turning left. Now I begin to sense a car attempting to pass me on my left. While I am about to turn left. All I can say is that the only reason the guy had to pull in behind me is because I was going to have to wait for a tractor trailer that was coming down the opposite way. So this idiot in the van pulled in behind me and had to wait but come on! It was so much safer riding when I worked nights. I didn't have to deal with these types of people. Everyone treated me with respect at night. Not so during the day!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Don't ever break your own rules

For the past two years I have broken a cardinal rule of mine. I have always had more then one head light just like I have more then 1 tail light. The reason I use is that if something happens to one you have the second to fallback on. Well for the past two years I have had only 1 headlight. It is a super bright 1000 lumen led light. Way more then bright enough. Well on my way home tonight in the dark the thing shutdown. Luckily it was only about 2/3 of a mile from home and it was not so bad going that distance with out a light. It could have been much worse though if it happened at the beginning of the 13 mile ride. I'm pretty sure I can fix the wires but I also sat down an ordered another light just to be back on the safe side of things again.

I ordered this one from amazon which is supposed to 1800?? Lumens
The page for this  one is here

Friday, January 18, 2013

Black Ice Crash!

The day started out so nice after days of rain then last night the winter storm warning 1-3 inches of snow. Turns out to be a dusting. Roads were good. I did not encounter any ice on the road. But there is a section where to avoid heavy traffic I take a greenway. Well I was not paying attention and the only bridge I cross over was covered in snow. I tried to break before the bridge but I still went down. From what I remember I thought I just slid right at the bridge but in watching the video of the crash in slow motion I realized I started sliding much further out then I thought. I have some bruises on my thigh and good bruise on my forearm. But I really hurt my right thumb. I must have really wrenched it so to say. But all in all I am OK.  I now feel for those professional riders that go down and jump back up and race away. Granted I'm much older but man it hurt the rest of the way to work. And the ride home tonight was painful!



Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Cyclist hit and run in Durham

This story ran the other day about a cyclist being involved in a hit and run. His name is Steve Saltzman:

"Despite Saltzman hugging the far right line, the vehicle's mirror clipped him and snapped off. With fragments of the hit and run vehicle left at the scene, Saltzman hopes the perpetrator or an eyewitness will come forward."

Now the driver turns self in as has something to say:

"The cyclist said he was hugging the right side of the road when Brown passed too close, hitting him with his right-side mirror. The mirror broke off, leaving clues to the make of the vehicle at the scene."

ABC11 spoke with Brown as he left the Durham County Jail Tuesday. He said he didn't realize he'd hit anyone and apologized to Saltzman and his family.

How do you hit something so hard that you break your mirror off and claim you had no idea you hit anything? This is the problem with people he knows what he did but he figures he will lie people will believe him and he will get a slap on the wrist. The truth is that is exactly what will happen.

What is the problem here? Sometimes its is the way most cyclists ride. They like to break the law by running lights and stop signs. So when something happens all a person has to say is the cyclist ran the light/stop sign and most people on a jury will believe that because they have seen cyclists do just that. Of course we all know that cars also run lights/stop signs all the time but for some reason people don't seem to see that.

I have seen people when they make a left turn they turn onto the wrong side of the road. What I am saying is that thy turn too early and actually are on the wrong side of the road they are turning on. Of course they eventually end up on the right side but this is so common it actually amazes me that people do not realize they are even doing it.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Lousy Weather

The weather has been dismal for the last couple of days. So I really haven't tried the camera out much. It say weather proof. I don;t think that means water proof. Nothing much has been going on riding to work. Once I gain confidence in the camera and weather I will most likely just post the dumb things drivers do. Watching my ride for an hour would be rather boring. But I will keep the entire ride on my server.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

It once again has been a while

I have not stopped riding I just haven't been making posts here. I switched to a day job a couple of months ago and I miss all the quiet of the midnight rides. But my family likes me being on first shift so I gave up all the nice rides. In two years of riding to work on the second shift not once did any one hassle me!

I bought a toy this weekend so maybe that will entice me to make entries here again. I bought on of those very small video camera to use on my bike. Pictures are below. In the pictures you see a full handlebar! I have my 900 Lumen light, bicycle computer, and then the new tiny camera. It only cost $50 so I did good. It was on sale at Tiger Direct. Amazon is selling it for $87. So buy getting it at Tiger Direct with he Micro SD card it was still cheaper then Amazon for just the camera!

Midland XTC205VP2 HD Action Camcorder - 720p, 1280 x 720, Weather Resistant, Helmet Mount Included, MicroSD Card Slot