Lorry sandwich

strumjoughlamps

I generally only filter when traffic is static and obviously space allows.. have experienced on a few occasions when filtering through slow moving traffic some car drivers do not like it and on purpose move over to the edge of the lane to block you.

viz

There's a car in his rear view mirror at the beginning that managed to avoid ploughing into the back of the lorries. In fact everyone else managed. There are 20 white lines between him and the lorries at the start, which are spaced approx 2 cars apart, say 25 feet. So 500 feet. At the beginning he's doing 4 per second, 68 mph. Plus or minus. The problem is, he doesn't start slowing down till he's got 8 lines left. He notices too late. Can I have a wisdom?

viz

Thank you!

ICBM

Good work .

Sounds about right. I think there is a defined length and spacing for the white lines - it may be 25ft, or something similar. If known it would be possible to work out exactly how fast he was going, but I'm pretty sure you're in the right ballpark.

Sporky

ICBM said:

It would be interesting if someone could be bothered to calculate his speed in the early part of the video and see if he's remotely telling the truth about doing 60.

Assuming the lights are at the standard 120ft spacing (which I got from Googling so may not be correct!) he travels 360 feet in the first 4 seconds or so, which works out at (assuming my maths is OK) 62mph. However, he was clearly slowing down by the time he reached the 4th light, so he must have been doing more than that to begin with. I think he reaches the third street light at about 2 seconds, which would work out to 80mph. Very hard to be anywhere near accurate though.

ICBM

That accurate, yes - but I think you're also in the right ballpark, since it also agrees with Viz's calculation.

I don't ride so I'm not familiar with the viewpoint of a helmet camera, and I'm aware that things sometimes look different on video to reality, but to me it looked like he was going a *lot* faster than 60 at the start, and that he didn't start to slow down until long after he should have.

I also agree that the majority of bikers are safe and responsible, by the way - there's a small minority of lunatics who get the rest a bad name by being more 'visible' in ways like this. A friend of mine was almost killed by one - overtaking a line of traffic on a blind bend and very nearly came in through his windscreen, the biker survived as well surprisingly - but by and large they seem more careful than the average car driver... who doesn't need to be to the same extent.

randomhandclaps

Must have spent the previous night watching The Matrix Reloaded.

 

Two things really don't make sense.

1. We see the lorries at the same time he does at which point there is ample stopping room, so his 'I just couldn't stop' is bollocks.  He never even attempted to stop, he just assumed he would fit through the most dangerous position you can find yourself in as a bike.

2.  Proof that this man is incapable of riding a bike (or at least one that powerful) is a as motorcyclist you are vulnerable so should always be thinking 'where can I go if I can't stop' and averting an object is always preferable to braking.  Even once he starts to shit himself he had the option on moving to the left and using the hard shoulder to safety regain control - instead he decide to hang in and hope.

 

He's one very lucky bell end.

If you are this man's wife you should either be a.) Re-thinking you life choices, of b.) Ensuring your insurance covers pure arrogant stupidity.

bertie

manicguitarist said:

I agree. Filter if you are doing <30 and traffic is doing 10mph < speed limit. <br />

indeed.  That I cannot disagree with.  

ols

We have a similiar problem in Norfolk....

digitalscream

ICBM said:

I don't ride so I'm not familiar with the viewpoint of a helmet camera, and I'm aware that things sometimes look different on video to reality, but to me it looked like he was going a *lot* faster than 60 at the start, and that he didn't start to slow down until long after he should have.

I think it's probably reasonably safe to assume that a) he's an idiot, b) he had the headcam on for a reason - he was trying to show off about his riding skills by making it as exciting as possible, and c) he's an idiot. Therefore, squeezing between two lorries and believing he's indestructible is a logical course of action.

octatonic

Every time a mate gets a bike license I insist they agree to give me their retinas "when the inevitable happens".

Doesn't go down well, but then neither do they.

viz

ols said:

We have a similiar problem in Norfolk....

Best TheFB pic so far!

blindlemonade

At about 0.03 secs, he takes his hand off the LH bar - his sleeve is visible for a moment. Now, if he was braking really hard (like he says) then all his weight would be pushing onto his wrists, he wouldn't be able to take his hand off. Also, he's weaving past the first car, which you don't do under hard braking. I don't think he even thinks about braking until the first "Shit!", even then it isn't hard enough... I've locked up the front wheel under braking on a bike, and let it off again, without falling off (on a track). I've also done it, with falling off...

I don't think swerving onto the grass verge is an option; by the time he realises he's too fast, he's also too close, and you don't swerve while braking (even if you have ABS, which his bike doesn't - Suzuki Bandit 900?)

Still, any crash you can walk away from, isn't a bad one...

randomhandclaps

digitalscream said:

 

I think it's probably reasonably safe to assume that a) he's an idiot, b) he had the headcam on for a reason - he was trying to show off about his riding skills by making it as exciting as possible, and c) he's an idiot. Therefore, squeezing between two lorries and believing he's indestructible is a logical course of action.

He was on his was to a local dogging spot, running late.  Two lorry drivers heading in the same direction really adds weight to this theory.

maltingsaudio

randomhandclaps said:

digitalscream said:

 

I think it's probably reasonably safe to assume that a) he's an idiot, b) he had the headcam on for a reason - he was trying to show off about his riding skills by making it as exciting as possible, and c) he's an idiot. Therefore, squeezing between two lorries and believing he's indestructible is a logical course of action.

He was on his was to a local dogging spot, running late.  Two lorry drivers heading in the same direction really adds weight to this theory.

The big question no one has addressed is why on earth didn't he wipe the tape? 

chillidoggy

A paramedic mate of mine maintains that "There are only two different types of biker: Those that have fallen off, and those that are going to fall off."

digitalscream

chillidoggy said:

A paramedic mate of mine maintains that "There are only two different types of biker: Those that have fallen off, and those that are going to fall off."

A friend of mine worked in A&E after he qualified as a doctor. He tells me that the terms "motorcyclist" and "organ donor" were used pretty much interchangeably by the staff...

randomhandclaps

chillidoggy said:

A paramedic mate of mine maintains that "There are only two different types of biker: Those that have fallen off, and those that are going to fall off."

Medical professionals are always making sweeping statements - I remember reading Harold Shipman said "There are only two different old patients: Those that have died, and those that are going to."

randomhandclaps

maltingsaudio said:

randomhandclaps said:

digitalscream said:

 

I think it's probably reasonably safe to assume that a) he's an idiot, b) he had the headcam on for a reason - he was trying to show off about his riding skills by making it as exciting as possible, and c) he's an idiot. Therefore, squeezing between two lorries and believing he's indestructible is a logical course of action.

He was on his was to a local dogging spot, running late.  Two lorry drivers heading in the same direction really adds weight to this theory.

The big question no one has addressed is why on earth didn't he wipe the tape?

@digitalscream did - a) he's an idiot

randomhandclaps