Does an e bikes acceleration confuse drivers

[Gubbins]

Short clip shows a car giving me loads of room but totally getting it wrong.
I had just joined this road but had been up to speed for about 50 meters so driver should have been able to judge his overtake.
Although we mostly ride slower than normal road bikes our rate of acceleration can be much higher so could that be what happened here?
https://www.youtube.com/user/phillipwa37

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It pulled in close because there was a car overtaking that parked truck coming in the opposite direction. Probably watching you when initiating the overtake, so didn't see it until it was too late.

 

[Benjahmin]

This happens to me a lot in our local town. I try to mitigate against it by riding further out in the lane when there's traffic coming the other way. The logic is that this makes the driver coming from behind sure they have to completely cross the white line to overtake. Mostly works, but there's always the d***head that is willing to shunt you over the kerb. Normally in a Shogun or some such gargantuan piece of uneccasary.

 

[philliptjohnson]

I've just started e biking and had a couple of occasions where cars have pulled out at junctions uphill from me when I think if they'd judged the speed I was going they would have waited... I think they have expected a bike to be going slower uphill

 

[greyfox69]

I have ridden bikes ,motorbikes and now ebikes I always ride in the middle of the road never in the kerb I make them wait or give me loads of room when passing me ,I have paid road tax to keep my car on the drive and use my bike, I own my side of the road.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Answer: Yes. Especially if you are unrestricted but most people drive along the lines of "it is a pedal bike I have the time". Then you have those who don't like cyclists. Then you have the psychotic out for a kill...

The daytime running light on my b+m has helped a lot with intersections and oncoming cars.

 

[Gubbins]

Lights a plenty I have and definitely restricted so usually moving at about 17mph.
I think I might have a tee shirt made ....
Warning! You are being filmed!
Or
Think bike Think camera!

 

[grldtnr]

Unfortunately ,there are complete arsehalls ( read that as you like) on the road these days, only yesterday I had 2 near collisions in the space of minutes, I have chase to remonstrate with the first, only to be carved up by a second,I lost the first,but with my ire up ,I chased down the 2nd, on drawing up I heard the click of central locking and Windows being wound up, so it was a case of venting my dismay, whilst occupants passenger holding her hand up, and driver resoultly looking ahead, why is it passengers feel inclined to vent anger or admit guilt of the driver?
Of course I could have rearranged certain parts of the car, but that doesn't make me any better.
So it seems it's part of modern road life, just because on a bike you seem to be at an advantage over the metal box.
I also drive,but always take care to give lesser road users room and space, even if it rules oncoming or following traffic.
Tough nuts!

 

[cosybike]

Take more lane and make the decision for the guy behind. Buy cyclecraft. With experience you control them rather than the other way round. Discretion is still the better part of valour tho!

Sent from my Lenovo YT3-850F using Tapatalk

 

[Tugwell Gibson]

As a driving instructor of nearly 15 years I'm in a position to see exactly my pupils thought process regarding encountering bicycles . It's not pretty.

Most seem to come pre programmed with a mixture of fear and ignorance which if left unchecked leads to frustration and impatience . And I see that on the road all the time with the way car drivers deal with bicycles.

Regarding ebikes , yes I think a lot of drivers struggle with the speed. Particularly if your on a big fat heavy bike wearing no Lycra. Their experience to date is that on a flat you will be doing about 10 and any incline it will be walking pace.

 

[grldtnr]

Take more lane and make the decision for the guy behind. Buy cyclecraft. With experience you control them rather than the other way round. Discretion is still the better part of valour tho!

Sent from my Lenovo YT3-850F using Tapatalk

 

[grldtnr]

Yes, I am well aware of all that, I make dicision on narrowing the road to avoid the driver behind squeezing through , but occasionally the idiots don't take the hint.
Yesterday ,I pulled in broadside ,on front of the miscreants,and made my feelings known, wether the morons learnt the lesson who knows?

 

[Mal69]

When I was younger I used to try and stay as near to the kerb as possible, experience now tells me to go in the middle of the lane otherwise I will end up having an accident.

I remember the time I was going fast down a steep hill on a country lane on a mountain bike, this was over ten years ago, a relative was driving their car behind me, I was too conscious of the car, I ended up going nearer and nearer to the grassy part of the country road, I then went into the ditch part and I had an accident, went 360 degrees in the air and ended up on my back, bike was damaged bad, I was okay, I don't want to do that again so now I stick to the middle part of the roads, its safer for me.