Recumbent safety woes...

[Si]

Since you can fit a rack to the Raptobike it must be possible to fit a childseat, eh? Then my child would be looking right over me with a decent view of the lie of the land ahead. It would make people's heads explode...

Master/Blaster from Mad Max III does recumbents?

[Feline]

Probably the wrong thread for this, but I saw something awesome in Weston-super-Mare this afternoon (yes, I know this is probably really rare  ), a woman was riding along on a bike with what looked like a bench attacked to the front. On it was sat a man and 2 kids! The whole thing was rather wide, about the same width as a car. I was in my car at the time (my bad, but had to take my daughter to the orthodontist, we wanted to take the dogs to the beach while we were there and the car hadn't been out of the garage for 2 weeks) so couldn't really stop to take a pic without making her overtake me. It was kewl 

[Arch]

Probably the wrong thread for this, but I saw something awesome in Weston-super-Mare this afternoon (yes, I know this is probably really rare  ), a woman was riding along on a bike with what looked like a bench attacked to the front. On it was sat a man and 2 kids! The whole thing was rather wide, about the same width as a car. I was in my car at the time (my bad, but had to take my daughter to the orthodontist, we wanted to take the dogs to the beach while we were there and the car hadn't been out of the garage for 2 weeks) so couldn't really stop to take a pic without making her overtake me. It was kewl 

A trike I assume, rather than a bike? Or a very good balancing act! A reverse rickshaw, so to speak. Or was it something like a Bakfiets, a bike, with a big wooden box in front?

Someone over on CC posted today that they'd seen the wierdest thing they'd ever see. Turned out it was a bike with a top tube mounted child seat.  Such old hat to weirdos like me!

[Feline]

Probably the wrong thread for this, but I saw something awesome in Weston-super-Mare this afternoon (yes, I know this is probably really rare  ), a woman was riding along on a bike with what looked like a bench attacked to the front. On it was sat a man and 2 kids! The whole thing was rather wide, about the same width as a car. I was in my car at the time (my bad, but had to take my daughter to the orthodontist, we wanted to take the dogs to the beach while we were there and the car hadn't been out of the garage for 2 weeks) so couldn't really stop to take a pic without making her overtake me. It was kewl 

A trike I assume, rather than a bike? Or a very good balancing act! A reverse rickshaw, so to speak. Or was it something like a Bakfiets, a bike, with a big wooden box in front?

Someone over on CC posted today that they'd seen the wierdest thing they'd ever see. Turned out it was a bike with a top tube mounted child seat.  Such old hat to weirdos like me!

I guess it must have been a trike or she would have been quite some epic balancing act! The thing at the front didn't look like any pics I've seen of Bakfiets, but coz I was driving I couldn't properly oggle it

[recumbentim]

You got to hate the Cars that makes them watch you and vice versa.
The ones that overtake and nearly hit on comming trafffic cause they are looking at you are funny tho.
I think you have too much respect for them EF.
To me  they are the enemy on my road and I dominate them.
I do what I need to do and they can wait.
The recumbent wiggle  works wonders  and I get mad if one passes me then slows me down, Really mad?

[Kathy]

I really didn't like my brief foray into the world of benting, entirely due to the number of drivers who would think that they had to harangue me about how invisible I was. 

[redshift]

That's what the mp3 player is for - at least, the headphones bit.  Even if you're not actually listening to anything, you gain two things with earbuds in:  Reduced engine noise at head height, which I find is much worse on the trike than on the upright, and you can blithely ignore any passing comments from the local intelligentsia. 

[Arch]

I really didn't like my brief foray into the world of benting, entirely due to the number of drivers who would think that they had to harangue me about how invisible I was. 

I think there's a certain trait common to happy 'bentists - not giving a toss what others think.... 

I don't think I've ever been harangued though.  I've had the usual "Aren't you invisible" conversations with passers by, and the obligatory unintelligable "Whoaoragh" stuff from passing cars, but you get the latter on any bike

[EdinburghFixed]

With the one exception of "hysterical local" I've never had any trouble with drivers. Pedestrians are worse, and cyclists most of all.

It is funny overhauling somebody on a busy road who is having their elbow shaved by every second car. Suddenly they realise that everything is overtaking them on the far side of the road and wonder why. When I overtake them, they scream "uuuuurgh, I'm not trying to be funny but you're invisible!"

As I ride away, I can see in the mirror that they're back to having their elbow shaved again... 

[Quint]

No, no, no, the best way is to involve them in conversation, this will have one of three results, 1. by short well reasoned points they are converted to the right way of thinking, 2. not quite convinced but go away with the PR result of "those bent riders are insane but quite nice people", 3. They are so involved with your earnest chatter they miss the lights changing and get a lot of grief of of traffic behind  
       Any antagonism from passing traffic give a friendly wave as they will feel a twat as their obnoxiousness has not had the desired result.
                                              

That's what the mp3 player is for - at least, the headphones bit.  Even if you're not actually listening to anything, you gain two things with earbuds in:  Reduced engine noise at head height, which I find is much worse on the trike than on the upright, and you can blithely ignore any passing comments from the local intelligentsia.  

[Kim]

I really didn't like my brief foray into the world of benting, entirely due to the number of drivers who would think that they had to harangue me about how invisible I was. 

Interestingly, I've only had the invisibility conversation with people off the bike.  Once with some passing pedestrians who asked about the bike outside a shop, but mostly when mentioning the bike in other contexts.

Of course I can't vouch for the gorilla noises from passing cars.  Some may be visibility-related.

[Wendy]

I like the Patrick Field approach, courtesy of teh Lord Mayor:

"If you talk to invisible people, men in white coats will come and take you away to the big house."

[henshaw11]

I think all my experiences with drivers have been pretty much irrespective of bike type (wrt the bad experiences they would have been dicks anyway), except most give more room in passing the bent. Whilst sitting at light I've had few chats with blokes in builders vans who were actually interested in what I was riding .

That said, I think I came across this week's pair of myopic c***s on this morning's commute, but that rant's for another time...

[Si]

Take my Auntie  (please, won't someone take my Auntie )......she's trying to persuade me not to go out on the 'bent as I'm sure to be killed by someone who can't see me.  At the same time I'm trying to persuade her not to drive home in the car, given her four large glasses of wine.  It's just 'bents ennit, no logic, no reason can prevail - recumbents allow people to make perfectly informed decisions without the need to gather any information.

[anotherdeadhero]

Even leading with your head into the windscreen would not be something I'd volunteer for...

Been there, done that, put my chin through the windscreen, had the dentistry bill etc ... I would not recommend it.

My trailer had a flag, but I was shouted at by a multitude of people every single time I ventured out. One elderly woman shouted that I should be locked up for abusing my children and risking their lives like that and she had a good mind to call social services  

I have to confess to having had similar thoughts when finding a cycle and trailer negotiating Bedminster bridge in Bristol one busy Sunday midday, until that is, I noticed the little face peeking round the 5kg bag of potatos. Assuredly, all concerned were having great fun