passing trikes

zebee
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passing trikes

Postby zebee » Wed Jul 05, 2017 3:20 pm

I recently acquired a Greenspeed GT20 and it's a lovely thing.

It is being used mostly as a heavy hauler, towing a trailer, but not always. I also use it to go places that aren't cramped traffic heavy streets.

One thing I have noticed around my local area, which is obviously a place I spend a lot of time in no matter the bicycle: that drivers give the trike a lot of room.

They give the Encore 2 wheeled recumbent more room than they give the Brompton folder, but not always. However they always give the trike heaps and will hang back until they have plenty passing room. Yes, even the hoons in utes.

Mate of mine with an under seat steering bike reckons they give him lots because he looks wide but even if I have the trailer or big wide screaming orange panniers on the Encore they don't hang back the way they do when approaching the trike.

I thought it was the way it looks (and is) wide, wider than the 2 wheeler even with panniers, but I think it's more than that.

I think it is because it is so low. Once they get close it disappears from view, their own car hides it from them. Suddenly they can't see all of it and might hit it so they hang back until they get get wide enough to see it through the pass. Even if they don't like "cyclists" they don't want their precious darling scratched up by all that pipework either... So they pass properly.

Anyone else find that? And does it change the more trike you have? Are bigger ones easier to see and safer to pass?

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outnabike
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Re: passing trikes

Postby outnabike » Wed Jul 05, 2017 5:16 pm

Yep they probably think your disabled.
I read once that women get more space than men. There were some comments that the fellers were looking at dresses. :)

Me, I get shaved and am in casual city clothes so makes no difference.
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recumbenteer
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Re: passing trikes

Postby recumbenteer » Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:11 pm

zebee wrote: Anyone else find that? And does it change the more trike you have? Are bigger ones easier to see and safer to pass?
Yep! all true..

Trikes are an "unusual" sight for many motorists, they have had no experience riding one, whereas they may have had experience riding some kind of DF.
They then generalise that because of "their" DF experience, a rider doesn't need much room, & "pass" accordingly..... usually VERY close.

As for bigger trikes.... put a fairing on a trike & it becomes a Velomobile.....

I now own the road... :mrgreen:
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Bargo
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Re: passing trikes

Postby Bargo » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:59 pm

my friend said its because no one wants to be on the news for hitting the "special person" on a tricycle

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TrikeTragic
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Re: passing trikes

Postby TrikeTragic » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:18 am

Answering the question "Do drivers seem to give you more passing room mon a trike vs a bike?" Yes (in general), in my experience.

I'm less inclined to the cynical "I don't want to scratch my car" or "Run over a disabled person". My view tends to be towards the driver giving more room due to the perceived width of a trike compared to a bike, and the difficulty judging the clearance needed when passing as the trike drops into the "dead zone" over the front left of the bonnet and until they can see it in the left hand mirror (assuming they're looking of course...)

I regularly get at least half a lane clearance on the trike, when this is certainly not my experience when riding a bike. There are exemptions of course, but I can usually sense these in the mirrors or even by the difference in road noise.

It's something I often mention to people who comment on the "low is dangerous, won't you get run over?" fear of recumbents.... :D

Cheers

Alan
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find_bruce
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Re: passing trikes

Postby find_bruce » Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:05 am

& here was I thinking it was for the same reason people cross the road to avoid the crazy person shouting at invisible demons :D

}SkOrPn--7
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Re: passing trikes

Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 12:53 pm

Yes I found it funny that on my trike I get a wide birth but on the diamond frame you get your elbows clipped. It's also funny I have been asked a couple of times am I disabled.

Ricky

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TrikeTragic
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Re: passing trikes

Postby TrikeTragic » Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:30 am

find_bruce wrote:& here was I thinking it was for the same reason people cross the road to avoid the crazy person shouting at invisible demons :D
he he :oops: Thanks .... I can now blame you for the coffee splattered across the screen.
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fatherofmany
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Re: passing trikes

Postby fatherofmany » Tue Jul 11, 2017 2:20 pm

That wasn't the Yellow GT20 on Gumtree was it?

Looking to go the recumbent way myself and have been a bit concerned about passing room.

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zebee
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Re: passing trikes

Postby zebee » Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:17 pm

So today I was heading into work. I was on a back street which has an uphill ride to a T junction, also a low traffic street.

I had the trike in the middle of the street as I was turning right, a car which had been behind me now pulled up to my left as he was turning left.

"You should get a flag" he said.

Now he'd entered the street after me. He knew I was there. But he wanted me to have a flag. Why? Clearly so he could get closer to me. He had to hang back because he couldn't see me over his bonnet and had to be careful coming up alongside me, indeed he was quite a distance from my left hand side.

So he wanted me to have a flag so he could get closer, so he could assume he knew where all of me was by the location of one thin stick sticking up from somewhere on the trike. So he could squeeze past without seeing what he was squeezing.

Not bloody likely Sunshine!

I'm quite happy that you have to keep your distance.

Zebee

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outnabike
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Re: passing trikes

Postby outnabike » Fri Jul 28, 2017 10:37 pm

I reckon a short flag is not that bad of an idea. Not the long monstrosities on the oldfogy mobiles though. :)

I have just submitted to police, a video of me in a right hand turn lane and two cars behind me. The third car back thought, why so slow, and overtook the two right behind me to find a bike slowing things down...that was me.

Then that driver wanted to push back in behind me (across double lines) and blasted me for being in her way, almost hitting me, and she was wildly waving her arms for me to get a move on. Yep we were coming to a red light.

I mean if I was in a low slung bike as you are talking of, maybe she would not have seen me. Just saying.

I am noticing that the police are not giving me incident reference numbers either. I might have to write and complain up higher.
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zebee
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Re: passing trikes

Postby zebee » Sat Jul 29, 2017 11:01 am

[quote="outnabike"

I mean if I was in a low slung bike as you are talking of, maybe she would not have seen me. Just saying.

[/quote]

She wouldn't have seen a flag either. if it was big enough to really attract attention then it wouldn't be flying enough at slow speed. Even some kind of solid thing or spinner probably wouldn't.

Because she wouldn't be looking for it. You would need something in her eyeline, very attention getting, and clearly signalling "don't go there".

What might do it is a blue uniform and a red and blue flashing light. Anything short of that and an impatient driver wouldn't see it at all.

As a motorcyclist on a 260kg bike who has been lane changed into I think I know of what I speak...

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outnabike
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Re: passing trikes

Postby outnabike » Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:02 pm

I am thinking of a lightweight ally frame with a doll in it dressed as a baby......Think of the children.... :)
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