UpRide turns daily rides into data that drives change.
In the space of just a few weeks, this UpRider captured a dangerous close pass, a friend crashing behind him, and a group of teenagers shooting at cyclists from a moving car with a paintball gun. All of it caught on camera. All of it reported to police.
Every UpRider has a story. Here is David’s.
What happened prior to this incident and why do you record your ride?
Prior to this incident it was a normal Sunday morning club ride, nothing unusual until this close pass.
As for recording my rides, I had been thinking about purchasing Cycliq cameras for a few years. Last year a driver tried to run me off the road, and over the years I’ve had a few run-ins with drivers. Then earlier this spring a fellow club rider shared a story of another incident, and at that point I just decided it was time. Boy was I right.
Since purchasing the cameras I have captured this close pass, a friend crashing behind me, and another incident where we were shot at by high school kids driving around with a paintball gun, that video is coming soon to UpRide, and I am still waiting on the results of police action. All incidents caught on camera with amazing detail.
When do you feel most vulnerable as a cyclist?
There are certain roads here where the shoulder hasn’t been maintained, which forces you onto the road. It’s always the narrow, fairly busy roads where there isn’t much room. Cedar Road is one of those. In general I’m not too worried about cars, except at T-intersections where cars are turning in front of me, which is exactly why I love the front flashing light on the Cycliq cameras.
What do you think are the most important things that can be done to improve safety for cyclists on the road?
Infrastructure and driver education.
When roads are designed with cyclists in mind, it becomes obvious to drivers where cyclists should and shouldn’t be. Carlsbad, California is a great example, they have a beautiful painted green pathway on the main road that runs parallel to the beach, and it makes it pretty clear to drivers that cyclists are legitimate road users.
The city here does have a cyclist representative on their street planning team, and certain roads have been changed to improve safety. However, some of these solutions are aimed at the casual rider rather than a roadie. The speeds you reach on a road bike are very different from someone commuting or a child riding to school. As Nanaimo is a small city, once you get outside the city limits road planning falls to other municipalities or the provincial government, and those roads have had nothing done to prioritise cyclist safety.
Did you report your incident? What was the reporting process?
I called the local RCMP detachment and lodged a complaint. A constable followed up and I was able to text her the video, it all happened the same day, so action was taken promptly. A warning was issued to the driver.
What is your advice for other cyclists?
My advice may not be relevant to everyone, but if you ride in a city and have had incidents, getting a camera is absolutely worth it. One of our club members bought a Fly6 Pro after seeing my cameras on one of our rides. I also have a lot of followers on Strava, so they all saw the most recent incidents, and I think seeing real footage can be a huge influence on whether other riders decide to invest in cameras for themselves.
Real UpRides. Real stories.
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