Nightmare drive

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R Trahearn
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Joined: 29 Jun 2014, 7:11am

Nightmare drive

Post by R Trahearn »

I wrote the following to the CTC magazine editor but have not had a reply. The clutch cost £404. Wear on the back - unlimited.

I used to be a member of the CTC until a knee problem made me stop cycling so in my long life I have come to know a lot about bikes and cycling and I do hope that you will print this letter in full.
I am now a driver of a small black car. I would like to tell the uninitiated some facts about a car. They are very heavy to move. Movement is made possible by the energy produced by a relatively small engine, working at high revolutions, being passed though a gearbox to either the front or rear wheels. Rather like a bike. Between the engine and gearbox is the clutch. These are there to ensure a smooth transition of power from the engine to the gearbox and to enable the driver to change gear. Clutches are not cooled. Normally this presents no problem because they are only used for a short time. The problem comes if the driver has to 'slip' the clutch for any length of time. The clutch contains a friction disc that can become hot or even 'burn out'.
That over, I now come to the subject of my letter. On Wednesday 11th June at about 10.30 I drove up the notorious BEALACH NA BA in NorthWest Scotland from the Strathcarron direction. About 1km from the summit at the steepest section I came up to a group of cyclists who were grinding along in their lowest gears. They were barely moving and were wobbling dangerously. I fully expected them to pull into one of the many passing places to permit overtaking. This they did not do for many passing places. I could not stop because there was a Council vehicle directly behind me. Eventually they had to stop due to the gradient and I was able to continue with a now smoking clutch. At the top I stopped to let the car cool unable to engage any gear. When the car had cooled I was able to coast down to Applecross where we stopped at the pub. After about three quarters of an hour two of the cyclists, a male and a female arrived. He had a coffee and she had a hot chocolate. My wife, fearing that I might say something, dragged me out and suggested that we went for lunch at Badachro. We never made it because the clutch gave out on the hill above Shieldaig. We were relayed to Aultbea with no drive on a car that is only two years old and has covered only 23,000 miles. We waited, without lunch , for several hours and when the truck arrived we saw the cyclists sail into Shieldaig. No doubt they had had a good day - mine was a nightmare! The car cannot be repaired here and we will be relayed home to Lincoln - a distance of some 513 miles. This is all because some inconsiderate cyclists would not stop in a designated passing place. I hope that they have many punctures, many broken cycle parts and saddles that produce boils.
So, cyclists, by all means enjoy the ride but be prepared to allow other road users to pass.

For the many good cyclists I give every good wish.

Thank you from an ex-member from Lincoln.
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ArMoRothair
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by ArMoRothair »

R Trahearn wrote:I wrote the following to the CTC magazine editor but have not had a reply. The clutch cost £404. Wear on the back - unlimited.


The clutch on mine, parts only, is £1,700. Normally around £3,000 fitted at an independent; more at a main dealer. £404 was a result.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Of course you could have stopped. The cyclists are not to blame for your decision to abuse the clutch.

You could have stopped in one of the many passing places.

It is earnestly to be hoped that you learn from your "expensive" mistake.

No-one is to blame but you.

Chwarae teg!
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Vorpal
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Vorpal »

I don't think that I would stop on a hill like that, especially if I was hauling luggage. It's too hard to get going again.
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Mark1978
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Mark1978 »

It's common courtesy on single track roads to pull into passing places to allow faster traffic to pass. This applies if you are driving a car or riding a bicycle.
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Vantage
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Vantage »

I disagree.
The view through my goggles at this story leads me to believe the cyclists were at fault. Common sense and manners dictate that they should have pulled over to allow following vehicles to pass safely, it only takes a minute or less. I do it frequently and believe I've earned the respect of those motorists who were able to continue on their way not hating every cyclist they see in future.
Thanks to the ops patience, we are not reading a story of two cyclists who were injured or killed as a result of a short tempered pass initiated by the selfishness of 2 cyclists who couldn't be bothered waiting a short time.
The roads do not belong to either party and give and take is needed from both.
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BeeKeeper
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by BeeKeeper »

In the Highlands on single track roads they have signs, not everywhere but not infrequent, which say "Use passing places to allow faster traffic to overtake." Unfortunately, not everyone uses them but it at least establishes the principle. Cyclists should also do this. However, the OP should not have burned out their clutch. Bad driving I am afraid.

My tactic would be to do what I did once on the road to Mallaig when behind a car moving at a snail's place. As it approach a passing place I put on my right indicator and started to overtake, tooting my horn at the same time. The same could have been done to these cyclists assuming they were going so slow it could have been done in absolute safety of course. Cyclists are not excused being tooted at if they are being inconsiderate.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Well, the council vehicle could easily have passed you in a passing place if you were slipping the clutch and thought it at risk of overheating.
Then you could have saved your clutch quite easily.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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irc
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by irc »

Bad cycling and bad driving.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Whilst it courtesy to allow others to pass in these cicumstances, that will not stand in court.

So your bad driving in abusing your clutch and not pulling into layby stopping and just waiting for a better time to carry on was your error.

The truck behind has to wait for you.
If the truck was impatient and you allowed them pass and they forced the cyclist off the road then they would be at fault.

Its a bit like " I could'nt get past a slow car so I overtook and hit a car coming the other way, because you were driving too slow" :?
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
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JimL
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by JimL »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Of course you could have stopped. The cyclists are not to blame for your decision to abuse the clutch.

You could have stopped in one of the many passing places.

It is earnestly to be hoped that you learn from your "expensive" mistake.

No-one is to blame but you.

Chwarae teg!


Exactly. You were only 1km from the summit so you could have waited 10 mins in a passing place and allowed the cyclist to get to the top.
reohn2
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by reohn2 »

IMO it depends as to who's at fault.
If I were cycling and the road was so steep that if I were to stop I couldn't get going again,eg; 20% climb touring load :shock: Then obviously I'd keep going.
If I thought otherwise and were holding up traffic for any considerable time ie;more than a minute or two at most,I'd pull over.

If I were driving and felt the need to slip the clutch because the cyclists weren't showing any sign of moving over(for whatever reason), I would stop in one of the passing places and let the clutch cool down and the road clear before continuing.

I've on occasion,experienced drivers thinking cyclists should just move out of their way for no other reason that their car is bigger and faster without even considering the fact that because they have a huge power advantage under their right foot compared to a cyclist,they can wait without any detriment to their journey other than,at most a 1minute delay,and with that same power differential be back upto speed within a few seconds.

It could've been bad cycling I agree.
But it most definitely was poor driving,as to burn out the clutch on a modern motor car does take some determined effort.
I've never done it in 40+ years of motoring,30 of those towing caravans,some to their 85% maximum recommended weight of the towing vehicle,and I've never towed with anything bigger than a 1.8l engine,all over europe and the UK.

EDIT:-
Thinks............it's just occured to me that I've never felt the need to complain to the AA,RAC or IAM about some of the inconsiderate lunatic drivers who endanger my life almost every time I ride,by their illegal and dangerous driving!
Perhaps it's because I think the chances of them being a member of such clubs/associations and such clubs/associations taking any action to tell their members what they already should know would be a waste of my time :?

Edited for typo's :oops:
Last edited by reohn2 on 29 Jun 2014, 8:10pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bicycler
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by Bicycler »

+1 I think that's the balanced stance. The cyclists should have been more considerate. There was no need for you to damage your clutch. What distinguishes the good road users from the adequate is the ability and willingness to anticipate the actions (even the mistakes) of others, to understand the particular difficulties of their vehicles and your own.

BTW, on my bike I once got stuck behind a car whose overcautious driver insisted on sticking to about 10-12mph (I don't exaggerate) going down Kirkstone Pass. It was the height of summer and I could not overtake becase of oncoming traffic. The descent to Patterdale is long and steep. I feared my rims might get too hot and cause my inner tube to explode. I stopped to let them cool. If I had continued and woken in hospital I would not have been blaming the driver...
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Bicycler wrote:BTW, on my bike I once got stuck behind a car whose overcautious driver insisted on sticking to about 10-12mph (I don't exaggerate) going down Kirkstone Pass. It was the height of summer and I could not overtake becase of oncoming traffic. The descent to Patterdale is long and steep. I feared my rims might get too hot and cause my inner tube to explode. I stopped to let them cool. If I had continued and woken in hospital I would not have been blaming the driver...



Yeh But No But.......if you were a silly chicken rider going down kirkstone Pass at 12 mph and a nutter driver wanted to pass and could'nt for the same reasons and burnt their brakes an mowed you down do you think that the judge / jury anyone reading your plight would be in your favour :?:
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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661-Pete
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Re: Nightmare drive

Post by 661-Pete »

I hope the forum will bear with me while I relate a somewhat wistful tale of my own - although mine has nothing to do with cycling!

A few years ago we were driving uphill on the narrow lane leading to Steyning Bowl on the South Downs, from the north, intending to park at the top and walk to Cissbury Ring (a well-known beauty spot in Sussex). The car in front of us suddenly juddered to a halt, blocking the road, and the elderly driver got out apparently in a distressed and confused state. We stopped and went to his assistance. It turned out to be a very sad story: his wife had just passed away the previous night, and he was on his way to Worthing Hospital to pay farewell, pick up her effects and make arrangements.

Of course we offered to help: luckily he was a member of the AA and we called them on his behalf. From the smell inside his car it was plain that his clutch had burnt out, but I didn't voice any opinion: best to let the AA man deal with it.

Another motorist stopped: together we managed to manoeuvre his car to a position where other traffic could at least pass. The other driver kindly offered him a lift to the hospital, while we agreed to stay behind and pass the keys to the AA man when he arrived. When the AA man did show up, after the elderly owner had left, he revealed* that this chap was in fact ninety-five years old, and he volunteered this piece of wisdom: "It's always the same with these old geezers - don't know how to use their clutch - shouldn't really be driving..." Being no spring chicken myself, I found this a wee bit demeaning and 'ageist' but held my peace. The AA man took possession of the car and that was the end of the story as far as we were concerned.

Moral: whatever the age of the driver, if you slip your clutch for a long period of time on a steep hill, it is going to overheat and may well burn out. If cyclists won't let you pass (and believe me - although I've never been to the Bealach na Ba, I've been to some good climbs in my younger years where I'd find it difficult to stop to let a car pass) - find another way to deal with the situation. Stop in a passing place yourself, spend a bit of time enjoying the view, and give the cyclists enough time to get to the top before continuing your journey. A bit of delay and a bit of hurt pride are a lot cheaper than a new clutch. As you have discovered!

*Probably in breach of a confidentiality clause...
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