Tag: Stories

I have been riding for years and came across this innovative product, which I thought would be a helpful addition as it combines a light and a camera.

When the bicycle lane ends or during peak traffic hours, we need to improve protected bicycle infrastructure and raise awareness among drivers.

It was reported to Police Traffic Watch and will likely result in a caution to the driver.

It’s easy to use and helpful for identifying areas of concern.

Record your rides and share them to help educate other riders.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

I always ride with a front and rear facing camera, there are too many incidents with drivers.

When there is little to no shoulder, there should be harsher fines and jail time for drivers who intentionally hit or force riders off the road.

Yes, it was reported to the police. The Monterey PD did a poor job of recapping the incident. The report was riddled with errors, even though they had the video. However, the driver was cited for “following too closely” and causing the crash.

Ride with cameras and remember a car will always win in a crash.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

I was just biking home down Lincoln Road when I was cut-off. I record my rides to share and to remind drivers to pay attention!

I’m a confident cyclist, but I worry about my wife and loved ones who bike across Christchurch on unprotected lanes.

Didn’t report my incident, I wasn’t hit.

It’s cool.

Stay safe!

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

I believe there is a need for education at all levels. R.U.L.E.S. (Road Users Love Equality for Safety). Without all road users following the rules that apply to them, accidents happen.

What do you think are the most important things that can be done to improve safety for cyclists on the road?

Education at all levels is crucial. I have approached our Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the State of Massachusetts, who has since released two videos.

No, but I have tried with others, and unless there are injuries, there is no interest in following up.

I think it is a good platform for those that use it.

Be aware, be defensive, and follow the rules. Make yourself as visible as possible with lights and use a mirror. Use cameras to record and help educate others.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

The car was behind me at the junction and decided to overtake and cut me off, as shown in the video. I record incidents like this and previous accidents because it’s easier to provide evidence to insurance.

When cars pass too closely or overtake but fail to fully pass, staying level with you.

No I didn’t report it, I didn’t get the registration.

It’s a good idea. I think it’s good to shame bad driving by posting videos.

Keep spinning and don’t let idiots in cars stop you riding.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

Due to the number of close calls I’ve experienced, I record every ride. Initially, I got the camera to record rides for voiceovers, showing some of the places I ride. However, I ended up capturing so much bad driving that I started uploading videos to my YouTube channel to highlight how dangerous some driving is and how often car drivers break road rules.

In this case, I was happily riding in the cycle lane (which was separated until this point), intending to go straight ahead. This car was behind me in the car lane, could see I was going straight, and increased its speed to pass before cutting in front of me. The driver’s actions were illegal, and the police are looking into it. One of my aims is to make people aware of incidents like this while also campaigning for better cycling infrastructure.

In addition to riding to get places, I also ride for fun and mental health. I find that when stress builds up, going for a ride fixes it—even if the ride involves yelling at stupid drivers in their metal boxes.

I feel most vulnerable around car drivers. However, it doesn’t worry me too much. I actually love rush hour traffic.

Yes, reporting here seems simple, but most reports—unless someone is hurt—get ignored. Getting the police to even warn a driver takes a lot of effort, as they effectively side with the driver and accept the false “I didn’t see him” claim. On the rare occasions they do charge a driver, it is always the lowest possible charge. 

Love the site and hope it gets at least a few drivers to think about their driving.

Be confident. Be assertive in your riding and don’t be afraid to claim your space on the road. If taking the lane is necessary to ensure your safety—because you know some drivers will take risks with your well-being as a cyclist—then take the lane and disregard the impatience of the person in the metal box. Your safety comes first.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

I ride in Toronto and Mississauga, and I’ve witnessed all sorts of aggression from drivers towards cyclists. This isn’t going to change anytime soon. Even if I report incidents to Toronto Police or Peel Police with video evidence, they don’t seem to take action to correct the driver’s dangerous behaviour. I record my rides to document the worst behaviours and have proof in case I get hit by motorists (which has happened twice so far: once by an aggressive driver and once by a clueless driver).

I feel most vulnerable when I’m riding alone on the side of the road in Toronto and Mississauga. Drivers often take their frustration out on cyclists, and when I’m not in a group, it happens more frequently—likely because there are no witnesses when I’m riding alone.

Yes, I reported the incident. The Peel Police website states that for a first report against a vehicle, they will send a letter to the registered owner of the vehicle. However, I couldn’t attach pictures or videos to the report, and no one contacted me to obtain the evidence. So I doubt they did anything. It’s frustrating because, while passing 30 cyclists on a narrow road, the vehicle nearly caused two head-on collisions with oncoming traffic!

It’s great for posting videos and raising awareness. When I post a video, I’d like it to go live immediately so I can share the link while the topic is still fresh.

Choose your routes carefully. If you live in the Toronto area, try to get outside the city for safer road cycling and ride with a buddy. Always document your rides—you never know what could happen.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

A known aggressive driver takes their frustration out on cyclists who have every right to be on the road. Incidents like this are a stark reminder of the importance of recording your ride—some drivers’ behavior is unpredictable, and in cases of assault, having evidence is crucial when you need it most.

Prior to the various incidents (passing too close and common assault), we were riding on a 60 kph two-lane road (in our direction of travel) and entering a two-lane roundabout where the cycle lane ends.

Why I record my rides: There are too many instances of antisocial, dangerous, and/or inattentive driving where I need hard evidence of legal infractions.

I feel most vulnerable in certain lower socioeconomic areas.

Legal action, early life education.

Yes, I reported it to the police. The process (this time) was straightforward.

The following is an excerpt from the Central Coast Express Advocate on September 26, 2024: link here

Robert Kevin Kinley, 32, drove dangerously close to two cyclists in his ute on a quiet Sunday morning, passing so closely that one cyclist reached out and knocked on his window. The mechanic-turned-truck driver then cut them off, pulled over, and assaulted one of the cyclists, calling them “selfish c–ts.”

Kinley’s behavior was recorded on the cyclist’s cameras and brought to police attention. He was confronted by police three weeks later and admitted his actions after viewing the footage.

Despite Kinley’s claim that the cyclists were not keeping to the side of the road, footage from the victim’s Cycliq Fly12 and Fly6 cameras revealed otherwise.

For this latest incident, Kinley was fined $1,500, convicted of the two fresh charges, fined an additional $200, and placed on a new 12-month CCO. He is required to perform 100 hours of community service and abstain from alcohol during this period.

My advice would be to record and report offences.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

In an ironic turn of events, a truck with a warning sticker—’CYCLISTS, Beware of passing vehicle on the inside’—made a dangerously close pass while rushing to overtake despite oncoming traffic, creating a potentially serious situation. This highlights the importance of recording your rides, as you never know who might put you at risk on the road.

I always record my rides, there were no issues before the incident.

I feel the most vulnerable when I am cycling on main single carriageway roads.

The most important improvement would be increasing driver awareness, and additionally, making lights and helmets mandatory.

The incident has been reported, but there has been no outcome as of yet.

Hopefully it may raise awareness and reduce the number of issues.

My advice to other cyclists would be to stay safe.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

An unusual situation on the road quickly turned into disaster when UpRider T encountered a reckless driver who lost control and crashed into a tree. Thankfully, no other cyclists or drivers were nearby, but incidents like this highlight the dangers of unpredictable driving behaviours. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, and why it’s crucial to stay vigilant and always have eyes on what’s happening behind you.

Just before this incident, the car in question entered the left turn lane right next to me and turned left. I noticed that it seemed like they really went too far to make the left turn and might hit the intersection curb. I realised afterward, however, that they were mainly trying to do a U-turn using the intersection. I didn’t really think much more about it, since I was in a hurry to get where I needed to, but a few seconds later I heard tires squealing and glanced back to see the car doing donuts in the road. Shaking my head, I just went along my way and then a few seconds after that heard a loud crash. I glanced back again but didn’t, at that time, see where the car ended up. It wasn’t until later that I looked at the recording to see what happened. That’s one of the reasons I record my ride, in case something happens where I need the information later. It could be (hopefully not!) a crash I’m involved in, or it could be, as in this case, something where someone does something stupid.

I feel most vulnerable on narrow roads when cars are coming up fast behind me. In addition to my Fly6 and Fly12 cameras, I also use a GPS based radar to hopefully give me more awareness of the vehicles around me.

I think normalising people riding their bikes would go a long way to changing drivers’ mindsets. While I would love to see more bike infrastructure, I feel that getting drivers to think more about and be more kind to cyclists is, right now, the most important thing we can do to improve safety for cyclists on the road.

I looked to see if I could find where to report the incident but was unable to find a good way to do so. So, alternatively, I uploaded the video both to UpRide and Youtube for future reference with all the relevant information I could remember about it.

I like the platform. It makes it easy to look around your neighbourhood and see if there are potential problems or recent encounters.

Keep your eyes open and pay attention.

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.