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My eye! Sweet Jesus, Ouch!


Sledge

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Here's ironic for you.

About 20 years ago. I was out riding my bike, when some cager pulled out in front of me. I hit the anchors. The rear wheel locked up and I skidded (sideways) into the car. The impact speed was really low and no real damage was done, but that's not the point. I came to a stop at the drivers door. I looked down at the driver who looked very sheepish. The driver was a member of the same bike club as I was!

Now. That's ironic!

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I've always been curious as to why so many bikers seem to be so resistant to wearing hi vis and so on. Yes okay, you *should* be able to wear what you like and it's not necessarily your fault if someone doesn't see you - but why wouldn't you want to give yourself every possible advantage?

 

At the end of the day, as a biker vs a car, you're the more vulnerable road user so even if you're not at fault you're likely to come off worse in a collision - you being right isn't going to be much consolation to your widow and kids if the worst happens.

 

 

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As a biker. I'd like to answer that one.

Why don't bikers like to wear hi-vis clothing? The answer is: It doesn't work.

Now think about it. We're all airsofters here. We're all sneeking around in the woods looking for targets. Ask yourself. What's the biggest thing that gives your 'target' away? The answer is: Motion. Secondly. I don't switch on my headlight during the day. Why? It doesn't work. What's one more light in a sea of lights? It doesn't stand out (but a blank 'hole' does).

As for the accident I had. The reason it happened is simple. The Sun was low in the sky and I was riding downhill, so the Sun was directly behind me. The driver was looking directly into the Sun. He wouldn't have seen me, even if I was dressed as a day-glo budgie from Windscale (Although we didn't realise this until afterwards).

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Being directly in the sun, as you say, would make you almost impossible to see no matter if you were lit up like a christmas tree. There's a reason why fighter pilots attack 'out of the sun' when dogfighting.

I hope you didn't think my previous post was having a go at you, because it wasn't. I've just seen a lot of bikers get very irate when the suggestion of wearing hi vis or other 'defensive riding' ideas are mentioned.

I'm not, and never have, tried to say that bikers are always at fault, any more than I say that drivers are. But what I do say is that when you're the one most at risk, wouldn't you want to do everything you possibly could to give yourself a better chance?

I know I always did when cycling (not the same as riding a motorbike, I know) - there's no point in pushing the letter of the rules against a car or truck; even if you're in the right you'll come off worse so why risk it? I might have got home a few minutes later, but at least I got there.

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Don't worry. I wasn't having a go. The odd thing was. Visibility was one of the first lessons I learned when I joined the Army in '78.

We were on a night exercise. Two groups had to move from one place to another (I was in one of the groups). One group would move. The other would try to spot them. The instructors sent up a flare (for each group). At the end of the exercise, we were asked about what we saw. Both groups said that the thing that was most noticed was: Everyone diving for cover (Motion). That lesson has stayed with me ever since.

Even now. I don't wear cammo for games.

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Did the same exercise.

Had DS stand on me.  When he got off, I crawled away.
Made it to the red light.

Most of the guys who got caught were moving too fast or making noise.

I've done big miles on bicycles and I've been knocked off numerous times.
Often by vehicles turning into the road I am on or by going through me to turn left off the road I am on.

I have, however, been legit hit from behind by a guy following me.  Insane.
I had an artic overtake me and the cut back in before it was past me possibly due to oncoming traffic (I didn't see) but its back wheels clipped my bike, pushed me against the kerb and launched me over a wall into the garden of a house by the road.  My yogurt burst in my backpack.

People look but they don't see.  Maybe they are scadding, maybe they are distracted (pop master, phone, hot coffee on the balls) who knows?

What I do know is that from a matched set of black clothing on a black bike up to a high vis jacket my riding buddies call "miraculous" paired with a rear light they call obnoxious and offensively bright, a light they won't let me use on group rides.

Nothing has made a difference.  I keep having to be the one doing the work to stay alive while they zoom around in their unnecessarily big, leather upholstered metal boxes.

 

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Ahhh. This is bringing back so memories of the Army. Spotting lit ciggies. Bogus 'tail end charlies'. Etc, etc. No matter. The major lesson is (For bikers) is that; Everyone is out to kill you. For almost 40 years of having a full bike licence. I'm still alive!

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12 minutes ago, amateurstuntman said:

Nothing has made a difference.  I keep having to be the one doing the work to stay alive while they zoom around in their unnecessarily big, leather upholstered metal boxes.

 

 

Same on a motorbike. My headlight is like a miniature sun on the front of my bike. Have still had people pull out on me, usually because they're twatting about with a phone/satnav/stereo/passenger.

 

I actually saw one driver eating a bowl of cereal once. That was the day I realised it really is all on me to get home safe.

 

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The worst I've seen was a guy on the M25 doing about 60 eating a burger and steering with his elbows whilst tailgating the car in front.

Anyway, the saga of my SL8 continues. I fitted an 11.1v battery (as recommended by the tech guy) and I managed to only fire off about 10 rounds before it locked up on me again

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Speaking of tech issues, mine are still being a pain in the *albartroth*.  Got some of the replicas all rewired, but the main kalash gearbox went to , likely the trigger shuttle and contacts as atm it goes off on its own.  RPK gearbox got addressed and it is back together, but then I had to go and do a stupid:  Opening up my RS svd and the gearbox itself.  Despite how terrified I was it was actually easier to open than a v3.  Waiting on a m140 spring that will probably not fit, too scared to try and aoe correct the piston and whatnot as spares do not exist anymore and no shop I usually deal with has sorbos in stock.  I'm too *suitcase* with a dremel to mod a SR-25 piston, and then if I get it all working (also rewired it with gate wiring for nanoasr that is totally not too thick for the damn thing...) I have to decide if I want to *fruitcage* with the hop up and barrel and get a promy 650mm tightbore and modify hard bucking flat hop.  Spent most of my weekend fiddling with all these and again I never want to but another replica again after seeing this *suitcase* (the svd doesn't even have the screw that is supposed to hold the hop up unit to the outer barrel apparently).

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I need a tech to overhaul my G36, which refuses to fire semi-auto and intermittently won't fire at all.

Unfortunately I have no local contacts nor any money to pay for the work or parts.

More urgently, however, we're still no closer to finding a suitable new house and the end date of our current tenancy is looming ever closer.

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14 hours ago, Gunmane said:

I'm too *suitcase* with a dremel to mod a SR-25 piston, and then if I get it all working (also rewired it with gate wiring for nanoasr that is totally not too thick for the damn thing...) I have to decide if I want to *fruitcage* with the hop up and barrel and get a promy 650mm tightbore and modify hard bucking flat hop.  Spent most of my weekend fiddling with all these and again I never want to but another replica again after seeing this *suitcase* (the svd doesn't even have the screw that is supposed to hold the hop up unit to the outer barrel apparently).

I dobt have a screw holding the hop to the outer barrel either. It's just fitted with a spring like an M4 hop would be. (Although a much chunkier spring)

I had to dremel a piston to fit mine. It's not too bad to do, and you dont have to be that precise really. Just take your time and keep the piston cool while cutting the steel so you don't compromise the plastic. Cut in short stints, and sponge on some water. Remember to dry fit with the sector gear to check your clearance and you'll be fine.

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Well, it's a start. I've never swapped a selector, but how hard can it be? Probably some YouTube videos will show me how, if not then Doc will know. I might buy a new one, in case that's part of the fault with the current gearbox. Just one part might not be too expensive.

There's a house we bid on the other day ending soon, the housing officer said we were top of the list so it could be good. It's only a mile away from where we live now, too.

Bit smaller and no garage, but that's a council house for you. Apparently you can rent a garage from the council for something like £50 a month, so that might be an option. Although I do desperately need to thin out the surplus kit and camping gear - it's not looking like it will sell so I may have to just dump it at the tip. Which is depressing, but there we go.

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