J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the two abreast thing is annoying, it can only be done on very very quiet roads, not a busy B road on a saturday, you know, full team kit, sat there gabbing, no hands and swigging on an energy drink. Dont think these are typical, they drive cars all week (Audi's I suspect) and then don the Lycra at weekend.

I use the roads I wouldnt use in the car where possible, to protect my safety and to not hold anyone up, for every cyclist you see being a selfish *****, there are loads you dont see or pass with little fuss.

I went out today up into tthe hills round Manchester to collect my lad from his mates, loads of cyclists out, none made any real difference to my journey time but the vans blocking the road whilst unloading, car drivers dithering and buses stopping every five feet did, I at behind some and they were doing 40 plus downhill, a fifty limit, a car sat behind me on my bumper but it wasnt safe to overtake, for the sake of an extra 5 moh why spoil their lovely fast descent, invariably you get past and then they pass you when you are stuck at the next junction anyway. There seems to be a mentality that cars must pass bikes and as a driver you are being emasculated by waiting a few seconds, not really, just chill, more haste, less speed.

davyboy

Everytime I go out someone will do something stupid to pass me. Pass when not clear, squeeze me, get flashed by a driver coming the other way. Everytime.

davyboy

Apart form the Audi thats pretty accurate, I look good in my highroad kit

80 miles tomorrow, and I'll try and annoy as many drivers as possible! 500 of us are doing 101 miles next Saturday.....10 in a row, 2 a breast....drivers will never get past!

Leslie

I think we have all got your number by now!

Les

Leslie

Well you can't expect much else if you are riding 2 abreast and blocking half the road. Try being more helpful.

Les

r32

Sadly being a cyclist is becoming more and more dangerous, I try as hard as I can to be helpful, but I think every time I go out (three or four times a week) I have at least one near miss.
I really can understand riders being two abreast as there's many drivers out there that havent got a second to spare. They WILL pass when somethings coming the other way, they WILL turn left across you into a side road, they WONT give way at road narrowings when they dont have right of way (its only a bike for goodness sake).

However I do stop at red lights etc etc, and I do understand there really are a load of ***** on bikes, mainly ion the cities though.
For every **** on a bike there's ten in a car.

davyboy

I don't ride 2 a breast all the time. Once a week max, and only for parts of the route. On quiet Sunday mornings.

If you were obeying the highway code correctly then it wouldn't be possible for me to block half the road.

Lee247

I don't usually have a problem with cyclists on the roads. I always give them as much space as possible.
My problem is the farm track up to the main road, from my house. It takes in the Coast to Coast cycle route.
They come hurtling through a gap in the hedge, with no thought that a car could be coming up or down the track. Same as the turn off to the rest of the Coast to Coast, they do the same thing.
I always approach each bit of track extremely slowly as I know they never even stop or look. One came out so fast last summer, he nearly went into the bonnet of my car as I was stopped talking to another cyclist at the time. He apologised after I reminded him he should stop and look before charging out onto the track.
Worries me sick because something nasty is going to happen very soon.

Leslie

Where did I say I don't?

I always give cyclists the maximum available space.

Les

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

What I would say about giving space is, it does make a big difference but also the speed you pass, I have been passed at a decent distance but at probably 80 mph, that shakes you up, Audi S5 it was, left me shaking. You get used to close overtakes by and large you know its ok, the worst is HGV's overtakingon right hand bends, the trailer drifts over, I had to hop up onto the pavement the other night when a Stobart went past, normally they are excellent but this one wasnt, if I hadnt moved the trailer would have brushed me, the wheels were as close as I have ever been to a HGV, basically the rule is, if on a bike, just keep the f*ck away from them, though they do leave a lovely warm hole in the air when they pass.

Also, I can appreciate how you can get annoyed by cyclists but never, ever use your car as a weapon in frustration or revenge, get caught and you go to prison, you just have to accept that things on he orad will slow you down and annoy you but just chill and move on as stopping to remonstrate will take longer and knocking someone off longer still, years potentially.

dpb

That reminds of a time , 20 years ago possibly . commuting to work on the bike along a busy b road approaching the brow of a hill i was passed by a largish panel van the body of which sideswiped me .....fortunatley i managed to stay up right , bit of a hairy moment , i was on the racer and if there had been a drainhole imminent it would probably been all over ..
Wasnt his fault he jus wanted needed the space approaching the brow

After that and desipte the helping hand from passing traffic i took the small roads to work

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

i cycle to work in the city and they have cycle lanes but i choose to use the road most of the time as the cycle lanes are full of broken glass,and do undertake if the traffic is moving slower than me ,occassionally get the odd driver that moves in a tad cause he thinks its funny but when i still undertake and hit their mirrors they dont think its funny then .
seriously though i think its mainly the drivers who need to stay off the road some of them dont look and see many jump red lights and drive up the hard shoulder across a certain bridge near the city centre .

davyboy

88 miles today, and suprisingly only one moment. Car overtook, then slowed down due to car turning, and moved over to the left...where I was!

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

36.5 miles in that heat.... I was melting by the time I got home. No incidents to talk of. Well apart from me nearly having a clipless moment at a junction

Actually was a good day - people seemed to be very chilled on the roads. If England lose I wouldn't venture out there though.

Leslie

It only takes a little road sense to see a situation ahead developing and slow down so that you are not on the left hand side of the slowing car.

Les

davyboy

...exactly, I'd have hit him had I not had any road sence.

But thanks for your valued input, always welcome. I know where to come for tips on staying safe when cycling in the future.

Leslie

Only too pleased to help, I used to do a lot of cycling while I was able to.

Les

davyboy

...of course the roads weren't so busy way back then.

scooby L

You got it easy Shaun!

You should come over here when they hold the triathlon

100 cyclists, spread over 3 or 4 miles, mostly riding 3 or 4 a-breast doing 30-40mph along A roads.... total nightmare..... and if you have the audacity to overtake! christ... talk about get upset

so one or 2 during rush hour? I'd swap!

Jamz3k

Les you crack me up sometimes, very funny!

ukjesters

iTrader: (3)

I give cyclists plenty of room, until....they ride 2 or 3 abreast creating what i deem to be an uneccesary obstruction which is illegal i hasten to add. Then i adopt the attitude of "well if your not bothered about your safety then why should i care" and proceed to give them only what i deem necessary. I remember years ago when i had a tweaked 306 td and if i was going up an incline or basically just make the car work hard in the wrong gear, and then drop it down a few gears and give it some welly then you'd get this almighty cloud, and i mean an almighty cloud, oh yes, i thoroughly enjoyed doing that to the ignorant *****!

davyboy

It's not illegal.

The rest of your post is bar room tales, and the chances are it's what you might have done, not what you did.

ukjesters

iTrader: (3)

Cycling offences and cycle racing

28 Reckless cycling

A person who rides a cycle on a road recklessly is guilty of an offence.
In this section “road” includes a bridleway.
29 Careless, and inconsiderate, cycling

If a person rides a cycle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence.
In this section “road” includes a bridleway.


So there you go. And i would probably guess that the majority of your lycra cycling chums don't have a clue about this law either. Riding 2 or more abreast is simply inconsiderate when there are other road users trying to get past and on their way, but due to you & your chums inconsideration they are unable to do so. Hence, why, if you decide to ride in this way then this in turn makes me drive a certain way as well!

And no they are not bar room tales (don't drink for starters), it is exactly what i used to do each and every time the opportunity arose.

So now you realise that the manner in which you ride your trike could indeed be illegal, are you going to conform to the rules of the road or are you going to continue and ride like a tw*t and continue to give you and your fellow riders a bad name?

davyboy

So what is it, inconsiderate or illegal...or indeed, could be illegal, seems you don't actually know.

Certainly no more illegal than passing a cyclist at more than twice the speed with just a couple of feet to spare. Or overtaking when you can't see the road ahead.

I'm happy to keep giving a bad name for cyclist if it means keeping me safe, and keep on annoying clowns like your good self.

davyboy

What is illegal is driving an MOT failure jalopy around the streets because you are a cheap pikey

davyboy

...........by the way you're wrong

The Highway Code
Rules for cyclists 66

You should

* keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
* keep both feet on the pedals
* never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
* not ride close behind another vehicle
* not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
* be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted

Torquemada

***** sake, you lot still going on?

Jamz3k

According to my Highway code, its legal to run over a cyclist riding 2 abreast but you are not allowed to retrive the roadkill. It is hjowever fine for the car behind to pick up said roadkill and cook them for dinner. It even gives a good recipe as apparently lycra seals in the juices!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

And you want to taste a cyclists juices ?

ukjesters

iTrader: (3)

If you ride in an incosiderate manner then that makes it illegal you plum. Jeez some people. Obviously riding two or more abreast when there are no other road users around is hardly inconsiderate now is it, but when a car wants to pass and you are impeding his path then yes, in the eyes of the law it's now deemed to be inconsiderate riding. It's really not very hard to grasp but then you can't measure common sense though can you.

If you keep on reading your highway code that you supplied you shall see that it goes on to say.... and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends, basically spelling out country roads/lanes.

So yes your riding style is both illegal in its inconsideracy and its style.