A close pass at low speed is acceptable?

[Matthew_T]

On my route I have a section of steep uphill where I get to a min of 7/9mph. It is in the centre of a busy town which has very narrow roads.
Here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=rhudd...d=bf_Lbe68qKplpBNKZq1naw&cbp=12,55.77,,0,8.31

I often hold people up but stay to the left to allow them to pass when safe. Poeple passing have a tendency to dart in and out and overtake me a little close. These overtakes would be too close for me if it were at a higher speed, but they dont really bother me.

Is it acceptable for a close pass when you are both at a low speed as there is not much danger?

 

[gaz]

I've posted about how different situations require different passing distances.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I think a good test of appropriateness would be at what speed and distance the motorist would pass a 5 litre bottle of nitro-gylcerine balanced on top of a 2 metre high pedestal, that is stood on the ground, with a 30 cm wide base.

 

[GrasB]

One of the best passes I've had was a guy flying down a wide A road at 80-90mph. He was hugging the kerb on the oposite side of the road. You could have driven an HGV between us with room to spare. Yet say the worst close passes for me are when I'm traveling at around the speed limit in 20mph zones. Drivers creep past in the mid-20s with inches to spare, being in primary doesn't help as they simply keep the passing distance the same as I pull towards the kerb. There's some serious irony in comparing how comfortable I am in those two situations.

 

[fenlandpsychocyclist]

Two things:
1/ Have a mirror on your 'bars so you can see when its going to be a close pass.
2/ Perfect the art of "looking" as though you're about to wobble/fall off.

 

[GrasB]

Lycraed up cyclist doing 20mph with apparent ease never looks like they're going to fall off even if they're wobbling... the passenger window gets wound down & words are yelled at you

 

[HLaB]

One of the best passes I've had was a guy flying down a wide A road at 80-90mph. He was hugging the kerb on the oposite side of the road. You could have driven an HGV between us with room to spare. Yet say the worst close passes for me are when I'm traveling at around the speed limit in 20mph zones. Drivers creep past in the mid-20s with inches to spare, being in primary doesn't help as they simply keep the passing distance the same as I pull towards the kerb. There's some serious irony in comparing how comfortable I am in those two situations.

I know what you mean but at least in the Primary you have wiggle room before hitting the kerb.
Back to the OP, if you are expecting the OT and can easily drop back and you are not in any real danger slow close passes can be more acceptable but if they are too slow and you are left in a vulnerable position for too long it isnt. There nothing worse IMO than a large estate passing slowly mm's from you with kids in the back looking terrified because they think they have hit you, 'I'm somebody's kid too!'

 

[BentMikey]

Lycraed up cyclist doing 20mph with apparent ease never looks like they're going to fall off even if they're wobbling... the passenger window gets wound down & words are yelled at you

True enough. Enough people ask me how I balance on the recumbent, and going by reacgtions I'm fairly sure wobbles by me set up the panic in many drivers.

 

[GrasB]

True enough. Enough people ask me how I balance on the recumbent, and going by reacgtions I'm fairly sure wobbles by me set up the panic in many drivers.

On the Bacchetta it isn't a problem, but on the DF's it is.

 

[Bicycle]

I think a good test of appropriateness would be at what speed and distance the motorist would pass a 5 litre bottle of nitro-gylcerine balanced on top of a 2 metre high pedestal, that is stood on the ground, with a 30 cm wide base.

Many years ago I drove DAF 1800 4x4 trucks in what was essentially a war zone (as a civilian). At some checkpoints, the roadblocks had chicanes made up of heavy logs balanced on trestles with AT mines below them.

The implication was that if you went round too fast, you'd knock a log onto a mine. Some of the drivers used to nearly cr*p themselves. Although I hate loud noises and bangsticks, I never worried about those mines. The soldiers at the checkpoints milled around very close to the log-trestle barriers while we were passing, so I figured the mines to be empty casings.

I'll never know now, as that was nearly twenty years ago. Were you one of the guys on the checkpoint Mr HC, by any chance?

 

[Matthew_T]

I think the DFT have a good policy but I dont think their distances are realistic. I have had a few excellent passes in my time (one by a learner who I wanted to congradulate) but they are the only few. The majority of my passes are between 1-2.5 meters, I have never had one 5 meters.

I did get passed by a large flatbed lorry the other day with a mess of a caravan on the back (been in a crash). It was on a stretch of road with cross-hatchings on the middle (an extra lane). He was right in the center of the cross-hatchings and the left side wheels were just over the line. Even so, I felt that with the size of the vehicle, it was too close so gave a little peep of the airzound as he started to pull back in. (The airzound was a little uncalled for)
The overtake would have been fine if it was a normal sized car but I just get scared when any large vehicle passes me at 30/40mph.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

Were you one of the guys on the checkpoint Mr HC, by any chance?

Ha ha. No, but it's got me thinking!

 

[mr_hippo]

These overtakes would be too close for me if it were at a higher speed, but they dont really bother me.
Is it acceptable for a close pass when you are both at a low speed as there is not much danger?

I think you have answered your own question there! You were in no danger so therefore no incident. I think each overtake should be judged on its merit; someone suggested a formula based on x distance at y speed, in my opinion, it is unworkable and already covered by current laws - driving without due care and attention, etc..

 

[Rancid]

2/ Perfect the art of "looking" as though you're about to wobble/fall off.

No need for me to practice that one.

 

[fossyant]

That's not steep ! I know the road well. TBH it's improved massively round there with the bypass. Just get out of the saddle and honk it - the motorists will stay well clear !