Bikes scare me by riding too close

[SimonCh]

I have been out of cycling for 30 years, now back. I find that cars give me lots of room, no problem, but I often get overtaken by bikes passing me at some speed scarily close (within 2 feet hanlebar-handlebar). This often occurrs on wide empty roads. I ride with my wheels about 3-4 feet from the kerb. I have even had bikes overtake fast between me and the kerb (a very narrow gap for a bike).
I don't understand. Can anyone explain what is going on

 

[MikeG]

....... I often get overtaken by bikes................Can anyone explain what is going on

You're riding too slow!























Just kidding.....

 

[Dragonwight]

2 feet, I get less room from 40ton HGV`s.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

2 feet? Luxury! I had a full gear roadie pass within inches, literally, the other day. Quiet road plenty of room to make a sensible manouvre & me in jeans, bimbling along on my laden Brompton doing a very good impression of the sort of nodder cyclist that I find a bit unpredictable & give an extra wide berth to. The surprise of him closing so quickly from last look and his shoulder to shoulder proximity could have had us both off if I'd wobbled

 

[jarlrmai]

Some people are nobbers, some of them ride bikes.

 

[HLaB]

Lol, on Sunday out side the cafe with a really wide pedestrian shared use area in front, rather than choose to go round the 5cyclists chatting outside the cafe, a bloke on a mtb decided to shoot through the middle of us, he clearly didn't like roadies

 

[martint235]

It's a little known law that if you leave 2-4 feet of gap between you and the kerb and someone cycles through that gap, you are allowed to kill them. Or knock them off. Depends on your viewpoint/frequency of offence.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

you clearly look too stable and too advanced, but without knowing where you cycle etc it is hard to judge.

For instance, I usually only cycle rurally, on narrow winding country lanes, so someone out at 3 foot or 4 foot out fromthe curb would be taking up almost the entire lane and passing you without crossing to the other side of the road would be difficult, but I would never undertake you, but perhaps they think, (and I am not saying I agree with them) that you are cycling too wide for their liking and undertaking is their way of saying it

 

[Rob3rt]

Going up the inside is an absolute no no, however passing on the outside with 2 feet gap is plenty room, it is you with the problem, not them!

 

[fossyant]

Tend to give most cyclists a wide berth. Far too many wobble.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Never mind all that, what we need to know is do they acknowledge you as they pass?

GC

 

[Rob3rt]

BTW, if you are riding with your wheels 4ft from the curb, isn't that pretty much primary? You cycle like that at all times?

 

[welsh dragon]

After such a long time out of the saddle, I can understand you're fear. I got back onto a bike last year after a gap of 45 years. The good news is, as long as you persevere, it will get better and your fear will diminish. In the meantime, have you considered getting mirrors attached to your handlebars? That way you will at least be able to see fellow cyclists and drivers behind you, so you won't be taken unawares by them. Lots of people use them. You can buy them from amazon and they don't cost a lot of money. Good luck.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Some people are nobbers, some of them ride bikes.

Is the truth. A two-foot pass from a competent overtaking cyclists is more than ample. A four-foot pass from a nobber can be very unsettling.

Undertakers of any description need to be pushed off their bikes.

 

[Tim Hall]

Undertakers of any description need to be pushed off their bikes.

Rilly?