Close Enough ?

[boydj]

Using that logic, can I expect the four wheel drive tractor, travelling slower than me(holding me up) to get out of my way. Often they're aware I'm there, just behind them. Often it can be head on, I'm travelling downhill, they're headed uphill.

That's what passing places are for, and, yes, it does happen on the single-track roads of northern Scotland.

 

[classic33]

That's what passing places are for, and, yes, it does happen on the single-track roads of northern Scotland.

Can I expect them to do that though, for a cyclist.

Edited to add "that" being getting out of my way because they're using a slower moving vehicle than I am.

 

[boydj]

Yes. Why not? I'm assuming you're talking about oncoming vehicles. It depends where the nearest passing place is and who is going to reach it first.

What you need to remember is that the locals using these roads are well accustomed to these situations. There's on particular route I do regularly in the summer with about ten miles of single-track and I've never had a problem with oncoming cars or in letting cars overtake.

 

[I like Skol]

@boydj You are spectacularly missing the point!

Yes, I am all for co-operation and consideration with and towards other road users, but we are talking about motorists (I will not call them drivers because they clearly do not know how to drive) pushing past vulnerable road users inappropriately and downright dangerously.

I too will happily pull over and allow other road users to pass. I will do this when it is safe and convenient, and on a road where there may be more than 1 vehicle behind me I might wait a short distance until I can allow a bunch to pass me all in one go (as was likely in the case in the OP's vid as there was more than one car waiting at the junction he passed). I will not stop with unreasonable frequency to allow every car that catches me to pass me straight away just to save them a few seconds and hinder my journey by many times that.

I have watched the OP's vid multiple times in case I am missing some subtle nuance that @boydj might be seeing, but if it is there I cannot for the life of me spot it! @Rooster1 seems to be moving on at a fair old pace so the motorist cannot fairly argue that they were being severely delayed. Even after the dangerous pass, the vehicle does not speed off into the distance. It was without doubt a selfish, dangerous, inconsiderate and unnecessary pass that achieved very little except risking the cyclist's safety.

It was absolutely unnecessary - for the sake of lifting off for a second or two the 4x4 could have been past.

Up here in the frozen north I fairly regularly drive and ride on single-track roads. They have passing places at regular intervals and it it is the norm for slower vehicles to pull in if they are holding up traffic behind them - at least for local users of these roads (the tourists haven't always got the message).

On a more general point it seems to me to be pretty selfish and inconsiderate to expect motors to sit behind a cyclist on a single-track road when it would be easy and cost the cyclist very little to allow them to pass. This is a completely different situation to urban commuting where a cyclist is often faster from A to B than a motorist and overtakes are frequently pointless.

You seem to be condoning the motorist's actions and laying all blame for the dangerous pass on the cyclist.

 

[boydj]

@boydj You are spectacularly missing the point!

Blah, blah, blah......................

.....

I said in my first post that the pass was too close. Clearly an impatient driver.

My point was that on single-track roads there are expectations and conventions aimed at preventing unnecessary tailbacks. Such a road is not one that a cyclist should be trying for strava KOMs on because of the need to interact with other users of the road. Users of these roads have to do so in a spirit of cooperation. In this instance the cyclist could have eased off slightly and moved slightly left and the 4x4 would have been past with no problems.

 

[boydj]

@boydj You are spectacularly missing the point!

.................................

This post is inexcusable. You seem to be condoning the motorist's actions and laying all blame for the dangerous pass on the cyclist.

I am certainly not condoning the motorist, but nobody else seems to be critical of the cyclist as if he's doing nothing wrong, when he's certainly not living up to the ethos of using single-track roads.

 

[Tizme]

On my bike I'm not allowed on Motorways, most dual-carriageways can be suicidal, A roads can, at times, be very unpleasant, it now appears I can use B and single-track roads as long as I don't get in the way and show proper deference to mechanically propelled vehicles, so where is the road sharing I keep hearing we should be doing?

A few years ago a bridge on a local A road was closed for strengthening, the diversion took vehicles on a 2 mile detour, but there was a single track road that cut across and only added half a mile to the detour. The road was usually under 5cms of compacted mud from the tractor that regularly used it to access the fields. There were no passing places, other than the gates to the fields, yet I constantly had drivers attempting to force me off the road and into the hedge before I could even get to a gateway. On one occasion an impatient 4x4 driver climbed the verge (around 30cms high) and overtook me, ignoring the fact that this put his roof inches from my head, or that there was a gateway less than 50 metres ahead! On another occasion I had a driver (another 4x4) refuse to pull over to let me pass, ignoring the gateway on his side on the track. I then pointed out to him that although I could still get passed by switching sides of the road, the car behind had no-where to go!

 

[boydj]

On my bike I'm not allowed on Motorways, most dual-carriageways can be suicidal, A roads can, at times, be very unpleasant, it now appears I can use B and single-track roads as long as I don't get in the way and show proper deference to mechanically propelled vehicles, so where is the road sharing I keep hearing we should be doing?

....

What I am saying is that slower vehicles of any description - motorised or not - are expected to not allow a build-up of traffic behind them. On the single-track roads of the highlands this seems to work most of the time. Cooperation and consideration are required from all.

In the OP it would have cost the cyclist only a second or so to facilitate an overtake from the 4x4, so he was in the wrong, just as it was absolutely wrong for driver of the 4x4 to bully his/her way past.

(Edited for grammar)

 

[Tail End Charlie]

@boydj[/USER

This post is inexcusable. You seem to be condoning the motorist's actions and laying all blame for the dangerous pass on the cyclist.

That's uncalled for. He/she has an opinion and has articulated it well. I don't see any evidence of condoning the driver's actions.

 

[mjr]

In the OP it would have cost the cyclist only risking a broken arm or so to facilitate an overtake from the 4x4, so he was in the wrong, just as it was absolutely wrong for driver of the 4x4 to bully his/her way past.

FTFY, given how well road bikes generally fare in gravel pits.

 

[boydj]

FTFY, given how well road bikes generally fare in gravel pits.

Exaggeration doesn't help your case.

 

[mjr]

Exaggeration doesn't help your case.

Posts the person comparing a short country lane to the Highlands!

 

[kingrollo]

This should settle the argument - You need to report it pretty much straight way - the police have 14 days to get a notification to the driver - really you should get in the very next day. My local force will take no action if the they receive the footage more than 7 days after the event

 

[Rooster1]

I am not going to pursue it. I had a word with the driver and was very forceful in my view that it was a totally unacceptable close pass.
The driver parks in the same place every day so should I need to remind the driver again I will.

thanks all