Cycling etiquette question....

[bladderhead]

Long straight road, ending in traffic lights. I heard the sound of someone's tyres and drivetrain very close behind. I ride a recumbent, so I cannot look behind me. I have a mirror on my right handlebar, but not the left. I kept hearing this person, but I could not see anyone. Then I caught a fleeting glimpse of a bloke on my left side. Right close. What was he doing there? I sped up a tiny bit and actually got away from him. I was struggling to hold the pace. I wove a bit left and right so I could see the whole road behind me. There he was in the distance.

I was glad the lights went red. I was puffing like a cart-horse and my poor little heart was hammering away. The lights went green before he reached them. What was he doing so close behind me?

 

[Dogtrousers]

The overtake that I really dislike is not an overtake at all. Occasionally you see a rider in the distance and you begin to catch him up. After several miles you get within 10 metres and you muster yourself for the final effort. Then oblivious to you, the turns off!

I saw you in my mirror a long way off. I'm eating a pork pie flicking the Vs at you as you ride away.

 

[johnblack]

Always say hello as I pass, don't always get a reply.

My favourite is riders on a TT bike passing you on a flat straight and as always ignoring you, only for you to go straight back past them when the road then starts going back up hill, always an extra loud good morning.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I thought the accepted etiquette on catching someone is to slacken off the effort briefly in order to have the legs to sprint past with six inches clearance whilst yelling "In your face, fat boy!" This manoeuvre to be executed immediately before turning off and/or going through a red light to avoid the embarrassment of being subsequently caught.

Equally, if someone comes up behind, to cycle erratically just skirting potholes without indicating them in the hope that your pursuer will hit one and puncture. This to be accompanied by frequent snotting out at the highest elevation practicable with the aim of achieving a direct hit before any overtake is attempted.

Have I been doing something wrong?

 

[Smudge]

I can only ever occasionally overtake other cyclists when riding my ebike, which is not much of an achievement, but i still try to feel smug about it anyway.
A deluded win is still a win in my book.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Long straight road, ending in traffic lights. I heard the sound of someone's tyres and drivetrain very close behind. I ride a recumbent, so I cannot look behind me. I have a mirror on my right handlebar, but not the left. I kept hearing this person, but I could not see anyone. Then I caught a fleeting glimpse of a bloke on my left side. Right close. What was he doing there? I sped up a tiny bit and actually got away from him. I was struggling to hold the pace. I wove a bit left and right so I could see the whole road behind me. There he was in the distance.

I was glad the lights went red. I was puffing like a cart-horse and my poor little heart was hammering away. The lights went green before he reached them. What was he doing so close behind me?

There's something about recumbents that drives people on uprights to try and catch you. This is comical on the flat or downhill as you cruise along and they are blowing a gasket and still going backwards. When you are caught on an uphill you get asked the "why are those bikes so slow uphill", they don't get much of a reply as you are working at your maximal effort!

 

[Dave7]

I don't know if its cycling etiquette or not, but if I pass someone I always acknowledge them, I was doing about 17mph the other day and all of a sudden a young buck came flying past with not a word or any sort of acknowledgment, I found it strange.

Well you can be absolutely certain that wasnt me

 

[bladderhead]

"Why are those bikes so slow uphill?"

This one is being ridden by someone with COPD. At least I have an excuse.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

"Why are those bikes so slow uphill?"

This one is being ridden by someone with COPD. At least I have an excuse.

Well that's a funny thing a stranger presumes to know how fit you are and whether you would be faster uphill on your road bike or not.

 

[Dogtrousers]

What was he doing so close behind me?

Maybe the rider shadowing you was just mesmerised by your recumbent.

I know I find them really interesting and as I don't see them so often I like to have a good look. Now, I normally do that to bikes when they're stationary but maybe the rider was entranced thinking "jeez that's a long chain run" or "what does that bit do" or something like that.

 

[nickyboy]

Kept passing and then stopping then passing again the same couple of cyclists yesterday. How many times to say "hello"? I think three is max, four is weird

Also passed someone who wheelsucked me for a couple of miles without asking...boooo

 

[HeebyGeeby]

Last Sunday, my wife was a few minutes ahead of me with her friend on a wide segregated coastal cycle path, a "serious looking" cyclist coming the other way at speed, shouted "LEFT" at my wife and punched her in the ribs.
The cycle path is two lane and I would guess my wife was chatting away and on or near the center line but she says he reached out to hit her, so I reckon he had to have had enough clearance to get past safely without assaulting her.
This is a one off from a crazy person... right?

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Last Sunday, my wife was a few minutes ahead of me with her friend on a wide segregated coastal cycle path, a "serious looking" cyclist coming the other way at speed, shouted "LEFT" at my wife and punched her in the ribs.
The cycle path is two lane and I would guess my wife was chatting away and on or near the center line but she says he reached out to hit her, so I reckon he had to have had enough clearance to get past safely without assaulting her.
This is a one off from a crazy person... right?

Seriously? Did you see this and what did you do, if you did anything?

And what was the police response?

 

[RoadRider400]

If out int country I will just say morning as I go past, but I rarely overtake people as I have only been cycling a few months. On the route home about 9 am there are no other roadies on my route. If I go past somebody who clearly isnt a leisure cyclist I dont say anything, but I do give them a wide birth as not to crowd them.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Up here, lately, I get a lot of 'bonjour's when being passed. They're the norm, not the exception.