Cyclist overtaking Cyclist on Cycle Path

[Drago]

Let's be honest, the standard of cyclecrsft displayed by the typical rider is frighteningly poor.

 

[classic33]

Should you be overtaking a vehicle that is already overtaking another?

 

[slowmotion]

I'm probably completely wrong, but I've always assumed that the cycle-cycle overtaking convention was the same as that for skiers...….

the onus is on the faster overtaking person to avoid the person ahead of them, no matter how random and erratic their behaviour.

 

[Lonestar]

Let's be honest, the standard of cyclecrsft displayed by the typical rider is frighteningly poor.

Definitely.

 

[vickster]

That should be pretty much everyone checks ...... And everyone actually should , its is pretty basic. Also that is for any vehicle anywhere

Indeed, this!

 

[winjim]

It doesn't really matter who was at fault or what she should have done. The only person's behaviour you have control over is you*. You need to make sure you overtake safely, which involves checking to see if anybody is coming up behind you before you move out.


*Of course when cycling we do seek to influence other road user's behaviour, mainly by using lane positioning to discourage unsafe overtaking, but that involves having good awareness of exactly what is going on behind you.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

In the context of a shared path where walkers, riders, dogs, skateboarders all intermingle, sudden changes of direction or stopping is the norm and should have been anticipated by the woman who wanted to blast past everyone.

 

[Alan O]

Whoever is right or wrong here (and I'd say it's a bit of both), it's nice to hear of another cyclist saying "Use your bell" for a change

 

[nickAKA]

Had a bit of an argument with a fellow cyclist whilst commuting to work this morning and wanted to put it past other people to see what they thought.

Basically I was cycling behind 2 other people and a skateboard pulled out ahead of us so, as the oncoming cycle lane was clear, we one by one overtook the skateboard where suddenly this woman came on the outside of me as I was overtaking yelling at me to look before I overtook. Admittedly I didn't look over my shoulder to check behind me before overtaking but I would have thought that she should have anticipated that the cyclists in front of her were going to overtake the slow moving skateboard and that she should wait her turn.

I should have ignored her berating me but I did talk back at her saying that she should have anticipated that I would be following everyone else and overtake the skateboarder and that it was her responsibility being behind me to make sure that she was in a position to safely overtake. Besides at a minimum she should have used the bell that was on her bike.

Again I didn't look and if that makes it my fault then so be-it but I maintain that it is more the responsibility of the person behind you to make sure that they can safely overtake. Thoughts?

Same thought process for cycling as for driving as for walking as for running - be aware of what is going on all around you, respect others, anticipate likely scenarios, don't get your kecks in a bunch about things that don't really matter. Maybe she *had* a point, but *personally* I would have been looking what was happening in front of me and acted accordingly. It's all about respect for others, and the fact she felt it necessary to start gobbing off shows a lack of both that and proportion. We all have to share these paths & roads, nobody 'owns' it.

 

[winjim]

Was it a shared path?

 

[MontyVeda]

had it a few times, I go to change lanes only to find myself neck and neck with a rider who was about to overtake me... but i don't actually care who's at fault. Stuff happens with no consequence so i'll just shrug it off.

 

[smutchin]

In a similar situation on, say, a motorway in a car, if a vehicle pulled into the next lane without looking, I think any resulting accident would probably be put upon the vehicle moving out, rather than the vehicle not anticipating that move

It's not the same at all. For one thing, motorways have marked lanes. And for another, they aren't shared with pedestrians (or skateboards).

Personally, if I had to choose who was more at fault in this incident, then based on the OP's description of the incident, I would say the rider behind. But in fact I don't think it's at all helpful to focus on the fault aspect, instead it would be better to think about how such confrontations might be avoided in future.

 

[Dan B]

I'm probably completely wrong, but I've always assumed that the cycle-cycle overtaking convention was the same as that for skiers...….

the onus is on the faster overtaking person to avoid the person ahead of them, no matter how random and erratic their behaviour.

That sounds like a great principle to adhere to if you are the one doing the overtaking, but I would not advise relying on it if being overtaken

 

[Tin Pot]

Had a bit of an argument with a fellow cyclist whilst commuting to work this morning and wanted to put it past other people to see what they thought.

Basically I was cycling behind 2 other people and a skateboard pulled out ahead of us so, as the oncoming cycle lane was clear, we one by one overtook the skateboard where suddenly this woman came on the outside of me as I was overtaking yelling at me to look before I overtook. Admittedly I didn't look over my shoulder to check behind me before overtaking but I would have thought that she should have anticipated that the cyclists in front of her were going to overtake the slow moving skateboard and that she should wait her turn.

I should have ignored her berating me but I did talk back at her saying that she should have anticipated that I would be following everyone else and overtake the skateboarder and that it was her responsibility being behind me to make sure that she was in a position to safely overtake. Besides at a minimum she should have used the bell that was on her bike.

Again I didn't look and if that makes it my fault then so be-it but I maintain that it is more the responsibility of the person behind you to make sure that they can safely overtake. Thoughts?

You were first to do something wrong - you should have looked, seen her coming, decided whether to overtake, and signalled to do so.

However the course of events that actually unfolded:

1. You not looking - you wrong
2. Her shouting - her wrong
3. You arguing back - you wrong, maybe

 

[Lonestar]

Not when overtaking. If I was to overtake a line of trafic and someone in the line pulled to the right and hit me it would be there fault for not making sure the path was clear.

OMG yes,how many times has that happened?