cyclists blocking the road

[funnymummy]

Was talking with a lady who I used to work with today, she is a regular cyclist, rides to school with her children & out most weekends on their bikes.
She told me about an incident on Sunday morning, she was driving near Fulking and came up behind a group of cyclists, they were at that point 6 a breast accross the road, filing the left hand lane, the road was quite narrow & bendy and she didn't feel it safe to overtake, after about 1/4 of a mile, 2 of the group dropped back, but the other 4 just spread out to occupy the space, she said that after another 1/4 mile she got so cross she beeped her horn several times, which obvioulsy annoyed the group as they slowed down.
She wasn't in any hurry to get to her destination, but felt this was really bad form on the riders part, she eventauly managed to pass them on a straight part, but was given much abuse, rude lanaguage & gestures by the cyclist as she did, she had her 2 children 9 & 5 in the car with her.
It's behaviour likes this that gives cyclist a bad name...Why do some riders insist of behaving in this manner?

 

[dellzeqq]

tough. The road in question is a narrow road on which any type of overtaking can be seen as risky. The cyclists took the decision that they didn't want to be overtaken. That's the end of that. Sounds like her eventual overtake was poor. She should have waited.

Has she never seen a tractor? Or a caravan?

(I expect this was the event that was being marshalled at Ditchling - we crossed at right angles)

 

[funnymummy]

tough. The road in question is a narrow road on which any type of overtaking can be seen as risky. The cyclists took the decision that they didn't want to be overtaken. That's the end of that.

I agree there are times that I ride wider than norm to prevent a car overtaking in what I deem a hazardous situation, but at the first safe oppertunity I will pull in, slow down & allow them past.


I may not have made it clear in my post but from the way she described it she said there were several times she could have passed them when the road was staright & she had good visibility, but on these occasions the outer rider moved over, on several occasions crossing the centre of the road & thus preveneting her from doing so

 

[dellzeqq]

that's what I mean about the cyclists deciding that it was unsafe. They made their decision, and she should have just waited.

 

[Moodyman]

I don't think drivers appreciate how startling and offensive a horn is to cyclists and pedestrians.

Your friend need not have done that. Gentle revving of the engine will have alerted the cyclists that there was a car behind.

And yes, six abreast was a little anti-social of them, but on a quiet Sunday morning, it may just be excusable.

 

[Chris.IOW]

that's what I mean about the cyclists deciding that it was unsafe. They made their decision, and she should have just waited.

Seems to me though that the cyclists actions actually increase the chances of an accident. By frustrating the driver to the point where they may have attempted a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. If there were parts of the road where an overtake was possible they should have allowed it.

And even if they felt there was no place where it was safe to overtake, what is the justification for the abuse and rude gestures, totally uncalled for.

 

[SquareDaff]

I may not have made it clear in my post but from the way she described it she said there were several times she could have passed them when the road was staright & she had good visibility, but on these occasions the outer rider moved over, on several occasions crossing the centre of the road & thus preveneting her from doing so

I don't care how dangerous they think it is - they don't have the right to block both sides of the road. The one they're riding on, yes. The other - no.

 

[tyred]

Seems to me though that the cyclists actions actually increase the chances of an accident. By frustrating the driver to the point where they may have attempted a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre. If there were parts of the road where an overtake was possible they should have allowed it.

And even if they felt there was no place where it was safe to overtake, what is the justification for the abuse and rude gestures, totally uncalled for.

+1


It is unreasonable to hold someone up needlessly.

And with regards to tractors, I have spent large chunks of my life driving them and if I can, I will always pull over to let faster traffic past. I expect others to show me the same courtesy.

 

[twozeronine]

Indeed, if they want to take up the lane to prevent dangerous overtakes - fine, but I think once a car is behind them waiting to overtake, then they should have split into single file or pulled over to let them pass safely.

 

[Mark_Robson]

that's what I mean about the cyclists deciding that it was unsafe. They made their decision, and she should have just waited.

Or alternatively they could have shown some consideration to the motorist and dropped into single file to allow her to get past. I'm surprised at your reply dell as it clearly shows that you have zero empathy or consideration for the motorist. Your posts show alarmingly similar attitudes to the motons who comment on cycling vids on Youtube.

 

[Dan B]

Impossible to say who was "right" and who "wrong" without seeing it oneself or at the least without hearing from both sides. Some cyclists are jerks; some drivers too; some people do things which are misconstrued by others as evidence of jerkhood but are actually just ignorance (beeping often falls into this category)

I do wonder how can she have "got so cross" yet still not been in any particular hurry, though

 

[twozeronine]

I do wonder how can she have "got so cross" yet still not been in any particular hurry, though

I think it's the mentality a lot of people adopt when driving a car, of "I can go faster than you, therefore I should be".

 

[Jezston]

Were they in club kit?

 

[Herzog]

4/6 abreast?
0.66 - should have got past easy

 

[Red Light]

Or alternatively they could have shown some consideration to the motorist and dropped into single file to allow her to get past. I'm surprised at your reply dell as it clearly shows that you have zero empathy or consideration for the motorist. Your posts show alarmingly similar attitudes to the motons who comment on cycling vids on Youtube.

That usually makes things worse in my experience as they now have the whole length of 6 cyclists line astern to overtake rather than one six wide. A frequent consequence is they will pull out to overtake, get partway down the line, realise they are not going to make it and try to pull back in with cyclists alongside them. Either that or brake like crazy to try to get into a gap between cyclists from overtaking speed.