Cyclists telling from behind

[nickyboy]

I had one on my last descent from Mt Dandenong this morning (as my Alpine training continues). I was rolling down a straight, towards a shopping strip at the bottom of the mountain, doing only just under 50km/h in a 50km/h mandatory speed limit zone, when some idiot yells 'passing!' at me and overtakes me. He had no possible justification for the overtake, given my speed.
I'll probably outlive him, if that's his typical cycling style.

Actually this probably the one time I will give a shout from behind. Going down a hill, if I'm going to pass someone and we're both going reasonably quickly, I will give them a shout of "behind you" or "on your right". It's just that we're going pretty fast and I would like the other person to at least hold their line as I overtake.

 

[Tanis8472]

I thought I was going nuts. I couldn't see any capital letters lol.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Actually this probably the one time I will give a shout from behind. Going down a hill, if I'm going to pass someone and we're both going reasonably quickly, I will give them a shout of "behind you" or "on your right". It's just that we're going pretty fast and I would like the other person to at least hold their line as I overtake.

That's perfectly reasonable, provided the cyclist in front isn't doing the speed limit. I was, so his overtake was unjustified (and pretty stupid, in my opinion).

 

[Lee_M]

That's perfectly reasonable, provided the cyclist in front isn't doing the speed limit. I was, so his overtake was unjustified (and pretty stupid, in my opinion).

maybe the other rider was from the UK where speed limits don't apply to bikes :-)

 

[Tin Pot]

Just signal before you move, it's not hard.

The rest of the thread is just hyperventilation. So what if other people are rude sometimes.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Nowadays if I encountered 'back-talking' riders, I turn around, point in their face and shout "you are BEHIND me!" - this seems to be enough for them to realise what they were doing, and usually they frantically pedal away with passive-aggressive remarks while I'm still shouting at their back (see? It's not nice, is it?).

If you did this to me in response to a comment I had made, whether it was my fault or not, I would assume you were on something and/or slightly insane. I think I too would frantically pedal away for fear of what you would do next.

 

[Drago]

Just signal before you move, it's not hard.

And look before you signal. The latter compliments the former, it does not replace it.

 

[Tin Pot]

And look before you signal. The matter compliments the former, it does not replace it.

Yep.

 

[GoMild]

Just signal before you move

...and you'll get shouted at that your arm is getting in their way.

So what if other people are rude sometimes.

Any unnecessary distraction (including provocation) puts everyone at risk, such situation slows down the traffic - for what? What are they actually trying to achieve?

My original point is that whatever the circumstance (other than those going 50mph plus), shouting at people in front (especially out of irritation) is unsafe practice and should be discouraged. It's not about politeness. It's about being safe.

 

[GoMild]

for fear of what you would do next.

Lol. As long as the people behind me leave me alone, I don't mind what they make of me.

 

[Blue Hills]

And look before you signal. The latter compliments the former, it does not replace it.

exactly and + to tinpot's post.

In short, it's just the same as if you are in a car isn't it?

Too many London cyclists (though thankfully a minority) seem to insist on playing the aggressive victim and seem to think that basic road discipline/politeness/communication doesn't apply to them.

 

[cyberknight]

Thanks guys!
What worries me most is this "everyone should please me" attitude and there are a fair amount of riders come with it.

I know if a rider ahead of me glanced on one side means they might shift their path in that direction, but some riders aren't observant enough and get frightened (then react aggressively). If I extend my arm to indicate where I'm going, some riders behind me will tell me to "watch out" as apparently my extended arm is getting in their way - ridiculous.

Just wanted to check if my understanding of 'the person ahead has the right of way' applies in these situations (yes, the principle alone won't stop those people from riding dangerously).

Nowadays if I encountered 'back-talking' riders, I turn around, point in their face and shout "you are BEHIND me!" - this seems to be enough for them to realise what they were doing, and usually they frantically pedal away with passive-aggressive remarks while I'm still shouting at their back (see? It's not nice, is it?).

I'm always extra conscious about not getting in other road users' way, and I don't get this kind of 'get out of my way' from bikers/drivers, but somehow I get fair amount from other cyclists and that really annoys me - I'm already putting maximum effort to give way to everyone and still some folks aren't pleased enough and demand me to take a risk on behalf of them.

As more and more cyclists are on the road (which is good), I think there should be more education about the right of way, not drivers vs cyclists but amongst cyclists.

My personal experience is that drivers are reasonably predictable (good or bad) whereas cyclists are getting less and less predictable as their number grows...which leaves me with a dichotomy.

Dont worry , life is full of self appointed knobbers who think they have the right to act like a turnip no matter what they are doing , let them get on with it and be happy in the knowledge that you give enough of a turd to ask rather than the general feck em get out of my way attitude they posses.

 

[Tin Pot]

...and you'll get shouted at that your arm is getting in their way.

So what? Tell them to fark themselves.

 

[Red17]

If your arm is getting on the way then they are passing too close, so Tin Pots advice seems spot on.

 

[mjr]

Try Bank/Strand/Shaftesbury Av. in the morning...you won't go anywhere if you try to ride strictly by the text book.

You will, but it'll be slow. It's been a while since I've ridden through Bank, but I use the Embankment CS3 rather than Strand and go through Seven Dials / Covent Garden (if heading south) or instead of along Shaftesbury Avenue - even if the motorist-infested route is clear, it doesn't add many minutes to my journeys.

Give 1m from kerb and someone will undertake, even moped guys pass on your left. There's a different dynamics in London and every inch is eagerly utilised, but it's not a chaos.

It isn't that different to other busy cycling places except for more aggression and occasional stupidity. If someone is stupid enough to try overtaking on the left in less than a metre, then good luck to them - in my experience, that happens rarely when I'm stopped and never yet when moving, although I'm not riding there as much as you. If someone squeezes by when I'm stopped, odds are that they'll splat in front of me if they clip the kerb, which I feel is still better than squeezing me into the kerb as we move off.

Don't use capital letters so highlight words. Some of us are dyslexic and that makes it difficult to read, the opposite effect to that which you likely intended.

Please consider installing an app like https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/convert-case/ to correct this for you, rather than grumble every time someone uses *obvious* ways of showing emphasis instead of the awkward-to-type-especially-on-phones bbcode.