Day out to the coast.

[Milzy]

Decided to go on family trip to east coast. On the way there I encountered many large groups of cyclists. I’m always confident driving around them as I am one my self. However I was getting pretty annoyed towards the end. Not all the cyclists fault I may add. One incident in particular was a very large group on a fairly narrow road. They were all in single file so you had a snake of them for about 400 metres. I felt they should have been riding two a breast to make over taking quicker.
On 3 occasions I overtook giving 1.5 m when the road was clear. However on coming traffic comes while you’re still over taking the long line. If the motorists coming the other way had brains they’d see that you were commited to the manoeuvre all ready made and slow down or stop. How ever they carry on flashing their lights trying to create a bottle neck squeezing you closer to the riders.
Inconsiderate selfish idiots. Some were old people who are probably clueless about the situation.
Loved road cycling for years but I can see why motorists get so annoyed with large groups of them. They need education in both camps.

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 5214636, member: 43827"]You've done it now, criticised some cyclists.


[/QUOTE]
It could get messy.

 

[Drago]

Am I looking at that picture properly? The cycle path is the totally underwater bit off to the right?

 

[Ajax Bay]

I can see why motorists get so annoyed with large groups of them.

But how often do you get large groups of cyclists - come on; how often? And how often do you think the average motorist encounters large groups of cyclists? By large let's say more than 15. Occasional (and as you've said) unreasonable irritation, but 'so annoyed': irrational (but nevertheless the case). Same drivers probably get annoyed by being delayed by a tractor.

Some were old people who are probably clueless about the situation.

Yeah, lucky we don't have clueless old people on this forum, otherwise headlights would be flashing all over the place.

 

[ColinJ]

Am I looking at that picture properly? The cycle path is the totally underwater bit off to the right?

Yes - you are looking at that picture properly ...





Unfortunately, it is over in the Cambridgeshire guided busway thread!

 

[Tim Hall]

Decided to go on family trip to east coast. On the way there I encountered many large groups of cyclists. I’m always confident driving around them as I am one my self. However I was getting pretty annoyed towards the end. Not all the cyclists fault I may add. One incident in particular was a very large group on a fairly narrow road. They were all in single file so you had a snake of them for about 400 metres. I felt they should have been riding two a breast to make over taking quicker.
On 3 occasions I overtook giving 1.5 m when the road was clear. However on coming traffic comes while you’re still over taking the long line. If the motorists coming the other way had brains they’d see that you were commited to the manoeuvre all ready made and slow down or stop. How ever they carry on flashing their lights trying to create a bottle neck squeezing you closer to the riders.
Inconsiderate selfish idiots. Some were old people who are probably clueless about the situation.
Loved road cycling for years but I can see why motorists get so annoyed with large groups of them. They need education in both camps.

Didn't that mean you shouldn't have overtaken?

 

[Drago]

Yes - you are looking at that picture properly ...





Unfortunately, it is over in the Cambridgeshire guided busway thread!

Forgive me, that cheese sandwich certainly tasted a bit off!

 

[Paul139]

Old......clueless.. ......

 

[oldwheels]

It is easy to be sanctimonious but Milzy does have a point. I often have to overtake groups on the A82,A83 and A85. Mostly on the narrow and most dangerous bits they single out trying I think to be helpful to overtaking traffic but in fact have the opposite effect. Some do separate into smaller groups which is better as it gives a gap to pull into if unable to complete the overtake of the whole group. These are groups mostly doing an end to end and so probably a proportion are not regular cyclists and will not get on a bike again after the end of the trip. There is no easy answer but it can be a long wait sometimes to get past. The A82 at the north end of Loch Lomond is a good example as it can take several miles to find an opportunity to pass. No point in shouting at me as we have been here before and I use these roads regularly.

 

[Welsh wheels]

 

[I like Skol]

On 3 occasions I overtook giving 1.5 m when the road was clear. However on coming traffic comes while you’re still over taking the long line. If the motorists coming the other way had brains they’d see that you were commited to the manoeuvre all ready made and slow down or stop. How ever they carry on flashing their lights trying to create a bottle neck squeezing you closer to the riders.

Didn't that mean you shouldn't have overtaken?

^^^^^^^^THIS, in spades!

You shouldn't have been overtaking, period. Having made a mistake the 1st time you certainly shouldn't have repeated your mistake another two times. Your impatience put the cyclists at risk, the occupants of the oncoming vehicles at risk and less importantly, yourself at risk!

Seriously, you need to learn some patience, before you hurt or kill someone. OK, it may be inconvenient to be delayed this way but sometimes that is just the way the cards are dealt and you just have to live with it because there is nothing you can SAFELY do about it.

 

[fossyant]

Hmm even one of our own can't overtake properly. Another reason why I dont ride on the road any longer. Full of poor drivers.

 

[Milzy]

^^^^^^^^THIS, in spades!

You shouldn't have been overtaking, period. Having made a mistake the 1st time you certainly shouldn't have repeated your mistake another two times. Your impatience put the cyclists at risk, the occupants of the oncoming vehicles at risk and less importantly, yourself at risk!

Seriously, you need to learn some patience, before you hurt or kill someone. OK, it may be inconvenient to be delayed this way but sometimes that is just the way the cards are dealt and you just have to live with it because there is nothing you can SAFELY do about it.

I lowered my speed a lot, otherwise I’d have never got around about 25 in single file.

 

[Milzy]

It is easy to be sanctimonious but Milzy does have a point. I often have to overtake groups on the A82,A83 and A85. Mostly on the narrow and most dangerous bits they single out trying I think to be helpful to overtaking traffic but in fact have the opposite effect. Some do separate into smaller groups which is better as it gives a gap to pull into if unable to complete the overtake of the whole group. These are groups mostly doing an end to end and so probably a proportion are not regular cyclists and will not get on a bike again after the end of the trip. There is no easy answer but it can be a long wait sometimes to get past. The A82 at the north end of Loch Lomond is a good example as it can take several miles to find an opportunity to pass. No point in shouting at me as we have been here before and I use these roads regularly.

Finally someone with sense. Everybody needs to work together. I’m doing a 110 mile sportive soon. I’ll be in my club pack. I will see cars nearly hitting each other and us a few times. Our leader will shout down the line for single out or two a breast. If singled out it can be useful to leave gaps between so many riders.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I’ve got a (well rehearsed ) drill now, when I’m leading a ride with lots of riders on it. If it’s a single track road, no more than 5 riders per ‘pack’ all in single file, at least 3 car lengths between ‘packs’. If it’s on a normal two way road, and traffic approaches from behind, the customary “car up” call is given ( for traffic from behind) or “car down” for anything approaching from in front, then the riders form into two abreast formation, to ‘shorten the bus’. No more than 10 riders per ‘pack’. This also makes the drivers minds up for them, as they have to treat us like a car, we’ve taken any doubt away ( from the sane, mentally competent ones ). It takes a bit of time for the penny to drop, about how this actually works in practice, but sometimes, motorists do actually ‘get it’.