Fantastic overtake - but its not just bikes that need room!

[Sheffield_Tiger]

The little fiat 500 or similar little "microcar" heading out into the peaks from Sheffield via Ringinglow. On encountering a cyclist making his way at reasonable speed considering the long deceptive climb, this car hung back and considered the options, before pulling half way across the centre line and passing with metres to spare.

So considerate, you'd think all overtakes ought to be like that.

Its a shame then, that I had been out walking Stanage edge and was heading back by car, and ended up churning up the soil at the side of the road as I partly left the road to avoid the car that was, in an inverse scenario to the usual, was so pre-occupied by the bike, didn't seem to see me driving the opposite way.

I'm still confused as to the meaning of the wild gesticulation after I flashed my lights and sounded my horn to alert them to my presence. But I'm sure lip-reading the cyclist, the words seemed to rhyme with "ducking crick"

 

[Tynan]

perhaps the oncoming car expected you might slow down to let him carry out his overtake?

just a suggestion

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

perhaps the oncoming car expected you might slow down to let him carry out his overtake?

Perhaps, but bearing in mind the distances involved given that having just passed a junction which I know to have limited visibility, I was driving at 25mph at the time, it would seem unlikely.

 

[Tynan]

had they committed themselves to the manouvre when they saw you?

did you have no time to compensate for their driving in a routine way?

only trying to make sense of them getting the hump

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

had they committed themselves to the manouvre when they saw you?

Common sense would suggest that yes, they had already committed to the manouvre before they saw me - or else they wouldn't have swing out into my lane straight in front of me. I can't answer that definitively, since I don't have their eyes. However the road is straight for at least 1/4 mile ... see http://tinyurl.com/yhq2hqc for the approximate location (as would have been viewed from the overtaking vehicle) then I can't really account for their lack of observation.

As we all know, SMIDSY is NOT a valid excuse.

did you have no time to compensate for their driving in a routine way?

As explained, I was travelling at about 25mph. Now, work out the distances involved in someone pulling out giving me no time at that slow speed to react in another way other than to partly leave the road (simply braking without evasive action would have left me open to being hit where I had stopped, or alternatively the overtaking car upon its driver waking up to swerve back in and hit the cyclist)/ Then you'll comprehend just how close they were to me when they decided that getting past the "bloody bike" was priority

only trying to make sense of them getting the hump

Don't bother. I've already tried. It can't be explained in any logical way. The closest I have come to any kind of sensible conclusion leads me to the "sunday driver" conclusion

 

[GrasB]

had they committed themselves to the manouvre when they saw you?

did you have no time to compensate for their driving in a routine way?

only trying to make sense of them getting the hump

If you've committed your self to an overtake without being able to see the required distance & left adequate distance for someone to appear from the vanishing point at a reasonable speed you're in the wrong if someone is coming the other way. To not check the road is clear before committing to an overtake with a clear road is also a fail.

Them getting the hump for forcing someone off the road & then being 'informed' about it is also a fail.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

(checks Tynans avatar and twigs)

If we let you beat us next Saturday will you stop trying to pick holes in my posts?

 

[Tynan]

yuk yuk

just a tad bored and doing some DA

with all my fingers crossed, we're hitting some fomr and will smash you to pieces

 

[Piemaster]

I'm hoping it YOUR team that gets a stuffing. Thing a bit tight at the bottom at the moment.