Hurry up and overtake me then you silly man

[GrasB]

The people I'm talking about are the ones who when they have more than enough clear view, >250 meters, to overtake you DO NOT overtake you.

 

[Apollonius]

It is not always that easy. Near our village is a narrow road that is a bit of a rat run. It starts uphill and then drops with some tightish bends. Cars come up behind a struggling me going uphill at about 5mph. Seconds later, I am over the crest and whooshing off at 25 and going far faster round the bends than they can. I suspect it is this dramatic variation in speeds that make a driver uncertain.

 

[tyred]

I personally prefer to have drivers overtake me as soon as it is safe to do so. If they don't, it points to alack of driving skills imo, and you will often find they are ones who will then eventually creep past labouring the engine in top gear going about 2mph faster than you are, unnecessarily prolonging their time on the wrong side of the road and leaving themselves no chance of acceleration due to poor gear selction. A good overtake is one executed cleanly, swiftly and efficiently.

 

[Markymark]

More of an issue with cyclists hanging on my back wheel benefiting from my draft. Have shouted before "either overtake me or F off" as his frontwheel was overlapping my back and I felt penned in.

 

[Dragonwight]

Stalker motorists are nearly as bad as the other extreme, especially the ones where you can see the nose of their car right next to you the whole time. Then there is the added bonus of a whole stream of irate motorists following them.

 

[Steady]

I don't control the vehicle behind anymore than they control the vehicle in front, in other words me! Their vehicle, their choice, their responsibility.

I do try to suggest it's clear on certain bends when car drivers have held back but most prefer to wait to see it (and I admit, I've waited to see its clear myself when driving) and then I've thanked them.

I'm thank-happy.

Patience is key in everything, there's definitely no "I" on the road. Some drivers are remarkably bad, but we all have to deal with them.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I would be grateful that the car driver was prepared to follow you rather than take on a risky over-take. I know you didn't think it was risky, but he did, and it is his call as he has responsibility for the safe over-take.
My experience is that more often a car driver is not prepared to wait a few moments and will take risks to get past.

Yes. As disconcerting as it must be to be followed like that, I also prefer it to being overtaken at close range by an impatient idiot.

 

[S.Giles]

Let's all have a moan about cars being driven too slowly and not overtaking dangerously!

 

[huwsparky]

I'm with the OP. Dealing with cyclists on the road is easy. Hang back but get passed asap when safe to do so.

I've been in a que behind a clueless driver following a cyclist countless times, these people simply should not be driving with such a lack of basic driving skill.

 

[Ganymede]

Let's all have a moan about cars being driven too slowly and not overtaking dangerously!

I think there are a few drivers out there who have never overtaken another moving vehicle, out of sheer fear. So even a cyclist crawling up a long hill on a wide road with brilliant forward visibility is a horrible challenge.

TBF overtaking is a test of nerves for a new driver - by which I mean a learner. Which is why I think the brief look behind so they know you've seen them is a little confidence boost to get them past you.