ignorance...

[Jezston]

Hello I just wanted to post to show off!

I did that theory test and passed with 46/50, and I've never had so much as a driving lesson in my life

 

[thomas]

Tell me about it.
I live in Somerset and around this time of year I often get stuck behind a pack of road-cyclists. I make an effort to be patient when I'm driving but two things that p*ss me off are tractor drivers who won't pull into a lay-by to let the traffic pass and groups of cyclists riding two-abreast on narrow roads. If somebody side-swiped them I'd feel more inclined to laugh and point than break out the first-aid kit.

Well you're a lovely human being aren't you.

 

[Mark_Robson]

The HC states:



and this is where I do take issue with cyclists sometimes. My opinion is that cyclists should only ride two abreast when doing so still leaves room for a car to pass.

On a single lane road, such as the one the OP states he was riding on, and especially when negotiating a bend in the road then single file should be the rule.

I know the HC uses "should" but the context is "should never" which to me means don't ever do it unless you have a good reason for doing so, not if you feel like it.

I frequently see club ride groups around the Somerset levels, riders chatting away to each other riding two and even three abreast in groups of twenty or more riders on narrow roads and with scant regard for the queue of cars behind. It's no wonder sometimes that drivers think cyclists are an arrogant bunch of sods!

Having consideration for other road users works, or should work all ways.

+1
If you want to ride two abreast on narrow roads then be prepared to upset other road users.

 

[BentMikey]

Of course drivers should overtake so that it makes no difference whatsoever whether cyclists are single file or two abrest. Most people seem to forgot or ignore that nice picture in the highway code on rule 163. If a driver wants to squeeze past in the same lane, then he/she is a twonk.

 

[GrasB]

Of course drivers should overtake so that it makes no difference whatsoever whether cyclists are single file or two abrest. Most people seem to forgot or ignore that nice picture in the highway code on rule 163. If a driver wants to squeeze past in the same lane, then he/she is a twonk.

+1 Now if you want to take issue with a group of cyclists not pulling over/filing up when it's safe to do so then be my guest. However the difference between a cyclist in a decent secondary & cyclists riding 2 abreast is about 12" (or less if the bunch is really tight), there's a very narrow band of road width where that minor increase in space required will make a material difference to the ability to safely overtake a cyclist or not.

 

[boydj]

Tell me about it.
I live in Somerset and around this time of year I often get stuck behind a pack of road-cyclists. I make an effort to be patient when I'm driving but two things that p*ss me off are tractor drivers who won't pull into a lay-by to let the traffic pass and groups of cyclists riding two-abreast on narrow roads. If somebody side-swiped them I'd feel more inclined to laugh and point than break out the first-aid kit.

So the poor motorist has to wait until he can perform a proper overtake rather than try to squeeze past, probably too close

Safer for the cyclists - yes, and how much real delay for the motorist?

 

[Cool_Mint]

The problem is there is no safe place to overtake on a country road, you either have to swing wide putting yourself on the wrong side of the road or sit behind them for the next ten minutes; that may not sound like a long time but try watching a clock for that long, it feels like forever and it's very tempting to try to overtake where you know you shouldn't.

These people aren't stupid, they are competitive riders and I presume they know the Highway Code as well as anybody. Surely they must realize they are making it dangerous for car drivers to pass them so why are they obstructing traffic?

 

[marinyork]

These people aren't stupid, they are competitive riders and I presume they know the Highway Code as well as anybody. Surely they must realize they are making it dangerous for car drivers to pass them so why are they obstructing traffic?

They aren't obstructing anyone or making it dangerous for anyone, they are simply there. We all get a bit annoyed with other people but ultimately the problem lies squarely with the raging tempered humans living in the tin boxes. The solution is to chill out.

 

[BentMikey]

The problem is there is no safe place to overtake on a country road, you either have to swing wide putting yourself on the wrong side of the road

Do you not realise that is where you are supposed to overtake? Not in the same lane as the cyclists, but in the other lane, when there's no oncoming traffic. If there's no safe place to overtake, then don't bloody overtake!!

OTOH it's also nice to pull over if there's a big queue of cars waiting behind for more than a minute or two. I do this quite regularly on my commute home as it's uphill and narrow.

 

[Cool_Mint]

They aren't obstructing anyone or making it dangerous for anyone, they are simply there. We all get a bit annoyed with other people but ultimately the problem lies squarely with the raging tempered humans living in the tin boxes. The solution is to chill out.

Two-abreast? It's easy to overtake when they are riding single-file on a wide road or dual carriageway but if they are riding side-by-side they effectively take up as much space as a car with the added problem that they may be drifting left and right.

Overtake in a 50mph or National speed limits zone and you risk facing a nutter coming the other way at 80mph.

 

[BentMikey]

Exactly - use the other lane when it's safe to overtake. Don't overtake if you can't see far enough ahead.

Trying to overtake in the same lane as the cyclist(s) is p1$$ poor driving.

 

[Alien8]

I often wonder why so many motorists do not overtake by moving fully to the other side of the road when you can see nothing's coming the other way for miles ahead.

Guess it's just a combination of ignorance and, ummm, ignorance.

 

[GrasB]

Two-abreast? It's easy to overtake when they are riding single-file on a wide road or dual carriageway but if they are riding side-by-side they effectively take up as much space as a car with the added problem that they may be drifting left and right.

Overtake in a 50mph or National speed limits zone and you risk facing a nutter coming the other way at 80mph.

So you're saying that it's annoying that the cyclists force you to overtake in the manner which you should have done in the first place. In all honesty if you're overtaking when you can't see far enough ahead then you shouldn't be overtaking.

As for your picture, that's a no overtaking spot. There's a junction on the lead up to a corner.

 

[Cool_Mint]

I'm saying that there is no excuse for a dozen cyclists holding up a queue of traffic for the next mile-and-a-half because they are "training" and want to ride two-abreast instead of single file. A column of cyclists like that can occupy more road space that an artic-lorry.

The photo isn't of a road in my area but it's fairly typical of a semi-rural road; a series of junctions and blind bends. When you are driving along a road that is nothing but junctions and blind bends for 10 miles it's rather depressing to encounter a large group of cyclists who won't give way.

 

[PBancroft]

The photo isn't of a road in my area but it's fairly typical of a semi-rural road; a series of junctions and blind bends. When you are driving along a road that is nothing but junctions and blind bends for 10 miles it's rather depressing to encounter a large group of cyclists who won't give way.

10 miles?

Really?

My commute is a little over 10 miles on rural roads with blind bends and few junctions. It takes me about 50 minutes.

So you are saying that you would sit behind a group of cyclists for 50 minutes without either:

1. YOU finding somewhere safe and appropriate to over take.
2. THEM noticing you (and the other string of motorists who would accumulate in almost an hour) and switching to single file.

I call bullshit.

EDIT: I jumped on a post that I hadn't read properly and wrote something stupid. I leave it here as a warning to other numpties like me.