Maybe I am just to critical ?

[iendicott]

Noticed this allot when I commute to work.

Riding down the road approaching traffic lights going at a fair pace (20mph +) when Joe Public whizzes past me and cuts in really close just to get in front of me before the traffic lights for which they have to stop for, I then ride past and drop into the cycle box at the front at the lights and then carry on my way when the signal changes to green.

Why oh Why do people do this ? What do they intend to gain ? Another 10 feet on my position but for what reason as the traffic is heavy in our town ?

However on the flip side, there are a few very courteous drives who give you a wide berth when drive past you so a big thumbs up to them and thanks for not taking me off my bike cause you drive to close.

I also find people who shout out the window to "ride in a single file" along a quiet road which can easily house 3 car width ways rude. Section 66 in the Highway Codes states "never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"

Do some people take out their brain before they drive ? Again there are some very curtious people out there so I am aleast thankful to those people.

 

[StuartG]

99% of us last read the Highway Code the night before the test. Others never took a test ...


BTW I find the same overtake for no benefit compulsion amongst my fellow cyclists. It looks like many are just programmed to try and jump queues.

 

[HLaB]

Why oh Why do people do this ? What do they intend to gain ? Another 10 feet on my position but for what reason as the traffic is heavy in our town ?

'Must Overtake Cyclist' it something to do with their internal programming. I hate it most at a wide roundabout approach, where you can't control all lanes. Muppet desperately overtakes on the flare only to hold me up on the Rab. Or are caught up in a traffic queue 2-3 seconds later; I don't think their brains can compute beyond 2-3 secs.

 

[gaz]

99% of us last read the Highway Code the night before the test. Others never took a test ...

FACT!

 

[Andrew_P]

My observation has been that the close passers and nip in brigade are almost 100% kerb crawlers, they seek comfort by following the kerb, safe passers are middle of the road or whitle line followers. When I get a fairly close pass on an empty road they nearly all return to driving pretty close to the kerb, so to them it was a wide pass!

 

[Midnight]

As HLaB says, 'Must overtake Cyclist'. You can usually hear them coming, revving their nuts off, desparate to get in front...

The one's that really annoy me are are when you are going round a roundabout, and someone pulls out of a right junction in front of you. Presumably they think they can get clear, or they just don't care...

 

[Moodyman]

Driving well, as well as cycling well, needs a little thinking & planning.

There always a group of people, as in every walk of life, that simply don't think.

 

[BenM]

[QUOTE 1157438"]
I often ask the same question for cyclists - why filter to the front of a queue of traffic that is made up of only 3-4 cars only to be overtaken again. What's the point?
[/quote]
Easy... if you don't filter and hold your position in the lane you get abuse from traffic who perceive you to be 'in the way', if you do filter you get abuse for filtering. May as well get hanged for a deer as a duck!

Having said that I filter much less on the Orca 'bent than on the Marin upwrong

B.

 

[downfader]

[QUOTE 1157438"]
I often ask the same question for cyclists - why filter to the front of a queue of traffic that is made up of only 3-4 cars only to be overtaken again. What's the point?
[/quote]


I agree with you there. If theres only a couple of cars I just hold back and draft the last one off on green. Even if theres an ASL up front I dont always see it as safe and/or practical to nip down into it.

 

[ManiaMuse]

OP it's called 'must get in front of cyclist syndrome'. It doesn't usually bother me apart from the idiots who tailgate the vehicle in front while doing so or the ones who obnoxiously box you in when the traffic in front is slow moving or stationary.

One way to prevent it is to take up a more assertive position when you anticipate someone is going to make a pointless overtake. If you see the traffic in front slowing down or red lights or whatever, have a quick look back and move out just enough to make them reconsider how worth it is to try and overtake. Also puts you in a better position to move out further if you choose to filter.

My favourite way to deal with drivers who pull pointless overtakes is to re-overtake them and slot back in front of them. Don't look back at all, just imagine them getting increasingly infuriated in their metal cage with nothing they can do about it.
[QUOTE 1157441"]
But is it not more illogical to filter to the front only to be overtaken again? That is my point.
[/quote]

Sometimes you can coast while filtering and get lucky with the lights changing to green meaning that you don't have to stop and pull off from stationary.

Also on journeys where the traffic is heavy or there are lots of lights in quick succession filtering means you can maintain a much higher average speed than motor vehicles. Yes you might get re-overtaken by a lot of them but over the long run it generally works out to be quicker and more efficient (less stop/start).

 

[Midnight]

[QUOTE 1157438"]
I often ask the same question for cyclists - why filter to the front of a queue of traffic that is made up of only 3-4 cars only to be overtaken again. What's the point?
[/quote]

If I'm going straight on, then I'll filter if there's plenty of room or an ASL, to avoid having someone cut in front to turn left or even worse, the one's who'll drive along side you and force you left.

 

[iendicott]

[QUOTE 1157441"]
But is it not more illogical to filter to the front only to be overtaken again? That is my point.
[/quote]


No sometimes by filtering to the front you can time it right with the lights and this means you don't have to unclip unnecessarily. And not all cars get passed me a second time due to the traffic ahead so why not ?

 

[BentMikey]

Actually, Lee has a point. Sometimes it's good to wait behind the cars, and I often do. Other times, no, much better to get ahead and leave the motorists and all the others ahead in the next queue.

 

[iendicott]

Actually, Lee has a point. Sometimes it's good to wait behind the cars, and I often do. Other times, no, much better to get ahead and leave the motorists and all the others ahead in the next queue.

Agree sometimes it is but on most occasions I like to get ahead as I have had the scenario already mentioned, whereby a motorist speeds past you only to turn left at the lights and nearly take me off the bike.

 

[brodie]

This must get past or must overtake thing also happens a lot with cyclists, some of whom probably ride a bike like they drive a car, only worse.  If there's only a few cars waiting at a red light, I don't bother to try to squeeze through in the gutter to get to the front of the queue. As long as I can get through the lights on the next change to green, I'll just wait in my place in the queue, in the lane and not the gutter which can result in left hooks.