Opinions, car vs bike..

[EnPassant]

Actually, instead of just throwing smilies into the thread I will try and add some reason....
Delayed for approximately 1 mile at 10 mph as opposed to doing maybe 30mph for that same mile (surely you wouldn't be travelling any faster than this when towing a caravan on narrow country lanes?). The former will take you around 6 minutes, the latter maybe 2 minutes, so that is a 4 minute test of patience and you have failed. hardly the delay of a lifetime is it, you must have really been running late that day?

I'm with Globalti here, I try to show courtesy and consideration to all road users regardless of my mode of transport or theirs. Each interaction has to undergo a rigorous analysis though, before any action is taken, and in the case described above I think you would lose out anyway and for the following reasons....
If I was riding alone and a vehicle came up behind me as described I would continue cycling for a short while in case a safe opportunity arose for the following vehicle to pass. If none occurred then I would begin looking for a safe place to pull over and allow the vehicle (or maybe vehicles by this time) to pass before resuming my enjoyment.
If a larger group of cyclists were riding in a similar scenario then, rightly, I would expect them to use the available road to prevent a dangerous pass and continue riding, with the driver having to wait until it was safe to pass. The riders may consider pulling over if a suitable space presented itself but my reckoning is that they should not be expected to do so as the balance of fairness is weighted heavily in their favour. I would not see the logic in 8, 10, a dozen or maybe more individuals having to inconvenience themselves so that 1 individual (you in a car) is not, it just doesn't add up.

Same, including pulling over after a while if no safe opportunity presents itself within a reasonable distance.
However, organising a group to pull aside is that much more difficult and as you say inconveniences a greater number. Further, unless the road is otherwise deserted, they'd have to do it all over again a couple of minutes later, this quickly becomes impractical I'd have thought.

 

[keithmac]

Sorry it was actually Temple Lane.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If I was riding alone and a vehicle came up behind me as described I would continue cycling for a short while in case a safe opportunity arose for the following vehicle to pass. If none occurred then I would begin looking for a safe place to pull over and allow the vehicle (or maybe vehicles by this time) to pass before resuming my enjoyment.

Same here. However, as @jefmcg says, in the meantime I would probably ride in primary to discourage any lunatic attempts at squeezing past. On a wider clear straight bit I'd drop to secondary or pull over. The problem is that while riding in primary the driver would have time to become infuriated at the selfish arrogant cyclist deliberately blocking the road and have time to whip out their mobile and post on here.

A slightly serious point, from my experience riding at the back of groups. A group of singled-out cyclists seen from behind will look a lot like a group riding in twos, unless they are extremely disciplined. Some will be a bit further out, some a bit further in. Similarly a group riding in twos will look like threes. This is probably where the mythical "four abreast" comes from. Looks like threes, and add one for dramatic effect.

 

[I like Skol]

Further, unless the road is otherwise deserted, they'd have to do it all over again a couple of minutes later, this quickly becomes impractical

Yep, the more you think about the situation and the reality of it beyond the obvious, the more you realise that the motorists expectation that everyone should get out of their way is actually quite absurd!
EDIT: Before anyone labels me as a woolly hat wearing, bike riding, anti car fanatic, I must point out that I am an equally enthusiastic petrol head with a driving based hobby and have been a delivery van driver for a large art of my adult life (but not at the moment).

 

[keithmac]

To be honest I was more worried about someone behind me doing a rash overtake which would have ended badly for everyone involved..

 

[nickyboy]

Acaster Ln

https://goo.gl/maps/dSU3a9MePLx

Round here, this doesn't even come close to a single lane country road.

Quite. There's plenty around here you couldn't get a caravan down at all, cyclists or othewise

 

[Pale Rider]

Similar thing happened to my group in the Scottish Borders on Sunday.

We had an agricultural vehicle behind us, and pulled over to let it pass when it was safe to do so.

Hardly remarkable, although a few hundred metres along the road we had to stop for the agricultural vehicle because it had come up against a car coming the other way.

I'm not so keen to stop to let something pass while climbing, because often I couldn't get going again.

That happened when climbing Ditchling Beacon with @User.

We were tooted a couple of times from behind, presumably because the car driver thought we should have stopped, or at least ridden in the gutter to allow him to squeeze past.

 

[I like Skol]

To be honest I was more worried about someone behind me doing a rash overtake which would have ended badly for everyone involved..

 

[Crackle]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned that all caravans should be burnt, yet.

 

[Apollonius]

It is obviously a very wide road indeed if cyclists can ride 4 abreast on it, (though @Dogtrousers is almost certainly right about the following driver getting that impression from their viewpoint.)

The difficulty with organising a group like that to stop, pull over, or whatever, is that someone (usually me) has to sprint to the front to tell everyone what is needed, by which time the situation may have changed anyway. Having got everyone pulled over, what happens then is that another oversize vehicle comes the other way and the road is blocked. Almost got wiped out the other day when, alone admittedly, I puled over to let a big car pass me on a single track (i.e no white line) road. Next thing I know he is reversing at me (at speed ) round a blind bend as something was coming the other way!

"You knew I was there, you just passed me!" I remonstrated. I got an apology as well as compliments on my speed, awareness and quick reactions. But my point is that it isn't always the safe option to try to organise a pass for a vehicle handicapped by its excess size. Sometimes the operators of these things have to take the rough with the smooth and accept a small delay.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Sorry it was actually Temple Lane.

View attachment 143683

Take your time collating the facts..

 

[Globalti]

I'm reading all this and trying to shift my mind into a different space-time continuum where everybody is in a relaxed mood and has plenty of time. Cyclists, drivers, walkers, would all cooperate politely and with good humour and every encounter would be a pleasure. I would only expect to experience such unhurried joy on a touring holiday of the west of Ireland or the Scottish islands, to be honest.

 

[jefmcg]

Sorry it was actually Temple Lane.

View attachment 143683

That's it. I'm out. I was a little appalled that you made us google for the road, when you were asking out opinion, and when you got that wrong, you still haven't provided us with a link that allows us to offer an informed opinion.

OK, so I guess you just want everyone to agree with you? OK, you are right. They were wrong.

 

[Glow worm]

I'm reading all this and trying to shift my mind into a different space-time continuum where everybody is in a relaxed mood and has plenty of time. Cyclists, drivers, walkers, would all cooperate politely and with good humour and every encounter would be a pleasure. I would only expect to experience such unhurried joy on a touring holiday of the west of Ireland or the Scottish islands, to be honest.

Or here!

 

[Roadrider48]

LOL