Overtaken by another rider intent on wiping us both out...

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Ian H

Ancient randonneur
I thought the consensus was that the driver was as likely to be at fault as the other cyclist. Which seems pretty even-handed.
 
Ahhh magic - The OP reckons it's the cyclists fault, no-one has any idea of the real facts and only the OP was there yet everybody seems desperate to find an excuse to blame the driver. Is it so hard to just accept that there are tossers on two wheels as well as four ?
Nah. Most say combination of both but whatever fits your agenda:okay:
 

Heisenberg71

When you're dead, you're dead
Location
Wakefield
I never give a warning when passing, and I don't think anyone has given one to me when passing. Not that I ever get passed you understand. Is that actual etiquette or a utopian dream?

For what it's worth IMHO the car driver should surely have had a clear view from behind that the bikes were or very soon were to be two abreast, which is legal. He then makes the decision on whether or not it is safe to pass. Not wait until they're two abreast then blow your horn as if some unpredicted high speed surprise danger has emerged right in front of your eyes. Surely he could see the events playing out in front of him and should have exercised a little bit of patience.

I ride bikes, ride motorbikes and drive cars so I can call anyone I like a tosser. I'd consider myself neutral. Car driver was a tosser IMHO. Waited for it to become a problem to him then sounded his horn, which probably made him feel better and scared the sh1t out of two cyclists.
 

Gatters

Senior Member
Location
Right Here
................

I ride bikes, ride motorbikes and drive cars so I can call anyone I like a tosser. I'd consider myself neutral. Car driver was a tosser IMHO. Waited for it to become a problem to him then sounded his horn, which probably made him feel better and scared the sh1t out of two cyclists.
yeah me too, they're all tossers :biggrin:
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
Am I the only one who finds the title of this thread a bit much? If the overtaking cyclist really was intent on hitting 2 other cyclists, then the overtaker would be more than just unfriendly, but instead a mental-institution case.
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
fellow cyclists saying hello or similar quite loudly as they approach closely spooks me! There i am dawdling along then all of a sudden i hear a voice on my shoulder.:ohmy: I'd rather they kept quiet then said hello or put their hand up when they've passed me.
 
Went out for a lovely winter ride in the sunshine yesterday. I ended up doing 85 miles, and it's fair to say I was a bit slow for the last few miles, back home.

As I climbed that last 1/2 mile, very low gradient, I was doing about 14mph and I was knackered. There was also quite a lot of traffic passing me.

Suddenly, I hear a car horn right next to me, and I glance to the my right to see another cyclist passing. No warning, not even an "on your right mate" or a wave. He'd decided to pass between me and a car which was overtaking, nearly wiping us both out!

No wave, not a word of warning or acknowledgement!

Just needed to vent there - I feel better now because I know you'll understand!
Unfortunately there are plenty of cyclists who are absolutely ****ers on the road. BB
 
I used my horn in a line of a couple of cyclsts the other day that was in the process of being overtaken. Immediately, I realised the cyclists would think I was prick and also that I was more likely to cause a wobble than not. HOWEVER the reason I was using the horn was at the car in front. We were on the A65 which is a winding twat of a road but at a wide enough part of it and the car in front had decided to overtake, during the overtake a car approached from the other direction (with plenty of room though) and this stupid bint decided instead of speeding up it was safer to slow down to the cyclists speed and remain at his side.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Well reading this post it could either be the cyclists fault or the car drivers fault.

But then reading it again. It could never be the cyclists fault could it....not on here at least.
 

S.Giles

Guest
I like to think that I'm objective and don't take sides based on tribalism.

The car driver decided to overtake a vehicle (the other cycle) that was already overtaking, or preparing to overtake another vehicle (the OP's cycle).

Why?

Some of the above comments would only be valid if the other cyclist was traveling faster than the car, which I find unlikely.
 
I like to think that I'm objective and don't take sides based on tribalism.

The car driver decided to overtake a vehicle (the other cycle) that was already overtaking, or preparing to overtake another vehicle (the OP's cycle).

Why?

Some of the above comments would only be valid if the other cyclist was traveling faster than the car, which I find unlikely.
This.

If the car was passing only the op then the 2nd cyclist to have caused an incident must have been travelling faster than both the car and the op. Possible but very unlikely. If the car was travelling faster than the 2nd bike then the bike must have already begun the overtake before the car hence the car overtook too closely. Can't see it could have happened any other way.
 
Or another possible scenario:
- Car approaches the two cyclists and moves out for a wide, safe overtake. Cyclists are one behind the other, in-line and close together since second cyclist has failed to assume a primary or overtaking position in good time.
- Following cyclist, now very close behind OP, swings out for quick overtake (either noting that the car is a long way out or not taking any notice at all)
- Car is still laterally clear of both cyclists, since he/she was doing a nice, wide overtake, even two a breast as they are now, and already effectively committed to either the overtake or performing a sudden braking, but is alarmed by the second cyclist's sudden overtake and hits horn in annoyance.

Without the OP knowing what was happening behind, there really isn't a definitive answer to who was in the wrong and by how much.
 

Mugshot

Cracking a solo.
fellow cyclists saying hello or similar quite loudly as they approach closely spooks me! There i am dawdling along then all of a sudden i hear a voice on my shoulder.:ohmy: I'd rather they kept quiet then said hello or put their hand up when they've passed me.
Agreed, shut your gob and get on with overtaking if you're going to, don't be sneaking up alongside me then bellowing "MORNING" in my lug'ole.
 

Karlt

Well-Known Member
I don't much like overtaking other cyclists on busy roads. If you're two abreast the inside guy is much closer to the kerb than a competent solo rider will be, so you're having to move out right into the right hand side of the lane to overtake. Approaching motor vehicles tend to think you're riding two abreast (their drivers don't seem to understand that cyclists might overtake each other!) and because you're taking up the entire lane apparently doing so they take umbrage.
 
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