Passing other cyclists

[anothersam]

how do other people pass cyclists on a road - assuming there are no cars coming up behind and there is room etc etc?

By leaving as much room as possible - preferably the other side of the lane. Often a handlebar wave or hello in passing. Horse riders and pedestrians always get a hello by way of warning.

I've never been passed

I seldom am on the hills, but always make sure to judge the competition first.

 

[PaulSB]

Hello hello we are talking about individual cyclist and those on racing bikes showing no consideration for for those travelling slower.

I don't stop shoulder checking if I'm riding solo. The OP said he was taken by surprise, I'm simply explaining why I wouldn't normally be surprised to find there is a cyclist, driver of whatever behind me or overtaking.

 

[PaulSB]

You have a choice go wide and let people know your coming past. You choose not to. Ignorance at best. Once when out cycle literally 50 cyclist did it not one let me know they were coming past and they rode as close as possible to me. The only exception was when I informed them I would knock them off there bike if they past to close.
" fair few maybe the majority" therefore not a generalisation.
"we all ride "racing" bikes, whatever that may be." Do you see any contradiction there?


Probably yourself and your mate @roubaixtuesday

As I said I would go 3-4 feet wide and give a greeting of some sort. I am far from an ignorant individual and feel that is an uncalled for remark. If you were overtaken in this manner by 50 cyclists I would agree this is both rude and ignornant. Presumably it was one large group? You suggested the majority of cyclists behave this way, this is a generalistaion as you have no way of proving or disproving the point.

As for "racing bikes" I asked whatever these may be. If you referring to bikes with drop bars this doesn't make them racing machines and in my experience most riders only race when they are actually in a race.

 

[RichardB]

I follow the usual principle that it is the duty of the overtaker to make sure things are safe, not the overtakee.

The one I remember best was when I overtook a fairly large lady on an even larger horse. I pinged my bell discreetly, and then called (not shouted) "coming past on your right". I gave the horse about 5m space and cruised past almost in the hedge. As I rode away, I heard, in the plummiest, cut-glass accent ever, "Thank you, Polite Cyclist!"

 

[bladesman73]

It was deliberate to scare you there are a fair few maybe the majority of those on racing bikes do it. They expect car drivers to give them room but they don't think they have to give cyclist or walkers any space. If you are passing another cyclist you give them just as much room as you would expect from car driver and you let them know well in advance with a shout of "coming past"

Fckin hell any more generalisations? Daily Heil is that way

 

[Brads]

It was deliberate to scare you there are a fair few maybe the majority of those on racing bikes do it. They expect car drivers to give them room but they don't think they have to give cyclist or walkers any space. If you are passing another cyclist you give them just as much room as you would expect from car driver and you let them know well in advance with a shout of "coming past"

Ahahahahahahahah! ahahha ! ahahahahah haha ha ahahahah ! hah haahahah ha ha ! brilliant.

 

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

It was deliberate to scare you there are a fair few maybe the majority of those on racing bikes do it. They expect car drivers to give them room but they don't think they have to give cyclist or walkers any space. If you are passing another cyclist you give them just as much room as you would expect from car driver and you let them know well in advance with a shout of "coming past"

Kindly return to the sea

 

[matticus]

Give a wide berth to any cyclist whose competence you can't ascertain.

Works on the web, too, I find.

 

[RichardB]

Give a wide berth to any cyclist whose competence you can't ascertain.

In all my 40+ years of motorcycling, I was very rarely scared by the actions of a car driver, van or lorry. Other motorcyclists, on the other hand, scared me frequently. Just because you share a mode of transport doesn't mean everyone is a good guy.

 

[boydj]

You have a choice go wide and let people know your coming past. You choose not to. Ignorance at best. Once when out cycle literally 50 cyclist did it not one let me know they were coming past and they rode as close as possible to me. The only exception was when I informed them I would knock them off there bike if they past to close.
" fair few maybe the majority" therefore not a generalisation.
"we all ride "racing" bikes, whatever that may be." Do you see any contradiction there?


Probably yourself and your mate @roubaixtuesday

Sounds like you are making a generalisation out of a one-off incident where you seem to have been passed by a group taking part in a race or a sportive, or possibly even a club run.

I'm always on a 'racing' bike and I always let people - both pedestrians and cyclists - know when I'm coming past.

 

[Ridgeway]

I usually follow behind for a bit, make sure my HR is low enough that i can avoid the embarrassment of being re-taken over and then make my manoeuvre when it's safe to do so, nice and wide and with a friendly "salut" just as arriving towards them.

I do of course try to do this way in advance of any hills as experience shows that the roles will quickly be reversed if there's any bumps in the road up ahead

 

[MntnMan62]

I don't like to follow behind with Covid raging. Most bikers I've seen ride without masks. I know I ride without one as well. But I'm wary of riding behind someone because all that means is I'm catching all of their "exhaust" that they are breathing out every moment I am behind them. I'll even go so far as to hold my breath when I get close and just power past them way out in the middle of the road. And I don't pull in front of them until I feel I've put some distance between us. Of course I'm constantly checking for cars coming up behind me.

 

[Drago]

The thread title is misleading. Sounds like the thread is about some kind of cannibalistic bowel problem.

 

[Blue Hills]

It was deliberate to scare you there are a fair few maybe the majority of those on racing bikes do it. They expect car drivers to give them room but they don't think they have to give cyclist or walkers any space. If you are passing another cyclist you give them just as much room as you would expect from car driver and you let them know well in advance with a shout of "coming past"

Liked your post though I'd lean towards the "fair few" rather than accusing the majority which is a bit unfair. And was maybe the bit that got you the flack.

Maybe you meant the majority of those doing this, not the majority of racing bike folk doing it.
It is the case in my experience that the vast majority of close pass offendors ARE those who see themselves as speed merchants.
Close passes in london are pretty common in my experience.

No bell.

Some just say something when they are actually alongside you/in your ear - if they think this is of any use at all they need to stop and think. It's more likely to make me jump and may cause a crash in itself. And it is so stupid that, yes, one can't help but wonder if some do it with a sense of pathetic triumphalism that they are passing you. It's effectively the same as the passenger in a car leaning out and shouting OY in your ear. Whereas the vast majority of car drivers wanting to let you know they are there just give a short friendly peep when they are well behind you.

I actually apologised to one guy once - I thought I'd swerved towards/almost into him. We could have both ended up floored.
Of course I hadn't - I'd just looked over my shoulder for some reason and found him right alongside me. Maybe the look had made me move out by a centimetre, or maybe not. So up the road it occurred to me that he was a twat.

On catching up with some close pass merchant I did ask him whether he had considered a bell - the smug jerk said he couldn't find one that matched/was worthy of his bike.

In London I am particularly wary of cyclists sitting behind me in case they do the jerk squared maneoevre and try to come through on the inside.

Mostly this junk happens in London but I do sometimes get it from roadies and chain gangs in the lanes.

So, in short, ride like a good car driver.

Come past on the outside giving fellow cyclists a wide berth.

Ping a bell when you are behind.

Don't suddenly shout/whisper in/nibble on my ear.

 

[Blue Hills]

Ah two rural lancashire experience (to show London isn't the epicentre of twatdom.

Climbing round Pendle on my last visit north I had some young bloke sneak past on the inside. Caught him up and told him he should be in a revved up BMW. He told me he had two. Though I think then qualified this by saying they were daddy's. My position on the road was fine - plenty of puncture debris at the side of the road round Pendle due to constant rain. The evil part of me did hope to later find him prostrate on the gravelly bend on the drop into Barley.

My most spectacular bit of jerkdom was also in lancashire - as I was coming DOWN a hill some bloke thought it cute to come through on my inside. Coming the other way!