Road Positioning on a two lane road

[dand_uk]

Hey guys, In a bad mood since a close thing last night. #

Was riding down a 30mph two lane road (west quay road, southampton) with lots of red lights and a speed camera. I was riding in the left hand lane about 1m from the kerb and had just stopped at a red, taking the centre of the lane. A car pulled up to the lights in the right hand lane and one pulled up behind. When the lights changed I set off at a decent pace, roughly level with the car on my right. The car behind then pulled the stupid move of squeezing between me and the car on the right. I dont know how he got past without hitting me, was probably the closest call I've had.
I gave him the two finger solute and he sped off towards the next red light. Didn't catch his plate as I was in shock at how close it was. A good driver would have waited a few seconds for the car on the right to pass me then pass me in the right hand lane.

Next time I think i will take a more central position in the left hand lane to try and prevent this happening again. Any recommendations? Also thinking of getting a camera which would hopefully of picked up his plate.

Just annoyed at the guy's impatience in a 30mph zone during Friday rush hour where most roads he would come to after passing me would be queuing traffic.

Sorry for the moan.

/edit:

Streetview of rough position here

 

[gbb]

Hey guys, In a bad mood since a close thing last night. #

Was riding down a 30mph two lane road (west quay road, southampton) with lots of red lights and a speed camera. I was riding in the left hand lane about 1m from the kerb and had just stopped at a red, taking the centre of the lane. A car pulled up to the lights in the right hand lane and one pulled up behind. When the lights changed I set off at a decent pace, roughly level with the car on my right. The car behind then pulled the stupid move of squeezing between me and the car on the right. I dont know how he got past without hitting me, was probably the closest call I've had.
I gave him the two finger solute and he sped off towards the next red light. Didn't catch his plate as I was in shock at how close it was. A good driver would have waited a few seconds for the car on the right to pass me then pass me in the right hand lane.

Next time I think i will take a more central position in the left hand lane to try and prevent this happening again. Any recommendations? Also thinking of getting a camera which would hopefully of picked up his plate.

Just annoyed at the guy's impatience in a 30mph zone during Friday rush hour where most roads he would come to after passing me would be queuing traffic.

Sorry for the moan.

I assume you took primary dand ? This is one of the times where taking primary can bring you into conflict with a numpty driver. I've argued before that primary can occasionally do that if the driver behind is determined to get through at all costs. You could argue that secondary would have let the driver through without the conflict (i dont know your road widths, upcoming pinchpoints etc mind)
You did everything right it seems, you were just unlucky to meet a fcukwit of a driver. You're between a rock and a hard place sometimes, take primary, you occasionally get conflict, take secondary...same outcome sometimes.

Put it behind you dand. I know i used to get little flurrys of incidents, almost enough to want you to pack it in. Thankfully the majority of riding is incident free.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

As gbb said You did nothing wrong, primary, taking the lane, at a junction normally makes it a bit safer but you are likely to get the odd idiot, just put it behind you and carry on.

 

[buggi]

yep, i agree. The thing is you can't avoid every dickhead on the road, some drivers will just do it to make a point and be an peanut. carry on as you were.

 

[lit]

i'd say take the lane in that situation, providing you can hold a good speed for the road.

 

[joolsybools]

As all other posters, you did the right thing but unfortuantely you met a dickhead. I've met a few too and it is shocking sometimes but take a deep breath or 2, put it down to experience and move on

 

[gaz]

I ride a road like that, no matter what position you take, some idiot will pass you far too close. The best thing to do is learn the road at a level where you think you could cycle it blindfolded and miss every slight pot hole. Then cycle along the road looking backwards most of the time with a quick glance forwards every few seconds. That way you can see everything coming and take action to avoid anything that will come too close for comfort.

 

[skudupnorth]

Yep,you had a dickhead attack.....as we say in the motortrade "they all do that sir" ! I have to do the same when i leave work due to the inside lane being an off road course due to the quaility of the road surface,i would'nt even drive over it so i stay out !

 

[ManiaMuse]

I ride a road like that, no matter what position you take, some idiot will pass you far too close. The best thing to do is learn the road at a level where you think you could cycle it blindfolded and miss every slight pot hole. Then cycle along the road looking backwards most of the time with a quick glance forwards every few seconds. That way you can see everything coming and take action to avoid anything that will come too close for comfort.

^This

Giving a few looks back in quick succession can often discourage drivers from trying marginal overtakes. I think it makes them slightly nervous about what you are going to do, so they choose not to risk it.

Of course you have to keep your eyes on the road ahead of you as well so it isn't possible to be checking over your shoulder all the time!

 

[HLaB]

Giving a few looks back in quick succession can often discourage drivers from trying marginal overtakes. I think it makes them slightly nervous about what you are going to do, so they choose not to risk it.

You can never win with some idiots out there; with some drivers, the cyclist looking back just tells them you've seen them so in there small mind 'you won't wobble and its ok to overtake at speed and within inches'

 

[gbb]

You can never win with some idiots out there; with some drivers, the cyclist looking back just tells them you've seen them so in there small mind 'you won't wobble and its ok to overtake at speed and within inches'

Exactly, and the irony is, those glances back (which in my book have an excellent effect usually) actually make you proportionally less stable and slightly more likely to wobble.
Ultimately, you can ride in a style that minimises risk (taking primary etc)...but thats all it does, minimises risk, not gets rid of it all together. You can control the traffic around you to a point, but not altogether...you never can.

 

[Mad at urage]

Introduce a deliberate wobble when you ride. Seriously, in heavy traffic with someone pushing from behind, a six-inch wobble mostly with the bars (you don't have rubber stops in the bars, right?), often deters a chancer like that (although it has once had me pulled over by police - that was an interesting conversation!).

OTOH I once had a car catch my offside peddle in his wheel arch and pull me along at 30mph+, so it doesn't always work.

 

[CotterPin]

Another vote for looking back regularly. It can also help you decide how the driver behind you may behave and be ready to take appropriate action, if necessary. When I am waiting at lights I sometimes look back at the driver immediately behind me. Occasionally I even smile at them - or this could be misinterpreted!

 

[Amanda P]

Had you been in the gutter when numpty made his close pass, you'd have had nowhere to move to for safety.

As it was, at least you had plenty of escape space to your left. So even if it didn't deter numpty from attempting his silly overtake, it was still the right place to be.

 

[dand_uk]

Thanks for the advice ppl, it does seem that i was unlucky to share the road with a complete idiot. It's a shame tho cos if people would respect the speed limit and drive with care and attention then a 30mph two lane road would be ideal for everyone with plenty of room to pass any slower vehicles.

Out of interest - would you guys still hold the primary position if you were feeling exhausted and were slower than say 15mph? And would you hold primary for the length of the road or just through junctions?