Undertaking not a good idea part 2

[theboytaylor]

Following on from fnaar's thread about undertaking cars, I'd thought I'd vent a bit about cyclists undertaking other cyclists.

This happens to me fairly frequently (three times today). I'm sure I'm at least partly at fault for leaving the door ajar, if not actually open, but I'm not keen on driving in the gutter and crunching over potholes and drain covers so I give myself a bit of space. I'm also not keen on undertaking rows of traffic, as discussed on the other post, so I'm trying to leave myself the option of taking the outside or keeping in the flow of traffic.

Anyway, it really gets my goat when I then see the traffic slow down, or reach a red light and as I stop and unclip my left foot I get some clown squeeze up the inside. With a bike there's not that much noise, so if I was to pull in closer to the kerb the following cyclist would be right up my 'arris.

So, fellow cyclists, use a bit of brain power, eh? (Not that I'm suggesting that any of us knights of the road on here would do something so daft)

 

[ianrauk]

it's something that get's my goat as well. Happened earlier this week, bloody frightened the life out of me as he undertook me at the lights at speed.

 

[HLaB]

Yeah it's annoying when they undertake you when you are deliberately waiting behind turning buses and they undertake the first bus but are left in no mans land. Its only fortunate that most bus drivers here are observant but unfortunately it delays both me and the bus while they wobble away;, its better a delay than a death though.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Happened to me just after I crossed Tower Bridge. I was waiting to turn left by The Tower and just as the lights changed someone shot through on my left going straight on. I am not sure if he was going to RLJ and just got lucky, but a couple of seconds later and I would have been moving and across his path.

 

[Molecule Man]

This happened to me once, just as I signalled to turn left, he rode straight into my arm, lucky he didn't have me off.

 

[HLaB]

This happened to me once, just as I signalled to turn left, he rode straight into my arm, lucky he didn't have me off.

"Right Left turn Clyde"

 

[Tynan]

yes, dangerous

 

[atbman]

Undertaken all my life and only had a handful of slightly dodgy moments, but have always take great care and used the same commonsense and powers of observation that I use in any other circs.

I don't hold anyone up, don't undertake anyone signalling left, ditto anyone whose position indicates they might be turning left and never sit in anyone's blind spot.

Those riders who undertake without taking such care and having such consideration will ride in the same way anywhere else on the road.

Much of such riding results from a lack of training and from swallowing many of the myths that abound about roads being unsafe for cyclists and then carrying out mistaken manoeuvres which are designed to avoid the conditions which are believed, often erroneously, to be inherently unsafe.

 

[Black Sheep]

Undertaken all my life and only had a handful of slightly dodgy moments, but have always take great care and used the same commonsense and powers of observation that I use in any other circs.

I don't hold anyone up, don't undertake anyone signalling left, ditto anyone whose position indicates they might be turning left and never sit in anyone's blind spot.

please don't, scares the willies out of me each time and i have the tendancy to swing left if a car is coming past me.

last time anyone came past me on my left it was my fiancee, on a fire road and she promptly knocked me off!

 

[D-Rider]

The one that annoyed me was the cyclist I passed shortly before a traffic light crossroads. I moved into primary at the ASL to discourage any potential left hook and the cyclist caught up and sat on my left. No problem with that, obviously. I knew I was faster because I'd reeled him in and passed earlier so assumed I'd pull ahead and be able to get back into secondary when the light changed. Not so, the prat gunned it (by his standards), matched my speed and left me sitting out in primary with a rush hour traffic queue angrily building behind. I had to back off and duck in behind for my safety... and then sit on his back wheel until the traffic cleared and I could pass again (yes, he slowed down almost as soon as I backed off).

What is the cycling etiquette in this situation? Personally I always let the first cyclist to reach the junction go even if I think I'm faster....

 

[HLaB]

What is the cycling etiquette in this situation?

"Right Left turn Clyde"

...

 

[D-Rider]

Oh, I couldn't do that!

 

[mr_cellophane]

What is the cycling etiquette in this situation? Personally I always let the first cyclist to reach the junction go even if I think I'm faster....

I never have that problem. They're all faster than me.