Unsure about other cyclists?

[Hip Priest]

Matthew, other cyclists do not 'hold you up'. The correct way to overtake a slower cyclist is to proceed once it becomes safe to do so. If this knocks a couple of seconds off your journey, tough tits - you don't own the road.

 

[Matthew_T]

The onus is on you to overtake safely. That is what the Highway Code says. That should tell you all you need to know about this, as well as to who will shoulder the consequences of any accident that may arise as you ''roar'' around the next cyclist that has the misfortune of ''holding you up''.

The Highway Code also says "When it is safe to do so, overtake the vehicle quickly and do not cut".

 

[Arch]

The first instance involved a cyclist swerving around a car waiting to pull out.
And the second involved me having to wait behind him because we were passing a junction on a bend.

How dare they, fancy cycling in front of you, and at a junction too. Don't they know you're much, much more important than them?

How the... effing eff, is a cyclist holding you up because they happen to be passing a junction on a bend? They have every right to cycle there. You have to wait until it's safe to overtake. This is not you 'being held up', This is traffic.

 

[Dan_h]

There are several things that you should check before passing slower cyclists, you need to make sure the you are down on the drops with your but in the air, make sure that you are wearing matching lycra kit, check that your bike is not making any noises that it should not be - then approach them into their feeble slipstream and with your wildest grimace stomp on the pedals , pass them, and keep kicking it down the road until you are out of sight and can slow down again to catch your breath.

As Hip Priest says you don't own the road... but you want the dude you just passed to THINK that you do and to know that he has just been dropped by a proper cyclist!

 

[nickprior]

Two days in a row now I have been held up by a cyclist because I wasnt sure of what he was going to do.

The first instance involved a cyclist swerving around a car waiting to pull out.
And the second involved me having to wait behind him because we were passing a junction on a bend.
Afterwards I roared past both of them leaving them to the mercy of the cars they are now holding up but in situations like these, do you speed past them as soon as possible or wait patiently? I dont live in a busy area and they have strangely happened on the same bit of road.

Any advice?

Advice? Get out of your car and onto your bike.

You were driving weren't you?

 

[Browser]

Give them plenty of space, politely let them know you are there, judge conditions and when safe to do so, overtake, preferably with a cheerful greeting (allowing for them looking like they can/want to converse in any language besides unintelligble grunts).

 

[Svendo]

I find having the mindset that this is an opportunity to be a mature, safe cyclist and to demonstrate good cycling practice, rather bloody hell I'm being held up helps reduce the stress in these situations, and to actually accomplish all the obvious advice re. Highway code etc.
I have also found passing other cyclists needs extra care, as motorists don't expect cyclists to pass oneanother (I think magnatom has a video of a man in a red civic agruing about not cycling two abreast when he'd actually been overtaking another cyclist). Good practice for me is clear and long rear checks, good signal, and then super hard primary (next to the centre line in a narrow single carriageway), being sure to remember rule 163 applies to bikes passing bikes as much as cars.
If you still find it hard to get out of the 'being held up' mindset, perhaps regard it as an enforced rest period before a sprint interval where you regain any lost time?

 

[Alien8]

There are several things that you should check before passing slower cyclists, you need to make sure the you are down on the drops with your but in the air, make sure that you are wearing matching lycra kit, check that your bike is not making any noises that it should not be - then approach them into their feeble slipstream and with your wildest grimace stomp on the pedals , pass them, and keep kicking it down the road until you are out of sight and can slow down again to catch your breath.

No no - when overtaking you should be sat-up, riding no-handed, reading a newspaper or combing your hair, and whistling a cheery tune.

 

[stephenjubb]

Strangely enough I find I have to be more careful of other cyclists, who are more likely to cause a hazard to me than cars.

Not sure if this is down to other cyclists inexperience but when I commuted in London I had more close shaves with cyclists passing me too close than cars. I actually prefer cars passing than cyclists.

When a cyclist is behind me I always keep a close eye on them. Too many times I have been followed by cyclists and I in my peripheral vision see them passing really close to the point if I had even moved right slightly we would have collided.

Just because someone is on a bicycle doesn't mean they are competent. Of course naturally I am not saying all cyclists are like this, impossible to quantify how many are competent.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Is the care around other cyclists employed by some posters because they could be unaware of your presence? If they (the unaware) don't know what's going on around them, then any passing vehicle be it car, van, lorry, bus or (perish the thought) a rider scalping them is going to be a surprise. A surprise usually causes reactionary movement or wobbling which won't always be to the left. On the odd occasion I scalp pass another cyclist I always ring my bell and call out "passing on the right". As the 'faster' overtaking vehicle it is my responsibility to avoid them. Ditto when I drive - I have a duty of care if I am passing other road users to do so safely.

 

[Dan_h]

No no - when overtaking you should be sat-up, riding no-handed, reading a newspaper or combing your hair, and whistling a cheery tune.

Sorry, you are quite right of course. I think the deciding factor may be the type of bike you are riding. For this to work then in my mind the bike should be a fixie (to use the "hipster" term for it). I am not sure but to be really cool should you not be browsing the news via the interweb on your iPad?

 

[Mugshot]

No no - when overtaking you should be sat-up, riding no-handed, reading a newspaper or combing your hair, and whistling a cheery tune.

+1
I carry a pipe and trilby for such occasions, I don them quickly just before sailing past in the manner described above

 

[Dan_h]

+1
I carry a pipe and trilby for such occasions, I don them quickly just before sailing past in the manner described above

Good grief, can you actually smoke a pipe while riding no-handed, reading a newspaper and combing your hair??? How many hands do you have?!?!

 

[Mugshot]

Good grief, can you actually smoke a pipe while riding no-handed, reading a newspaper and combing your hair??? How many hands do you have?!?!

Well, I hold the paper in both hands, the pipe is held between my teeth in the manner of all great pipe smokers. I don't have any hair to comb anymore, thanks for bringing it up

 

[BlackPanther]

I think you have to put yourself in their position. I used to get annoyed when held up by others.....even (or especially) when on a cycle path. However, I sometimes quite like pottering along when not commuting. In fact I positively crawl along when out with the kids. The fact is that most cyclists are relatively unfit compared to us pros.....and some are old codgers who haven't exceeded 15 mph in the last 20 years. It's also worth bearing in mind that everyone make mistakes form time to time (except for me of course,) especially not checking when avoiding obstacles. Whenever the occasion arises that you have to compensate for others inferior riding skills, then you should give yourself a pat on the back (not when riding, that's dangerous,) and be happy in the knowledge that you are far superior to those with less experience. Amen.