What do you do when...

[Cab]

...you've overtaken another cyclist, he's in secondary position or worse and you're in primary. Cars pull out from a side junction in front of you and you have to slow down, so you stay in primary in the traffic. You've slowed down sufficiently that the guy behind has made up the 40-50 yards you were ahead of him, and he slips into a fairly fat secondary position to your left; every time you move forward, he keeps far too close to you, right on your left. He tries for the occasional dart down the left hand side of the cars, and he's clearly tiring because you and the cars ahead are going way faster than he was when you went past him, but his testosterone driven desire not to be 'bested' by another cyclist has taken over. He's in the way and, frankly, embarassing.

What do you do? You can't just out-accelerate him, theres too much traffic. Do you put up with him? Do you talk to him? Do you slow down and let him go?

 

[bonj2]

If he hasn't overtaken you yet, then pretend you haven't noticed him and sort of slowly drift into secondary, forcing him to back off.
If he has, then overtake him back.

 

[Tynan]

hold primary surely if you're quicker?

 

[Cab]

hold primary surely if you're quicker?

I did hold primary (was quicker than him until the traffic came out of a side road and slowed me down, at that point he caught up), and had him stuck in a far-out secondary. Further out by far than he had been when I overtook him, more or less elbow-to-elbow with me, except when he thought he might have a chance to undertake the car in front (which he never managed).

Eventually, I swung out even wider and indicated to turn left. He slowed right down, I think he was winded by that point anyway.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

What would I do? Probably say hello and strike up a conversation with him until our routes separated.

What should you do? Quote passages from Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and inform him of everything that you think he's doing wrong and tell him that he is an embarrassment to cyclists everywhere, and specifically you at this particular time. Tell him his behaviour has chilled you.

 

[Cab]

What would I do? Probably say hello and strike up a conversation with him until our routes separated.

What should you do? Quote passages from Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and inform him of everything that you think he's doing wrong and tell him that he is an embarrassment to cyclists everywhere, and specifically you at this particular time. Tell him his behaviour has chilled you.

Rather too much information to pass on there to someone

I almost asked him to back off 'cos he was too close. Coming up on the inside, at speed, in traffic, and within inches of me, just seemed needless and aggressive to me.

 

[bonj2]

hold primary surely if you're quicker?

you could, only problem is he might try (already be trying) to undertake.

 

[Tynan]

let him undertake in secondary if you're in primary and faster than him

quite how he'll do that if you're quicker and the cars likewise

 

[Maz]

...He tries for the occasional dart down the left hand side of the cars, and he's clearly tiring because you and the cars ahead are going way faster than he was when you went past him, but his testosterone driven desire not to be 'bested' by another cyclist has taken over. He's in the way and, frankly, embarassing.

What do you do? You can't just out-accelerate him, theres too much traffic. Do you put up with him? Do you talk to him? Do you slow down and let him go?

Why bother to do anything about it? Let him do his thing and you do yours.

 

[domtyler]

What should you do? Quote passages from Cyclecraft and the Highway Code and inform him of everything that you think he's doing wrong and tell him that he is an embarrassment to cyclists everywhere, and specifically you at this particular time. Tell him his behaviour has chilled you.

Cab, you should not get into playing games with other people on public highways. Just concentrate on what you are doing and do your best to ignore other people. If they want to act like idiots just put distance between you and finish your journey with a calm head rather than constantly getting yourself into a tizwaz.

 

[Aperitif]

Cab, you should not get into playing games with other people on public highways. Just concentrate on what you are doing and do your best to ignore other people. If they want to act like idiots just put distance between you and finish your journey with a calm head rather than constantly getting yourself into a tizwaz.

Wise words.

 

[Cab]

let him undertake in secondary if you're in primary and faster than him

quite how he'll do that if you're quicker and the cars likewise

Trouble was we were both then stuck behind the car, him on my inside and right on my elbow, at speed. If it was someone I knew, not some bloke riding like an idiot, I wouldn't be fussed by that.

 

[Cab]

Cab, you should not get into playing games with other people on public highways. Just concentrate on what you are doing and do your best to ignore other people. If they want to act like idiots just put distance between you and finish your journey with a calm head rather than constantly getting yourself into a tizwaz.

Wasn't at all flustered. I'm just trying to work out what a better solution might be (if there is a better solution) for next time. Wombling along in traffic next to someone who's elbow to elbow with me ain't my ideal cycling conditions, he'd picked just about the worst spot on the road to be in, and I'd like to work out if theres a better solution than I came up with.

 

[Arch]

I seem to remember that Papercorn had an effective method for dealing with transgressors...

Suggest singing or talking to yourself loudly. He'll soon back off in terror....

 

[domtyler]

Wasn't at all flustered. I'm just trying to work out what a better solution might be (if there is a better solution) for next time. Wombling along in traffic next to someone who's elbow to elbow with me ain't my ideal cycling conditions, he'd picked just about the worst spot on the road to be in, and I'd like to work out if theres a better solution than I came up with.

As stated, the best position for you would have been as far away as possible from the guy who was winding you up.