How to overtake cyclists video
Discussion
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2...
In the video, a driving instructor gives a demonstration on how to overtake cyclists.
The problem is, when he actually does the overtake, it's just before on a fairly blind brow of a hill (where a recumbent cyclist coming the other way couldn't be seen) and with side roads to the left and right!
Arguably the point where he decides not to overtake them (at 1:41), he actually has a clearer view of the road ahead and would probably have been a better overtake (aside from the presence of double white lines)
In the video, a driving instructor gives a demonstration on how to overtake cyclists.
The problem is, when he actually does the overtake, it's just before on a fairly blind brow of a hill (where a recumbent cyclist coming the other way couldn't be seen) and with side roads to the left and right!
Arguably the point where he decides not to overtake them (at 1:41), he actually has a clearer view of the road ahead and would probably have been a better overtake (aside from the presence of double white lines)
Boydie88 said:
What I always have a chuckle at is the whole 'give as much space as you would a car' than an accompanying photo of a car overtaking a cyclist but still with a large chunk of the car in the left lane.
How much space do you leave between the car you overtake and yours then? 
The side roads look OK - it's a good rule of thumb that you don't overtake through junctions, but these are flat open areas that you can see aren't going to present a problem, as long as you know what you're overtaking isn't going in there either.
I don't know about the vertical visibility, depends on the view in the cabin.
I don't know about the vertical visibility, depends on the view in the cabin.
Alex@POD said:
How much space do you leave between the car you overtake and yours then?
Aware it can be read differently, but even when you overtake a car on a B road you'll often end up with not much more than a foot between mirrors. Over take a cyclist with that gap and they'll lose their s
t.So is the highway code saying give them a foot or, move over fully onto the RHS as I would when overtaking a car but then it shows a picture of a car straddling.
monthefish said:
otolith said:
It means as much space as a small car occupies, not as much clearance as you give a car.
How does that work on a B road when they're riding 2/3 up and the 'outside' cyclist is close to the centreline?otolith said:
monthefish said:
otolith said:
It means as much space as a small car occupies, not as much clearance as you give a car.
How does that work on a B road when they're riding 2/3 up and the 'outside' cyclist is close to the centreline?e.g. on the following poster, put the bike just to the left of the white line (as they often are), if the car gives the cyclist the requested amount of space, he's off the road on the RHS
My approach is to treat a cyclist like an old timer driving a VW UP!, and just overtake and let them pass in the same way. I've watched too many cyclist road rage videos, to make a more pushy (but still safe) pass, that they might interpret the wrong way. I also try not to let it bother me when cyclists skip red-lights, fly past you in traffic (where's the safe gap when they overtake?) and so on, ride on pavements, etc 
As for that video... well
It says "give cyclists at least as much space as you would give a car", so the question is how much space would you normally give a car (gap between wing mirrors)? Maybe 0.5 - 1.0 meter on a regular B road? I would expect that to make a lot of cyclists angry.
If cyclists need so much space due to constant small adjustments they make, it seems pretty ridiculous that they ride within cm of each other when in group - surely that is just an accident waiting to happen!?!
That overtake he did over the blind crest did look quite dangerous, I would agree!! Funny.
As for that video... well
It says "give cyclists at least as much space as you would give a car", so the question is how much space would you normally give a car (gap between wing mirrors)? Maybe 0.5 - 1.0 meter on a regular B road? I would expect that to make a lot of cyclists angry.
If cyclists need so much space due to constant small adjustments they make, it seems pretty ridiculous that they ride within cm of each other when in group - surely that is just an accident waiting to happen!?!
That overtake he did over the blind crest did look quite dangerous, I would agree!! Funny.
monthefish said:
Surely if you give the outside cyclist 'as much space as a small car occupies' you would be off the road/in the verge on the other side of the road.
e.g. on the following poster, put the bike just to the left of the white line (as they often are), if the car gives the cyclist the requested amount of space, he's off the road on the RHS
if 1 cyclist is cycling where the right wheel of that imaginary car is its either becausee.g. on the following poster, put the bike just to the left of the white line (as they often are), if the car gives the cyclist the requested amount of space, he's off the road on the RHS
1- they're taking up a primary position and don't want you to overtake them yet
2- they're positioning themselves to turn right
3-positioning themselves for something else?
even if they was where the right wheel is of the imgainary car they are still on the left lane, you'd cross over the lines to overtake.
Boydie88 said:
Alex@POD said:
How much space do you leave between the car you overtake and yours then?
Aware it can be read differently, but even when you overtake a car on a B road you'll often end up with not much more than a foot between mirrors. Over take a cyclist with that gap and they'll lose their st.So is the highway code saying give them a foot or, move over fully onto the RHS as I would when overtaking a car but then it shows a picture of a car straddling.
mrloudly said:
How is it motorcyclists can pass between moving queuing rows of cars without all this hassle? Cyclists regularly pass up the inside of stationary traffic in their own lane, how come there's enough room then???
See also : pedestrians walking beside a wall - how come there's enough room for them to not worry about walking into it?Speed differential is important apparently.
mrloudly said:
How is it motorcyclists can pass between moving queuing rows of cars without all this hassle? Cyclists regularly pass up the inside of stationary traffic in their own lane, how come there's enough room then???
Because, to point out the thunderingly obvious, in each case the cyclist or motorcyclist is opted-in to and in control of their own manoeuvre, rather than being the unwilling subject of yours. Not to mention that what you describe usually takes place at low speeds for all parties.mrloudly said:
How is it motorcyclists can pass between moving queuing rows of cars without all this hassle? Cyclists regularly pass up the inside of stationary traffic in their own lane, how come there's enough room then???
You want to drive past me 30 cm away when I'm on my bicycle, thats fine, as long as you are doing 15-20 mph (realistic speed of a cyclist, and maximum filtering speed a motorbike should be doing past stationary traffic) and I'm stood still. They are not passing at high speed, on a bike (motor or pedal) I know to within a millimeter where the edge of my vehicle is and cars are not upset by the draft of a passing bicycle or motorbike.
Edited by SteveSteveson on Wednesday 12th August 16:32
mrloudly said:
How is it motorcyclists can pass between moving queuing rows of cars without all this hassle? Cyclists regularly pass up the inside of stationary traffic in their own lane, how come there's enough room then???
A 200 lb bike and rider combination hitting a couple of tons of car is far less likely to be fatal than if it happens the other way round. It's all about velocity x mass 
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