Why you should give cyclists a wide berth when passing.

[WinstonWolf]

Finally, a video that demonstrates the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8-yHFEKhY#t=0m41...

Now the silly old sod shouldn't have fallen off, but occasionally it happens just like that. You need to leave enough room to clear the poor sod's head if someone is unfortunate enough to poleaxe off their bike in front of you.

[WinstonWolf]

Maybe you're an idiot...

[WinstonWolf]

RedAlfa said:

WinstonWolf said:

Finally, a video that demonstrates the point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8-yHFEKhY#t=0m41...

Now the silly old sod shouldn't have fallen off, but occasionally it happens just like that. You need to leave enough room to clear the poor sod's head if someone is unfortunate enough to poleaxe off their bike in front of you.

This nearly happened to me a few years back: I was overtaking a cyclist, and as I drove alongside her, she adjusted her backpack and nearly fell off. I gave her loads of space, but if I hadn't ... it would have changed my life ....

Edited by RedAlfa on Friday 19th August 18:45

I almost got collected once, hence posting

I was riding along with the missus and she didn't spot a car at a junction. I grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, but I momentarily forgot I was clipped in. Cue me going down in a nice controlled arc in front of everyone.

[WinstonWolf]

Finlandia said:

Maybe the cyclist shouldn't be drunk or steer under the car. The car gave plenty of room, the drunk on the cycle is the problem here, not the lack of space given by the car.

If he'd given plenty of room he wouldn't have gone over the cyclists head.

It's the cyclists fault, but would you honestly want to kill someone when giving them a little space could prevent it?

[WinstonWolf]

Mr2Mike said:

WinstonWolf said:

If he'd given plenty of room he wouldn't have gone over the cyclists head.

It's the cyclists fault, but would you honestly want to kill someone when giving them a little space could prevent it?

How do you know he went over the cyclists head, it doesn't mention that anywhere I can see? It looks like the cyclist probably hit his head on the car, but very unlikely his head was run over.

I agree with the others, riding a pushbike whilst so pissed you can barely stand up is the fundamental problem here. The car driver moved over more than enough to cope with the usual wobbles and weaves you get from cyclists who are unable to maintain a straight path. If everyone had to drive as though every cyclist was suddenly going to topple over, many places would just grind to a halt.

Absolutely the cyclists fault, 100%. But if you could avoid killing or maiming someone now you've seen what can happen wouldn't it make sense to try and avoid it? By giving cyclists a wide berth you avoid all that drama in your life.

[WinstonWolf]

FourWheelDrift said:

All video clips from Russia where alcohol is obligatory for cycling or driving.

I love Crazy Ivans, they all think they're F1 drivers when they're pissed. Which is always...

[WinstonWolf]

The Moose said:

WinstonWolf said:

Finlandia said:

Maybe the cyclist shouldn't be drunk or steer under the car. The car gave plenty of room, the drunk on the cycle is the problem here, not the lack of space given by the car.

If he'd given plenty of room he wouldn't have gone over the cyclists head.

It's the cyclists fault, but would you honestly want to kill someone when giving them a little space could prevent it?

Alternatively, if the guy wasn't as pissed as a fart then he probably wouldn't have ended up anywhere near the wheels of that car...

Quite true, but he was and the driver could avoid the hassle by just leaving as much room as in the HC. I just thought it was interesting the way he poleaxed, you don't often see cyclists go down like that. It's where the "leave as much room as you would when passing a car" advice comes from.

Personally I'd rather avoid coming into contact with any other road user when I'm driving...

[WinstonWolf]

spookly said:

I always give cyclists loads of room, and wait for a sufficiently roomy place to overtake even if it means waiting for miles.

Doesn't stop me from hating the lycra clad packs of cyclists for being in the way in the first place, but I wouldn't do something to endanger them either.

Seems the courtesy is never reciprocated though as I have never seen a bunch of cyclists pull in to let a big queue of traffic past.

Spooky timing, this morning an HGV courteously waited behind me through a series of pinch points. I nipped on the pavement (we were out in the arse end of nowhere) and let him pass. Flash of the indicators from him, wave from me and everyone was happy

[WinstonWolf]

Had he given that much room he would have missed the cyclists head. That is the correct position to be in when overtaking cyclists.

It was completely the cyclists fault, but as a driver I'd rather avoid hitting anyone. If you can mitigate a poleaxe by giving a bit more room it makes sense to me.

[WinstonWolf]

No, I'm saying what I said, that's why I said it. Personally I could do without the aggro when I'm driving. If good positioning helps me avoid other road users then I'll employ it.

[WinstonWolf]

Zoobeef said:

WinstonWolf said:

No, I'm saying what I said, that's why I said it. Personally I could do without the aggro when I'm driving. If good positioning helps me avoid other road users then I'll employ it.

Yes you said he should give him more room. He is at the left edge of the road. Do you want cars to have to drive "off road" to pass cyclists?

No. Just use the image in the Highway Code as an example.

[WinstonWolf]

Zoobeef said:

WinstonWolf said:

No. Just use the image in the Highway Code as an example.

Ahh, so you're saying you can't overtake a cyclist unless there are 2 clearly marked lanes and you're in the other one.

:sigh: No, I'm saying what I said, that's why I said it...

If I haven't said something then I'm not saying it.

[WinstonWolf]

[WinstonWolf]

GetCarter said:

WinstonWolf said:

Yes, I read that, I'm asking you Not a trick question.

That is my answer

If I'm driving on a narrow road and I physically can't leave that much space I keep my speed differential low as if I were passing a horse.

I'm a chilled driver these days, I pass when it's safe not just because there is a slower road user in front of me

[WinstonWolf]

That's the price you pay for having such a fking lovely house, you'll get no sympathy from me

I'd say enjoy the scenery but I hate you

[WinstonWolf]

GetCarter said:

WinstonWolf said:

That's the price you pay for having such a fking lovely house, you'll get no sympathy from me

I'd say enjoy the scenery but I hate you

Well that's fair enough, (and ta) but if you have any chance of getting cyclists to move into passing places, rather than holding up cars, on purpose, 'because they can', it would be appreciated. It drives us nuts up here.

I ride a similar road in the fens, I use the passing spots, 99% of drivers either wait or pass slowly. It's just the odd tt who passes on a road that wide still doing 60

Chances are that one percent would be tts on bikes too.

[WinstonWolf]

caelite said:

WinstonWolf said:

That's the price you pay for having such a fking lovely house, you'll get no sympathy from me

I'd say enjoy the scenery but I hate you

What about the poor sod who needs to deliver stuff to his 'lovely house? Does the rule still count for us?

He has goods flown in by helicopter in a silken sling of course.

[WinstonWolf]

Storer said:

In this part of the country there has been £ millions spent on dedicated cycle paths beside main roads. Yet it is still necessary for 'speedy cyclists' to ride on the road beside them.

Drivers pay way more in taxes/duty than is used to build or maintain the roads. Cyclists pay nowt to use them (please don't say you have a car so pay your share - you pay to drive your car).

If there is a specifically built cycleway then it should be a requirement that all cyclists use it. It should also have a speed limit - say 15mph - (5x walking pace seems enough). There is no need for a cyclist to go faster. They are not racing after all, as that is illegal on the public highway!

If cyclist want to go faster then rent a race track, just like car drivers do.

A bicycle is the only vehicle you can use on the public highway with no training or licence AFAIK (a horse is not a vehicle, in case you hadn't noticed!).

I tax three vehicles, by your logic I have more right to use the roads than you do.

Roads are not paid for from VED, they are paid for from general taxation. You pay to use your car on the roads, not to maintain them

[WinstonWolf]

spookly said:

Jodyone said:

I live in Cornwall and spend half my driving time stuck behind tractors. They're also slower than me on a bike (unless uphill), and I know from experience that I'm vastly more delayed by tractors than cyclists, whatever I'm using. I can get irritated by them, sure, but usually I just accept it - they have a perfectly good reason to be there - and listen to the radio. The ratio must be similar for others hereabouts- yet, I rarely hear other people ranting aggressively about tractors: but cyclists! Oh, they're the devil incarnate. I think it's a tribal objection rather than a pragmatic one.

So you don't understand why people get annoyed with tractors but not cyclists..... I bolded the bit where you hit the nail on the head.

The reason cyclists are more annoying - they are holding us all up for fun.

Tractors, HGVs, Plant equipment etc.... they are all holding us up because they have a job to do. Nobody is taking their tractor out for a joyride down the A38.

Yes, I realise some people also take their cars and motorbikes out for fun. I'd get just as annoyed if a car or motorbike was going 10mph up a hill and refused to let traffic past. But in reality, that rarely happens. Even the slowest old Doris will not hold you up as much as a cyclist.

I've also had lots of tractors stop to let traffic pass if they aren't going a short distance. I have yet to see a cyclist stop to let traffic past.

Ahem, I commute eighteen miles by bicycle...

[WinstonWolf]

I had one this morning, the utter spunktrumpet passed me @circa 60MPH with less than 2" to spare

Everyone else manages to pass without incident but not this cock gobbler

That's it, I'm fitting a rocket launcher to my bicycle. If the does it again he's getting vapourised...