Overtaking cyclists

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Hi all

First visit in a number of months. I feel I need to get something off my chest although I don't know what good it will do if any. When not enjoying the thrills of driving I cycle a lot (competitively), yes, it's possible to have a foot in both camps.

Yesterday whilst out for a training ride with team mates on a quiet B road, a guy in a Porsche overtook us at what I'd estimate to be well in excess of a ton. I've no problem with that but what I do have a problem with is the fact that he came within 6 inches of me whilst doing it, possibly less!

Now, granted we were riding two abreast but that's allowed and besides which, it's common courtesy when riding, if given time and opportunity, to 'car up' so the traffic can get past (notice I said given time and opportunity...that wasn't the case yesterday). Needless to say on busy roads it's always single file and we only ride two abreast if it's really quiet. We were on a long stretch of road, quite wide with lots of visibility and a clear carriageway coming in the opposite direction that the driver could have used. I can only guess that he was trying to make a point or teach us a lesson but it could have ended in tragedy and scared the sh1t out of me. To be honest, if he'd hit us I would certainly be dead and my wife and daughters wouldn't have had anything left to identify. Think bug on a windscreen

I know the vast majority of us on here are courteous at all times but if, by any chance, the driver of the black porsche is reading (B road between Great Bridgeford and Woodseaves in Staffordshire yesterday afternoon between 3 and 4 pm), think on. You nearly killed me. Give it some thought next time you fancy being a total tool

Thankyou

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

OllieC said:

does my head in when cyclists ride 2 abreast, i nearly hit one in my porsche the other day, damn cyclists

In all seriousness it does my head in too when fellow cyclists do it and won't pull in for traffic. That's why I wouldn't do it on anything but lanes and quiet roads. in fact, the only time I'm on such roads is when there's no choice, otherwise I keep out the way

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Parrot of Doom said:

Should be done for attempted murder IMO.

Thank-you

At least I have someone with a bit of sense joining the thread instead of unbelievable comments on the way I (only occasionalyy) use the road

Munkie, the road gets about 2 cars per hour driving along it. I think it was out of order.

Pink princess, it sounds like you would be as dangerous behind the wheel as the driver of the Porsche with that sort of attitude. Do you think it's acceptable to 'scare' people? The road was about a mile straight, very wide and as I've said, clear in the other direction so plenty of room to overtake as per the highway code. Oh, and it's would 'have' not would 'of'.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

paulmurr said:

Well, in my experience cyclists are the most arrogant and ignorant group of people on the road. I've only twice been caused to toot my horn at them, once when one wobbled infront of me as I was going down a sliproad off a duel carriageway and once when one cyclist overtook another cyclist without looking behind him as I was in the middle of passing both of them. On the second occasion I was forced to swerve onto the other side of the road and luckily there was nothing coming.

What was I greeted by when I tooted? A nod of acknowledgement that said cyclist had done something wrong?

Nope, I was greeted by their middle finger.

Oh right, its my fault that you can't look over your shoulder. Am I the one who should be looking after you on the road?

No, it is not.

Do you pay any road tax to use the roads?

No, you do not.

They'll be first up against the wall come the Revolution

There are to55ers in any group for which I can only apologise on there behalf. Ashamedly I have been known to do the middle finger thing. It was a knee jerk reaction to some agressive over-use of the horn and, again, close overtaking. Once again it was on a quiet stretch of road but this time blowing a gale and if I was slightly more out from the kurb than the regulation 12 inches that some uneducated motorists think that's all we're entitled to it was only because I was getting blown all over the place by gusty conditions. This guy even pulled up and had a good slanging match with me but I managed to convey the point that it was windy and using his horn under the circumstances only served to exhagerate his inability to drive properly. And I could shout louder.

As for the road tax thing, well, I don't see what damage two 20mm wide tyres and 60 kilos of all up weight will do to the road to justify me paying the chancellor any more than he gets off me for driving a car. It's not like we take up a lot of room either and even if we did, the vast majority of drivers these days (not many of them on here thankfully) don't wait around long enough to test that point as per the idea of the original post.

Edited by CRAPLOGINNAME on Tuesday 14th August 14:01

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Dibby said:

CRAPLOGINNAME said:

Now, granted we were riding two abreast

I think there's the problem the Porsche driver had.

I'm a cyclist too and it makes me wince when I see 2 (or more) abreast or riders too far out into the road. It doesn't do the cycling community any good.

As mentioned (several times by now), we do it on lanes and very quiet B roads where there is little to no traffic. When given the opportunity we single up so the traffic can pass. To be given the opportunity we need time. A Porsche travelling at the speed we witnessed yesterday was passed us before we heard it apporach, it really was terrifyingly quick, it's a long straight B road with no BiB on it so my guess was he was winding up for a V-max run.

Had we been on a winding lane, an A road etc. we'd have been singled up. We were on a quiet B road, very wide with masses of visibility coming the other way so we took the decision that it was safe to ride two abreast for a short time possibly to discuss the route or whatever

I honestly don't mind and would much prefer it if when drivers were approaching they gave two hoots of the horn (sounds less agressive than one long blast) to warn that they're coming and then we'd slot in and they'd get passed. But Tony raises a good point and it's one I've debated in my mind many times. If we ride two abreast we take the choice away from impatient motorsist and they have to plan ahead and overtake properly (like everyone seems to with horses, or is that because they have big steel hooves and they don't mix well with shiny paintwork). But I still worry that they won't think like that and try to squeeze past regardless. Self preservation seems like a good idea until you're in the firing line and trying it out yourself.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

paulmurr said:

Well, in my experience cyclists are the most arrogant and ignorant group of people on the road. I've only twice been caused to toot my horn at them, once when one wobbled infront of me as I was going down a sliproad off a duel carriageway and once when one cyclist overtook another cyclist without looking behind him as I was in the middle of passing both of them. On the second occasion I was forced to swerve onto the other side of the road and luckily there was nothing coming.

What was I greeted by when I tooted? A nod of acknowledgement that said cyclist had done something wrong?

Nope, I was greeted by their middle finger.

Oh right, its my fault that you can't look over your shoulder. Am I the one who should be looking after you on the road?

No, it is not.

Do you pay any road tax to use the roads?

No, you do not.

They'll be first up against the wall come the Revolution

just dug this up as I thought you needed it pointing out to you that you don't pay road tax either, you pay vehicle excise duty based on your car's emissions. Road tax was abolished by Winston Churchill decades ago. Road upkeep is paid for by general taxes.

And yes, you should be looking out for them on the road, it's called duty of care and as an overtaking vehicle you have to exercise it. Think you need to go and retake your test.

By the way, I don't ride bikes any more, got fed up with being abused by morons and seeing a lot of my mates get killed.

Am I angry about it these days, you bet your fecking life I am

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Sexual Chocolate said:

Thanks for digging this up.


to be honest I am sick fo the sight of bloody cyclists. We get them coming over to our village every sodding weekend, riding in a big group on a small country b road. You come round a corner only to have to the lycra clad warriors sat there taking up on side of the road. The road is narrow, the road has poor visibility so overtaking is difficult. But yet they find this totally accpetable. My wife shouted out to a group of them the other weeeknd to get into single file. What where we greeted with, middle finger, other hand gestures and a load of abuse. I almost knocked one down 2 days ago as he came round the corner on the wrong side of the road so he copuld stop. the corner was blind, big hedges either side but yet this tosser still thought " a country lane, not much traffic it will be fine". Well if you took the fking headphones out you sodding tosspot of a mong you would have heard a Exige with stage 3 exhaust coming round. Now do fk off and take your fellow lycra clad warriors else where! go for a long fking cycle of a short fking peir you set of fkwits!

Actaully sod it. I am going to buy a super soaker and muller the fking lot of you with it!

Awesome. Got the painters in have we dear?

I actually thought a site like this would have been full of very responsible motorists that could actually drive professionally but it looks like the illusion has just been shattered.

Death by dangerous driving = long prison sentence. Remember that while you're in your little mood

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Sexual Chocolate said:

You say dangerous driving I say death by misadventure. Are you seriously suggesting that riding in a group along a narrow b road, the same road that if a tractor comes along there is only just enough room for oncoming traffic, is safe? The highway code seems to suggest differenty.

If you're driving around in an exige I'd have expected better appreciation of good driving to be honest. I cant speak for the cyclists you encountered, I wasn't there, but I'd be surprised if they put themselves in harms way if they heard a loud motor in the vicinity. So in answer to your question; are you seriously suggesting that you're hooning around quiet b roads at too great a speed to be able to react to the unexpected and in a way that you wouldn't be able to stop? Sounds like you need to calm down a bit.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

C.A.R. said:

Literally overtook a slow-moving cyclist this afternoon on the way to the doctors surgery. 40 limit road, albeit with cross-hatchings down the cenrte as there were junctions which meant no overtaking.

Inconsiderate cyclist creeping along at less than 15mph.

There's a huge network of cycle paths in this town (Stevenage) and this particular road had a cycle path both to the right and left hand side of it, running parallel!

I waited for what seemed like a lifetime to overtake this collosal waste of organs and did so with a suitable amount of throttle so as to produce a lovely cloud of diesel smoke in the process.

I hope he choked!

Reported to mods. No need for that.

By the way, most cyclists don't use cycle paths because they're either covered in road / footpath furniture or illegally parked vehicles ironically enough. If you want cyclists to use the dedicated paths, the least motorists could do is park off them. Oh, and there's no legal requirement to ride on them either

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

So far, cyclists (and I should reiterate here that I no longer ride because of the hostile attitude displayed by messers sexual chocolate and C.A.R.) have been labelled as c*nts and a 'tosspot of a mong' (feel free anytime to apologise to fellow forum members who may have down syndrome children please). All I've done in retaliation is enquire whether or not you have the painters in for which I apologise, it was a knee jerk reaction. Now if we could continue in a more grown up style, it would be very much appreciated.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Paul Dishman said:

Why did you dig up a 5 year old thread if not to stir things up? Although you've been registered on PH a long time, you don't post much.

Fancied a little light trolling?

Bingo

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

I should add that I started this thread ages ago when I was an active cyclist and the tone of the 6 year old posts reflected that I was trying to build bridges. Since I don't have to build bridges anymore, I thought I'd revisit PH and vent some anger as only last week an old friend was killed whilst on his bike and, I've got to be honest with you, I feel empty, livid, angry, devastated etc. etc.

Sorry, I've got it out my system now and realised that I was living in a dream world if I ever thought that cyclists and motorists could co exist on the same stretch of blacktop. The last place I thought I'd see the usual anti cycling rhetoric was on a website frequented by motoring enthusiasts with what I thought was above average skills and attitudes. It appears I was mistaken.

I'll now return to obscurity and trouble you no more but as one parting shot, I'm off to a funeral soon.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

C.A.R. said:

There's an underlying irony here.

You are complaining about obstacles on a provision set up for cyclists. I am complaining about cyclists causing an obstruction to motorists. The difference is that the provision has been made for jonny cyclist, yet his decision is to use the road.

To answer your question about whether I have used the cycle paths in Stevenage, yes, both for cycling and running on. I have yet to be killed by a broken glass bottle, mother with a pram or uneven surface (although I did once injure my ankle after stumbling in a pothole).

Consider this;
Jonny cyclist doesn't get seen in time by Timothy the over-zealous driver this afternoon. Jonny is mown down, blood and guts everywhere. But we find comfort in knowing that Jonny didn't want to use the cycle path because -god forbid- he should have to steer around a broken glass bottle, mother with pram or any other unfortunately placed cycle path furnishings.

Over zealous motorists belong on the track. You're using a public high way that is used by other legitimate road users which includes cyclists and horse riders. End of story

Edited by CRAPLOGINNAME on Wednesday 22 August 19:40

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Johnnytheboy said:

I think the single most selfish bit of cycling I ever saw was someone riding a sort of four wheeled recumbent along the A35 through East Devon.

I was stuck in a <10mph stop-start queue for 20 mins to get past them, though of course for much of that time I had no idea what was causing the queue.

What really impressed me was them cycling straight past a long layby that they could have just dipped in to - without stopping - to let a few cars past.

When I finally got past I had a look left at the cyclist to see what kind of person could be that selfish (shockingly a middle-aged hippy). I didn't say a word/pull a face, but his reaction was to shout "fk off!" at me.

Nice.

Quite agree. There's good and bad in everyone. But you 'once' saw someone being inconsiderate. On EVERY ride when I was a cyclist I would get abuse three or four times per ride by your average British motorist and most rides would be on the receiving end of very risky manoeuvres. Hospitalised 5 times in twenty years, it was only a matter of time before my kids were robbed of their dad, so I jacked it in. And now there would be one more car adding to the congestion in London if I was insane enough to ride there

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

trashbat said:

Super champion drivers of PH

That I should add are giving the overwhelming majority a very bad name

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

Hudson said:

You have to be a wind-up, seriously. I refuse to believe someone stopped riding a bike because some people on the internet called them names.

No, you need to read more of he thread. I gave up after witnessing several close friends get killed and wondering whether I was to be next...oh, you were having a laugh, sorry (seriously, only just got that).

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

DuckDuck said:

What rubbish, and over zealous cyclists don't race? You can't have it both ways!

That's a very good point, they (I even refer to them as they now rather than we) do race on public highways. They do however stand a far smaller chance of killing someone if it goes tits up. I would concede that competitive cyclists should race on closed roads and suggested so when I rode. Even now I cant understand how the police allow racing on the public highways. The argument was always down to cost.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

S3000 said:

i hate "middle of the road" cyclists.. i overtake them with a lot of heavymetal.

I know you're as guilty of trolling as I was an hour or two ago but your comment does warrant a response, if only to illustrate a road safety aspect. I rode in the middle off the carriageway, or the primary position if you like, in a defensive manner to prevent drivers with reduced skill...such as that displayed by you...from attempting an overtaking manoeuvre when it was unsafe. When the oncoming carriageway was clear I would usually pull over and allow the less skilful road user, such as yourself, to pass with reduced risk, usually with a courteous wave of thanks from me and a middle finger from them even though I'd possibly just prevented an accident / custodial sentence.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

shoestring7 said:

How many stages of Exige exhaust are there?

Just asking...


SS7

3 apparently.

[CRAPLOGINNAME]

George H said:

There was some cycle race thing on with Bradley Wiggins round my way on the weekend just gone. fking hundreds of bd cyclists, some of them 3 or 4 abreast on country lanes. Took me fking ages to get anywhere because of those bds clogging up every fking road near me.

Glad you enjoyed it.