40 mph cruisers who speed up when overtaken...

[BigMacDaddy]

[Leins]

Here in Ireland we have a huge number of single-carriage roads between towns, and the etiquette was always that, where appropriate, the slower car in front would pull over slightly, possibly using a portion of the hard-shoulder if one was there, to allow others to overtake

However, in the last number of years this has died out almost completely, and I personally blame the "Speed Kills" fraternity for now making overtaking a heinous crime. What makes it worse is mile after mile sitting behind 3 or 4 vehicles, all glued nose-to-tail at 10 or 15MPH below the speed limit, and none of them with any intention of trying to pass or allow a gap for anyone else to do so. When there finally is a decent stretch in the road, you have to take them all in one go, and cue the flashing lights from some of them as you invariably overtake the lead car at a certain speed which may (or may not ) be above the limit

One question I have for the bikers on here. When I try and move over to the left-hand side of a single-carriage road with hard shoulder to allow you through, does it cause problems if I actually move partially into the hard shoulder? A colleague maintains that there can be so much debris and chippings on a hard-shoulder that the car can then just start firing it up at the bike before they have a chance to overtake. Therefore it might be better just to move to the near edge of the shoulder instead, and with a bike's greater performance and smaller width this will be sufficient enough of a gap to help them get through

[GadgeS3C]

Leins said:

Here in Ireland we have a huge number of single-carriage roads between towns, and the etiquette was always that, where appropriate, the slower car in front would pull over slightly, possibly using a portion of the hard-shoulder if one was there, to allow others to overtake

However, in the last number of years this has died out almost completely, and I personally blame the "Speed Kills" fraternity for now making overtaking a heinous crime. What makes it worse is mile after mile sitting behind 3 or 4 vehicles, all glued nose-to-tail at 10 or 15MPH below the speed limit, and none of them with any intention of trying to pass or allow a gap for anyone else to do so. When there finally is a decent stretch in the road, you have to take them all in one go, and cue the flashing lights from some of them as you invariably overtake the lead car at a certain speed which may (or may not ) be above the limit

One question I have for the bikers on here. When I try and move over to the left-hand side of a single-carriage road with hard shoulder to allow you through, does it cause problems if I actually move partially into the hard shoulder? A colleague maintains that there can be so much debris and chippings on a hard-shoulder that the car can then just start firing it up at the bike before they have a chance to overtake. Therefore it might be better just to move to the near edge of the shoulder instead, and with a bike's greater performance and smaller width this will be sufficient enough of a gap to help them get through

Provided the bike's in an overtaking position (to the offside) then that shouldn't cause any problems. But if there's room to overtake without moving over that far I'd just do that and avoid risking punctures. A wave by or appropriate indication will show the biker you're making room.

One warning - I've had people do this for me when it really isn't safe to overtake. They look confused as to why I didn't immediately go.

But generally, you'll make a biker happy - which is always a good thing

BTW - totally agree on the "speed kills" logic, overtaking seems be one step down from child molesting these days for joe public.

Edited by GadgeS3C on Friday 27th July 19:17

[Leins]

GadgeS3C said:

Provided the bike's in an overtaking position (to the offside) then that shouldn't cause any problems. But if there's room to overtake without moving over that far I'd just do that and avoid risking punctures. A wave by or appropriate indication will show the biker you're making room.

One warning - I've had people do this for me when it really isn't safe to overtake. They look confused as to why I didn't immediately go.

But generally, you'll make a biker happy - which is always a good thing

BTW - totally agree on the "speed kills" logic, overtaking seems be one step down from child molesting these days for joe public.

Edited by GadgeS3C on Friday 27th July 19:17

I find bikers on the whole pretty decent out on the roads, and will nearly always thank you for the above. Probably because most of them are enthusiasts too, whereas the vast majority of car drivers out on the roads couldn't care less. A sad trend recently has also been the decline in drivers thanking each other. The roads have become a much angrier place to be in the last few years

[Pig benis]

I can't help but great frustrated with these people. A few times I have been caught off guard by them, last week was the last one when a BMW 330D was pooling along at 40ish in a 60, I caught up with him doing the speed limit, so I pulled out and went to go around him and the chap just nails his car. I was left on the wrong side of the road with no one to overtake..

A few miles down the road I caught him with him again and I couldn't help but absolutely drache it past him, 400hp happily got me past. I was very tempted to give him the one finger salute. But thought better of it. Bellend of the highest order

[CBR JGWRR]

Leins said:

Here in Ireland we have a huge number of single-carriage roads between towns, and the etiquette was always that, where appropriate, the slower car in front would pull over slightly, possibly using a portion of the hard-shoulder if one was there, to allow others to overtake

However, in the last number of years this has died out almost completely, and I personally blame the "Speed Kills" fraternity for now making overtaking a heinous crime. What makes it worse is mile after mile sitting behind 3 or 4 vehicles, all glued nose-to-tail at 10 or 15MPH below the speed limit, and none of them with any intention of trying to pass or allow a gap for anyone else to do so. When there finally is a decent stretch in the road, you have to take them all in one go, and cue the flashing lights from some of them as you invariably overtake the lead car at a certain speed which may (or may not ) be above the limit

One question I have for the bikers on here. When I try and move over to the left-hand side of a single-carriage road with hard shoulder to allow you through, does it cause problems if I actually move partially into the hard shoulder? A colleague maintains that there can be so much debris and chippings on a hard-shoulder that the car can then just start firing it up at the bike before they have a chance to overtake. Therefore it might be better just to move to the near edge of the shoulder instead, and with a bike's greater performance and smaller width this will be sufficient enough of a gap to help them get through

If we were passing on the left yes.




Good overtaking technique is to move to the right first as a safety check, then unleash full power to do the pass. (After ensuring it's safe to move out to start with)

This allows enough time to fully assess all the variables, then get straight on the power, reducing the time spent in danger, and going much faster than the standard bannana move. (which arguably is less time spent in danger, but this is balanced by the fact that getting on the power is more complete, with much less left to chance. And you aren't having to check the power while bringing the bike out at the start of the bannana)

Note - I didn't use this earlier to pass 40 mph guy, as I started accelerating out on a right hand bend to pass as soon as the straight started.

GadgeS3C said:

One warning - I've had people do this for me when it really isn't safe to overtake. They look confused as to why I didn't immediately go.

Yeah it happens. We, (well, most of us) will only go for a pass that is safe (Doppler effect passes excluded. We know we can make it...)

[Leins]

CBR JGWRR said:

If we were passing on the left yes

I was sort of thinking more about when I move over to left-hand side of the road when the bike is coming up behind, say maybe 20 or 30 feet still behind my car. So even though it would only be the left wheels of my car going across onto the hard shoulder, I was worried this could send chippings back into the path of the bike


I grew up having to learn to overtake (with fairly modest power) due to a very poor quality, but entertaining , road network here in the early 90s. Some of it is, unfortunately, trial and error when you start, and if you do something stupid you have to learn to never do it again. Blind dips are a prime example of this

But anyone who intentionally speeds up, closes gaps, or moves to the right to "teach the overtaker a lesson" is a f**king moron and doesn't deserve a driving licence

[CBR JGWRR]

Leins said:

CBR JGWRR said:

If we were passing on the left yes

I was sort of thinking more about when I move over to left-hand side of the road when the bike is coming up behind, say maybe 20 or 30 feet still behind my car. So even though it would only be the left wheels of my car going across onto the hard shoulder, I was worried this could send chippings back into the path of the bike


I grew up having to learn to overtake (with fairly modest power) due to a very poor quality, but entertaining , road network here in the early 90s. Some of it is, unfortunately, trial and error when you start, and if you do something stupid you have to learn to never do it again. Blind dips are a prime example of this

But anyone who intentionally speeds up, closes gaps, or moves to the right to "teach the overtaker a lesson" is a f**king moron and doesn't deserve a driving licence

The chances are we would be approaching on the right hand side of our side of the road, so debris isn't likely to hit, certainly I can't remember the last time it happened.

Well, apart from suicidal bugs...

[Leins]

CBR JGWRR said:

The chances are we would be approaching on the right hand side of our side of the road, so debris isn't likely to hit, certainly I can't remember the last time it happened.

Well, apart from suicidal bugs...

OK cool, thanks for the replies folks! I shall therefore carry on as is

[silverfoxcc]

I am trying to figure out was is more tedious

Watching the Limpiks opening ceremony or

Supermans rants


Ps he is not a bellend


Bellends serve a purpose


He certainly does not Ignore him and he will go away

[matchmaker]

Leins said:

Here in Ireland we have a huge number of single-carriage roads between towns, and the etiquette was always that, where appropriate, the slower car in front would pull over slightly, possibly using a portion of the hard-shoulder if one was there, to allow others to overtake

This always struck me as an eminently sensible and courteous thing to do. Sorry to hear it's dying out

[dhariwab]

This thread reminds me of the only reason I miss my twin turbo beemer. All that boost when they used to spool up allowed me to dispatch these fools at ease when going to work at customers premises. Saved me hours off journey times.

[Blue BB]

Thank god he has stopped posting. My blood pressure can return to normal. (you know who i mean).

[Welshbeef]

superman84 said:

CBR JGWRR said:

Yes, but I've got a slower (on paper) vehicle than the one in front!

That's your problem not the car in front's.

Noone should speed up once a car is next to you overtaking if however you pull out and are still behind te car they accelerate away from you tough love really (most dot realise you are there)

Plan your overtake and frankly no matter what vehicle you have car wise you will overtake anything going slower unless it's a super car as the oh st cretin overtaking me idea then floor throttle takes time ad you'll be past.

Or nitro your car.

If they accelerate as your overtaking though it's lethal and really you should take note of their number plate they may cause an accident playing that idiotic game - again they may be so inept they don't see you....

[Macd355]

Encountered one of these dicks today but I luckily managed to pass him when he failed to see a two car overtake approaching.. I think the further north you go the nicer drivers are, go beyond Crianlarich and other drivers are extremely helpful in letting you past.

[WindsorRob]

I've had a couple in the last week try this i.e. speed up. Some kind of new Honda Civic and the c*cks car of choice at the moment, Audi s-line 2 litre TDI. The Honda was quite nippy, I actually had to take the old girl out of sixth gear to get past quickly, I may even have gone as low as fourth...though I think I heard a diesel scream suggesting said tw*t was in second..

What makes me smile is the vast majoprity of people that try it, not only are poor drivers, they also know nothing about motors so they think that an 11 year old 5 series coming up behind them is a shed that must be put in its place.. They occasionaly glimpse the M5 badge as I go past.

[6fire]

superman84 said:

If you had a faster car than the one in front and knew how to drive it properly this wouldn't be a problem.

I drive a 37 year old 1500cc spitfire often (whilst the sun is shining). Hardly a paragon of performance motoring. I don't struggle with safe overtakes. I recently overtook the same Aston DB9 twice in 40 miles of A road - once as part of a 4 car overtake. Both times he came flying past me on a section of dual carriageway with his passenger giving me the wker sign for some reason. I guess like you he thought slow old cars shouldn't overtake...

Overtaking is risky. It's something that needs to be planned and executed well to make life safe for all concerned. People who block overtakes are simply increasing the risk for everyone - including themselves.

Having said that, if someone doesn't want me to overtake, I'm not going to die trying. It's simply not worth it. I'll wait until you turn off, or I'll turn the wick down for a bit, or I'll go a different way. I may be 5 minutes late at my destination, but it really doesn't matter enough to risk my life over it.

I did have a very amusing attempted blocked overtake a few years ago at the dead of night. Boy racer driving evidently didn't notice the hi viz livery on the bike. Until I pressed all of the buttons on the handlebars and lit up the back of his car with blue lights and deafened him with the siren. He stopped being a bell end quite quickly...

[DonkeyApple]

Leins said:

I find bikers on the whole pretty decent out on the roads, and will nearly always thank you for the above. Probably because most of them are enthusiasts too, whereas the vast majority of car drivers out on the roads couldn't care less. A sad trend recently has also been the decline in drivers thanking each other. The roads have become a much angrier place to be in the last few years

That's for sure. It's a generation of people who just seem to move on the roads convinced they are superior to everyone else.

Middle aged men, regardless of what they drive have just stopped indicating, letting people out, saying thank you, dropping back so others can overtake in a queue.

Frankly, ghastly group of people who all know they are doing wrong but have issues of self entitlement and delusions of grandeur.

It's a baffling and very swift change that has occurred in the last decade. The rise of the L'Oriel Man with his L'Oriel Children.

And then there are just the same old tt's there have always been who get their hands on a performance car and all of a sudden invent some baffling rules in their pigeon brains as to what other road users can and can't do in their presence. These ball buffers have always been around and even crop up on PH threads now and again!!!!

[vsonix]

superman84 said:

Explain why I should I slow my speed to help them break the limit. Again if they're not quick enough but want to drive like a bellend - not my problem.

If someone's overtaking me I usually let off a bit to help the move go through quicker. Just feels like smooth driving to me, like how modulating your speed through a narrow road with cars parked on both sides but spaces here and there can mean one driver can get through in each direction instead of meeting head to head and one person having to reverse. You're not "helping them break the limit", you're avoiding impeding their progress and making sure any danger to you from their haste is minimised. By people maintaining this mindset, the day it's you haring down to the hospital in a slow repmobile, panicking because your wife's in labour prematurely and there are complications you'll be thanking your lucky stars that people aren't making your life even more difficult unnecessarily. You can never know people's reasons for being in a hurry, obstructing them is so much more hassle than just letting them ease past.

[Cotty]

DonkeyApple said:

Middle aged men, regardless of what they drive have just stopped indicating, letting people out, saying thank you, dropping back so others can overtake in a queue.

Frankly, ghastly group of people who all know they are doing wrong but have issues of self entitlement and delusions of grandeur.

Thats not a very nice generalisation, especially given the average age of a PH member. If you are joking or being sarcastic perhaps a smilie might have helped.