Overtaking cyclists
Discussion
This seems to be a new thing on the roads, picture the scenario:
you are behind Doris/Tracy/Matt etc. driving along a road the width of a runway, there is a cyclist just up ahead, Doris moves considerably to the right, you follow her as she attemps the pass. Then a car appears on the horizon coming the other way, no problem you think as the road is just about the widest you have ever been on, but no, cue an emergency stop by doris followed by sitting behind the cyclist for the next 20 miles.
2 Days later and the car in front eventually passes the cyclist, clipping the kerb on the opposite side of the road as they do.
Now I know I will get flamed for this but this was never an issue just a few years ago, as long as your ns mirror didn't clip his arse then everything was fine.
(yes I know about the soldier that was flattened by the truck)
you are behind Doris/Tracy/Matt etc. driving along a road the width of a runway, there is a cyclist just up ahead, Doris moves considerably to the right, you follow her as she attemps the pass. Then a car appears on the horizon coming the other way, no problem you think as the road is just about the widest you have ever been on, but no, cue an emergency stop by doris followed by sitting behind the cyclist for the next 20 miles.
2 Days later and the car in front eventually passes the cyclist, clipping the kerb on the opposite side of the road as they do.
Now I know I will get flamed for this but this was never an issue just a few years ago, as long as your ns mirror didn't clip his arse then everything was fine.
(yes I know about the soldier that was flattened by the truck)
vdp1 said:
this was never an issue just a few years ago, as long as your ns mirror didn't clip his arse then everything was fine.
Errm, no.In particular, there are now so many puddles and pot-holes in the road that you have to be ready for a cyclist to be forced to swerve out from the kerb at any time. Give 'em plenty of space.
matt-ITR said:
Surely you wait until the car in front has completed the overtaking manoeuvre?
If the road is straight enough and clear enough then perhaps this isn't always needed, but in this case it obviously wasn't.
Its not a case its a generalization, no matter what road I drive on the person in front will not overtake the cyclist. If the road is straight enough and clear enough then perhaps this isn't always needed, but in this case it obviously wasn't.
Its not only cyclists, I had to overtake a car and a milk float the other week on a 3/4 mile arrow straight stretch of road, nothing coming the other way either. Got the V's as well for doing so. I stayed behind for ages as I thought he surely must overtake any time now. Maybe its drummed into the newer sort that overtaking is as evil as speeding.
Ozzie Osmond said:
Errm, no.
In particular, there are now so many puddles and pot-holes in the road that you have to be ready for a cyclist to be forced to swerve out from the kerb at any time. Give 'em plenty of space.
This.In particular, there are now so many puddles and pot-holes in the road that you have to be ready for a cyclist to be forced to swerve out from the kerb at any time. Give 'em plenty of space.
There are a few roads where I cycle almost a car's width from the kerb due to pothole and sunken drain covers. Annoys the hell out of some motorists but otherwise I would be swerving in and out all the time. Also I ride in the middle of the lane when there is a traffic island, to stop some idiot squeezing through. I really don't mind people overtaking when it is safe but will laugh if you set off the camera on the steep hill near me as I will probably be doing near the speed limit anyway
.Always give them loads of room as you dont need to past a test or even be sober or use lights on dark unlit roads to ride a pushbike.
To the bloke in the jag in newbury high street summer of 1991 yes I'm only a cyclist but as I was riding a 1/2 ton mountainbike with bar ends its your fault you decided to squeze through and scraped both near side doors and removed your own mirror.
I also used the same 1/2 ton mountainbike to write off a mid 80's escort when it hit me from the side and I rolled over the bonet and my leg kicked through the pasenger window showering the dopey woman driver with glass, the lhs pedal did for the rad and the dopey bint let it run with no coolant for about 1/2 an hour before it siezed, I had a horendous looking cycle helmet on which actualy saved my life.
In my travels I've seen some truly shocking driving, cycling, motorcycling and I'm probably guilty of all of the above at some point in the 23 od years that I've been using the uk's roads.
To the bloke in the jag in newbury high street summer of 1991 yes I'm only a cyclist but as I was riding a 1/2 ton mountainbike with bar ends its your fault you decided to squeze through and scraped both near side doors and removed your own mirror.
I also used the same 1/2 ton mountainbike to write off a mid 80's escort when it hit me from the side and I rolled over the bonet and my leg kicked through the pasenger window showering the dopey woman driver with glass, the lhs pedal did for the rad and the dopey bint let it run with no coolant for about 1/2 an hour before it siezed, I had a horendous looking cycle helmet on which actualy saved my life.
In my travels I've seen some truly shocking driving, cycling, motorcycling and I'm probably guilty of all of the above at some point in the 23 od years that I've been using the uk's roads.
Willy Nilly said:
I cycle to work, and the t
ts that hardly give me any room fail to realise that I can pick their car up and post it through an upstairs window, should the need arise.
Should this not have a reference to being powerfully built?ts that hardly give me any room fail to realise that I can pick their car up and post it through an upstairs window, should the need arise. On topic, when I'm out on the push bike I really don't care too much - don't hit me obviously but some people give you such a wide berth you'd think you had proximity mines strapped to you; of course, on the other end of the scale are the people who try and prove their disapproval of my presence on the road by passing as close as possible, which isn't much fun.
Ozzie Osmond said:
vdp1 said:
this was never an issue just a few years ago, as long as your ns mirror didn't clip his arse then everything was fine.
Errm, no.In particular, there are now so many puddles and pot-holes in the road that you have to be ready for a cyclist to be forced to swerve out from the kerb at any time. Give 'em plenty of space.
matt-ITR said:
Surely you wait until the car in front has completed the overtaking manoeuvre?
Exactly. Bit of a no brainer really. You wouldn't begin overtaking a truck until you could see it was clear to pull in afterwards, same goes for a bike ... even more so if you've got some old dear driving erratically ahead.
Chris71 said:
matt-ITR said:
Surely you wait until the car in front has completed the overtaking manoeuvre?
Exactly. Bit of a no brainer really. You wouldn't begin overtaking a truck until you could see it was clear to pull in afterwards, same goes for a bike ... even more so if you've got some old dear driving erratically ahead.
People's inability to overtake cyclists properly is a pet hate of mine. The majority seem to think that because a bike is smaller they don't need to do the normal overtake requirements like checking that it's safe to do so and not crossing the centre lines, even though there's cars passing in the opposite direction. I recently came over the brow of a hill on a narrow laned road to be faced with someone that decided it was the ideal time to cross double white lines to pass a cyclist.
B3njamin said:
Should this not have a reference to being powerfully built?
On topic, when I'm out on the push bike I really don't care too much - don't hit me obviously but some people give you such a wide berth you'd think you had proximity mines strapped to you; of course, on the other end of the scale are the people who try and prove their disapproval of my presence on the road by passing as close as possible, which isn't much fun.
I always err on the side of caution when passing although not to the extreme if its a road I know well ( no pot holes etc) + a cyclist that apears sober and has a baisic grasp of the term straight line then 1.5 -2 meters leeway ( I'm in a van most of the time so any closer and there can be an aeronamic effect)On topic, when I'm out on the push bike I really don't care too much - don't hit me obviously but some people give you such a wide berth you'd think you had proximity mines strapped to you; of course, on the other end of the scale are the people who try and prove their disapproval of my presence on the road by passing as close as possible, which isn't much fun.
However unknown road wobbly grannie on a battery assisted bike with to many sherries tucked away then its full lane whith overtake.
Having had somones child ( under 10 at a guess ) who was cycling after a parent ( also on a pushbike ) on the pavement cycle lane sudenly veer onto the road in front of me without looking causing me to do an emergency stop and the lady behind me to test the abs in her new lexus I'm more wary of cycle lanes especialy when they transfer from pavement to road
R300will said:
Could be solved by looking ahead a bit though.
Certainly could be, and where poss you certainly should. At this time of year they can be right little feckerstons to spot in the dark with the wind (and rain) in your face. And what might not trouble a car can be 'exciting' when on 140psi 23mm wide wheels, with zero suspension.Generally drivers on my commute are a courteous bunch, in this weather we all (this means you too fellow cyclists) need to up our game a bit.
and people wonder why i ride my bike [exercise only] on the pavement to and from the local park
dont care what people say or think or how they wave, i am not holding up traffic and i am not likely to get squashed by some retard trying to smoke, eat, drink, text, talk, wk etc while driving like a
dont care what people say or think or how they wave, i am not holding up traffic and i am not likely to get squashed by some retard trying to smoke, eat, drink, text, talk, w
k etc while driving like a Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff