Passing bicycles
Discussion
I learned to drive in Cambridge, a medieval city of narrow roads and many, many bicycles. My driving instructor taught me how to drive past bicycles safely and efficiently. As a result I am able to dispach bikes without disrupting my journey or endangering their lives. Going back to Cambridge to visit reminds me of how well mixed traffic works there.
I now live in Surrey and am increasingly getting frustrated by the inability of road users here to pass bicycle riders. You're on a wide, well sighted NSL (or was before being artificially reduced to 40mph but that's a different story), in front is a queue of traffic behind one car which has slowed to 15mph and is sitting on the bicycle's rear wheel waiting for a gap on the opposite carriageway large enough to land a 747 into before moving most if not all of their narrow car over the white lines as if trying to pass a wide load and trying to accelerate in the wrong gear back up to 25mph to crawl past. The next in the queue will then do the same. Frequently there are areas of hashes (surrounded dashed lines not solid) which they won't put a wheel into when a car is on the opposite carriageway to get round the bike.
I'm not having a go at cyclists or suggesting they don't need good space to go around safely. Drivers, what's wrong with keeping your road speed up, briefly touching or stradlling the white line a little squeezing the car on the other carriageway if necessary and getting past the cyclist quickly and safely? The roads are wide enough in most cases for a Transit to go around leaving a good couple of metres in such conditions.
P.S. Don't put cyclists in danger!
I now live in Surrey and am increasingly getting frustrated by the inability of road users here to pass bicycle riders. You're on a wide, well sighted NSL (or was before being artificially reduced to 40mph but that's a different story), in front is a queue of traffic behind one car which has slowed to 15mph and is sitting on the bicycle's rear wheel waiting for a gap on the opposite carriageway large enough to land a 747 into before moving most if not all of their narrow car over the white lines as if trying to pass a wide load and trying to accelerate in the wrong gear back up to 25mph to crawl past. The next in the queue will then do the same. Frequently there are areas of hashes (surrounded dashed lines not solid) which they won't put a wheel into when a car is on the opposite carriageway to get round the bike.
I'm not having a go at cyclists or suggesting they don't need good space to go around safely. Drivers, what's wrong with keeping your road speed up, briefly touching or stradlling the white line a little squeezing the car on the other carriageway if necessary and getting past the cyclist quickly and safely? The roads are wide enough in most cases for a Transit to go around leaving a good couple of metres in such conditions.
P.S. Don't put cyclists in danger!
_rubinho_ said:
Drivers, what's wrong with keeping your road speed up, briefly touching or stradlling the white line a little squeezing the car on the other carriageway if necessary and getting past the cyclist quickly and safely?
Are you trolling?"P.S. Don't put cyclists in danger!" - what you have described puts them in danger. The car waiting behind it for a gap does not put them in danger.
You are supposed to pass a bike with lots of room, and sometimes that means you have to wait behind it until it's okay to pass.
There is something very wrong about crossing into the other lane, towards on coming traffic, and expecting the driver coming at you to move into the curb. Trying really hard not to call you a naughty word.
ETA: But if there really is 2 metres (where are these very wide NSL roads?) between car and rider without squeezing an on coming car in to the curb, then I can maybe see your point. But most roads are not that wide.
Edited by RenOHH on Tuesday 11th November 20:53
Interesting timing:
http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/23922/
- removing centre lines is associated with increased passing distance.
Moan if you want, it really does seem hard to overestimate how basic the thought process of most people (including, I suspect, most PHers, including myself) is when driving. This should, really, make it easier to pass good laws, but hey.
Semi-related, honestly if I'm following on a section with solid lines and a clear oppurtunity presents itself, I'm not going to sweat whether or not the rider is doing less than 12 mph. (Yes, hopefully speed would have some bearing, the white lines are probably there for a semi-sensible reason). And whilst I'm riding would heartily encourage others to do likewise.
http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/23922/
- removing centre lines is associated with increased passing distance.
Moan if you want, it really does seem hard to overestimate how basic the thought process of most people (including, I suspect, most PHers, including myself) is when driving. This should, really, make it easier to pass good laws, but hey.
Semi-related, honestly if I'm following on a section with solid lines and a clear oppurtunity presents itself, I'm not going to sweat whether or not the rider is doing less than 12 mph. (Yes, hopefully speed would have some bearing, the white lines are probably there for a semi-sensible reason). And whilst I'm riding would heartily encourage others to do likewise.
Urban Sports said:
If cyclists paid road tax then they may be able to widen the roads or create more cycle lanes, as they don't then motorists will be forever plagued by this kind of problem.
If the cyclists are out with their shovels widening roads and creating cycle lanes, when will they have time to earn money to pay this new tax you have invented? 
Impasse said:
Urban Sports said:
If cyclists paid road tax then they may be able to widen the roads or create more cycle lanes, as they don't then motorists will be forever plagued by this kind of problem.
You must have a fully completed cycle bingo card by now!I know how you don't do it. You don't wait until you're coming up to the crest of a hill and then pull your transit out past them just as I'm coming to the crest from the other way to be greeted by you half in my lane. I didn't appreciate having to take an evasive maneuver towards the verge and I'm pretty sure the cyclist didn't appreciate you swerving back towards them, especially as after that crest is a long clear straight you could have passed them on.
well.. technically you're supposed to give cyclists as much room as you would when passing a car. Touching the white line and or forcing the vehicle coming toward to change course is probably not in the spirit of safe and considerate driving.
But then nor is dilly dallying for miles on end trailing a cyclist with no doubt the tempers that flare.
But then nor is dilly dallying for miles on end trailing a cyclist with no doubt the tempers that flare.
Around here (Aberdeen) the drivers seem quite happy to play chicken with oncoming traffic while passing us cyclists. 'Don't slow down or wait whatever the circumstances' seems to be the ethos.
Soon moving to Somerset though and f*ck knows what it'll be like down there as the roads are even narrower.
At some point I'll probably give up on the UK and emigrate (again)...
Soon moving to Somerset though and f*ck knows what it'll be like down there as the roads are even narrower.
At some point I'll probably give up on the UK and emigrate (again)...
The rules are a little different in Cambridge - cyclists ignore road markings and traffic lights and in return drivers pass them much closer than they would anywhere else in the country.
Its fine though because having a little tinkly bell imbues the cambridge cyclist with both immortality and automatic right of way.
Its fine though because having a little tinkly bell imbues the cambridge cyclist with both immortality and automatic right of way.
Because in Cambridge (and London) cyclists are used to being passed like that and all of the motorists do it, so have no complaint when it is done to them. Do it in Surrey and the approaching car will slam on their brakes and hit the horn and the lycra warrior will kick your car if they manage to catch you in traffic, if not there will be a youtube clip of you and people calling for hanging to be brought back.
Urban Sports said:
If cyclists paid road tax then they may be able to widen the roads or create more cycle lanes, as they don't then motorists will be forever plagued by this kind of problem.
Every bike thread?Edit to add something useful:
When seeing an approaching cyclist and a car trying to get past, if there's space I'll usually move to the nearside to give the motorist a little bit more space for their overtake. Seems courteous and anything that gives the cyclist more room can only be a good thing.
Edited by g3org3y on Wednesday 12th November 07:37
Urban Sports said:
If cyclists paid road tax then they may be able to widen the roads or create more cycle lanes, as they don't then motorists will be forever plagued by this kind of problem.
Will you ever have anything interesting or useful to contribute, or are you always going to be an ignorant troll?To clarify a few important points. When I wrote "squeezing the car on the other carriageway" I meant to squeeze the gap between opposing cars when there is room to safely do so. I'm not talking brushing wing mirrors or causing somebody on the other side to deviate from their set path or speed.
I'm not advocating barging past a bicycle when it is too narrow or not well sighted (crest, blind bend etc). I'm certainly not saying people should cross solid white lines. Typical of PH to take it to extremes on a particular interpretation of what was written though.
I reiterate, what frustrates me is to see a car sitting in the wheeltracks of a bicycle when there is ample room to move to or maybe a wheel's width over the centreline of the road to pass the rider safely and leave a safe gap to cars on the opposite side. This on a road which is straight enough to see and indicate to (good point colonel c) oncoming cars.
Definitely not trolling. Vehicle Excise Duty was not mentioned in my OP as it's irrelevant. Many (the majority?) of riders also drive and pay VED. One bike on the road is one less car to be stuck behind.
I'm not advocating barging past a bicycle when it is too narrow or not well sighted (crest, blind bend etc). I'm certainly not saying people should cross solid white lines. Typical of PH to take it to extremes on a particular interpretation of what was written though.
I reiterate, what frustrates me is to see a car sitting in the wheeltracks of a bicycle when there is ample room to move to or maybe a wheel's width over the centreline of the road to pass the rider safely and leave a safe gap to cars on the opposite side. This on a road which is straight enough to see and indicate to (good point colonel c) oncoming cars.
Definitely not trolling. Vehicle Excise Duty was not mentioned in my OP as it's irrelevant. Many (the majority?) of riders also drive and pay VED. One bike on the road is one less car to be stuck behind.
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