2 abreast riding

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TrevA
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2 abreast riding

Post by TrevA »

I've been out into Derbyshire today in the car and encountered a number of small groups of cyclists riding 2 abreast on busy main roads. I know that strictly speaking they are entitled to do this, but I can see how it winds motorists up, as it's very difficult to get past. I often cycle with my wife as a pair, and we do ride 2 abreast but only on quiet country lanes. We will single out on busy roads or where a queue of traffic is building up behind us.
Last edited by TrevA on 5 Nov 2017, 8:16pm, edited 1 time in total.
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pwa
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by pwa »

Just to offer a contrast, a couple of cyclists singled out very elegantly for me to pass more easily when I was driving in to town this morning. I felt a little wave of gratitude.
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chris_suffolk
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by chris_suffolk »

TrevA wrote:I've been out into Derbyshire today in the car and encountered a number of small groups of cyclists riding 2 abreast on busy main roads. I know that strictly speaking they are entitled to do this, but I can see how it winds motorists up, as it's very difficult to get past. I often cycle with my wife as a pair, and we do ride 2 abreast but only on quiet country lanes. We will single out on busy roads or where a queue of traffic is building up behind us.


We often debate this. With, say, 8 cyclists - is a line of 8 or a double line of 4 better? One is shorter, albeit wider, one much longer to pass. Thoughts?
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Tigerbiten
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by Tigerbiten »

It all depends on the width of the road.

If the road is narrow, then cars cannot overtake in the face of oncoming traffic.

If the road is wide enough then cars can overtake a single rider in the face of oncoming traffic while still giving plenty of elbow room. It's still safe even if the rider has to move out a little to miss a pothole.

But there's an in between size where a car can just squeeze past in the face of oncoming traffic. So it's becomes unsafe if the rider has to dodge a pothole. At which point it may be safer to double up and block traffic rather than have cars pass within inches of your elbow.
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chris_suffolk
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by chris_suffolk »

I was more thinking twisting lanes, when a long line is too long between bends, but double may also be too wide
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foxyrider
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by foxyrider »

On a nice day like today why was the OP in a car? :?

It's all been said before, anything which delays motorised traffic for a nano second is obviously thoughtless, crazy and not allowed - we can't win whatever we do.
Convention? what's that then?
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pwa
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by pwa »

foxyrider wrote:On a nice day like today why was the OP in a car? :?

It's all been said before, anything which delays motorised traffic for a nano second is obviously thoughtless, crazy and not allowed - we can't win whatever we do.


We don't need to adopt either of the extremes. It is surely just a matter of exercising a bit of discretion, singling out when it can help someone else without any cost to you, but staying two abreast when it makes more sense.
BigFoz
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by BigFoz »

couple on our local road this morning while Mrs F and I were in the car. LH one in middle of carriageway, RH one just, but only just inside the white line. Even though I overtook carefully, using as much of the other carriageway as possible, that outside guy was closer than I'd have liked. He'd also looked back and waved us past while I was waiting for a safe place to overtake, but never considered moving in a bit...
Pete Owens
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by Pete Owens »

On the sort of busy main road typical of the Peak District (not particularly wide, and with plenty of bends) a driver will need to wait for a gap in oncoming traffic long enough to move into the other lane to complete the overtake. The key is the length of the group rather than the width - so the cyclists are being helpful by doubling up thus halving the length of the group.

The only ones who might feel put out by this are the aggressive morons who would attempt to squeeze themselves though the gap between cyclists and oncoming vehicles.
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by PH »

Pete Owens wrote:The only ones who might feel put out by this are the aggressive morons who would attempt to squeeze themselves though the gap between cyclists and oncoming vehicles.

TrevA doesn't come across as that and he obviously disliked it enough to start a thread.
It is a hard one, my safety comes first, but having a frustrated driver behind me does nothing for that. We tend to single out and leave a two car gap between groups of around 4 to 6, some cars get that and use it, others just see it as a longer impossible to pass line.
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Cunobelin
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by Cunobelin »

chris_suffolk wrote:I was more thinking twisting lanes, when a long line is too long between bends, but double may also be too wide


Could a driver actually see sufficiently clear road to overtake at all?
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NUKe
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by NUKe »

You have to judge the road and the traffic on the day,
And my own list of priorities for road position are
1 what is the safe
2 can I be courteous
3 don't stop other people going about their business.
1 is paramount whether in groups or alone.2 don't hold people up unnecessary they get annoyed.3 the person your holding up could be, the local doctor,or midwife

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TrevA
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by TrevA »

foxyrider wrote:On a nice day like today why was the OP in a car? :?

It's all been said before, anything which delays motorised traffic for a nano second is obviously thoughtless, crazy and not allowed - we can't win whatever we do.


I've just had an operation, so not currently riding. We did go for a walk along the Monsal Trail.

I've no problem with short delays, but one particular pair were 2 abreast on the A6 near Bakewell and it was about 2 miles before we could overtake safely. Not really a problem to me but not everyone is so patient. I was actually a passenger in the car, driven by my son in law, who is also a cyclist.

I'm normally the guy in the group of cyclists, but it was interesting to see the situation from the driver's point of view.
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by Username »

foxyrider wrote:On a nice day like today why was the OP in a car? :?
.


Because the universe works in strange ways, like dark matter for instance, aswell as the weird reason for OP in a car. What can I say, crap happens. I remember seeing a yellow Ferrari once!
thirdcrank
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Re: 2 abreast riding

Post by thirdcrank »

It's pretty rare that a car is fully occupied and driver-only is pretty common. Extra seats and the accompanying bodywork are lugged around, "just in case." Any driver who feels that there's insufficient room when they have to share roadspace with cyclists should be grateful that they aren't sharing the space with another car, especially a parked car with no seats occupied at all.

A thread like this simply reminds us that there are two ends to every spyglass.
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