Police attitudes to riding side by side

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by Mick F »

Today on a ride, I came down from the "England" end to the bridge into Cornwall.
Long downhill circa 35mph freewheeling maybe a mile or more. Double white lines all the way.
Car behind me, and two behind that.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.53355 ... 312!8i6656
Click anywhere you want! :D

Down and down and down and down.
30odd mph to the bridge, but up from there into Gunnislake climbing Newbridge Hill, they could all overtake as I was only doing maybe 5mph.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.52848 ... 312!8i6656

It's all to do with the ability of traffic to get past, or not.
Maybe you could be a tractor or a steam locomotive, or a cart and horse, or a flock of sheep perhaps.
Cyclists, seem to be "singled out" as an issue, but the above are not.
Mick F. Cornwall
MikeF
Posts: 4339
Joined: 11 Nov 2012, 9:24am
Location: On the borders of the four South East Counties

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by MikeF »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 2 Sep 2021, 3:40pm Hi,
Highway code -
Rule 53 - Horses.
"Never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends."

Rule 66 - Cyclist.
"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"
In other words on narrow and busy roads make it as hard as possible for vehicles to pass.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Absolutely - and when in single file you definitely want to be in the drivers eye line, so stay on the right hand tyre track for your lane.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
mattheus
Posts: 5044
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by mattheus »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 2 Sep 2021, 3:40pm Hi,
Highway code -
Rule 53 - Horses.
"Never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends."

Rule 66 - Cyclist.
"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"
I think it's worth noting the prefix SHOULD to those phrases i.e. it is not required by law.(MUST being the other term used)
... you should never ride more than two abreast ...
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by Postboxer »

peetee wrote: 3 Sep 2021, 2:22pm
kylecycler wrote: 3 Sep 2021, 1:51pm Seriously, is it just me or was that not grossly irresponsible?
Yes, without a doubt. I have seen a few of their vids where they ride very quiet roads. Why they didn’t choose on of them is beyond me.

I can't see which cars overtake which, but the mini is in front of the white van before any overtakes take place, so all the vehicles in between the turning car and the mini all overtake the camera car, I can't tell if they keep their order or not, it's not any more of a hazard than any slow moving vehicle. The road doesn't look particularly busy to me, not many cars go the other way, it's possible a line of traffic had formed behind the turning vehicle before it caught up with the cyclists, so a line of cars arrive all at once, though it appears more are approaching as they pull up.

In any case the hazard would be caused by drivers pulling out without looking, cyclists shouldn't have to be responsible for the low standard of other road users.


I've had that problem overtaking a vehicle behind a caravan, me in a car, I had timed it so I was going faster than both vehicles in front, pulled out well in time, clear road ahead, suddenly the other car swerved out in front of me without indicating, I only just managed to brake in time, beeping my horn at them too, they didn't even seem to realise what they had done. Perhaps the error is pulling out too early, maybe I should have half pulled out until I was closer, so I would be in both mirrors for longer.
Stevek76
Posts: 2085
Joined: 28 Jul 2015, 11:23am

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by Stevek76 »

MikeF wrote: 4 Sep 2021, 8:36am
NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 2 Sep 2021, 3:40pm Hi,
Highway code -
Rule 53 - Horses.
"Never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends."

Rule 66 - Cyclist.
"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"
In other words on narrow and busy roads make it as hard as possible for vehicles to pass.
The never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't. Which is odd as it's actually far easier to overtake a group of cyclists when they are riding abreast and not strung out in a big line, something the Surrey road cops twitter feed points out with a nice diagram occasionally.
The contents of this post, unless otherwise stated, are opinions of the author and may actually be complete codswallop
User avatar
TrevA
Posts: 3551
Joined: 1 Jun 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by TrevA »

peetee wrote: 3 Sep 2021, 2:22pm
kylecycler wrote: 3 Sep 2021, 1:51pm Seriously, is it just me or was that not grossly irresponsible?
Yes, without a doubt. I have seen a few of their vids where they ride very quiet roads. Why they didn’t choose on of them is beyond me.
Note that this is not GCN, but GTN - Global Triathlon Network. Triathletes! Enough said.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
wjhall
Posts: 265
Joined: 1 Sep 2014, 8:46am

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by wjhall »

wrote:
... ....

It is indeed: lots to consider - I do worry about the pedestrian with his(?) back to the traffic though...
No need to worry, I moved to the centre of the road to pass him.
210830-4 Kenn Moor Road police horses-pedestrian.jpg
******************
wrote: ... As for the cyclists behind, they are plainly holding up motor traffic :lol: .
What is holding up the traffic is of course me, cycling north so that nobody can pass me or the horses or the cyclists in either direction.

*******

Interestingly a car in front of me, as well as slowing down, put its hazard flashers on as it approached them. I do not think I have seen that before.
210830-4 Kenn Road police horses-car hazard flashers.jpg
MikeF
Posts: 4339
Joined: 11 Nov 2012, 9:24am
Location: On the borders of the four South East Counties

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by MikeF »

Stevek76 wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 7:24pm
MikeF wrote: 4 Sep 2021, 8:36am
NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 2 Sep 2021, 3:40pm Hi,
Highway code -
Rule 53 - Horses.
"Never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends."

Rule 66 - Cyclist.
"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends"
In other words on narrow and busy roads make it as hard as possible for vehicles to pass.

The never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update
. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't. Which is odd as it's actually far easier to overtake a group of cyclists when they are riding abreast and not strung out in a big line, something the Surrey road cops twitter feed points out with a nice diagram occasionally.
Hasn't been updated yet. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... s-59-to-82
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
Jdsk
Posts: 24636
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by Jdsk »

MikeF wrote: 17 Sep 2021, 3:50pm
Stevek76 wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 7:24pm
MikeF wrote: 4 Sep 2021, 8:36am In other words on narrow and busy roads make it as hard as possible for vehicles to pass.

The never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update
. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't. Which is odd as it's actually far easier to overtake a group of cyclists when they are riding abreast and not strung out in a big line, something the Surrey road cops twitter feed points out with a nice diagram occasionally.
Hasn't been updated yet. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... s-59-to-82
I've written to Cycling UK.

Jonathan
DaveReading
Posts: 746
Joined: 24 Feb 2019, 5:37pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by DaveReading »

Stevek76 wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 7:24pmThe never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't.
Why would you want or expect the latter recommendation to be removed? There will always be cases where riding two abreast is plain inconsiderate.
MikeF
Posts: 4339
Joined: 11 Nov 2012, 9:24am
Location: On the borders of the four South East Counties

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by MikeF »

DaveReading wrote: 17 Sep 2021, 5:15pm
Stevek76 wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 7:24pmThe never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't.
Why would you want or expect the latter recommendation to be removed? There will always be cases where riding two abreast is plain inconsiderate.
Is it? That's not what's written though.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
DaveReading
Posts: 746
Joined: 24 Feb 2019, 5:37pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by DaveReading »

MikeF wrote: 17 Sep 2021, 8:40pm
DaveReading wrote: 17 Sep 2021, 5:15pm
Stevek76 wrote: 6 Sep 2021, 7:24pmThe never ride more than two abreast is being removed in the update. Unfortunately the recommendation to ride single file in some cases isn't.
Why would you want or expect the latter recommendation to be removed? There will always be cases where riding two abreast is plain inconsiderate.
Is it? That's not what's written though.
You've lost me now.

Roughly two-thirds of my ride today was on roads where both the current Rule 66 and Cycling UK's proposed changes would have recommended that I ride in single file, had I been riding with a companion.
ian s
Posts: 121
Joined: 24 Jun 2008, 12:59pm

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by ian s »

Was near Rutland Water last Saturday, when there was a triathlon on. Getting past 6 or 7 bicycles one behind the other wasn't easy, and in fact would have been easier if they were two abreast, but only half as "long"; needed the other side of the road anyway, so two abreast wouldn't have been any worse
User avatar
NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Of course they changed the rules in cycling in triathlons so that you can now draft, Where previously you have to maintain 5 m? IIRC.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Post Reply