Dangerous Cyclists

[Turbo10]

Hi all
Asking mainly as a motorist and only occasional cyclist can someone explain to me why on nearly every Sunday country trip out with my wife in the country cyclist insist in riding 3 and sometimes 4 abreast on narrow B and C roads, effectively totally blocking the road from pavement to the central white line and on roads with no pavements from hedgerow to central white line ?
It is so dangerous for the cyclist, the vehicles attempting to overtake and oncoming vehicles. A for instance today was a posy of 10 to 15 cyclists, all fully clad in skin tight lycra clothes, all on racing style bikes and from what I could see all male's, followed them for 3 or 4 miles on country road, all insisted on taking up all the width of the road and on more than one instance going over the central white line and going onto the oncoming lane. When I did eventually have an opportunity to overtake them I was given verbal abuse and shouted at.

Can someone explain to me why this happens nearly every week end ?

Regards

[Graham]

MMMmmm . . . . how to reconcile a big bunch of cyclists out for a sunday jaunt and some motorists who don't expect to held up by a bunch of cyclists ???

How about waiting until it is safe to overtake the group such that there is no animosity caused ?? This will also completely remove the "It's so dangerous for the cyclist".

There is practical problem of what a large group of cyclists need to do to actually facilitate overtaking by motorists. I can't answer that but have observed in the past that individuals in a cycling group may decide to position themselves defensively . .. and get a bit upset when their defenses are threatened.

[snibgo]

Can someone explain to me why ... ?

Because the sun is out and spring is in the air.

So they generally kept to the left side of the road, leaving the right side for you to overtake? Good show.

I don't know why they verbally abused and shouted at you. I'm sure you didn't deserve it, because you patiently stayed well back until you could overtake safely, and didn't harass them.

[hubgearfreak]

hello turbo & welcome to the forum

It is so dangerous for the cyclist, the vehicles attempting to overtake and oncoming vehicles.

the only way i can see this being dangerous is if someone tries to overtake when it isn't safe to do so. please could you enlighten us as to why you think it's dangerous?

[Erudin]

Sorry you got held up for 3-4 miles, I have not encountered cyclists riding more than two abreast where I live. All the group riding guidelines posted online by clubs I've looked at say cycle a maximum of two abreast. If the group is big (like at the start of an audax/sportive event) it's harder not to hold traffic up a bit, but holding up traffic for miles is not nice.

When driving and I overtake a cyclist or group of cyclists I like to give them plenty of room and usually cross fully into the opposite lane to do it, on a wide road its quicker to overtake a group riding two abreast rather then strung out in single file. Unfortunately some drivers get irate at cyclists riding two abreast when it's perfectly appropriate to do so.



From Advice on riding with a group

7. Group riding pattern is normally in pairs. This is sociable and keeps the group together. Single file is courteous and safer on some roads.

The Highway Code specifically allows cyclists to ride two abreast. It is usually the leader’s decision when to move to single file because of traffic or when passing walkers or horses. Offroad you should ride in way that makes allowance for walkers. Most groups have a standard method of moving from double to single file which everyone uses to make the manoeuvre smooth and safe. Ask how it is done in your group.

See also:
http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/cycling/cycling-two-abreast/
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/cyclingandmotorcycling/drivesafecyclesafe

[[XAP]Bob]

They'd have been three times longer in single file, and possibly never been safe to overtake.

Normally cyclists position is quite deliberate (unless it's in the gutter), and generally it's chosen for safety.

[tatanab]

riding 3 and sometimes 4 abreast

They are not. You are believing the evidence of your eyes, not what is actually happening. They are riding two abreast with a slight ecehelon between pairs so that they are not directly behind each other. Hence the appearance of riding 3 or 4 abreast.

I'm a bit suspicious of the 3 or 4 miles. At 20mph that is 9 to 12 minutes. Any group, or individual, gets pretty fed up with somebody reluctant to pass after only a minute or two.

[horizon]

turbo10: you and your wife were also travelling two abreast.

[bigphil]

Turbo 10

How often and how long is it that you are stuck in and causing traffic jams when driving?

What percentage of the delays you experience are caused by the traffic being cyclists?

Why do you seemly object to sharing the road with bikes but are happy to be stuck in motorised and be the cause of motorised traffic jams?

[gentlegreen]

I suggest the OP gets himself a cheap video camera and posts the results on Youtube.
Shouldn't cost more than a few gallons of petrol.

I try to get out on Sunday group rides as often as possible and I don't recognise the described situation at all.
Mind you, we don't wear tight Lycra and hence probably not worthy of several miles' worth of perving

A for instance today was a posy of 10 to 15 cyclists, all fully clad in skin tight lycra clothes, all on racing style bikes and from what I could see all male's,

I like the notion of a "posy" of lycra-clad cyclists. :

The biggest mystery to me is where the pleasure is in driving around in cars on a sunny Sunday.

[Mick F]

I have sympathy with Turbo 10.

It is actually annoying to be kept behind a group of cyclists, and I can offer no advice to anyone other than to be patient and only overtake when it is safe to do. Don't forget that cyclists aren't the only "slow" roadusers. What about farm vehicles? or wide loads? They are equally annoying, but we suffer them with more tolerance perhaps.

From the cycling group's point of view, it is awfully difficult to do anything about the motorists. If they all ride single file, the line would be stretched right out and it would be dangerous for everybody. If the group bunches up so the line is short, it then becomes wide! No-one can win here.

When I drove the support vehicle for six riders doing LEJOG, they were instructed to keep into two groups, so that way vehicles stood a chance at getting past them in two "hops". That may be a better system, but on bendy twisty lanes it's dangerous to pass a cyclist anyway! When I ride, I always come out so I can see and be seen, and the traffic has to wait until we can all see better.

[bigphil]

I suggest the OP gets himself a cheap video camera and posts the results on Youtube.
Shouldn't cost more than a few gallons of petrol.

I try to get out on Sunday group rides as often as possible and I don't recognise the described situation at all.
Mind you, we don't wear tight Lycra and hence probably not worthy of several miles' worth of perving

A for instance today was a posy of 10 to 15 cyclists, all fully clad in skin tight lycra clothes, all on racing style bikes and from what I could see all male's,

I like the notion of a "posy" of lycra-clad cyclists. :

The biggest mystery to me is where the pleasure is in driving around in cars on a sunny Sunday.

Hello GG - I'll see you in that other forum in a bit!

[kwackers]

I've had the misfortune to be sat in cars with drivers who've spent all their time shouting at the traffic in front. One particularly memorable moment was stuck in a traffic jam, the car two in front moved forwards a few feet and the car immediately in front didn't.
I sat there in embarrassed silence whilst the guy effed and blinded because he hadn't moved...

I think some people simply deal better with obstruction than others. There's nothing you can do, simply hope there's a female* in the bunch with a nice bum, switch to classic FM and enjoy the sun

*Or male.

[stewartpratt]

I have sympathy with Turbo 10.

I'm glad you posted that, I was worried I might be the only one.

I disagree that the scenario described is inherently "dangerous" since it's only dangerous if the driver tries a risky manouevre, but it can be annoying being made to wait a long time to make that manouevre. Slow vehicles should yield when possible if they're holding up the traffic for an extended time, but groups don't tend to do this.

I agree that the best way for a group to ride is to split into smaller groups of no more than 3 or 4, to allow people to pass with several easier overtaking manouevres, but again this rarely if ever seems to happen (generally it's just some poor sod dragging behind the speedier group).

I find that when I've ridden in groups it's deeply embarrassing being a blockage and it's probably the main reason I don't like riding with more than one or two other people.

[flat tyre]

Mr Turbo 10, my suggestion for your problem is for you to buy some skin tight lycra and a racing style bike for you and your good wife, leave the car behind and to join the other cyclists, you'll find your Sunday's much less frustrating.