Cycling UK Forum

This is a bit obscure but here we go.

I cycle a number of urban routes almost daily. I ride defensively and even employ the 'strategic wobble' if I hear a car approaching too fast. But I do occasionally lapse, especially when I've had a number of polite, safe and slow passes. I then ride a little less defensively, or omit the wobble. What ensues is pretty typically a close and occasionally a close and fast overtake.

So what to do to keep my attention keen and anticipate these scary overtakes. Having had a couple of close passes this morning I realise that many drivers will overtake whenever they perceive there is a car size gap, no matter whether they are approaching a pinch point, blind bend, junction or whatever and with no consideration for whether the bike might wobble or swerve.

This brought to mind the domestic cat, many of which seem obsessed with open doors, cupboards or whatever. If it's open they have to go through it.

So now I just imagine that the car behind is being driven by a cat and that if I leave a car sized space next to me someone will drive through it.

So I fill the space.

If the road width > 2cars + 1bike, that won't work. Even some lanes fit into that category, such as where they flare wider at the give way line at the entrance to roundabouts.

axel_knutt wrote: ↑14 Aug 2023, 2:08pm If the road width > 2cars + 1bike, that won't work. Even some lanes fit into that category, such as where they flare wider at the give way line at the entrance to roundabouts.

True, but I tend to avoid those junctions unless I'm on a recumbent where the 'cat' rule isn't necessary - drivers are so scared/discombobulated by a recumbent that I almost never experience close passes

My dog is about 15" wide but thinks it can fit through a gap 6" wide. Toddlers are the same (perhaps highlighting the mentality of these drivers). I once saw a video of a toddler trying to put his foot in the sunroof of a toy car that was probably less than 1ft long and crying because he couldn't get in the car.

..oh right.. its cats...

I was going to agree with you, then I realised I'd misread one of the words in the thread title...

It's cats...

Some of them don't even need a car width, had case of this the other day while I was riding a single car width country lane - lunatic in a Discovery roared up behind and decided to overtake me by using the grass verge to go half off road but frightened himself when he realised that although the verge looked green and solid, it was in fact the greenery growing up from a ditch

Proceeded to shout, swear and gesticulate at me as if it were my fault.

Still my favourite tale comes from a work colleague who met a Range Rover on a narrow country lane (he was driving a smaller car). There was room to pass but only if both cars used the grass verge. The RR driver refused to do so because, and I quote: "it will get my wheels dirty"

I also remember getting the 'death stare' from a Bently driver coming towards me on a single track lane because my unwillingness to concede (i.e. dismount and move my bike onto the verge) meant that he too had to dirty his wheels.

I like the cats analogy.

The problem is, some cats think that if their head fits, they can go through

Cats are much too intelligent to drive cars.
They have staff to do that.

Anyway, cats negotiate gaps using their whiskers.
Perhaps cars should be so equipped.

Stradageek wrote: ↑14 Aug 2023, 1:57pm
So now I just imagine that the car behind is being driven by a cat and that if I leave a car sized space next to me someone will drive through it.

So I fill the space.

ie standard road positioning as taught to 10 year olds as part of level 2 bikeability.

Vorpal wrote: ↑15 Aug 2023, 8:18am I like the cats analogy.

The problem is, some cats think that if their head fits, they can go through

Off topic, but the cats are right - generally a non-obese domestic cat can get through a space that its head will go through.

Comparing drivers to cats? Hmm. That will breed false confidence: cats are much better at judging distances.