Cycling UK Forum

Grandad wrote:Single or double file it's best to have no more than 6 riders in line astern - above that leave about 50 yards gap between groups to allow motorists to overtake in 2 (or more) stages.

Agree with this (on narrow twisty roads, on wider roads the groups can be bigger) and keep the group tight .

One of the golden rules of keeping friends on a bicycle is "Don't put any other cyclist in a position that is dangerous."

So agree with Grandad.

The way some clubs operate their TTs is the riders' previous times are assessed and they are numbered so there won’t be a bunch of riders meeting on the course.

Ayesha wrote:By this, moving aside to allow free flow of traffic is one thing a cyclist can do to gain respect, finish the journey and stay alive.

I did this just this morning on the A612, another road afflicted with pedestrian refuges. I was being followed by a large lorry and he couldn't get past between the refuges. Aware that i was holding him up, I pulled onto the shared use path and let him pass. Got a friendly toot as he did.

I don't normally use the shared use path here as it has loads of junctions and parked cars/pedestrians.

posted elsewhere on my grievances today with the skyride. Wholeheartedly agree with whats been said here. However it was apparent long lines of cars formed up behind us very quickly.

In a way I dont care because drivers should acknowledge others ARE using the roads and just live with it. However I do feel a little sympathy for them, mostly because many seem to have little training in how to handle such an environment, leading to many driver errors (mostly trying to pass) in their frustration to get past.

Not entirely sure where I stand on this one yet.

Emma

One advantage/disadvantage of my bent trike over a bike is that even though it's only around 8 inches wider than a bike, on the road if I put the left front wheel on the same line as a bikes front wheel then my right front wheel is around 2 foot further out than the riders shoulder.
This make overtaking it by cars a bit harder but I think I tend to get better overtakes because the car driver has to make a more positive move to get past.

If I'm following a bike down a road, I tend to sit just outside the line of the back wheel in front.
This is due to the fact if the bike in front stops without any warning, I don't want its back wheel going between my front wheel and my leg.

This is an interesting topic and there are some very interesting responses. I have driven a car since I was seventeen (average 40,000 miles pa) and ridden motorcycles (average 10,000miles pa) since I was sixteen but like most of you, cycles I've ridden from about three, all without being involved in accidents. In the many miles of being a road user I have obviously come across some of the bigots and miss informed bad road users that have responded. We all feel angry at times when other road users take advantage of us or put us in danger. However, thinking about our own actions on the road can, in most cases, ensure that we remain safe and we continue to enjoy our favourite form of transport, cycling.

To those that I label bigots I would suggest that you need to read the Highway Code in detail but get some training, both cycle training and emotional training, as soon as possible before your short-sited attitudes get you into serious danger or even killed. To those that have sensible attitudes to cycling safely I would say,' spread the word' and give as much help as possible to the misinformed.

Cycling should be a pleasure and if you find that it's not, go by bus or walk but in any event, stop blaming other road users for your own stupidity and don't take your biased political views with you on the road.

Which ever form of transport we use we should always make sure that we allow other road users to overtake safely and we position ourselves on the road so that we also remain safe. If a motorised vehicle is overtaking me at any time I give them space and let them go, I'm not that stupid that I want to 'mix it' with them.

Enjoy club rides but leave the bigoted attitudes, political dogma and stupidity at home.

bikersalive wrote:Which ever form of transport we use we should always make sure that we allow other road users to overtake safely and we position ourselves on the road so that we also remain safe.

Point 1) It is the overtaking vehicles responsibility to do so safely
Point 2) This often means ensuring that motorists (for it is usually motorists) have to make an active decision to overtake, and cross that painted white line.


Of course there is a line between that and actively preventing an overtake - but I don't think I've ever seen anyone other than a car do that (Actually I've seen a lorry do it - they had a police car sat just off their front bumper, so they kept slowing cars down as they came to overtake)