To think this cyclist should have pulled over?

[MsMarvel]

I'll say first that indont know the specific rules of what a cyclist should do, im not a cyclist and im haooy to be told that actually cyclist was in the right...Im not posting this to start a bunfight!

Was driving to work this morning, along a windy country road that is pretty busy, lots of traffic both ways, hgvs etc.

Get stuck in a queue of traffic going about 5 miles an hour and look ahead to see that about 3 cars in front of me, aorry is stuck behind a cyclist.

At this point im thinking fair enough, windy road, cars cant safely overtake, doing the safe thing and sitting behind cyclist until safe opportunity arises, but knowing the road that could take miles.

See a sign for a parking bay and think that the cyclist can easily pull over without even stopping and letting the (now 10) cars pass him. He cycles right past, staying very confidently in the middle of the road lane. In the end cars started overtaking him on dangerous spots, which isnt acceptable no matter how frustrated you are, but AIBU to think that the cyclists could have moved over slightly to avoid the dangerous isituation occuring?

If it was a slow car or lorry with a queue of 10 people behind him there would be no discussion over whether they should have pulled over, but not sure if the rules are different for cyclists...

[lovelyupnorth]

I think he was being safe. As if he pulled in he'd never get out again. And I don't know many road cyclists that would be going at 5 miles per hour 10-20 more like.

Drivers need to be patient.

[Slave2thecat]

Nope cyclist was fine as they were.

[maddening]

The highway code states that he should have pulled over - he was a selfish Twat and I am sure he could have "got out again" once he let the traffic past.

The rule is also for cyclists who need to be more aware of these rules.

[UnexpectedBaggage]

He was an arse and totally lacking in manners. The Highway Code says that slow moving vehicles should pull in to let others pass where it's safe to do so. There was a lay by, he chose not to. Thus he's an arse.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

I know I have been stuck behind cyclists going at 5mph. It was at rush hour and the lady was clearly out for a leisurely cycle, only peddling every now and again. Infuriating! But most at that time are doing at least 20mph. And they are built like steel. I'll be stuck behind them staring in awe at their muscles.

I'm not sure if they need to stop actually. I wouldn't expect them to particularly but it might be nice if they did sometimes. I don't know.

[maddening]

It would not be dangerous to indicate left and pull in to the lay by and stop.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

My DP will know, I'll ask him when he's awake.

[WipsGlitter]

I'm sure all the mega cyclist will be on defending this but imho he should have pulled over. Tractors pull over. Nervous drivers pull over. Sometimes I pull over if I'm unfamiliar with the road and there's traffic building behind me.

Part of the problem is the drivers start to get frustrated and then ack recklessly.

[Iwantawhippet]

It would have been courteous. But 5mph - was it a hill? Pulling over and stopping on a hill means the rider looses momentum. It can be difficult to start off again on a hill.

The safest place for a cyclist is the middle of the lane. They are visible. Being away from the kerb where pedestrians may step out, cars might pull out, kids might run into the road and car doors open suddenly.

[NoahVale]

i dont think cyclists ever pull over, i dont know what is going through their minds when a bus/lorry is following them

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

So I have found this. It just says if you are holding up traffic you should move over but it doesn't specify cyclists and I checked the cyclists specific section and that doesn't say it either. Not very clear..

[Hulababy]

Most slow moving vehicles are courteous and do pull over at intervals to let building queues of traffic pass. No idea why slow moving cyclists should be exempt from that. Tractors, heavy lorries etc do it all the time.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

I hate being stuck behind a cyclist as I find it incredibly dangerous. What if they fell off? And yes, they should have let you pass. Common decency and through self protection. I didn't realise a bicycle was also supposed to move over as it isn't a motorised vehicle - it is a vehicle all the same, I had t seen It like that.

[Masketti]

They do it round my way and I've never seen the line of traffic fail to make room for them to pull back into the road. YANBU but it's not a given.

[Ameliablue]

Weaving in and out of lay bus may be dangerous but indicating and pulling in isn't.

[doctoratsea]

Didn't we just have a cycling thread about pulling over? Anyway, I'm a cyclist and if the opportunity arose (as it did) I pull over and let cars pass. I do this even on hills.

Sounds like this was Sunday afternoon cyclist, you know the ones, just like those car drivers who drive at 20mph on a leisurely jaunt along a country road and don't pull over either!

[ScOffasDyke]

Dangerous overtaking by impatient motorists is the issue here. I can't understand why people are so intolerant of cyclists. And 5mph is hyperbole

[MouseholeCat]

I cycle at roughly 12-20mph on flat / down slope, so there are situations where I'm significantly slower than the traffic I'm riding with. On a narrow country road with a fair bit of traffic, I would probably have found a safe space to pull in to let the traffic pass. This cyclist could have just been a dickhead...

However, if I thought situation was not safe, I wouldn't e.g. I don't pull in to let busses pass me on an urban street with a junction up ahead, purely because I'd end up riding down their left hand side to access the cycle box once they stopped, putting me in a dangerous situation should the lights change. I'm also faster than them, and will be passing by at the next bus stop.

Not the same situ obviously, but potentially the cyclist felt it wasn't safe to do that for whatever reason.

[whattheseithakasmean]

When I horse ride and have to ride on roads to get to nice riding, I always pull over into a gateway or layby when I can and acknowledge drivers who have been behind me. I have never had a cyclist return that sort of courtesy when I am driving - and I have been stuck behind cyclist for miles on a country lane because I was towing a trailer so really couldn't get past safely without them pulling over.

Horse riders are usually polite and female.
Cyclists are usually entitled and middle aged men.
Funny that.

[IceRoadDucker]

YANBU. He should have pulled over.

[LostSight]

If he was, for example, training for a race, he might well not want to pull over and stop, as some people have suggested.

[WizzardHat]

I would have pulled over and let people overtake.

[NotYoda]

I was going to say what Mousehole/LostSight said. There may have been a number of reasons why he did not pull over.

Drivers must show restraint - if they drive dangerously it's their responsibility

[WeatherwaxOrOgg]

Whatthe ... I'm neither a cyclist nor a horse rider but I find as you say, horse riders in general to be polite and considerate and cyclists to be entitled point makers.

Hence I'm far more helpful and polite when driving my car to the horse riders than to the cyclists.

In fact I loathe cyclists (in general) - not because they hold me up, that I don't mind and fully accept but because I find them mostly to be a rude and unjustly principled section of society.