Another cyclist and driving anxiety question

[Jessie1995]

I have some anxiety around driving and overtaking cyclists and I’m very cautious and wait for the right space right time etc!

om just looking for an opinion on whether I did the right thing here..
I was sat waiting at temp 4 way lights and there was 3 cyclists infront at the front of the queue and as our light changed to amber to get ready to go a bike came up next to me on the left of my car.

I could see him in my mirror/side window and because I’d need to swerve around the lights I held back to let him go first but he was a bit hesitant so I just drove slowly and he then sped up I put my hand up as if to say you go first and he did however the people behind me sounded their horn.

and then I just felt like I did everything wrong haha!

was that the best thing to do? I felt if I just drove I need to swerve around the lights left a little which could end up him being in my blind spot so I just let him go first!
He didn’t seem to happy ( the cyclist) maybe he was confused! But with him being on my left side I felt it was a bit unsafe to not let him go first!

would be great to get peoples opinions so I can gain some confidence and know

thank you!

He was probably confused and wasnt sure he could predict what you wanted. You did absolutely the right thing. I would expect a car to do this as a cyclist but would always be wary that they wouldnt give enough space or would be aggressive.

Sorry to add I had 3 cyclists at the front by the lights and I was 2nd from the front that’s why this bike was to the side of me. So I couldn’t go fast anyway as there wasn’t enough room to even overtake the cyclists safely infront due to traffic other side of road and narrow road so I held back. I could see this bike in my mirror he was probably inline with my back of my car/door so I held back and let him go. I’m not sure if I’m being too cautious but I didn’t want to almost cut him up by pulling away same time as he’s coming over ( we had to go around the set of traffic lights fo the right) if that makes sense!

You did the right thing. Ignore the honking (cyclist and driver here). If you don't have enough space to overtake safely you let them go on ahead until there is space.

A lot of non cyclists think you should pass close, which you shouldn't do. As a cyclist I would be glad you did this but would have expected you wouldn't, hence the hesitation.

Sounds like you did fine, you used caution around a vulnerable road user, ignore the beeping.

Am a cyclist and lapsed motorcyclist, we expect the worst of cars

You did the right thing, however the cyclist shouldn't have come up your left, that's undertaking and very dangerous.

I'm also fairly anxious when I drive and DH always says to me 'only you can see what you can see, the people behind you can't see what's in front of you, so they can jog on.' He doesn't say jog on though

The people in the queue could probably only see that the lights had changed and that the queue of cars was not starting to move so were "alerting" the first driver.

The 4th cyclist came up to the side to wait on the side of road when OP was stationery at lights behind others. Last I checked, that's legal & legit action by the 4th cyclist.

Drivers behind you were impatient, OP. That's all that happened. As a cyclist, I tend to prefer that a driver in your position get going as long as you're not turning across my path, you in front of me is the safest place for me to have you be. That said, it sounds like you may have done 4th cyclist a favour by letting them go ahead & not receive dodgy overtaking by the impatient drivers behind you.

i had to drive slow as I had 3 cyclists infront a motorbike and I couldn’t overtake any of them due to narrow road, bend in road and traffic other side of road. So I started to move off slowly and he was then inline in my window so I waved him on to go infront simply because I felt too close to him at this point and felt it was safer. Not sure I’m just over cautious though but better that way I guess!

You did the right thing. Ignore the honkers. I get the anxiety too and would have done what you did. Better that than a squished cyclist.

I’m questioning whether I was too cautious by letting him go infront but he was right in my blind spot/side of my car ( nothing he was doing wrong ) but as I had 3 cyclists infront of me and I couldn’t overtake them due to narrow road, bend and other lane of traffic waiting at their lights I had to go slowly and this wasn’t enough to speed up past the bike to get out of his way. So I felt like letting him go was better but doubting myself now as the guy behind sounded his horn!

Thank you. I doubted myself because he wasn’t infront of me he was next to me so was it safer for me to get out of his way and around him. However I had 3 cyclists infront of me too and I couldn’t get my speed up and go around them safely as the other lane had stopped traffic for their lights and it was narrow road and a bend coming up so I had to hold back. Therefore I could see him next to my car inline with my mirror and just put my hand up to let him go but then I got tooted at so doubted myself!

Thank you it was one of those moments where you just panic ( well I did haha)
so even though he wasn’t ahead of me as such he was next to me to my left I still did the right thing? I’m doubting myself because I got tooted at I think! but he was just inpatient I’m sure!

I had 3 cyclists infront of me too and it wasn’t safe to go around them for a while due to traffic on other side of road at their lights, narrow road and bend in road so I had to hold back for them anyway. I had spotted the cyclist next to me in the mirror when we were still stopped so I was aware of him and he then was in line with my mirror I waved him on to go ahead just because he also needed to swerve around my way slightly ( it’s temp lights that have a arrow on the sign to the right so you need to go right around the hole in the road haha)

so as he needed to swerve my way too I didn’t want to go ahead nearly knock him off his bike or drive too close to him I felt it safer to let him go infront!

People saying not to undertake, I understand that but it's very difficult as a slower cyclist in this situation because the timed lights just don't take us into account. So if I'm at the back of the queue of cars and stay there, I sometimes cannot get through the light in time; the timing is designed for cars and fast (often male, but by no means exclusively) cyclists.

Edit: just to clarify, I'm fit and healthy and on a decent bike, but I'm just never going to achieve the speeds of a younger, taller, fitter male cyclists in his twenties or whatever and get through the lights as they would.

Yeah I do agree I’m not faulting the cyclist one bit! More myself whether I made the wrong move letting the cyclist go first!

OP, if you want to understand cyclists and their behaviour on the roads then the best thing you could do is get out on a bike yourself. Local councils often offer free/low-costs rides with instructors.

Once you've done it, it all becomes clear. Why are they wearing lycra? It's so there's no danger of being thrown off the bike by flapping clothes getting caught in the bike's mechanism. Why are they riding two abreast? It's meant to make it quicker for you to overtake. Why are they angry? It's often because they've just had a close brush with death at the hands of an aggressive car driver and they're still hyped up. Why aren't they in the cycle lane? Perhaps there's something blocking it or glass in it, perhaps they're turning right, perhaps it's not correctly signed or ends in a dangerous way (common).

As a cyclist I never go up the inside of a line of cars- it is dangerous & you never know if the car in front has seen and/or give you space. This cyclist knew he was in a vulnerable position & nervy about it.

I just wait in line with the traffic, like a car, so I am not moving about & the car in front & behind can clearly see me and anticipate my movements.

Yeah I think so! I’m very aware of cyclists and cautious so I did see him hence why I waved him to go on infront of me as him being to the side of my door made me anxious but I questioned myself afterwards

You did the right thing - I mostly cycle, sometimes drive, and it's hard to predict what drivers will do - I usually assume they haven't seen me. It such a dangerous mindset most drivers have, that they must go as fast as they can.

You did the right thing. I cycle and drive and when I'm cycling I ride defensively which is what I was taught in London, where you need to make sure you are seen. Things like being in the middle of the lane at the roundabout so drivers aren't tempted to whizz past you in case they knock your back wheel. When I drive I always err on the side of caution as cyclists are vulnerable.

Filtering through stationery traffic is OK but the cyclist was probably caught on the hop by the lights changing and was imagining you were about to set off and he'd get stuck!

I think you were fine and sensible.

Temporary lights, and the resulting traffic queues, bring out the worst in a lot of drivers. Multiple times I have stopped at a red temporary light and the driver, or in one ocassion several drivers, behind overtook and ran the red.

Thanks so even though I was kind of ahead of him he wasn’t that visible being on the left of my car so I was ok to let him go?
I couldn’t safely pass him and the 3 others infront of me anyway due to the road being narrow and traffic in other lane at their lights so I would be driving slow and felt with him right next to the side of my car was quite dangerous if he goes in my blind spot etc!
just felt like I was too cautious maybe