Road cyclists?…

[Humphreyshead]

Do you genuinely enjoy having cars following behind you? Or is it just something you’re willing to put up with?

I live in a very popular road cycling area, with scenic routes and lovely windy and hilly roads. Some of these roads are busy though and it can take a few miles sometimes to be able to overtake a cyclist safely.

When I’m driving behind them I often wonder if they’re constantly aware of the cars behind them, which then in turn ruins their experience. Or do you have to just switch them off?

I also ask as I’m an avid mountain biker, and sometimes I have to use the roads to connect trails. But I always pull over when I can, to let cars past, as I hate it!… But road cyclists never seem to do this.

Lots of cyclists here in our rural country lanes.

I do get frustrated sometimes with some of them- usually MAMILS. Those that refuse to slow down to pull over in a driveway etc, to let the queues of cars past, presumably because they are timing themselves.

But worse is when they are out in packs. So dangerous. Big groups of 8+ cyclists. Often VERY stretched out. There can be 2… then a gap of maybe 3 cars lengths… then another few cyclists, a gap of 2 cars lengths, then another cyclist etc etc. It is absolutely not safe to try and overtake them when they are like that, the gaps aren’t big enough and unless the road is wide and straight (not often around here!) you can’t see far enough ahead of the front rider to know you can safely pass them all with enough space.

Obviously they have a right to be on the road and to be safe. But some of them do seem to make the experience more dangerous for themselves and other users. Some cyclists and the vast vast majority of horse riders round here happily pull into a driveway or wider bit and stop to let cars past.

some of them do seem to make the experience more dangerous for themselves and other users.

you may find that it is the motorised vehicles that are making the dangerous manouvres and putting the lives of the other road users at risk.

comp it never occurred to me that the MAMILS are timing themselves. I often wonder why they don't pull into a perfectly safe lay-by to allow the cars to get past.

some of them do seem to make the experience more dangerous for themselves and other users.
Yeah next time a car doesn't kill me I'll be sure to thank the driver for going above and beyond.
"‘Motonormativity’: Britons more accepting of driving-related risk | Road safety | The Guardian" amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/17/motonormativity-britons-more-accepting-driving-related-risk

So public transport is slower and less convenient?
Remarkably like the majority of cycle paths.

My council has just paid to put in a cycle path alongside a busy road. Last night there were five cars parked in it. It's more dangerous for me to keep pulling in and out than just use the road. Most cyclists actually want to cycle safely and away from cars but until drivers understand that they do not always come first, I refuse to put my own safety at risk.

I’ve just said I wouldn’t overtake them in such circumstances.

But, I do think they make a situation more dangerous when they ride like that in big spread out groups.

I used to ride (horses) everyday on the road. Would I go out in a group of 8 horses and spread ourselves out in a similar manner? No because it would make the situation dangerous. It was rare that we’d go out in such a big group but hypothetically if we did, we’d make an effort to stick close together so it was less distance for a car to overtake, no car sized gaps so cars wouldn’t be tempted to try and overtake the stragglers and pull back in to the too small gap before attempting the next groups, and we’d pull into a gateway etc when possible to get out of the way. We had a right to be on the road and be safe and treated respectfully… but equally we were aware that car drivers are trying to get past and would do our best not to hold them up, IF it was possible.

We (all) have a right to use the road safely and have a duty of care towards others… but I think all road users have a responsibility to make things as safe as we can.

I would suggest you try the cycle path. I have never met one that’s fit for purpose. They just stop at junctions, bus stops, any sort of interaction, shared with pedestrians which means you can only really go at walking pace as pedestrians and dogs wandering in front of you is a hazard. The brand new, lovely, wide one near me would be good if it wasn’t used as parking spaces for those picking up at local shops etc. it’s unusable.

i commute on the road. If someone’s behind me I carry on until they decide it’s safe to overtake. I don’t signal as it’s on them to make that assessment.

yes I’m aware but nothing I can do.

worse is electric cars where you can’t hear they’re behind you and scares the crap out of you when you catch a car coming from nowhere out the corner of your eye.

I don’t pull over because I don’t see why I should.

I am simply cycling to work. Cars will be able to overtake safely at some point. I am not stopping multiple times to let cars past- they don’t have priority and I could be sat in a lay-by indefinitely while cars stream past while not being able to get back out into the road.

If you had to pull over and stop your car every time someone wanted to overtake you’d be fine with that?

See this is (what appears) to be the mindset difference between horse riders and cyclists locally.

I am not talking about those cyclists who are commuting to work etc, where I can see you actually have to get somewhere on time and perhaps in urban areas where there is more room/you’re not going to be stuck behind a cyclist going at 8mph for 2 miles…

But locally the vast majority of the cyclists we see on our country lanes come out on the weekends, especially over the warmer months/better weather. They are clearly out for pleasure/exercise etc. Similar to the horse riders. Nothing wrong with that. But it is very noticeable that the majority of cyclists refuse to pull in etc to help the traffic behind them pass.

Obviously it’s not universal… I’ve come across the occasional rider that won’t pull in, and the odd cyclist who does… but on the whole riders seem much more willing to try and limit the hold up.

I am not some car apologist. I wore a headcam and regularly sent footage to the police if cars were being dangerous in a bid to get past before we could get out of the way- there are a lot of arsehole drivers about!

If I hadn’t had such a steady, experienced horse (and a lot of luck), I could have been involved in multiple serious accidents. I have lost count of the number of times cars actually clipped my stirrup/or crop as they tried to squeeze past (the Highway Code says pass horses no faster than 10mph and give at least 2m width). But for those who gave us a moment to pull over I’d always make a point of smiling and saying thank you, even tho it’s something they should be doing. I don’t think an attitude of ‘why should I?!’ is helpful to anyone.

I highly recommend Garmin Varia or some other radar to alert you to cars coming up behind you. Absolutely great!

If the cyclist is going at 8mph, it must be up a pretty steep hill. It's entirely possible that they wouldn't be able to restart if they were to stop, and would have to walk to the top. That's a strong incentive just to keep going.

Also just to point out that road bikes typically have narrow slick tyres which are only suitable for tarmac. Plenty of the places where a car could pull in are not possible for a road bike - too uneven, too rutted, or too gravelly. So to pull in, they'd need to stop in the road - which is dangerous - and then dismount and waddle off to the side. It's not as easy as it might seem.

Which I am not disputing - what I was disputing was the claim about public transport and drivers.

Absolutely agree with the OP and everyone who hates cyclists. How very dare they use the road at the same time as me and make me have to slow down. It is SOOO annoying that they don't consult my schedule and make sure they only use routes that won't inconvenience me, I mean, I am so important and my time is so precious that I just cannot wait for a few minutes while they dawdle to a safe passing place, and then they expect me to use my arms and steer round them so they don't get knocked off! The entitlement of some people!!
There should be a special tax on cyclists so that I can run them down if they are in my way and I can get all the blood and brains cleaned off my car and get the dents and scratches fixed for free.

And don't get me started on runners or dog walkers who have the nerve to be in the park or on a footpath when I am....

Maybe read the other posts before launching into a ridiculous response which doesn’t even address the issues raised?

My claim was that both drivers not using public transport and also cyclists not using bike paths are choosing the safer, quicker, more convenient option for them while also being a minor inconvenience to others.

Which bit of that are you disputing?

I am also a horse rider.

the difference is my bike isn’t going to act in an unpredictable manner. Of course I would pull over to let cars past on a horse rather than risk the car getting impatient and getting too close to my horse or behaving in a manner that may result in the horse doing something that causes an accident.

i’m also unlikely to be commuting to work on my horse so interruption less of an issue.

me and my bike are plodding along in a predictable manner. It’s up to the car to make the judgement when it’s safe to overtake.

You said “Almost as bad as people in cars when there's public transport” - you said nothing about the roads being safer, quicker and more convenient than cycle paths. Makes you wonder why the Govt, councils and Sustrans go to the bother and expense of creating the things in response to demands from cyclists and in conjunction with cycling groups when cyclists actually think roads are safer and more convenient.

We do it as a courtesy because, as we are also drivers, we know you may want to pass safely. We can often see what is ahead around a bend sooner than you can offering the option to overtake if you want to …. We don’t do it to annoy you

It's a mystery to me how cyclists are more entitled than SUV drivers who drive something that is too big for the roads, causes more potholes, pollutes the atmosphere and then to add to it park on pavements/in cycle lanes/over driveways and leave their engines running cos aircon or cos heating.

As a driver and cyclist, I'm also in the "I'll decide if it's safe to overtake myself thanks" camp.

It is really annoying when cycle paths are well surfaced and separate to the road. The excuse I've seen is that they don't want to be held up behind slower cyclists.

Erm...

I will use a cycle lane if I deem it safe ie not a rubbish dump full of discarded litter and broken glass orit isn't a convenient car park. Shared path? Fine. I can moderate my speed but your 2m dog lead or your freely roaming dog is still a menace also could you stay on the pedestrian side if it's marked as such.
If I signal you to pass me I leave the choice up to you. My signal is that it is safe to pass me and I am not going to make a stupid manoeuvre. Similar to an oncoming motorist flashing their lights at you to say you may make that turn. But you do so at your own risk. The car that has flashed you is not saying go only they are allowing you to go. The risk is all yours.

Aargh...dogs on long leads standing in cycle paths....so annoying and dangerous. I also had a pedestrian shout at me because I was apparently going too fast in the cycle lane where he wanted to saunter. No, you should get out of the cycle lane and back on the pavement.